A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 4
Of Italy.
ON the South side of theScituation of Italy. Alpes and Germany, lyeth Italy, stretching it selfe out at length toward the South and East. It hath on the South side, the Iland of Sicilia; on the East that part of the Mediterranean which is called Mare Adriaticum, or Mare superum, which severeth Italy from Grecia: on the West side that part of the Mediterranean, which is called Mare Tyrrhenum, or Mare Inferum; and the upper or more Northen part of it neer Liguria, Mare Ligusticum.
This Country for the figure thereof, is by some likened unto a long leafe of a tree. It hath in the middle of it, which goeth all in length a mighty mountain, named Mons Apen…inus, which is likened unto the Spina, or Ridge-bone of the back. Out of this Hill spring divers Rivers, which run on both sides of it, into the Adriaticke, and Tyrrhene, or Tuscane Seas.
As in other Countries, so in Italy in times past, there were divers severall people, and severall Provinces, like our Shires in England, and so there be at this day: but the mainItaly divided into four parts. division of Italy, is properly into four parts, as in our age we doe account it. The first Lombardy, which lyeth to the North. The second Tuscane, which boundeth toward the Mediterranean Sea, which way Corsica the Iland lieth. The third is the Land of the Church, which is the Territory of the Bishop of Rome, and containeth in it that which is called Romania. The fourth is Naples, and in this division, now is all Italy comprehended.
The North part of this Italy, is that, which in ancient time was called Gallia Togata, or Gallia Cisalpina, inhabited then by French men. It is now called Longobardia, or Lombardia, wherein stand many rich Governments, as the Dukedome of Millain, of Mantua, of Florence, & others. It is for the pleasantness thereof, in respect of the soile, aire▪ waters, and great variety of wines, and fruits, likened now by some toLombardy the Garden of God. Paradice, or the Garden of God.
In this Italy, which was heretofore one entire Government, in the flourishing estate of the Romans, are now many absolute States and Princedomes, by the great policy o… the Bishop of Rome, who thoughtThe policy of the Bishop of Rome. it the best way to make himselfe great, to weaken the Empire. So he hath not only driven the Emperor out of all Italy into Germany▪ but …ath diminished his Majesty in both by making so many petty Governments, which hold themselves soveraigne Rulers, without relation to any other.
As there are many States in Italy, The States of Venice.so one of the chiefest are the Venetians, called Resp Venetorum, or the State of Venice, because they are not governed by any one, but by their Senate and Gentlemen, although whey have a Duke, with those stampe their mony is coined, and in whose name all their executions of Justice are done. But this Duke is every way limited by the State.
This City of Venice which joineth to a corner of Lombardy, standeth in Estuarium, or shallow of Earth, in the North part of the Adriaticke Sea, so safely, that it is held invincible. There is in it but one street of firme Land; into the other, the Sea doth flow at every tide. They have been a great and rich State, not only possessing much in Italy, as Padu… their University, and other things which still they do, but a great part of Illyricum, and many rich Ilands in the Mediterranean, as Candy called commonly Creta, Cyprus, Zazinthus, and others.
But Cyprus was taken from them a little before that fight at sea, wherein Don John of Austria, together with the Venetians, had so renowned a victory against the Turke, at the fight neer Lepanto.
The impoverishing of their State,The Venetians impoverished. hath partly been by the incroaching of the Turk, but especially by the decaying of that Traffick which they had to Alexandria in Egypt for their spices, and other riches of Persia, Arabia, and the East Indies since the course of the Portugals to those Eastern Countries hath been by Sea, by the backside of Africa.
These Venetians, which in times past were great Warriours, do now altogether decline enmity or hostility with all other Princes adjoyning, and therefore by all meanes do take up quarrels, and cease controversies, by wisdome and patience, temporising with the Turke, the King of Spaine, and the Emperour, who are most like to offend them.
The manner of their GovernmentThe ex …llency of their Government. and the excellent course which they have in chusing their Duke is written by Contarenus, and some others of their Country-men. When they do make any warres, they seldome send forth any General of their own but entertaine some Prince of Italy, who is renowned for the wars.
In Lombardy standeth also the Dukedome of Millain, a most rich and pleasant thing, which sometime had bin govern'd by a Duke of their own, but of late hath been possessed by the Spaniard & sometime by the French, and is now in the Government & possession of the K. of Spain.Tuscany. Florence.
In Tuscany the Chiefe City, and Commander of all the rest, is Florence, where is supposed to be the best Language of Italy, called the vulgar Italian, and the most circumspect policy of all the Governments of Christendome, which hath much bin increased since the time of Machiavel, who was Secretary or Recorder to that State. This was in times past … free City, but of late by the policy of the Family of the Medices, it is brought under the subjection of a Duke, which raig…eth as an absolute Prince, and by little and little, hath so incroched on his own Citizens and Neighbours round about him, that he hath gotten to be called (and that not unworthily) Magnus Dux Hetruriae, or the great The great Duke of Tuscany.Duke of Tuscany. A great part of the rising of the Family of the Medices, which are now Dukes of Florence, may be ascribed to the cunning carriage of themselves; but it hath been much advanced forward by their felicity, in having two Popes together of that house, which were Leo the Tenth, and Clement the Seventh, who by all means labored to stablish the Governments of their Country, upon their Kindred▪ and it made not the least accesse thereunto, that affinity was contracted by them with the Kings of France, when K…erine de Medic…s Neece to Pope Clement the Seventh, was married to the younger Sonne fo Francis the first, whose Elder brother dying, that younger came to be King of France, by the name of Henry the 2d. for as in the time of her husband she laid the foundation of her aspiring, so after the death of the said husband, when she bare the name of the Queen Mother. This Queen Mother swayed all at her pleasure in France, during the successive reigne of her three Sons, Francis the second, Charls the ninth, and Henry the third: in all which time no doubt, she promoted Florence, and the Florentines to her uttermost.
A good part of Italy is under theA great part of Italy under the Bishop of Rome. Bishop of Rome, which is commonly called, The land of the Church: where the Pope is a Prince absolute, not onelyonly Spiritual as elsewhere he claimeth, but also Temporall, making Lawes requiring Tribute, raising Souldiers, and executing Justice as a Monarch.
The Bishops of Rome do pretend, that Constantine the Great, did bestow upon them the City of Rome, together with divers other Cities and Towns, near adjoyning and the Demeans of them all to be as the Patrimony of Saint Peter, as many times they do tearme it. But Laurentius, Valla, in his set Treatise of this Argument, hath displaied the falshood of that pretence; and i… truth, the Greatness of the PopesThe manner of the rising of the Popes greatnesse. hath risen first by Phocas, who killing his Master the Emperour of Rome, and being favoured by the Bishop of that Sea, and so aspiring himself to the Empire, did in recompence thereof, suffer the Bishop of Rome to be preclaimed Universal Bishop, and of likelyhood gave unto him somewhat to maintaine his Estate. And afterward King P…pin o… France, and Charls the Great his Son, getting (by means of the s…d Bishop) the Kingdome of France, and the one of them to the Empire, did bestow good possessions upon the Papacy; and since that time the Popes have had so much wit, as by destruction of the Princes of Italy, by encroaching on the favour of others, the great Monarchs of Europe and by their waries and other devices, to keep and encrease that Land of the Church. which in our time is well inlarged by the policy of Clement the 8. late Pope▪ who hath procured that the Dukedome of Ferrara, is, or shall be shortly added to his Dominion.
The chief residence of the Bishop of Rome, is Rome it self, which was first founded by R…mulus, and afterward; so increased by others who succeeded him, that it was built upon▪ 7. hils, and hath had onelyonly raigning in it 7. Kings, and hath been ruled by 7. severall sorts of Chiefe government: that is, Kings, Consuls, Dec…m-viri, Tribunes of the People, Dictators, Emperours and Popes.
They first incroached on the neighbours about them in Italy, afterward; on all Italy, Sicily, & some of the …ands, till at length it proved to be the Lady and chiefe Mistress of the world: whose incredible wealth and greatness in men, treasure, shipping and armor, was so huge, that it did eve… sink under the weight of it self. Whereupon after divers civill wars, as between Marius and Sylla, Pompey and Caesar, with o…hers, it was at length revoked unto one absolute and Imperiall Government. The Majesty whereof notwithstanding, was afterward somewhat impaired by the building of Constantinople, which was erected, or rather inlarged by Constantine the Great, and called Nova R…ma. But when the division was made of the East and West Empire, it received a greater blow, yet the maine overthrow of it was, when the Gothi and Vandals entred Italy, sacked it, and possessed it at their own pleasure; so that it was (for a time) almost quite forsaken and had no inhabitants, till the Bishops of Rom… did make means to gather together some to people it again: and since those times, a good part of the old building upon the Hils, hath bee… quite decaied and rui…ated, and th…t, Rome, which now may be called (in comparison of the old) new Rome is built on a lower ground, where the place was, which in times past was termed Campus Martius, very neer unto Tyber the River, which too well appeareth by the sudden inundation of that Tyber; destroying and spoiling, Men, Cattell and Houses, as very lately to their great losse was experimented.
The Bishops of Rome, as sometimes for their pleasure or profit, they do withdraw themselves unto …, or some other Townes of Italy: so the time was when they removed their Court unto Avignon a City in France, standing near the Mediterranean sea, and not far from Mersiles in Province, where continuing for the space of seventy years, they so afflicted the City of Rome, for l…cke of resort (which is very great when the Pope is there) that the Italians to this day, do remember that time by the name of the Captivity of Babylon, which continued (as appeareth by the Scripture) for seventy years. Who so looketh on the description laid down by the Holy Ghost in the Revelation, shall see that the Whore of Babylon there mentioned; can be understood of no place but the City of Rome.
In the South part of Italy, lyeth the Kingdome of Naples, which is a Country very rich, and full of all kind of pleasure, abundant in Nobility; whereof commeth to be said that Proverb▪ Naples for …, Rome for Religion, Millain for beauty, Florence for Policy, and Venice for Riches.
This was heretofore ruled by a King of their owne, till the time of Joan Queen of Naples, who by deed of gift, did first grant that Kingdom to the Kings of Arragon in Spaine; and afterwards by will, with a Revocation of the former Grant, did bequeath it to the house of Anj…u in France. Since which time the Kingdome of Naples hath sometimes been in the hands of the Spaniard, sometimes possessed by the French, and is now under the King of Spaine: unto this is annexed also the Dakedome of Calabria.
This Kingdome of Naples lieth so neare to some part of Graecia, which is now in possession of the Turke, that i… may justly be feared, lest at some time or other the said Turk, should make an invasion thereinto, as indeed he hath offered divers times, …nd sometimes hath landed men to the great terror of all Italy; but for the preventing of that mischief, the King of Spaine is inforced to keep a good Fleet of Gallies continually at Otranto, where is the neerest passage f…om Italy into Greece. This part of Italy was it, which in times past was named Magna Graecia, but in …ter ages it hath been unproperly called one of the Sicilies, which was reproved long since by Aeneus Silvius in his twelfth Epistle; and yet till of late time, the Kings of Spaine have been termed Kings of bo…h …he Sicili…s▪
There be moreover in Italy many other Princedomes and States, … the Dukedom of Ferrara, the Dukedome of Mantua, the Dukedome of Urbine, the Dukedome of Parma and Placentia, the State of Luca, the State of Genua, commonly called the Genowaies, which are … by their Senate, but have a D…ke, as they have at Venice. There be also s…me others, by which meanes the gl…ry and strength of Italy is decayed.