The estates, empires, & principallities of the world Represented by ye description of countries, maners of inhabitants, riches of prouinces, forces, gouernment, religion; and the princes that haue gouerned in euery estate. With the begin[n]ing of all militarie and religious orders. Translated out of French by Edw: Grimstone, sargeant at armes.

The Common-weale of Geneva

THE COMMON-WEALE [ E] OF GENEVA.

The Contents.

1 ANtiquitie of the town of Geneua, and the scituation. 2. Wherein the soile abounds, the fruits which grow in the countrie, and the goodnesse of the aire. 3. The Ge∣neuois grosse by nature, and not very courteous to strangers. 4. Wherein the little ••ealth of this Common-weale consists. 5. Geneu•• a strong towne, and well garded: of the Ar∣••e••all, and of the sorts which are in that countrie. 6. Forts of Saint Catherine, and others, ••a∣sed by Henry the Great, the French king. 7. Of the Earles of Geneua. Why the Dukes of Sa∣••••y pretend that Geneua doth belong vnto them. When and how they came to hold the iurisdicti∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 the said Earledome. 8. A soueraigne court of Geneua consisting of fiue and twentie Sena∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 and what be the laws and statutes of this Common-weale. 9. How the Cal••anistes pro∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 was brought in, and setled in the towne of Geneua.

[ I] THe towne of Geneua comprehended within Sauoy, is very ancient, [ A] for that Casar himselfe makes mention thereof in the first booke of the Gaules wars, assuring that there was a bridge passing ouer the Rhosne, the which in his time was vnder the power of the Suisses. The scituation of this towne is pleasant, and of that side whereas the Rhosne comes out of that great Lake, which in old time they called Lake Leman, it is low, but since it hath beene raised vpon a little hill. There is at Geneua as it were two townes, through the which the riuer of Rhosne doth passe, whereon there is a bridge which ioines them together: the great [ B] towne is towards the South, and the lesser to the North; which the Germanes cal Gens.

¶ The Qalitie.

[ II] THe soile neere vnto Geneua is fruitfull, for it yeelds corne, wine, turnups, and other rootes, melons, all sorts of pulses, barley, oates, and haie: the ordinarie fruits are nuts, apples, peares of many kinds, cherries of diuers sorts, mulberries both blacke and white, chestnuts, and almonds: but there grow few figs. The aire is good and wholesome, and Winter is not so cold and nipping as in Germanie, nor Sommer so tedious and hot as in many places of Dauphine. Within the lake of Geneua they take very goodly fish of [ C] an excellent tast, especially salmon-trouts which they carrie to Lion and other places, and whereof they make very great accompt, as of the most delicat meat that can be eaten.

¶ The Manners.

[ III] THe inhabitants of Geneua are somewhat grosse in their manners and conuersation, but they haue good wits, and can mannage their businesse well: they haue no great desire to see strangers with their towne, especially if they haue any doubt that they are Catholikes; they exact of them in their Innes as much as may be. They are grown some∣what familiar with the French, since that the king was in Sauoy, and that demaunding his [ D] right with his sword in his hand, he preserued them from many daungers which might haue fallen vpon them, especially by Saint Catherines sort which was rased. The wo∣men seeme to be more chast than in any place of the world, and yet some of them will make loue in secret: they do in generall make shew to be graue and staied. The men of qualitie which vse to speake French, speake it as ill as may be, and the common people speake Sauoyard: they do all go modestly attired, neither is it their custome to haue any excesse in apparrell, as in other places, which if they should their reuenues would bee much decayed before the end of the yeare.

¶ The Riches. [ E]

[ IIII] IT is most certaine that the inhabitants of Geneua are not very rich, and it is as much as they can doe to entertaine themselues with some toile in an honest libertie: and were not the great paines they take in printing of bookes of all sorts, and in inuenting and ma∣king of silkes, this Common-weale would soone be poore and ruined: they do also vse a good meanes to maintain themselues by their temperance, for that sparing is very much practised there, and it is in a manner their greatest reuenue. They do send into other parts good cheeses, fat capons, and gold thred very well wrought.

¶ The Force. [ F]

[ V] THe towne of Geneua is well fortified, and furnished with artillerie, and all kind of munition for war: they do dayly keepe a good guard, and when any stranger comes into the towne, they haue an eye vnto his actions, and obserue whatsoeuer he doth. If any

[ A] one presume to walke vpon the walls and to view them, they will not onely fetch him downe presently, but he shall be committed to prison, and drawne into question for his life. There is an Arcenall neere vnto the court, which is stored with all sorts of armes, and furnish•••• ••ith all things that are necessitie to endure a long siege. There are and haue [] 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fo•• in this countie, and amongst others that of Saint Catherine▪ in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Duke of Sauoy had his ordinance to batter Geneua; but it was taken by that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Henry the fourth, in the yeare of our Lord God 1600, and rased: The other, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had beene built right against it by them of Geneua, was also bea••en downe and ••••••i••ie all matters▪ The third, called Ripaille, came into the power of them of [ B] Geneua, by the meanes of the French, in the yeare of our Redemption 1589, and was 〈◊〉〈◊〉; and so was a forth, when it was also taken by the Geneuois. There are some ••owe••s amongst which they call one the Mistres Tower, which defends Geneua to∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Lake, and Sauoy: Another is called the Tower of the Island, or of Caesar, which is scituated vpon the top of the Island, to defend the bridge, which did some∣times belong vnto the Suisses. And seeing that we haue spoken of the preparations which the Duke of Sauoy had made to besiege it, I thinke it verie fit to shew why the ••••kes of Sauoy pretend that Geneua doth belong vnto them.

The Bishops of Geneua were most commonly in quarrell with the Earles for the [ VII] go∣••••••nement of the towne. But to make it short, after the death of a certaine Bishop [ C] ••••••••ed Humbert, his successour went vnto the Emperour Fredericke the first, and obtai∣ned of him that he should be sole Prince of Geneua, and not subiect to any one in tem∣porall things, but to the Emperour, and withall, that he should remaine free from all tribu••es. But after the Bishops returne to Geneua, he was still disquieted in his gouern∣ment, vn•••••• that the Earle, called William, did incurre an imperiall proscription or ba∣nish••••••••, by reason of his rebellion, and was depriued of the see which he held of the Bishop. The war hauing continued long, and the forces both of the Towne and Bishop being ••uth decreast, the Geneuois called in an Earle of Morie••me, who was after∣wards ••arle of Sauoy. But there was also much where betwixt them, so as this Earle held many small Townes, Villages, and Castles, which did belong to them of Geneua, [ D] and drew neere vnto the Towne. And not contenting himselfe with that he had vsur∣ped vnder the title of an homage not done, he required satisfaction of all that he had dis∣bursed for the charges of those warres. But the Bishop hauing answered him, That he should rest satisfied with that which he had giuen him by right of fee, there grew many new quarrells: so as most of the people seating that this Earle of Sauoy would be in∣cens••••, and make a peace with their common enemie to their preiudice, they graunted that he should hold within the towne all that the Earle of Geneua had formerly en∣ioyed, and that by way of ingagement. But for that, being entred, he intreated the Ge∣neuo•••• tyranously, some Chanoins, and Citisens, conspiring against him, called home their Earle, who comming with a small armie, was vanquished by the Sauoiards who [] held the towne, and then they entred into the conspiratours houses, taking, and defca∣ting all they could. This discord continued vntill that the Earles of Geneua failed, and were extinct, after which the princes of Sauoy drew vnto them the jurisdiction of the said Earles. Finally, Amé prince of Sauoy being discontented to see himselfe vnder a Bishop, obtained from the Emperour Charles the fourth to be Vicar of the Empire in all his Countrie; meaning, that by this title, the Bishop of Geneua, with his jurisdi∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 should be subiect vnto him. But the Bishop opposed himselfe couragiously against the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, whereby he preserued his authoritie, and the peoples libertie, vntill the time of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the eighth, nephew to the first Amé, who was the first duke of Sauoy, and after∣wards Pope, called Felix. He obtained from Pope Martin the temporall jurisdiction of [ F] Geneua: but he could not enioy this donation which had beene made vnto him, no more th••n his successours.

¶ The Gouernement. [ A]

[ VIII] THere is a Court at Geneua whereas fiue and twentie Senators assemble euerie day, for the affaires of the Common weale. But it is noted that they doe not verie good iustice at Geneua to a stranger who demaunds any thing of a towne dweller, so as they all depart disconte••ted when as they haue any businesse of this nature. If any one de∣sires to vnderstand the Lawes and Statutes of this Common-weale, there is a Booke newly printed at Geneua, which may content the curious. The towne is gouerned by a Coun••ell of two hundred, called the Great Councell, out of which the fiue and [ B] twen∣tie Senators are chosen; and of these there are foure men elected, called Sindicks, who h••u•• ••h•• gouernment of the whole estate, vnlesse it be in some cases wherein the whole Common-weale is inter••essed, as in making of peace and warre, in offensiue and 〈…〉〈…〉, &c. They are iudged by the ciuile law, and there is no ap∣〈◊〉〈◊〉, but to the Councell of two hundred.

¶ The Religion.

[ IX] THey of Geneua make profession of the Protestants religion, and they haue not any exercise of the Masse or Poperie, but their towne is a retreat to all such as are [ C] oppo∣sit to the Pope of Rome, and a Seminarie of Ministers, which go from thence into other countries. Euerie man knowes how that this towne was sometimes the seat of Bishops, but about the yeare of our Lord 1539, they banished the Masse, and imbraced the Gospell, wherein they were instructed and confirmed by Caluin, and other good Ministers, the which it is not now possible to alter, but by the ruine of the whole towne. The Ministers haue a Consistorie, vnto the which they may call publike offenders, and such as giue cause of scandall, and there reproue them: If the crime be great, and the pa••tie obstinat, they forbid him the Communion; if notwithstanding he persist, they may excommunicat him. But the Ministers cannot call any before them into their Consistorie, but by the authoritie of a Sindicke, who must assist [ D] them, otherwise they haue no power to summon any man. They haue their maintenance out of the common treasure, and deale with no tithes.