There are but Three Towns in the Dominions of the Prince of Monaco. The chief of 'em is fituate on a Rock that runs out into the Sea, and is well fortify'd by Nature. It was formerly under the Protection of the Spaniard, but not many Years fince drove out the Spanish Garrison, and receiv'd a French one, which confifts at present of Five Hundred Men, paid and officer'd by the French King. The Officer that show'd me the Palace faid, with a great deal of Gravity, that his Mafter and the King of France, amidst all the Confufions of Europe; had ever been good Friends and Allies. The Palace has handfom Apartments, that are many of 'em hung with Pictures of the reigning Beauties in the Court of France. But the

beft of the Furniture was at Rome where the Prince of Monaco refided at that time Ambaflador. We here took a little Boat to creep along the Sea-fhore as far as Genoa; but at Savona, finding the Sea too rough, we were forc'd to make the best of our way by Land, over very rugged Mountains and Precipices: For this Road is much more difficult than that over Mount Cennis.

The Genoefe are esteem'd extreamly Cun⚫ ning, Induftrious, and enur'd to Hardship above the rest of the Italians; which was likewife the Character of the old Ligurians. And indeed 'tis no wonder, while the Barennefs of their Country continues, that the Manners of the Inhabitants don't change: Since there is nothing makes Men fharper,

and

and fets their Hands and Wits more at work than Want. The Italian Proverb fays of the Genoefe, that they have a Sea without Fish, Land without Trees, and Men without Faith. The Character that the Latin Poets have given of 'em is not much diffe

Yet, like a true Ligurian, born to cheat, (At least while Fortune favour'd his Deceit.)

Vane Ligur, fruftraque animis elate fuperbis, Nequicquam patrias tentafti Lubricus artes. Id:

Vain Fool and Coward, cries the lofty Maid, Caught in the Train which thou thy felf haft laid.

On others practise thy Ligurian Arts;
Thin Stratagems, and Tricks of little Hearts,

Are

Are loft on me; nor fhalt thou safe retire, With vaunting Lies to thy falacious. Sire: Dryden.

There are a great many beautiful Palaces ftanding along the Sea-fhore on both fides of Genoa, that make the Town appear much longer than it is to thofe that fail by it. The City it felf makes the nobleft Show of any in the World. The Houses are most of 'em painted on the Outfide; fo that they look extreamly gay and lively, befides that they are esteem'd the highest in Europe, and stand very thick together. The New Street is a double Range of Palaces from one end to the other, built with an excellent Fancy, and fit for the greatest Princes to inhabit. I cannot however be reconcil'd to their manner of Painting feveral of the Genoefe Houfes. Figures, Perfpectives, or Pieces of Hiftory are certainly very ornamental, as they are drawn on many of the Walls that would otherwife look too naked and uniform without 'em : But inftead of thefe, one often fees the Front of a Palace cover'd with painted Pillars of different Ordres. If thefe were fo many true Columns of Marble fet in their proper Architecture, they would certainly very much adorn the Places where they stand; but as they are now they only fhew us that there is fomething wanting, and that the Palace, which without thefe Connterfeit Pillars would be beau

tiful in its kind, might have been more perfect by the Addition of fuch as are real. The Front of the Villa Imperiale, at a Mile distance from Genoa, without any thing of this Paint upon it, confifts of a Doric and Corinthian Row of Pillars, and is much the handfomeft of any I there faw. The Duke of Do ria's Palace has the best Outfide of any in Genoa, as that of Durazzo is the best furnish'd within. There is one Room in the first that is hung with Tapeftry, in which are wrought the Figures of the great Perfons that the Family has produc'd; as perhaps there is no Houfe in Europe that can fhow a longer Line of Heroes that have ftill acted for the Good of their Country. Andrew Doria has a Statue erected to him at the Entrance of the Doge's Palace, with the glorious Title of Deliverer of the Common-wealth; and one of his Family another, that calls him its Preferver. In the Doge's Palace are the Rooms where the great and little Council with the Two Colleges hold their Affemblies; but as the State of Genoa is very poor, tho' feveral of its Members are extreamly rich, fo one may obferve infinitely more Splendor and Magnificence in particular Perfons Houses than in those that belong to the Publick. But we find in most of the States of Europe, that the People fhow the grateft Marks of Poverty where the Governors live in the greatest Magnificence. The Churches are very fine, particularly that of the Annunciation, which looks wonderfully beautiful in the In

fide, all but one Corner of it being cover'd with Statues, Gilding and Paint. A Man would expect in fo very ancient a Town of Italy to find fome confiderable Antiquities; but all they have to fhow of this Nature is an old Roßrum of a Roman Ship, that stands over the Door of their Arsenal. It is not above a Foot long, and perhaps would never have been thought the Beak of a Ship, had not it been found in fo probable a Place as the Haven. It is all of Iron, fashion'd at the End like a Boar's Head; as I have feen it reprefented on Medals, and on the Columna Roftrata in Rome. I faw at Genoa Signior Micconi's famous Collection of Shells, which, as Father Buonani the Jefuite has fince told me, is one of the beft in Italy. I know nothing inore remarkable in the Government of Genoa than the Bank of St. George, made up of fuch Branches of the Revenues as have been fet apart, and appropriated to the dif charging of feveral Sums, that have been borrow'd from private Perfons during the Exigencies of the Common-wealth. Whatever Inconveniencies the State has labour'd under, they have never entertain'd a Thought of violating the Public Credit, or of alienating any Part of thefe Revenues to other Ufes than to what they have been thus affiga'd. The Adminiftration of this Bank is for Life, and partly in the Hands of the chief Citizens, which gives 'em a great Authority in the State and a powerful Influence over the common Peo

ple.