Whatever Inconveniencies the State has laboured under, they have never entertained a Thought of violating the Publick Credit, or of alienating any Part of thefe Revenues to other Ufes, than to what they have been thus affigned. The Administration of this Bank is for Life, and partly in the Hands of the chief Citizens, which gives them a great Authority in the State, and a powerful Influence over the common People. This Bank is generally thought the greatest Load on the Genoefe, and the Managers of it have been reprefented as a fecond kind of Senate, that break the Uniformity of Government, and deftroy, in fome measure, the Fundamental Conftitution of the State. It is however very certain, that the People reap no fmall Advantages from it, as it diftributes the Power among more particular Members of the Republick, and gives the Commons a Figure: So that it is no fmall Check upon the Ariftocracy, and may be one Reafon, why the Genoefe Senate carries it with greater Moderation towards their Subjects, than the Venetian.

It would have been well for the Republick of Genoa, if fhe had followed the Example of her Sifter of Venice, in not

per

permitting her Nobles to make any Purchase of Lands or Houfes in the Dominions of a Foreign Prince. For at prefent the Greateft, among the Genoefe, are in part Subjects to the Monarchy of Spain, by reafon of their Eftates that lye in the Kingdom of Naples. The Spaniards Tax them very high upon occafion, and are fo fenfible of the Advantage this gives them over the Republick, that they will not fuffer a Neapolitan to buy the Lands of a Genoefe, who must find a Purchaser among his own Countrymen, if he has a Mind to fell. For this Reason, as well as on Account of the great Sums of Mony which the Spaniard owes the Genoefe, they are under a Neceffity, at prefent, of being in the Intereft of the French, and would probably continue fo, tho' all the other States of Italy entered into a League against them. Genoa is not yet fecure from a Bombardment, tho' it is not fo exposed as formerly; for, fince the Infult of the French, they have built a Mole, with fome little Ports, and have provided themselves with long Guns and Mortars. It is eafie for those that are strong at Sea to bring them to what Terms they please; for having but very little Arable Land, they are forced to

fetch

fetch all their. Corn from Naples, Sicily, and other Foreign Countries; except what comes to them from Lombardy, which probably goes another way, whilft it furnishes Two great Armies with Provifions. Their Fleet, that formerly gained fo many Victories over the Saracens, Pifans, Venetians, Turks and Spaniards, that made them Masters of Crete,. Sardinia, Majorca, Minorca, Negrepont,. Lesbos, Malta, that fettled them in Scio, Smyrna, Achaia, Theodofia, and feveral Towns on the Eastern Confines of Eu

rope, is now reduced to Six Gallies. When they had made an Addition of but Four new ones, the King of France fent his Orders to fupprefs them, telling the Republick at the fame time, that he knew very well how many they had Occafion for. This little Fleet ferves only to fetch them Wine and Corn, and to give their Ladies an Airing in the Summer-season. The Republick of Genoa has a Crown and Scepter for its Doge, by reason of their Conqueft of Corfica, where there was formerly a Saracen King. This indeed gives their Ambaffadors a more honourable Reception at fome Courts, but, at the fame time, may teach their People to have a mean Notion of their own

Form

Form of Government, and is a tacit Acknowledgment that Monarchy is the more honourable. The old Romans, on the contrary, made use of a very barbarous kind of Politicks to infpire their People with a Contempt of Kings, whom they treated with Infamy, and dragged at the Wheels of their Triumphal Cha

riots.

BAVIA

PAVI A,

MILAN, &c.

FRO

ROM Genoa we took Chaife for Milan, and by the way ftopped at Pavia, that was once the Metropolis of a Kingdom, but is at prefent a poor Town. We here faw the Convent of Austin Monks, who about Three Years ago pretended to have found out the Body of the Saint, that gives the Name to their Order. King Luitprand, whofe Ashes are in the fame Church, brought hither the Corps, and was very induftrious to conceal it, left it might be abused by the barbarous Nations, which at that time ravaged Italy. One would therefore rather wonder that it has not been found out much earlier, than that it is discovered at laft. The Fathers however do not yet find their Account in the Discovery they have made; for there are Canons Regular, who have half the fame

Church