Page:The Voyage Of Italy Or A Compleat Journey through Italy, The Second Part.pdf/147

 part I admire that this jealous Republick doth not fear, least some of these Ladies (upon a disgust) should carry a set of little short Guns under her Coats, and under pretence of preferring a Petition to the Senate assembled, give them a broad-side or two, and make a horrible confusion in the Republick. If all this Bulk of Clothes, which make the women here look like Haycocks with armes and heads, be allowed them by their wise husbands, to render them more visible, and less able to go privately into any suspected houses, its good policy: otherwise, most certain it is, that the wives gownes cheat horribly the Husbands breeches of almost all the stuff. I have onely heard (and it was from a Nobleman of Genoa) of one Lady here that made right use of these Guardinfantas; and it was she, who seeing her onely Son (a young Nobleman of Genoa about eighteen years old) already condemned to prison, and ready to be condemned to the Scaffold for a heinous crime, got leave to visit