The merchants map of commerce wherein the universal manner and matter relating to trade and merchandize are fully treated of, the standard and current coins of most princes and republicks observ'd, the real and imaginary coins of accounts and exchanges express'd, the natural products and artificial commodities and manufactures for transportation declar'd, the weights and measures of all eminent cities and towns of traffick in the universe, collected one into another, and all reduc'd to the meridian of commerce practis'd in the famous city of London / by Lewis Roberts, merchant.

CHAP. CLXXIV. Of Genoua, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.1THE State of Genoua comprehends Finali, Sarasena, and Noli, Cities of small import, the Metropolis Genoua being the Mistress of this Republick, being accounted eight Miles in Compass, and inhabited by the greatest Money-Mongers or Usurers in the World, who if they would not distrust God with their Wealth by Sea, would easily become and be accounted famous Merchants; their Usury is excessive, and hath more than once brought the King of Spain into their Books for vast sums of Money; but he having the trick of failing in his Pay∣ments, and performance, hath been observed to have satisfied them in blanco, in lieu of be∣ing paid in banco; but I refer this to them that are constrained to suffer, and to draw to my Observations, being such as I have gathered upon this City.

This City would prove the most Famous in all these Seas for Trading, were not the Inha∣bitants such noted Politicians, and great biters by Exchange, that no Strangers can live among them, for they envy the great Commerce practised in Legorn, their Neighbour, and yet may exceed Legorn, would their greedy Covetousness permit them, and suffer Merchants to bring their Goods thither upon small Charges: but that Sovereign must not expect a plentiful Trade, that will have also a great Custom paid upon all Goods; and he that desires to lose the Traffick of his Country, needs no other way to do it, but by imposing heavy Customs upon Merchants, and their Commodities: but to their better considerations I refer this point, and publish to the World their own common Proverb, which admits hardly any Merchants to live or theire amongst them, Genoua fatta per noi, their City is only made for themselves.

* 1.2In Genoua they keep their Accompts in Livres, Sols, and Deniers current, the Denier being 12 to a Sol, and 20 Sol to a Livre; which is 120 Rays of Portugal, and 16 d. Sterling.

* 1.3Their Current Monies are divers, as bordering upon so many Neighbours, the most Cur∣rent is the Deniers, 12 to a Soldo.

• Soldo 4 make a Cavalet.
• ... Cavalets 5, or Sols 20 make a Livre, which is 16 d. Sterling.
• ... Livres 4, Sold 8 is a Crown.
• ... Sold 7 Den. 6 is a Spanish Rial of 6. d. Sterling.
• ... Sold 90 is a Crown of Gold.
• ... Ducate in Silver is 4 Livres, 16 S. l. being 6 s. 5 d. Sterling.
• ... Ducate Current is 4 Livres, Sterling 5 s. 4 d. circa.
• ... Ducate of Gold is 68 Sold of Gold.
• ... Lire 3 Sols 1 makes a Rial of Eight.
• ... Lire 4, 13, 4 of Genoua hath made 1 Ducate in Legorn.

* 1.4Their Weight is the Pound of 12 Ounces, and the Quintal is 100 l. ditto, which is called the Suttle Quintar, and the Gross Quintar is 150 l. thereof is 157½ l. suttle Venice, and this Gross Quintar agrees with the Gross Weight of Venice, between which two places these Notes have been observed, that 100 l. Suttle Genoua makes Suttle in Venetia 105 l.

100 l. Gross Genoua is Gross Venetia 100 l. Suttle 157½ l.

The said 100 l. hath made in London 71 l. circa, and 92½ Legorn.

And the 150 l. their Gross Quintar is London 105 l. circa.

And the 112 l. London hath made here 143 l.

And by proof 100 l. in Florence hath made here 109 l.

The Gross Quintar is 150 l. of 18 Ounces per l. by which is sold Cottons, and Cotton-Yar••, Cummin, and Anniseeds, Honey, Rice, Brass, Lead, Tin, Soap, and Woolls, and some other Commodities.

* 1.5Their Measure of length is the Cane containing 9 Palms, which 9 Palms have made 4 Braces of Florence, and the Measure is for Silks and Stuffs, but 10 Palms in Linen makes a Cane, and is in Florence 4 Braces, and the said Cane by observation hath made in Venice 3½ Braces of Cloth, and 3 11/16 of Silk Braces, and upon the 100 Palms have been made these ob∣servations, and to have rendred

In	London	27	Yards.
Anvers	34	Ells.
Frankford	43
Dantzick	23¾
Vienna	30½
Lions	21	Aulns.
Paris	19
Rouen	18
Lisbon	20¾	Vares.
Sevil	28
Madera	21
Venice	37	Braces.
Lucca	41 1/20
Florence	42
Millan	47

1 Cane is in Barcelona 1⅗ Canes.

9 Palms in Genoua is in Florence 1 1/16 Canes.

1 Cane in Genoua is in London 2⅞ Yards.

Note that it hath been observed, that five Palms hath made almost an Ell English, or 25 Palms 6 Ells and ½, and 100 Palms thus is 26¼ Ells, and 50 Yards have made here 17 Canes.

* 1.6Corn is here sold by the Mine, whereof 64 make the 100 Saches at Pisa, and 100 Mines make 137½ Staios in Venetia, and the Mine pays 6½ Sols for Custom in Genoua, and weighs 170 l. and half a Mine is called a Corno, the quarter of Harwich measure hath made here 2½ Mines, but the London quarter not so much.

* 1.7Oil is sold by the Barrel, 7½ Barrels making a Neapolitan But, called here Botta dimena.

* 1.8Wine is sold by the Meserole, and 5 Meseroles is a Botta dimena, and 2 barr. make 1 Meserole, which is also 100 Pints, so that 500 Pints of Wine make a Botta dimena.

All Goods entring into Genoua pays for Consolato of the River 6 Deniers per Livre, and is by the Buyer, according to the price bought, if a Contract be not made with the Seller for discharging of it.

And he that Lands Commodities here in his own name, and cannot make sale thereof, hath had formerly leave to carry the same out again without paying any Charges; but this Privilege is now disannulled.

Many Silk Fabricks are here made common with all Italy, the principal being Velvets, wa∣tred Chamlets, &c. sold by the Pound weight, as is usual through Italy.

* 1.9This City is famous for the Exchanges here practised, as doth more fully appear in the Chapter of the Exchanges here in use, vide Chapter 279, and so forward, where all Cir∣cumstances are inserted. And now to Lucca.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Genoua, and the Trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Accompts in Genoua.
• * 1.3

  Monies in Genoua.
• * 1.4

  Weights in Genoua.
• * 1.5

  Measures in Genoua.
• * 1.6

  Of Corn.
• * 1.7

  Of Oil.
• * 1.8

  Of Wine.
• * 1.9

  Exchanges.