This is the only great River in Lombardy that does not fall into the Po; which it must have done, had it run but a little further before its entering the Adriatic. The Rivers are all of them mention'd by Claudian. Venetofque erectior amnes Magna voce ciet. Frondentibus humida ripis Sexto Conf. Hon. Venetia's Rivers, fummon'd all around, His Larius is doubtlefs an Imitation of Virgil's Benacus. Umbrosá veftit quà littus Olivâ Larius, et dulci mentitur Nerea fluctu. De Bel. Get. The Larius here with Groves of Olives crown'd, An Ocean of fresh Water spreads around. I faw at Verona the famous Amphitheatre, that with a few modern Reparations has all the Seats entire. There is fomething very noble in it, tho' the high Wall and Corridors that went round it arealmoft entirely ruined, and the Area is quite filled up to to the lower Seat, which was formerly deep enough to let the Spectators fee in Safety the Combats of the wild Beafts and Gladiators. Since I have Claudian before me, I cannot forbear fetting down the beautiful Description he has made of a wild Beaft newly brought from the Woods, and making its firft Appearance in a full Amphitheatre. Ut fera que nuper montes amifit avitos, So rushes on his Foe the grifly Bear, Condemn'd the cruel Rabble to delight, There are fome other Antiquities in Verona, of which the principal is the Ruin of a Triumphal Arch erected to Flaminius, where one fees old Doric Pillars without any Pedestal or Bafis, as Vitruvius has described them. I have not yet feen any Gardens in Italy worth taking_notice of. The Italians fall as far fhort of the French in this Particular, as they excel them in their Palaces. It muft however be faid, to the Honour of the Italians, that the French took from them the first Plans of their Gardens, as well as of their Water. Works; fo that C 5 their their furpaffing of them at prefent is to be attributed rather to the Greatness of their Riches, than the Excellence of their Tafte. I saw the Terrace-Garden of Verona, that Travellers generally mention. Among the Churches of Verona, that of St. George is the handfomeft: Its chief Ornament is the Martyrdom of the Saint, drawn by Paul Veronefe; as there are many other Pictures about the Town by the fame Hand. A Stranger is always fhown the Tomb of Pope Lucius, who lies buried in the Dome. I faw in the fame Church a Monument erected by the Public to one of their Bifhops: The Infcription fays, that there was between him and his Maker, Summa Neceffitudo, Summa Similitudo. The Italian Epitaphs are often more extravagant than those of ether Countries, as the Nation is more given to Compliment and Hyperbole. From Verona to Padua we travelled thro' a very pleasant Country: It is planted thick with Rows of white Mulberry-trees, that furnish Food for great Quantities of Silk-worms with their Leaves, as the Swine and Poultry confume the Fruit. The Trees themselves ferve at the fame time, as fo many Stays for their Vines, which hang all along like Garlands from Tree to Tree. Be tween the feveral Ranges lie Fields of Corn, which in thefe warm Countries ripens much better among the Mulberry Shades, than if it were expofed to the open Sun. This was one Reafon why the Inhabitants of this Country, when I paffed thro' it, were extremely apprehenfive of feeing Lombardy the Seat of War, which must have made miferable Havock among their Plantations; for it is not here as in the Corn Fields of Flanders, where the whole Produ& of the Place rifes from Year to Year. We arrived fo late at Vicenza, that we had not time to take a full Sight of the Place. The next Day brought us to ; to Padua. St. Anthony, who lived about five hundred Years ago, is the great Saint to whom they here pay their Devotions. He lies buried in the Church. that is dedicated to him at prefent, tho' it was formerly confecrated to the Bleffed Virgin. It is extremely magnificent, and very richly adorned. There are narrow Clefts in the Monument that ftands over him, where good Catholics rub their Beads, and fmell his Bones, which they fay have in them a natural Perfume, tho' very like Apoplectic Balfam and what would make one fufpect that they rub the Marble with it, it is observed that the Scent is ftronger in the Morning than at Night. There are abundance of Infcriptions and Pictures hung up by his Votaries in feveral Parts of the Church: For it is the way of those that are in any fignal Danger to implore his Aid, and if they come off safe they call their Deliverance a Miracle, and perhaps hang up the Picture or Description of it in the Church. This Cuftom fpoils the Beauty of feveral Roman Catholic Churches, and often covers the Walls with wretched Daubings, impertinent Infcriptions, Hands, Legs, and Arms of Wax, with a thousand idle Offerings of the fame Nature. They fell at Padua the Life of St. Anthony, which is read with great Devotion; the most remarkable Part of it is his Difcourfe to an Affembly of Fish. As the Audience and Sermon are both very extraordinary, I will fet down the whole Paffage at length. Non curando gli Heretici il fuo parlare, egli fi come era alla riva del mare, dove sbocca il fiume Marecchia, chiamò da parte di Dio li pefci, che veniffero à fentir la fua fanta parola. Et ecco che di fubito fopra Pacque nuotando gran moltitudine di varii,& diverfi pefci, e del mare, e del fiume, fi unirono tutti, fecondo le le fpecie loro, e con bell ordine, quafi che di ragion capaci ftati foffero, attenti, e cheti con gratiofo pettacolo s'accommodaro per fentir la parola di Dio. Ciò veduto il fanto entro al cuor fuo di dolcezza ftillandofi, &per altretanta maraviglia inarcando le ciglia, della obedientia di queste irragionevoli creature così cominciò lora à parlare. Se bene in tutto le cose create (cari, &amati pefci) fi fcuopere la potenza, & providenza infinita di Dio, como nel Cielo, nel Sole, nella Luna, nelle Stelle, in questo mondo inferiore, nel buomo, e nelle altre creature perfette, nondimeno in Vei particolarmente lampeggia e risplende la bontà della maeftà divina; perche fe bene fiete chiamati Rettili, mezzi frà pietre, e bruti, confinati nelli profondi abiffi delle ondeggiante acque agitati fempre da flutti: moffi fempre da procelle; fordi al' udire, mutali al parlare, & horridi al vedere; con tutto ciò in Voi maravigliofamente fi fcorge la Divina grandezza; e da voi fi cavano la maggiori mifterii della bontà di Dio, ne mai fr parla di voi nella Scrittura Sacra, che non vi fia afcofto qualche profondo Sacramento; Credete voi, che fia Jenza grandiffimo misterio, che il primo dono fatto dall' omnipotente Iddio all' bucmo foffe di voi Pefci? Credete voi che non fia mifterio in questo, che di tutte le creature, e di tutti gl' animali fi fien fatti facrificii, eccetto, che di voi Pefci? Credete, che non vi fia qualche fecreto in questo, che Chrifto noftro falvatore dall' agnelo pafquale in poi, fi compiacque tanto del cibo di voi pefci? Credete, che fia à caso questo, che dovendo il Redentor del mondo, pagar, come huomo, il cenfo à Cefare la voleffe trovare nella bocca di લે un pefce? Tutti, tutti fono mifteri e Sacramenti: percio fiete particolarmente obligati a lodare il vostro Creatare: amati pefci di Dio havete ricevuto l'effere, la vita, li moto, e'l fenfo; per ftanza vi ha dato il liquido elemento dell' Acqua, fecondo che alla voftra naturale incli |