The present state of England. Part III. and Part IV. containing I. an account of the riches, strength, magnificence, natural production, manufactures of this island, with an exact catalogue of the nobility, and their seats, &c., II. the trade and commerce within it self, and with all countries traded to by the English, as at this day established, and all other matters relating to inland and marine affairs : supplying what is omitted in the two former parts ...

CHAP. LXXII. A View of the Common-Wealth of Venice, and of the Trade, Weights, Measures, Customs, Coyns &c.

THe City of Venice gives Name to the Territories, and has been and yet is famous for Trade by Navigation, being so Commodiously Seated for the reception of Shipping, that nothing can be more; as thus, it is Seated at the bottom of the A∣driatick Sea or Venetian Gulph, upon 72 Islands 5 Miles distant from the main Land, and is defended against the rage of the Sea by a Bank of 20 Leagues, through which are cut several passages for Boats, but no Ships are capable of passing but at Mala∣mecco, the mouth of which is guarded with strong Castles; and at the Castles of Lio, the Sea runs through most of the Streets, so that the commerce is held by Boats and Bridges, 12000 of the first, and 4000 of the last; and as for the Inhabitants they are naturally addicted to Merchandise, and once made their City the Store-House of

the Commodities of India, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, and Greece, being both Politick and Powerful at Sea, so that for those Com∣modities, most European Merchants Traded thither as the Principal Mart of the World, but of late the English, Dutch, and Portugals have found the way to purchase them at the first hand, and by that means much im∣paired the Traffick of that Common-Wealth, yet still they have Factories at A∣leppo, Constantinople, and Alexandria, and Trade in Silk, Spices, Drugs, &c. but the chief Commodities found here are Cloaths of Gold and Silver, Wine, Oyl, Woollen Cloath, Paper, Anniseeds, Agal, Looking-Glasses, Drinking-Glasses, and Quick-Sil∣ver, for which the English Merchants Trading thither, exchange Bays, Furs, Perpetuanos, Lead, Tinn, Cloves, Nut∣megs, Pepper, Ginger, Serges, Says, Woollen Cloath, Herring, Pilchards, Sal∣mond, and Newland Fish, Indico, &c. and serves for a Mart to Austria and upper Germany.

The Weights of Venetia are 4, the first and greatest is called the pound Gross, and 100 pound with which they weigh Wool, Brass, Iron, Copper, Flesh, Fish, and other Gross Commodities. The second is the Golden Weight in use for weighing Gold,

Silver, Precious Stones and Pearls only, and is called the Mark consisting of 8 Ounces, and each Ounce of 144 Cariots; the third is applyed to the Weight only of Gold and Silver Thread; the fourth is the pound Sut∣tle, with which are weighed Silks, Drugs, Spices, Cottons, Cotton-Yarn, viz. by the 100 Weight composed of the Suttle pound, 100 pound Gross being of this Sut∣tle pound 158 pound, and so on Proporti∣onablely; but in Gold and Silver Thread 100 pound Gross is Suttle, but 116 pound 8 Ounces, the Mark of Gold 8 Ounces, and from these our English Traders have derived their Weight commonly called Venice Weight, 100 pounds of Venice Sut∣tle make of London Weight 64 pound, and Gross 106 pound.

The Liquid Measures for Wine are the Amphora, the Bigonsa, the Quart, the Sachio and Lyre, viz. the Bigonsa 4 of them make the Amphora, and each Bigonsa is 4 Quarts, and 1 Quart is 4 Sachi, each Sachi being 4 Lyras, and each Lyra a pound Weight, tho in Gross the lesser Measures hold not out; as for Oyl it is sold both by Weight and Measure, the Weight is called the Staliero, and the Measure the Miaro, and is 40 Mire which is Gross Weight, 120 pound, one Mire by Weight is 30 pound 3 Ounces,

and by Measure 25 pound. Corn is sold by the Staio, each Staio being Gross 132 pound of Venetian Weight.

The Accounts are kept several ways ac∣cording to the Pleasure of the Merchant, as sometimes in Ducats, and Grosses, ac∣counting 6 Livers, and 4 Solds to a Du∣cat or 24 Grosses, others again in Solds and Grosses.

As for their Exchanges, to their great advantage in way of Trade, they make a difference between their money payed for Merchandise, and that returnable upon Bills, the disproportion being between 20 and 21 per cent. their Customs are Extraordinary, especially upon the English Trading to Zant for Currans, which is in Subjection to that Seignory, both upon Goods imported and exported, the which has caused the decay of Trade, and was the main Reason of re∣moving the Scale of Trade to Leghorn, a place no ways so Commodious nor abounding in Commodities of the Native growth.