Queene of Sweden, who surely deserves it if any woman does, I doe not meane for the beauty of her face, but for that Maiestie that appeares in it, as likewise in all her actions and comportments, which savour far more of a man than of a woman, which sex she resembles in nothing more than in her inconstancie, for in truth I conceive her to bee as weary of her new religion as of her old one, as is plainly seen by her postures, gestures, and actions at Masse, before which I think she would at any time preferre a good Comedie, and a handsome wittie Courtier before the Devotest Father. The rarities of Lyons are not many in number, but those that are we saw. We went to the Hospital (call'd de la Charité); it is one of the richest in all France, it feeding daily in the house above a 1000 persons, and without 15,000 (besides strangers), to whom every Sunday are distributed 6000 loaves, which come to 36,000 pound weight of bread. The granary is stored with corne for many yeares. Sir I told you in one of my former of our journey to the Carthusian Monasterie, but not of the reasons that moved St. Bruno (a German by nation) to retire himself into that desart, and there to constitute this order, because I suppose you have read it elsewhere; but whatsoever his reasons were, sure it is that tis y stricktest order among the papists, or rather imaginable, for what can there bee more strange than to see men in the flower of their age voluntarily to submit themselves to that kind of life where they are deprived of all the recreations and pleasures this world affords; for women are not permitted to go over their grounds, much lesse to enter their Convent; never eate flesh, (for although the eating of a bit of flesh would save their lives yet they would not be permitted to do it,) are the most part of their days and nights in their church, never talke together but on Sundays and Holidays, and then noe longer than while they bee at dinner (wch doth not laste for above an houre), and enjoye the sight of nothing but mountains and precipices, wch to behold strike devotion into a man, I could inform I could inform you of many other particularities, in regard I rose in the night to see the ceremonies they used in the church, but it would require a volume: In short, I think they take more paines in going to Hell, than a good Christian doth in going to Heaven. Wee went from thence to Grenoble, and after three days' journey wee arrived at the gates of Geneva, where, while they were asking our names, country, and from whence wee came, I had leasure to see the place where the Savoyards attempted to take the towne by stratageme in the year 1602, and had scal'd the walls; neverthelesse were repulst with great losse and shame. In the Arsenal they keep the Colours that were taken from the Ennemie, scaling ladders (made after such a manner that they were carried behind the horsemen, being to bee taken to pieces,) and a petard, charged with the same charge t'was then, as Trophies of the Victorie. Soe that ever since they have kept very strickt watch, and let noe people come in without knowing who they are, a doeing of which they keept us soe long that I had time to looke upon their Armes, with their motto, which is at present Post tenebras Luxbefore the Reformation it was Post tenebras Spero Lucem. Wee had no sooner entered the towne but wee espied a wooden structure very offensive to the eye, and hinders a man from a view of the houses which are very well built for the most part, neverthelesse tis very convenient in hot and rainey weather. Geneva is very pleasantly situated, having vineyards and meadows about it, and a very fine lake, wherein taken the best trouts that can bee eaten, and it's reported that Monsters have been seene in it not above water but under, which I first heard off as followeth :Wee went to see the Librarie, (where there is a Bible written in French 400 yeares agoe, with many other rare Manuscripts,) which looketh upon the Lake, the bottom of which the mariners could not find with 500 fathom; tis reported that not far from thence a boat chanced to be cast away wherein there were bells, the which a man undertook to recover for same sum of money, to which place being gone with all his instruments and devices, but he had not been very long under water, but he pulled a cord (which was the signal when they should pull him up), and when they had done soe he told them (being all frighted) that he saw the bells, but such horrid monsters by them in cavernes, that he thought if he went downe againe he should never come up again: which happened as he had said, for going down for the second time the cord was cut in two, and the man never heard of since. I tell it you the more credibly, in regard that the Minister who shewed us the College and Librarie said it had happened in his time. Sir, I thought to have given you some account of Augsburgh, but I see I have husbanded neither time nor paper, wherefore I must break off thus abruptly. In my nexte I shall not faile to tell you something of the place, and apologize for my scribbling. In the mean time I rest "Sir, "Your assured friend, " WILLIAM RUSSELL. "From Augsburg, Dec' 27-it is now very late at night-1656.” Mr. Thornton to Mr. Russell. 66 Honble. Sir, ch "Twice now hath ye sun (that perpetuall Traveller) completed his tour through y 12 Signes, & returned to ye same point, (if I misremember not,) since I kissed yor hands, & left you in y sight of that military vessell that wafted you from England into a forrain soile. In lieu of wh losse (give me leave to call it so) I could not expect so rich a compensation as I have since received by your frequent & handsome letters. How proud I am of them, & what contentment they afford me, may be read (they say) plainly in my countenance every time a pacquet comes. I have two now to return you thankes for, viz. that of Apr. 3. st. n., & one that I received two houres agoe, dated yo 18th of yo same moneth, each of them fraught with choise descriptions & observations cloth'd in a style so free, masculine, coherent, exact, & every where like itself, that I profess (whout flattery) the greatest masters of eloquence need not be ashaned to own it. To encourage you to pro ceed sage my dren and out-doe yourself, let me insert a pasout of a late Autho', (wth comes now to mind,) viz. [that pens improve like chils legs, proportionally to their exercise: so |