We were here fhown at a distance the Defarts, which have been rendered fo famous by the Penance of Mary Magdalene, who, after her Arrival with Lazarus and Jofeph of Arimathea at Marseilles, 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 fuch Chimerical Relations; for it is perhaps of this Place that Claudian speaks, in the following Description. Eft locus extremum pandit qua Gallia littus Oceani prætentus aquis, quà fertur Ulyffes Sanguine libato populum moviffe Silentum, Illic Umbrarum tenui ftridore volantûm Flebilis auditur queftus; fimulachra coloni Pallida defunctafque vident migrare figuCl. In. Ruf. L. 1. ras, &c. A Place there lyes on Gallia's utmost Bounds, Where rifing Seas infult the Frontier Grounds. Ulyffes here the Blood of Victims fhed, And rais'd the pale Affembly of the Dead: Oft in the Winds is heard a plaintive Sound Of melancholy Ghofts, that hover round; The The lab'ring Plow-man oft with Horror spies Thin airy Shapes, that o'er the Furrows rise, (A dreadful Scene!) and skim before his Eyes. S I know there is nothing more undetermined among the Learned than the Voyage of Ulyffes; fome confining it to the Mediterranean, others extending it to the great Ocean, and others afcribing it to a World of the Poet's own making; tho' his Converfations with the Dead are generally fuppofed to have been in the Narbon Gaul. Incultos adiit Leftrigonas Antiphatenque, &c. bem. Uncertain whether, by the Winds convey'd, On real Seas to real Shores he stray'd; Or, by the Fable driv'n from Coast to Coast, In new Imaginary Worlds was loft. The next Day we again fet Sail, and made the best of our way 'till we were forced, B 2 forced, by contrary Winds, into St. Remo, a very pretty Town in the Genoefe Dominions. The Front to the Sea is not large, but there are a great many Houses behind it, built up the Side of the Mountain, to avoid the Winds and Vapours that come from Sea. We here faw feveral Perfons, that in the midst of December had nothing over their Shoulders but their Shirts, without complaining of the Cold. It is certainly very lucky for the poorer fort, to be born in a Place that is free from the greatest Inconvenience, to which thofe of our Northern Nations are fubject; and indeed without this natural Benefit of their Climates, the extream Misery and Poverty that are in moft of the Italian Governments would be infupportable. There are at St. Remo many Plantations of Palm-trees, that do not grow in other Parts of Italy. We failed from hence directly for Genoa, and had a fair Wind that carried us into the middle of the Gulf, which is very remarkable for Tempefts and Scarcity of Fifh. It is probable one may be the Cause of the other, whether it be that the Fisher-men cannot employ their Art with fo much Succefs in fo troubled a Sea, or that the Fifh do not care for inhabiting fuch ftormy Waters. Atrum Atrum Defendens pifces byemat mare Hor. Sa. 2. li. 2. While black with Storms the ruffled Ocean rolls, And from the Fisher's Art defends her Finny Sholes. We were forced to lye in it Two Days, and our Captain, thought his Ship in fo great Danger, that he fell upon his Knees and confeffed himself to a Capuchin who was on Board with us. But at laft, taking the Advantage of a Sidewind, we were driven back in a few Hours time as far as Monaco. Lucan has given us a Defcription of the Harbour that we found fo very welcome to us, after the great Danger we had escaped. Quaque fub Herculeo Sacratus nomine portus The winding Rocks a fpacious Harbour frame, That from the great Alcides takes it Name: Fenc'd to the Weft, and to the North it lyes; But when the Winds in Southern Quarters rise, Ships, from their Anchors torn, become their sport, And fudden Tempefts rage within the Port. On the Promontory, where the Town of Monaco now ftands, was formerly the Temple of Hercules Monacus, which still gives the Name to this fmall Principality. Aggeribus focer Alpinis atque arce Monaci There are but Three Towns in the Dominions of the Prince of Monaco. The chief of them is fituate on a Rock which. runs out into the Sea, and is well fortified by Nature. It was formerly under the Protection of the Spaniard, but not many Years fince drove out the Spanish Garrison, and received a French one, which confifts at prefent of Five Hundred Men, paid and officer'd by the French King. The Officer who showed me the Palace told me, with a great deal of Gravity, that his Mafter and the King of France, amidst all the Confufions of Europe, |
