Chap. III. 
through SwissERLANC, &c. 
and yet in a very few Campaigns he was deprived 
of them by the Germans^ under the Command of 
Prince Eugene^ and himfelf and his Grandfather were 
glad to enter into a Treaty for the total Evacuation of 
Italy. It is indeed true, that this very Meafure contri- 
buted not a little to the Prefervation of Spain., of which 
he had been likewife deprived, if, by ending the Italian 
War in this Manner, he had not fecured a new Body of 
Auxiliaries for its Defence. The Entrance which the 
Spaniards fince have gained into that' Country, in virtue 
of the Succeffion of the Queen Dowager as Heirefs of 
the Eloufe oi Parma., afforded a new Proof of the So- 
lidity of his Conjedure ; for we have feen Milan, Par- 
ma, Placentia, and all the ftrong Places in Italy, which 
made fuch a Figure in former Ages, taken and retaken 
in fucceffive Campaigns ; fo that as he rightly judged, 
the modern Art of War has made a great Alteration in 
Things, and we have no Reafon to expert that any 
Sieges for the future will refemble thofe of former 
Times, any more than that of Troy. A regukr Me- 
thod of attacking, and a large Train of Artillery, foon 
does the Bufinefs, in Spite of numerous Garrifons and 
the ftrongeft Fortifications. 
His Obfervations in refpe6l to the Territories of the 
Venetians, and other States of Italy, have been alfo ve- 
rified. That they ftill continue declining, all modern 
Travellers agree : That the great Cities which were 
rich and popolous while free, are now falling to Decay, 
and in a Manner become Deferts, as well as the Di- 
ifriffs about them, is not to be difputed ; and that it 
cannot be long before they are either fwallowed up by 
their powerful Neighbours, or change their Matters by 
fome hidden Revolution, is a Thing morally certain ; 
an Event which it is highly probable the prefent Gene- 
ration will fee. For tho’ political Bodies refemble na- 
tural ones in many Circumttances ; yet in fome they 
differ, for the latter are often worn out and peritti by 
Con f?im prions *, yet this happens veny rarely to the for- 
mer, where the Diffolution of one Government, gene- 
rally fpeaking, makes Way for another ; fo that it may 
be truly faid, a State has many Lives, or which is the 
fame T hing, though it perifhes in one Form, it is again 
revived in another, becaufe the Country, and fome In- 
habitants at leatt, remain in Spite of all Revolutions ; 
and as in one Age we fee fmall States dettroyed and 
conquered by g?eat Monarchies •, fo in fucceeding Ages 
alfo thofe great Monarchies fink under their own 
Weight, and their Dominions crumble again into fe- 
parate States. Thus the true Politician fees through all 
thefe Changes, penetrates their Caufes, fees the greatett 
Events at a confiderable Dittance, and is never fubjectt 
to Admiration or Surprize, which are Weakneffes inci- 
dent only to limited Underttandings and narrow Minds. 
The Account he has given us of the deplorable State 
of the People who dwell at prefent in the finett Coun- 
tries in Europe, ferves to give Credit to the Accounts 
we daily received of their Poverty and Dittrefs, which 
would otherwife furpafs all Belief. It is however wor- 
thy of Notice, that within thefe few Years, the Popes 
themfelves, as well as other Princes of Italy, begin to 
be fenfible of the Evils refulting to their Subjefts, from 
their Bigotry to their Religion, which they have endea- 
voured to remove, or at leatt to foften in many Refpedfs. 
The late King of Sardinia, one of the wifett, and greatett 
Princes of his Time, began this, and thereupon fome 
Differences arofe between his Majetty and the Court 
of Rome. The Memorials he fent thither on that Oc- 
cafion opened the Eyes of the late Pope, and fome of 
the mott intelligent Cardinals, who thenceforward be- 
came willing to make ufe of the fame Methods that 
Monarch had pradifed for the Eafe and Emolument 
of the Inhabitants of the Ecclefiattical State j but the 
natural Slownefs of . that Court in all its Motions, and 
the Fear of the Confequences that might attend any Re- 
laxation of religious Difcipline among a People, natu- 
rally lo corrupt as the Italians generally are, has hi- 
therto retarded fo good a Work, though the Thoughts of 
it are not quite given up, the Pope having lately attemp- 
ted to fupprefs not only many but almott all the Holi- 
days peculiar to his Church, which however has not been 
found eafy to carry into Execution, The very Attempt 
however fufficiently Ihews, that in the Opinion of the 
Papitts thegnfelves, their Faith becomes a political Grie- 
vance, agalnft which they are obliged to ufe fuch Pre- 
cautions as are fuggetted by Reafon, which fufficiently 
dittinguifhes between that Part of their Religion which 
is grounded on Revelation, and what is no better found- 
ed than on the Authority of the Church, or in plain 
Englijh, the Invention of Prietts. For evident it is, that 
God will command Nothing that is not tor the Good of 
his Creatures and as Reafon teaches, fo Experience 
juttifies this Truth 5 for the Chrittian Religion, in its mott 
eflential Points, flouriflies no where better than in thofe 
rough and barren Countries, where our Prelate obferveSj 
that the People are both happy and rich in Spite, as it 
were, both of the Soil and Climate ; but in the Coun-s 
tries, where Popery is predominant,, neither Soil nor 
Climate can contribute to render them populous, or the 
People that are left in them happy. The Inference I 
would draw from this is, that by Degrees it is more 
than probable, this great Evil will cure itfelf. For as 
the Papal Dominions feel it iTiOtt, and as it is well 
known, that the bett Politicians in Europe are generally 
found at Rome, for Reafons which our Prelate has very 
judicioufly alTigned, it feems highly likely from thence, 
that the Reformation of thefe Abiifes, when they come 
to be intolerable, will be begun here *, and when once 
this is brought about, there is no Room to quettion, 
that Precautions of the like Nature will be freely taken . 
by all the Princes of the fame Communion, who as 
they have fuffered themfelves to be lead wrong, will 
be, no doubt, as ready to be fet right by the Ex- 
ample of this Court. Thus the temporal Intereft of 
the Pope may prove the Means of redreffing the DiF 
orders occafioned by his fpiritual Authority. 
There has been an Obfervation made by Travellers 
of all Nations, who have patted through all Italy, that 
the People grow worfe and woiTe, as you advance,- 
and better and better as you come back, which is aj?o- 
ther Proof of the Principles before advanced;; fince in 
thofe dittant Parts of the Country, but more efpecially 
in Naples and Sicily, the People are univerfally under 
the Dominion of their Prietts, and indeed the Clergy 
are the Proprietors of the greater Part of the Lands 
of thofe Countries, which is the principal Reafon that 
there is no Trade in Places that feem the fitted for it ^ 
and that thofe Countries are left uncultivated, which are 
• naturally the mott rich, and the mott fruitful. But 
when-ever itfhall happen, as happen it certainly will, that 
Naples and Sicily lhall fall under the Dominion of an in- 
dependent Prince, who will ftudy only the Benefit of 
his Subjeds, and the Advantage of his Family, thefe 
Grievances will be taken away, and the People put in 
PofiTefTion of thofe mighty Privileges, which feem to 
have been intended them by Nature. For it is impof- 
fible to confider the convenient Situation, the rich Com- 
modities and the feveral Ports that are in thefe two 
Kingdoms, I mean of Naples and Sicily without 
ttanding amazed, that they are no better peopled ; that 
they have fo few Ships belonging to them, and that all 
the valuable Commodities they produce, are carried 
away by Foreigners at an under Rate, and manufaftu- 
red and exported afterwards to enrich the Inhabitants 
of other Countries. 
The great Dutchy of Tufcany is fince fallen into a 
worfe Condition than when it was vifited by our 
Author. The Princes of the Houfe of Medicis^ al- 
ways retain fomething of the Merchant and though 
they wanted not Ambition, and were ttudious enough 
for the Advancement of their own Intereft, yet they 
kept always in View the Good of their Subjefts, as be- 
ing truly fenfible, that a Prince could never be o-reac 
or rich if his Dominions were thinly inhabited, or his 
People poor. It was with this View, that by the Af- 
fiftance of Sir Robert Dudley, an Englijhman, Son to 
the great Earl of Leicejter, that took fo much Pains 
to build the Town, and open the Harbour of Livorno^ 
which we taking our Pronunciation from our Sailors, 
call Leghorn, and which they afterwards declared a free 
Port, In this, and in other Meafures of the fame Na- 
ture^ 
