This is that place, which the Poets did report to bee the shop of Vulcan, where Cyclops did frame the thunder-bolts for Jupiter: Whereof Virgill doeth make his Tract, called Ætna. Under this hill the Poets faine the Gyant Enceladus to be buried, whose hote breath fireth the Mountayne, lying on his face; and to conclude of Ætna, the grosse Papists hold it to be their Purgatory.
Palermo.The chiefe Cities therein are Palermo, the Seate of the Viceroy, situate in the North-west part over agaynst Sardinia: It is a spacious City, and well Watered with delicate Fountaynes, having goodly buildings, and large streetes, whereof Strado reale is principall, beeing a mile long. In which I have seene in an evening march along for Recreation above 60. Coaches; a paire of Mulets, being tyed to every Coach: The Gallies of Sicilia, which are ten, lye here.
The second is Messina, toward the East, over against Regio, in Calabria, being impregnable, and graced with a famous haven: having three invincible Castles, the [IX. 393.]chiefe whereof, is Saint Salvator by the Sea side; there be divers other Bulwarkes of the Towne wals, that serve for offensive and defensive Forts, which is the cause (in derision of the Turkes) they never shut their Gates.
The famous City of Syracusa.The third is Syracusa, standing on the Southeast Coast fifty miles beyond Ætna, and halfe way twixt Messina and Malta, a renowned Citty, and sometimes the Metropolitane Seate: It is famous for the Arathusean springs, and Archimedes that most ingenious Mathematician: He was the first Author of the Spheere, of which instruments he made one of that bignesse, and Arte, that one standing within, might easily perceive, the severall motions, of every Cælestiall Orbe: And when the Romanes besiedged Siracusa, he made such burning glasses, that set on fire all their Shippes lying in the Road: At last he was slayne by a common Souldier in his studdy, at the sacke of the Towne, to the great griefe of Marcellus the Roman Generall; when he was making plots, and drawing figures on the ground, how to prevent the assaults of the Romanes.
Trapundy.The fourth is Trapundy in the West, over agaynst Biserta in Barbary, which yeeldeth surpassing fine Salt, that is transported to Italy, Venice, Dalmatia, and Greece; made onely in some certayne Artificiall Salt pooles, by the vigorous beating of the scorching Sunne, which monthly they empty and fill. The Marine here excelleth in Ruby Corall, which setteth the halfe of the Towne at work, and when refined, is dispersed over al Christendom.
This City is in great request amongst the Papists because of the miraculous Lady heere, reputed the Ilands Protector, and sole Governour of these narrow Seas, for Shippes, Gallies, and Slaves: which indeede if an image [IX. 394.]cut out in white Marble were so powerfull, it might be credible; but besides this Idolatrous title, they superstitiously thereunto annexe a rable of absurd lies.
The fift is Catagna, placed at the Marine foot of Ætna, that was so vexed by Dionisius the Tyrant. The sixt is Matzara South-west, over against the Barbarian Promontore of Lystra, the rest be Rindatza, Terra nova, Emma, whence Pluto is sayd to have stolne Proserpina, Malzara, Francavilla, Bronzo, Terramigna, and Argenti once Agrigentum, where the Tyrant Phalaris lived, who tortured Perillus in the Brazen Bull, which he made for the destruction of others.
The Sicilian Tyrants.The tyrannies which were used in Sicilia were in times past so famous, that they grew unto this Proverbe, Invidia Siculi non invenire tyranni, tormentum majus. The elder and younger Dionisius, were such odious tyrants, and the third Dionisius worst of all, that when the people powred out continuall execrations on the last, wishing his death; onely one old woman prayed for his life: This reason she gave, since from the grandfather, his father, and he, each succeeding worser and worser, and least (said she) he dying, the divell should come in his place, (for a worser never lived) I wish him to continue still.
This Kingdome after it was rent from the Romanes, remained in subjection under the French till the yeare, 1281. in which Peter of Arragon, contrived his purpose so close, that at the sound of a Bell, to the evening vespers, all the French men in Sicilia were cruelly massacred; since which time it hath ever belonged to the house of Arragon, and now of Spaine, which exploit masketh under the name of Vesperi Siculi. For nobility this Iland may compare with Naples, their styles (like unto Italy) are great, but their revenewes wondrous small.
[IX. 395.]The Sicilians have a Proverb, as having experience of both, A true comparison betweene the French and the Spaniards.that the French are wiser than they seeme, and the Spaniards seeme wiser then they are: And even as the Spaniard is extremely proud in the lowest ebbe of Fortune: So is the French man exceeding impatient, cowardly desperate, and quite discouraged in the pinch of sterne calamity. The Spaniard and the French man have an absolute opposition, and conditionall disagreement in all fashions; and in their riding both different, and defective: For the Spaniard rideth like a Monkey mounted on a Camell, with his knees and heeles alike aside, sitting on the sadle, like to a halfe ballast ship, tottering on top-tempestuous waves: And the French man, hangeth in the stirrop, at the full reach of his great toe, with such a long-legged ostentation, pricking his horse with neck-stropiat spurres, and beating the wind with his long waving limbes, even as the Turkes usually do, when they are tossed at their Byrham, hanging betweene two high trees, reciprocally waving in the ayre, from the force of two long bending ropes.