Subsidium peregrinantibus, or, An assistance to a traveller in his convers with 1. Hollanders, 2. Germans, 3. Venetians, 4. Italians, 5. Spaniards, 6. French : directing him after the latest mode, to the greatest honour, pleasure, security, and advantage in his travells : written to a princely traveller for a vade mecum / by Balthazar Gerbier.

SECT. VIII.

NOW for Italy: and if by Savoy, men who affect Relicks, may take notice of a Saints Sudari at Turin.

And as for the Prime of men, let them take notice on the successors of the great Emanuel of Savoy, and never be wrought upon, by what the Cardinall d'Ossat in his passion wrote against that Great Duke of Savoy, by Birth King of Cypres, of the old Saxon, Imperiall, Spanish and French Roy∣all blood; most magnanimous in all his proceedings; more rich in Jewells then any other Prince in Europe; attended by a great number of Nobles, and in as much Pompe as any Christian Soveraigne Prince can be, a Nobility extreme Generous and Gentile, the Ladies so Beautifull, as that they are called (all Italy over) the Faire Piedmontese.

The liberty of the Court of Savoy is mo∣derated between France and Italy.

The first considerable object a Traveller shall meet with in Savoy, is the fortresse of Mount-Milan, which withstood a yeare and above, all the French Kings Army, when King Lewis the 15th had set upon it all the courage of the Nation, and all what could be attempted by Jupiter-like flames, and Vulcan like forgery, to blow up the For∣tresse, to which, the French King had invi∣ted all the adjacent Nobility to be specta∣tors, but the successe proved a forced re∣treat of the French Army.

Chambray (the first Metropolitan of Sa∣voy, seated as a center to the Hills, as if those whereon the Tempter set the King of Kings) may be the first nights lodging to a Traveller, who will see there that most magnificent Stable, built by the late Prince Thomas of Savoy; all of white Marble with∣in; the Post, the Manger, and the Racks of massy Copper, to entertaine one hundred great saddle Horses.

Susa is the next great Fortresse. The next place of note is Rivoly (14 Italian miles from Turin.) Rivoly is a place with

variety of rich furniture, the gardins Eden like, as in that at Turin, 85 Brazen metall Vases, 8 foot high, all imbossed by the fa∣mous John de Bologne, cast so as the like of them is not to be seen in Europe, except in a Dorade within the Kingdome of the A∣merican Guiana, where such (and other or∣naments) are of massie Gold.

The rare Palaces and Seats without Tu∣rin, are first, that of the Capuchins built by the Duke, as the Rotonde at Rome, all of Marble, and to serve also in time of Warre for a Fortresse of defence.

The next is the Palace of the late Cardi∣nall Maurice, Uncle to the present Duke of Savoy.

That of Valentin neer the River Po, a mile from Turin, and is as Noble as any can be seen in all Italy. Three mile farther is that called Mile Fiori, (a thousand flow∣ers) and may it raise the Savoyards and Pie∣montesis thoughts to that Bower whereof the Imperialls, and the choice Anemones are Sunne, Moone, and Starres, whereon Con∣stantine made his Victorious conclusion, as is seen neerer to the Equinoctiall then Eng∣land is to the cape of good hope. May none

of the Nation misse that marke.

Padua may prove the first place which a Traveller will call upon in his repaire to Venice, where if among the disereet he be pleased to speake in sober termes of St An∣thonio (as at Milan of St Carlo di Boromeo) he will never be dislikt of; for an Italian will converse with a discreet stranger with∣out questioning his particular profession, it being granted among them, that all Tra∣montany (all men beyond the Hills) may be Hereticks; yet giving no offence in their Churches (where no man is compelled to go) lesse to their beds, a man (never so much Tramontany) may live Methusalems days among them, without any troubles at all, except how to drink drunk, for its not in practise among them; revengefull they are against their own Countrymen: they hold it to be an honour, and an imitation of the Poets thundering Jupiter, who hath reserved the sweetest to himselfe, to wit, Vengeance. They make (as before said) a great distinction between Strangers and their Natives, who they would on all occa∣sions, have to proceed as by Mathematick rules, and even on the least, as in going to a

House of a stranger or Neighbour, or par∣ticular friend, the Italian will not enter, though the dore be open, except one can tell him whether the Master may possibly be within.

Their leisure must be consulted as if they were all Embassadors, or prime Ministers of state; few words must serve turne with them, and some discourses answered with a shrug or nodding of the head; Oathes mixt with other words are not credited, they affect few examples to support truth.

The next delightfull Progresse will be for Venice, that microcosme of all the Ci∣ties which do represent the reliques of a de∣loge, the River Brenta will appear as the best in Eden might have been, if the first Landlord had not been drove out of it, there being such ravishing Palaces, and Gar∣dens planted on both sides: as for Venice it selfe, (that Metropolitan Ark made of stone) there is in it (as the Italian saith) molto bene & molto male, a Prince may live therein, with a couple of Gundoliers, and a couple of Men, one for his Kitching, the other for his bedchamber, so he shun the Horentin horrid Vice, to save Pasquin the

providing of a shield on his back part.

And if a man speaks but with civill re∣spect of the Old Madona of Loretta, he needs not to trouble himselfe with his pro∣fession of Faith, they are free Blades, who when King Francis the first of France had threatned Italy, and them in particular, were not affrighted nor moved from their Arsenao, nor Concilio di dieci, by Francis the first his merry reply to his Jester, who after he had askt of the French King, whe∣ther the men of his Great Councell had thought on a way of retreat, as well as to enter the State of Venice, replyed, The Se∣nate had wise heads, but he would put so ma∣ny young French fools upon them, as might be able to disturbe their set day of Councell: But thousands of the young fools, their bones (as yet to be seen about Pavia) could not returne into France.

To Florence by Millain or by Bologne, a Princely. Traveller may steer, and he shall find all Ambergris or Jasemin like: in the State of Milan, and in Tuscany, Modana and Parma.

But as for Romania and Rome it selfe, though this speaks Roma fuit (and where∣on

the French Poet St Amant hath vented this point of spirit)

Rome n'est plus ô mondaine Inconstance! Le marbre y est detruit, et ce qui fuit, an temps fait resistance. In English as neer the words as can be. Rome is no more, O worlds inconstancy! Marble hath there its fall, But what runnes away resists the time and all. Meaning the River Tiber.

What remains of old Rome (besides the Tiber) are broken marble Columns, the Pantheon, some Triumphall Arches, and Amphitheaters, and that which at Rome, as among all other Nations, will stick more close then pitch to cloth, is wilfull prating Pasquin, and Morforius: Rome is called la Sancta, Milano la grande, Bologna la Superba, Padua la docta, Venetia la rica, Fiorentia la bella, Napoli la gentilla; yet doth it not prove a receptacle of as much Impie∣ty and dissolutenes as Paris in France, may not London make up the number of three; on which if Pasquino be let alone, he will prate loud at his returne from Hell, for the Italians have printed again his work stiled Pasquino in estasi nuovo é molto viaggio de l' inferno.

All Travellers will do well to observe in Rome, Fide sed cui vide: yet be Amicus uni∣us, inimicus nullius.

It will prove a good maxime in them with that Nation, (which hath nothing more rife on its tongue, then No ti fidare, not to trust) as to fix their speculations on that which (without any offence or perill of tell-tales) may please their sight, to wit, the rare carved Statues and Pictures, placed in and about the well built Palaces, and Churches: First as for Pictures (to view them in order) those of Perin del Vago in Castel St Angelo, then proceed towards the plaine (on the which the famous St Peters Church is built) observe there the great Piramide on the left side of that plain, and in the Church, the Pictures of the Ca∣valier Balioni, Pormarancio, Passignani, Del Castello. The Pieté (in Marble) of Michael Angelo, the day of Judgement by the same Angelo, painted in the Popes Chappel, the Altar and Sepulcher of St Sicilia, all of Jaspis, and other rare stone; in the Popes Chambers the matchles pictures of Rapha∣el d' Urbin, thence make towards A Bel Vidor, there see the Lauconte, the Apollo,

Cleopatra, Lantino, and a Marble called el Toiso. Then making his circuit to go out of the great St Spirito repaire to St Pietro Monto••••, there see the Picture on the great Altar painted by Raphael d'Urbin, and the Figure of Christ in the pillar drawn by Frar Bastiano, a picture of Georgio Vassari, in the Sacresti one of Michael Angelo.

Then go to the Capitol, there see Marc Aurelius on Horse-back.

In the great room of the Capitol, the Battail painted in Fresco by Josepin.

Then to Monte Cavalo there see the two Alexanders with the Bucephalus, one made by Phidias, the other by Parxitiles.

Then to Porta-pia, there see the Tombe of Bacchus of Porphyr stone of an extreme bignes and entire peece.

Then repaire to the Toure of Dioclesian. To the vigna of Cardinal del Monte, see there a great number of Statues, Pictures and Limnings of Don Julio Clovio.

Then go to see il Col••sso and the Trium∣phal Arch of Constantin.

The Theater of Marcel, at the Cardi∣nal-Saveli The Palace of Farnese; see there the rare Statues called the Hercules, the

Gladiator, the Flora, the ancient Torro, with divers figures in one piece: in the Gallery (above staires) the rare painting in white and black of Hannibal Carasa, and diverse rarities in the Cabinet, a most rare book limned by Don Giulio Clovio. Thence go to Piazza Colonia, see the Colomn of An∣thonio Pio: thence in the palace called Pietro see there the Colomne of Trajan the Em∣perour, all graven with figures about it, then see the famous Pantheca of Marc A∣grippa; the great Market place called Navo∣na, see there the Church called Minerva, and therein the figure of Christ carved by Michael Angelo, then go to the place Fia∣metta, there see a Pallace with rare pictures of Polydor; thence to the Palace of Cardi∣nall Bourgesi, to see a great number of Sta∣tues and pictures, as also very rare draughts, then to Cardinal Oldebrandini, where there are likewise an infinite number of Statues and pictures, then crosse over the way to the Palace of Guisi, there see the rare pi∣ctures of Raphael, then to Monte Giordano, to the Ursins, and see there the works o Bronsino, and many other rarities, then go to Cardinal Cresentio, where are many rare

works of Holbein and Michael Angelo, then the Garden of pleasure of the Cardinal Borgesi, all beset with rare antick statues, and within garnisht with many rare pi∣ctures. You shall see in the prime Churches first in that of Scala, a very rare picture of Gerardo: of Pomerantio, in the Church la Consolation, pictures of Durante, del Bor∣gio, and Tadeo Sucari; in that of St Lauren∣zo in Domo the picture of St Laurence, of Frederico Sucaro, of Grosepi, in the Church of St Silvester (on Monte Cavalo) one of Palma, in the Church called la Madona del Populo two pictures of Michael Angelo Car∣ravagio, of Hannibal and Frobastian del Piombo, in the Church la Trinita di monti, two rare pictures of Daniel di Voltera, some pictures in Fresco on the Walls of Perin del Vago, and Tadeo, in the Chesa nova of Be∣rossi, of Giosepino, of Scipion Gaetano, the Figure of Christ of Michael Angelo, of St Marco of Frederigo, and of Raphael da Re∣gio, in St Gregorio martyro di Sancti of Gui∣rlo Ren, at St Giovane di fiorentino, of Pa∣signani. In the Roman Colledge, an An∣nunciation in fresco of Frederigo Sucari, in the Church called de Lanema of Julio Ro∣mano,

and Carlo Venetian, at the Church la Place, the Sybills of Raphael, of Baldesar di Siena an Anunciation, of Marcelo, Giose∣pino, Mutiano, Albano, the Cieling of Fra∣brastiano, at Sancta Elizabetha of Guido, at the Madona de la consolation of Pomerantio, at St Augustin a Virgin Mary with two Pil∣grims, of Michel Angelo di Caravagio, a St Augustin of Raphael &c. And let not my Princely Traveller think it strange, that the Italians will extoll these Statues and Pi∣ctures, and so affect them as if nothing more glorious and more worth of admira∣tion; the first reason is, that as the Roman Church makes it a Church policy; the se∣cond, that those Statues and Pictures be∣fore mentioned, have been made by the ra∣rest hands of men, as ever lived since the memory of Bezaleel of the Tribe of Juda, and Alolia of the Tribe of Dan, as also Hi∣ram of the Tribe of N••phtali to work in Sculpture in Solomons Temple, by what spi∣rit these Romans wrought since the Gospel was preached, I do leave to those whose vocation it is to treat of hidden Mysteries, only I shall make bold to say, that if my Princely Traveller observes the day of

Judgement painted against the Cieling of the Cathedral at Munster, he will see the Divell represented in a red velvet Chaire with a Crown on his head, and a Scepter in his hand, whom the Painter (sitting one day on his sc••ffold alone busy painting the Divell) was (as the story runs) constrained to paint in that manner, being otherwise threatned to have his neck broak: and that thereon it may be thought, the pain∣ter was not inspired with the spirit of God, except the said representation was to serve for an Embleme, that the black spirit hath an Empire over Legions of men.

But with what spirit the Painters of our age, do represent at the belly of a Lyon Rampant (which as the Unicorne is one of the supporters of the Kings Armes) a red thing exposed to the full view of many Vir∣gins, and chast mothers of Children, who cannot well behold such an aspect without a blush, I leave to loose Christians to ex∣pound, I wish others would commānd (I mean the Church wardens) the painter to spare his red colour, and forbeare the fore∣stalling that offensive needles distinction of male and female in such a place, wherein

those who by the Anglican Church are called Idolatrous, do not put any thing but what may move the people to a devotion.

The Italians indeed excell in the adorn∣ing of their Churches, and say that the Nation is so much given to their saying No ti sidare, as that they are in Church policy, bound to have those old represen∣tations exposed to the publike view, for that the Italians are promot to reply to the best Orators Non ti sidare, they say words are but copies, and shadows of those Originall objects. Printing was but in pra∣ctise since later Ages, old Manuscripts to be but for the I earned in the Hebrew, Greek, Syriack and Caldean tongues; Ima∣ges and pictures to be the Books of the most Ignorant, and the quality of Quakers not known among them. The more licen∣tious Writers, mentioned in the Epistle to the Reader, will tell you, that Srrangers must not expect from the Roman Prelats, the Hospitality of Old England; Cardinals to have Porta d' intrata e non d'••scita; the Neopolitan to be Largo di b ca e streeto de mano: But I must not omit to note, that as for Ceremonies and Civilities, there are

none so formall and neat, as those of the Romans; who would teach any other Na∣tion their good behaviour, and especially English men on the High way when the King happens to pas, for it would be taken as a monstrous disrespect, for men to re∣main in their Coach, or on Horseback, at the Kings coming neer; but answerable to duty, to go forth the Coach, light from the Horse, and bow to him who is the head of a Nation.

As for Cavalier-like Civilities, the Gal∣lantry of the Napolitans, deserves the visit∣ing them; as also the Antiquities of Puteoli, where the Apostle St Paul was, where the Inhabitants profer his Medall to Travellers.

There is to be observed in the first place, Mont Cenere, a Hill of Ashes, which did rise in the space of 48 howers: Secondly la Sol∣fatera, (as the Cave out of which Mount Cenere did rise) whereof the perpetuall noyse (proceeding from the Sulphureous exhalations) is heard many miles from that place, as the discharge of Chambres on the Kings Coronation day, in that Solfatara a world of Sulphur is made. Then see la Crota del Canic, the Grotto of dogs, wherein

is such an infectious exhalation, as kills a Dog outright if thrust therein, but if im∣mediatly (after he seems to be sta••k dead blew and black) thrown into the Lake (which is neer) comes to himselfe againe; thence see la Pessina admirabile, which is a most vast building under ground, as big as half Pauls Church, and was to keep water for the military Cohortes, thence see le Cente Camere, la Sepulture de lei Nobili Romani, the receptacle of the Noble Ro∣mans ashes; being a room, the walls whereof within, set with ancient Urnes, wherein the Ashes were put; thence go io la Grota Leone, and to the Elyzian fields, the Baths of Cicero, his Villa, the ruins of the stone Bridge built by Caligula, who riding over the same to crosse the bay, vaunted to have Triumpht over Neptune, and brav'd that God, whereon may be said that Reli∣gion makes not a man more honest. Then see Grotto of the Sibilla Cumana, wherin as yet her resting place, is seen with a gil∣ded arched vault in Mosaick work.

Then returne to Naples, see Gaieta, and on its Gate the Tombe of Bourbon, who did scale Rome; read the inscription, and

you shall find, Francia mi da la Vita, Spa∣nia la Forca é la Ventura, Roma la Morte, Gaieta la Sepultura. France gave me life, Spaine force and adventure, Rome my death, Gaieta a Sepulcher.

And being satisfied of those parts return∣ing by Loretta, see a Chappell more consi∣derable to the Romans, then the Stable wherein the Saviour of the World was Borne, since this was never said to have been built but by some Mason or Carpen∣ter, that by the hands of Angels, who are said to have brought it where it stands, garnisht within, not with Hay and Cob∣webbs (as many Stables in ordinary Innes are) but with unestimable treasures, Pas∣quin excuseth this to Morphorius, that it is a custome for Women to part from their Children in a mock, but when they appear with the Baby (as in Holland in the prank∣ing room) then all is glistering trickt up and fine.

And let my Princely Traveller but re∣member, passing the Gulfe of Leon, and at his arrivall into Spaine, to speak in termes of respect of la Madona de Loretta, he will be said to be a muy buon Catholico Romano,

and not be questioned by the Dons.