ITALIA,
Italy, a very famous Country of Europe. Italy had several names, sometimes it was called Hesperia, either from Hesperus, bro∣ther to Atlas, King of Mauritania, or Hesperus the Star of Venus, called Lucifer, at the rising of the Sun; and Hesperus or Vesper in the e∣vening when the Sun sets. Wherefore the Greeks have called the Western parts of Italy Hesperia magna, to distinguish it from Spain called minor Hesperia.
Italy was also called Oenotriae, of Oenotrus King of the Sabins, or Oenotrus the Son of Ly∣caon King of Arcadia, or rather from the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Wine, which Janus brought into this Country, by planting there the Vine. They gave her also the name of Ausonia, from Ausonius the son of Ulysses and Calypso.
That Countrey is now called Italia, Italy, either of Italus King of Sicily, or from Oxen called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the old Greek,
Italiam dixisse minores. Virg.
Strabo, speaking of Italy gives it this follow∣ing encomium.
There, says he, men breathe a temperate air; there are abun∣dance of fountains, the waters thereof cure several distempers, and preserve health. There are all sorts of excellent Fruits, and quar∣ries of Marble of several colours. The Inha∣bitants thereof are witty, subtle and cun∣ning, fit for learning, and principally Poetry and Eloquence; but are great dissem∣blers and revengeful, even to the very Al∣tars. The chiefest City of Italy is Rome, fa∣mous for the birth of several great men both in War and Peace:
The Romans have represented Italy in their medals like a Queen sitting upon a Globe, holding with her right hand a horn of plen∣ty, having the other arm and the breast un∣covered. With this title Italia.