Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/269

 12 8. I. APRIL 1, 1916.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

263

and the inhabitants are described as of " seeming good nature and free disposition." The government was then in the hands of magistrates, half Lutherans, half Roman Catholics ; but this difference in religion, we are informed, created no animosity, the people intermarrying, and worshipping in the same places at" different times. The in- habitants dressed in the French mode, but in fantastic style " the women distinguishing between wives and maids and their quality also, but very plain and neat." Here the travellers saw

" a Hussar (a sort of Hungarian light Horse Man) who wore in his cap 7 long feathers, w* h is a privilege those souldiers enjoy as an incouragement to them to be Brave, for how many Turks they can prove to have killed w th their owne hands so many feathers are they allowed to carry, w 1 * if

they expect no more [says Chiswell] is reward."

cheap

Munich was reached on April 17. Chiswell notes that the Elector of Bavaria was not allowed to reside there his eldest son, aged 6 or 7, attended by a few gentry, was in residence, and they made " but a mean Court." The houses are described as well built, and the streets regular and clean. They visited the Jesuits' College and Church, the Cathedral, and the Elector's Palace and Chapel, where wonderful relics were to be seen. Not long before their arrival a thief had broken into the

Relics of their gold and Jewells to a great Vallue, but he had no mind to y 6 holy movables, so left them behind."
 * ' Sanctum sanctorum and despoiled some of these

The travellers left Munich on April 18 for Innsbruck. At Mittenwald their passes were strictly examined, and the next day " Mr. Payler and selfe were almost killed upon the high road, y 9 Calash overturning close upon one of these precipices."

Innsbruck was reached on April 20, but before crossing into Italy Chiswell has some interesting remarks on Germany and the C4ermans which are worth noting. He found the people courteous and good- natured, free from malice and subtlety, and not such heavy drinkers as had been reported. Like many travellers of the day, he dis- approves of their dangerous and unwhole- some stoves, " which give such close and excessive heats allmost equall to a Bagnio." He objects also to their beds stuffed with fine feathers :

" one you lye upon and such an w th a sheet covers you : being thus stewed up at first going to bed you sweet exceedingly, but before morning 'tis 20 to 1 if either one or if other side of y e Bed getts not great part of y 6 feathers and so falls off, leaveing y e Pores open dangerous to be perced by this Bleake air."

Leaving Innsbruck, the travellers crossed the Brenner without mishap, and reached Venice on April 26. At Coverlo on the way was a small but strong fort built across the narrow valley dividing the Bishopric from Venetian territory. Part of the garrison, with their wives and children, were quartered in a large cave in the mountain : " before y e mouth thereof (w 011 is directly over y e Fort and 30 or 40 yards from y e ground) 'jutts out a Bellcony of Wood to w 011 they are drawne up and lett downe by a Rope, but only one at a time as their occasions require."

The entertainment on the road was on the whole good, but Italian inns had not im- proved since Balthasar Paumgarten de- scribed them at the end of the preceding century.* At one village

" y* Bedds were so excessive nasty and full of Buggs etc. y fc [we] were forced to take up w th hard Chaires for Lodging, and indeed [continues Chiswell] ye Inns in Italy (as wee found afterwards) in this perticular are allmost intollerable."

At Venice they stayed at the " 3 Kings," where they had good entertainment, and after visiting the chief places of interest, and inspecting the largest and most curious pair of globes " which perhaps the world affords," departed on May 5 for Padua by boat.. Thence they proceeded by coach to Ferrara,. then only a depopulated ruin. Here their arms were taken, and returned to them as they left the city. At Bologna horses were hired, " miserable dull beasts " they were, and on May 8 the travellers reached Florence. . Here the noble buildings, large streets, fine gardens, &c., were admired. The Duke, it seems, at this time was obtaining immense sums of money from his subjects by mono- polies almost every commodity was farmed out, and practically nothing was allowed to pass into the city untaxed, even for personal i use :

" paper, tobacco, glass, ware, ice, nay the very wicker of flasks, are thus severely Hippoltoed, and notwithstanding our passes they hardly freed us from being searched in the gate-way, and every- thing the Earth produces payes a duty when . brought to markett."

Coaches were now hired to Livorno, where they stayed at " Mr. Horseys house " while waiting for a boat to carry them to the East. From here they visited Pisa and Lucca, the latter "a pretty, well-built, happy little town"; and later Mr. Payler and Mr. Hill embarked for Smyrna. On July 4 Chiswell himself sailed for Scan- deroon, where he arrived on the 29th.

The Italians he describes as wise, solid and cunning, temperate in drinking, frugal, civil


 * See ante, p. 144.