Chap. III. through the Low-Countries, ^c, 663 
the Air, and afterwards put in a dark Place, will ap- 
pear like a burning Coal for fooie time, till by Degrees 
its Light flackens and quite vanifhes at laft, till expo- 
fed again to the Air. The crude Stone which he 
fhew’d us was like a kind of Sparre, which as he 
told us, acquired this Quality by being calcined in a 
fmall Furnace, the pieces of Stone being laid upon 
an Iron Grate over a Wood-Fire ; but whatever he told 
us, we could not make fome of thofe Stones, which 
he fold us, fhine, though vve calcined them ex- 
actly according to his Direftions. The Phofphorm 
does by Degrees entirely lofe its fhining Quality, as 
we found by Experience, in thofe we brought along 
with us. 
11. February 22. We continued our Journey towards 
Modena, by the Way of Ca^iel Franco, a ftrong Caftle, 
belonging to the Pope, upon the Frontiers of Modena, 
about twenty Miles diftant from Bologna, a Place of 
no great Extent, but very populous, being the Dukes 
ufual Refidence, and tolerably well fortified with a 
thick Wall, a broad Ditch, and fome Outworks. In 
this Place, as well as Padua, Bologna, and other Places 
of Lombardy, we obferved the Houfes well built of 
Brick, but not high, and the Streets cloiftred on both 
Sides, which feems to intimate, that this was the Man- 
ner of Building of the Goths or Lombards, who fettled 
in thofe Parts. The Duke’s Palace is no large Struc- 
ture, but very neat within, the Rooms being richly gilt, 
and adorn’d with Hangings, and Pidures of the beft 
Mafters. What moft delighted us v^as the Chamber 
of Rarities, Jewels, ancient and modern Coins and 
Medals, ancient and modern Entaglia’s, curious Pieces 
of turn’d Works, dried Plants palled upon Boards 
whitened with Cerus; and a very fine Colledion of 
Defigns of the bell Painters, We faw alfo a human 
Head petrified ; a Hen’s Egg, having the Figure of 
the Sun on one Side ; Mofs included in a piece of Cry- 
Ilal ; Silver in another ; and a Fly in a piece of Am- 
ber, The ordinary Revenues of the Duke of Mo- 
dena, are computed to 350,000 Crowns Annum, his 
Expences not amounting to above half the Sum. About 
twenty eight Miles from Modena, near Paiuli Caftle, 
ifiues out of a Mountain, a Spring of Petroleum ; and 
in another Mountain call’d Monte Nicani, are found 
Abundance of petrefied Cockles and other Shells. 
12. February 24. We fet out from Modena, for Parma, 
and at feven Miles, having forded the River Serchio, 
and pafs’d by a fmall, but ftrong Town called Rubier a, 
on the Left-hand, after a Journey of eight Miles fur- 
ther, came to the City of Reggio, of equal Bignefs and 
Strength with Modena, and belonging to the fame 
Duke, whofe Title is Duke of Modena and Reggio. 
This laft being built more at Length than the former, 
makes a fairer Shev/ at a Diftance, having one long 
and one broad Street. Here are very good Sculptors 
and Artizans in carving of Ivory and Wood, for which 
this Town is celebrated throughout Italy. Ten Miles 
further, paffing through a long Bridge over the River 
Lenza, we entered the Territories of Parma, and five 
Miles more, brought us to the Gates of the City of 
Parma, which exceeds Modena in Bignefs, having broad 
Streets, but no Portico’s. 
February 26, In our Way to Piacenza, we ferried at 
fix Miles diftance from Parma, over the River Lard 
and nine Miles farther, came to a Town call’d Sr. Bou- 
nin, and eight Miles farther, came to a little Town 
called Fiorenzuola, near which, paffing the River Arta 
we came, after twelve Miles travelling, to Piacenza. 
This City is well fortified, and defended by a ftrong 
Caftle ; in Bignefs it is equal to Parma, but its Buildings 
not fo fair. The Dukes Revenues are computed to be 
400,000 Crowns per Annum, though fome fay 500,000 ; 
■he being, befides Parma, and Plazenza, Mafter of the 
Dukedom of Cafiro, and the Country of RoncigUone. 
The 27th, We took Horfe for Crema, and paffing 
through Cajligno in the Milanefe, and two Miles further 
ferrying over the River Adda, and two Miles thence 
the River Serio (which falls into the Adda) we came to 
Crema, a Frontier City, belonging to the Venetians, 
about thirteen Miles from Piacenza, of no large Ex- 
tent, but well fortified ; its Situation being in a Plaiti 
near the River Serio. 
The 29th, We continued our Journey, and paffing 
through Ofanengo, three Miles from Crema, and by the 
Caftle of Romanen'go, belonging to the Spaniards, came 
to Sincin, a confiderable Place in the Milanefe: Not 
far hence we ferried over the River Oy (Ollius) and two 
Miles further, rode clofe by a fmall Town call’d Uorzi 
nuovi, but well fortified, under the Venetian 
Two Miles further we pafs’d a great Village called 
Uorzi Vechii, and feveral others of Note, and fo came 
to Brefcia, which is thirty Miles from Crema. The 
Country hereabouts was well planted with Flax, very 
populous, and the Fields fenced with Hedges like our 
Englijh Enclofures. 
13. The City of Brefcia, is not altogether fo big as/V- 
rona, but better inhabited, its Streets being regular and 
fpacioLis, with Bricks fet Edgeways on both Sides (as 
the Cities in Holland are) as are alfo the Streets of 
Parma, Piacenza and Crema. It has a double Wall, 
the exterior of which is very ftrong, and encompafs’d 
with a good Ditch, befides a Caftle ftanding on a rocky 
Hill, which both defends and commands the Town. 
The Mountains hereabouts afford very good Iron and 
Copper Ore', and the Inhabitants are great Mafters in 
Iron Works, but efpecially in making of Guns, which 
are in high Efteem all over Italy •, as is alfo the Cheefe of 
Brefcia. As they abound in fruitful Valleys, fo their 
Markets are well ftored with Provifions. The Terri- 
tories of this City extend in Length, from Mofo near 
Mantua to Bialengo, in the upper End of Val Canonica, 
one hundred Miles, and in Breadth, from Lago di Garda 
to Uorzi nuovi fifty Miles, being full of Towns and 
large Villages. This City, like many others of Italy, 
has undergone many Changes of Government during 
the inteftine Broils of the two famous Fadlions of the 
Guelphs and Gihellines ; after which, it fell to the Dukes 
of Milan, till in 1426. they fubmitted to the Protedlioti 
of the Venetians. On the Sides of the Hill where the 
Caftle ftands, we found Serpent Stones, or Cornua Am^ 
monis, and ether petrified Sliells. March the 2d. We 
continued our Journey through the Villages of Hofpita- 
letta, Cokai and Palazzuolo, the laft of which is feared 
upon the Banks on both Sides of the River Ollio. 
As we were travelling on to Bergamo, we had a full 
View of the Alps. This City is confiderable both for 
its Size and Strength, being fituated on the Side of a 
Hill, encompafs’d by ftrong V/alls and a broad Ditch, 
but without Water : The Caftle, though none of the 
biggeft, yet is very ftrong by Situation. Without the 
Walls are five large Suburbs, call’d St. Leonardo, at 
the Bottom of the Hill, inhabited chiefly by Merchants, 
the Suburbs of St. Anthony, St. Catherine, St. Thomas, 
and that of St. Godard. In the Church of the AuHin 
Friars, we faw the Monument of Ambrofe Calepine, 
the Author of the famous Didlionary. Over his Cell 
in the Cloifter was a Latin Infcription, intimating. 
That he was a Native of Bergamo, and a Monk of 
this Convent, and that he died here, in 151 1, in the 71ft 
Year of his Age. This City has alfo been fubjedl to 
Changes : They firft fubmitted to the Venetians, in 1428 % 
but were in 1509, forced to acknowledge the Sovereignty 
of the French, after they had made themfelves Mafters 
of Milan, but thefe being expelled three Years after, 
it remained under the Jurifdidlion of the then Duke 
of Milan, Maximilian Sforza, from whom it revolted 
foon after to the Venetians, but was forced to return 
to its former Obedience, till at laft the Venetians o-qc 
once more in Poffeffion of it, in 1516. and have remain- 
ed Mafters of it ever fince. They are governed by a 
Major, a military Commander, Cha.mberlain, and Go- 
vernor of the Caftle fent hither from Venice. Bergamo 
is of fo great a Reputation among the Italians, that by 
Way of Proverb they fay, If Bergamo food in a Plain, 
it tvould be a fairer City than l\Iilan. From hence we 
went on Horfeback to Calonica, a Village feated upon 
the River Adda., in the Milanefe, vvhence we w'ent by 
Water to Milan. 
14. This City, which is one of the four Cities of the 
nrft Rank in Italy, {Rome, Venice and Naples, being 
