V 
through the State 
or Treatifes of thatSubjecfl making deep Impreffions on 
their Minds ; fo that in fome Places, not only Books, 
but alfo Difcourfes about former Revolutions, arc pro- 
hibited, Barclay alfo faith, that they are L/- 
hertatis c'ufidi, cujus adhuc imaginem mdent> Hence 
the Princes of Italy build fo many Caftles and Citadels 
in their Territories, not fo much to defend themfelves 
againft their EnemieSj as to bridle their Subjedls, and 
fecure themfelves againft Tumults and Ihfurredions. A 
ftrange thing it is, that of all the People of Italy, the 
Neapolitans, who never tafted the Sweetnefs of Liberty, 
nor mended their Condition by their Commotions, but 
always (as we fay) leaped out of the Frying-pan into the 
Fire, fhould be the moft tumultuous, and given to re- 
bel againft their Princes. 
Lett tells us of one of thofe petty fubordinate Princes 
of Naples, called Thomafo Ferrari, who governed his 
Subjccls, not like Valfals, but with that Sweetnefs and 
Gentlenefs, as if they had been his own Children ; yet 
fome of thefe Fellows taking Arms, came into their 
Prelence, and faid to him, Sir Prince, JVe are come to 
drive you out of your Palace, and burn ally our Moveables. 
Why, fanfwers the Prince) Can you find Fault with my 
Government ? Are you aggrieved in any Phing, and it Jhall be 
redreffed? No, (replied they) But becaufe we under if and 
that many of our Countrymen have revolted from their 
Lords, we alfo, to Jhew that we love Revolutions, are re- 
folved to rebel againft you. The Italians are greatly de- 
lighted in Pictures, Statues, and Mufick, from the 
higheft to the Joweft of them, and fo intemperately fond 
of thefe Things, that they will give any Price for a 
choice Pifture or Statue. 
Tho’ all of them cannot paint or play on Inftruments of 
Mufick, yet do they all affeft Skill and Judgment in 
both ; and this Knowledge is enough to denominate a 
Man a Virtuofo. Many of them are alfo curious 
in collecling ancient Coins and Medals. They are 
great Admirers of their own Language, and fo whol- 
ly given to cultivate, polifh, and, enrich j that, they 
do in a great Meafure negleCt the Latin, few of them 
now a Days fpeaking or writing well therein, but ming- 
ling fo many Italian Idiotifms with it, that you have 
much ado to underhand what they fpeak or write. As 
for the Greek few or none have any tolerable Skill in it 
the Study thereof being generally neglefted and laid afide. 
They are very temperate in their Diet, eating a great 
deal of Sallet, and but little Flefti. Their Wine they 
drink well diluted with Water, and feldom to any Ex- 
cefs. We faw only one Italian drunk for the Space of 
a Year and half, that we fojourned in Italy. 
Whether it be, that in hot Countries Men have not 
fo good Stomachs as in Cold, or whether Meat, as be- 
ing better concofted, nourilhes more, or that the Ita- 
lians are out of Principle, Temper or Cuftom more fo- 
ber and temiperate than other Nations. Their Herbs 
feemed to me more favory and better concofted than 
ours. Their Water alfo was not fo crude. But for 
Flelh, ours, in my Judgment, much excels theirs, being 
much more fucculent and fapid yet in Rome have I 
eaten Beef not inferior to ours. But 1 fuppofe it might 
be of German Oxen ; of which (as we were informed) 
there are many driven thither, and for fucking Veal, 
the Romans (as we have already noted) think theirs pre- 
ferable to any in the World. The Italians, efpecially 
thofe of inferior Quality, are in all Things very fparincy 
and frugal, whether it be becaufe they are fo educated 
and accuftom’d, or becaufe the Gabels and Taxes, 
which they pay to their Governors are fo great, that 
they cannot aferd to fpend much on themfelves, or be- 
caufe, naturally loving their Eafe, they had rather live 
nearly than take much Pains. 
The Nobility and great Perfons choofe rather to 
fpend their Revenues in building fair Palaces, and adorn- 
ing thern v/ith Pictures and Statues ; in making ftately 
and fpacious Orchards, Gardens and Walks, in keeping 
Coaches and Horfes, and a great Retinue of Servants 
and Staffieir, than in keeping great Houfes and plenti- 
ful Tables, giving board- Wages to their Servants and 
Attendants, which, in my Opinion, is the better Way 
of Ipending Eftates, thde Things finding poor People 
VoL, II. N^CXVL B 
0/ Venice, 685 
Employment^ fo that the Money comes td be diftri^ 
buted among them according to their Induftry ; whereas 
the other Way maintain’d in Idlenefs fuch Perfons 
for the moft part as leaft deferve Relief, thofe that are 
modeft and deferving choofing rather (if poffible they 
can) to maintain themfelves and their Families by the . 
Labour of their Hands, than hang about great Houfes 
for a Meal’s Meat. Befides that, great Houfekeeping 
is very often, not to fay always, the Occafion of great 
Diforder and Intemperance. Were I therefore God’s 
Steward for a great Eftate, (for fuch all rich Men are or 
ought to be) I ftiould think it more Charity to employ 
poor People, and give them Money for their Work, 
than to diftribute my Eftate among them freely, and 
fuffer them to live in Idlenefs ; I mean fuch as are able 
to labour. 
The inferior Gentry affed: to appear in Publick with 
as much Splendor as they can, and will deny themfelves 
many Satisfadions at Home, that they may be able to 
keep a Coach, and therein make the Four d la mode 
about the Streets of their City every Evening. The 
Italians when they call, fpeak to, or of one another, 
life only the Chriftian Name, as, Signor Giacomo, Sig- 
nor Giovanni, (Fc. unlefs it be for Diftindion’s Sake ; fo 
that you may converfe among them perchance fome 
Months, before you hear any Man’s Sirname mentioned. 
The Italian Gentry live for the moft part in the Cities, 
whence it is that the Cities are fo fplendid and well built, 
fo populous and rich, and the Country fo poor and 
thinly inhabited •, yet are the Noblemen’s Palaces rather 
great and ftately than commodious for Habitation. 
In many Cities the Paper Windows (which are for 
the moft Part tattered and broken) difgrace the Build- 
ings, being unfuitable to their Magnificence. The 
Houfes are generally built of Stone, thick wall’d and 
high roof’d, which makes them warm in Winter, and 
cool in Summer, but they contrive them rather for 
Coolnefs than Warmth, and therefore they make the 
Windows large to give them Air enough. Of the 
Gentry in Italy, efpecially in Venice, if there be many 
Brothers of one Houfe, only one ufually marries, and 
that the eldeft if he pleafes •, if he be not difpofedi 
then any other, as they can agree among themfelves, 
the reft do what they can to greaten him that is married 
to uphold the Family. The Brothers that marry not 
keep Concubines or Whores, which, though it be a Sin, 
yet their ConfefTors can eafiiy abfolve them of it. 
In moft of the Cities and Towns of Italy there are 
Academies or Societies of Virtuofi, who have at fet Times 
their Meetings and Exercifes, which are for the moft 
Part Prolufions of Wit and Rhetoric, or Difcourfes 
about moral Subjefls, curious Queftions, and Problems 
or Paradoxes, fometimes extemporary, fometimes pre- 
meditated. Thefe have their Head, whom they call 
Prince, and a certain Numbef of Academifts who are 
chofen by Ballotting, but they feldom refufe any that 
offer themfelves to Election. Many of thefe Acade- 
mies affume to themfelves conceited or fanciful Names, 
and take a fuitable Imprefs or Coat of Arms j as for 
Example, the Academids of Bergamo call themfelves 
Eccitati, and their Imprefs is the Picture of the Morn- 
ing. In Mantua, the Academifts called Accefi, have 
taken for their Emblem, a Looking Glafs, refleding the 
Sunbeams ; thofe called Fimidi, a Hare. As for the 
other Cities of Italy \ in Rome there are three Academies^ 
the Humoriiii, the Lyncei and the Fantajlici : In Padua., 
three ; the Ricovartia Infiammati and Incogniti : In Bo- 
logna, three ; Ardenti, Indomiti and one Innominate i 
in Venice, two ; Difcordanti and Gujfoni : In Naples, 
two ; Ardenti and Intronati : In Luca, two ; Ofcuri and 
Freddi : \n Florence, LaCrufca: In Sienna, Intronati: 
In Genoa, Addormentati : In Vicenza, Olympici : In Par- 
ma, Innominati : In Pavia, Affidati: In Milan, Nafi 
cojii : In Ferrara, Elevati : In Rimini^ Adagiata t In Ce- 
cena, Offufcati : In Ancona, Caliginoji : In Fabriano, 
Difunito : In Perugia, Infenfati, In Viterbo, Ofiinati, ia 
Brefcia, Occulti, in Faenza, Philoponni : In Frevifo Perfe- 
veranti: In Fermo, Raffrontati : In Verona, Philarmonici : 
In Macerata, Gatenati : In Aleffandria, Immobili^ In Urbino, 
Ajjorditi, 
a M 
