The Persian Travels Book III 



to force all Ships that were bound into Italy to pay certain Cuftoms , which thole 

 of Marseilles would not pay when they came into the Port of Toulon. Thereupon 

 forefeeing that there would be mifchief done , I caU'd for my little Chefts that con- 

 tain'd my Goods of greateft value, carrying iome part my felf, and giving the 

 reft to one of my moft trufty Servant* , thinking to have skipt into a Genoa Bark 

 that lay hard by us •, but inftead of leaping a-board. , I fell into the Sea : where by 

 reafon of the Tumult I had periftYd without relief* h^d I not by good fortune laid hold 

 of a Cable and redeem'd my felf. At what time one of ray Servants luckily coming to 

 my ayd , with much ado drew me up fafe again. 



Having efcap'd this danger, I got a-fhoar with fuch of my Servants as I had 

 about me , and meeting with a Bark of Frontignan that carry'd Langnedock z Wme to 

 the Coaft of Italy, I hir'd him for Ligorn; and fetting Sail , we. firft touch'd Villa- 

 franca, and afterwards at Monaco. 



At Monaco I went a-fhoar , and went to wait upon Madam the Princefs , who 

 fhew'd me the Rarities in the Caftle among the reft, feveral pieces of extraordinary 

 Painting , feveral pieces of Clock-work and Goldfmiths-work. But among all her 

 Curiofities fhe fhew'd me two pieces of Cryftal , about the bignefs of two Fifts each, 

 in one of which there was above a Glafs full of Water, in the other a good quan- 

 tity of Mofs ; which were clos'd in by Nature when the Cryftal firft con- 

 geal'd. 



Monaco is a Caftle fituated upon a fteep Rock, advancing out into the Sea} 

 which advantage, together with others which it receives from Art and Nature,renders 

 it one of the moft confiderable Forts in Italy. 



The next day finding the Frontignan-Vcnel to be deep laden , and that it made little 

 way , I took a Faluke , and kept along by the Shoar , which was moft pleafantly 

 adorn'd with beautiful Villages and Houfes, as far as Savona-, where I chang'd my 

 Faluke , to compleat the reft of the way which I had to Genoa. Half the way we 

 did very well , but the Wind rifing , we were forc'd to put in to a great Town, 

 where we landed ; and from thence , having but nine Miles, I got in good time by 

 Horfe to Genoa. There can be no Profpe£t certainly more pleafing than that nine 

 Miles riding. For on the one fide you lee nothing but a continu'd Row of magni- 

 ficent Buildings and lovely Gardens ; on the other a calm Shoar , upon which the 

 Waves feem not to beat , but lovingly to kifs. 



Arriving at Genoa , I met with the reft of my Servants and at the end of two 

 days I embarqu'd for Ligorn , where we arriv'd in four and twenty hours. 



From Ligorn I went to the Court of Florence, to wait upon the Grand Duke. By 

 whom I had the honour to be admitted into his Chamber, where I found no body 

 attending but one Mute, who had a long time ferv'd his Highnefs : and I obferv'd that 

 they underftood one another by Signs , as perfectly as if the Mute had had his Speech 

 and Hearing. So that when-ever the Duke fent him into his Clofet for any Papers 

 or other thing whatfoever, he never fail'd to bring the right. 



After I had tak'n my leave of the Duke, he fent me a noble Prefent of Wine 

 and Fruits -, but that which I valu'd more than all the reft, was a Cafe of Medicaments 

 and Counter-poyfons , in the compofition whereof the Italians are very exquifite. 

 And yet they did me no fervice for when I came into the hot Countries their 

 fermentation was fo ftrong, that all the Oylsand Treacles broke their feveral Boxes, 

 that I could fave nothing of that precious Prefent. 



The next day, being the twenty-fixth of March 1 664 , I embarqu'd with all my 

 Servants in a Dutch VefTel call'd The Jufiice. 



The twenty-feventh we ftaid in the Road, expecting the reft of the Fleet, con- 

 futing of eleven Ships , two Men of War, and nine Merchant-men -, four of which 

 were bound for Smyrna , three for Ancona , and two for Venice. About feven that 

 evening we fet Sail , and all that night the Wind was favourable , but blew hard and 

 veer'd often-, which was the reafon that two of our Fleet feparated from us, fleering be- 

 tween thelfleof Elbe and Corfica, while we kept on between the Ifleof Elba and Italy. 



The twenty-eighth by eight in the Morning we found our felves between Porto 

 Ferraro and Piombino , and it being fair Weather , we had a pleafant profpecl: of 

 thofe two places. From thence we fteer'd between two Hands , the one callM PaU 

 tmjola , the other being namelefè. About fix hours after we faw c Portolongone, 

 afterwards at a diftance we defcry'd Monte-Chrifio, An hour after Noon we dif- 



eover'd 



