Chap. Ill, 
through the State 
o 
19. We rode from Novi to Genoa, \\{\n^ Miles all 
over Mountains. About Six Miles from Wm, we paf- 
fed through a handforae little walled Town called Gavi^ 
where there is a ftrong Caftle on a Hill over the Town ; 
and about fix Miles further onward, another elegant 
and well built Town called Voltagio. From hence we 
afcended continually for about feven or eight Miles, till 
we came to the Top of a very high Hill, from whence 
We had a ProfpeCt of Genoa and the Sea. Then we 
defcended conftantly till we came to the City. In all 
this Way, we met with and overtook Mules and Affes 
going to and returning from Genoa^ to the Number of 
five or fix hundred or more. 
March 20. We viewed Genoa, which for the Building 
of it, is certainly the mofl: ftately, and according to 
its Epithet, City in all Italy. The Houfes are ge- 
nerally ftately, fcarce a mean Houfe to be feen in Town. 
The new Street anfwers the Fame that goeth of it. 
It is but fhort, confifting of eight or ten Palaces built 
of Marble, very lumptuous and magnificent^ the mean- 
eft of them (as Cluverius faith) being able to receive 
and lodge the greateft Prince and his Retinue. The 
only Deformity of this City, is the Narrownefs of the 
Streets unanfwerable to the Tallnefs of the Houfes ; 
and yet they are made fo on Purpofe, partly to fa\le 
Ground, which here is precious^ and partly to keep off 
the fcorching Beams of the Sun in Summer time, for 
the Conveniency of walking Cool, for which Reafon 
I have^ obferved many of the ancient Towns of Italy 
and Gallia Narbonenfts, to have their Streets made 
very narrow. This City lies under the Mountains, ex- 
pofed to the South, fb that it needs muft be very hot in 
Summer, as witnefs the Orange and Olive-Trees, 
which grow fo plentifully here, that they can afford 
thofe Fruits at eafy Rates, and drive therewith a great 
Trade j furnifhing with Oranges, Florence and a good 
Part of Fufcany, and fometimes fending them into 
Fngland. It is built in Form of a Theatre or Crefcent 
encompaffed with a double Wall toward the Land’ 
The exterior or new Wall of a great Heighth and 
Thicknefs, pafifes over the Tops of Mountains, and 
takes in a great Deal of void Ground. The famous 
new Mole, which now makes this a fecure Harbour is 
laid to have coft as much as the new Wall. For a 
Work of that Nature, I believe it is not to be paral- 
lelled in the whole W^orld. The Manners of the In- 
habitants are not anfwerable to the Beauty of their 
Houfes, they being noted among their own Country- 
men the Italians, for proud, unfaithful, revengeful un- 
civil to Strangers, and horribly exading. There goeth 
a Proverbial Saying of Genoa, that it hath Monta^ne 
fenza Alberi, Mare fenza Pefce, Huomini fenza Fede C? 
Donne Jenza vergogna, that is, Mountains without Frees, 
a Sea without Fijh, Men without Faith, and Women 
without Shame. I he Number of the Inhabitants muft 
needs be great, they having loft in the laft great Plague 
as we were credibly informed, to the Number" of 
80,000 Souls. The chief Trade of the Town is Silks 
make alfo pretty turned Works 
of Coral. 
The Government of it, according to the new Laws 
made by the Pope’s Legate, and the Emperors, and 
King of Spam s Ambaffadors, not long after the Time 
of Andreas Dona, is thus fettled. There is i A Vtuhe 
who condones in Office two Years, a. f wi tZu, 
one or Goyernalori as they term them, the other of 
Procuratori. The Governatori twelve, the Procuratnri 
eight, all eleaed, beftdes thofe that of Conrfe come Tn 
for th^r Lives. 3. A greater Council of 400. 4. A 
Jeffer Council of 100. 5. A Seminary for the two Colle- 
gia of 120. The two Collegia of Governatori and Pro- 
curatori are, as it were, the chief Senate or Privy-Coun- 
cil, or Houfe of Lords, and are chofen twice a Year 
^^2:. about the middle of June, and about the middle 
of Dec^ember after this Manner. All the Seminarium of 
120, have their Names, together with their Surnames, 
and Fathers Names, written in little Scrolls of Parch- 
ment, and put into an Iron Box, which is kept very fe- 
curely under many Locks. When the Time of Elec- 
tion n before the Duke, 
of Venice, &Ci 
3 
the two Collegia, and the lefter Council. Then a Roy^ 
who muft be under ten Years of Age, puts his Hand 
into the Box, and draws out five 'Scrolls, which are 
read, and the three firft if they be capable^ are Gover‘- 
natori, the two laft Procuratori. If a Man be 100 
Miles off the City, he is incapable of being defied for 
that Time. Likewife two of the fame Family cannot be 
Procuratori or Governatori together. Therefore, if the 
t\yo firft that are drawn out, or the two fecond be of 
the fame Family, the firft is Governator, and the fecond 
Procurator ; if the two laft be of the fame Family, the 
firfl drawn out is a Procurator, and the fecond is return- 
ed into the Box again, and the Boy draws out another. 
So that every fix Months, five are chofen into the Col- 
legia, and five go out, and every one flays in Office two 
Years. In the Collegium Procuratorum befides the eierhr 
are all thofe who have been Dukes, and are gone "out 
of Office, who {tnodo bene fe gejferint) conumt^Procura- 
tori during their Lives. To fupply or make up the 
minarium 120 every Year, in the Stead of thofe who 
are dead, made incapable, dr chofen into the two Col- 
legia, the leffer Council chufes a double Number, all 
which muft have three Suffrages of five ; and out of 
thefe, the greater Council choofe half by the major 
Vote. For choofing the Councils both greater and 
leffer, the leffer Council in Prefence of the Duke, and 
two Collegia, c\\oo{c^ thirty Eledors, (all which ’muft 
be of the Nobility) by three Suffrages of five. Thefe 
thirty choofe both the greater and leffer Council, but 
the lejfer out of the Number of the greater, by a like 
Proportion^ of Suffrages. The greater Council is affem- 
bled upon important Occafions, and with the Duke and 
two Collegia make the fupreme Power. The leffer 
Council takes Care of the leffer and ordinary Concerns 
of the City and Commonwealth. Thofe who are ca- 
pable of being chofen into the greater Council, muft 
be twenty five Years of Age, only the thirty Eleftors 
may, if they pleafe, or fee it expedient, choofe to the 
Number of Sixty, who are but twenty two Years old. 
Of the lejjer Council, the one half muft be thirty Years 
of Age, the others at leaft twenty feven, exceptincr Doc- 
tors of Law and Phyfick, who, if they be vielfqimll- 
fied, may be chofen two Years younger. Thofe who 
are capable of being chofen into the Seminarium muft 
be forty Years of Age, 
The Choice of the Duke is in this Manner : The 
Great Council being affem bled, there are put into an 
Urn ten golden Balls, marked w'ith ten feveral Letters ; 
one of thefe being drawn out, is ’fhewn to the Confer- 
vators of the Laws, who thereupon put into another 
Urn Handing by the Duke’s Throne, fifty golden Balls 
marked with the fame Letter, and fifty filver Balls • 
thefe being fhaken together, the leffer Council of One 
hundred, excluding the two Collegia, draw out ea^h 
Man a Ball. He that draws out a golden Ball, ftiews 
it to the who fit by, and prefently writes in a 
Scroll of _ Paper the Name of him whom he thinks 
fit to norninate for Duke, and goes out of the Council. 
When all^ the golden Balls are drawn out, the two 
Collegia hnng them into Order, and count them over, 
and if the Number of the Nominated amount to twenty, 
then they are propounded to' the greater Council, who 
of them, by major Vote, chufe fifteen. Out of 
thefe fiften the leffer Council chufe fix by three Suffra- 
ges of five. Out of thefe fix again, by major Vote 
the greater Council chufe the Duke. Thefe Suffrao-es’ 
are all occult, that is given by putting of Balls into 
Ballotting Boxes. If in the greater Council for any 
Perfon the negative and affirmative Suffrages are equal 
then five by Lot are to be put out of the Council, and 
the reft to ballot again. Many other Provifions ’there 
are in Cafe of Equality or Difagreement, hAc. Nothino- 
can be propounded in Council but by the Duke who 
during the Time of his Regency, lives in the Palace’ 
and hath, according to Sanjovinus, a Guard of five hun! 
dred Switzers. The Office of St. George is as far as I 
underftand it, nothing but a Company k Bankers 
who lend Money to the Common-w^lth, for which 
they are allowed fo much pr Cent, and have affig 
to them the publick Gabels and other Revenues ; and 
8 G 
