Parthenope reserves the Tombe,
My Sepulcher of Death.
Italy was called so of Italus, a King in Sicily, which first taught the people agriculture: The more impropriated names were Hesperia, because it is situate under the evening starre Hesperus: Latium, because Saturne driven from Creet by his sonne Jupiter, hic latebat abditus; and Ænotria in regard of the abundance of wines it produceth. This Countrey was first sayd to be inhabited [I. 22.]by Janus, Anno Mundi 1925. From whom sprung the The first plantation of Italy.tribes of the Samnites, Sabines, Laurentani, and Tarentines: The second Plantation was by Evander, and certaine other Arcadians, who being banished from their native dwellings, seated themselves here: Thirdly, by the Trojanes, under conduct of Æneas, who forsaking the delicious lives of the effeminate Affricans arrived here, and were kindly entertained by King Latinus, whose daughter Lavinia, Æneas married: So thus from the Trojans the Italians bragge of their discent; and so likewise boast divers other nations to have discended from that Dardan stocke, as glorying in such a famous pedegree. The length of Italy is nine hundreth Italian miles, though some allot a thousand, it is false, for I have trod foure severall times from end to end of it on the soles of my feete, even from Vallese, the first Towne in Piemont, discending mount Synais from La Croix Southward, which secludeth Savoy; and to Capo Bianco in Calabria, hemb’d in with the gulfe Tarento on the one side, and the Faro of Messina on the other, it being the furthest promontore of Italy.
So in a false description, some blind Geographers, through base ignorance, make England longer then Scotland in their Mappes, when Scotland, by the best judgements, and mine owne better experience, is a hundred and twenty miles longer then England: It is a deocular errour, which I could wish to be reformed, as in the conclusion of this worke I shall more credibly make cleare.
The breadth of Italy at the roote and beginning thereof, bending along the Alpes from the Adriaticke coast, to the riviera di Genoa, or Ligurian shore, is but 240. Italian miles, growing narrower, and narrower, till it shut out it selfe in two hornes, Calabria, and Terra di Ottranto. The breadth of which, or either, extendeth not above [I. 23.]foureteene English miles from sea to sea, the gulfe Tarento (which is unnavigable in respect of infinite craggy shelfes) deviding the two homes. On the North side of Terra di Ottranto, lieth Apulia, bordering with Mare superum, a very fruitfull soile for cornes; & West-ward thence boundeth, terra di lavoro, or proprium regnum Napolitanum. These foure territories make up the intire The Kingdome of Naples.Kingdome of Naples: The chiefe Cities of which, are Naples, Capua and Salerno, in terra di Lavoro: In Calabria, are Cousenza, the chiefe seate of the President, or Subvicegerent, Rhegio, Allauria, and Montecilione: In terra di Ottranto, are Otranto the which towne being taken by Mahomet the great, Anno 1481. involved all Italy in such a feare, that for a whole yeare, and till the expulsion of the Turks, Rome was quite forsaken, the next are Lucia, and Brundusium beautified with a famous haven.
And in Apulia, are Manfredo, Arpino where Tully was borne, Venusio, whence Horace had his birth, and Canno famous for the victory of Hanniball, against the Romans. The Church-land beginnes beyond Rome eighty miles at Terracina, being just opposit to Gayetta, the West-most confine by the Marine of the Neapolitan Kingdome, neare to Mount Circello, and the utmost Marine limit Eastward of Campagna di Roma, or the Churches patrimony, imbracing both seas, till it runne to Ponto Centino in Tuscana: which divideth the precincts of Re di Coffine, & Aquacupadente, the last frontiers of the great Duke and Popes lands. All which bounds to Terracina, and in the way of Venice from Rome to Spaleto is denominated Campagna di Roma, or Latium; and thence it reacheth along Northwest, by the Venetian gulfe, to the uttermost bounds of the Dutchy of Ferara, being thirty miles from Venice: Extending in length to three hundred & fifty [I. 24.]miles, whose breadth is narrow, and where it joyneth with both seas, it is but sixty miles. The Church-land is The foure Papall Territories.divided in foure territories, Campagna di Roma, or old Latium; Rome, Viterbo, Narni, Tarni, Viletri, Montefiascone, and Civitavecchia, being the chiefe Cities: Next, the Countrey of Ombria, or Ombrosa, lying betweene Rome and Loretta, the chiefe Cities are Spaleto, from whence it is reckoned a Dutchy, Perugia, a Sacerdotall University, Fulino, and Asisi, where great St. Frances with his invisible Stigmata was borne. At the which Asisi, I saw the place (as they say) where the Angell appeard to his mother, telling her, that she should conceave and beare a sonne, should be the Champion of Jesus, and hard by they shew me the Crub or Stall where he was borne, with many other foolish lyes both sinfull and abhominable: every way representing his imaginary life, like to the heavenly tract and resemblance of our blessed Saviour. The third is Marca di Ancona by the sea side, Ancona being principall, the other Cities are Asculi, Marcerata, Tolentino, Riginati, Aguby, and Parasiticall Loretta. The fourth is Romania, lying along toward Ferrara, betweene the sea, and the hills Appenine.
This Ecclesiasticke dowry of Romania, is disjoyned from Marca di Ancona, by the Duke of Urbins lands, which division by the sea side is thirty miles in length, containing Pesaro, Fanno, and Sinigalia all sea port Townes, the other of this Dutchy are Urbino, and Casteldurante. The chiefe Towne in Romania, is Ravenna, which for antiquity will not bow her top to none in Italy: Here the Popes Legate remaineth, the other be Rimini, Fereola, Bullogna and Ferrara, and this much for the Popes foure Ecclesiasticke territories.
Tuscana or Ætruria lying South from the middle of [I. 25.]this Church-land is 100. miles in length, and as much The Duke of Florence his Patrimony.in breadth, I meane of that belonging to the great Duke: Which hereditary boundes was but lately enlarged by Ferdinando, Father to late Cosmus, and brother to Mary of Medicis, the French Queene Mother now living: Who annexed thereunto the Reipublicks of Pisa and Siena: The other sequestrate Tuscan jurisdiction, is the little comonwealth of Luca: The chiefe Citty is Florence, whose streetes are divided by the River Arno; the other of this principality, are Pisa, Siena, Pistoia, Empoli, Ligorne, and Arretzo.
From Tuscany to the West, and North-west, lieth Lumbardy, intituled the garden of the World, which is now divided (besides the Venetian territory, of which I will speake in the owne place) in foure principalities, Milaine, Mantua, Parma and Modena: The other Cities be Cremona, Pavia, Lodi, Pleasance, Rhegio Brisiles, Palestra, Navarro and Allessandria di Paglia. This Province is mainely watered through the middle with stately Po, in which Phaeton was drenched, when he came tumbling downe from Heaven. The Rivers Ladishe, Montanello, Delia Guarda, and other forcible streames supporting the shoulders of it.
Piemont and Genuaes Jurisdictions.West from Lumbardy lieth Piemont, betweene it and Savoy: The City whereof, and wherein the Savoyan Duke hath his Residence is Torino, situate on Po. The other, Aste Verseilles and Cowie. South from Piemont and Lumbardy, lieth the Riviera of Genoa, along the Mediterrean sea: the territory of which is narrow, but above one hundreth miles in length: All which is exceeding rocky and mountainous, yet producing good store of Orenges, Lemmons, Figges and Ches-nuts, whereon the Mountaineri [I. 26.]onely live, being either rosted, or baked in bread: The chiefe Cities of this Genewesen Liguria, are Genoa, Italy lyeth as the right arme, reaching forth from the maine body of Europe.and Savona. Italy lying in forme of a legge, is on both sides environed with the Sea, save onely the North-west part, and roote thereof, which is devided from France and Germany, by the Ligurian, Savoyean, Grisonean, Zingalian, and Tirolian alpes, which bend North-east, and South-west, inclosing it from the body of Europe, from sea to sea. Italy of all other Regions under the Sunne, hath beene most subject to the vicissitude of Fortune, yet not a little glorying in these famous Captaines, Fabius Maximus the buckler, and Camillus the sword of Rome, Scipio, Pompey, and Cæsar; for venerable Poets Virgil, Ovid, and renowned Horace, famous also for the Orator Cicero, and the Historians Tacitus, and Livius: The soyle is generally abundant in all things necessary for humane life, and the people for the most part are both grave and ingenious, but wondrous deceitfull in their actions, so unappeasable in anger, that they cowardly murther their enemies rather then seeke an honourable revenge, and so inclind to unnaturall vices, that for bestiality they surpasse the Infidells: the women of the better sort are slavishly infringed from honest and lawfull liberty: They of the middle ranke somewhat modest in carriage, witty in speech, and bountifull in affection: They of the vulgar kind are both ignorant, sluttish and greedy, and lastly the worser dregs, their impudent Curtezans, the most lascivious harlots in the world. This much in generall for the briefe description of this Region, and so I revert to mine itinerary relation.