Saint Catherines observation.I remember of a pretty observation of Saint Catherine of Siena, who being stricken in devotion, went to venerate Rome, accompanied with a goodly traine; and having visited all the Monuments, supposed Holy places, and Religious relickes there, for the space of five dayes; At last she came to take a view of the Popes Palace, where having spent a whole day, strictly remarkeing the gesture and carriage of the Popes servants: She sawe nothing but abhomination, prophanation, and irreligious living, and worser then in Rome it selfe: Whereuppon suddenly the next day shee departed for Siena, being an hundreth Miles distant; pittifully bewayling her journey, and the miserable livers she sawe in Rome. Protesting alwayes after for sixteene yeares time till her death, that the Winde Meaning of Sodomy.never came from the East blowing Westward to Siena, but she thought the filthinesse of the Popes Palace, and the beastlinesse of Rome, ever stunke in her nose.
This River of Tyber especially made muster of his extravagant disgorgements, at that time when Pope Clement 8. was crowned Duke of Ferrara, anno 1589. and that same night he returned to Rome, Tyber waxed so proud of his arrivall, that impetuously inunding his bankes to make him welcome, he over-whelmed the [I. 14.]better halfe of the Towne: And if it had not bene for the infinite charges of the Pope, and desperate toile of the people, the violent force of his rage swelling courtesie, had absolutely subverted and carried away the rest of the City. The like inundation was never seene of Tyber, as after this Coronation, portending, that as the first Gomorah was destroyed by fire, so this second Sodome should be sommerssed by water. The beginning of this River springeth from the Ombrian and Aquilean hills joyning with the Alpes Appenine: whose course is fourescore and sixteene miles; disburdening it selfe in the sea Mediterren at Ostia twelve miles from Rome. The mouth and haven whereof have beene long dammed up, to stoppe the passage of hostile and Moorish incursions, least the City should be surprised on a sudden. By which slavish Ecclesiasticke feare, Rome is shamefully defrauded of shipping and forraine trafficke; and if it were not for the Clergy, which are the two parts of the inhabitants, (besides the Jewes and Curtezans, which are the greatest implements of the other third part) it would become the most miserable towne in Italy.
And notwithstanding that for the space of 12. miles round about Rome, there are neither Cornes, nor Wines, nor Village, Plantage, or Cultivage, save onely playne and pastoragious fields; intermingled at all quarters with auncient watch-Towers being an old policy of the Romans, to prevent any sudden surprise of their enimies; insomuch that at my first view of Rome, I imagined the people were all famished, or in danger of famishing.
But by your leave, being once enterd the City, I found abundance of all things necessary for life, at so easie and gentle a rate, that never towne in Europe hitherto could shew me the like. The common wine that is drunke in [I. 15.]Rome, is Vin Romanisco, the better sort Albano, Muscatello, Sheranino, but as for Lachrime Christi, the teares of Christ, I drew so hard at that same weeping wine, till I found my purse begun to weepe also; and if time had not prevented the sweetnes of such teares, I had beene left for all the last miserable mourner. As for the place The Pilgrimes dinner at the Popes table.where the Pilgrimes find one dinner, called the Popes table, it is thus: there is a certaine low roome at St. Peters Pallace, and without the gate, where every day at our nine of the clocke, there meete 21. pilgrimes; 14. from the Trinity, one having a bullet for all, and seven from St Peters Penitentialls: where being received, the seven Jesuit Pilgrims get the upper place, and sit alone, yet all of them alike served, each of them having foure dishes of meat, besides bread & abundance of wine. The dinner done, their fragments are wrapt up in cleane paper, which they carry with them, and so departing, they, or like company come no more there. They are dayly served with a very venerable Prelat, and a few other serviceable Preists, but for the Popes presence with them, there is no such matter. That liberty being spoyld by a drunken Dutch-man about 60. yeeres agoe, who in presence of the Pope gave up againe his good cheare and strong wines, with a freer good will then perhaps they were allowed him, whereat the Pope grewe angry, notwithstanding the drunken fellowe cryed through his belching throate, Thankes Holy Father, Deere Holy Father, God blesse your Holinesse.
Many have wrote of the singularities of old Rome, and I will also recite some decayed monuments thereof, which I have seene: The speciall object of Antiquity I saw, being never a whit decayed to this day, is the Templum omnium Deorum, but now, omnium sanctorum, [I. 16.]builded in a rotundo, and open at the top with a large round, like to the quire of the holy grave. And a pretty way from this, are the remainants of that Auncient Amphitheatre beautified with great Columnes, of a wonderfull bignesse and height, and a mile in compasse; the reason why it was first devised, the ghosts of the slaughtered Romes Antiquities.Sabines may testifie. To be briefe, I saw the decayed house of worthy Cicero, the high Capitoll, the Pallace of cruell Nero, the Statues of Marcus Aurelius, Alexander, and his horse Bucephalus. The greene hill like unto mount Cavallo, that was made of the Potters sheards at one time, which brought the tributary gold to this imperiall seate: the seven Piramides, some whereof during her former glory, were transported from Ægypt: The high and small statues of Peter and Paul, the Castell St. Angelo, which Adrian first founded, standing now in a moderate circumferent height, with incircling battlements, and their doubtfull transported Reliques from Jerusalem, with many other things I diligently remarked, some whereof were frivolous, some ambiguous and some famous.
Neere to mount Palatin, and the decayed temple of Romulus, I saw the Temple of Venus, converted now to the Church of Sancta Maria, Liberatrice Dalla piene de Inferno, The deliverer from infernall paynes, as Venus was the Consolatrix of amorous paynes.
Besides all these I saw one most sight-worthy spectacle, which was the Library of the auncient Romans, being licentiated to enter with two Gentlemen, Sir William Carre, Mr. James Aughmuty my Countrey men, where when I was come, I beheld a world of old Bookes, the first whereof, was an infinite number of Greeke Bibles subscribed with the hands of these holy Fathers, who (as [I. 17.]they say) translated them out of the Hebrew tongue.
I saw also the Academies of Aristotle, wherein he treateth of the soule, health, life, nature and qualities of men, with the Medicaments of Galen, for the diseases and Famous Authors.infirmities of man: The familiar Epistles of Cicero, the Æneidot of Virgil, the Saphicke Verses of that Lesbian Sapho, the workes of Ovid, Pliny, Plutarke, Titus Livius, Horatius, Strabo, Seneca, Plato, Homer, Tirentius, Cato, Hippocrates, Josepus, Pythagoras, Diodorus Siculus, Eusebius, S. Austine, S. Ambrose, S. Cyprian, S. Gregory, and likewise the workes of other excellent Phylosophers, Divines and Poets: all wrote with their owne hands, and sealed with their names, and manuall subscriptions. I saw also the forme of the first auncient writing which was upon leaves of trees, cakes of lead, with their fingers on ashes, barkes of trees, with strange figures, and unknowne Letters, that was brought from Ægypt: for the Ægyptians first devised the use thereof, and the sight of infinite Obligatory writings of Emperors, Kings and Princes, which I omit to relate, referring the same to be Registred by the next beholder.
Still left untold, something there must be seene
For them, who trace our feete, with Argos eyne: