Europe, had ever been good Friends and Allies. The Palace has handfome Apartments, that are many of them hung with Pictures of the reigning Beauties in the Court of France. But the best of the Furniture was at Rome, where the Princeof Monaco refided at that time Ambaffador. 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 forced 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 Genoese are efteemed extremely Cunning, Induftrious, and inur'd to Hardship above the rest of the Italians; which was likewife the Character of the old Ligurians. And indeed it is no wonder, while the Barrenness of their Country continues, that the Manners of the Inhabitants do not change: Since there is nothing makes Men fharper, and sets 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 the Latin Poets have given of them is not much different.

Affuetumque malo Ligurem..

Virg. G. 2.

The hard Ligurians, a laborious kind.

-Pernix Ligur.

Fallaces Ligures.

Sil. It. L. 8.

Auf. Eid. 12,

Apenninicole bellator filius Auni

Haud Ligurum extremus, dum fallere fata

finebant.

Æn. II.

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

Vane Ligur, fruftraque animis elate fuperbis, Nequicquam patrias tentafti Lubricus ar

tes.

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 loft on me; nor fhalt thou fafe retire, With vaunting Lies to thy fallacious Sire. Dryden.

There are a great many beautiful Palaces standing along the Sea-fhore on both fides of Genoa, which make the Town ap

pear

A

pear much longer than it is, to those that fail by it. The City it felf makes the noblest Show of any in the World. The Houses are most of them painted on the Outfide; fo that they look extreamly gay and lively, befides that they are esteemed the highest in Europe, and ftand 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 reconciled to their manner of Painting feveral of the Genoefe Houses. Figures, Perfpectives, or Pieces of Hiftory are certainly very ornamental, as they are drawn on many of the Walls, that would otherwise look too naked and uniform without them: But instead of thefe, one often fees the Front of a Palace covered with painted Pillars of different Orders. If these 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 Coun--terfeit Pillars would be beautiful 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 BS distance

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 Doria's Palace has the best. Outfide of any in Genoa, as that of Durazzo is the beft furnished within. There is one Room in the firft, that is hung, with Tapestry, in which are wrought the Figures of the great Perfons, that the Family has produced; as perhaps there is no House in Europe, that can show a longer Line of Heroes, that have still 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 Com-mon-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 observe infinitely more Splendor and Magnificence, in particular Perfons Houfes, than in thofe that belong to the Publick. But we find in moft of the States of Europe, that the People show the greatest Marks of Poverty, where

the

the Governors live in the greatest Magnificence. The Churches are very fine, particularly that of the Annunciation, which looks wonderfully beautiful in the Infide, all but one Corner of it being covered 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 Roftrum of a Roman Ship, that ftands over the Door of their Arfenal. 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, fashioned at the End like a Boar's Head; as I have seen it represented 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 Je-fuite has fince told me, is one of the best in Italy. I know nothing more remark-able, 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 borrowed from private Perfons,during the Exigencies of the Common-wealth.

What

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