The merchants mappe of commerce wherein, the universall manner and matter of trade, is compendiously handled. The standerd and currant coines of sundry princes, observed. The reall and imaginary coines of accompts and exchanges, expressed. The naturall and artificiall commodities of all countries for transportation declared. The weights and measures of all eminent cities and tovvnes of traffique, collected and reduced one into another; and all to the meridian of commerce practised in the famous citie of London. By Lewes Roberts, merchant. Necessary for all such as shall be imployed in the publique affaires of princes in forreigne parts; for all gentlemen and others that travell abroad for delight or pleasure, and for all merchants or their factors that exercise the art of merchandizing in any part of the habitable world.

CHAP. CLX.

Of Florence, and the Trade thereof.

THe Citie of Florence is seated neere the confluence of two Rivers, Arne and Chiane, and is a very faire * 1.1 Citie, and abounding with publique and private buildings of great beauty, and therefore by some supposed to be called Florencia, a situ Florenti; it is in compasse sixe miles, and is the residence of the Duke, who heere hath a sumptuous Pallace: the greatest part of the trade thereof doth consist in the fabriques of Silkes that heere are made, and are hence properly called, and in the Exchanges heere used and practised by Bankers, for all parts of Europe, the inhabitants having lost the honour of Merchandising, which anciently they had, when eminent Factors from hence were sent into Flanders and Eng∣land and to other countries to reside, who mannaged a very great trade, now totally decaied what I have found from others or obser∣ved my selfe: in Anno 1619. when I was heere I shall set downe for the present occurrences of the place.

The Merchants doe heere keepe their accounts in Livers, Sold and * 1.2 Deniers, 12. Deniers making a Sol, and 20. Sol a Liver; and others a∣gaine in Crownes, Sol and Deniers of Gold, of Livers 7½. per Crowne, accounting 12. Deniers to a Sol, and 20. Sol to a Crowne, but all their commodities are sould by Livers, Sold, and Denieres of their monies, and to reduce Livers into Crownes, multiply by 2. and divide by 15. because 15. halfe Livers make a Crowne, and to reduce the said Li∣vers into Duccats, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is to be taken.

The Coynes currant are the Duccats of Florence and the Picols.

The Duccat is worth 7. Livers or 70. Bolognini. * 1.3

The Crowne is worth 7½. Livers in Picholi, whereas the custome is different from other Countries, wherein the Crowne of gold is not found to have any constant rate with the currant money of the place, and is adjusted therewith according to the rate of the Exchange.

The Liver is 20. Sold, and accounted to be nine pence starling.

The Duccat being 7. Livers, is accounted their 5. s. 3. d. starlin.

The Seudo or Crowne of 7½. Livers, is consequently 5. s. 7½. starlin.

The Liver is also divided to 12. Chraches, whereof 8. is a Iulio, which is 6. d. starling; 5. Quatrins is a Cr•…•…ch, and 60. Craches makes a Liver.

Divers observations have beene made upon the Weights of Flo∣rence, * 1.4 which is the 100. li. or Quintall of 12. ounces to a pound, the most noted I will here insert, and referre the truth to him that hath a cause of triall, because I have received them upon trust.

This 100. li. then hath beene found to produce in these places.

The 100. li. of Flo∣rence hath rendred in

Anvers	73. lib.
Lions	76.
Dansicke	88.
Venetia sotle	114.
Venetia grosse	71.
Siena	103.
Pulia	104.
Lucca	102.
Bollonia	95.
Ferrara	101.
Padoua	117.
Millan	103.
Cremona	113.
Roma	98.
Genoua	108.
Marselia	91.
Barselona	71.
Valentia	96.
Granado	66.
Sivill	75.
Lixborne	92.
Paris sutle	90.
Paris grosse	112.
Brussia	78.
London	78.
Ancona	98.
Mai•…•…rke	92.
Sicilia settle Rot.	44.
and grosse R.	48.
Tunes	100.
Alleppo—R.	15¾. R.
Ditto Silke	16¾.
Tripoli Soria	19.
Ditto Barbaria	67¾.
Baruti	152.
Alex. zera	36. 2.
Alex. for fori	81. 6.
Scio & Smyrna	71.
Constantinople	64.
Rhodes	14. 3.
Acria	12. 8.

Babylonia	10. 10.
Balsara	5. 00½. M.
Ormus	75. 10.

As of Weights formerly compared, so doe I finde the brace of this place whereby all commodities are measured, and upon the * 1.5 100. braces of Florence hath beene made these observations, and to make

The Cane is 4. braces and the 100. braces are in

London	49. ells
Anvers	81.
Frankford	102.
Dansicke	67.
Vienna	71.
Lions	49.
Paris	46. alns
Roven	42.
Lisborne	49. vares
Sivill	24.
Madera	50.
Venice	88. bra.
Lucca	97.
Millan	112.
Genoa	235. pal.

Note that all Wrought silkes are heere bought by the pound weight, and not by the Cane nor Brace above mentioned.

Wine is sold by the Cogne, which are 10. bar. and 1. barrell is 40. * 1.6 Metadels, or 20. botles, or fl•…•…sht, each boile being 2. metadels, the bar∣rell is to weigh 120. li.

Oile is sold by the Orcio, which is a barrell, and containes 32. me∣tadels, * 1.7 which ought to weigh 85. li.

Graine is sold by the Moggio, and is staio 24. and the staio is 50. li. * 1.8

Salt is also sold by the staio, which waighes 72. li. * 1.9

The agreement of the Staio of Corne I finde thus computed with other Cities. * 1.10

Staios 3¾. of corne in Florence is 1. sache of Venetia.

staios 3. in Florence make 1. sache in Pisa.

staios 2⅘. in Florence make in Plombine 1. staio.

staios 8¾. in Florence make in Rome 1. Rotolo.

staios 10½. in Florence makes in Palermo a generall salmo.

staios 13. in Florence makes in Misnia a grosse salmo.

staios 1½. in Florence is in Naples 1. tomolo, 16. tom. is a salm. there.

staios 6½. in Florence is in Ancona 1. som•…•… of Corne.

Mogia 1. in Florence is in Arles 10½. sesterces.

staios 3. in Florence is in Marselia 2. mines.

staios 60. in Florence is in Brittany a tunne of Corne.

I have beene the lerarg in the Waights and Measures of Florence

because I shall have occasion to accord other Cities to this, and∣therefore to make this the more absolute, I have added the follo wing concordancy of the dry Measures of this place with other Countries following, which I referre to the better experienced for due triall.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Florence, and the Trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Accounts in Florence.
• * 1.3

  Coines currant in Florence.
• * 1.4

  Waights of Florence.
• * 1.5

  Measures of Florence.
• * 1.6

  Of wine.
• * 1.7

  Of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.8

  Of corne.
• * 1.9

  Of salt.
• * 1.10

  Agreement of dry measures of E•…•…nce.