In the time of my staying here, I went forth to Lombardy, and visited the famous Cities of Padua, Verona, and Ferrara. The commendation of which is celebrated in these verses:
Extollit Paduam, juris studium, & medicinæ.
Verona, humanæ dat singula commoda vitæ.
Exhaurit loculos ferrarea ferrea plenos.
In Padua I stayed three moneths learning the Italian tongue, and found there a Countrey Gentleman of mine, Doctor John Wedderburne a learned Mathametician, but now dwelling in Moravia, who taught me well in the language, and in all other respects exceeding friendly [I. 43.]to me. Padua is the most melancholy City of Europe, the cause onely arising of the narrow passage of the open streets, and of the long galleries and dark-ranges of pillars, that goe alwhere on every hand of you, through the whole streets of the Towne: The Schollers here in the night commit many murthers against their privat adversaries, and too often executed upon the stranger and innocent, and all with gun-shot or else stilettoes: for beastly Sodomy, it is as rife here as in Rome, Naples, Florence, Bullogna, Venice, Ferrara, Genoa, Parma not being exempted, nor yet the smallest Village of Italy: A monstrous filthinesse, and yet to them a pleasant pastime, making songs, and singing Sonets of the beauty and pleasure of their Bardassi, or buggerd boyes.
I commend the devotion of Venice and Genua, beyond all the other Cities of Italy; for the Venetians have banished the Jesuites out of their Territories and Ilands: A comparison of Jewes and Jesuits.And the Genueses have abandoned the society of Jewes, and exposed them from their jurisdiction. The Jewes and the Jesuites are brethren in blasphemies; for the Jewes are naturally subtill, hatefull, avaritious, and above all the greatest calumniators of Christs name: and the ambitious Jesuites, are flatterers, bloudy-gospellers, treasonable tale-tellers, and the onely railers upon the sincere life of good Christians. Wherefore I end with this verdict, the Jew and the Jesuite, is a Pultrone and a Parasite.
THE SECOND PART
Now step I o’re the gulfe, to th’ Istrian shoare,
Dalmatia, Slavonia, Ilyria, more,