Contemnunt omnes Ancona mœnia Turcas.
This sea-strong Towne, set on a Promontore,
Defieth the Turkes with its defensive shoare:
It glories not a little in giving name to the whole province lying betweene Ombria and Romania, and is situate on a hill that shooteth into the sea like a promontore, having a faire haven built by Trajanus. It hath but one [I. 37.]gate, whence arose the proverbe, Un porto nel Ancona, un Petro nel Roma, e un Torre nel Cremona, One gate in Ancona, one Peter in Rome, and one Steeple in Cremona being exceeding high.
Along this Adriaticke Coast, I saw no remarkeable thing, save the two Cities Rimini and Ravenna: which were famous in the dayes of Octavius Cæsar, but now somewhat impoverished, in regard of divers incursions sustained, and shoaring along with them, the Duke of Urbines three sea-port Townes Sinigalia, Fanno and Pesaro, we sayled by the mouth of Rubicon, called now Pissatello (which Julius Cæsar passed over, against the ordinance of the Senate, and afterwards seazed upon Rome, putting Pompey to flight) I saw the place, where the bloudy battell was fought betweene the French and Spaniards, Anno Domini 1512. but the victory fell to the Gaules, with the losse of nineteene thousand men on every side, and they have erected singular Monuments there, in a perpetuall memory thereof. After three dayes sayling (having passed by Malamucko, which is the Haven of the great Venetian shippes) we arrived at St. Marks place in Venice.
Mine associate and I, were no sooner landed, and perceiving a great throng of people, and in the midst of them a great smoake; but we begun to demaund a Venetian what the matter was? who replied, there was A Gray Frier burned for villanous Lechering.a gray Frier burning quicke at S. Markes pillar, of the reformed order of S. Francis, for begetting fifteene young Noble Nunnes with child, and all within one yeare; he being also their Father confessor. Whereat, I sprung forward through the throng, and my friend followed me, and came just to the pillar as the halfe of his body and right arme fell flatlings in the fire; The Frier was forty [I. 38.]sixe yeares old, and had bene Confessor of that Nunnery of Sancta Lucia five yeares: Most of these young Nunnes were Senators daughters; and two of them were onely come in to learne vertue, and yet fell in the midst of vice.
These fifteene with child, were all re-cald home to their fathers Pallaces; the Lady Prioresse, and the rest of her voluptuous crew, were banished for ever from the precincts of Venice. The Monastery was razed to the ground, their rents were allowed to be bestowed upon poore families, and distressed age, and their Church to be converted to an Hospitall. Most part of all which M. Arthur and I saw, before ever we either eate, drunke, or tooke our lodging in Venice: And I cannot forget, how after all this, we being inhungred, and also over-joyed tumbled in by chance, Alla capello Ruosso, the greatest ordinary in all Venice, neare to which the Friars bones were yet a burning: And calling for a Chamber, we were nobly & richly served: After dinner they layd up our budgets and our burdons, and abroad went we to see the Citie: Night come, we supd, and supd alone: The chiefe Venetian Ordinery.The next morne, I begun to remarke the grandeur of the Inne, and saw it was time that we were gone: I demanded our dependant, what was to pay? he answered, Un scudo all huomo par ciascun ripasto, A Crowne the dyet for each of us, being ten Julets or five shillings starling: Mr. Arthur lookd upon me, and I laughd upon him: In a word our dinner and supper cost us 40. Juletts twenty shillings English; being foure Crownes, whereat my companion being discontented, bad the divell be in the Friars ballocks, for we had payd soundly for his Leachery: many like deaths, for like causes, and worser, have I seene in all my three voyages, if time could permit me to particularize them; But from this thou mayst play the [I. 39.]learned Geometrician till thou findest more.
Cingitur urbs Venetum pelago, ditissima nummis.
This Towne most rich, to dare the Maine is shut,