©]? THE REPUBLIC OF GENOA. 4.1$ 



At length the Genoefe took a ftep that was more 

 fuitable to the character of their populace than to that 

 of the nobility. As they could neither maintain their 

 fovereignty, nor grant the Corlicans. that liberty they 

 were fo valiantly contending for with the lbfs of their 

 blood, they made over their tottering fupremacy to 

 the crown of France. It was impoffible but that the 

 Corlicans muft at laft be fubdued by this far fuperior 

 power ; and it appears almoft incredible to the world* 

 how much it coll the kingdom of France in troops and* 

 money to take poffeffion of this glorious prefent. Nor 

 has the iiland ever yet produced fo much as to repay 

 the poffeffors their annual expence. In regard to this 

 expence, it ia a real benefit to the Genoefe that they 

 got rid of this fovereignty. 



Genoa Hands on the declivity of one of the Apennine 

 hills,, in the form of an amphitheatre, on a fpacious 

 bay that forms a femi-circle with its thick and abun- 

 dant groves of orange- trees. The whole city rifes gra- 

 dually to the eye, and affords a beautiful and ftupen- 

 do us profpect towards the fea. The fronts of the mag- 

 nificent houfes are painted either with architectural 

 pieces^ or figures of animals. The moil: elegant ftreets 

 are the Strada Nuova, Strada di Balbi, and the fuburb 

 S, Pietro d' Arena. The reft of the ftreets. are narrow, 

 lleep, and an actual labyrinth to a ftranger. The molt 

 populous quarter of the city, is that which lias its. 

 name from the Porto Franco. Here Hands the ex- 

 change, where the nobility and merchants meet every 

 day,. In the Porto Franco [Freeport] itfelf, are long 

 and ornamented rows of houfes, where magazines for 



all 



