Chap. III. GreateH Tat 
peared in a crimfon Robe, with a kind of fquare Bon- 
net on his Head ; before him' were carried two Battle 
Axes and a Sword in the Scabbard^ a Senator marching 
on each Side of him in a black Gown, but of the fame 
Make with that of the Doge ; the Streets were ftrew’d 
with green Herbs, and lined on both Sides with Ta- 
peftry ; in the Windows we faw the Ladies drefs’d in 
their beft Attire, with Baskets full of Flowers, which 
they threw among thofe that follow’d the Proceffionj 
according to their feverai Inclinations, the Gentlemen 
receiving thefe Favours with low Reverences from the 
Hands of the fair Diftributors. 
The Church of the Annunciata^ though the faireft in 
Genoa^ yet in Beauty and Magnificence is^ much infe- 
rior to many we have had Occafion to defcribe before. 
The moll remarkable Thing that belongs to it is, that 
it owns for its Founder a Citizen of Genoa of the Fa- 
mily of LomelUno^ who built it at his own Expence. 
I will not detain you with the Dialogue between the 
Crucifix at St. Jerome and St. Bridge^ any more than 
with an ample Defcription of the great Difli made of 
one fingle Emerauld, in which, they fay, Chrift eat 
the Pafchdl Lamb, (Beda fays it was a Silver Difh) Du. 
Val would have this Emerauld Difli to be one of the 
Prefents rhade by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. 
At St. Mary of the Caflle there is another /peaking 
Crucifix ; for a certain Gentleman, it feems, having made 
a Fromife of Marriage to his Miftrefs in a Place of the 
City where a Crucifix flood, which he afterwards re- 
fufed to fulfil ; the Lady accufed him before the Judges, 
where, being upon the Point of lofing the Caufe for 
Vfant of fufficient Witnefs, flie appeal’d to the faid 
Crucifix; and fome Perfons being fent thither, and ^ the 
Queftion propofed to the Crucifix, it anfwer’d with a 
Nod, which made the Judges determine in Favour of 
the injured Lady ; which is the Reafon that this Cruci- 
fix is particularly reverenc’d by Maids. But I cannot 
fay how far it is trufted. The Afhes of St. John Baptiji 
are preferved in the Cathedral, in a Shrine fupported 
by four beautiful Columns of Porphyry, brought from 
Smyrna m 1098. This Saint and the Emperor are the 
two Protestors of Genoa, and the Image of the firft is 
ftamp’d on its Coin, which is the faireft and beft in 
llaly, commonly called Genouines. 
The Lraffick of Genoa confifts chiefly in Velvets, 
Points, Gloves, Anchovies, dry Co.nfedlions, and various 
Sorts of Fruits, but is much decay’d ; for though fome 
private Perfons are ftill exceeding rich, yet the Genera- 
lity grow poor ; the Government monopolizes the 
Trade of Wine and Corn, fo that the Tavern and Inn- 
keepers muft buy their Wines out of the Cellar of the 
State, and the Bakers fetch their Corn from the publick 
Granaries. 
II. Taking our Way from Genoa tow’ards Cafal, we 
came back the fame Way we went as far as Novi, 
where, hiring a Coach to Turin, wq dined the next 
Day at Alexandria, a little City, provided wdth flender 
Fortifications ; notwithftanding. which, it maintain’d a 
Siege of fix Months again ft Frederick BarbaroJJa, who 
gave it the Name of Cafarea, which Alexander III. 
changed into Alexandria. What fome affirm, viz. that 
the Emperors ufed to be crown’d here with a Crown 
of Straw, is a meer Fable, whence (they fay) it got 
the Name of Alexandria di Paglia or of Straw, which, in- 
deed, it retains to this Day, though the Reafon of it 
is not known. Cafal is a ftrong City, feated on the 
right Bank of the Po ; befides the old Ca^-Ie, it has a 
new Citadel, fortified with fix Royal Baftions, Half- 
moons before the Curtains, and a large and deep Ditch 
full of Water, and an Arfenal ftored with, , Arms for 
ten thoufand Men. Since the French have been in 
Poffeffion of this Citadel, they have made confiderable 
Alterations in the Fortifications, eipecially in the Baf- 
tions, which being very large, they made a fecond 
Rampart, and new Baftions within the other. 
From Cafal we pafs’d the Po a fourth Time, the Banks 
of which our Coach follow’d for a confiderable Time ; 
we pafs’d in Sight of Terni, a fmall fortified Place in 
that Part of Monferrat under the Jurifdidion of the 
Duke of Savoy. Verrue lies on the right Side of the Poy 
V o L. II. Numb. 109. 
0/ I T A L y. 
and is much ftronger than the otheh ' After we had 
travel’d eight Miles from Cafal, we entfed Ptedtnont^ 
the Ground being ftill level, but not long after found 
ourfelves among the Mountains^ in a large and flat 
Valley, almoft furrounded with the Alps : The Grounds 
in fome Parts of this Plain are exceeding rich, but in 
fome others very indifferent. In our Paflage we faw 
two or three large Spots of Ground, where two Days 
before had flood the fiheft Corn in the World, now 
laid quite Wafte by the Hailftones, the very Straw be- 
ing beaten into the Ground, and the Vines, Walnut 
and other Trees broke all to Piecesp It is generally 
reckon’d but forty five Miles from Cafal to Turin, but 
the Monferrat Miles, as well as thofe in Piedmont, are 
much longer than thofe in Lombardy. 
The City of Turin is feated in a Plain upon the Ri- 
ver Doire, three hundred Paces from the Po ; not only 
the Town, but alfo the Avenues leading to it, are very 
pleafant ; but what moft pleafes Strangers is^ that here 
they are rejoyc’d with the frank Converfation of the 
Inhabitants, after they have been almoft tired out with 
the ftarched and jealous Refervednefs of the Italians, it 
being certain, that their Manner of living at Turin 
may be compar’d to the moft polite City of France, and 
that Language is as commonly Ipoken here as iho. Italian, 
the People generally following the fame Steps in theif 
Converfation, and it may be faid without the leaft 
Exaggeration, that the Court of Savoy is as fprightly 
and gay as any in Europe, The old Part of Turin is 
fom:.what indiflerently built, but to make Amends for 
this, the new Part has broad ftraight Streets, and the: 
Houfes are large, high, and pretty uniform. The 
Street that paffes through the two Squares, and reaches 
from the Gaftle to the new Gate, is one of the faireft 
in Europe. The Houfes in the new Square are adorn’d 
with large Portico’s that enclofe them on all Sides. 
The Duke’s Palace has very good Apartments, though 
it appears with no great Luftre on the Outfide. The 
Palace of the Jefuits, and of the Prince of Carignan, 
(but lately finilli’d) are both magnificent Structures, . 
Turin IS h\it oi an indifferent Bignefs, enclos’d with a. 
regular Fortification by the prefent Duke ; but the Cita- 
del exceeds the reft both in Strength and Beauty, but 
was not quite finifh’d. The Walks of Oaks on the 
Ramparts are very delightful to behold at a Diftance, 
and afford an agreeable Shade to thofe that divert 
themfelves here, with the moft delicious Profped: to- 
wards the Rivers ; but the general Meeting-place of the 
Gentry is near Valentia, a Country Seat of the Duke 
upon the Banks of the Po, about a Mile from Turin, 
befides which the Duke has feven or eight more, all 
well furniffi’d. Before we leave Turin, we muft not 
forget to fay fomething of the new Chapel dedicated 
to the holy Handkerchief, in the Cathedral ; it is^ beyond 
all Queftion, a very glorious Piece of Workmanlhip, 
but what fome have pretended, viz. that it excels the 
Chapel of St. Lawrence at Florence, is fo far from being 
true, that it is not comparable to it ; they are indeed 
both of the fame Figure, but that of Turin is much 
lefs, and will be embellifli’d only with black Marble. 
I muft upon this Occafion put you in Mind, that inftead 
of one, there are at leaft five or fix of thefe pretended 
holy Handkerchiefs, viz. two at Rome, in Sc. Peter\ and 
St. John de Later an ; one at Cadoin in Perigort ; one 
at Befanfon, one at Compeigne, one at Milan, and ano- 
ther at Aix la Chapelle ; they ail produce papal Bulls to 
maintain their Titles, in which Point the Plandkerchief 
of Cadoin has the Preference, being authorized by no 
lefs than fourteen Bulls, whereas that of Turin has only 
four. 
12. Since we are going to leave Italy, I have a 
Mind to entertain you with fome Obfervations, Vv'hich 
I had not the Opportunity to infert in any of my former 
Letters. Our ffiort Stay in the Places through which 
we paired, would not fuffer us to fpend much Time in 
making Acquaintance with the People of the Country ; 
and confequently, we could not be fo particularly in- 
formed of their Cuftoms ; neither do I intend to enter 
on that Subjedf, but only to communicate fome Re- 
marks to you, without any other Order than as they ffiall 
7 K offer 
