PREFACE.

HERE is certainly no Place

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in the World, where a Man may travel with greater Pleafure and Advantage, than in Italy. One finds Jomething more particular in the Face of the Country, and more aftonishing in the Works of Nature, than can be met with in any other Part of Europe. It is the great School of Mufic and Painting, and contains in it all the nobleft Productions of Statuary and Architecture, both Ancient and Modern. It abounds with Cabinets of Curiofities, and vaft Collections of all kinds of Antiquities. No other Country in the World has fuch a Variety of Governments, that are fo different in their Conftitutions, and fo refined in their Politics. There is fcarce any Part of the Nation that is not Famous in Hiftory,

nor

nor fo much as a Mountain or River, that has not been the Scene of fome extraordinary Action.

As there are few Men that have Talents or Opportunities for examining fo copious a Subject, one may obferve, among those who have written on Italy, that different Authors have fucceeded beft on different forts of Curiofities. Some have been more particular in their Accounts of Pictures, Statues, and Buildings; fome have fearch'd into Libraries, Cabinets of Rarities, and Collections of Medals; as others have been wholly taken up with Infcriptions, Ruins, and Antiquities. Among the Authors of our own Country, we are obliged to the Bishop of Salisbury, for his masterly and uncommon Obfervations on the Religion and Governments of Italy: Laffels may be useful in giving us the Names of fuch Writers as have treated of the feveral States through which he pass'd: Mr. Ray is to be valued for his Obfervations on the natural Productions of the Place. Monfieur Misfon has wrote a more correct Account of

Italy

Italy in general than any before him, as he particularly excels in the Plan of the Country, which he has given us in true and lively Colours.

There are fill feveral of thefe Topics that are far from being exhaufted, as there are many new Subjects that a Traveller may find to employ himself upon. For my own part, as I have taken notice of feveral Places and Antiquities that no Body else has spoken of, fo, I think, I have mentioned but few Things in common with others, that are not either fet in a new Light, or accompany'd with different Reflexions. I have taken care particularly to confider the feveral Paffages of the Ancient Poets, which have any Relation to the Places or Curiofities that I met with; For before I entered on my Voyage I took care to refresh my Memory among Claffic Authors, and to make fuch Collections out of them as I might afterwards have Occafion for. I must confefs it was not one of the leaft Entertainments that I met with in Travelling, to examine thefe feveral Descriptions, as it

were

were upon the Spot, and to compare the Natural Face of the Country with the Landfkips that the Poets have given us of it. However, to avoid the Confufion that might arife from a Multitude of Quotations, I have only cited fuch Verfes as have given us fome Image of the Place, or that bave fomething else befides the bare Name of it to recommend them.

MO

MONACO,

GENOA, &c.

N the Twelfth of December, 1699, I fet out from Marfeilles to Genoa in a Tartane, and arrived late at a small French Port call'd Caffis, where the next Morning we were not a little furpris'd to fee all the Mountains about the Town cover'd with green Olive-trees, or laid out in beautiful Gardens, which gave us a great Variety of pleafing Profpects, even in the Depth of Winter. The most uncultivated of them produce abundance of fweet Plants, as Wild-Thyme, Lavender, Rosemary, Balm, and Myrtle. We were here shown at a diftance the Deferts, which have been rendered fo famous by the Penance of Mary Magdalene, who, after her Arrival with Lazarus and Jofeph of Arimathea at Marfeilles, is faid to have wept away the reft of her Life among these folitary Rocks and Mountains. It is fo romantic a Scene, that it has always probably given occafion to B

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