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THE 
 
 ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 SIGNOR GAUDENTIO DI LUCCA 
 
 THE SUBSTANCE OF HIS EXAMINATION BEFORK 
 THE FATHERS OF THE INQUISITION, 
 
 AT BOLOGNA IN ITALY. 
 
 BY BISHOP BERKELEY. 
 
 AUTHOR OF THE MINUTE PHILOSOPHER, &C. 
 
 DUBLIN : 
 
 FOR JOHN GUMMING, 16, LOWER ORMOND-QlAl. 
 1821. 
 

 ^ 
 
-'«r:s.^^>|H^^\ 
 
 TO THE READER. 
 
 I 
 
 T is very natural to thin^ tlie reader Vv'ould 
 •willingly be apprifed of two things relating to 
 thefe memoirs :- — Firft, how this curious manu- 
 fcript came to light, considering the dark and 
 deep fecrecy with which all things are tranfaft- 
 ed in the inquifition. Secondly, how it came 
 into the tranflator's hands. To fatisfy fuch a 
 commendable curiolity, he is to be informed, that 
 the manufcript was lent by the fecretary of the 
 inquilition at Bologna^ to the learned Signor Rhedi^ 
 keeper of the library of St. Mark at Venice, 
 his intimate friend and correfpondent, with the 
 wiiole account how the author was taken up, 
 A and 
 
 289306 
 
li TO THE READER. 
 
 and fecured in the inquilition, as the letter of 
 the fecretary to the fame Signer Rhedi will Ihew: 
 •Vi'hich letter, as it gives a great many curious 
 particulars in the examination of the criminal, 
 (for he was taken up as fuch, although nothing 
 very material was proved againfl him ; for which 
 reafon, he received a more favourable treatment 
 than is generally believed to be cuftomary in 
 that dreadful tribunal) fo it difcovers no indi- 
 Te(5l pracftifes of the inquifition ; but, on the 
 contrary, fhevv^s they proceed with a great deal 
 of circumfpedlion within their walls, tho' all 
 things are involved in impenetrable darknefs to 
 
 thofe without. Befides the fuccellion of new 
 
 popes, and, generally fpeaking, the change of their 
 officers attending it, might make them be lefs 
 tipon their guard, as the fecretary feems to hint 
 at in his letter. Neither is there any thing that 
 might do him any harm, in cafe he were dif- 
 covered ; efpecially writing to a friend of his 
 own communion, and a prieft, as Signer Rhedi 
 was ; which is likewife feen by the letter. 
 
 As to the fecond quare, the manufcript came 
 into the publifher's hands by the means of the 
 lame Signor RJiedi^ who is an honour to his 
 church, profeffion, and country, and one of the 
 TOoft leariied and polite men in the world. He 
 is not fo bigotted to his religion or profeffion, 
 as to {hun the company of the Heretical Tra- 
 •montani, a title the Italians generally give us; 
 byt loves and elleems a learned man, although 
 of a different perfualion. One reafon for this 
 may be, that he breathes a freer air at Venice, 
 than they do in the other parts of Italy. The 
 inquilition has nothing to do in the Venetian- 
 territories. Although they are roman catholics, 
 th,e Hate admits of no tribunal independent of 
 itfelf ;— befidcs, as tihey ^r^ a trading people, 
 
 their 
 
TO THE READER. iii 
 
 their commerce obliges them to be civil to per- 
 fons of all perfuafions, efpecially llrangers ; but 
 of all others they feem to have the greattll ref- 
 ■pe6t for the Engliih •, whether it be on account 
 of their power at fea, or their franknefs in 
 fpending their money, fo many of the Englifh 
 nobility and gentry travelling that way ; or from 
 the candour and Sincerity of our nature, fo op- 
 pofite to the Italians, yet highly elleemed by 
 them : be that as it will, the publifher, who 
 had feveral times made the tour of Italy, was 
 not only intimately acquainted, but had con- 
 trailed a particular friendfhip with Signer Rhcdi^ 
 as well on account of their mutual inclinations 
 for learning and antiquity, as for feveral reci- 
 procal obligations palling between them. The 
 laft time he was at Venice, which was in com- 
 pany of a perfon of the firil ranlf, who liked 
 the place as well as he did, he ilayed there up- 
 wards of fifteen months •, during which time he 
 had the opportunity of enjoying the converfa- 
 tion of his learned friend, with as much liberty 
 as if he had been of the fame perfualion. But, 
 the prefent of a gold repeating watch, with 
 fome other of our Englifh curiofities, fo won 
 his heart, that one day being together in the 
 great library, he unlocks a little grate where 
 he kept his rarities, and turning to me with a 
 fmile, " Signor Inglefe" fays he, holding a ma- 
 nufcript in his hand, " here is fuch a curiofity, 
 I am fure you never faw, or perhaps never 
 iiekrd of: it is the life of a perfon who is 
 now in the inquifition at Bologna, taken from 
 ills own confefHon before the inquifitors ; with, 
 the account of a country in the hea/t of the 
 vafl defarts of Africa, whofe inhabitants have 
 lived unknown to all the world upwards of 3000 
 years, and inacceilible to all the world, but by 
 A z the 
 
iv TO THE READER. 
 
 the way he was carried thither. The inquifitors 
 are fo far perfuaded of the truth of it, that 
 they have promifed him his liberty, if he will 
 undertake to condu<^ fome milTionaries the fame 
 way, to preach the gofpel to a numerous peo- 
 ple, who, by his account, have tke greatell know- 
 ledge of natural religion and polity of any hea- 
 then nation yet known, even beyond the Chl- 
 nefe. For my own part, I could fcarce have 
 believed it, had not the fecretary of the fame 
 inquiiition, who you may be fure, by his poll, 
 is not a man to be impofed upon, afifured me 
 of the truth of it : nay, that he himfelf was 
 prefent at his feizure and examination, and fent 
 me a copy of his life, which he was ordered to 
 give in by the inquiiitors *, with the whole ac- 
 count of the occafion and manner of his feizure» 
 It feems he had lived fome time in Bologna in 
 the quality of a phyfician, under the name of 
 Signor Gaudentio di Lucca, which he fays is his 
 true name, and confirm.s it by the place of his 
 birth, the names of his parents, time of his cap- 
 tivity, csV. He had dropped fome words of fe- 
 verai llrange fecrcts he was mailer of, with mut- 
 terings of an unknown nation, religion and cuf- 
 toms, quite new to the Italian ears ; for which, 
 jeafon the inquifition thought fit to feize him, 
 and by ways and means made ufe of in that tri- 
 bunal, obliging him to give an account of his 
 whole life, which is the moll furpriling I ever 
 xead. Here is the fecretary 's letter, giving a 
 
 fuccincfl account of the whole affair. " I 
 
 jhave added,'* continued he, " fome critical re- 
 marks in proper places, to Ihew that this account 
 is not fo incredible as it may appear at firft 
 :P.ght, and that it agrees with fome hints left us 
 in the remains of antient hillory. Eeiides, the 
 man ftands to the truth of it with a Iteadfalt- 
 
 nefs 
 
TO THE READER. v 
 
 «efs that is furpriiing. He is a perfon of a 
 
 very handfome prefence, well read, good fenfe, 
 and as it appears to the inqulfitors (who are 
 nice judges) of feemingly good morals. He pro- 
 felTeth himfelf a zealous roman catholic, and that 
 he always was fo ; for which reafon,* the inqui- 
 
 iitors are civiler to him than ordinary.- He 
 
 gives fuch a rational and circumllantial account 
 of his adventures, that I am of the fecretary's 
 opinion, as to the truth of it. But,^' added he, 
 ** I will not forellal the fatisfacflion you will 
 find in the perufal */' fo delivered the manu- 
 fcript and the fecretary's letter into the pub- 
 lifher's hands, who running his eyes over it for 
 ibme time, was fo llruck with the novelty of 
 the thing, that he afked Signer Rkedi^ whether 
 he might not take a copy of it. He was an- 
 fwered, he could not permit the manufcript to 
 be taken out of the library ; nor could he, with, 
 iafety to himfelf, allow a flranger, and of a dif- 
 ferent religion too, the liberty of Haying fb long 
 in the library by himfelf, as the tranfcribing 
 would take up. The publifher faid, he might 
 put what guards upon him he pleafed, provided 
 he might but tranlcribe it. No, fays he, that 
 is inconvenient too ; but I will order one of my 
 under- librarians, I can confide in, to write you 
 an exadt copy, with the fecretary's letter and 
 my own remarks, if you think them worth 
 your notice ; which he did moft faithfully ; ge- 
 neroufly commanding the tranfcriber, at the fame 
 time, not to take any thing of me for his pains. 
 Thus, this curious manufcript came to hand, to 
 the infinite fatisfa<flion of the publiiher, and he 
 hopes it will prove no lefs to the reaaer's, in 
 the perufal of it. The charad^er of Signer Gau- 
 dentio cannot be called in queilion ; nor is the 
 publiiher a perfon* fo little verfed in the nature 
 - ' A3 and 
 
vi TO THE READER. 
 
 and ways of the Italians, as to be impofed up- 
 on. The tranilation from the Italian is as ex- 
 a<ft as ppflible. This is the previous account th© 
 Publifher thought proper to give of this affair. 
 
 N. B. Great part of the matters treated of 
 in thefe memoirs, being tranfacfted in a roman 
 catholic country, and among roman catholics, the 
 reader muft not wonder, if they fpeak of their 
 religion, as if it were the only true one in the 
 world. 
 
 It v/ill not be improper to admonifh the reader, 
 not to difcredit immediately fome of the rela- 
 tions contained in thefe memoirs ; but to fuf- 
 pend his judgment till he hath read Signer Rhedi*s 
 remarks ; particularly, when he comes to the 
 origin and antiquity of the people the author 
 fpealrs of. The learned will find in them fuch 
 a vail knowledge in hiflory, and the moft in- 
 tricate remains of antiquity, as will render them 
 very well worth their notice. The fame Signor 
 Rhedi told the publifher, he had enquired into 
 what happened at Venice ; particularly what the 
 author mentions of Monjieur Godart^ one of th^ 
 moll improbable parts of his adventures, and 
 found the whole to be jufl as he relates it. 
 
 The publiflier is fatisfied the reader will be 
 extremely forry, as well as himfelf, for the lofs 
 ©f fome fheets belonging to the middle part of 
 this hiflory. How they came to be loil he can- 
 not tell ; but he fuppofeth, by the incivility of 
 the cuflom-houfe officers at Marfeilles ; for thej 
 tumbled over his effefls at a very rude rate, and 
 while he had an eye on other matters, they ei- 
 ther took fome of the loofe fheets, or they drop- 
 ped out in the tumbling ; at which he was very 
 much troubled, v/hen he came to mifs them in 
 the courfe of the tranflation. 
 
 THE 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO THE F0LL0V7ING 
 
 MEMOIRS. 
 
 Giving an Account of the Caufes and Manner 
 of the Seizure of 
 
 Signer Gautentio di Lucca^ 
 
 And the firll Part of his Examination. 
 
 In a Letter from the Secretary of the Inquifi- 
 tion, to SiGNOR Rhedi. 
 
 The Italian Titles of lUuftriJimo, &c. are left out, 
 as not ufed in our Language. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 A H E prefent turn of ^'affairs, which fills the 
 heads of other people with intrigues of flate, gives 
 me an opportunity of returning my bell thanks, far 
 the rich prefent you w^ere plealed to fend to a per- 
 fon who was yours before, by the llricl:pfc ties of 
 A 4 gratitude* 
 
 ^ He cither meatip the death of fomc Pope, or fomc extraor* 
 difiary CriUs ia the Roaiilh Occoaojny, 
 
viii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 gratitude. — TKe cabinet, with the other curiofitie.% 
 came fafe to hand, and fhew, that whoever is fo 
 happy as to oblige Signor Rhedi, fows a feed which 
 returns an hundred fold. The poverty of our '^'pro- 
 fellion, hinders me from being capable of making a 
 fuitable return, for your magnificent prefent ♦, but 
 nothing ought to take from me the defire of expref- 
 iing my acknowledgments. In teilimony of it, and 
 to fhew that poverty itfelf may be grateful, I fend 
 you by the bearer, the account of a man, whofe life 
 has filled our inquifitors v;ith wonder and allonifh- 
 ment. He has been in the inquifition at this place 
 about two years : wx have employed all our en- 
 gines to find out the truth of what he is, and can 
 find nothing material againft him, unlefs it be the 
 unheard of account he gives of himfelf. Our firft 
 inquilitor has obliged him to write his own life, 
 with all the particulars, as fuccin(511y as poflible, 
 adding threats withal, that if we find him in a falfe 
 Hory, it fhall be woi:^e for him. He tells us Urange 
 ilories of one of the moft beautiful countries in the 
 world, in the very heart of the vafl defarts of Africa, 
 inacceflible to all the world but by one way, which 
 feems as extraordinary as the country it leads to. — 
 As you are a perfon of univerfal knowledge in an- 
 tiquity, and an admirer of curiofities of this nature,, 
 I fend you a copy of the manufcript to have your 
 opinion of it ; and to give you as clear a notion of 
 the man as I can. You mull know, that about three 
 years before he was taken up by the inquifition, he 
 took a neat houfe at Bologna in quality of a phyfi- 
 cian, palling thro* fome flight examination for 
 form lake, and paying his fees as is cuflomary with 
 
 Urangers. 
 
 * The Secretary was a Dom'inican Friar •, the Domiaicans be* 
 ing Matters of the Inciiufition. 
 
INTRODUCTION. Ix 
 
 itrangers. His name, as he fays, is Gaudentio di 
 Lucca^-\ originally of Lucca, but born in Ragufa ;§ 
 he is a tall, handfome, clean-built man, as you Ihall 
 fee in a thoufand •, of a very polite addrefs, and 
 fomething very engaging in his afpedl, as befpeaks 
 your favour at firft light. He feems to be near 
 fifty ; he is a man of good fenfe and fine difcourfe, 
 tho' his accent is not pure Italian ; becaufe, as he 
 fays, of his living fo long in foreign countries. life 
 fpeaks almofl all the oriental languages, and has a 
 very competent ihare of other parts of learning, as 
 well as that of his profeliion. We fent to Ragufa 
 and Lucca to enquire about him, but could not get 
 the leaft information of his being known in thofe 
 parts. The reafon of Vv'hich he has given in his life, 
 as you will fee ; only at Ragufa, feme people re- 
 membered there had been a merchant of that name, 
 about five and tVventy years ago, who was either loil 
 or talven by pirates, and never heard of more. 
 
 The inquifitloD, as you know, lir, has eyes every 
 where, efpecially on Grangers ; we hept an eye en 
 him from his firil fettling at Bologna; but, as we 
 proceed v;ith juHice as well as caution, we could not 
 difcover any fafficient reafon to take him up. His 
 life was as regular as that of others of his profef- 
 iion, which he did not follow very clofely, but only 
 for form fake, being chiefly confulted at his own 
 houfe, on account of fome extraordinary fecrets he 
 pretended to be mafler of, without making any vifits 
 but to ladies, with whom he grew in prodigious 
 requeft. They faid he had a fweetnefs of eafe m 
 converfation, that was almofl bewitching. This un- 
 accountable fondnefs of the ladies gave us the firft 
 fufpicion, left he fhould inflill fome ill notiors into 
 that fex, fo credulous where they are fond, and fo 
 
 incredulous 
 
 f A little Republic In Italf. 
 
 § A Republic in Dalniaiia, and tributary to the Turk, 
 
X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 incredulous where they diflike. He profejfTed hint- 
 felf a roman catholic, feemed to have a competent 
 knowledge, and even veneration, conlidering he was 
 a phyfician, for our holy myfteries : fo we had no- 
 thing againft him on that account. We could not 
 find that he wanted for money, though he lived ra- 
 ther genteely than magnificently : we found on fe- 
 veral occalions, that money, the idol of other peo- 
 ple, was the leall of his care : and that he had feme 
 lecret fprings we could not fathom. His houfe was 
 but decently, though completely furniihed for one 
 of his rank *, he kept two fervants in livery, and a 
 valet de chambre ; who being of this town, knew 
 no more of him than Vv-e did. Tliere was an elderly 
 lady we thought had been his wife, but it proved 
 fhe was not ; a foreigner for whom he feemed to 
 have a great refpecfi, and her maid a foreigner aifo ^ 
 and an elderly maid fervant of the town. We have 
 them all fecured in the inquiiition, tho' he does not 
 knov/ it. She has the remains of a wonderfully fine 
 face, and an air of quality ; fhe fpeaks a broken 
 Italian, fo that we can get very little out of her but 
 what agrees with his account. I am confident you 
 will rather be pleafed with thefe particulars than 
 think them tedious. There is fcmething fo extra- 
 ordinary in the man, I ought not to omit the leaft 
 circumftance. We had feveral confultations about 
 him in our inquiiition, as well as our conftant intel- 
 ligences, but could difcover nothing of moment ; — 
 v/e examined v/hat correfpondentshe had from other 
 parts, and ordered the poflmafter to fend us all his 
 letters, which we could eaiily open, and feal up 
 again with the greateft nicety, but we could not find 
 any he had, except one about a moderate rent of 
 four thoufand crowns in the bank of Genoa ; and 
 two from a lady of your city of Venice, whom we 
 difcovered to be a celebrated courtezan, who fub- 
 fcribes herfelf Favllla, We find by her lail letter, 
 
 that 
 
INTRODUCTION. xi 
 
 Aat he had given her very good advice, and per- 
 fuaded her to become a penitent ; you'll oblige us 
 if you will enquire what fhe is. Amorous intrigues 
 not falling under our cognizance, we let him alone 
 for fome time, having a perfon under our examina- 
 tion on fufpicion of being a jew in mafquerade, and 
 a fpy from the grand Signor, whi(;h kept us em- 
 ployed for fome time. Belides, the good advice he 
 gave the courtezan, and he being pafl his prime, 
 made us lefs fufpicious of the ladies •, we fuppofed 
 they had recourie to him on account of fome female 
 infirmities. Tho' the young ladies v.^ere moft fond 
 of him, his behaviour to them was more an endear- 
 ing fweetnefs and courtefy, than love, with very 
 little iigns, (at leaft he had the addrefs to conceal 
 them,) of more kindnefs for one than another. In 
 fine, perfons of the beil rank, of both fexes, began 
 to have a prodigious liking for his company •, he 
 Hole upon them infenlibly. As he increased in this 
 good opinion, he opened himfelf with greater free- 
 dom ; he made no ihew at all at firft, more than a 
 fine prefence and a polite addrefs : but after fur- 
 ther acquaintance, they difcovered he was mailer of 
 moll fciences, and Ihewed a fuperior genius in any 
 thing they could difcourfe of. We employed pro- 
 per perfons to inlinuate themfelves into his good 
 liking, and confult him as a friend on feveral nice 
 points ; but he had fuch a prefence of mind, yet ap- 
 peared fo unconllrained in his difcourfe, that they 
 owned themfelves novices in comparifon to him. — 
 If they talked of politicks, he faid very judicioully, 
 it was not for men of his rank to meddle with af- 
 fairs of ftate, or examine what perfons did in the 
 cabinet. If of religion, he feemed to underlland it 
 very well for one of his profeffion ; that nothing 
 came from him but what was confonant to the ca- 
 tholic faith ; expreffing on all occafions a great de- 
 ^xence for the authority oiF the church. But ftill 
 
 the 
 
5cH INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the more fagacious were perfuaded fomething more 
 than ordinary lay hid under that fpecious cover.— 
 At length talking one day with fome of our fpies 
 about the cuftoms of foreign countries, he faid, he 
 had met with a nation in one of the remoteft parts 
 of the world, who, tho' they were heathens, had 
 more knowledge of the law of nature and common 
 morality, than the moll civilized chriftians. This 
 was immediately carried to us, and explained as a 
 refledlion on the chriltian religion. Another time, 
 as he had a great knowledge in philofophy, he dropt 
 fome words, as if he had fome Ikill in judicial af- 
 trology *, which, you know, iir, is a capital crime 
 with us. We were as good as refolved to feize him, 
 when we were determined to it by the following 
 accident. Two of the moft beatiful women in all 
 Bologna had fallen in love with him, either on ac- 
 count of the handfomenefs of his perfon, or by a 
 whimlicalnefs peculiar to fome women, becaufe he 
 was a ftranger ; or thinking he might keep their 
 fecrets better under the cloak of being a phyiician ; 
 or in fine, drawn in by fome love potion, or other, 
 we can't tell ; but the matter grew to fuch a height, 
 that on his fhewing more favour to one than the 
 other, our women being moft violent in their jealoufy 
 as well as love, the other to be revenged, faid he 
 had bewitched her ; which fhe was fure of, for that, 
 fince the very firft time Ihe faw him, fhe thought 
 there was fomething more in him, than ever ihe 
 faw in any man in her life. Befides, ihe faid, ihe 
 had often found him drawing circles and figures on 
 paper, which to her looked like conjuration. Her 
 friends immediately informed our fathers of it ; fo 
 we refolved to feize him, if it were but to find out 
 his fecrets, and fee what the man was. There was 
 another reafon induced us to it, which the world 
 will hardly believe, tho' it is matter of fad ; that 
 iSg we were afraid the man would b€ a^ailinated by 
 
 fome 
 
INTRODUCTION. xiii 
 
 fon^ fecret means or other, for being fo great with 
 our ikdies ; fo to fave his life, and not lofe the dif- 
 coveries we expected from him, it was determined 
 he Ihould be leized immediately. Accordingly, I 
 was deputed with three under-officers, to do the bu- 
 finefs, but with all the caution and fecrecy ufual iii 
 fuch cafes. It was done about midnight, when we 
 had watched one of the two ladies that he favoured 
 moil, into his houfe. We went in a clofe coach, 
 and myfelf and one of the officers flopping at the 
 door, as foon as the fervant opened it. Hepped in, tel- 
 ling him what we were, and charging him at his peril 
 nt>t to make the leafl noife. The fervants being 
 Italians, and knowing the confequence of the leaft 
 xefiftance. Hood as mute as fifties. We immediately 
 went into the inner parlour, and contrary to our ex- 
 pectation, found our gentleman, the young lady with, 
 her governante, and the elderly lady that belonged 
 to him, fitting very decently at an elegant collation 
 of fruits and fweet-meats, brought, as we fuppofed, 
 by the fair lady as a prefent. At our firfl appear- 
 ance, he feemed more furprifed than terrified. As 
 we make no ceremonies in thofe cafes, we told him 
 our errand, and commanded him to come along with 
 us without the leaft refiflance, or elfe it fhould be 
 worfe for him. Then we turned to the young lady, 
 whofe friends and perfon we knev/, and told her, 
 we wondered to find her in fuch company, at fuch 
 unfeafonable hours ; but on account of her friends, 
 would not meddle with her, but bid her for her owa 
 fake, as fhe tendered her life and honour, never to 
 take the leafl notice of the affair. She trembling, 
 and ready to faint away, after fome hefitation, was 
 able to fay, that fhe was come to confult about hex- 
 health; that fhe brought her governante along with 
 her to take off all fufpicion, and as fhe was miflrefs 
 of herfelf and fortune, it was not unufual for per- 
 fons of her rank to be out at that time, confidering 
 B the 
 
xiv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the heat of the feafon. She had fcarce pronou iced 
 thefe words, when Ihe fell dire(fll7 into a fvvoon. 
 Her governante having things proper for fuch ac- 
 caiions, revived and comforted her as well as fhe 
 could. But when we were going to take the gen- 
 tleman along with us, the elderly lady, to whom we 
 fuppofe he had told his misfortune, inllead of fal- 
 ling into fits, flew at us like a tigrefs, with a fury I 
 never faw in any human creature in my life ; tear- 
 ing at us with her nails and teeth, as if fhe had been 
 in the moll raging madnefs. We, not accultomed to 
 jefiftance, confidering our charadler and cloth, and 
 ihe a woman,were almofl motionlefs; when the fer- 
 vants at the noife came up, we commanded them in 
 the name of the inquifition to feize her : the gen- 
 tlemaH interpofed in our favour, faying fome words 
 to her in an unknown language, which he afTured 
 us was to beg her to be pacified, as fhe tender*d his 
 life as well as her ov/n ; then the .violence of her 
 paflion turned another way, and threw her into the 
 ilrongefl convulfions I ever faw. By this time the 
 other two officers were come up, w^ondering at our 
 delay, and to find refiflance againft the officers of the 
 inquifition. The gentleman with a becoming fub- 
 aaiiflion, rather than fear, yielded himfelf a prifoner, 
 and begged us to pardon the fudden tranfports of a 
 yerfon unacquainted with our cufloms, whofe life 
 311 fome manner depended on his. That fhe was a 
 Terlian lady of quality, brought into this country by 
 great misfortunes, who had once faved his life, as 
 lie had been afterwards inftrumental in faving hers. 
 That fhe was difpofed to turn chriftian, with inten- 
 tion after fome time to end her days in a convent. 
 That for his own part, relying on his innocence, he 
 oreadily fubmitted to our authority, and offered him- 
 felf to be carried wherever we pleafed : he uttered 
 all this with an air of conftancy that was furprifing. 
 We immediately tgok him iato the coach, leaving 
 
 two 
 
INTRODUCTION. xv 
 
 two of the officers with the elderly lad/, and com- 
 manding them and the gentleman's fervants not to 
 ilir out of the room till further orders. ' As foon as 
 we arrived at the inquifltion, we lodged him in a 
 handfome llrong room ; not fo much like a crimi- 
 Jial, as like a perfon for wh-om we had fome refpetft. 
 There we left him to his own thoughts, and return- 
 ed to his houfe to feize the elderly lady and his pa- 
 pers. Having difmiiTed the young lady and her 
 governante before, I forgot to tell you, that Signer 
 Gaude7itio^ by our permiffion, had fpoke to her com- 
 ing out of her fits, in Italian, (for v/e- would not let 
 him fpeak to her in the unknov/n language, for 
 fear of a combination) and with much pains made 
 her underftand, that he begged her by all that was 
 dear, to fubmit to v^hatever v/e fhould enjoin her ; 
 affuring her by that means all would be well for 
 Her fafety and his own, which laft word feemed to 
 
 give fome calm to her tempeituous fpirits. You 
 
 may believe, iir, we were much furprifed at the no- 
 velty of the thing, and the account he gave of her 
 quality. But often meeting with falfe ftories in our 
 employment, that did not hinder us from doing our 
 duty : fo, I took her by the hand with a great deal 
 of refpedl, and put her into the coach betv/een my- 
 felf and my companion ; not without apprehenliona 
 of fome extravagant follies, ccnfidering the violence 
 of her temper. But fhe continued pretty fedate, 
 only feemed to be overwhelmed with grief: we 
 brought her to the inquifltion, and lodged her in a 
 very handfome apartment feparate from the convent, 
 on account of her fex ; with two waiting women to 
 attend her with all refped, 'till we were better ap- 
 prized of the truth of her quality. This obliged 
 me to take another journey to Signer Gauuentio% 
 houfe, to fecure his papers,with whatever elfe might 
 contribute to further our difcovery. I found al! 
 things ia the fame order I left them } but being ex- 
 B % tremel/ 
 
xvi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tremely fatigued, I fat down to the elegant collation 
 that was left, and after a fmall repaft, went to bed 
 in his houfe, to have the morning before us for fe- 
 
 curing his effefts. 1 fealed up all the papers I 
 
 could find, to examine them at more leifure ; took 
 an inventory of all the moveables, that they might 
 be rellored to him in cafe he were found innocent ; 
 and fent for a proper officer to remain in the houfe, 
 who was to be refponlible for every thing. There 
 were two little cabinets of curious workmanihip ; 
 one of them, as it appeared, belonged to him, the 
 other to the ftrange lady, bm being full of intricate 
 drawers or tills, we took them both along with us. 
 Thefe, and the papers, we delivered to the head in- 
 quilitors, not being willing to proceed in either of 
 their examinations, till we had got all the light we 
 could, to find out the truth, for that was all our 
 aim ; then we could tell what courfe to take with 
 them. We placed two cunning lay brothers, in the 
 nature of fervants for Signor Gaudentio^ who were 
 to infinuate themfelves into his favour by their kind 
 offices, CO mpaflionating his misfortunes, and advifing 
 him to difcover the whole truth, in the account of 
 his life, quality, profellion, opinions, and in fine, 
 whatever articles he was to be interrogated on, to 
 confefs ingenuoufly what he knew : that that was 
 the only v;ay to find favour at the liands of the in- 
 quifitors, that they pardoned almofi all faults on a 
 iincere confefHon, and an afTurance of amendment. 
 I vifited him myfelf feveral times before his exami- 
 nation, and gave him the fame advice and afTurance, 
 he promifed me faithfully he would, and feemed fo 
 ileady and confirmed in his own innocence, with 
 fuch an agreeable, yet fincere way in his difcourfe, 
 as really furprifed me, and caufed me already to be 
 prejudiced in his favour ; adding with a fmile, that 
 the hiftory of his life would adminifler more caufe 
 of wonder that indignation. Not to be too par- 
 ticular. 
 
INTRODUCTION. xvii 
 
 ticular, the cKief of the inquifition, with myfelf 
 along with them, fet to the fcrutinv of his papers ; 
 we examined them v/ith all the care imaginable, 
 but could find nothing to ground any material ac- 
 cufation, except Ibme imperfedl memoirs of the 
 cuiloms of a country and people unheard of to us, 
 and, I believe, to all the world belide ; with fome 
 odd charad:ers or words, which had no affinity with 
 any language or chara<fters we ever faw. We dif- 
 covered he had a great knowledge in natural philo- 
 iophy, with fome remarks that were very curious. 
 There was a rough draught of a map, of a country 
 •with towns, rivers, lakes, ^c. but no climate marked 
 down. In ihort, all his papers contained nothing 
 but fome fmall fketches of philofophy and phyfic, 
 with fome pieces of poetry of an uncommon tafte. 
 Neither could we find any footfteps of judicial a- 
 flrology, or calculations of nativities, of v/hich we 
 had the greatell fufpicion, only a pair globes, a i^t 
 of mathematical inllruments, charts of navigation, 
 forms of unknown trees and plants, and fuch like 
 things, as all gentlemen who delight in travelling 
 are curious to have. There were indeed fome lines, 
 circles, fegments of circles, which we fuppofed the 
 informing lady meant ; but looked like an attempt 
 to find out the longitude rather than any magical 
 fchemeSo — His books Vi^ere of the fame nature \ no- 
 thing of herefy that we could fee, but fuch as be- 
 longed to a man of learning. There were feveral 
 common books of devotion, fuch as are approved of 
 by our church, and feemed pretty well ufed ; by 
 which v/e judged him to be really a roman catholic, 
 and a perlbn of no bad morals. But, as nothing 
 looks fo like an honeft man as a knave, this did not 
 
 take away all our fufpicion, -Vv^hen we c.-me to 
 
 open the cabinets, in the firfc of them, which be- 
 longed to him, we found in one of the drav/ers about 
 four hundred and fifty roman crowns, with other 
 B s fniail 
 
xviii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fmall money, and fome foreign coin along with it, 
 as Turkifh fequins, and fome we knew nothing of. 
 The fum not being very extraordinary, we could 
 conclude nothing from thence. In another drawer 
 we found feveral precious itones, fome fet, fome un- 
 fet, of a very great value, fo far from being coun- 
 terfeit, that we never faw any fo brilliant. Befides, 
 feveral pieces of native gold, of fuch finenefs as no- 
 thing v/ith us can come up to it. In a third, we 
 found a fmall heap of medals moll of gold, but of 
 sn unknown ilamp and antiquity. There were 
 outlandifh ilones of odd figures enough, which to 
 others might look like talifmans, but we took them 
 for fome out-o'-the v/ay curio.fities. In a private 
 drawer in the center of the cabinet, there was fome- 
 thing wrapt up in a piece of green lilk of w^onder- 
 ful finenefs, all embroidered with hearts and hands 
 joined together, wrought in gold with prodigious 
 <irt, and intermixed with different flowers, unknown 
 in our part of the world ; in the midft of it was an 
 azure ftoiie, as large as the palm of one's hand, fet 
 Tound with rubies of very great value, on which 
 was mofl artfully painted in miniature, a woman at 
 length, holding a little boy in her left hand, the 
 moll beautiful creature that ever eyes beheld ; clad 
 likewifc in green lilk, fpankled with golden funs.; 
 their complexion was fomewhat darker than that 
 of our Italian ladies ; but the features, efpecially 
 the woman's, fo uncommonly beautiful, as if {he 
 had been of another fpecies, and under w^as engraved 
 with a diamond, in a modern hand, " Q^efio Solo.** 
 You may be fure, iir, this raifed our ideas of the 
 anan ; at flrll we thought he had the fecret of the 
 philofopher's ilone : but in ail his inventory we 
 cculd find no implements of that art. Then we 
 thought he mull have been fome famous pirate, or 
 one who had robbed the cabinet of fome great 
 prince, and come to live at Bologna in that private 
 
 manner. 
 
INTRODUCTION. xix 
 
 manner, under the difguife of a phyfician. But 
 having been three years in the town, if it had been 
 any European prince, the world would have had an 
 account of it before nov/ : fo we concluded that 
 either what he faid of that unknown country was 
 true, or that he had robbed fome of the eallern 
 princes, and got off clear with his prize. But the 
 pi(5lure of the woman made us incline to think, he 
 had married fome outlandifh queen, and on her 
 death had retired with her efFeds. The reft of the 
 drawers were full of natural curiofities of foreign 
 plants, roots, bones of animals, birds, infecfls, Cs^c". 
 from w^hence very likely he took his phylical fe- 
 crets. The other cabinet, which belonged to the 
 elderly lady, was very rich, but nothing nigh the 
 iirft ; there were a great many fmall jewels, and 
 fome very fine pearls, with bracelets, pendants, and 
 other curious ornaments belonging to v/omen, and 
 a little pifture of a very handlome man about 
 thirty, nothing like our gentlemen, in a w^arlike 
 drefs, with a Turkifh fcimitar by his fide. By his 
 mein he feemed to be a man of note, but we could 
 find nothing that could give us any infight what 
 they Vv^ere : fo, that we were at a lofs with all our 
 fagacity what to think of the matter, or to find any 
 juft caufe to keep them in the inquifition ; foxj tho* 
 we don't difcover our motives to other people, we 
 never proceed againft any one but on very ftrong. 
 fufpicions ! on which account we w^ere refolved to 
 make his confinement as eafy as pofiible, till we 
 could fee further into the affair. We had thoughts 
 of examining the woman firft,to get what we could 
 from her for his interrogatories ; but fhe not un- 
 derftanding Italian enough, we fent to Venice with 
 our accuftomed privacy, for fome of your people, 
 that trade to the Levant, to be our interpreters. — 
 In the mean time we refolved to try what we could 
 get out of him by his own confeflion j fo we fent 
 
 for 
 
XX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 for him before us. He came into the room with a 
 modell unconcernednefs, that rather argued wonder 
 than appreheniion ; we had the cabinet and jewels 
 all before us, fheWed them to him all together, with 
 the inventory of his goods, affuring him they Ihould 
 be forth-coming, in cafe we were apprized of his 
 innocence ; but withal adviiing him, as well as com- 
 manding him to confefs the truth, and then not a 
 hair of his head fhould be touched. But, if ever 
 w^e caught him in a falfe ftory, all {hould be con- 
 fifcated, and he never fee fun or moon more. He 
 afTured us, with great refpe(5l, he would own the 
 truth to every thing we fliould interrogate him 
 about, in an accent that would have perfuaded any 
 one of his iincerity, humbly denring to Lnow what 
 accufations we had againil him. We anfwered, that 
 was not the method of the inquiiition, but that he 
 fhould anfwer dirc6i\y to our interrogatories. As 
 the holy office chiefly concerns itfelf about religion, 
 we afked him firfl:, what religion he w^as of. The 
 reafon of this waSj becaufe, tho* he profeffed him- 
 felf a roman catholic, we v/ere to keep up the forms. 
 Neither did we know, but that he might be fome 
 jew or Turkifh fpy in mafquerade ; then his name ? 
 place of his birth ? where he was educated ? how 
 he came by thofe jewels ? v/hat was the occalion of 
 his fettling at Bologna ? who that elderly lady was ? 
 in fine, every thing, in general and particular, we 
 could think of at firft, the better to compare his 
 anfwers afterwards. He told us, he was a roman 
 catholic bred and born ; always profefled himfelf 
 fuch, and in that faith would live and die, let what 
 will happen to him. He explained himfelf on the 
 chief heads, to fhew that he was well inftrudled in 
 his religion : he appealed to all the, enquiries we 
 could make, whether he had not behaved as a ro- 
 man catholic on all occaiions, naming a capuchin in 
 the town, who was his father confeifor*, to whom, 
 
 he 
 
INTRODUCTION. :^x] 
 
 he faid, he gave leave to declare all Ke Irnew on that 
 head. As to his name, he faid, his true name was 
 Gaudentio di Lucca^ tho' born at Ragufa. That his 
 father was a merchant trading to the Levant, which 
 employment he defigned to follow himfelf, but in 
 his firil voyage was taken by an Algerine pirate, 
 who carried him a flave to Grand Cairo, and fold 
 him to a merchant, of what country nobody knew^; 
 which merchant took him along v/ith him, thro' the 
 vail defarts of Africa, by a way he v/ould defcribe 
 to us if Vv^e required it, till he came to a country, 
 perhaps, the moll civilized and polite in the whole 
 univerfe. In that country he lived near five and 
 tw^enty years, till on the death of his w^fe, and his 
 only furviving fon, whofe pi(ilures were in the ca- 
 binet ; the melancholy difafler made him induce his 
 father-in-lavv'^, who was the merchant that had liril 
 bought him, to take another journey to Grand 
 Cairo, from whence he might be able to return to 
 his native country. This the merchant (for he 
 palTed for fuch, tho* he was a great ruler in his ovv n 
 country) complied with : but happening to come 
 thither when the plague raged in the city, hisfather- 
 in-lav/ and feveral of his attendants died of it ; leav- 
 ing him heir to moll of his efiedls, and part of the 
 jewels we faw before us. That being now entirely 
 at liberty, he returned in a French Ihip trading 
 from Marfeilles to the Levant ; the mailer's name 
 was Francois Xwvier Gcdart, v.'ho by agreement was 
 to land him at Venice, but touching at Candy, they 
 accidentally faved the life of that elderly lady, and 
 brought her off along with them, for which they 
 were purfued by two Turkilh veifels, and carried 
 prifoners to Conllantinople, but releafed by the or- 
 der of the fultanefs mother. That MoTiJteur Godart 
 was well known at Venice, particularly by Signer 
 Corridani^ an eminent merchant there, wdio could 
 aiTuTC us of the truth of what he faid. That, ia 
 
 fine. 
 
xxii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fine, having ftaid fome time at Venice to fee the 
 curiofities and the carnival, an affair relating to the 
 young lady we faw with him, when he was feized, 
 and the love he had for learning, Bologna being a 
 famous univerfity, induced him to fettle there, v. here 
 he prefumed we had been very well informed of his 
 behaviour ever iince. This, faid he, is the molt 
 fuccin(ft account I can give to your reverences on 
 the interrogatories you have propofed to me ; tho' 
 my life has been chequered with fuch a variety of 
 incidents, as would take a great deal of time to de* 
 fcend to particulars. We looked at one another 
 v/ith fome furprife at this ftrange account, which 
 he delivered with fuch an air of ileadinefs, as fcarce 
 left any room to doubt of the truth of it. How- 
 ever, our fuperior turned to him, and faid. " Signor 
 Gaudentioy we neither believe or difbelieve what 
 you tell us : as we condemn no man without a fulL 
 convi<5lion of his crime, fo we are not to be impof- 
 ed upon, by the accounts people may give of them- 
 felves ', what is here before us, fhev/s there is fome- 
 thing extraordinary in the cafe. If we find you to 
 be an impofter, you fhall fuifer as fuch •, in the 
 mean time, till we can be better informed, we en- 
 join you to give in your whole life, with all occur- 
 rances, except your private lins, if you have any, in 
 w^riting ; which you fhall read to us, and be crofs- 
 examined as we think proper. It will concern you 
 therefore to be very exa(5l, for nothing will pafs 
 here but innocence, or a lincere repentance." 
 
 This, fir, is the manufcript I fend you, given in 
 by himfelf as ordered ; w^ith the inquifitor''s inter- 
 rogatories as we examined it, article by article : 
 •which interrogatories, I have inferted as they were 
 propofed-, with a further account at the end, for 
 the better clearing of the whole. We beg you to 
 inform yourfelf of the fa(5ls, which his memoirs fay 
 happened to him ac Venice, particularly about 
 
 Monjisur 
 
INTRODUCTION. xxiii 
 
 MoTifieur Godart. Beiides, fir, you that can trace 
 all the branches of antient hillory to the fountain 
 head, are able to form a better judgment of the 
 probability of his relation. He is flill in the in- 
 quifition, and offers himfelf to conducft fome of our 
 miflionaries to preach the gofpel to thofe unknown 
 
 people The length of this only gives me leave 
 
 to afTure you, that 
 
 I am, 
 with the greateil elleem imaginable, 
 Sir, ^c. 
 
 %/. x>a^luio dc Ji. Ovozio. 
 
 Bologna, 
 July ;20th,--l72l^ 
 
 T H £ 
 

 THE 
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 O F 
 
 Signer Gaudentio di Lucca. 
 
 1 SHOULD be infenlible, reverend fathers, if 
 I were not higKly concerned to find myfelf under 
 any accufatlon before this holy tribunal, which I 
 revere with all the powers of my foul : but, parti- 
 cularly, if your reverences ihould harbour any iinif- 
 ter opinion of my religion ; for I was born and bred 
 up in the bofom of the mofl holy catholic church, 
 as well as my parents before me*, and in the d^ifence 
 oi which, my anceftors fpent part of their blood 
 againil the infidels and enemies of our faith ; and 
 for which faith I am ready to lay down my life. — • 
 C But 
 
5 The !MEM6IRS of 
 
 B*iit*I am'as yet a ftranger to your reverences, iand 
 on feveral accounts may be liable to fufpicion ; 
 wherefore, I blame not the jullice of your proceed- 
 ing, but rather extol your goodnefs in allowing me 
 the liberty to clear myfelf, by a true and iincere de- 
 claration of my whole life, v/herein I own, have 
 happened feveral altoniihing, and almoft incredible, 
 occurrences ; all which I fhall lay before your re- 
 verences, according to the commands impofed on 
 jne, with the utmoll candour and fmcerity. 
 
 My name is Gaudentio di Lucca ; I was fo called 
 becaufe my anceftois were laid to be originally of 
 that place. Tho' they had been fettled for fome 
 time at Ragufa, where I was born ; both which 
 places are not fo far off but they may be very well 
 known to your reverences. My father's name was 
 Gafparino di Lucca^ heretofore a merchant of fome 
 xiote, in thofe parts ; my mother w^as a Corlican lady, 
 reported to be defcended from thofe who had been 
 the chief perfonages in that iHand j my grandfather 
 was likewife a merchant •, but my great grandfather, 
 Bernardino di Lucca^ was a foldier, and captain of 
 the great F^e?ierio's own galley, (i) who was gene- 
 ral for the Venetians, in the famous battle of Le- 
 panto againil the Turks. We had a tradition in 
 our family, that he was J^enerto\ fon by a Grecian 
 lady of great quality ; fome fay, defcended from the 
 the Pahohgi^^N\io had been emperors of Confianti- 
 ^ople. But fhe dying in childbed, and they having 
 "been only privately married, Venerio bred him up as 
 ihe fon of a friend of his who was killed in the wars. 
 That famous battle in which the chriflians and 
 Venerio got fo great renown againfl: the Turks, in- 
 Head of railing my great grandfather's fortune, "was 
 the occalion of his retiring from the v/ars, and turn- 
 ing merchant. The reafon was this; Vvnerio^ the 
 Ycnetiah admiral, had cutifed a Spaaaiih captain to 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO Bl LuCCA. % 
 
 he Kung up at the yard-arm for mutiny ; (2) which 
 fevere decipline fo difpleafed Don j/^ohn of Aullria, 
 generaliifimo of the whole fleet, that after the bat- 
 tle, the Venetians, to appeafe Do7t John^ and not to 
 be deprived of the fuccours of the Spaniards againil 
 the Turks, v/ere forced to facrifice F'enerws honor 
 to the refentment of the Spaniards, and put him out 
 of commiilion. (3) After this difgrace, Venerio 
 retired -, and ray great grandfather, whofe fortune 
 depended on his, having been bred up to the fea, 
 turned merchant, or rather privateer againft the 
 Moors ; and with the knights of Malta, not only 
 did great fervice againft them, but made a coiilide- 
 rable fortune in the world. 
 
 Remarks of Signor Rhedi. 
 
 ( 1 ) This part of the account is certainly true ; there was fuck 
 a captain In the lift of the officers in that famous battle. 
 
 (2) 'Tis likewife true, that there was fuch a quarrel between 
 Don 'Johi of Auftria, the generalifiimo, and Venerio^ admiral of 
 the Venetian gallies •, which had like to have put the whole 
 chriftian fleet at variance together, before the battle, and ruined 
 the hopes of all clirlfliendom. The occafion was, as he relates 
 it, — Don John^ as generaliiUmo, viewing the whole fleet before 
 the fight, and finding the Venetian gallies too thinly manned, 
 ordered four thoufand Spaniards to be put on board the laid gal- 
 lies. But one Mutio Tortona^ a Spanifli captain, proving muti- 
 nous, after a great many injurious words, cam.e to blows with 
 the t:aptain of the Venetian galley, where he was ; upon which 
 the whole fleet fell to it. Venerio hearing the uproar, fent his 
 own captain to fee what v/as the matter \ but the proud Spaniards 
 treated him no better than they did the reft \ fo that Venerio hlm- 
 felf was forced to come to appeafe them \ but feeing theSpanifrt 
 captain perfift in his mutinous temper, and the aflront he had 
 put upon his captain, who was reported to be his fon, ordered 
 ^ortona and his antient to be hung at the yard-arm. At this all 
 the Spaniards in the fleet were up in arms, and threatned to cut 
 the Venetians to pieces ; but by the interpoiition of the other ge- 
 nerals, the matter was made up till after the fight. When Ve^ 
 nerioy who had behaved with incomparable valour, and accord- 
 ing to i?f« John\ owa confefllon, was the chief occafion of the 
 
 C % viaory. 
 
4 The memoirs o? 
 
 viciory, to appeafe the haughty Spaniard, had his commlflioa 
 taken from him, and was recalled by the fenate. 
 
 (3) it was Fufcarini who was made general of the Venttians 
 in yencno"^ (lead. 
 
 Every one who is the leaft acquainted with hiftory knows, 
 that the battle of Lepanto was the greatefl: fea-frght that ever 
 was fought between the chriftians and Turks ; and the v'lQioxj 
 on the chriftians fide the moll fignal. The Spanifh gallies were 
 commanded by Don John of Auftria, generaliffimo; the pope's 
 gallies, by the famous Colonna ; the Genoefe by old Dorio^ who 
 had gained fo much renown againft the Turks and French, un- 
 der Charles V ; and the Venetians, by the great Venerio^ one of 
 the braveil foldicrs of his time. — Haly the turk, great bafla of 
 the fea, was flain, and almcil all the Turkidi commanding of- 
 ficers killed or taken. Among the prifoners were Haljh two 
 fon?, nephews to the grand lignor. Of the common foldiers of 
 the tuiks, v/ere llain two and thirty thoufand •, a hundred and 
 forty one of the enemies gallies were taken \ forty funk or burnt, 
 of galliots and other fmall veffels were taken about fixty. 
 Plde the Turkifh hiftory and other accounts of this famous bat- 
 tle, and the whole affair as is related.— The battle was fought 
 ou tut 7th Oclcbcr, 1571. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 U T to return to myfelf : — My father having a 
 plentiful fortune, took particular care of the edu- 
 cation of his children. He had only two fons, of 
 whom I was the youngefl, and a daughter who died 
 young. Finding I had a great inclination to learn- 
 ing, he promoted it by providing me with the beft 
 mailers, till I was fit to go to the univeriity. The 
 knowledge of languages being of great ufe as w^ell 
 as ornament to young gentlemen, he himfelf, by 
 way of recreation, taught me that mixed language 
 called Lingua Franca, fo necelTary in eaflern coun- 
 tries ; it is made up of Italian, Turkifh, Perfian, 
 and Arabian, or rather a jargon of all languages 
 
 mixed 
 
SiGNOR GaUBENTIO BI LvCCA. 5 
 
 mixed together. He fcatce ever fpolse to us but 
 in that language, faying, we might learn latin from 
 mafters, and our mother- tongue from our play fel- 
 lows. The fame reafon induced him to fend me to 
 the famous univeriity of Paris to learn French, at 
 the fame time with my other lludies. I lived in 
 the college des Quatre Nations, and maintained my 
 thefes of univerfal philofophy under the celebrated 
 JMofifteur du Hamil, one of the firft in the univerfity, 
 who decryed AriJiotW% philofoj hy, and leaned to- 
 wards the opinions of Defcartes. 
 
 Skcretary. — Here the inquifitors muttered a 
 little, fearing he was inclined to the Copernican fyf- 
 tem, which hath been condemned at Rome. But, 
 fince it regarded philofophical matters only, they 
 palTed it over. 
 
 I was entering into my nineteenth year, and had 
 fome thoughts of taking to the church ; when my 
 brother w^rote m.e the melancholy account of my fa- 
 ther and mother's death, and the unfortunate occa- 
 lion of it ; which in ill or t was, that having lolt his 
 richell ihip with all his efFeds, by pirates, and his 
 chief fa<5lor at Smyrna being gone off, his other cor- 
 refpondents came upon him thick ; he was not in a 
 condition to anfwer their calls, which threw him 
 and my mother into fo deep a melancholy, that it 
 broke their hearts, dying in three weeks one after 
 the other. My brother told me he was not able^ to 
 maintain me at the univerfity, as I had been ; but 
 acquainted me he had made a fhift to rig out a fmall 
 veffel, wherein he had put his all ; and invited me 
 to join the fmall portion that fell to my fhare along 
 with him, with which, he faid, we could make -d. 
 pretty good bottom ; and fo retrieve the ihattered 
 fortune of our family. Not to be too prolix, — I 
 followed his advice ; he fold his houfe and gardens 
 to pay his father's creditors, and put what was left, 
 together with my little Hock, into that unfortunate 
 C 3 bottoriSi 
 
6 Th2 memoirs of 
 
 bottom. We fet fail from Ragufa, the 3d of March-, 
 Anno Dom. 1688, very unaufpiciouily for my dear 
 brother, as will appear by the fequel. We called 
 in at Smyrna, to fee if we could hear any thing of 
 my father's facftor. We were told he was turned 
 turk, and was gone off to fettle at Conftantinople, 
 very magnificently dreffed up in borrowed feathers. 
 However we picked up fomething of fome honeft 
 chriltian merchants, with whom he had lodged fome 
 of his effe(fls. This encouraged us to go on for 
 Cyprus and Alexandria ; but, as we were purfuing 
 our voyage, one morning in a prodigious fog, as if 
 the fea was fatal to our family, we faw on a fud- 
 den tw^o Algerine rovers coming clofe up to us, one 
 on each fide. We had fcarce time to fee where we 
 were, when they fired upon us, and commanded us 
 to yield, or we v/ere dead men. My brother and I 
 confidering that our all was at flake, and that we 
 had better die honourably than be made Haves by 
 thofe unbelieving mifcreants^ called up our men, 
 who were but twenty-three in all, of whom .five 
 were young gentlemen, who had engaged to try their 
 fortune along with us. They were armed only with 
 Iwords and piflols under their girdles ; after a fhort 
 confultation, we refolved to fight it out to the laft 
 man : we turned back to back to make head againfl 
 both fides. My brother in the middle of one rank, 
 and myfelf in the other ; the enemy mounted our 
 deck by crowds, looking on us as madmen, to pre- 
 tend to make any refiftance ; but they were loon 
 made to leap back, at leafl all that were able -, for 
 being clofe up with them, and the enemy crowded 
 together, we fired our piflols fo luckily, that fcarce 
 one miffed doing execution. Seeing them in this 
 confulion, we made a pufh at them on one fide, flill 
 keeping^ our ranks, and drove the remainder head- 
 long off the deck ; this v/e did twice before any of 
 cur men dropped. We were grappled fg clofe, they 
 
 had 
 
SiGxoR Gaudentio di Lucca. *) 
 
 had no ufe of their cannon or muflcets, and fcarce 
 thought of firing tHeir piflols at us, but expefted 
 we fhould yield immediatelj, or to have borne us 
 down with their w^eight. I am more particular in 
 defcribing this petty fight, fince there are but few 
 examples where a handful of m.en made fuch along 
 refiftance. The arch-pirate, who was a llout well- 
 built young man, raged like a lion, calling his men 
 a thoufand cowards, fo loud, that his voice was heard 
 above all the cries of the foldiers. The edge of 
 their fury v/as a little abated at the dropping of fo 
 many men. They began to fire at fome diftance, 
 which did us more harm than their mofl furious 
 attack. My brother feeing his men begin to drop 
 in their turn, ordered me to face the one fhip, while 
 he v/ith his rank leaped in amongfl the enemy in 
 the other. He did it with fach a generous intre- 
 pidity, that he made a gap among the thickefl of 
 them immediately. But their numbers clofing to- 
 gether, their very weight drove him back in fpight 
 of all he could do, that he lofl feveral of his men 
 before he could recover his poft. The enemy would 
 neither board us, nor leave us ; but firing at us con- 
 tinually. Hill killed fome of our men. There v/ere 
 ROW only eleven of us left ; and no hopes of vi(5lory 
 or quarter after fuch obltinate refinance. They 
 duril not come to a clofe eng-igement with us for all 
 this ; when my brother, to die as honourably as he 
 could, once more leaped into the pirate's fhip, and 
 feeing their captain in the midil of them, made at 
 him with all his might, calling on the few he had 
 left to fecond him., he foon cut his way through ; 
 but juft as he was coming up to him, a cowardly 
 turk clapt a piflol juft below his two fhoulder 
 blades, and I believe fhot him quite through ths 
 heart, for he dropped down dead on the fpot. Tha 
 turk that fhot him was run through the body by 
 one of cur men, and he himfelF, with the others ^hat 
 
 v/ere 
 
8 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 were left, being quite over-pov/ered, were all cut In 
 pieces. I had yet left four men on my lide againft 
 the lefTer fhip, and had untill then kept off the ene- 
 my from boarding ; but the pirates giving a great 
 ihout at my brother's fall, the captain of the fhip I 
 was engaged with, who w^as the arch-pirate*s bro- 
 ther, cried put to his crew, that it was a fhame to 
 fland ail day firing at five men ; fo he leaped on my 
 deck, and made at me like a man of honour, with 
 his piftol fleadily poifed in his hand : I met him 
 with equal refolution ; he came boldly up within 
 fwords length, and fired his piftol diredlly at my 
 face ; he aimed his fhot fo right, that one of the 
 balls went thro' my hair, and the other fcarred the 
 iide of my neck : but before he could fecond his fhot 
 I gave him fuch a flroke with my broad fword be- 
 tween the temple and the left ear, that it cut thro' 
 part of his fkull, his cheek-bone, and going acrofs 
 his mouth, almofl fevered the lower part of his face 
 from the upper. I had juft the fatisfadlion to fee 
 him fall, when a mufket ball went thro' the brawny 
 part of my right arm, and, at the fame time, a turk 
 hit me juft in the nape of the neck, with the butt- 
 end of his mufket, and I fell down flat on my face, 
 on the body of my llain enemy. My companions^ 
 all but one, who died of his wounds foon after, fell 
 honourably by my fide. The turks poured in from 
 both fhips like wolves upon their prey. After their 
 barbarous -fhouts and yelling for the vijflory, they 
 fell to ftripping the dead bodies, and threw them 
 
 into the fea w^ithout any further ceremony 
 
 All our crew belide myfelf were flain or gafping 
 with three fcore and fifteen of the enemy. The 
 xeafon why we fought fo defperately, was, that we 
 knew very well, having killed fo many at the firft 
 attacks, we were to expedl no quarter, fo we were 
 refolved to fell our lives as dear as we could. When 
 they came to llrip me like the reft, I wa« juft come 
 
 to 
 
SiGNCP. Gaudentio bi Lucca. 9 
 
 to myfelf, being only ftunned at the ilrolce cf the 
 mufket ; they found by my cloths, that I was one 
 of the moll confiderable perfons of the crew : I was 
 got upon my knees endeavouring to rile, and reach- 
 ing for my fword to defend myfelf to the lail gafp, 
 I found I could not hold it in my hand, by reafori 
 of the wound in my arm, tho* if L could it had been 
 needlefs •, for three of them fell down upon me, and 
 prelling me to the deck, while others brought cords 
 and tied my hands, to carry me to the captain. He 
 was dreiling a flight wound he had in his leg v/ith 
 a piflol fhot ', and four 'women in Perfian habits 
 ftanding by ; three of them feeming to be attendants 
 to the fourth, Avho was a perfon of the largefl fize, 
 about five or fix and twe^% but a molt exquilite 
 beauty, except an Amazofflan kind of fiercenefs in 
 her looks- When I v/as brought thus bound to the 
 captain, they afTured him I was the man that had 
 Hain his brother, and done the moft harm of any of 
 the reft. He ftarting up in the greateil fury a bar- 
 barian was capable of, and calling for a new fci- 
 mitar he had in his cabin, f^iid, " let me, if I can, 
 cleave the head of this chriftian dog, as he did my 
 poor brother's ; then all of you cut him in a thou- 
 sand pieces."" With that he drew the fcimitar, and 
 was juft going to ftrike, when, to the aftoniihment 
 of the very barbarians, the flrange lady cried out, 
 " O fave that brave young man 1'' and immediately 
 falls down on her knees by me, catching me in her 
 arms, and clafping me clofe to her bofom, and co- 
 vering my body with her own, cried out, " ftrike, 
 cruel man, but ftrike thro' me, for otherv/ile a hair 
 of his head fliall not be hurt."" The barbarians that 
 flood round us Vvere ftruck dumb v/ith amazement. 
 The pirate lifted up his eyes towards heaver, and 
 with a groan enough to break his heart, faid, " how, 
 cruel woman ! fhall this ftranger in a moment ob- 
 tain more tkau I can with ail my ftghs and tears 1 
 
 Is 
 
20 The memoirs of 
 
 Is this yoxir paramour that robs me of what I have 
 Ibught for with the danger of my life ? — No, this 
 chriftian dog fhall be no longer my curfed rival •,■" 
 and lifting up his hand, was going to Ilrike again, 
 when /he covering me more clofely with her deli- 
 cate body, cried out again, ** hold, Hamet 1 this is 
 no rival, I never faw his face before, norj^ever will 
 again, if you will but fpare his life ; grant me this, 
 and you fhall obtain more from me, than all your 
 fervices could ever do."** Here he began to paufe a 
 little. For my part I was as much in amaze as he 
 w^as. After a little paufe, he faid, " cruel woman ! 
 what is the meaning of this Y* " There is fome- 
 thing" fays fhe, " in this young man, (for I was but 
 turned of nineteen) that he mull not die : but, if you 
 will engage, and fwear by the moll Holy Alcoran, 
 you will do him no harm., I not only promife to be 
 ■your wife, but, to take oil all umbrage of jealouiy ; 
 I give you leave to fell him to fome honourable 
 perfon for a ilave, and will never fee him more."' 
 J>Jor would Ihe loofe me ^till he had fworn in that 
 folemn manner, never to do me any hurt, diredtly 
 or indire(flly •, and for greater fecurity, ordered one 
 of her own fervants to attend me conllantly. So I 
 was unbound, and fhe, without fo much as looking 
 at me, or fhaying to receive my thanks, retired wath 
 her women into the cabin. The pirate, who had 
 fomething very noble in his looks for a turk, con- 
 firmed again to me in the hearing of her officer, that 
 I fhould receive no harm ; then ordered me to be 
 carried under deck to the other end of the fhip, com- 
 manding his men to fleer back for Alexandria, in 
 order, as I fuppofed, to difpofe of me the firfl op- 
 portunity, that he might be rid, as he thought, of 
 JO formidable a rival. 
 
 Secretary. — Here the fuperior of the inquifi- 
 tion received a meffage for fome other bufinels ; fo 
 we told him we would confider further of the ac- 
 count 
 
SiGNOK GAtJBlNTiO Bl LuCCA. II 
 
 count he gave us ; which, faid we, might be true, 
 tho* the adventure was extraordinary; but we would 
 liear the remaining account of his life another time. 
 He allured us with the moft natural air, that the 
 whole, let it feem never fo extraordinary, was real 
 fafl. Whether it were true or falfe, did not much 
 concern the holy office, only fo far as we might 
 catch him tripping in his ilory. However, fome of 
 the inquifitors afked him the following queitions : 
 
 First Inquisitor. — " Why did you not yield 
 at firll, conlidering the prodigious inequality of your 
 strength and numbers, w^hen you might have been 
 ranfomed afterwards ; and not expofe yourfelves 
 like madmen, to be cut in pieces, as you really all 
 were, except yourfelf ?" 
 
 Gaudentio. — I told your Teverences we had 
 put our all in that bottom ; which once loll, we had 
 liothing to ranfom ourfelves withal ; but in all like- 
 lihood mull have remained in llavery all our lives^ 
 We were, moft of us, rafh young men, of more cou- 
 Tage than prudence ; we did not doubt but we could 
 ieep them off from boarding us, as we did •, and 
 thought, by that warm reception, they would have 
 given us over ; belides, fighting againlt turks and 
 infidels, tho' it were for our lives and fortunes, at 
 the fame time, we judged it meritorious, and might 
 be looked upon as laying down our lives for our 
 holy religion. 
 
 Second Inquisitor. — " You faid, that the 
 flrange lady cried out, there is fomething in that 
 young man that tells me he muft not die : I hope you 
 don't pretend to the fcience of phyliognomy, which 
 is one of the branches of divination : or that an in- 
 fidel or heathen woman could have the fpirit of 
 prophecy ?'' 
 
 Gaudentio. — I can't tell what w^as her motive 
 ifor faying fo : I only relate matter of facfl. As for 
 phyfiognonij, I don't think there can be any thing 
 
 certain 
 
in The memoirs oi 
 
 certain in it : not but that a perfon of penetration, 
 "who has confider'd the humours and paflions of men, 
 and the little care the generality of the world take to 
 Tefift them ; I fay, fuch a perfon who has ftudied 
 men, may give a great guefs, a pofteriori^ how they 
 are inclined, tho' reafon and virtue may overcome 
 the moll violent. But I entirely fubrait my opinion 
 to your better judgments. 
 
 Secretary. — I can't fay v»re were diifatisfied 
 with thefe anfwers : we faw he was a perfon of a 
 very noble prefence ; and muft have been extremely 
 handfome in his youth : no wonder a barbarian wo- 
 man fliould fall in love with him, and make ufe of 
 that turn to fave his life. However, for the pre- 
 fent, we remanded him back to his apartment.— 
 Some days after he was called again to profecute 
 his llory. 
 
 While I was under deck, in confinement with the 
 pirates, feveral of them were tolerably civil to me ; 
 knowing the afcendant the lady had over their cap- 
 tain, and being witnefles how fhe had faved my life. 
 But yet file would not confent to marry him till fhe 
 was aiTured I was fafe cut of his hands. The aich- 
 pirate never came to fee me himfelf, not being wil- 
 ling to trull his paffion;- or elfe to watch ail favour- 
 able opportunities of waiting on his millrefs. One 
 day being indifpofed for want of air, I begged to 
 be carried upon deck to breath a little ; when I 
 came up I faw the lady, with her woman, flanding 
 at the ether end of the Ihip on the fame account. 
 I made her a very refpe(5lful bow at a diilance ; but 
 as foon as ever Ihe call her eye on me, fhe went 
 down into the cabin, I fuppofe to keep her promife 
 with the captain, and not to adminifter any caufe 
 of jealoufy. I delired to be carried down again, not 
 to hinder my benefadlrefs from taking her diverlion. 
 I can't fay I found in myfeif the ieail inclination 
 ©r emotion of love, only a fenfe of gratitude for fo 
 
 great 
 
SiGNOi^ Gaubsntio di Lucca. 13 
 
 great a benefit ; not without fome admiration of the 
 oddnefs of the adventure. When I was below, I 
 afked the moft feniible and civilized of the pirates, 
 who their captain was, and who was my fair deli- 
 verer ; how long, and by Vv'^hat means, fhe came to 
 be among them ? becaufe, fhe feemed to be a perfon 
 of much higher rank. He told me, his captain's 
 name was Hamet^ fon to the dev of Algiers ; who 
 had forfaken his father's houfe on account of his 
 young mother-in-law's falling in love with him ; 
 for which reafon his father had contrived to have 
 ' him affaffinated, believing him to be in the fault. 
 But his younger brother, by the fame mother, dif- 
 covered the deiign. So gathering together a band 
 of ilout young men like themfelves, they feized two 
 of their father's beft fhips, and refolved to follow 
 the profelilon they were now of, till they heard of 
 their father's death. That as for the lady who had 
 faved my life, fhe was the late wife of a petty prince 
 of the Curdi, (i) tributary to the king of Perfia, 
 whofe hufband had been lately killed by treachery, 
 or in an ambufcade of the wild Arabs. That, as far 
 as he had been informed, the prince, her hufband, 
 had been fent by the king his mailer to Alexandria ; 
 (2) who apprehending an infurredlion among his 
 fubje^ts, (3) 4iad ordered him to treat for fome 
 troops of Arabian horfe. (4) That he went there 
 with a very handfomc equipage, and took his beau- 
 tiful wife along with him. Our captain, continued 
 he, happened to be there at the fame time, to fell his 
 prizes, and had not only fold feveral things of great 
 value to the Curdifh lord and lady, but had con- 
 tradled a particular friendfhip with him ; tho' as 
 v/e found fince, it was more on account of hi^ fair 
 wife than any thing elfe. Nothing in the world 
 could be more obfequious than our captain. He 
 attended them, and offered his fervice on ail occa- 
 iions. You fee he is a very handfcme man, and dar- 
 D ins 
 
14 Thz memoirs of 
 
 ing by Kis profeflion. We could not imagine for a 
 long while, why he made fuch a I^ay at that town 
 contrary to his cuRom ; living at a very high rate, 
 as men of our calling generally do. At length the 
 Curdifh lord having performed his commiflion, w^as 
 upon the return, when we perceived our captain to 
 grow extremely peniive ana melancholy, but could 
 not tell what was the caufe of it. He called his 
 brother, whcrloft his life by your hand, and me to 
 him, and told us in private, he had obferved fome 
 of the Arabian ilrangers muttering together, as if 
 they were hatching fome plot or other ; w^hether 
 againfl himfelf, or the curd, he could not tell ; but 
 bid us be fure to attend him well armed wherever 
 lie went. The event proved he had reafon for his 
 fufpicions ; for one evening, as the curd and his 
 wife v/ere taking the air, with our captain, who w^as 
 alw ay« of the party, pafling thro' a little grove about 
 a league out of town, fix Arabian horfemen, ex- 
 ceedingly well mounted, came full gallop up to us, 
 and w ithout faying a word, two of them fired their 
 piflols diredlly at the Curdifh lord, w^ho was the 
 forenioft, but by good fortune miffed us all. The 
 6urd, as all that nation are naturally brave, (5) 
 drew his fcimitar, and rufhing in among them, cut 
 off the foremoft man's head, as clean as if it had 
 teen a poppy ; but advancing too far, unarmed as 
 he w^as, one of them turned fhort, end fhot him in 
 , the flank, that he dropped down dead immediately. 
 Our captain feeing him fall, rufhed in like lighting, 
 his brother and myfelf falling on them at the fame 
 time : but the afTaillns, as if they w^anted nothing but 
 the death of the curd, or faw by our countenance 
 their flaying w^ould cofl them dear, immediately 
 turned their horfes, and fled fo fwiftly en their jen- 
 nets, that they were out of fight in an inflant. We 
 condudled the poor difconfolate lady and her dead 
 hufband back to the town, w here thofe people made 
 
 no 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. ig 
 
 no more of it, being accuftomed to fucli things, than: 
 if it had been a common accident. When her grief 
 was a little abated, our captain told the ladv, that ic 
 was not fafe for her to return home the fame wa/ 
 fhe came ; that in all probability, thofe who hilled 
 her hufband were in confederacy with the diffaffecfl- 
 ed party, and would v/ay-lay her, either for his pa- 
 pers or her goods. That he had two Ihips well- 
 manned at her fervice, and v/ould conducft: her fafe 
 by fea to fome part of the Perfiah empire, from 
 whence fhe might get into her own country. She 
 confented at laft, having feen how gallantly my maf- 
 ter had behaved in her defence. So fhe came a board 
 with her attendants and her effedls, in order to be 
 tranfported into her ov/n country. Our captain, 
 you may be fure, was in no hafte tacarry her home, 
 being fallen moll defperately in love v/ith her : fa 
 that inllead of carrying her to any of the Perfian 
 dominions, he dire(fl:ed his courfe for Algiers, hear- 
 ing his father was dead ; but meeting with you, it 
 has made him alter his meafures for the prefent.— — 
 He has tried all ways to gain her love, but flie would 
 not give him the leafl encouragement, till this late 
 accident, by which fhe faved your life. 
 
 When he had ended his relation, I reile(5f ed on it 
 a good while, and confidering the nature of thofe 
 pirates, I thought I fav/ a piece of treachery in the 
 afFair, much more black than what he defcribed •, 
 and could not forbear compalllpnating the poor lady,, 
 both for her difaller, and the company fhe was 
 fallen into. However, I kept my thoughts to my~ 
 felf. Not long after, we arrived at Alexandria, (6) 
 where the pirate fold all our efFesffs, that is, the 
 merchandize he had taken aboard our fhip, except 
 fome particular things that belonged to my brother 
 and myfelf, as books, papers, maps and fea charts, 
 piftures, and the like. He determined to carry me 
 Uz to 
 
i6 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 to Grand Cairo, the firft opportunity, to fell me, o? 
 even give me awav, to a ftrange merchant he had an 
 acquaintance with, where I fhould never be heard 
 of more. 
 
 Remarks of Signer Rhedi* 
 
 This is an odd adventure enough; but the clrcumftances are 
 liretty well connefted together. There hr.ppcn very ftrange 
 accidents among thofe lawlefsEaftern people and the wild Arab^, 
 v/ho obferve no rules but v/hat the lions and tigers, could they 
 ipeak, would make for their own prefervation. — I fear there are 
 iome who profcfs themfelves chriftians would do the fame. 
 
 (i ) The Curdi, or people of Curdiftan, are a warlike nation, 
 f.aying a fmall tribute to the Perfian<?, and fometimes to the 
 Turks ; their very v^^omen are martial, and handle the fword 
 and pike. The country runs from the Aliduli, a mountainous 
 people, made tributary to the Turks by Selim \. father oi Solimaft 
 tiie magnificent, and reacheth as far as Armenia. 
 
 (2) Alexandria is a fea port at the further end of the Mediter- 
 ranean, belonging to the Turks, but much frequented by Ara- 
 bian merchants both by land and fea. One point of Curditlan is 
 not far from this port. 
 
 (3) This infurre6lion he fpeaks of, might be the feeds, or the 
 iirll plotting, of the grand rebellion of Merowits, which began 
 about the date of this account, and caufed fuch a terrible revo- 
 lution in the Perfian empire, which no one, who underltands any 
 thing, can be ignorant of. 
 
 (4) The Arabian horfes are the beft: in the world, tho* not 
 very large. The horfemen are very dexterous according to the 
 Eailern way of fighting ; on which account, one can't wonder 
 if the king of PerHa and his rebellious fubje6ls made it their in^ 
 tereft to procure as many auxiliaries as they could. It is very 
 likely, the little parties would always be on watch, to furprife 
 one another w^hen they could find an opportunity. And t-his 
 petty Curdian prince being zealous for the fervice of his king^ 
 raiight be taken ofi:' by the rebels that way. 
 
 (5) Alexandria is a great fea port of Egypt under the Turk?. 
 
 (6) Grand Cairo is the place of reiidence of the great baila 
 of Egyptj higher up the country on the river Nile. 
 
 Continuation 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO JDI LxJCCA. 1^ 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 N, 
 
 ' O T H I N G remarkable happened during our 
 flay at Alexandria. Thej told me the captain had 
 been in an extraordinary good humour ever iince, 
 the lady's promife to marry him. But fhe, to be 
 lure he fhould not deceive her in doing me any in- 
 jury when I was out of the fhip, ordered her officer 
 to attend me wherever I was carried, till I was put 
 in fafe hands, and entirely out of the pirate's power. 
 When we were arrived at Grand Cairo, I was carried 
 to the place where the merchants meet to exchange 
 their commodities : there were perfons of almofl all 
 the Eallern and Indian nations. The lady's officer,, 
 according to his miftrefs's order, never flirred aii 
 inch from me, to witnefs the performance of arti- 
 cles. At length, the pirate and a ilrange merchant 
 fpied one another, almofl at the inllant, and advanc- 
 ing the fame way, faluted each other in the Turkifh. 
 language, which I underfiood tolerably well. After 
 fome mutual coinpliments, the pirate told him he 
 had met with fuch a perfon as he had promifed to 
 procure for him two years before, meanin<y myfelf, 
 only I was not an eunuch, but that it was in his 
 power to make me fo if he pleafed. Your reve- 
 rences cannot doubt but I was a little flartled at 
 fuch a fpeech ; and v/as going to reply, that I would 
 lofe my life a thoufand times before I would fuffer 
 fuch an injwry. But the lady's officer turned to the 
 pirate, and faid, he had engao;ed to his lady I fhould 
 receive no harm ; and that he muil never expert to 
 obtain her for his wife, if flie had the leafi fufpicion 
 of fuch a thing. But the merchant Ibon put us out 
 1)3 ^ 
 
i3 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 of doubt, by afTuring us, that it was againft their 
 laws to do fuch an injury to any one of their own 
 •fpecies ; but if it were done before, they could not 
 help it : then turning to me, he faid, in very good 
 Lingua Franca, " young man, if I buy you, I fhail 
 -toon convince you, you need not apprehend any fuch 
 iifage from me." He eyed me from top to toe, with 
 the moft penetrating look I ever faw in my life ; 
 yet feemed pleafed at the fame time. He was very 
 lichiy clad, attended with three young men in the 
 fame kind of drefs, tho* not rich, who feemed rather 
 fons than fervants. His age did not appear to me 
 to be above forty, yet had the moll ferene and molt 
 venerable look imaginable ; his complexion was ra- 
 ther browner than that of theEgyptians,but it feem- 
 ed to be more the efFe«fl of travelling than natural. 
 Ill fhort, he had an air fo uncommon that I was 
 amazed, and began to have as great an opinion of 
 him as he feemed to have of me. He afked the pi- 
 rate what he mull give for me ? He told him, I had 
 cofl him very dear *, and with that recounted to him 
 all the circumflances of the fight, wherein I was 
 taken ; and to give him his due, reprefented it no 
 %vays to my difadvantage. However, thofe v/ere not 
 the qualiiicaticns the merchant defired : what he 
 wanted v/as a perfon who was a fcholar, and could 
 give him an account of the arts and fciences, laws, 
 cuftoms, &c. of the chrillians. This the pirate 
 alTured him I could do ; that I was an European 
 chriilian, and a fcholar, as he guefled by my books 
 and writings ; that I underflood navigation, geo- 
 graphy, ailronomy, and feveral other fciences. I 
 was out of countenance to hear him talk fo ; for 
 tho' I had as much knowledge of thofe fciences as 
 could be expecfled from one of my years, yet my age 
 would not permit me to be mafler of them, but only 
 to have the firft principles, by which I might im- 
 prove myfelf afterwards. 
 
 Secretary — - 
 
CIGNOR GauDENTIO DI LuCCA. I9 
 
 Secretary. — The inquifitors demurred a little 
 at this, fearing he might be addided to judicial af- 
 trology; but conitdering he had philofophy, and 
 was deligned for the fea, he was obliged to have fome 
 knowledge in thofe fciences. 
 
 The pirate told him, I had fome fkill in mufic and 
 painting, having feen fome inllruments and books 
 of thofe arts among my eifedls, and afked me if it 
 were not fo ? I told him, young gentlemen of libe- 
 ral education in our country, wholly learnt thofe 
 arts, and that I had a. competent knowledge that 
 way. This made the merchant refolve to buy me. 
 When they came to the price, the pirate demanded 
 forty ounces of native gold, and three of thofe filk 
 carpets he fav/ there v/ith him, to make a prefent to 
 the grand iignor. The merchant agreed with him 
 at the iirll word ; only demanded all the books, 
 globes, mathematical inllruments, and, in fine, what- 
 ever remained of my eifedls into the bargain. The 
 pirate agreed to this, as eafJy as the other did to the 
 price; fo, upon performance of articles on both lides, 
 I was delivered up to him. 
 
 As foon as I v/as put into his power, he embraced 
 me with a great deal of tendernefs, faying, I fhould 
 not repent my change of life : his attendants came 
 up to me and embraced me in the fame manner, cal- 
 ling me brother, and exprelTed a great deal of joy 
 for having me of their company. The merchant 
 bid them take me down to the canvanfera, or inn, 
 that I might refrefli myfelf, and change my habit to 
 the fame as they wore. I was very much furprifed 
 at fuch unexpected civilities from llrangers. But, 
 before I went, I turned to the pirate, and laid to him 
 W'ith an air that made the merchant put on 1 very 
 thoughtful look, that I thanked him for keeping his 
 •promife in faving my life ; but added, that tho' the 
 fortune of war had put it in his power to fell me 
 like a beall in the market, it might be in mine fome 
 
 time 
 
20 The memoirs of 
 
 time or other to render the like kindnefs. Then I 
 turned to the lady's ofticer, who had been my guar- 
 dian fo faithfully, and embracing him with all ima- 
 ginable tendernefs, I begged him to pay my beft re- 
 fpe(51s to my fair deliverer •, aiTuring her, that I 
 fhould efteem it the greateft happinefs to be able 
 one day to make a return for fo unparalled a favour, 
 tho' it were at the expenfe of that life fhe had fo 
 generoully faved : fo we parted ; the pirate grum- 
 bling a little within himfeif, and I in amazing fuf- 
 penfe to know what was likely to become of me. 
 
 As they were conducting me to the canvanfera, 
 where they lodged, I was full of this forrowful re- 
 tiedtion, that I w^as a Have flill, tho' I had changed 
 my mailer •, but my companions, who v/ere feme of 
 the handfomell young men I ever faw in my life, 
 comforted me with the molt endearing words, telling 
 me, that I need fear nothing-, that I ihould elleem 
 myfelf one of the happieft men in the v/orld when 
 they were arrived fafe in their ov/n country, which 
 they hoped would not be long ; that 1 fhould be as 
 free as they were, and follow what employment of 
 life my inclinations led me to, without any reitraint 
 whatfoever : in fine, their difcourfe filled m.e with 
 frefli amazement, and gave me at th€ fame timie a 
 fort of juvenile defire to fee the event. I faw they 
 did not keep any llri^ guard on me, that I verily 
 believed I could eafiiy have given them the Hip; and 
 might have gotten fome Armenian chriilian to con- 
 ceal me, till I could find an opportunity of returning 
 into my own. country : but having loft all my ef- 
 fects, I thought I could fcarce be in a worfe condi- 
 tion, and was refolved to run all hazards. 
 
 When I came to the houfe, I was ftruck with 
 wonder at the magnificence of it, efpecially at the 
 richnefs of the furniture : the houfe was one of the 
 beft in ail Grand Cairo, tho' built low according to 
 the cuftom of the country. It feems they always 
 
 ftaid 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO DI LvCCA. 0,1 
 
 iiaid a year before tliey returned into their own 
 country, and fpared no coft to make their baniili- 
 ment, as they called it, as eafy as they could. I was 
 entertained with all the rarities of Egypt, the moll 
 delicious fruits, and the richeft Greek and Afiatick 
 wines that could be tailed ; by which I faw they 
 w^ere not mahometans. Not knowing what to 
 make of them, I aiked them who they were, of what 
 country, what fefl and profedlon ? They fmiled at 
 my quellions, and told me they zuere children of the 
 Jun^ and were c'A\GdiM.ezoraiiians \ Vv^hich was as un- 
 intelligible to me as all the reft : but, for their coun- 
 try, they told me I fliould fee it in a few months, 
 "and bid me aflc no further queitions. Prefently m.y 
 mailer came in, and embracing me, once more bid 
 me v;elcome, with fuch an engaging affability, as 
 took away almoft all my fears : but what followed, 
 filled me with the utmoft furprife. " Young man," 
 faid he " by the laws of this country you are mine ; 
 I have bought ycu at a very high price, and would 
 give twice as much for you if it were to be done 
 again : — but," continued he, with a more ferious 
 air, " I know no jull laws in the univerfe that can 
 make a free-born man become a f^ave to one of his 
 own fpecies. If you will voluntarily go along with 
 us, you fhall enjoy as much freedom as I do myfelf ; 
 you fhall be exempt from all the barbarous laws of 
 thofe inhuman countries, whofe brutal cuftoms are 
 a Ihame to the dignity of a rational creature, and 
 with whom we have no commerce, but to enquire 
 after arts and fciences, which may contribute to the 
 common benefit of our people. We ai*e biefl with 
 the moft opulent country in the Vvorld ; we leave it 
 to your choice to go along with us if you pleafe *, if 
 you will not, I here give you your liberty, and 
 reftore to you all that remains of your effecHs, 
 with what afliflance you want to carry-you back 
 again into your own country -.—only, this I muft 
 
 tell 
 
22 The memoirs of 
 
 tell you, if you go v/ith us, 'tis likely you will never 
 come back again, or, perhaps, defire it/' Here he 
 itopped, and obferved my countenance with a great 
 deal of attention. I was ftruck with fuch admira- 
 tion of his generolity, together \vith the fentiments 
 of joy for my unexpedied liberty, and gratitude to 
 my benefactor, coming into my mind all at once„ 
 that I had as much difficulty to believe what I heard^ 
 as your reverences may now have at the relation of 
 it, till the fequel informs you of the reafons for fuch 
 unheard of proceedings. On the one hand, the na- 
 tural delire of liberty prompted me to accept my 
 freedom •, on the other, I coniidered my fhattered 
 fortune ; that I was left in a ftrange country fo far 
 from home, among turk and infidels ; the ardour 
 of youth excited me to pufh my fortune. The ac- 
 count of fo glorious, tho"* unknown, a country, fiir- 
 red up my curioiity : I fav/ gold was the leaft part 
 of the riches of thefe people, who appeared to me 
 the moll civilized I ever faw in my life ; but above 
 all, the fenfe of what I owed to fo noble a benefac- 
 tor, who I faw deiired it, and had me as much in his^- 
 power now, as he could have afterv/ards. Thefe 
 confiderations made me as gobd as refolved to go 
 along with him. I had c^ontinued longer thus ir- 
 refolute, and fluctuating between fo many different, 
 thoughts, if he had not brought me to myfelf, by- 
 faying, " what fay you, young man, to my propofal? 
 I ftarted out of my reveries, as if I had awaked from 
 a real dream •, and making a mofl profound reve- 
 rence, " my lord," faid I " or rather my father and 
 deliverer, I am yours by all the ties of gratitude a 
 human heart is capable of ; I refign myfelf to your 
 condu6l, and v/ill follow you to the end of the world'* 
 This I faid with fuch emotion of fpirit, that I be- 
 lieve he faw into my very foul ; for embracing me 
 once more with a moll inexpreiiible tendernefs, " I 
 
 adopt 
 
SiGNOR Gaudxntio di Ltjcca. 23 
 
 adopt you" faid he " for xnj fon ; and thefe are 
 your brothers/' pointing to his two young compa- 
 nions ; " all I require of you is, that you live as 
 fuch." 
 
 Here, reverend fathers, I muil confefs one of the 
 greatell faults I ever did in my life ; I never con- 
 iidered whether thefe men were chriftians or hea- 
 thens : I engaged myfelf with a people, where I 
 could never have the exercife of my religion, altho* 
 I alv/ays preferved it in my heart. But what could 
 be expe^ed from a daring young man, jull in the 
 heat of his youth, who had loll all his fortune, and 
 had fuch a glorious profpe<n: offered him for retriev- 
 ing it ? 
 
 Soon after this, he gave orders to his attendants 
 to withdraw, as if he had a mind to fay fomething 
 to me in private ; they obeyed immediately with a 
 iilial refped: as if they had indeed been his fons, but 
 they were not ; I only mention it to fhew the na- 
 ture of the people I was engaged with : then taking 
 me by the hand he made me fit down by him, and 
 aiked me if it were really true, as the pirate inform- 
 ed him, that I was an European chriflian ? tho*, faid 
 he, be what you will, I don't repent my buying of 
 you : I told him I was, and in that belief woul-d live 
 and die. " So you may,'' faid he, feeming pleafed 
 ^t my anfwer : " but I have not yet met with any 
 of that part of the world who feemed to have the 
 difpofitions of mind I think I fee in you," looking 
 at the lineaments of my face with a great deal of 
 fcarneftnefs : " I have been informed," continued 
 he " that your lav/s are not like thefe barbarous 
 turks, whofe government is made up of t^^ranny 
 and brutality, governing all by fear and force, and 
 making flaves of all who fall under their power ; 
 whereas, the European chriftians, as I am told, aie 
 governed by a divine lav/, that teaches them to do 
 good to all, injury to none •; particularly, not to kill 
 
 and 
 
 L 
 
tt4 The memoirs of 
 
 and dellroy their own fpecies ; nor to Heal, cheaf, 
 over reach, or defraud any one of their jull due ; but 
 to do in all things jull as they wotild be done by ; 
 looking on all men as common brothers of the fame 
 Hock, and behaving with jullice and equity in all their 
 a(ftions public and private, as if they were to give 
 an account to the univerfal Lord and Father of all." 
 I told him our law did really teach and command us 
 to do fo, but that very few lived up to this law ; — 
 that we were obliged to have recourfe to coercive 
 laws and penalties, to enforce what we acknow- 
 ledged otherwife to be a duty : that, if it v;ere not 
 for the fear of luch punlfhment, the greateft part of 
 them would be worfe than the very turks he m.en- 
 tioned. — He feemed ftrangely furprifed at this.— 
 ** What,'* fays he " can any one do in private, what 
 his own reafon and folemn proiellion condemns V* 
 — then addreirmg himfelf to me in a more particu- 
 lar manner, "do you profefs this juft and holy law 
 you mentioned? I told him I did: " then,'' fays 
 he " do but live up to your own law and we require 
 no more of you.'* (i) Here he m.ade a little noife 
 with his ftaff, at which two of his attendants came 
 in : he aflvcd them if my eifecfbs were come from the 
 pirates ? Being anfwered they were, he ordered 
 them to be brought in, and examined them very 
 nicely. There were among ihem fome picSiures of 
 my own drawing, a repeating watch, two compafs 
 boxes, one of them very curioully wrought in ivory 
 and gold, which had been my great grand father's, 
 given him by P^enerio *, a fet of mathematipl inllru- 
 ments, draughts of llatuary and architect jire, by the 
 beft mafters, with ail which he feemed' extremely 
 pleafed. After he had examined them with a great 
 deal of admiration, he ordered one of his attendants 
 to reach him a cabinet, full of gold; he opened it to 
 me, and faid, " young man, I not only reftore you 
 all your eif-rdb here prefent, huvir^ no right to any 
 
 thing 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO DI LlTCCA. 1$ 
 
 thing that belongs to another man, but once more 
 offer you your liberty, and as much of this gold a3 
 you think fufficient to carry you home, and make 
 you live eafy all your life/' I was a little out of 
 countenance, thinking what I faid of the ill morals 
 of the chrillia-ns, had made him afraid to take me 
 along with him : I told him, I valued nothing now 
 fo much as his company, and begged him not only 
 to let me go along with him, but that he would be 
 pleafed to accept whatever he faw of mine there 
 before him ; adding, that I elleerned it the greatefl 
 happinefs to be able to make fome fmail recompenfe 
 for the obligations I owed him. " I do accept of it" 
 fays he, " and take you folemnly into my care : go 
 along with thofe young men, and enjoy your liberty 
 in effect, v/hich I have hitherto only given you in 
 words/' Here fome of his elder companions came 
 in, as if they were to confult about bufinefs ; the 
 young men and myfeif went to walk the town for 
 our diveriion. 
 
 Your reverences may be fure, I obferved all the 
 a<5lions of thefe nev/ people, with the greatefl at- 
 tention my age was capable of. They feemed not 
 only to have a horror of the barbarous manners and 
 vices of the turks, but even a contempt of all the 
 pleafures and diverlions of the country. Their 
 whole bulinefs was to inform them.felves of w^hat 
 they thought might be an improvement in their own 
 country, particularly in arts and trades, and what- 
 ever curiofities were brought from foreign parts ; 
 fetting down their obfervations of every thing of 
 moment. They had mailers of the country at fet 
 hours to teach them the Turkifh and Perfian lan- 
 guages, in v/hich I endeavoured to perfe(fl: myfeif 
 along with them. Tho' they feemed to be the moll 
 moral men in the world, I could obferve no figns of 
 religion in them, till a certain occafion that happen- 
 ed to us in our voyage, of v/hich I fnall fpeak to 
 E VGur 
 
25 The memoirs of 
 
 your reverences in its proper place. This was the 
 only point they were ihy in ; they gave me the rea- 
 fons for it afterwards ; but their behaviour the moll 
 candid and iincere in other matters that can be ima- 
 gined. 
 
 We lived thus in the mofl perfe(5l union all the 
 time we ilaid at Grand Cairo ; and I enjoyed th6 
 fame liberty that I could have had if I had been in 
 Italy. All I remarked in them was an uneafinefs 
 they expreiTed to be fo long out of their own coun- 
 try ; but they comforted themfelves with the thought 
 it would not be long. 
 
 I can't omit one obfervation I made of thefe young 
 men's condujfl: while we Ilaid in Egypt ; — they v/ere 
 all about my own age, ftrong and vigorous, and the 
 handfomeil race of people, perhaps, the world ever 
 produced. We were in the moil voluptuous and 
 lewd town in the v/hole Eallern empire ; the young 
 •women feemed ready to devour us as we went along 
 the ilreets ; yet I never faw the leall inclination to 
 any thing of that nature. I imputed it at firfl to the 
 apprehenlion of my being in their company, and a 
 Uranger ; but I foon found they adted by principle. 
 As young men are apt to encourage, or rather to 
 corrupt, one another, I own I could not forbear ex- 
 prefTmg my wonder at it : they feemed furprifed at 
 the thought; but the reafons they gave were as muck 
 out of our common way of thinking, as their beha- 
 viour. The told me, for the firil reafon, that all 
 the women they faw were either married or parti- 
 cular men's daughters, or common. For mariied 
 women, they faid, it was fuch a heinous piece of in- 
 jufiice to violate the marriage-bed, that every man 
 living would look upon it as the greateft injury done 
 lo himfelf : how could they therefore in reaibn do 
 it to another ? If they were daughters of particular 
 men, bred up with fo much care and folicitucje of 
 their parents, what a terrible afilidlion muH it be to 
 
 them ; 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. ^7 
 
 tliem ; or to oiirfelves, to fee our daughters or fillera 
 violated cind corrupted, after all our care to the con- 
 trary ; and this too, perhaps, by thofe v/e had che- 
 rifhed in our own bofoms ? If common ftrumpets, 
 what rational man could look on them other wife 
 than brute beails, to abandon themfelves to every 
 Itranger for hire ? beiides, their prollitute lewdnefs 
 generally defeats the great defign of nature to pro- 
 pagate the fpecies ; or by their impure embraces, 
 fuch diforders may be contraded, as to make us 
 hereafter at beft, but fathers of a weak and iickly 
 offspring. And if we Ihould have children by them, 
 what would become of our fathers grand- children ? 
 But v/hat man who had the leail fenfe of the dignity 
 of his own birth, would llain his race, and give birth 
 to fuch a wretched breed, and then leave them ex- 
 pofed to want and infamy ? — This they faid chiefly 
 with reverence to the vaft ideas they had of their 
 own nation, valuing themfelves above all other peo- 
 ple. Tho* the confideration holds good with all men, 
 I own, I was inute at thefe reafons, and could not 
 fay but they were very juft, tho' the warmth of my 
 youth had hindered me from reiie(fl:ing on them be- 
 fore. Thefe refle^fbions appeared fo extraordinary 
 in young men, and even heathens, that I fhall never 
 forget them. 
 
 Some time after, I found by their diligence in 
 fettling their affairs, and the chearfulnefs of their 
 countenance, that they had thoughts of departing 
 from Egypt ; they feemed to wait for nothing but 
 orders from their governor. In the mean time there 
 happened an accident to me, which is fcarce fit for 
 your reverences to hear ; nor fhould I ever have 
 thought to relate it to you, only you laid your com- 
 mands on me to give an exa6l account of my whole 
 liie : befides, that it is interwoven with fome of the 
 chief occurrences of my life in the latter part of it. 
 
 Our governor, whom they called pophar, whic/i 
 E ^ ia 
 
28 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 m their language lignifies father qf his people, and 
 by which name I Ihall always call him hereafter, 
 looJsing at his eJ^hemeris^vAiich he did very frequent- 
 ly, found, by computation, that he had fome time 
 left to flay in the country, and refolved to go dow^n 
 once more to Alexandria, to fee if he could meet with 
 any more European curiolities, which are brought 
 by merchants Ihips coming in perpetually at that 
 feafon into the port. He took only two of the 
 young men and me along with him, to fhew me, as 
 he faid, that I was entirely at my liberty, fince I 
 anight eaiily find fome fhip or other to carry me in- 
 to my own country. On the other hand, to con- 
 vince him of the iince'rity of my intentions, I gene- 
 rally kept in his company. (2) The affair I am 
 going to fpeak of, loon gave him full proof of the 
 iincerity. 
 
 While Ave were walking in the the public places 
 to view the feveral goods and curiolities, that were 
 broujyht from diiferent parts of the World, it hap- 
 pened that the bafia of Grand Cairo, with all his 
 family, was come to Alexandria on the fame account 
 as well as to buy fome young female ilaves. His 
 wife and daughter v.^ere then both along with him : 
 the wife was one of the grand fignor's fillers, feem- 
 ingly about thirty, and a wonderfully fine woman. 
 The daughter Vv^as about fixteen, of fuch exquilite 
 beauty and lovely features, as were fufficient to 
 charm the greatell prince in the world.* 
 
 When we perceived them, the pophar, who na- 
 turally abhorred the turks, kept off, as if he were 
 treating privately with fome merchants. But I, be- 
 ing young and inconfi derate, flood gazing, tho' at a 
 
 refpe(5tful 
 
 * The balTa of Grand Cairo Is one of the greateft pods 
 in the Turkifh empire, and the molt independent of any fnbjedt 
 in Turl^ey. It is cuftomary,for the fultans to give their daugh- 
 ters in marriage to fuch perfons; who are often diflikcd by the 
 hufbands on account of their imperious behaviour. 
 
SiGNOR Gaudintio di Lvcca. 29 
 
 refpesflful diflance, at the bajfTa's beautiful daughter, 
 from no other motive but mere curioiity. She had 
 her eyes fixed on m.y companions and mjfelf at the 
 fame time, and, as I fuppofed, on the fame account. 
 Her drefs was fo magnificent, and her perfon fo 
 charming, that I thought her the moil beautiful. 
 creature I had ever feen in my life. If I could have 
 forefeen the troubles that fhort interview was going 
 to coil both the pophar and myfelf, I fhould have 
 chofe to have looked on the moll hideous moniter. I 
 obferved that the young lady, with a particular fort 
 of emotion, Vv hifpered fomething to an elderly wo- 
 man that attended her, and fhe did the fame to a page, 
 who immediately went to two natives of the place, 
 whom the pophar ufed to hire to carry his things : 
 this w^as to enquire of them v/ho we v/ere. They, 
 as appeared by the event, told them, I was a youn^ 
 Have lately bought by the pophar. After a while, 
 the baifa, with his train, went away, and for my 
 own part I thought no more of the matter. 
 
 The next day as the pophar and we were walking 
 in one of the public gardens, a little elderly man 
 like an eunuch, with a mofl: beautiful youth along 
 with him, having dogged us to a private part of the 
 walks, came up to us, and addreiiing themfelves to 
 the pophar, allied him, what he would take for his 
 young flave, pointing at me , becaufe the baifa de- 
 iired to buy him. The pophar feemed to be more 
 furprifed at this unexpecrled queltion, than I ever 
 obferved him at any thing before, which confirmed 
 me more and i-r^ore in the opinion of the kindnefs he 
 had for me. But foon coming to himfelf, as he was 
 f man of great prefence of mind, he laid, very fe- 
 dately, that I was no Have, nor a perfon to be fold 
 for any price, lince I was as free as he was. They 
 taking this for a pretext to enhance the price, pro- 
 duced fome orieniai pearls, with other jewels of im- 
 menfe vaiue> and bid liim name what he would haive, 
 E 3 and 
 
30 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 and it fhould be paid immediately ; adding, I was 
 to be the companion of the baffa's fon, where I 
 might make my fortune for ever, if I would go along 
 "with them. The pophar perlifted in the fame an- 
 fwer, and faid he had no power over me : they in- 
 iilled I had been bought as a Have, but fome time 
 ago, in the grand fignor's dominions, and they 
 v/ould have me. Here I interpofed, and anfwered 
 brifkly, that tho' I had been taken prifoner by the 
 chance of Vv/^ar, I was no ilave, nor would I part with 
 my liberty but at the price of my life. The baffa's 
 fon, for fo he now declared himfelf to be, inllecid of 
 being angry at my refolute anfwer, replied with a 
 moll agreeable fmile, that I fhould be as free as he 
 was, making the moil folemn proteilations by his 
 holy aicoran, that our lives and deaths fhould be 
 infeparable. Tho' there v/as fomething in his words 
 the moft perfuafive I e\-er felt within myfelf, yet, 
 conlidering the obligations I had to the pophar, I 
 v/as refolved not to go, but anfwered with a moil 
 refpe(5lful bow, that tho"* I was free by nature, I haid 
 indifpeniible obligations not to go with him, and 
 hoped he would take it for a determined anfv/er. I 
 pronounced this with fuch a refolute air, as made 
 him fee there were no hopes. Whether his defire 
 was more eniiamed by my denial, or v^hether they 
 took us for perfons of greater note than we appear- 
 ed to be, I can't tell ; but, I obferved, he put on a 
 very languiihing air, with tears flealing down his 
 cheeks, v.hich moved me to a degree I can't exprefs. 
 I was fcarce capable of fpeaking, but cafl down my 
 eyeSjSind ilood as immoveable as a iiatue. This feem- 
 ed to revive his hopes ;, he recovered himfelf a little, 
 and Vv'ith a trembling voice, replied, fuppofe it be 
 the baila's daughter you faw yefterday that deiires to 
 have you for her attendant,what do you fay ? I flart- 
 ed at this, acd calling my eyes on him more atten- 
 tivelyj I fav/ his fv;imming in tears,with a tendemefs 
 
 enough 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 31 
 
 enough to pierce the hardell heart. I looked at the 
 pophar, who I faw was trembling for me, and feared 
 it was the daughter herfelf that afked me the quef- 
 tion. I was foon put out of doubt, for ihe finding 
 fhe had gone too far to go back, difcovered herfeli, 
 and faid, I mull go along with her, or one of us muft 
 die. I hope your reverences will excufe this ac- 
 count I give of mjfelf, v^hich nothing ihould have 
 drawn from me, tho^ it is literally true, but your ex- 
 prefs commands to tell the whole hiilory of my life. 
 The perplexity I was in can't be imagined ; I con- 
 lidered Ihe w^as a turk and I a chriflian ; that my 
 death muft certainly be the confequence of fuch a 
 rafli affair, were I to engage in it. That w^hether 
 fhe concealed me in her father's court, or attempted 
 to go off with me, it w^as ten thoufand to one we 
 fhouid both we facrificed : neither could the vio- 
 lence of fuch a fudden paflion ever be concealed 
 from the baffa's fpies. 
 
 In a word, I was refolved not to go ; but how to 
 get off was the difficulty. I faw the moft beautiful 
 creature in the world all in tears before me, after a 
 declaration of love, that exceeded the molt roman^ 
 tic tales ; youth, love and beauty, and even an in- 
 clination on my fide, pleaded her caufe. But at 
 length the coniideration of the endlefs miferies I was 
 likely to draw on th6 young lady, fhouid I comply 
 with what fne defired, prevailed above all others. I 
 was refolved to refufe, for her fake more than my 
 own, and was juft going to tell her fo on my knees, 
 with all the arguments my reafon could fuggeit to 
 appeafe her, when an attendant came running in 
 nafte to the other perfoD,who v/as alfo a woman, and 
 told her, the baffa was coming that way. vShe w^as 
 roufed out of her lethargy at this : the other woman, 
 without any demur, fnatched her away, as the po- 
 phar did me : flie juft cried out v/ith a threat, think 
 better on it, or die •, fo w^« w^^xe immediately out of 
 fight of oue cioother» 
 
 I was 
 
33 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 I was no fooner out of her lights but I found a 
 thoufand reafons for what I did, more I could think 
 of before, w^hen that enchanting objedl was before 
 my eyes* I faw the madnefs of that pallion which 
 forced the moil charming perfon of the Ottoman 
 empire, capable by her beauty to conquer the grand 
 iignor himfelf, to make a declaration of love, fo 
 contrary to the nature and modcfty of her fex, as 
 well as her quality and dignity, and ready to facri- 
 fice her reputation, the duty flie owed her parents, 
 her liberty, perhaps her life, and all for an unknown 
 perfon, who had been a f^ave but fome time before. 
 I faw on the other hand, that had I complied with 
 the fair charmer's propofal, I muil have run the 
 rifk of loiing my religion or life, or rather both ; 
 with a dreadful chain of hidden misi'ortunes, v hich 
 were likely to accompany fuch a rafii adventure — 
 While I was taken up v/ith thefe refledlions, the wife 
 pophar, after having thought a little upon v. hat 
 had happened, told me, this unfortunate affair would 
 not end fo, but that it might coft both of us our 
 lives, and fomething elfe that was more dear to hiin. 
 He feared fo violent a paiRon would draw on other 
 extremes ; efpecially coniidering the wickednefs of 
 the people, and brutal tyranny of their government. 
 Hov/ever, he was refoKed not to give rne up but 
 with his life, if I would but fiand to myfelf ; ad« 
 dinar, that we mult make off as fafl: as vfe could ; that 
 having fo many fpies upon us, we mull ufe policy 
 as v;ell as expedition. So he went down direfbly 
 to the port, and in the hearing of all, publicly hired 
 a fliip to go for Cyprus, paid the whole freight 
 on the fpot, an'l faid they muft necelTajily go off 
 that evening. We had really done fo, but our com- 
 panions and effec^ls obliged us to reLurn to Grand 
 Cairo ; but inilead of going by fea, he called the 
 mailer of the velTel, who was of his acquaintance, 
 and for a good round fiim, privately agreed with 
 
 him 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio bi Lucca. 33, 
 
 Kim to fail out of the port without us, as if we were 
 really gone with him, while he hired a boat at the 
 other end of the town, and went that night diredl/ 
 for Grand Cairo. As foon as we were arrived there^ 
 we enquired how long the bafla would be before 
 he returned to that city. They told us it would be 
 about a fortnight at fooneil ; this gave the pophar 
 time to pay off h.V houfe, pack up his effects, get 
 all things ready for his great voyage ; but l\ill witK 
 greater apprehenfion in his looks than ever I re- 
 marked in him. Plow ever, he told us, he hoped the 
 affair would end well. 
 
 In five days time all things were in readinefs for 
 our departure. We fet out a little before fun-fet, as^ 
 is cullomary in thofe countries, and marched on but 
 a flow pace whilll we were near the town, to avoid 
 any fufpicion of flight. After we had travelled thus 
 about a league up by the fide of the river Nile, the 
 pophar leading the van, and the rell following in a 
 pretty long firing after-him, we met five or fix mea 
 coming down the river fide on horfeback, who hy 
 their fine turbans and habits, fhewed they Vv^ere pages 
 or attendants of fome great perfon. The pophar 
 turned off from the river, as if it w^ere to give them 
 v/ay : they paffed on very civilly without taking any 
 further nothice. I was the hindmofl but one of our 
 train, having ftaid to give our dromedaries fome 
 water.' Soon after thefe came tv/o ladies riding on 
 little Arabian jennets, with prodigious rich furni- 
 . ture, by which I gueffed them to be perfons of qua- 
 lity, and others gone before their attendants. They 
 were not quite over againfl where I was, when the 
 younger of the two ladies jennet began to fnort and 
 Itart at our dromedaries, and became fo unruly, that 
 X apprehended the lady could fcarce fit him. At that 
 inftant, one of the led dromedaries coming pretty 
 near, that, and the ruftling of its loading, fo fright- 
 ed the jennet, that he gave a bound all on a i'udden^ 
 
 and 
 
U The memoirs of 
 
 and beinfj on the inlide of us towards the river, he 
 tan full Ipeed towards the edge of the bank, where 
 not being able to flop his career, he flew diTe<511y 
 off the precipice into the river, with the lady flill 
 fitting him ; but the violence of the leap threw her 
 off two or three yards into the water. It happened 
 very luckily that there was a little ifland juft by 
 where fhe fell, and her clothes keeping her up for 
 fome minute?, the flrcam carried her againfc ibrr.e 
 flakes that flood jull above the water ; the flakea 
 catched hold of her clothes, and held her there :— • 
 the fhrieks of the other lady brought the nigheft at- 
 tendants up to us ; but thofe fearful wretches durft 
 not venture into the river to her afliftance. I jump- 
 ed off my dromedary with indignation, and throw- 
 ing off my loofe garment and fandais, fwam to her> 
 and, with much diliiculty, getting hold of her hand» 
 and ioofing her garments from the flakes, I made a 
 ilaift to drav/ her acrofs the flream, till I brought 
 her to land. She was quite fenfelefs for fome time ; 
 I held down her head, which I had not yet looked 
 at, to make her difgorge the water fhe had fwallow- 
 ed •, but I was foon ftruck with a double furprife, 
 when I looked at her face, to find it was the baffa's 
 daughter, and to fee her in that place, v/hom I 
 thought I had left at Alexandria. 
 
 Some time after {he came to herfelf, and looking 
 fixed on me a good while, her fenfes not being en- 
 tirely recovered, at laft fhe cried out, '* O Mahomet^ 
 jnuii I owe my life to this man V* and fainted away. 
 The other lady, who was her confidant, with a great 
 deal of pains brought her to herfelf again : we raif- 
 ed her up, and endeavoured to comfort her as well 
 as we could : " No,"** fays fhe, " throw me into the 
 river once more ; let me not be obliged to a barba- 
 rian for whom I have done too much already.^' I 
 told her in the moft refpeilful terms I could think 
 of, that providence had ordered it fo^ that I might 
 
 make 
 
SlG^OR GATJDENtIO D! LuCCA* 3^ 
 
 make fome recompenfe for the undeferved obliga- 
 tions fhe had laid on me ; that I had too great va- 
 lue for her merit ever to make her miferable, by- 
 loving a Have, fuch as I was, a ilranger, a cliriflian, 
 and vvho had indifpenlible obligations to a6\ as I did. 
 She ftarted a little at what I faid ; but after a fhort 
 recoiled ion anf\\^ered, " whether you are a Have, an 
 infidel, or whatever you pleafe, you are one of the 
 moil generous men in the world. I fuppofe your obli- 
 gations are on account of fome more happy woman 
 than myfelf ; but lince I owe my life to you, I am re- 
 folved not to make you unhappy, any more than you 
 do me. I not only pardon you, but am convinced my 
 pretenfions are both unjuil and againll my own ho^ 
 Hour.*' She faid this with an air becoming her qua- 
 lity : fhe was much more at eafe when I afTured her 
 I was engaged to no woman in the V70rld ; but that 
 her memory ihould be ever dear to me, and imprint- 
 ed in my heart till my lafl breath. Here ten or a 
 dozen armed turks came upon us full fpeed from 
 the town, and feeing the pophar and his compa- 
 nions, they cried out, '• Hop villains, we arrefl you 
 in the name of the bafra."*' At this we itarted up 
 to fee what was the matter, when the lady,who knev/ 
 them, bid me not be afraid ; that ^thefe were men 
 ilie had ordered to purfue me, when ihe left Alexan- 
 dria : that hearing we v^^ere fled off by fea, fhe pre 
 tended ficknefs, and afked leave of her father to re- 
 turn to Cairo, there to bemoan her misfortune with 
 her confidant ; aind v;as in thofe mt:lanchoiy fenti- 
 ments when the late accident happened to her : that 
 fhe fuppofed thefe men had difcovered the trick we 
 had played them in not going by fea, and on better 
 information had purfued us this way ; fo fhe difmif- 
 fed them immediately. I v/as all this whik in one of 
 the greateit agonies that can be expreiTed, both for 
 tear of my own refolutions and ker ; fo I begged 
 her to retire, leit her wet clothes ihould endanger 
 
 her 
 
36 The MEMOIRS op 
 
 her healtii. I fliould not have been able to pro* 
 Bounce thefe words if the pophar had not call a look 
 at me which pierced me thro*, and made me fee the 
 danger I was in by my delay. Her refolutions now 
 feemed to be ftronger than mine. She pulled off 
 this jewel your reverences fee on my finger, and juft 
 faid, with tears trickling down her beautiful cheeks, 
 " take this, and adieu \" She then pulled her com- 
 panion away, and never looked at me more. "I flood 
 amazed, almoil without life or motion in me, and 
 can't tell how long I might have continued fo, if 
 the popar had not come and congratulated me for 
 my deliverance. I told him, I did not know what 
 he meant by deliverance, for I did not know whe- 
 ther I was alive or dead, and that I was afraid he 
 would repent his buying of me, if I procured him 
 any more of thefe adventures. " If v.-e meet with no 
 worfe than thefe,'' fays he, " we are w^ell enough ; 
 no victory can be gained without fome lofs.^' So 
 fee awaked me out of my lethargy, and commanded 
 us to make the bell of our way. 
 
 Remarks of Signor Rhedi. 
 
 \i) Lhe up toycur otvn law^ &€."] If it appears incredible to 
 any one, that heathens, as thefe people v/ere, (hould have fuch 
 ftrift ideas of morality and juftice, when they fee luch horrid in- 
 juftices, frauds and opprellions among chriftians, let them con- 
 fider firft, that the law and light of nature v/iH never be entirely 
 extinguifhed in any v» ho don't flnit their eyes againfl it ; but that 
 they would efteem the injuries they do to others, without any 
 fcruple, to be very great havdfhips if done to themfelves. They 
 have therefore the ideas of juftice and equity imprinted in their 
 minds, however obfcured by their v/icked lives. Secondly, let 
 tbem read the celebrated bifhop ofiW^'^jz/.r's univerfal hifi:oi'y,Pt, 3, 
 of the moral? and equity of the antient F.^yptiyns, under their 
 preat king Sejoftris^ or about that time. Thirdly, not only the 
 'iives and maxims of the firft heathen philofophers afford us very 
 jurt rules of morality, but there are alfo fragments of antient 
 hillcry, from the earlieft times, of whole heathen nations, whofe 
 lives would make chriilians biulh at theii own immoralities, if 
 
 they 
 
■ 
 
 The inquisition. Gi 
 
 that iliould defame hy groundlefs reports the holy 
 office of the inquilition. The governor anfwered, 
 he would be willing to aflift his grace in any thing 
 he could -, but as to the young women, it was not 
 in his povv^er, the officers having hurried them away; 
 as 'indeed it was not, for the French officers were all 
 glad to get fuch fine miftrefles. 
 
 As I travelled in France fome time after, I met 
 with one of thofe women at Rochfort, in the fame 
 inn I went to lodge in, who had been brought there 
 by the fon cf the mailer of the inn, formerly a lieu- 
 tenant in the French fervice in Spain, who had 
 married her for her extraordinary merit and beauty. 
 B>h.Q was the daughter of counfellor Balahriga : 
 I had known her before fhe was taken up by the in- 
 quiiitors orders ; her father died of grief, v;ithout 
 the comfort of revealing the caufe of his trouble- 
 even to his confefTor : fo great is the dread of the 
 inquilitors there ! 
 
 I was very glad to meet one of my country-wo- 
 men in my travels ; and as Ihe did not remember 
 me, efpecially in my difguife, fhe took me for an 
 officer. I refolved to flay there the next day, to 
 have the fatisfa<5lion of converfing with her, and to 
 get a plain account of what v/e could not know in 
 Zaragofa, for fear of incurring the ecciefiaflical 
 cenfure, publifhcd by the bifhop. Her father and 
 mother-in-law, to fhev; their refpe(5l fOr their daugh- 
 ter's country-man, (Mr. Faulcaiit her fpouie being 
 gone to Paris) invited me to a handfome fupper ; 
 alter which I begged the favour of her to tell me 
 the reafon of her imj^rifonment ; of her fuiferings 
 in the inquifition, and of every thing fhe knew re- 
 lating to the holy office ; to which flie readily con- 
 fented, and gave me the following account : 
 
 I went one day with my mother to vifit the coun- 
 tefs of Attarafs, and I met there Don Francifco Tor- 
 rtj-in^ her confeiTor, and fecond inquifitor of the 
 F hviy 
 
6z The HISTORY ot 
 
 holy office. After we had drank chocolate, he afked 
 me my age, my confeffor's name, and fo many in- 
 tricate queftions about religion, that I could not an- 
 fwer him. His ferious countenance did frighten 
 me, and as he perceived my fear, he defired the coun- 
 tefs to tell me, that he was not.fo fevere as I took 
 him to be ; after which he carelTed me in a mofl 
 obliging manner ; he gave me his hand, which I 
 kiffed with great refpedl: and modefty ; and when 
 going av/ay, he told me, " My dear child, I fhall 
 ** remember you till the next time/' I did not mind 
 the fenfe of the words, for I was unexperienced in 
 matters of gallantry, being at that time but fifteen 
 years old. Indeed he did remembfer me; for the 
 very fame night, when we were in bed, hearing a 
 hard knocking at the doOr, the maid that lay in the 
 fame room with me, went to the window and afking 
 who was there, I heard fay«*-the holy inquifition. 
 I could not forbear crying out, father, father, I am 
 ruined for ever. My dear father got up, and in* 
 quiring what the matter was, lanfweredhim with 
 tears, the inquifition ; he, for fear that the maid 
 fhould not open the door as quick as fuch a cafe re- 
 quired, went himfelf like another Abraham to open 
 the door, and to offer his dear daughter to the fire 
 of the inquifitors ; and as I did not ceafe to cry out, 
 as if I was a mad girl, my dear father all in tears, 
 did put in my mouth a bit of a bridle, to fliew his 
 obedience to the holy office, for he thought I had 
 committed fome crime againll religion ; fo the of- 
 ficers giving me only time to put on my petticoat 
 and a mantle, took me down into the coach, and 
 without allowing me the fatisfadlion of embracing 
 my dear father and mother, they carried me into the 
 inquifition. 
 
 I did expe(fl to die that night ; but when they 
 carried me into a noble room, well furniflied, I was 
 quite furprifed. The officers left me there, and im- 
 mediately 
 
The inquisition. 63 
 
 iTiediately a maid came in, "with a falver of fweet- 
 meats,and cinnamon water, defiring me to take fome 
 refrefhment before I went to bed. I told her I 
 could not ; but that I fhould be obliged to her, if 
 Ihe could tell me whether I was to die that night 
 or not ? " Die I*' faid fhe " jou do not com*e here 
 " to die, but to live like a princefs, and you fhall 
 " want for nothing in the world, but the liberty of 
 ** going out ; fo 2:)ray be not afraid, but go to bed 
 *' and fieep eafy, for to-morrow you fhall fee won- 
 '• ders in this houfe ; and as I am chofen to be your 
 " waiting-maid, I hope you will be very kind to 
 " me." I was going to afk fome queftions, but flie 
 told me, fhe had not leave to tell me any thing more 
 till the next day, only that no body fhould come to 
 diilurb me ; " and now" faid flie " I am going 
 " about fome bufinefs, but I will come back pre- 
 *' fently, for my bed is in the clofet near yours," fo 
 fhe left me for a quarter of an hour. The great 
 smazement I was in took away the f'*ee exercife of 
 my fenfes to fuch a degree, that I had not power to 
 think either of my afHifted parents, or the danger I 
 was in. In this fufpenfion of thought, the m.aid re- 
 turned, and locked the chamber door after her ; 
 ** Madam" faid fhe " let us go to bed, and be pleafed 
 " to tell me at what time in the morning you will 
 *' have the chocolate ready." I aflced her name, and 
 fhe told me it w^sMary. Mary, forGod's fake (faid 
 I) tell me, whether I come to die or not? " I have 
 *• told you madam" replied fhe " that you are come 
 *' to be one of the happiefl ladies in the world ;" fo 
 obferving her refervednefs, I aflced no more quef- 
 tions that night, but went to bed. The fear of death 
 prevented me from fhutting my eyes, fo that I rofe 
 at break of day ; Mary lay till fix o'clock, and was 
 furprifed to find me up ; hov/ever fhe faid little, 
 but in half an hour fhe brought me, on a filver plate, 
 two cups of chocolate and bifcuits j I draak one cup, 
 F 2 and 
 
^4 The HISTORY of 
 
 and defired her to drink the other, which fhe did. 
 Well, Marj/y faid I, can you give me any account 
 of the reafons of my being here ? " Not yet, ma- 
 " dam" faid Ihe, " have a little patience." With 
 this anfwer fhe left me, and an hour after came again^ 
 with a fine Holland fhift, a Holland under-petti- 
 eoat, finely laced round, two filk petticoats, and a 
 little Spanifh vi'aiflcoat, fringed all over v/ith gold, 
 and combs,, ribbands, and every thing fuitable to a 
 lady of higher quality than I •, but my greateft fur- 
 prlfe was to fee a gold fnuff box, v. ith the pi<5lure, 
 of Don Franci/co Torrcjon in it. Then I foon un- 
 derllood the meaning of my confinement ; fo. I con- 
 fidered with myfelf,that to refufe the prefent would 
 be the occafion of my immediate death ; and to ac- 
 cept it, v.as to give him too great encouragement 
 againfl my honor. But I found, as I thought, a 
 medium in the cafe ; fo I faid to Mary^ pray give 
 my fervice to Don Franci/co Torrejon^ and tell him, 
 that as I could not bring my clothes along w4th me 
 iafl night, honeily permits me to accept of thofe 
 clothes which are necelTary to keep me decent ; but 
 iince I take no fnuff, I bee his lordfhip to excufe 
 me if I do not accept this box.. Mary went to him 
 with this anfwer, and came again with a pid^ure, 
 nicely fet in gold, with four diamonds at the four 
 corners of it, and told me, that his lordfhip had m*if- 
 tooh, and that he defired me to accept that picture. 
 While I was mufing w^hat to dLOyMury faid^. *' pray 
 *' madam take my poor advice, accept the pi(Sure 
 *' and every thing he fends you *,. for confider, that 
 " if you do not comply with every thing he has a 
 " mind for, you will foon be put to death, and no 
 " body can defend you ; but if you are obliging to 
 " him, he is a very complaifant gentleman, and will 
 " be a charming lover, and you will be here like a 
 " queen : he will give you another apartment with 
 " fine gardens, and many young ladies fhall come to 
 
 ^ vifit 
 
The INQiriSITrON. 65 
 
 " vifit you ; fo I advife you to fend a civil anfvver, 
 •* and deiire a vilit from him, or elfe you vAll foon 
 " repent it." O dear God ! cried I, mull I aban- 
 don my honor without remedy ; if I oppofe his de- 
 lire, he will by force obtain it. So, full of con- 
 fufion, I bid Mary to give him what anfwer fnc 
 thought fit : fhe was very glad of my humble fub- 
 miflion, and went to give Don Francifco an account 
 of it. In a few minutes fhe returned with great 
 joy, to tell me that his lordfhip v/ould honor we 
 with his company at fupper ; in the mean time he 
 defired me to mind nothing, but how to divert my- 
 felf, and to give Mary my meafure for fome new 
 clothes, and order her to bring me every thing I 
 could v/ifh for. Mary added to this, " madam, I 
 " may now call you my millrefs, and mull tell you, 
 •* that I have been in the holy office thefe fourteen 
 '* years, and know the cuftoms of it very wxU; but 
 '* as filence is impofed upon me under pain of death, 
 ** I cannot tell you any thing but w^hat concerns 
 " your perfon : fo in the firfl place, do not oppofe 
 ** the holy father's will •, fecondly, if you fee fome 
 " young ladies here, never afk them any queftions ; 
 " neither will they afk you ; and take care that you 
 " never tell them any thing. You may come and 
 '^ divert yourfelf among them at fuch hours as are 
 ** appointed ; you fhall have mufic^ and all forts 
 " of recreations ; three days hence you fliall dine 
 " with them •, they are all ladies of quality, young 
 *• and merry. You will live io happy here, that 
 " you will not wifh to go abroad ; and when your 
 ** time is expired, then the holy fathers will fend 
 ** you out of this country, and marry you to fome 
 ** nobleman. Never mention your name, nor Don. 
 ■ ** Francifco's to any ; if you fee here fome young 
 •' kdies you have formerly been acquainted with, 
 " no notice mull be taken, nor nothing talked of 
 " but indifferent matters/' 
 
 F 3 All 
 
65 The HISTORY or 
 
 All tlii3 made me aftonifhed, or rather ilupified, 
 and the whole feemed to me a piece of enchantment. 
 With this lefTon fhe left me, fa/in g, fhe was going 
 to order my dinner. Ever/ time fhe went out fhe 
 locked the door* There were but two windows in 
 my room, and they were fo high that I could fee 
 nothing through them ; but hunting about, I found 
 a clofet, with all forts of hiflorieal and profane 
 books; fo I fpent my time till diniier in reading, 
 which was fome fadsfacftion to me. 
 
 In about two hours time fhe brought in dinner, 
 ^t which was every thing that could fatisfy the nice- 
 eft appetite. When dinner was over, fhe left me 
 alone, and told me,, if I wanted any thing I might 
 ring the bell, and call. So I went to the clofet 
 again, and fpent three hours in reading. I think 
 really I was under fome enchantment ; for I was in 
 a perfe(5l fufpenfion of thought, fo as to remember 
 neither father or mother. Alary came and told me, 
 that Don Francifco was come home, and that fhe 
 thought he would come to fee me very foon, and 
 begged of me to prepare myfelf to receive him with 
 all manner of kincinefs. 
 
 At fevenin the evening Dm Francifco came, in 
 his night-gown and cap ; not with the gravity of 
 an inquifitor, but with the gaiety of an ofScer. He 
 faluled me with great refpeft, and told me at the 
 fame time, that hiscoming to fee me, was only to 
 ihew the value he had for my family, and to tell me, 
 that foiTBe_ of my lovers had procured my ruin for 
 ever^ having accufed me in matters of religion ; that 
 the informations were taken, and the fentence pro- 
 npunced againft me— -/£> be lurnt alt've in a dry-pan^ 
 with a gradual fire ^ — but that he, out of pity, and 
 love to my family, had flopped the execution of it. 
 Each of thefe words was a mortal ft roke to my heart. 
 I threw myfelf at his feet, and laid. Ah I Seignior.^ 
 have you flopped the executiori. fox eyei^? " That 
 
 •* only 
 
The inquisition. 6f 
 
 '■' only belongs to you to flop it or not/' faid ke, 
 and witH this he v/ifhed me a good night. As fooE 
 as he v/ent away, I fell a crying, but Mary came- 
 and afked me v/hat could oblige me to cry fo bitter- 
 ly. Ah I good Alary, faid I, pray tell me what is the 
 meaning of the dry pan and gradual fire ? for I ex- 
 pe<ft to die by it. *' O madam" replied ibe *' never 
 " fear ; you fhall fee e'er long the dry pan and gra- 
 " dual fire ; but they are made for thofe that op- 
 " pofe the holy father's will ; not for you that arc 
 '' fo good to obey it. But pray, was Don Francifco. 
 ** very obliging ?" I do not know, faid I, for his 
 difcourfe has put me out of my wits; he faluted 
 me with great civility, but he left me abruptly.—^ 
 " Well" faid Mary, " you do not yet know his 
 " temper,, he is extremely kind to people that are 
 " obedient to him^ but if they are not, he is as un- 
 " merciful as Nero\ fo for your own fake, take care 
 " to oblige him in all refpe(fls ; and now, dear ma- 
 " dam, pray go to fupper, and be eafy." But the 
 thoughts of the dry pan troubled me fo much, that 
 I could neither eat, nor ileep that night. 
 
 Early in the morning Mary got up, and told me^ 
 that nobody was yet ftirring in the lioufe, and that 
 if I would promife fecrefy, fbe would ihew me the 
 dry pan and gradual fire -, fo taking me down itairs, 
 ihe brought me into a large room with a thick iron 
 door, and within it was an oven, burning at that 
 time, and a large brafs pan upan it, with a cover of 
 the fam.e, and a lock to it. In the next room, th^re 
 w^as a great wheel covered on bath fides, with thick 
 boards; and opening a little window in the centre 
 of it, fhe deiired me to look witK a candle on the 
 inlide of it. There I faw all the circumference of 
 the wheel was fet with Iharp razors. After that, 
 fhe fhewed me a pit fullof ferpents and toads. She 
 jjjfc faid, ♦* nov/ my good miflrefs, i'll tell you the ufe 
 ^B ^^ of thefe three thin.g?. The dry panJs for keretics,. 
 ^K and 
 
 I 
 
6a The history of 
 
 " and tKofe that oppofe the holy father's will and 
 *' pleafure. They are put naked alive into the pan, 
 " and the cover of it being locked up, the execu- 
 *' tioner begins to put a fmail iire in the oven, and by 
 " degrees he augmenteth it, till the body is reduced 
 " to afhes. The fecond is deligned for thofe that 
 *• fpeak againlt the pope, and the holy fathers; fot 
 *' they are put within the wheel, and the little door 
 '* being locked, the executioner turns the wheel till 
 *' the perfon is dead. And the third is for thofe 
 *' who contemn the images, and refufe to give due 
 •* refpecft and veneration to eccleiiaftical perfons : 
 *' for they are thrown into the pit, and fo become 
 ** the food of ferpents and toads-" Then Alary faid 
 to me, that another day fhe W'ould fhew me the tor- 
 ments for public finners •, but I w as in fo great an 
 agony at what I had feen, that I deiired her to fhew 
 mt no more places ; fo we went to my room, and 
 fhe again charged me to be very obedient to all the 
 commands Don Francifco fhould give me, or I might 
 be alTured, if I was not, that I muil undergo the 
 torments of the dry pan. I conceived fuch an hor- 
 ror of the gradual fire, that I was not miflrefs of 
 my fenfes ; fo I promifed Jldary to follow her ad- 
 vice. " If you are in that difpofition*' faid fhe, 
 •* leave off all fear, and expecfl: nothing but pleafure 
 •^ and fatisfa<riionv Now let me drefs you, for you 
 •* mufl go to wifh a good morrow to Don Francifco, 
 " and to breakfafl with him." Having faid this, 
 ihe conveyed me through a gallery into his apart- 
 ment ; he was flill in bed, and defired me to fit 
 down by him, and ordered Mary to bring the cho- 
 colate two hours after. When fbe was withdrawn, 
 he immediately declared his inclination in fo ardent 
 a manner, that I had neither flrength or power to 
 oppofe him ; and fo by extinguifhing the fire of his 
 pallion, I was freed from the dry pan. When Mary 
 came with the chccc^late, I was very much afhamed 
 
 to 
 
Thit INQIJISITION. 69 
 
 to be feen in bed with, liim ; but fhe coming to tbe 
 feed-fide where I was, and kneeling down, paid me 
 homage as if I had been a queen, and ferved me firit 
 with a cup of chocolate, defiring me to give another 
 cup to Don FrancifcOy which he received ver/ gra- 
 cioull/. After breakfaft fhe went away ; we dif- 
 courfed for fome time of various things *, but I 
 never fpoke a word, but when he defired me to an- 
 fvver him ; fo at ten o'clock Mary came again and 
 drefTed me. 
 
 We left Don Francifco in bed, and Ihe carried me 
 into another chamber, very delightful and better 
 furniilied than the firll ; for the windovvs were 
 lower, and I had the pleafure of feeing the river and 
 gardens. Mary then told me, that the young ladies 
 would come to pay me their compliments before 
 dinner ; and v/ould take me to dine with them ; and 
 begged me to remember her advice*, fhe had fcarce 
 linifhed thefe words, before I faw a troop of young 
 beautiful ladies, finely dreffed, who all, one after 
 ^iiather. cams to embrace me, 5>-d vjiili n;c joy^ Mr 
 furprife was fo great, that I was unable to anfwer 
 their compliments ; but one of them feeij?.g jne fo 
 fxlent, faitf to me, '* madam, the folitude of this place 
 *' will aifedl you in the begining, but when you 
 " begin to feel the pleafures and am-ufements we 
 *' enjoy, you will quit your penfive thoughts •, now- 
 ** we beg of you the honor 10 come and dine with 
 '' us to day *, and henceforth three day§ in a week." 
 I returned them thanks, and fo we went to dinner. 
 That day we had all forts of exvquifite meats, deli- 
 cate fruits, and fweetmeats. The room v;as long, 
 with two tables on each fide, and another at the 
 front of it ; and I reckoned in it that day fifty-two 
 young ladies, the eldell of them not exceeding 
 twenty four years of ^ge. Six maids did ferve the 
 whole number of us ; but Mary v.7aited on me alone. 
 After dinner we went uj[j flairs into a long gallery ;. 
 
 where. 
 
■1o The history of 
 
 where fome of us played on inftruments of mulic, 
 others at cards, and fome walked about for three or 
 four hours together. At lall Mary came up ring- 
 ing a fmall bell, which was, as they informed me, 
 the fignal to retire into our rooms; but Mary faid 
 to the whole company, *' ladies, to day is a day of 
 " recreation, fo you may go into what rooms you 
 " pleafe till eight o'clock/' They all delired to 
 go to my apartment with me. We found in my 
 anti-chamber a table, v^ith all forts of fweetmeats 
 upon it; iced-clnnamon, almonds-milk, and the like. 
 Every one did eat and drink, but nobody fpoke a 
 word touching the fumptuoufnefs of the table, or 
 concerning the inquifition, or the holy fathers. So 
 v/e fpent our time in merry indifferent converfation 
 till eight o'clock, and then every one retired to their 
 own room. 
 
 As foon as t}iQy were gone, Mary let me know 
 that Den Francijio did wait for me ; fo we went to 
 his apartment, and fupper being ready, we fate^ 
 down, attended only by Mary* After it was over, fhe 
 went away, and we went to bed. Next morning fhe 
 fcrved us ^¥ith chocolate, wh^ich after we had dranlr, 
 we llept till ten ; at v/hich time we got up. When 
 I returned to my own chamber, I found ready two 
 fuits of clothes of rich brocade, and every thing elfe 
 fuitable to a lady of the iirft rank. I put on one, 
 and when I was quite drefled, the ladies came to 
 wifh me joy, all drelTed in different clothes, much 
 richer than before. We fpent the fecond day 
 and the third day in the fame recreation; Don Fran- 
 cijco continuing in the fame manner with me ; but 
 on the fourth morning, after drinkir.g chocolate, 
 Mary told me, that a kidy was v»''aiting for me in 
 her own room, and with an air of atithority defired 
 me to get up. Don Francifco faying nothing to the 
 contrary, I obeyed, and left him in bed. I thought 
 this wr<4 ^o give me fome mw comfort, but I was: 
 
 verjt 
 
The inquisition. 71 
 
 Tery much miftaken ; for Mary conveyed me into a 
 lady's room not eight feet long, which was a perfefl 
 prifon ; and told iriQ this was my room, and this 
 young lady my bed-fellow and companion; and 
 without faying any more, £he left me there. 
 
 What is this dear lady ? faid I ; is it an enchant- 
 ed place, or a hell upon earth ? I have loft father 
 and mother, and what is worfe, I have loft my ho- 
 hor, and n\j foul for ever. My new companion 
 feeing me like a mad woman, took me by the hands 
 and faid, *' dear iifter, for this is the name 1 will 
 ■•' henceforth give you, forbear to cry and grieve; for 
 ** you can do nothing byfuch extravagant behaviour 
 " but draw upon yourfelf a cruel death ; your mif- 
 " fortunes and ours are exadlly of a piece ; you fuf- 
 ** fer nothing that we have not fuffered before you ; 
 ** but v/e dare not fhew our grief for fear of greatet 
 ** evils ! pray take courage, and hope in God, for 
 "he wilHurely deliver us out of this hellifh place \ 
 *' but be fure you fhew no unealinefs before Mary^ 
 " who is the only inftrument either of our torments 
 *' or comforts : have patience till we go to bed, and 
 " then I will venture tO tell you more of the matter, 
 "' which I hope will afford you fome comfort." 1 
 was in a moft defperate condition ; but my new lif- 
 ter Leonora prevailed fo much upon me, that I over- 
 came my vexation before Mary came again to bring 
 our dinner, which was very different from what we 
 had for three days before. After dinner anothet 
 maid came to take away the plate and knife, for we 
 had but one for us both. After fhe had gone out 
 and locked up the door, '* now^ my dear fifter" faid 
 Leonora '* we Ihall not be difturbed again till eight 
 " at night ; fo if you will promife me upon your 
 •* hopes of falvation, to keep fecret, while you are 
 •' in this houfe, all the things I Jhall tell you, I will 
 " reveal all that I know.'' I threw myfelf at her 
 feet, and promifed all that fhe delired ; upon which, 
 without further ceremojiy, ihe began as follows : 
 
 61 jviy 
 
72 The HISTORY^ oi 
 
 ** My dear fifter, you think your cafe very hard ; 
 ** but I aiTure you, all the ladies in this houfe have 
 " already gone through the lame ; in time you fhall 
 ■** know all their llories,as they hope to know yours. 
 " I fuppofe Mary has been the chief inftrument of 
 " your flight, as fhe has been of our-s, and I warrant 
 " fhe has ihewn you fome horrible places, though 
 " not all, and that at the only thought of them you 
 " were fo much troubled in your mind, that you 
 " have chofen the fame v;ay we did to redeem your- 
 ** felf from death. By what has happened to us, 
 ** we know that Don Francifco has been your Nero ; 
 " for the three colours of our clothes are the diilin* 
 " guifhing tokens of the three holy fathers ; the red 
 " jfilk belongs to Don Francifco^ the blue to Guerrero^ 
 ** and the green to Aliaga : for they always give the 
 " three firll of thefe colours to thofe ladies that they 
 " bring hither for their ufe. We are llriftly com- 
 '* manded to make all demonftrations of joy, and to 
 ** be very merry for three days when a young lady 
 '* comes iirll here, as we did with you, and yoii 
 ** mull do with others ; but afterwards we live 
 ** like prifoners, without feeing any living foul but 
 ** the fix maids, and Mary^ Vv ho is the houle-keeper* 
 ** We dine all of us in the hall three days in a week. 
 *♦ When «ny one of the^holy fathers has a mind for 
 " oneof his ilaves,/k.Vr^ comes for her at nine of the 
 ** clock, and carries her to his apartment : but as 
 ** they have fo many, the turn comes it may be but 
 ** once a month, except for thofe that happen to 
 *• pleafe them more than ordinary, and they are fent 
 '* for often. Some nights \'!ary leaves the door of 
 ** otir rooms open, and that is a lign that one of the 
 ** fathers has a mind to come that night ; but he 
 *' comes fo lilent, that we do not know whether he 
 ** is our patron or not. If one of us happen to be 
 ** with-child, ihe is removed into a better chamber, 
 ^' and fiie fees nobody but the maid till flie is de- 
 
 ** livered. 
 
SicKOR Gaudentio bi Lucca. 49 
 
 fc^it to dei"i:roy t!ic temple of 'jupit::r Il-immon^ v/as entirely over-, 
 whelmed and loll in the fand--. Hcrodot. Thalia. The idclator^ 
 iaiputed it as a punithmtat tor hi'^ impiety againft 7'v/);/i?r ; but 
 
 it was for want of knowing the danger f fuppofe very few 
 
 a-<e Ignorant of the contriranre of M'iriitSy the Rorrjan general, 
 to get over the lands to Capfa, to fcize Jugitrtha\ treaiures^ 
 ^Yhich he thought fcctire. Sailuji. ik Bello Jitguytha:. 
 
 (a) l1ie prodigious fertility of AtVica, in the vales betv/eea 
 the fiefarts and the fjcirts of it, for a great breadth towards the 
 tv.'o feu'?, is recorded by the beft hillorians-, tho' the ridge of it, 
 over which c.^jr author was ccndutted, and other particular 
 tra^Vs, are all covered with fands. 
 
 (3) /" w,;j defigned for a hu^nar.farrifKr.l Our author's fears 
 ■were not vain ; confiderlng the preparatives he law, and other 
 fircumfiiance^'. Eefides, 'tis w^ell known the ancient AFricanr, 
 particularly the Getulians and Lybians, and even the Carthage- 
 r»ia IS, made uie of human iacrificcs to appeafe their deitie?, Bi- 
 chart, in hi^< Geographia Sacra, proves beyond quellion, that the 
 Car'hagenians were part of the people of Canaan, driven out by 
 yi/hun, whr. uied to facrifice their children to Mo/och, ^c. Eye;i 
 in Hannibar?, time, when they v/ere p.rown more polite, ihey 
 privately fent childien to Tyre for a facrifice to Hercuhf. 
 
 (4) They perjormed to their deceajed one ef.crs.'^ The earlitfu 
 accounts from Egypt, from whence theie people come, tell ur;^. 
 that they had a great veneration for their dv^ceafed anceftorr:. — ■ 
 See the 3d part of the billiop of A7catix\ hiilory, quoted above. 
 
 Diodoruf ^kti/as, who lived in the beginning of J[vgufius\ 
 
 reign, lays of the Egyptians — they v/ere particularly diligent 
 about their fepulchres, or in the w^orfidp of their dead. The 
 fame faperftlrion reigns (lill among the Chinefe, whom I Ihall 
 Jliew afterwards to have been a colony of Egyptian-, notwith- 
 ftanding that China and Egypt are fo far diftant from each 
 other. 
 
 (5) The ancient Egyptians had af.rong fondnefs for building 
 lyraip.ids. Whether they were for the fame end as the tower 
 f Babel, that i", to make them.felves a name, or other ends, \:^ 
 :an't tell. — The great p3^ramid is more ancitnt than all the reft; 
 
 iafomuch, that the bell: authors don't 'knov/ when to fix its date^ 
 Ibme faying it was hwWl hy Maris^ their firfl: king- others by 
 Cecrops Ledor : but ir the account the pophar gives of this origin, 
 at the next I'^ation, be true, it was built before there was a ,y 
 king in Egypt. The river I^iie v/as conveyed by art under the 
 great pyramid. 
 
 {€) One of the e.^^d- of buildhg the pyramid-, v;as certainly 
 for buryi'^ig places for fom.e great men.^ ' 
 
 ( 7 ) PThkh Tvxi r nrterrrvards ca lied Thclcs, ^r.] The be, once 
 
 the mcfi famc-u^ city t}f Egypt, having an hundrcj gate? '^ c. v/as 
 
 G " 4J3e 
 
50 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 the No Amtn cvDiofpoUs of the ancient^. Bochart^ Fhaleg, lib, 4, 
 ~ — '--Tacitus fays, that in the time oi Germanic us ^ there was re- 
 inaining an infcription in the Egyptian language, fignifying, 
 Hahitajfe quondam (Thebe?) Jeptingenta millia Hominum at ate mi- 
 htari-^ i. e. that there was once feven hundred thoufand inhabi- 
 tant?, in Thehe?; fit to bear arms. Tacit, lib. a. Annal 
 
 (8) This is certainly rank idolatry, from all the pophar calls 
 it but a civil ceremony : thus the worfhip the Chinefe pay to their 
 dead, and allov/cd by the jefuits, was faid, by them, to be but 
 a pious civil ceremony, tho' it was like this, or rather more fu- 
 F^nlitlous. See the condemnation of it by pope (^ftnent XI. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 w, 
 
 E were now pall the tropic of cancer, (i) as 
 I found by our Ihadows going fouthward : we went 
 on thus, a little bending towards the w^ell again, al- 
 moll parallel to the tropic. The breezes encreaiing 
 rather ftronger than before, fo that about midnight 
 it was really cold. We gave our dromedaries wa- 
 ter about fun riling, and refreihed ourfelves a little; 
 then fet out with new vigour at a prodigious rate ; 
 Hill the breezes fell between nine and ten ; however 
 Vvx made ihift to go on, becaufe they came again 
 about noon : between three and four was the hotteft 
 time of all. 
 
 Belides going now parallel to the tropic, w& tra- 
 velled on the hot fands, or even defcendings •, where- 
 as when we pointed fouthv/ards towards the line, 
 we found the ground to be infenfibly riling upon 
 us ; (2) but as we went on the flats, as if it had not 
 been that we were almofl: on the ridge of Africa, 
 which m.ade it cooler than one can well believe; it 
 had been impoiTible to bear the heats. When we 
 lelled, we jiot only pitched our tents for ourfelves 
 
 and 
 
^Jgf- 
 
 SiGNOR Gaubentio di Lucca. 51 
 
 and dromedaries, but the fands were fo hot, that v/e 
 were forced to lay thing;5 under our feet to preferve 
 ihem from burning. Thus we travelled thro^ thofe 
 difmal defarts for four days, without fight of any 
 living creature but ourfelves. Sands and fkies were 
 Jill that prefented to our view. The fatigue was 
 the greaielt I ever underwent in my life. 
 
 The fourth day, about eight in the morning, by 
 good fortune for us, or elfe by the prudent forecail 
 of the pojjiar, v/ho knew all his ftations, we faw 
 mother vale towards the right hand, v;itli fome 
 ftraggling trees here and thsre, but not looking 
 nigh fo pleafant as the firll : we made to it with, 
 all our fpeed, and had much ado to bear the heats 
 till we came to it : we alighted immediately, and 
 led our dromedaries down the gentle defcent till w^e 
 could find a thicker part of it. The firll trees were 
 thin and old, as if they liad juil moiilure enough to 
 keep them alive : the ground was but juH covered 
 over w^ith a liitle fun-burnt mofs, without any lign 
 of water, but our flock was not yet gone. At length, 
 £S we defcended, the grove encreafed every way, the 
 trees were large, with fome dates here and there, but 
 not fo good as in the other. We relted a little, then 
 continued to defcend for fome time, till w^e came 
 into a very cool and thick ihade. Here the pophar 
 told us, we mull ilay two or three days, perhaps 
 longer, till he faw his ufual figns for proceeding on 
 his journey, and bid us be fparing of our water for 
 fear of accidents. 
 
 We fettled our dromedaries as before ; for our- 
 felves v/e could fcarce take any thing, we were fo 
 fatigued, wanting reft more than meat and drink. 
 The pophar ordering us fome cordial v/ines, they 
 Kad along with them for that purpdfe, toM us, we 
 might lleep as long as we would ; only bid us be 
 iure to cover ourfelves well ; for the nights were 
 long, and even cold about midnight, \Ve were ail 
 G z fooa 
 
52 ^TniL M E M O 1 K S of 
 
 foon alleep, and did net wake till four the next 
 morning. The pophar being folicitous for all our 
 iafetics, as well as his own, for this was the critical 
 tin^e cf our journey, was awake the firft of us 
 When we were up, and refrefhed ourfelves, wliich 
 we did with a very good appetite, he told us we mull 
 go up on the fands again to obferve the figns. We 
 took cur dromedaries along with us for fear of wild 
 beaits, tho' we faw none ; walking gently up the 
 fands, till v/e came to very high ground. We had but 
 '^ dieary profpecfi: of fan-burnt plains, s.s far as our 
 €ye£ could carry us, without grafs, fdck or rnrab, 
 tiicept when we turned our backs to look at the 
 vale where we had lain all night, which we faw 
 ipread and extended itfelf a vail v;ay. He aifured 
 us, the notes left for rules by his anceilois, men- 
 tioned a fpring in that vale below us, which run^^ 
 ning lower became a rivulet, but that either by an 
 earthquake or feme Hood of fand, it was quite- 
 choaked up, running under ground without any 
 one's knowledge, whether it broke out again or WcS 
 entirely fwallowed up. (3) He faid alfo, that by 
 the moil ancient accounts of his forefathers, the 
 fands were not fo dangerous to pafs as they are now, 
 or of fuch vail extent, (4) but had fruitful vales- 
 much nearer one another than at prefent. He ad- 
 ded, that he hoped to fee the ligns he wanted for 
 proceeding on our way, lince there was no llirring 
 till thofe appeared : that according to his epheme- 
 Tis and notes, they lliould appear about this time, 
 unlefs foraething very extraordinary happened. 
 
 This was about eight in the morning, the ninth 
 day after we fet out for the defarts. He was every 
 now and then looking fouthward or fouthv^'elt,with 
 great folicitude in his looks, as if he wondered he 
 law nothing. At length he cried out, with great 
 emotions of joy, " *tis coming ! look yonder" fays 
 he ** towards the fouthweit, and fee what you caR 
 
 difcover,. 
 
SiGNOR GArDENTIO DI LxJCCA. 53 
 
 difcover, as far as your eves can carry you." We 
 told him, we faw r.othing but fome clouds of fands, 
 carried here and there like whirlwinds. " That is 
 the iign I want •/* continued he, " but mark well 
 which way it drives/* We faid it drove direflly 
 eailward, as nigh as we could guefs. " It doth/* 
 fays he; then turning his face wellv/ards, with a 
 little point of the fouth, '* all thofc vafl defarts ar& 
 now in fuch vaft commotion of ftorms and Vvhirl- 
 winds, that man and beail would foon be over- 
 whelmed in thofe rolling Vv^aves of fands." He ha J 
 fcarce faid this, but we faw at a vail dillance, tea 
 thoufand little v^'hirlfpouts-of fand, rifmg and fal- 
 ling with a prodigious tumult and velocity (5) 
 eallward, with vaft thick clouds of fand and duit 
 following it. " Come," fays he " let us go down- 
 to our reiting place, for there v/e muft ft ay till we 
 fee further how matters go." As- this- appeared 
 nearer to me than any of the reft, I made bold to 
 aflc him, v/hat was the caufe of this fudden phse- 
 nomenon, being poifefied with a great idea of the 
 knowledge of the man. He told me, that about the 
 full moon there always fell prodiglou*) rains, (6) 
 coming from the western part of Africa, on this 
 fide the equator ; at the firll coming, driving a lit- 
 tle fouthv/eit for fome time, then they turned al- 
 moft fouth, and crolTed the line till they came ta 
 the fource of the Nile ; in which parts they fell for 
 three weeks or a month together, which was the 
 occalion of the overflowing of that river : (^) but 
 that on this lide the equator, it only rained about 
 fifteen days, preceded by thofe whirlwinds and 
 clouds of fand, which rendered all that traft impaf- 
 fable, till the rains had laid them again. 
 
 By this time we came dovvn to our refting plrce, 
 and tho* we did not want fleep or refrefhment, yet 
 we took both, to have the cool of the evening to re- 
 create ourfelves after fo much fatigue, not being 
 likely to move till the next evening at fconeft. 
 
 G 3 Remarks 
 
54 The MEMOIRS oi 
 
 Remarks of Signer Rhedi. 
 
 ( 1 ) JVc ^ce7'e no^jo pajl the tropic cf cancer^ as I found by cur 
 Jhadcws^ (2fr.] When perfons ave btyond that tropic at mid- 
 day, the fhadows of things are towards the fouth, becaufe the 
 fail h then north of us. 
 
 They might have pafTcd the tropic before, fince it runs over 
 part of the defart of Carca, not much foulhv/ard of Egypt; but- 
 it feems they fteered weftward for fome time. 
 
 (2) Kis obfervationsare juft, fince all the new philofcphers al- 
 low the earth to be fpheroidal and gibbous tov/ards the equator ;, 
 ■whoever therefore gees by land, either from- the north or fouth 
 towards the equator, much afcend. I'his feems to be a very na- 
 tural realbn why thofe immcnfe bares are not fo exceilivtly hot. 
 The highetl mountains are confiderably iiigher the Cun than the 
 low land?, yet excefiive cold in the hotteft climates; in the vale^ 
 the rays of the fun are cooped in, and doubled and trebled by 
 refraction and reflection, "^^c. The fame air put in a turbulent 
 motion will be hot, and in a dire6l one cold. 
 
 (3) Geographers agree, that river?, and even great lakes, in 
 Africa fink under ground, and are quite loft without any vifible 
 outlets. The vail depth of the ilrata of fand, feem more proper 
 to fwallcw them up there than in other pasts of the v/orld. 
 
 (4) There feems to be a natural reafon for what he fays; for 
 thofe vaft fands or hills of gravel, were undoubtedly left by the 
 general deluge, as probably all the leiTer ftrata or beds of gravel 
 were. Yet ^reat part of them rnuft have been covered with 
 flime or mud, for feveral years after the deluge; fome thinner, 
 Ibme thicker, and ccnfequently more moift and productive ac- 
 cordingly. Neverthclefs, the violent rays of the iun dill render 
 them mere dry and barren, and in all probability, thefe defarts 
 will encreafe more and more where the country i-^ not cultivated. 
 
 (5) Tho' in the vatl ocean between the tropics, where pro- 
 montories don't interverke, the winds are generally eaflerly, yet 
 there is a perpetual weft-wind blows into Guinea. — ^ — There arc 
 •vaft rains at the folftices, between the tropics, as the accounts of 
 thefe parts declare, tho' at that time of the year, more beyond 
 the line than on this fide of it. It is not to be queftioned, but i:i 
 fuch violent changes, particularly before thofe rains, there mull 
 be furious hurricanes cf wind and fand, enough to overwhelm 
 
 whole armies and countries. ^The moft incredible part of this 
 
 narration is, how they could travel at all under the tropic in the 
 fummer folftice ? only, as he fays, the ground being very higlx 
 *nd cpen, it muft Uraw air. 
 
 (5) Naturalifts 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio bi Lucca. 53 
 
 {6) Naturalifts agree, that beyond the line there are great 
 rains at this lealbn. It is pofllble they may begin en that fide, 
 being driven by the perpetual weft-winds into Guir^ea, and then, 
 by natural caufe% turn towards the line and fouthern tropic. 
 
 (7) The caulcs of the overflowing of the river Nile, unknown 
 to raoft of the ancient?, are now allowed to be the great rains 
 falling in June and July about the line and the fouthern tropic, 
 and the melting of the fncw on the mountains of the moon lying 
 in that traft. None can wonder there (hould be fnow in thofe hot 
 climates, who have heard of the Andes or Cordillerias, bordering^ 
 on Peru. Our Italy is very hot, yet the Alps and Appcnnint* 
 are three parts of the years covered with fnow. — The Nile over- 
 flows in Auguft, which fetms to be a proper dillance of time for 
 the waters to come dov/n to Egypt, iuch a vafl: way off from the 
 
 caufe of it. —There is a river in Cochiiicliina, and cllewhertj, 
 
 t-hiit overfiov/s in the fame nianner^ 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 A' 
 
 . T five in tlie evening the pophar called us up 
 to go with him once more to the higheit part of 
 the defart, fajing, he wanted one iign yet,, which he 
 hoped to have that evening, or elfe it would go hard 
 with us for want of water, our provifion of it be- 
 ing almoll fpent •, and there were no fprings in the 
 defansthat we were to pafs over, till we cam-e with- 
 in a long day's journey of the end of our voyage. 
 However, he fcarce doubted but we ihould fee the 
 certain Iign he wanted this evening •, on which ac- 
 count, there did not appear fuch a folicitude in his 
 countenance as before ; for tho* he was our gover- 
 nor or captain, with t^e moll refpedlful deference 
 paid to him that ever I faw, yet he governed us in 
 all refpedls as if we were his children, with all the 
 tendernefs of a father, as his name imported, tho* 
 
 none 
 
56 Tpie memoirs of 
 
 pone of the company were his real children. If 
 there were any ligns of partiality, it was in my fa- 
 vour, always exprelling the moft endearing tender- 
 Tiefs for me, which the other young men, inllead of 
 taking any dillike at it, were really pleafed with it : 
 no brothers in the world could be more loving to 
 one another than we were. The elderly men took 
 delight in feeing our youthful gambols with one 
 another : it is true, their nature is, of the two, a 
 little more inclined to gravity than the Italians, who 
 are no light nation ; yet their gravity is accom- 
 panied with all the ferenity and chearfulnefs ima- 
 ginable ; and I thought then, by our iirfl: acquaint- 
 ance, that I never faw fuch an air of a freeborn peo- 
 ple in my life, as if they knew no other fubjecfiion 
 
 but what was merely filial. When we came 
 
 to the high ground, we could fee the hurricanes 
 play iiill ; but what was more wonderful, very 
 few effeif^s of that aerial tumult came our way, 
 but drove on almoii: parallel to the equator. The 
 air locked like a brown dirty fog, towards the eaft 
 and foutheait -, all the whirlwinds tending towards 
 thofe parts. It began after fome time to look a 
 little more lightfome towards the well ; but fo, as' 
 if it were occalionod by a more llrong and fettled 
 wind. At length we perceived at the fartheil ho- 
 rizon, the edgQ of a prodigious black cloud, extend- 
 ing itfelf to the fouthwell and v/eftern points, riling 
 with a difeernable motion, tho' not \ery fail. We 
 faw plain enough, by the blacknefs and thicknefs of 
 it, that it prognoflicated a great deal of rain. Here 
 they ail fell proltrate on the earth ; then railing up 
 their hands and eyes towards the fun, they feemed 
 to pay their adorations to that great luminary- 
 The pophar, with an audible voice, pronounced 
 fome unknown words, as if he were returning tlianks 
 to that planet for what he faw. At this I Hepped 
 back, and kept myfeif at a dillancc j not fo much 
 
 for 
 
SiGNOP. Gaudektxo bi Lugca. 57 
 
 for fear of my life as before, as not to join with, 
 them in their idolatrous woifhip ; for I could not 
 be ignorant now, that they had a wrong notion o-f 
 God-, and if they acl^nowledged any, it was the 
 fun ; which in effecl is, the leafi irrational idolatry 
 people can be guilty of. (i) When they liad don« 
 their orifons, the pophar turned to me and laid, " I 
 fee you won't join with us in any of our religious 
 ceremonies ; but I muft tell you,'' continued he, 
 *' that cloud is the faving of all our lives ; and ls 
 that great fun (pointing to the luminary) is the in- 
 llrument that draws it up, as indeed he is the pre- 
 ferver of all our beings, VvC thinl^: ourfelves obliged 
 to return our thanks to him/' Here he fiopped, as 
 if he had a mind to hear what I could fay tor my- 
 felf. I was not willing to enter into difputef, well 
 linowing that religious quarrels are the moll pro- 
 voking of any ; yet I thought myfelf obliged to 
 make profeiEon of my belief in the fupreme God, 
 nov/ I was called upon in the profefTed worflilp of^ 
 a falfe deity. I anfwered with the moll mcdefi ref- 
 peft I was capable of, that, that glorious planet 
 was one of the phylical caufes of the prefervation 
 of our beings, and of the produ(5:lion of all things ; 
 but that he was produced himi'elf by the moft high 
 God, the iirll caufe and author of all things in 
 heaven and earth ; the fun only movinV by his or- 
 der, as an inanimate being, incapable of hearing our 
 prayers, and only operating by his diredfion. How^ 
 ever, I offered to join with him in returning my 
 bell thanks to the mofl high God, for creating the 
 fun, capable by his heat to raife that cloud for the 
 laving uur lives. Thus I adapted my anfwer, as 
 nigh to his difcourfe as I could, yet not fo as to 
 deny my faith ; for I could not entirely tell what 
 to make of them as yet ; fincz I obferved, they were 
 more myfteiious in their religious ceremonies than 
 in any ihin^ elfe, (2) or rather this VvuS the only 
 
 thin^ 
 
58 The memoirs op 
 
 thing they were referved in. He pondered a good 
 while on what I faid, but at length he added, " you 
 are not much out of the way, you and I will talk 
 this matter over another time,'' fo turned off the 
 difcourfe ; I fuppofed it to be becaufe of the young 
 men Handing by us, who he had not a mind fhould 
 receive any other notions of religion but what the/ 
 had been taught. 
 
 It was f?iu-fet by that time we came down to the 
 grove. We had fome fmall iiights of fand, caufed 
 by an odd commotion in the air, attended with little 
 whirlwinds, which put us in fome apprehenfions of 
 a fand-friower ; but he bid us take courage, fince 
 he could not find in all his accounts, that the hur- 
 ricanes or rains ever came in any great quantity as 
 far as we were ; the nature of them being to drive 
 more parallel to the equator : but he was fure we 
 fhould have fome, and ordered us to pitch our tents 
 as firm as we could, and draw out all our water 
 Vcfrcls lo catcli the rain agrinlt all accidents. Wlicn 
 this was done, and we had eat our fuppers, we re- 
 created ourfelves in the grove, wandering about here 
 and there, and difcourling of the nature of ihefe 
 phaenomena. We did not care to go to reil fo foon^ 
 having repofed ourfelves fo well that day, and had 
 all the following night and the next day to Hay at 
 that place. The grove grew much pleafanter as we 
 advanced into it ; there were a great many dates and 
 other fruits, the natural produce of Africa, but not 
 quite fo rich as in the firfl grove. I made bold to 
 alk the pophar, how far that grove extended, or 
 whether there were any inhabitants. He told me, 
 he could not tell any thing of either : that it was 
 poflible the grove might enlarge itfclf different 
 v/ays among the winding hills ; fince his accounts 
 told him, there had been a rivulet of water, tho* 
 now fwallowed up ; but he believed there were no 
 iohabitants, fince there was no mention made of 
 
 them 
 
SiGNOR Gatjdentio di Ltjcca. 59 
 
 tliem in his papers : nor did he believe any other 
 people in the world, befide themfelves, knev/ the 
 way, or would venture fo far into thofe hoj-rid in- 
 hofpitable defarts. I afked, he - he uas fure that 
 was the place •, or by what rule he could know how 
 far he was come, or where he was to turn to the 
 xig'ht or left? having a mind to learn whether he 
 had any certain knovvledge of the longitude, which 
 creates fuch difficulties to the Europeans. He 
 ilopped a little at my queilions ; then faid, without 
 any apparent helitation, " why, we know by the 
 needle how far we vary from the north or fouth 
 point, at leaft till we come to the tropic; (3) if 
 not, we can take the meridian and height ot the 
 fun, and knowing the time of the year, we can tell 
 how near we approach to, or are off the equator." 
 Yes, faid I ; but as there are different meridians 
 every ftep you take, how can you tell how far you 
 go eafl or weft, when you run either way in parallel 
 lines (4) to the tropic or equator ? Here he flop- 
 ped again, and either could not make any certain 
 difcovery, or had not a mind to let me into the fe- 
 cret. The firft was moil likely ; however, he an- 
 fwered readily enough, and faid, " you pleafe me 
 with your curious queftiofis, fince I find you under- 
 Hand the difficulty : why** continued he, " all the 
 method we have, is to obferve exaftiy how far our 
 dromedaries go in an hour, or any other fpace of 
 time : you fee we go much about the fame pace ; 
 we have no flops in our way, but when v/e know of 
 it, to refreffi ourfelves or fo, for v/hich we generally 
 allow fo much time. (5) When we fet out from 
 Egypt, we went due weft ; our beafts gain fo many 
 miles an hour ; we know by that how far we are 
 more w^eft than we were : (6) if v/e decline to the 
 north or the fouth, we know likev/ife, how many 
 miles w^e have advanced in fo many hours, and com- 
 pute how much the deciiiiation takes off from 
 
 our 
 
6o The M E M O I R S of 
 
 our goinq due weft : and tho' we can't tell to a de- 
 monftraiive cxaiflnefs, we can tell pretty nigh/' — 
 This was all I could get out of him at that time, 
 which did not fatisfy the difficulty : then I afked 
 him, how they came to find out this way, or to 
 venture to feek out a habitation unknown to all the 
 world befide. He anfv/ered, " for liberty and pre- 
 fervation of their laws/' I v/as afraid of afking 
 any further, feeing he gave fuch general anfwers. 
 
 By this time it began to be prodigious dark, for 
 all it was full moon. (7) We had fome fudden 
 gulls of wind that ftartled us a little. It liglitened 
 at fuch' a rate, as I never faw in my life, tho' it wtiS 
 tovv-ards the horizon, and drove fide-ways of us; yet 
 it vras really terrible to fee : tlie Hafhes were fo 
 tliick, the iky was almoft in a light fire : we made 
 up to our tents as fall as Vv^e could: tho"* we had 
 only the fkirts of the clouds over us, it rained pretty 
 hard, fo that we had foon fupplied our veifels with 
 water, and got fafe into our fhelter. The thun- 
 der was but juft audible at a vafl diilance, and for 
 our com. fort, dro-ie flill to the eaftv/ard. I don^t 
 knov/ in wliat difpofitions the elderly men might 
 be in, being accufcomed to the nature of it ; but I 
 am fure I was in fome apprehenficn, not doubting, 
 but if it had come directly over us, nothing could 
 wiihiland its impetuofity. I had very little incli- 
 nation to reil, whatever my companions had ; but 
 pondering with myfeif, both the nature of the thing 
 and the prodigious fkill thefe men m.ufl have in the 
 laws of the univerfe, I ilaid v;itu impatience wait- 
 ing the events 
 
 Pvcraarks of Signer Kliedi. 
 
 { 1 ) Tie I-r;^ i^rsiUoricI iddatry /f^/.y could be gushy of^ .^c."] 
 All idok*«ry being: a v;orniip of crtiiture'^, inll-tp.ci of the one fa- 
 preme God, mud be irrational But it i*? ctrtain, and well at- 
 tfcllcd by ancient hiftor);, that tac ealleni naions v/oi-ihlpped the 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lltcca. 6i 
 
 Tun : probably it was the firft: idolatrous wordiip that was In the 
 world. The great benefits all nature receives from his influence i 
 the glorious brightnefs of his rays; the variety, yet conftant te- 
 nour,of his motions, might induce ignorant people to believe him. 
 to be of a fuperior nature to other creatures, tho' it is evidently 
 certain, he is limited in his perfc6lionp, and-confequently no Goo. 
 
 It is true, the ancient Egyptians, from whom thefe people 
 
 fprung, as v/ill be feen afterwards, did worfhip the fun in the mod: 
 -early times. There was a prle^ of the fun in the patriarch Joffplfs 
 time : and as the Egyptians were fome of the firft aftronomeis 
 in the world, contending for antiquity with the Chaldeans : tho* 
 both the Chaldeans and Egyptians had their knowledge fromt 
 the defcendants of Shem^ or his father IShah^ who, by the admi- 
 rable ftruc\ure of the ark, appears to have beenmafter of very 
 great Iciences ; I fay, the Rgypuans being fo much addi6led to 
 aflronomy, it is probable, that glorious luminary was the chief 
 obje6t of their worfhip. They did not worfhip idols and bealts 
 till long afterwards. See the learned Bocharfs Fhaleg. in Mifraim^ 
 
 (2) Mvjierious in tkeir religious ceremonies^ ^c.'\ This agrees 
 with all ancient accounts of the firil people of Egypt ; witnefs 
 their emblems, hieroglyphics, &c. Moft of the ancient fables, 
 under which fo many myfieries were couched, did not firft fpring 
 from the Greeks, tho' improved by them ; but from the Egyp» 
 tians and Chaldeans, v/ho at firft held a communication of 
 fciences with one another, but grew to emulofity afterward^.-— 
 The wonderful things the Egyptian Magi &.A^ in imitation of the 
 miracles wrought by Mofes, fhew they were great artills. 
 
 (3) y^t leaji till ive came to the tropic^ ©*<-.] Experimental 
 ph'loibphy tells us, that the needle is of little u'e in navigation; 
 when under the line, but lies fluctuating without turniiig to any 
 point of itfelf ', becaufe, as fome fuppofe, the current of the mag- 
 netic efRuvia, flying from pcle to pole, has there itslorgefb axis, 
 as the diameter of the equator is longer than the axis of the 
 world: but v.hether this has the fame effect on the needle by 
 'land, which is the cafe, as it has by fea, we muft have more 
 >certain experiments to know, tho' it is probable it may. 
 
 (4) In parallel lines to the tropic or £quator^^c^ Wherever 
 we (land we are on the fummit of the globe with refpevSV to us. 
 Whoever therefore thinks to go due weft, parallel to the equator 
 or eaft, will not do fo, but will cut the line at long-run, becaufe 
 lie makes a greater circle. Thefe men therefore, wliea they 
 thought they went due well, were approaching to the line m.ore 
 than they were aware of-, and fuppofing the ftrudture of the 
 earth to be fpheroidal, v/ent up hill all the way, bating fome 
 fmall inequalities. 
 
 (5) This muft be underftood according to the foregoing re- 
 in ark. 
 
 ^ (6) At fii-ft fight It feems to J?e eafier to fiad out the lon^itntJe 
 H ^ by 
 
62 Thi memoirs or 
 
 by land than by Tea, becaufe we may be mor; certain hov; we ad- 
 vance. At lea, there are currents and tide?, and fettlngs in of the 
 fea, which make the fhip go allant more or lefs infenfibly. As 
 yet there has been no certain rule found to tell us, how far v/e 
 advance due eaft or due well. The elevation of the pole, or the 
 height of the fun fhew us, how far we decline to the north or 
 fouth; but we have no certain rule for the eaft or weft. 
 
 (7) The full moon about the fummer folft.ice generally brings 
 rain, and the over-floMdng of the Nile is now known to be caufed 
 by the vaft rains in the regions near the equator. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 JL W A S mufing with myfelf on what I had heard 
 and feen, not being able yet to guefs with any fatis- 
 fa<ftion,what thefe people were, when an unexpeded 
 accident Vv^as the caiife of a dilcovery, which made 
 3ne fee tliey were not greater Itrangers to me than I 
 
 was to myfelf. The weather was flilling hot, fo 
 
 that we had thrown cif our garments to our fhirts, 
 and bared our breails for coolnefs fake; when there 
 came a prodigious flafh, or rather blaze of light- 
 ning, which flruck full againil the breafl of one of 
 the young men oppolite to myfelf, and difcovered a 
 bright gold medal hanging down from his neck, with 
 the figure of the fun engraved on it, furrounded 
 with unknown charafters ; the very fame in all ap- 
 pearance I had feen my deceafed mother always wear 
 about her neck, and fince her death I carried with 
 me for her fake. I afked the meaning of that me- 
 dal, lince I had one about me, as it appeared of the 
 very fame make. If the pophar had been flruck 
 with lightning, he could not have been in a greater 
 furpiife than he was at thefe words ; " you one of 
 
 thcU 
 
SiGMOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 63 
 
 tliefe medals I" faid he, " how in the name of v/on- 
 der did you eome bv it ?" I told him my mother 
 ■wore it about her neck from a little child, and with 
 that pulled it out of my pocket. He fnatched it out 
 of my hands with a prodigious eagerneis, and held it 
 againll the lightning perpetually ilafhing in upon 
 us. As foon as he faw it Vv'as the fame with the 
 other, he cried out, " great fun, what can this 
 mean!'' then aflced me again where I had it ; how 
 my mother came by it ; v^'ho my mother was ; what 
 age fhe was of Vv'hen fhe died. As foon as the vio- 
 lence of his extafy would give me leave, I told him 
 my mother had it ever fince fhe Vv as a little child ; 
 that fhe was the adopted daughter of a noble mer- 
 chant in Corlica, Vvho had left her all his effedls 
 when m^ father married her : that fhe was married 
 at thirt-een, and I was then nineteen, and the fecond 
 fon, fo that I gueffed fiie was towards forty when 
 ilie died. " It mult* be JJiphena !** cried he, with 
 the utmofl extafy, " it mufl be flie.^' Then he 
 caught me in his arms, and faid, " you are nov/ 
 really one of us, being the fon of my father's only 
 furviving daughter, my dear fifler Ijiphcna^' whofe 
 remembrance made the tears run down the old man's 
 cheeks very plentifully. " She was loft at Grand 
 Cairo about the time you mention, together with a 
 tvvun filler, who I fear is never to be heard of.'' 
 Then I recolledled I had heard my mother fay, i^iXQ 
 had been informed, the gentleman who adopted her 
 for his daughter, had bought her when flie was a 
 little girl of a Turkifh woman of that place ; that 
 being charmed with the early figns of beauty in the 
 child, and having no children, he adopted her for his 
 own. " Yes," faid the pophar, *' it muft be fhe ; but 
 what is become of the other fifter ? for" faid he, 
 my dear fifter brought two at one unfortunate birth 
 which coft her her life." I told him I never heard 
 any thing of the other. Then he acquainted me 
 H z that 
 
64 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 ihat K;s iiHer's hufband' was the perfon wlio con- 
 ducted the reft to viiit the tombs of their anceftors 
 as he did now ; that the laft voyage he took, his 
 •wife, who out of her great fondnefs had teafed and 
 importuned liim fo much to go along with him, that 
 tho' it were contiarj to their laws, he contrived to 
 carry her difguifed in man's clothes like one of the 
 young men he chofe to accompany him in the ex- 
 pedition ; thatvUaying at Grand Cairo till the next 
 feafon for his return, iiie proved v/ith-child of twins; 
 and -to hisunrpeakable grief, died in child-bed; that 
 when they carried her up to Thebes to be interred 
 with his anceftors, of which I fhould have a more 
 exadl infcrmaticn by and by, they were obliged to 
 kave the children with a nurfe of the country, with 
 £0x112 Egyptian fervants to take care of the houfe 
 and effedts ; but before they came back, the nurfe, 
 with her accomplices, ran away with the children, 
 and, as we fuppofed, murdered them; riii'd the houfe 
 of all the jev/els^ c^.nd other valuable things, and 
 were never heard of afterwards. But it feems they 
 thought it more for their advantage to fell the chil- 
 dren, as we find they did by your m.other ; but what 
 part of the v/orld the other fifter is in, or v, hether 
 fkQ be at ail, is known only to the great author of 
 our being. However," continued he, " we rejoice 
 in finding thofe hopeful remains of your dear mo- 
 ther, whofe refenribiance you carry along with you ; 
 it was that gave me fuch a kindnefs for your per- 
 ion the firll time I law you, with fomething, me 
 thought, I had never obferved in any other race of 
 people befide. But" fald he, " I deprive my com- 
 panions and children here of the happinefs of em- 
 bracing their oun fiefh and blood, lince we all 
 iprung from one common father, the author of our 
 nation, with whom you are going to be incorporated 
 once more." Here we embraced one another with 
 a joy that is inexpreflible. Now^ all my former fears' 
 
SiGNOR Gaudi^ntio di Ltjcca. 6^ 
 
 were entirely vanifhed : the/ I had loft the country 
 where I was born, I had found another, of which I 
 could no ways be afhamed, being the moll humane 
 and civilized people I ever faw, and by all my hopes, 
 one of the iineft countries in the world ; the only 
 check to my happinefs was, that they were infidels. 
 However, I was refolved not to let any confidera- 
 tion blot out of my mind that I was a chrillian : 
 on which account, when the pophar would have 
 tied the medal about my neck^ as a badge of my 
 race, I had fome difficulty in that point, for fear it 
 fhouid be sn emblem of idolatry^ feeing them to be 
 extremely fuperilitious ; fo I afked him, what was 
 the meaning of the figure of the fun, with thofe un- 
 known characters round about it : he told me the 
 characters were to be pronounced cmahim, i, e. the 
 fun is the author of our being, or r.ior literally, the 
 fun is our father. Om or on, figniiies the fun, [this 
 v/iil be explained in another place.] ab iigniiies fa- 
 ther, im or mim^ us. This made me remember they 
 had told me in Egypt that they were children of the 
 fun -, and gave me fome uneafioefs at their idolairous 
 notions ; fo I told him, I would keep it as a cogni- 
 zance of my country, but could not acknowledge any 
 but God to be the fupreme author of my being. 
 " As to the fupreme author,^' faid he, " your opi- 
 nion is little different from ours ^^^ but let us leave 
 thefe. religious matters till another time ; we'll 
 elofe this happy day with thankfgiving to the fu- 
 preme being for this difcovery ; to-morrow, fince 
 you are now really one of us, I A^ill acquaint you 
 with our origin, and how we came to hide ourfeives 
 ill thefe inhofpitable defarts." 
 
 H s Th'^ 
 
 * Thefe people are fomcthing ]ike the Chinefe, v/ho worfhlp 
 the mau-rial heaven or, /ky, which Ibme mjiliouaries could thick 
 compalibk with chriftianity. 
 
€6 The MEMOIRS o^ 
 
 The reader is deftred not to cenfure or diji 
 believe the following account of the ori^ 
 gin and tranfmigration of thefe people^ 
 till he has perufed the learned remarks of 
 Si^nor Rhedi, 
 
 o 
 
 The next morning the pophar called me to him ; 
 — " Ion," faid he, " to lulfil my promife which I 
 made you lail night, and that you may not be like 
 the reft of the ignorant world, who know not v/ho 
 their forefathers and anceilors were : (i) whethe? 
 they fprung frcm brutes or barbarians is all alike 
 to them, provided they can but grovel on the earth 
 as they do. You muil know therefore, as I fuppofe 
 you remember what I told you at our firll flation; 
 that we came originally from Egypt. When you 
 afked me how we came to venture thro* thefe in- 
 hofpitable defarts, I told you it was for liberty and 
 the prefervation of our laws; but as you are now 
 found to be one of us, I delign to give you a more 
 particular account of your origin. — Our anceftors 
 did originally come from Egypt, once the happieft 
 place in the world : aitho' the name of Egypt and 
 Egyptians has been given to that country long fines 
 v/e came out of it, the oiiginal name of it was Mez- 
 y.oralm, (2) from the firll man that peopled it, the 
 father of our nation, and we call ourfelves Mezzo- 
 Tanians from him. We have a tradition delivered 
 down to us from our fiiil anceilors ; that when the 
 earth firll rofe out of the water, (3) fix perfons, 
 three men and three women, rofe along Aviih it,, 
 either produced by. the fun, (4) or lent by the fu- 
 pveme deity to inhabit it. That Ms^nOraim our 
 
 firfi 
 
SiGNOR Gaxjdentio di Lucca. 67 
 
 firil founder was one of thofe iix •, who encrealing 
 in number, made choice of the country now called 
 Egypt, for the place of his habitation, where he 
 fettled with Hxty of his children and grand children, 
 all whom he brought along with him, governing 
 them as a real father, and inilru (fling them to live 
 with one another, as brothers of one and the fame 
 family. (5) He v/as a peaceable man, abhorring 
 the fhedding of blood, (6) which he faid would be 
 punifhed by the fupreme ruler of the world : ex- 
 tremely given to the fearch- of fciences, and contem- 
 plation of the li-eavens. (7) It was he who was the 
 iirft inventor of all our arts, and whatever was ufe- 
 ful for the government of life, fprung from him, — - 
 tho' his grandfon Thaotk (8) rather excelled him, 
 particularly in the more fublime fciences. Thus 
 our ancellois- lived for four hundred years, encreaf- 
 ing and fpreading over all the land of Egypt, and" 
 abounding with the bleillngs of peace and know- 
 ledge, without guile or deceit, neither doing or fear- 
 ing harm from any, till the wicked defcendants of 
 the other men, called Hickfoes, (9) envying their 
 happinefs and the richnefs of their country, broke 
 in upon them like a torrent, deltroying all before 
 them, and taking polTeffion of that happy place our 
 anceilors had rendered fo flourifhing. The poor, 
 innocent Mezzo rani an s abhorring, as I faid, the 
 fhedding of bloody and ignorant of all violence, were 
 Hain like fheep all over the country ; their v/ives 
 and daughters violated before their eye^. Thofe 
 their mercilefs enemy fpared, were made ilaves to 
 work and till the earth for their new lords. 
 
 Secretary. — Here the inquifitors interrupted 
 him, and alked him., whether he thought it unlaw- 
 ful in all cafes to reiift force by force ; or whether 
 the law of nature did not allow the Mezzoranians 
 to refill thofe cruel invaders even to the fhedding of 
 blood J as- alfo to puniHi public makfadors v/ith- 
 
 death 
 
6B The MEMOIRS or 
 
 death for the prefervation of the whole. There in- 
 tent was, as the/ are cautious of any new opinions, 
 to know whether he might not be a dogmatizer, and 
 advance fome erroneous notions, either hy holding 
 that to be lawful which was not fo, or denying 
 things to be lawful, which really may be allowable 
 by the light of nature. 
 
 Gaudentio. — Doubtlefs they might lawfully 
 have refilled, even to the fhedding of blood in that 
 cafe, as public criminals may be put to death. I 
 only acquaint your reverences with the notions pe- 
 culiar to thefe people. As for the punifhment of 
 their criminals, your reverences will fee, when I 
 come to their laws and cuflcms, that they have other 
 ways and means of punifhing crimes as effe(f^ual as 
 putting to death ; tho' living entirely within them- 
 felves, free from all mixture and commerce with 
 other people; they have preferved their puritive in- 
 nocence in that refpecfl: to a very great degree. 
 
 Inquisitor. — Go on. 
 
 Gaudentio. — The pophar continuing his rela- 
 tion, added ; but what was moil intolerable v/a?, 
 that thefe impious liickfoes forced them to adore 
 men, beaii:s, and even infedls, as gods; nay, and fome 
 to fee their children offered in facrifice to thofe in- 
 human deities. (lo) This dreadful inundation fell 
 at iirll only on the lower parts of Egypt, which 
 were then the moft ilourifhing : as many of the dif- 
 trefTed inhabitants as could efcape their cruel hands, 
 fied to the upper parts of the country, in hopes to 
 find there fome little refpite from their misfortunes ; 
 but, alas ! what could they do ? They knew no ufe 
 of arms ; neither w^ould their laws fuffer them to 
 deftroy their own fpecies ; yet expected every hour 
 to be devoured by their cruel enemies. Th-e coun- 
 try to which they were now retired was too fmall 
 for them, if they could have enjoyed it in peace. 
 The heads of the families in fuch diflrefs were di- 
 vided 
 
SiGxop. Gaudentio di Lucca. 69^ 
 
 vided in their councils, or rather they had no coun- 
 cil to follow : fome of them lied into the neigh- 
 bouring defarts, which you have feen are very dif- 
 mal on both iides tlie upper part of that kingdom ; 
 they were difperfed like a ilock of fheep fcattered 
 by the ravenous wolves. The conflernation was fo 
 great, they were refolved to fly to the farthell parts 
 of the earth, rather than fall into the hands of thofe 
 inhuman monfters. The greatefl part of thtnt 
 agreed to build fhips, and try their fortunes by fea. 
 Our great ^culiQv, Meiizonmn^ had taught them the 
 art of making boats, (11) to crofs the branches of 
 the great river [Nile ;] which fome faid he had 
 learned by being preferved in fuch a thing from a 
 terrible flood, that overflowed all the land p' which 
 infhrument of their prefervation they fo improved 
 afterwards, that they could crofs the lefTer fea (12) 
 without any difficulty. This being refolved on, they 
 could not agree v/here to go ; fome being refolved 
 to go by one fea, fome by the other. However they 
 fe all hands to work, fo that in a year's time they 
 had built a vafi: number of vefTels, trying them back- 
 wards and forwards along the coafts, mending what 
 w^as deficient, and improving what they imagined 
 might be for their greater fecurity. They thought 
 nov\", or at leall their eagernefs to avoid their ene- 
 mies made them think, they could go with fafety all 
 over the main fea. 
 
 As our anceflors had chiefly given themfelves to 
 the fludy of arts and fciences, and the knowledge of 
 nature, they were the moft capable of fuch enter- 
 prifes of any people in the world. But the appre- 
 henfion of ail that v/as miferable being jufl frelh 
 before their eyes, quickened their induftry to fuch' 
 a degree, as none but men in the like circUmltances, 
 
 can 
 
 * In all appearance this muft have been Noah's flood, whici*- 
 'tis much Si^npr Rhedi palT^s over in his remarks.. 
 
70 The memoirs of 
 
 can have, a juil idea of. Moil of tliefe men were 
 thofe who had fled in crov/ds from lower Egypt. 
 The natural inhabitants of the upper parts, tho' they 
 were in a very great conilernation, and built ihips 
 as faft as they could, yet their fears were not fo im- 
 mediate, efpecially feeing theHickfoes remained yet 
 quiet in their nev/ poffeliions. But news being 
 brought them that the Hickfoes began to ftir again, 
 more fwarms of their cruel brood itiil flocking into 
 that rich country, they refolved now to delay the 
 time no longer, but to commit themfelves, wives 
 and children, with all that was mofl dear and pre- 
 cious, to the mercy of that inconftant element, 
 rather than truft to the barbarity of their own 
 fpecies. They who came out of the lower Egypt, 
 were refolved to crofs the great fea, (13) and with 
 immenfe labour were forced to carry their materials 
 partly by land, till they came to the outermoft 
 branch of the Nile, fmce their enemies coming over 
 the Ifthmus, tho' they hindered them from going 
 out of their country by land, unlefs by the defarts, 
 yet had not taken polTefiion of that part of the 
 country. 
 
 It is needlefs to recount their cries and lamenta- 
 tions at leaving their dear country- I fhall only 
 tell you, that they ventured into the great fea, w^hich 
 they croffed, and never flopped till they cam.e to 
 another fea, (14) on the fides of w^hich they fixtd 
 their habitation, that they might go off again in 
 cafe they were purfued. This we learnt from the 
 account of our anceftors, who met wdth fome of 
 them that came to viiit the tombs of their deceafed 
 parents, as we do : but it is an immenfe time fince ; 
 
 we never heard any m^ore of them. The other 
 
 part, who were much the greater number, went 
 down the lelTer fea, (15) having built their fhips 
 on that fea; they never flopped or touched on either 
 fide, till they came to a narrow part of Lt, (16) 
 
 whick 
 
SiGNOR Gaubentio di Lucca. 71 
 
 •wKicli led them into the vail ocean ; there they turn- 
 ed off to the left into the eaftern fea, (i';) but whe- 
 ther they were fwallowed up in the mercilefs abyfs, 
 or carried into fome unknown regions, we cannot 
 tell, for they were never heard of more * only of 
 late years we have heard talk at Grand Cairo, of a 
 very numerous and civilized nation in the eaftern 
 parts of the world, whofe laws and cuftoms have 
 fome refemblance to ours •, but who and what they 
 are, we cannot tell, iince we have never met with 
 ^ny of them. 
 
 Remarks of Signer Rhedi. 
 
 (i) who knoiv not tuho their ancejlors, ©"r ] It would cer- 
 tainly be a great fatisfaflion to perlbns to know from what race 
 of people, country, or family they fprang originally. This igno- 
 rance is owing chiefly to the barbari tramontani,* and other 
 northern nation?, who have from tinae to time over-run the face 
 cF Europe^ leaving a mixture of their fpawn in all parts of it, fo 
 that no one knows whether he came originally from Scythia or 
 Afia ; from a civilized nation, or from the greatefl brutes : and 
 tho** wars and invafions have deftroyed or interchanged the in- 
 habitants of mod countries, yet thir man's cbfervation is a juft 
 cenfure of the negledV of mod people, with refpe£\: to their ge- 
 nealogy and knowledge of their anceftors, where they have been 
 ftttkd in a country for feveral ages. But there are matters of 
 greater moment in this man's relation, true or falfe, which lead 
 us into fome curious remaiiis of ancient hiflory. 
 
 (a) Mez.craimfrvm the firft man, ^c.'] The original name 
 of Egypt wa^ Mi/raim ; from Mifrairo, Meforaim, or Mctforaim, 
 £s the learned Bociart explains it, lib, 4. geographia fa era in 
 Mifraim. Monfieur du Piu\ hiftory of the old teftament, chap, 
 vi. and others. 
 
 All ancient authors agree, that it was once the richeft and hap- 
 pieft country in the world ^ fiourifhing with plenty, and even 
 learning, before the patriarch ylbrahain^ time. There is a very 
 remarkable fragment of Eupolemur, an ancient heathen writer, 
 taken from the Babylonian monuments, preferved by Eujebtus. 
 
 lib. 
 
 * Signer Rhedi being an Italian, one can't wonder he fpeak.T 
 fo contemptibly of the northern people f, the Italians call them 
 all barbari. 
 
72 The memoirs of 
 
 lib. 9. Prsparat'. F.van, The whole fragment in our mcAer 
 tongue figtiifies, that according to the Babylonians, the firft was 
 Belui^ the fame with Kronos or Saturn : from him came Ham^ or 
 Cham^ the father of Chanaan^ brother to Mijraim, father of the 
 Egyptians. 
 
 (3) The garth rofe out of the <water^ ©*c.] This is an obfcurjc 
 notion of Noak''^ flood, known to all nations, at Icall the eaftern, 
 ■as appear<^ by the oldcfi: remains; of which fee Bochart in that 
 article, lib. i. the earth role out of the water, or the water funk 
 from the earth. — Thefe people might miftakc fometh.ng of that 
 undoubted and ancient tradition. But Mijraim could not be 
 ignorant of the flood, his father Ham having been in the ark, 
 whether ignorance or other motives made his pofterity vary in 
 the account; but it is evident the ancients had a notion of the ge- 
 neral deluge, as may eafily be proved by the remains of heathen 
 authors bearing teflimony to the fcriptnre account of it. 
 
 (4) Euher produced by the Jun^ ^c."] The ancient Egyptians 
 thought men, as well as infc6t?, were produced out of the flime 
 of the Nile by the h'eat ofthe fun, and called themfelves Abori- 
 gines, as feveral other nations did ; tho^ this wife man is inclined 
 to think they were created by God^ as it is evident and certain 
 they were ; for fmce we fee one fingle infe£t cannot be produced 
 without a caufe, it is nonfenfe, as well as impofllble, to imagine 
 an infinite feries of men and animals could be produced without 
 a feparate caufe; on which account atheifm is one of the moft 
 foolifli and abfurd notions in the world. 
 
 (5) Herodotus tells us, the Egyptians pretended to be the firfl 
 inhabitants of the earth ; tho' the Ethiopians contended with them 
 for antiquity. I muil quote tlie words in latin, out of Laurenv&'j 
 Valii\ tranflation, becaufe I have him not in Greek, — Omniutn 
 Hoviinim priores fe ext'i tjjfe arbitrahantur^ — they efleemed thrm- 
 felves, fays he, to have been the iirll of all men. Herodot. lib. 2. 
 Euterpe. 
 
 (6) Of t'e Jams family., ^r.] It is certain from Bochart^ and 
 other learne i authors, that the Egyptian government, as weJll 
 as that of moft nations, was at firft patriarchal, tillJV7;«rc/found- 
 cd the firft kingdom or empire in the world; whole example 
 ethers followed according to their power. However, the patri- 
 archal government was foon broke in upon in Egypt, lince they 
 had kings m.Abraham and Jfaac''s, tiine, as we learn from the old 
 teftament. See Bochjrt^^.s^togT&vh\2i facra. 
 
 (•?) Jhhorrittg the foedding of blood, Gff.] The cele-brated 
 bifhop of Meaux, in the third part of his univerral hiftory, gives 
 .2. wonderful dcfcription of the riftice and pitty of the firit Egyp- 
 tians, who had fuch a horror of fhcdding men's blood, that they 
 punished their criminal? after they were dead; which was as 
 iiiucl~i /.'; t^rrorsm.^ conlidcrin^; their f iperilitio>is xeverence for 
 
 ' their 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio i?i Lucca. 73 
 
 their dcceafed friends and parents, as if they liad been punifhed 
 when alive. The reafon why the ancient moral heathens ab- 
 horred the (hedding of blood, might be on account that Noah\ 
 Jfons living before the deluge, knew the wickedneis of the world 
 was the canfe of that dreadful judgment : and (hedding of blood 
 being the firfl crime puniihed by God, they might take warning 
 by fuch terrible examples, tho' their impiety, in fome nations, 
 foon obfcured this innate light of nature : particularly, the de- 
 fcendants oi Ham^ all but thin Mifraim, who, with his family, by 
 all accounts firft peopled Egypt, and tliey were noted for juftice 
 and knowledge. It will be made evident in the fubfequent re- 
 marks, that thefe Hickfoes were the defcendants of wicked Cla- 
 7ir.an or Cufo^ who deltroyed the peaceable ftate of the firft. Egyp- 
 tians, and introduced idolatry among them, which made great 
 numbers of them fly into other parts of the world to fave them- 
 ielves. 
 
 (7) Extremely given to the fear ch offcience!^ &c ] The fame 
 learned bifhop of Meaux, and other hiftorians, aflure us, it is a 
 thing well known to all the learned, that arts and fcience<; were 
 brought to very great pcrfei^lion in the earlicil times in Egypt. 
 Alofct was inftrucled in the fciences of the Egyptians. Triptok- 
 ffitis^ the founder of agriculturr, came out of Egypt ; Bacchus^ the 
 inventor of wine, according to the ancients, came out of Egypt, 
 or Lybia, which borders upon it; tho' it was full learned from 
 Noah : Pythagoras^ and other learned men, went into Egypt to 
 be inftru<^ed by the priefls, &c. HeroJoius fays the fame himfelf. 
 
 (8) Hit grand/on Tha-oth.'] This T/.^-c;//?', the famous philo- 
 fopher of the Egyptians, was before Mercury ^ or Trijmegijlus^ 
 tho' fome take him to be the fame. All allow him to be ex- 
 tremely ancient, but cannot fix the time when he lived. Hjflo- 
 rians murder his name at a ftrange rate : Bochart calls him Ta' 
 antus^ lib. z. chap. cxxi. Clemcm Alex. Ub. 6. Strom, fays, he 
 wrote 40. books of allrology, geography, phyfic, policy, theo- 
 logy, religion and government. JoJ'eph Ben Gofian de Divt ficnt 
 Pentium calls him 7W/j ^ fome call him Theut^ others 7>«/, Taut^ 
 'I'hcth.^^c. hut according to this man, his name was T^haoth. 
 it is undoubted, however, that he was the great mafter of the 
 Egyptians •, but derived hi? learning from Noah.,viho might have 
 the knowledge of arts and fciences from the antediluvian world, 
 or from the columns of Sethy which Jofephus fays, contain the 
 principles of adrology, and were erefted before the flood by the 
 Ticphews of Sath'., one of which columns, as he fays, remained 
 in vSyria In his time. Jofeph. lib. %. an. c. 2. 
 
 (9) Called Hickfoes^ '&€.'] The fame 7<?/>/)-W, lib. 2, contra 
 Appian, fays, that Hickfoes, or Hycloes, an old Egyptian word 
 iKnifics, King Shepherds, or King of Beafts, given them by 
 the nativ.' EgyptiaiiSj as a name of difgrace and contempt.— 
 
 I It 
 
74 The memoirs op 
 
 II is out of all controverly, that there was a great revolution iti 
 Egypt about four hundred years after the flood, or a little before 
 'y/habam's time. Monfietif' du Pin makes the time from the flood 
 to /^^r^/'«;?/s birth three hundred and fifty year?, and about four 
 hundred to his being called by God. It is certain alfo, therfi 
 were kings in Egypt in Abraham^ time : It is probable thefe 
 kings were the Hickfoes, or King Shepherd?, who altered the 
 government of the ancient Egyptians, and continued about five 
 kings reigns : for when the patriarch Jcjeph called his father and 
 brethren into Egypt, he hid them aik the land of Gofhen to in- 
 habit; becaufe, faid he, all Shepherds are an abomination to the 
 Egyptians: by which it appears, the Shepherds were lately driven 
 out. In all likeHhood they were thefe kings who introduced 
 idolatry and the adoration of brute bealb among the Egyptians, 
 tor which reafcn they called thetii in derifion. King Shepherds^ 
 or King Reafte. — The greai Bccbart, in his Phaleg, looks upon 
 this revolution in Egypt to have been before Abraham'?, time, and 
 fo far from being a fiction, that he fays in exprefs words, Ccjlucos 
 ^ Capthoraos ( v/hom he proves to be the people of Colchos, for 
 uli il is fo far from Egypt) ex Egypto migrajfe certnm ejl ante 
 Ahrahami tempora : it is certain, fays he, that the Cafluci and Cap- 
 thorsei v/cnt out c f Egypt before Abraham''^ time. Bochart Phaleg^ 
 jib. 4. c. 31. Herodotus in Euterpe fays, that the people of CoU 
 chos were originally Egyptians; tho' fome fay, they went back 
 fome ages after, and fettled in Palelline, and were after called 
 that Philiftines. 
 
 (10) Their children offered a facrl fee to thofe inhuman deities "^ 
 Thefe Hickfoes being in all appearance the d«.fcendant.s of wicked 
 CJ:>nman or Ciijh^wtxt fo abominably impious, as to facrifice hu* 
 TYjan vldims and children to their falfe Ck>ds; and even were the 
 fjil> authors of all impiety and idolatry. * 
 
 (11) TJje art of making boats ^ ^r,] 'Tis highly probable the 
 Egvptians had the knowledge of fliipping long before the Greeks, 
 v/hofe fineft ihip was Argo^ built by J^fin^ to fetch the golden 
 fleece from Colchos. The firll notion of (hipping was undoubt- 
 edly taken from the ark. The Egyptians were neceflitated to 
 iTjake ufe of boats, by reafnn of the annual overflowing of the 
 river Nile, and to pafs the different branches into which that fa- 
 mous river divides itfelf in the lower Egypt. The Sidonianp, 
 •Kvhom Bochart proves to be the dtfcendants of Chanaan^ had the 
 life of (hipping, as he alfo proves, before the children of Ifrael 
 departed out of Egypt. 
 
 ( 1 a) The lejfcr jta.l Egypt is bounded on the one fide by the 
 end of the Mtditeiranean ; on the other fide by the Red-fea, di- 
 viding it from Arabia •, this he calls the leller fea, as being much 
 narrower than the Mediterranean. 
 
 (13) This £reat fea, ad difiicguinied frcm t^ kfs, muft K 
 
SlGNOR CaUBENTIO DI LuCCA. 75 
 
 the Meciilerranean. Thofc; who fled by that Tea, miift be thofe 
 V. ho went to Cokhos; they could not go by land over the Illmu?, 
 becaufe the Hicklbes poured in upon them that way : we mud 
 not fuppole they went all the way by lea to Cokhos, quite round 
 by the ftreights of Hellefpont-, they mult ciofs the end of the 
 Mediterranean, and went by land the fliorteft way they could, till 
 they came to the borders of the Euxine-fea. It is almofi incre- 
 dible men fhould go lb far to feek an habitation. But Dochart 
 fays, it i? certain the people of Cclchos came oat of Egypt; they 
 n>aft ihtrefore have been drove out by ibrae terribie enemies. 
 You will fay, why may not this firft revolution in Egypt, which 
 Bochari fpeaks of, have been made by the great Semi mini s^vnf^ 
 to Nims the Ton of Nlmrodf It is anfv/ered in the firit place, 
 bccaule Joj'ephus calh; the firit invaders of Egypt, King SLepherdsy 
 ■which cannot agree with the great heroine S-miramis. Secondly, 
 becaufe it is not credible, notwithilanding the contrary opinion ot' 
 moft hirtorian?, that Nmus^ the hufband of Semiramis^ could not 
 be Jb early as? they make him to be, /. e. the fon oiNimrod^ but 
 fome other N'mus long after him ; for tho' Semiramis conquered 
 Egypt, and afterwards lofl: her army againd the yEthiop-ans, this- 
 could not be Toon after the flood, becaufe hiilorians dckribe tliat 
 army to confi ft of three hundred thoufand men, inftruded in 
 difcipline after a military manner, armed with warlike chariots, 
 ^c. as were the ^Ethiopians ag.ainft her, and even fiiperior tf> 
 her ; I fay, it is not credible fucli great armies conid be raited 
 fo foon after the flood, if fhe was daughter-in-law to Ni'.nrod, the 
 great hunter, who was the fon of Oifby and the great grandfon 
 to Noah. 
 
 (14) Jmther fej^'\ i, e. The Euxine fea. 
 
 (15) The lejsrjea.l i.e. The Red-fea. There were feveral 
 other revolutions in Egypt, as, by the ^Ethiopians after Semlra- 
 mis was conquered ; who were expelled again, either by the great 
 Sifilftris^ of whom Herodotus relates fuch famous exploits, or a 
 little before by his predeceffor. The Chanaanitcs alio,, who were 
 driven out of Paleftine by Jojhua., conquered part of it, as we 
 fliali fee afterwards. Long after that, it was fubdued by Nebu^ 
 chodonojor^ who deftroyed the renowned city of Thebes with her 
 hundred gates. Bochart in Ninive. Then the Perfians, under 
 Cambjfes the fon of Cyrus ths Great. In fine, the Romans made 
 a province of it in AuguJ}us\ Time. Strako fays of that famous 
 city of Thebes, at prefent, fays he, it is^ but a poor village. 
 
 Atque 'vetus Thebe centum jacet obruta portis. 
 
 I ^x cri Juven xSat. 15, 
 
 1 !6} Itey came to a narroiv part of it., (sT^.] This mud be 
 
 riie llreightsofBabelmandei, which kt them into the vafl eallcni 
 
 ocean. 
 
 ( i ; } rhej^ned off tj the Jeft^ (^c'.] It is likely, that colony 
 ^ i * was 
 
76 
 
 The memoirs op 
 
 was carried to China; for let v-hat will come of this nianV re- 
 lation«:,thel'e are very ftronp; reafonsto believe, that theChiriefe, 
 r.ctv.'ilhftanding the vatl dillance fro-m Fgypt, came originally 
 from that country, about the time of the invafion of the King 
 Shepherds, which v/as before Jacob and his fons went into the 
 land of Egypt : for whoever compares the account given by the 
 learned bifhop ofMeanx, in the third p?rt of his ur.iverfai hiftory, 
 of the lives and manners of the firft Egyptians with thofe of the 
 Chinefe, will find them to agree in a great many points : as ii\y 
 th-eir boailed antiquity — zd, their fo early knovv^lcdge of ^rts and 
 fcitnccs — 3d, their veneration i'oj learned men, v/ho have the 
 preference before others — ^t-h, their policy — 5th, their unac- 
 countable ib perdition for their deceafed parents — 6;h, their an- 
 nual vifitrng the family of their ancefl:ors — 7th, their peaceaMc 
 dirpofjtions — 8th, their religinus worfliip. As for this lali, it is 
 v/cll kn*wn, the firft Egyptians worfliipped the fun, long before 
 the gcds Apis, Ifts, and Ar.ubis were introduced among them by 
 their idolatrous invaders. And the Chinefe, to this day, v/orlh.ip 
 the material heaven, as is feen in the condemnation of the jefuil*?, 
 by Clem. XI : laftiy, the ufe of pyramids in China, v.'hich were 
 like ancient idols among the Chinefe. See the account of thera* 
 in Moreri.X The only difficulty is to know how they got from 
 ?^g;ypt to Chin^, which is not f<?-infupportablc as people may ima- 
 gine. It is certain, the Egyptians, as hath bfeen remarked, had 
 a very early knowledge of navigation. It is certain alfo, that 
 in thofe barbarous invnfions, the invaders of kingdoms alrnoft 
 deftroyrd all before them. Since we find therefore in the mod 
 ancient hiftories, that there was a moft. terrible revolution in 
 Egypt, about that time m.ade by the people, whofe cuftom.s the 
 Egyptians had in abomination, the Chinefe mTght feek their for- 
 tune by fea, and might be carried beyond thePerlran gulph, till 
 they came to Cochin China, from whence they might get into 
 the main continent, and fo people that vaft empire, preferving 
 their ancient laws and cuftoms inviolable. So that whatever 
 becomes of this man's relation, 'tis extremely probable the Chi- 
 nefe came firft from Egypt. 
 
 i. e. Pyramids^ J Editio Cleric^ 
 
 Condnuatioia 
 
SieNOR GAirrJENTio i>i Lucca. 77 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 JL H E father of our nation, lince we feparated 
 ourfelves from the reft of the world, who was prieil 
 of the fun at No-om, (i) called afterwards by thofe 
 xmifcreants No-Ammon, (2) becaufe of the temple 
 of Hammoni was not aileep in this general coniler- 
 iiation ; but did not as yet think they would come up 
 ^fo high into the land. However, he thought proper 
 -to look out for a place to fecure himfelf and fa- 
 jnily, in cafe of need. He was the defcendant, in a 
 rdirefl: line, from the great Tha-oth \ and was perfedl- 
 iy verfed in ail the learned fcienccs of his ancellorf;. 
 He guefied there mull certainly be fome habitable 
 country beyond thefe dreadful fands that furrounded 
 him, if he could but find a way to it, where he might 
 ifecure himfelf and family,, at leaft till thofe troubles 
 were over; for he did not at that time think of leav- 
 ing his native country for good and all : but like a 
 true father of his people, which the name of pophar 
 implies, he was refolved to venture his own life, ra- 
 ther than expofe his whole family to be loft in thoie 
 . difmal defarts. He had live fons and five daughters, 
 married to as many fons and daughters of his de- 
 ceafed brother : (3) his two eldert fons had evea 
 g;rand.chiidi*en, but his two youngeil fons as then 
 had no children. He left the government and care 
 of all to his eideft fon,. in cafe he fhould mafcarrv, 
 r'nd took his two youngexl fons, who mirht beil be 
 
 pared, along with him. Having provided t]- em- 
 : elves with water for ten days, with bread and d'ied 
 i'uits, juft enough to fubfift on, he was refolved to 
 try fi^ve days journey end-ways thro' thofe fands ; 
 '^tA if he faw no hopes of making a difccvery i^ 
 I 3 that 
 
^8 The MEMOIRS oy 
 
 that tinle, to return again before his provifions were 
 fpent,and then try the fame method towards another 
 quarter. In Ihort, he fet out with all fecrecy, and 
 pointing his courfe dire(5lly wellward, the better to 
 guide himfeif, he came to the iirll grove that we 
 arrived at, in a little more time than we took up in 
 coming thither. Having now time enough before 
 him., and feeing there was water and fruits in abun- 
 dance, he examined the extent of that delicious vale: 
 he found there was room enough to maintain a great 
 many thoufands in cafe they fhould increafe, and be 
 forced to Hay there feme generations, as in eife«5l 
 they did. After this they laid in provifions as be- 
 fore, with dates and fruits of the natural produce of 
 the earth, finer than ever were feen in Egypt, ta 
 encourage them in their tranfmigration, and fo fet 
 out again for his native country. 
 
 The time prefixed for his return was elapfed by 
 his Hay in viewing the country, fo that his people 
 had entirely given him for loft : but the joy for his 
 imexpefled return, with the promifing hopes of fucK 
 a fafe and happy retreat, m?.de them unanimoully 
 refolve to follow him. Wherefore, on the firfL 
 news of the Hickfces being in motion again, they 
 packed up all their effects and provifions as pri- 
 vately as they could, but particularly all the mo- 
 numents of arts and fciences left by their anceftors, 
 with notes and obfervations of every part of their 
 dear country, which they were going to leave, but 
 hoped to fee again when the ftorm was over. They 
 arrived without any confiderable difafter, and re- 
 folved only to live in tents till they could return 
 into their native country. 
 
 As they increafed in number, they defcended fur- 
 ther into the vale, which there began to fpread it- 
 felf diiferent ways, and provided them with all ne- 
 cefi'aries and conveniencies of life; fo that they 
 lived in the happieft baniiliment they could wiih, 
 
 but 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca* >;9 
 
 but never ilirred out of that vale for feveral yean 
 for fear of difcovery. The pophar finding himfeif 
 grow old (having attained almolt to two hundred 
 years of age,) and being hale and flrong (4) for 
 his years, refolved to viiit his native country once 
 more before he died, and learn v/hat news he could 
 for the common intereft ; fo he and two more dif- 
 guifed themfelves and repaffed the defarts again. — 
 They jull ventured at iirll into the borders of the 
 country ; but, alas ! when he came there, he found 
 all the country over-run by thofe barbarous Hick- 
 foes. All the poor remains of the Mezzoranians 
 were made flaves ; and thefe barbarians had begun 
 to build habitations, and eftabliih themfelves, as if 
 they deiigned never more to depart the country. — « 
 The had made No-om one of their chief towns, (5) 
 where they eredled a temple to their Ram God, (6) 
 calling it No-Hammon ; (7) with fuch inhuman 
 lav«rs and cruelties, (8) as drew a flood of tears from 
 his aged eyes. However, being a wife man, and of 
 great foreiight, he eafiiy imagined by their tyran- 
 nical way of living, they could not laft long in that 
 ilate without fome new revolution. When he had 
 made what obfervations he could, and had vilited 
 the tombs of his forefathers, he returned to the vale^ 
 and died in that place where you faw the pyramid 
 built to his memory. 
 
 Not many generations after, according as he had 
 forefeen, the natives being made defperate by the ty- 
 rannical oppreilions of the Hickfoes, were forced 
 to break in upon their primitive laws, which forbad 
 them fhedding of blood ; made a general infurrec- 
 tion, and calling in their neighbours round about, 
 fell upon the Hickfoes when they leaft expeiHed it, 
 and drove them out of the country. They were 
 headed by a brave m.an of a mixed race, his mother 
 being a beautiful Mezzoranian, and his father a Sa- 
 bean. (9) After this young conc[ueror had driven 
 
 out 
 
Bo The MEMOIRS of 
 
 out the Hickfoes, he ellabliihed a new form of go* 
 vernment^ making himfelf king over his brethren^, 
 but not after the tyrannical manner of the Hickfoes, 
 and grew very powerful. 
 
 Our anceftors fent perfons from time to time ta 
 inform themfelves how matters went. They found 
 the kingdom in a llourifhing condition indeed, un- 
 der the conquering Sofs, (lo) for fo he was called. 
 He and his fuccefTors had made it one of the moil 
 powerful kingdoms of the earth; but the lavv's were 
 different from what they had been in the time of our 
 anceftors, or even from thofe the great So/s had ef- 
 tablifhed. Some of his fuccelTors began to be very 
 tyrannical •, they made ilaves of their brothers, and 
 invented a new religion; fome adoring the fun, fome 
 the gods of the Hickfoes , fo that our anceftors, 
 tho' they might have returned again, as they could 
 not think of altering their laws, chofe rather to con- 
 tinue ftill unknown in that vale under their patri- 
 archal government. Neverthelefs, in proceis of 
 time they encreafed fo much, that the country was 
 not capable of maintaining them, fo that they had 
 been obliged to return had not another revolution 
 in Egypt forced th^m to feek out a new habitation. 
 This change was rrade by a race of ]jeople called 
 Cnanim, (ii) 'as wicked and barbarous in efteJl, 
 "but more politic than the Hickfoes ; tho^ fome faid 
 originally they were the fame people, who beinc;' 
 driven out of their own country, by others more 
 powerful than themfelves, came poudng in, not only 
 over all the land of Mezreaim, but all along the 
 coaft of both feas, deftroying all before ihem, with 
 greater abominations than the Hickfoes had ever 
 been guilty of; a faithlefs and molt perfidious race 
 of men that corrupted the innocent manners (12) of 
 the whole earth. Here our fore-fathers were in the 
 nioft dreadful confiernation imaginable. There was 
 now no prof[:>ed of ever returning into their ancient 
 
 countrv : 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lxjcca. 8i 
 
 country : they were furrounded Vv ith defarts on all 
 lides : the place they were in be2:s.n to be too nar- 
 row for fo many thoufands as they were encreafed 
 to ; nay, they did not know but the wicked Cnanim, 
 the boldefl and moft enterprifuig naiicn under the 
 fun (13) might find them out feme time or other. 
 — Being in this diftrefs, they refolved to feek out a 
 new habitation ; and to this end they compared all 
 the notes and obfervations on the heavens, the ccurfe 
 of the fun, the feafons and nature of the climate, 
 and whatever elfe might dir'evfl them what courfe to 
 lleer. They did not doubt but that there nlight be 
 feme habitable countries in the midll of thofe vafl 
 defarts, peihaps as delicious as the vale they lived 
 in, if they could but come at them. They fent out 
 fome perfons to mvake difcoveiies, but without fuc- 
 cefs: the fands were too vail to travel over without 
 water, and they could find no fprings nor rivers. At 
 length the moxl fagacious of them began to refleifl, 
 that the annual overflowing of ihe great liver Kile, 
 whofe heed could never be found out, muft proceed 
 from fome prodigious rains which fell fome-viheie 
 fouthward of them about that time of the year; 
 which rains, if they could but luckily time and meet 
 with, might not only fupply them wiih v/ater, but 
 alfo render the country fertile where they fell. 
 
 Accordingly the chief pophar, afTifted with fome 
 of the wifeft men, generoufly refolved to run all 
 rifques to fa\ e his people. They computed the ex- 
 adt feafon when the Nile overflowed, and allowed 
 for the time the waters muft take in coming down 
 fo far as Egypt. They thought therefore, if they 
 could but carry water enough to fupply them till 
 they met with thefe rains, they would help them to 
 go on further. At length five of them fet out with 
 ten dromedaries, carrying as much water and provi- 
 fions as might ferve them for fifteen days to bring 
 them back again in cafe there were no hopes. The/ 
 
 Heered 
 
fin .The memoirs of 
 
 Iteered tlieir courfe as we did, tho* not quite fo e.i[- 
 aifl the firft time, till thej came to the place where 
 we are noM^. Here, as their obfervations tell us (4) 
 they found a little rivulet, which is iince fwallowed 
 up by the fands ; they filled their veffels, and went 
 up to obferve as we did : but feeing the iigns of the 
 great hurricanes, that which v/as our greateit encou- 
 lagement, had like to have driven them into defpair; 
 for the pophar knowing the danger of being over- 
 whelmed (ii the fands, thought of nothing but fly- 
 ing back as faft as he could, fearing to be fwallow- 
 ed up in thofe ilifiing v/hirlpools. This apprehen- 
 lion made him lay afide all thoughts of proceeding 
 towards that climate ; and now his chief care was 
 how to get back again with fafety for himfelf and 
 his people. But finding all continue tolerably fe- 
 rene where they were, they made a halt in order to 
 make fome further obiervations. In the mean time, 
 they reflecfted that thofe hurricanes mult be fore- 
 runners of tempells and rain *, then they remembered 
 that no rain, or what was very inconiiderable, ever 
 fell in Egypt, (15) or for a great way fouth of it, 
 till they came within the tropics ; fo they concluded 
 that the rains mufl run parallel Vvith the equator, 
 both under it, and for fome breadth on both fides, 
 till they met the rife of the rive Nile, and there 
 caufed thofe vafl inundations, that were fo hard to 
 be accounted for by other people: that in fine, thofe 
 Tains mull continue a confiderable while, and pro- 
 bably, tho' beginning with tempefts, might continue 
 in fettled rain capable of being pafTed thro* r then 
 he had firll refolved to venture back again to the firf^ 
 vale ; but being a man of great prudence, he pre- 
 fently confidered, that as he could not proceed on 
 his way without rains, fo he could not come back 
 again but by the fame help, which coming only at 
 one feafon, muft take up a whole year before he 
 could return. However, he was refolv-ed to venture 
 
SiGNOK GaUDENTIO DI LuCCA. S^ 
 
 on, not boubting if he could but find a habitable 
 country, he fhould alio find fruits enough to fubfift 
 on, till the next feafon : therefore, he ordered two 
 of his companions to return the fame way they came 
 to tell his people not to expedl him till the next 
 year, if providence fhould bring Jiim back again : 
 but if he did not return by the lime of the over- 
 iiowin^ of the Nile, or thereabouts, then they might 
 give him over for loft, and mufl never attempt that 
 v/ay any more. They took their leave of one ano- 
 ther, as if it were the lafc adieu, and fet out at the 
 fame time *, tv/o of them for their home in the firft 
 vale, and the other three for thofe unknown regions, 
 being deftitute of all other helps but that of a cou- 
 rageous mind. The three came back to this place, 
 where it thundered and lightened as it does now : 
 but the p©phar obferved it ilill tended f^de- ways, and 
 guelTed, when the firil violence was over, the rains 
 might be more fettled. The next day it fell out as 
 he forefaw •, as foon as he perceived that, he recom- 
 mended himfelf to the great author of our being, 
 and launched boldly out into that vaft ocean of fands 
 and rain, fteering his courfe fouthwefl, rather in- 
 clining towards the fouth. They went as far as the 
 heavy fands and rains^would let them, till their dro- 
 medaries could hardly go any further : then they 
 pitched their tents and refreilied themfelves jufl 
 enough to undergo new labour, v/ell knowing ail 
 their lives depended on their expedition. They ob- 
 ferved the fands to be of a different kind from what 
 they had been hitherto, fo fine, that any gull of Vt/ind 
 mult overv/helm man and beaft, only the rains had 
 clogged and laid them. 
 
 Not to prolong your expe6iation too much, thrs 
 they went on for ten days, till the rains began lo 
 abate, then they faw their lives or deaths would loon 
 he determined. The eleventh day the ground began 
 to. grow harder in patchesj wiih heie and theTe a 
 
 liitle 
 
«4 The memoirs op 
 
 little mofs on tlie furface, and now and then a fniall 
 "Viithered fhrub. This revived their hopes, that they 
 fiiouli! find good land in a Ihort time, and in effecfl 
 the foil changed for the better eyerj Hep ihey took ; 
 and now they began to fee liule hills covered with 
 grafs, and the valleys fink down as if there might 
 be brooks and rivers. The twelfth and thirteenth 
 days cleared all their doubts, and brought them into 
 a country, which tho' not very fertile, had both wa- 
 ter and fruits, with a hopeful profpe^ farther on of 
 hills and dales, all habitable and flourifhing. Here 
 they fell proflrate on the earth, adoring the creator 
 of all things, who had conduced them fafe thro' 
 fo many dangers, and killing the ground which was 
 to be their common nurfe, for them, and, as they 
 hoped, for all their poflerity. When they had re- 
 poied themfeives for fome days, they proceeded fur- 
 ther into the country, which they found to mend 
 upon them the more they advanced into it. They 
 J. new they were not to return till next year, fo they 
 fought the propereft place for their habitation. 
 They fet up marks at every moderate diftance not to 
 lofe their way back again. They made for the high- 
 €il hills they could fee, from whence they perceived 
 an immenfe and delicious country every way; but 
 to their greater fatisfadion, no inhabitants. They 
 wandered thus at pleafure thro' thofe natural gar- 
 dens, where there was a perpetual fpring in fome 
 kinds of the produce of the earth, and the ripcnefs 
 of autumn with the mofl exquilire fruits in others. 
 —They kept the moft exa(ft obfervaiions poflible, 
 which ev£r way they went: there were not only 
 fprings and fountains in abundance, but as they 
 guefTed, for they kept the higher ground, the heads 
 of greats rivers and lakes, fome of which they faw, 
 till they were fatisiied there was room enough for 
 •uhole nations Vvithout any danger, as they could 
 findy of being diilurbed. By tiidr cbftrvation of 
 
 the 
 
Si^NOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 85 
 
 i]\e fun, they were nigher the equator than they had 
 imagined, (16) fo that they there paffed the mid- 
 dle fpace between the tropic and the line. Being 
 tome baclr to their firft itation, they there waited 
 the proper feafon for their return. The rains came 
 fom^nhing fooner than the year before, becaufe they 
 M^ere further wellv/ard. The hurricanes were no- 
 thing like what they were in the vail fands. As 
 ibon a^s they began to fix in fettled rains, they ftt 
 out again as before, and in twenty days time, from, 
 their laft fetting out, happily arrived at the place 
 where they left their dear friends and relations, 
 whofe joy for their fafe and happy arrival was 
 greater than I can pretend to defcribe. 
 
 Thus this immortal hero accomplifhed his great 
 undertaking, fo much more glorious than all the 
 victories of the greateft conquerors, as it was pro- 
 je;^ed, formed and executed by his own wifdom and 
 courage-; not by expofing and facriiicing the lives 
 of thoiifands of his fubjetfl:, perhaps greater mejoi 
 than himfelf, but by expofing bis own life for the 
 fafety of thofe that depended on him. 
 
 Remarks of Slgnor Rhedi^ 
 
 (i) Pneji of No-cm.] No-om, or No-on, fignlHes Mezzora= 
 
 •cian, or in the old Egyptian language, the houfe of the fun. 
 
 Their word-> are made up of monofyllables, put together like tht: 
 Chinefe, which -is another reafon why the Chinefe ought to be 
 looked upon a^ a colony of the Egypri ins. FiJe the remarks of the 
 foregoing part of this relation. The patriarch 7^r/>,^ married the 
 daughter of the prieil of On; which feveral learned men lay, is 
 th£ fame with Heliopoli?, or city of the fun, FromiV^, cames the 
 Egyptiazi Niir.:7j or divifions ©f the country, which the great B^r- 
 
S6 The MEMOIRS o? 
 
 charty In his Fhaleg. fays Is an Egyptian, not a Greek word, tho' 
 Dynajiy is Greek. . Bochart^ lib, 4. c. 24. Hence very likely 
 came theNomades and Numid'£, from their wandering and fre- 
 quently chang-ing their habitation, or names ^ the firtl and moii 
 ancient of all nations lived thnf, 
 
 ( Z ) Called it No-bam or No-Hamn:on^ That is, the hcnfe or tem- 
 ple 01 Ham or Hammon; or Charnoon or C/:ujn, as Boclart varies 
 it. This Hatn was the Tyrian Jupiter^ and in this place was at* 
 terwards fituated the great city of Thebes, as has been rbferved 
 before; called by the Greeks, Diofpolis, or, the city oi Jupiter^ 
 Cadviuf, who was of Thebes, in Paleftine, heing driven out Trom 
 thence by Jcjhua^ built it, but v/as driven out from it, and forced 
 to retire to Tyre, from whence he conducled a colony of Tyriaa?, 
 or banilhed Chanaanitts, into Beotia,'v/here he,baiit Thcbe? alfo, 
 Dr rather the citadel of Thebes, called Cadmeia. Fide Boclart ^ 
 inCadmus ■^nA Hermione \ which lift, the fame author fays, came 
 originally from Mount Hermon, in Palelrine ; and as that word 
 in the Chanaanean language fignifies a ferpent, from hence arofe 
 the fable of the ferpent's teeth turning into men. The temple of 
 Jupiter- Amtnon^ or Haviwon^ in Africa, was built by the Cha- 
 nani, who fpread themfelves from. Egypt into Lybia. 
 
 {5) It is certain that the ancient^, particularly the Eatlern na- 
 tions, married their nigh relations as wcU as the Jews, to keep 
 tip their names or tribes : but wc don't find in hiftcry that they 
 rnarried their own fillers, till the Perfian kings, who were con- 
 demned for it by the Greeks. The Egyptians, under the Ftolo-^ 
 ijiiesy fcllov/ed that barbarous cuftom, tho' they began with P/<?- 
 hmy Lagus^ one of the captains of Alexander ; the Ynca's in 
 America did the i'ame, not to prophane their blood, as they faid, 
 ^vith other mixtures. 
 
 (4) Hale andfirovg^ ^c!\ The regular lives of the firft Fgyp- 
 tiano, and of thefe people defcended from thtm ; together with 
 the Climate, their diet of fruits and liquors, their exemption from 
 violent paliions, without being corrupted by the fpurious fpawn 
 cf other rations, and the like, might contribute very much to the 
 length of their lives and iirength prcpcrtionably. 1 he Macrobii, 
 cr Long Livers, a people of ^.thiopia, and a colony of the ancient 
 Egyptians, lived to a vaft age, and were called Macrobii from 
 their long lives. See Herodotus of the /Ethiopians, and what he 
 fays of their ftrength in the bow they fent to Car/thjjks^ when he 
 l,ad denounced war againft them-, faying, that when he could 
 bend that bow, he might make war againft them ; which bow 
 only Smerdis,CafnhyJes\ brother, could bend ; and for that reafon 
 was afterwards put to death by his brother, out of envy. 
 
 (5) A toivn of No-o-m^ ©"c] It feems Thebes, tho' afterward*- 
 fuch a prodigious city, was then biU the head cf the name of that 
 loan's family. 
 
 (6) rheir 
 
SIG^^OR Gaubentio di Lucca. 87 
 
 {6) Their Ram God^ (^r.]. yupiter Ilammon^ whom Eccharf 
 proves to have been Ham or Cham ^ the icn of Noah^ was rtpre- 
 fented with a ram'.s head, which was held in fach abomination: 
 by the firil Egyptians, trom whence they called thole firit in- 
 vaders Hickfoes. 
 
 (7) Na-HaiKtnoff,] The houfe of the Ram God, 
 (b) Likuman Lcfws^ GJ'r.} It is likely htmf^^^mBufjridis JrnSy 
 fo inl'amous in antiquity \ or the cruel Bu(yris^v^'\\o i'acrificed his 
 gnetls. Tho' hiilorians don't agree about the time v/hcn Bufyris 
 lived, which fnews he was very ancient, yet all agree he was a 
 monrter or cruelty, and became a proverb on that account. 
 This was a very uaUiral reaibn fcr the Egyptians to difperfe 
 themfclves into fo many colonies,, as they did to avoid fucb 
 crucltieF. 
 
 (9) J Sah^an'\ Thefe Sabsans were the defcendants of fome 
 of the fons oi Chujh, or Ckufs, a very tali race of men, great na- 
 vigators, and more polite than the other Arabians. Bocbart in 
 Siba fillo Chuf^ where he quotes a paflage out of Agatharcides of 
 the handfomnefs of the Sabceans, 
 
 " Ths bodies of the inhabitants (the StihteansJ are tnort tnajejlic 
 than other men.'''* 
 
 (10) The conqtierlng Sofs."] This muft be the great .Sif/^/^m or 
 Sejojis^ of whom the learned billiop of Meaux, as alio HerodotuT^ 
 fay fuch glorious things. 1 ho' authors don't fay precifely when 
 he lived, all acknov/ledge him to have fiouriOied in the earlieft 
 times. He extended his cenquells over the greateft part of the 
 Eaft, and almoft over the known world, as fome fay : where his 
 enemies were cowardly, and made no refiftance, he fet up fta- 
 tues of them refembling vvomen. Herodot. lib. 2. Euterpe, Monf. 
 ds Meaux^ Par. 3. Hift. Uni. This great conqueror's name is 
 very much varied by ^thor?. 
 
 (11) Called Cnanini^ or Chanani.'X Thefe in all appearance were 
 the wicked Chananeans, who being to be deftroyed, and be in^' 
 driven out of Chanaanby Jojhuay difperfed themfclves, and in- 
 vaded the greateft part of tht; countries round abo-at them. Bn" 
 charty in Chanaan, proves almoft demonftrably, that they dif- 
 perfed themfelves over all the ifiands and iea-j>orts of Europe, 
 Afia, and Africa. In his preface lie quotes a moft curious paC- 
 fage oat of Pracopius deBello Fandalicoy of a pillar that was found 
 in Africa, with a Pheniciau or Chananeaa infcription, which, 
 fignifies; 
 
 " M^e are thofetoho fled from ths face of Jefus^ or JoJIjua the 
 robbery tkejim of Nave.'''* 
 
 Eufebiu^y in Chronico, has much the fame; and St. Augujlin^ 
 in hiis City of God, fays that the ancient country geople about- 
 
rS^ The memoirs of 
 
 Hippo, in Africa, who were the remains of the ancient Cartha- 
 geninnp, if you afked them who they were, would anfwer, we 
 Jhre originaliv Chanani or Chanantans. 
 
 (iz) Corrupted the innocen" manners^ ^c^ The celebrated i?(7- 
 rlart^ lb often que ted, proves that the Phenicians, or Carthagc- 
 nianp, v/hcm he alfo proves to have been Chananeans, v/ere the 
 perfons who 'pread idolatry with all the tribe of the heathen 
 g-cd«, and their abominable rites, over the whole world. Bochart 
 in Chan^an. The fam.e author lays, the Phenicians, or Chanani, 
 <?id invade Egypt about that very lime \ this he proves diredlly, 
 and that they had their caflra about Memphis : as alfo, that CcJ~ 
 vf'us and rhnix, whom he makes contemporaries v/ith 'Jojluc.^ 
 having fied before him, came out of Egypt aTterwards, and built 
 Thebe? in Eectia. See alfo Herodotus in Euterpe. 
 
 (13) The rr.ojl entcrprifmg nation ur.der thcjun.^ &c ] Herodotus . 
 Jviys, that they failed (even in thofe early days) from the Red Sea 
 round Africa, and came back to Egypt thro' the freights and up 
 the Mediterranean. Herodot. Melpomen:^ and Bochart. That 
 iiannQ the elder, by order of the fenate of Carthage, failed round 
 tae grca'eft part of the world, and after his return, dcHvei-ed Into 
 them an account of his voyage, which ir. called, the Ptriplas of 
 Jianno: he afFcfled to be honored as a god for it, and lived be- 
 fore Soh:nQn\ time. Bochart in Chanaan, lib. i. c. 37. Chanaan. 
 
 (14) As their chfer<vation! tell us \ Thofe wife ancients kept 
 records cf every thing that v:a- memorable and ufeful for their 
 people. If this had beenthe praftice of the Europeans, we ftiould 
 not have lofi fo m.r.ny fecret;- of nature as we have. 
 
 (15) No rain fell in Egypt ?^ This is well know by all the de- 
 fcriptions of that country, the inundation of the Nile fupplying 
 the want it, and making it one of the mod fertile kingdoms in 
 the world : every one knows it was once the granary of the Ro- 
 man empire. However, fome fm.all rain falls fomietimes; nor is 
 there any mere higher up in tli^ country. The overflowing of 
 the Nile is known to be caufed by vaft rains falling under the 
 line, or about that climate; and fince thefe don't take Eg y|jt 
 and the adjoining part of Africa in their way, they muft by con- 
 f."quence run parallel with the line, which was a very naturat 
 f.nd phiiofophical obfervation of thefe wife men. 
 
 ( 16) They tvsre nigher the equator than thy ii^iagined, ^"r.3!'Tho*" 
 we may imagine a iefler circle parallel to the tropics and the equa^ 
 for, which is called maximus parallelorum-^ yet whoever travels 
 either by land or fea, as he thinks parallel to the equator, does 
 liOt do fo, bu,t will approach to it; nay, and crofs it at laft, un- 
 ki> he gees ffiirally and makes indentures as he goes along ; the' 
 T^afon is, becaufe wherever we are, we are on the I'ummit of the 
 ^lobe with refpett to us, and our feet make a perpendicular to 
 the centre; fo that it we go round the globe, we (hall make a 
 great circle, and by confequence cut the equator. 
 
 Continuatiot< 
 
Sign OR GAUDENno di Lucca. 8^? 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 I 
 
 T were too tedious to recount to you all the dif-^ 
 iiculties and troubles they had, both in refolving to 
 undertake fuch a hazardous tranlmigration, as well 
 as thofe of tranfporting fuch a multitude, with their 
 wives and children, and all their moft precious ef- 
 fe(5ls, over thofe mercilefs lands, which they could 
 only pais at one feafon of the year. But the voyage 
 being at length refolved on, and the good pophar 
 wifely confidering the difficulties, necefiity, the mo- 
 ther of invention, urging him, at the fam'e time, to 
 gain as much time as he could, liiice the vale where 
 they were at prefent was fuifi-cient to maintain them 
 till the rains came, got all his people hither in the^ 
 mean time, to be ready For the feafon. The new- 
 born children were left with their mothers and peo- 
 ple to take care of them, till they were able to bear' 
 the fatigue. Thus, in feven years time, going back- 
 v/-ards and forwards every feafon, they ail arrived 
 fafe, where we ourfelves hope to be in ten or twelve 
 days lime* This great hero we. defervedly honor, as 
 another Mefraim, the fecond founder of our nation, 
 from whofe loins you yourfelf fprung by the furer 
 iide, and are going to^ be incorporated again with- 
 the ofiispring of your firfh anceflors/* 
 
 Here he ended his relation, and your reverences 
 may ealily believe I was in the greatell: admiration 
 at this unheard-of account. Aait railed the ideas I 
 had of the people, fo I could not be forry to find 
 myfelf, young and forlorn as I was before, incorpo- 
 rated with, and allied to fuch a ilouriihing and ci- 
 vilized nation. My expectation was net difpropor- 
 ti^nabie to my idtas : I was perfuaded I was gping 
 K 3: into 
 
90 The memoirs of 
 
 into a very fine country ; but the thoughts of their 
 being pagans left fome little damp on my fpirits, and 
 was a draw-back to my expected happinefs. How- 
 ever I was refolved to preferve my religion, at the 
 <ixpenfe of all that was dear to me, and even of my 
 life itfelf. 
 
 By this time the pophar ordered us to refrefli our- 
 ieives, and prepare all things for our dep<arture, tho' 
 the florm of thunder and lightning did not ceafe till 
 Towards morning. At length all things were ready 
 for motion, fo y/e marched ealily on till we came 
 into the courfe of the rains. It was the molt fettled' 
 and downright rain (as the faying is) that ever I 
 law : every thing feemed to be as calm as the tem- 
 peft was violent before. They being accuflomed to 
 it, had provided open veiTels on each lide of the dro- 
 xnedaries, to catch enough for their ufe, as it fell, 
 w ith that fine oiled cloth I mentioned before, over 
 themfelves and beails. All the fands were laid, and- 
 even beaten hard by the rains, tho' heavy and cloggy 
 at the fame time. We made as much way as ever' 
 "we could for five days, juft refling and refreiliing 
 ©urfelyes when it was abfolutely necelTary. I muft 
 own, nothing could be more difmal than thofe drea- 
 ry folitary. defarts,. where we could neither fe€ fun 
 lior moon, but had only a gloomy, malignant light, 
 lult fufiicient to look at the needle, and take our ob- 
 fervatioLSi On the fixth da/ we thought we faw 
 f&methitig move fideways of us, on our right hand, 
 but feemingly palling by us, when one of the young 
 raen cried, '^ there they are, ' and immediately crof- 
 fed down to them ; then we perceived them to be 
 perfons travelling like ourfelves, croiling in the fame 
 manner up towards us. L was extremely furprifed 
 to find that thofe defarts were known to any but 
 cjurielves : but the pophar foon put me out of pain, 
 "by telling me, they were fome of their own people, 
 taking the, i^mt feafoii to go for E^ypt, and on the 
 
 fame 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 91 
 
 fame account. B7 this time we were come up to 
 one another. The leader of the other caravan, with 
 all his company, immediately got off their drome- 
 daries, and fell proftrate on the earth before our 
 pophar ; at which he ftept baclr, and cried, " alas ! 
 is our father dead ? They told him, yes *, and that 
 he being the firfl of the fecond line, was to be re- 
 g'ent of the kingdom till the young pophar, who was- 
 "born when his father was an old man, fhould come 
 to the age of iifty. Then our people got off, and 
 p-roHrated themfelves before him,* all but myfelf ; 
 they took no notice of my negleft, feeing me a fu- 
 }>€rnumerary perfon, and confequently a llranger j 
 but as foon as the ceremonies were over, came and 
 embraced me, and welcomed me into their brother- 
 hood with the moft lincere cordiality, as if I had 
 been one of their nation. The pophar foon told 
 them what I was, which made them repeat their 
 careffes with new extaiies of joy peculiar to thofe 
 people. After re-iterated enquiries concerning their 
 friends, and aff^urances that all was well, except what 
 they told him, the pophar aVatd them, how they 
 came to direct their courfe fo much on the left hand, 
 expecfting to have met them the day before *, and 
 they feeming to point as if they were going out of 
 their way : they told us they were now feniible of 
 it, and were making up for the true road as fail as 
 they could; buf the day before they had like to have 
 |oft themfelves by the darknefs of the weather, and 
 their too great fecu-ity ; for, bearing too much on 
 the left hand, one of their dromedaries floundered, 
 as if he were got into a quickfand : (i) the rider 
 thinking it had been nothing but fome loofer part 
 of the fand, thought to go on, but fell deeper the 
 further he vent, till the commander ordered him 
 to get off immediately, which he did with fo much 
 
 haite^ 
 
 * The Eailern maaner of (hewing refpe£l« 
 
92 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 halle, not minding his dromedary, that the poo^ff 
 beafl going on further into the quickfand-, was loJR:. 
 Then the pophar told them, there v/as fuch a place 
 marked dov/n in their ancient charts, which, being 
 fo well acquainted with the roads, they had never 
 minded of late years : that he fuppofed thofe quick- 
 fands to be either the rains, which had funk thro* 
 the fands, and meeting with fome llrata of clay, Itag- 
 nated, and were forming a lake; or more probably, . 
 it v/as the courfe of fome difi^^ant river, rifing per- 
 haps out of a habitable coiuitry, at an unknown 
 diltance, but had loll itfeif in thofe immenfe fands. ' 
 lioYv'ever, he congratulated them for their efcape,. 
 and like a tender father, gently chid them for their 
 too great fecurity in that boundlefs ocean. 
 
 Our time not permitting us to ilay long^ each, 
 caravan fct out again for their deilined courfe, hav- 
 ing but iive or fix days journey to make, that is, as 
 far as we could travel in fo many 4lays and fo many 
 Bights, for v/e never flopped but to refrefh ourfelves. 
 The rains had fo tempered the air, that is was ra- . 
 ther cold than hot, efpecially the nights, which grew 
 longer as we approached the line. Here we fleered 
 our courfe m.ore to the weft again, but not fo as to 
 leave the ridge of the world. I obferved the more 
 "we kept to the weft, the more moderate the rains 
 were, as indeed they flackened in proportion as we 
 came nigher our journey^s end •, becaufe coming 
 from the weft, or at leaft with a little point of the 
 fouth, they began fooner than where we fet out. — . 
 Th^ tenth day of our journey, I meanfromthe lafl 
 grove or refting place, one of our dromedaries failed. 
 We had ciianged them feveral times before, to make 
 their labour m.ore equal: they would not let.it die 
 for the good it had done ; but two of the company 
 having water enough, and knowing M^here they 
 were,, ftood behind to bring it along with them. — 
 We now found the nature of the fanda and foil be- 
 gin 
 
SiGNOR Gatbentio di Lvcca. 95 
 
 gin to change, as the pophar Kad informed me: the 
 ground began to be covered with a little mofs, tending 
 toward a greenfward, more like barren downs than 
 fands; and I perceived in fome places unexpededlj, 
 inilead of thofe barren gravelly fands, large fpaces 
 of tolerable good foil. (2) At length to our inex- 
 prellible joy and comfort, at leaft for myfelf, who 
 could not but be in fome fufpenfe in fuch an un- 
 irnown world, we came to patches of trees and grafs, 
 with flanting falls and heads of vales which feemed 
 to enlarge themfelves beyond our view. (5) The 
 rains were come to tlieir period ; only it looked a 
 little foggy at a great diftance before us, which was 
 p>artly from the exhalations of the country after the 
 rain?, (4) partly from the trees and hills Hopping 
 the clouds, by which we found that the v/eather did 
 not clear up in the habitable countries fo foon as 
 in the barren defarts. The pophar told me, that if 
 it w^ere not for the hazinefs of the air, he would 
 Ihew me the moft beautiful profpedl that ever my 
 eyes beheld. I was fenlibly convinced of it by the 
 perfum.es of the fpicy fhrubs and flowers, which 
 itruck our fenfes with fuch a reviving fragrancy, as 
 made us almoil forget our pall fatigue, efpecially 
 me, v;ho had not felt the like even in the firft vale ; 
 neither do I believe, all the odours of the happy 
 Arabia could ever come up to it. I was jull as if I 
 had rifen out of the moft delicious repofe. Here 
 the pophar ordered us to ftcp for refiefliment, ajid 
 added, we m.ufl flay there till the next day. We 
 pitche 1 our tents on the laR defcent of thofe im- 
 menfe bars, by the iideofalitde rill that ifTuel 
 out of the fmall break of the dawns, expelling fur 
 ther orders. 
 
 Remarks 
 
94 The MEMOIRS or 
 
 Remarks of Signor Rhedi. 
 
 ( 1 ) As if he 'were got into a quickfarrd^ ^c."] Perfons may won-' 
 Jer to hear of quickfands in the midft of the fun«burnt defarts of 
 Affica^ but the thing will not feem fo improbable when we come 
 t« examine the reafon of it. Without doubt, our author does not 
 mean fuch quickfands as are caufed by the coming in of the tide 
 ondcf the fands; a nmn cf icufe would be incapable of fuch a' 
 blun ier. But that there (liould be Ibme Hagnating waters in the 
 low iwamps of the fands, is ib far from being incredible, that it 
 can hardly be thought to be otherwifc.. It is very well known 
 there are vail lakes in fome parts of Africa, which have no vifi- 
 ble cutletp. There are rivers alfo that lofe themielves in the fand^, 
 ■where finking under for fome time, they may form fandy 
 marfhej, or quickfands, as the author calls them. 
 
 (a) It wasobfervedin fomeof the former remarks, that not only 
 the defarts of Africa, but all the ftrata, or great beds of gravel, 
 which are found in all parts of the world, probably were cauftd 
 by the univerfal deluge : nor can they be well accounted for 
 ©therwife. The deeper the beds of gravel are, the more they 
 fhcw, by the heterogeneous fluff lodged with them, that they 
 were brought thither, net produced there ab origins. The vaft 
 falls and gullets, which are feen on the ikirts of all the moun-» 
 tains m the world, evidently (hew they were caufed by fome vi- 
 olent agitation, which carried the loofer earth and fmall ftones 
 along with it ; for which nothing can be more natural than the 
 fuppofition of a flood, or agitated fiuid, which, by its violence and 
 Ihakings, carried all that was moveable before it for fome time. 
 This gravel v/as incorporated with the loofc earth before the 
 flood; and was carried to and fro, while the waters were in their 
 gteatefl agitation, wadiing and melting the loofe earth from the 
 gra\'el and (lone?. But when the waters came to their higheft 
 pitch, and began to fubride,the (lones au^i gravel would fink fooner 
 than lighter things, and fo be left ahnoft ia a body in thofe ftratl' 
 they appear in. This might be iilultrated much further if there 
 were occafion. The vail numbers of petrified ihells and fcallops. 
 which are found in all parts of the worlds, on the higher ground^;, 
 could never be a mere lufus natura^ as fome too curious philo- 
 fophers imagine, but muft be accounted for by fuch a flood ; and 
 thefe appearing in all parts of the univerG?, the flood muft ha\re 
 been univerfal. The fudden change of foils in every region, withr 
 the exceeding richnefs of fom; more than others, and that too 
 fometimes all at once, is to be accounted for from the fame 
 cauie ; for the fame violence of waters v/afhing the earth from 
 the (lones, mull naturally make an une'^ual accumulation of 
 
 both. 
 
SiGNOK. Gaudentio ©I Lucca. 95 
 
 "both. As for Africa, all the ancients fpeak of the incredihie fer- 
 liiity of it in feme places, and the extreme barrennefs of ihe de- 
 farts in others. 
 
 (3) The prodi[!;.ious height of the fands in Africa, ia thofc 
 parts Vv'hich lye between the tropica, may not only be the caufe 
 of the fands or gravel fmking in f,;tater quantities at the decreafe 
 of the floijd, but the moil extenfive vales may have their rife 
 irom very fmall gullets at firft. 
 
 {4) It is very natural to think, that thofe Larren fuQ-buxnt de- 
 fartsiiend up but few exhalations. 
 
 Continviation of the Memoirs. 
 
 T. 
 
 H E caufe of our flav in tliat place v/as not 
 only our comparnons v/e had leit behind us, (now 
 we were out of danger) but on a ceremonious ac- 
 count, as vour reverences will fee by and by : they 
 were alfo to change their habits, that they might 
 ?.ppear in the colours of their refpeiftive tribe or 
 name, which were five, according to the number of 
 the fons of the lirft pophar, who brought them out 
 of Egypt, whofe Hatue we fav/ at the pyramid. 
 
 By their lavjs, all the tribes are to be diftinguifh- 
 cd by their colours ; that wherever they go, they 
 may be knov;n what name they belong to, with 
 particular marks of their pofts and dignities, as I 
 Ihall defcribe to your reverences hereafter. The 
 grand pophar's colour, who was defcended from the 
 cldeil fon of the ancient pophar, was a Hame colour, 
 or approaching nigh the rays of the fun, becaufe he 
 was chief prieft oi the fun. Our new regent's co- 
 lour v;as green, fpangied with funs of gold, as your 
 xeverences faw inihe pivlvire ; the green xeprefent- 
 
 ing 
 
96 The ]M E M O I R S of 
 
 ing the fpring,wKich is the chief feafon with them; 
 tTie third colour is a iiery red for the fummer: the 
 fourth is yellow for autumn ; and the fifth pur- 
 ple, reprefenting the gloominefs of winter ; for thefe 
 people acknowledging the fun for the immediate 
 governor of the univerfe, mimic the nature of his 
 influence as nigh as they can. The women obferve 
 the colours of their r€fpe<fl:ive tribes, but have moons 
 of filver intermixt with the funs, to IheW that they 
 are influenced in a great meafure by that variable 
 planet. The young virgins have the new moon ; 
 in the flrength of their age, the full moon ; as they 
 grow old, the moon is in the decreafe proportiona- 
 bly; the widows have the moon exprefTed juft as it 
 is in the change •, the defcendants of the daughters 
 of the firft pophar, w^ere incorporated with the refl ; 
 thole of the eldefl daughter, took the eldeft fon^a 
 colour, with a mark of diftindlion, to fhew they 
 were never to fucceed to the popharfhip, or regen- 
 cy, till there fhculd be no male iffue oi the others 
 at age to govern. This right of elderfhip, as thefe 
 people underfland it, is a little intricate, but I fhali 
 explain it to your reverences more at large when I 
 come to fpeak more particularly of their govern- 
 ment. When they are fent out into foreign couu" 
 tries, they take what habit or colour they pleafe, 
 and generally go all alike to be known to each 
 other; but they muft not appear in thei? own coun- 
 try but in their proper colours, it is criminal to do 
 -otherwife, with marks alfo of their families, that in 
 ■cafe any mifdemeanor Ihould be committed, they 
 may know where to trace it out, for which reafon, 
 now they drew near their ov;n country, they were 
 to appear in the colours of their refpe^ive names ; 
 all but myfelf, who had the fame garment I w^ore 
 at Grand Cairo, to Ihew I was a Granger, tho^ I 
 wore the pophar's colours afterwards, as being his 
 relation, and incorporated ia his family. 
 
 When 
 
SiCNGR GAUDEi^^TlO Dl LuCCA. 97 
 
 When they v/ere all arrayed in their filken co- 
 lours, fpangled with funs of gold, with white fillets 
 round their temples, fiudd-ed with precious ilones, 
 they made a very delightful fhew, being the hand- 
 fomeft race of people this day in the univerfe, and 
 all refembling each other, as having no n^ixture of 
 other nations in their blood. 
 
 The fun now had broke thro' the clouds, and 
 difcovered to us the profpefb of the country ; but 
 fuch a one as I am not able to defcribe ; it looked 
 rather like an immenfe crarden than a country: at 
 that dillance I could fee nothing but trees and 
 groves ; whether I looked towards the hills or vales, 
 all feemed to be one continued wood, tho' v/ith fome 
 fcemingly regular intervals of fquares and plains, 
 with tlie glittering of golden globes or funs thro* 
 the tops of the trees, that it looked like a green 
 wianile fpangled with gold. I alked the pophar if 
 they lived all in woods, or whether the country was 
 only one continued immenfe forell : he fmiled, and 
 fiiid, v/hen we come thither you fball fee fomething 
 elfe beiides woods, and then bid m€ look back and 
 compare the dreary fands we had lately pafled with, 
 that glorious profpe(fl: we fav/ before us : I did fo, 
 and found the difmal barrennefs of the one en- 
 hanced the beautiful delight of the other. " The 
 reafon,'* fays he, " why it looks like a w ood, i^, that 
 beiides innumerable kinds of fruits, all our towns, 
 fquares and ftreets, as well as fields and gardens, are 
 planted with trees both for delight and conveniency, 
 tho* you will find fpare ground enough for the pro- 
 duce of all things fufficient to make the life of man 
 eafy and 'happy. The glittering of gold thro' the 
 top of the trees, are golden funs on the tops of the 
 temples and buildings; we build our houfes flat and 
 low on account of hurricanes, with gardens of per- 
 fumed ever-greens on the top of them, which is the 
 rtafon ycu fee nothing but groves.'' 
 
 L We 
 
93 The MEMOIRS oy 
 
 We defcended gradually from off the defart ihrts* 
 the fcattered fhrubs, and were faluted every now and 
 then with a gaie of perfumes, quite different from 
 what are brough us Europeans from foreign pans. 
 The frefh air of tlie morning, together v/ith their 
 being exhaled from the living ftocks, gave tbem fuch 
 a fragrancy as cannot be exprefTed. At length v;e 
 came to a fpacious plain a little ihelving, and co- 
 vered with a greenifh coat, betvveen mofs and grafs, 
 "which was the utmofx border of the defart, and be- 
 yond it a fmall river colledted from the hills, as it 
 v/ere weeping out of the fands in different places, 
 which river was the boundary of the Icingdom that 
 way. Here w^e made a halt, and perceived a fmall 
 company often perfons, equal to our number, except 
 iriyfelf, advancing gravely towards us ; they were in 
 the proper colours of the nomes, with fpangled funs 
 of gold, as my companions wore, only tht tops of their 
 heads were fprinliled with duff in lign of mourning. 
 As foon as they came at a due diffance, they fell ilat 
 on their faces before the pophar, without faying a 
 word, and received the golden urns, with the earth 
 we brought along with us. Then they turned anfi 
 marched direclly before us, holding the urns as high 
 in their hands as they could, but all in a deep and 
 jTiOurnful iilence- Thefe were deputies of the five 
 nomes fent to meet the urns. We advanced in this 
 iilent manner, without faying one word, till we came 
 to the river, over which was a ffately bridge with 
 a triumphal arch on the top of it, beautified with 
 funs of gold moff magniiicent to behold. Beyond 
 the bridge, we immediately paffed thro^ a l^ind of a 
 circular grove, which led us into a moff delightful 
 plain lilie an amphitheatre, with five avenues of 
 llreets leading to it : at the entrance of each avenue 
 ffood an innumerable number of people, reprefent- 
 ing the five nomes, or oovernments of thofe immenfe 
 ikingdoms, all in their different colours, fpangled 
 
 with 
 
SiGNOR Ga'CBTBTIO T'l LuCCA. 99 
 
 •V;-ith funs of gold, which made the moil glorious 
 /hew in the world. As foon as ever we entered tlie 
 an-iphitheatre, our filence w^as broke by fhouts of 
 joy that rended the rerj fkies j then the whole mui-^ 
 titude fell iiat en their faces adoring the urns, and 
 repeating their fhouts and adorations thrice ; there 
 advanced ten triumphant chariots, according to the 
 colours of the nomes, with funs as before ; nine of 
 tlie chariots w-ere drawn by fix horfes each, and the 
 tenth w-ith eight for the pcphar reo;ent. The five 
 deputies, who were the chief of each nome,with the 
 urns and companions, mounted five of the chariots, 
 the other five were for us, tw^o in a chariot, only 
 niyfelf, being a fupernumerary was placed back- 
 wards in the pophar's chariot, w^hich he told me 
 W'as the only mark of humilitation and inequality I 
 would receive. We were conducted by five fqua- 
 drons of horfe, of £fty each, in their proper colours^ 
 wuth Hreamers of the fame, having the fun in the 
 centre, thro* the oppofite avenue, till we came into 
 another amphitheatre of a valt extent, where we 
 faw an infinite number of tents of fiik of the colour 
 of the nomes, all of them fpangled with golden 
 funs ; here we were to reft and refreih ourielves. 
 The pophar's tent w^as in the centre of his own co- 
 lour, which wa.5 green, the fecond nome in dignity, 
 in whofe dominions and government w^e now were. 
 I have been longer in this defcription, becaufe it 
 was more a religious ceremony than any thing elfe, 
 thefe people being extremely myflerious in all they 
 do. (i) I fhall explain the meaning to your reve^ 
 rences as briefly as I can. The flopping before we- 
 came to the bridge on the borders of thofe inhofpi- 
 table defarts, and w^alking in that mourni'ul fiient 
 manner, not only expreffed their mourning for their 
 deceafed anceflors, but alfo fignified the various ca- 
 lamity and labour incident to hum.an life, where he 
 not only ought to be, but really is, in a flate of bs- 
 L 2 niflir-ient 
 
loo The MEMOIRS 02 
 
 liiiliment and mourning ; v/andering in fun-bnrttt 
 defarts, and lolTed with the ilorms of innumerable 
 lavvlefs defires, Hill lighing after a better country. 
 The pailage over the bridge, they would have to 
 betoken mai/s ent^rance into reft by death; their 
 fliouts oi joy, when the facred urns arrived in that 
 glorious country, not only fignilied ths happinefs 
 of the next life, (for thefe people univerfally be- 
 lieve the immortality of the foul, and think none 
 but brutes can be ignorant of it), but alfo thai their 
 anceftors, whofe burial dull they brought along 
 with them, were now in a place of everlafling reft. 
 
 Inojjisitor. — I hope you don't believe fo of 
 heathens, let them be ever fo moral men, iince vje 
 have no affuranGe of happinefs in the next life men- 
 tioned in the holy fcripture,trithout faitkin Chrifi. 
 
 Gatjdentio. — No, reverend fathers*, I only 
 mention the myfteries of thefe men's religion, as 
 they underilaiid them. As I believe in Chry^ I 
 know there is no other name under heaven by which, 
 irian may be faved. 
 
 Ing^isitor. — Go on. 
 
 Gaudentio. — Every ceremony o£ thefe people 
 has fome myflery or other included in it ■, tho* there 
 ttid not appear any harm in any of them, except 
 their falling proflrate before the duit, which looked 
 like rank idolatry ; but they faid itill, they meant no 
 more than what was merely civil, to fignify their 
 xefpecl for deceafed parents. (2) I fiiaii not as 
 yet detain your reverences with the defcription of 
 the beauties of the country thro' which we palTed,, 
 having fo much to fay of the more fubftantial part ; 
 that is, of their form of government, lavv^s and cuf- 
 toms, both religious and civil ; nor defcribe their 
 prodigious magnificence, tho' joined with a great 
 deal of natural fimplicity, in their towns"; temples, 
 Tchools, colleges, ^c. becaufe, being built moftly 
 alike^ except, for partiwuiar uiea, maiiufadorics, and 
 
 tfcc 
 
SiCNOR GAUUrNTIO BI LuCCA. lOl 
 
 the like, I ihali defcribe them all in one, when I 
 come to the great city of Phor, otherwife called in 
 their facred language, No-om ; (3) for ii I ihowld 
 ftay to defcribe the immenfe richer, iertility, ani 
 beauties of the couDtry, this relation, which is de- 
 iigned as a real account of a place wherein I lived 
 fo many years, v/ould rather look lilce a romance 
 than a true relation. I /ball only tell your reve- 
 rences at prefent, that after having taken a moil mag- 
 rdficent repaft, conliftingof all the heart of man can 
 conceive delicious both of fruits and wines, while 
 we ftaid in thofe refrefliing tabernacles, v/e pafied 
 on by an eafy evening's journey to one of their 
 *-*^towns, always conducted and lodged in that trium- 
 phant manner, till we came to the head of that 
 riome, which I told your reverences was the green 
 nome, belonging to the pophar regent, and fecond 
 in dignity of the whole empire. Here the urn of 
 duft belonging to that nome was repoiited in a kind 
 of golden tabernacle fet with precious itones of im- 
 m.enfe value, in the centre of a fpacious temple, 
 which I fliall defcribe afterwards. After aweek''3 
 feafting and rejoicing, both for the reception of the 
 dufl and the fafe return of the pophar and his com- 
 panions, together with his exaltation to the regency, 
 we fu out in the fame manner for the other nom.es, • 
 to repofit all the urns in their refpe^live temples : 
 thefe are five, as I informed your reverences before. 
 The country is fomething mountainoiJ5, particularly 
 under the line, and not very uniform, tho' every 
 thing elfe is ; containing vailies, or rather whole 
 regions running out between the defarts ; befjdes 
 I'aft ridges of mountains in the heart of the country, 
 which inclofe immenfe riches in their bowels. The 
 chief town is iituated as nigh as poflible in the mid- 
 dle of the nomes, and about the center of the coun- 
 try, bating thofe irregtdarities I mentioned. The 
 four inferior nomes were like the four corners, and 
 L z the 
 
I02 The memoirs of ' 
 
 trie flame coloured nome, where the grand pophar 
 and regent pro tempcre reiided, in the centre of the 
 fquare. Their method was, to go to the four in- 
 ferior ncmes firft and repoiit the urns, and then to 
 complete all at the chief town of the firft nome. 
 Thefe nomes were each about eight days very eafy 
 journey over. Thus we went the round of all, Vv^hichi 
 I think, as I remarked, was a kind of political vifi- 
 tation at the fame time. At length v/e came to the 
 great city of Phor, or No-om, there to repolite the 
 laft urn, and fot all the people to pay their refpe6ls 
 to the grand pophar, if in being, or elfe to the re- 
 gent. By that time, what with thofe who accom- 
 panied the proceffion of the urns, and the inhabi- 
 tants of that irnmenfe town, fo many people were 
 £;athered together, as one would h-ave almoft thought 
 had not been in all the world belide *, but in fuch 
 order a^d decency diftinguifhed in their ranks, tribes 
 snd colours, as is not eafy to be comprehended. 
 The fl.ittering tents fpread themfelves over the face 
 of the earth. I. fhall here give your reverences a 
 cAefcription of the town, becaufe all other great 
 lowns, or heads of the nomes, are built after that 
 rao^el, as indeed the lefler tov. ns come as nigh it as 
 they can, except, as I faid, places for arts or trades, 
 which are generally built on rivers or brooks for 
 conveniency •, fuch is the nature of the people, that 
 they affeft an exadl uniformity and equality in all 
 they do, as being brothers of the fame ilock. 
 
 The town of Phor, that is, the Glory or No-om,, 
 •which lignifies, the houfe of the fun, is built circu- 
 lar, in imitation of the fun and its rays. It is fitu- 
 ated in the largeft plain of all the kingdom, and 
 •fipon the largeft river, which is about as big as our 
 Po, rifing from a rigde of mountains under the line, 
 and runs towards the north, where it forms a great 
 lake, almoft like ajea, Avhofe waters are exhaled by 
 \he ht^at of the iun^ having no oudet, or fmk under 
 
 ground, 
 
SiGNOR Gaxjdentio di Lucca. 103f 
 
 ground, in the fands of the vail defarts encompaiiing 
 it. This river is cut into a raoll magnificent canal, 
 running direftly thro' the middle of the town. Be- 
 fore it enters the town, to prevent inundations, and 
 for other conveniencies, there are prodigious bafons,, 
 locks and fluices, with collateral canals, to divert 
 and let out the water, if need be. The middle ftream 
 forms the grand canal, which runs thro' the town 
 till it comes to the grand place ; then there is ano- 
 ther lock and ilaice, dividing it into tv/o femicircles 
 or wings, and carrying it round the grand place, 
 forming an illand with the temple of the fun in the 
 centre, and meeting again oppolite to where it di- 
 vided, and fo goes on in a canal again. There are 
 twelve bridges Vvdth one great arch over each, ten over 
 the circular canals, and two where they divide and 
 meet again. There are alfo> bridges over the- ftrait 
 canals, at proper diftances. Be5ore the river enters 
 the town, it is divided by the firfl great lock into 
 two prodigious femlcircLes, encompaiiing the whole 
 town. All the canals are planted with double rows- 
 of ceders, and v/alks the moll delightful that can be 
 imagined. The grand place is in the centre of the 
 town, a prodigious round, or immenfe theatre, en- 
 compalTed with the branches of the canal, and in the 
 centre of that, the temple of the fun. This temple, 
 conlills of three hundred and fixty five double mar- 
 ble pillars, according to the number of idie days of 
 the year, (4) repeated with three ftories one above 
 another, and on the top,, a cupola open to the flcy 
 for the fun to be feen thro* ; the pillars are all 
 of the Corinthian order, (5) of a marble as white . 
 as fnow, and fluted ; the edges of the flutes, with 
 the capitals cornifhed, are all gilt. The inner roofs 
 of the vaft galleries on thefe pillars, are painted with 
 the fun, moon, and ilars, exprefling their different 
 motions, with hieroglyphics, knowm but to fome 
 few of the chief elders or rulers. The outfides of all 
 
 arei 
 
704 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 are doubly gilt, as is tKe dome, or grand concave on 
 the top, open in the middle to the fky. In the mid- 
 dle of this concave is a golden fun, hanging in the 
 void, and fupported by golden lines or rods from the 
 edges of the dome, the artificial fun loo^s down, as 
 if it were fhining on a globe or earth, erected on a 
 pedeflai altar-wife oppolite to the fun, according to 
 the fituation of their climate to that glorious planet ; 
 in which globe or earth are inclofed the urns of 
 their deceafed anceftors. On the infide of the pillars 
 are the feats of the grandees or elders, to hold their 
 councils, which are all public. Oppoiite to the 
 twelve great ftreets, are ib many entrances into the 
 temple, v/ith as many magnificent f!air-cafes be- 
 tween the entrances, to go into the galleries or places 
 where they keep the regifters of their lav^s^&c. with 
 gilt baluftrades looking dov/n into the temple. On 
 the pedeftals of all the pillars were engraven hiero- 
 glyphics and characters, known to none but the five 
 chief pophars, and communicated under the greatefb 
 fecrecy to the fuccelTor of any one of them in cafe 
 of death, lofs of fenfes, and the like. I prefume, 
 the grand fecxets, and arcana of ftate, and, it may 
 be, of their religion, arts and fciences, are contained 
 therein. The moll inproper decorations of the 
 temple, in my opinion, are the iiutings of the pil- 
 lars, which rather look too finical for the augufl 
 and majeftic limplicity affected my thefe people in 
 other refpecfts. 
 
 The fronts of the houfes round the grand place 
 are all concave, or fegments of circles, except wlrere 
 the great ftreets meet, which are twelve in number 
 according to the twelve figns of the zodiac, point- 
 ing to the temple in ilrait lines like rays to the 
 centre. This vafl round is fet with double ro^'S and 
 circles of ftately cedars before the houfes, at an ex- 
 a(fl diflance, as are all the Itreets on each lide, like 
 fo many beautiful avenues, which produces a mofl 
 
 delightful 
 
SlGXOTv G'AUDINTIO DI LuCCA. 10 j, 
 
 delightful effefl to the eve, as well as conveniency 
 of ihade- The crofs ftreets are fo many parallel 
 circles round the grand place and temple, as the cen- 
 tre, making greater circles as the town enlarges it- 
 felf. They build al //ays circular-ways till the cir- 
 cle is complete V then another, and fo on. All the 
 itreets, as I faid, both llraight and circular are plan- 
 ted with double rows of cedars. The middle of the 
 £reas between the cuttings of the ftreets, are left for 
 gardens and other conveniencies, enlarging them- 
 Iwlves as they proceed from the centre or grand 
 place. At every cutting of the ftreets, is a lefTer cir- 
 cular fpace fet round with trees, adorned v/ith foun- 
 tains, or ftatues of famous men *, that, in elre6l, the 
 vvh^le town is like a prodigious garden, diftinguifn- 
 cd with temples, pavilions, avenues, and circles of 
 greens; fo that it is difficult to give your reverences 
 a juft idea of the beauty of it. I forgot to teli your 
 reverences, that the twelve great ftreets open them- 
 felves as they lenghten, like the radii of a wheel, fo 
 that at the firft coming into the town, you have thQ 
 profpcvft of the temple and grand place, directly b^-^ 
 lore you ; and fro,m the temple a direct view of one 
 of the fineft avenues and countries in the worlds — ► 
 Their principal towns are all built aiier this form>. 
 After they have taken a plan of the place, they firft 
 bulld-a temple *, then leave the great area or circu- 
 lar market place, round which they build a circle 
 of houfes, and add others as they increafe, according 
 to the foregoing defcription ; ridiculing and con- 
 temning other countries, whofe towns are generally 
 built in a confufed number cf houfes and ftreets, 
 without any regular figure. In all the fpaces or 
 cuttings of the ftreets, are public fountains brought 
 down by pipes from a mountain a conftderable dif- 
 tance off the town •, or, as I faid before, ftatues of 
 great men holding fomething in their hands to de- 
 clare their merit j which having no wars, is taken 
 
 either 
 
166 The M E M O I H S of 
 
 either from the invention of arts and fciences, or 
 fome memorable a(ftIon done by them for the irh- 
 provement and good of their country. Thefe they 
 look lipon as more laudable motives, and greater 
 fpurs to glory, than all the trophies ere(fted by other 
 nations for deilroying their own fpecies. Their 
 Jioufes are built all alike, and low, as I obferved be- 
 fore, on account of ftorms and hurricanes, to vj^hJcK 
 the country is fubje<5t ; they are all exadily of a 
 height, fiat roofed, with artificial gardens on the- 
 top of each (6) full of iiov/ers and aromatic iiirubs; 
 ib that when you look from any eminence down into 
 the ftreets, you fee all the circles and avenues like 
 another v/orld under you; and if on the level, along 
 the tops of the houfes, you are charmed with the 
 profpedl of ten thoufand different gardens meeting 
 your iight wherever you turn ; infomuch, that I be- 
 lieve the whole world befides cannot afford fuch a 
 profpe(5l. There are a great many other beauties 
 and conveniencies, according to the genius of the 
 people*, v/hich were I to mention them, v/ould make 
 up a whole volume. I only fay, that the riches of 
 the country are immenfe, which in fome meafure 
 are all in common, as I fliall fheAV when I com.e to 
 the nature of their government. The people are the 
 moft ingenious and induftrious in the world ; the 
 governors aiming at nothing but the grandeur and 
 good of the public, having all the affluence the heart 
 of man can defire, in a place where there has been 
 no w^ar for near three thoufand years •, there being 
 indeed no enemies but the inhofpitable fands around 
 them, and they all confider themfelves as brothers 
 of the fame ftock, and living under one common fa- 
 ther ; fo that it is not fo m.uch to be wondered at, 
 if they are arrived at that grandeur and magnifi- 
 cence as perfons in our world can fcarce believe or 
 coDceive. 
 
 Rcmari:s 
 
SiGxos. Ga'jdsntio r>i Lucca. 107 
 
 Remarks of Signor ^vhedi. 
 
 ( I ) 'Extremely myjrenoui in all they do^ &c.'] The ancient Egyp- 
 tians were fo myrterious, particularly in their religious cerfeiiio- 
 nie?^, and arcana of government, that in all probability the an^ 
 cient fables, which very few yet uaderftand rightly, had their 
 rife from them ; tho' the \c?Lxnt^Bockart^ in his Phalcg, derives 
 them chitfty from the Canaanites, who difperfing themielvesall 
 over the world, when they fled from Jojhuny inipofed upon tb<; 
 credulous Greeks, by the different fignifications of the fame 
 words in their language. It is obfervable by the bye, that the 
 mod aaclent languajjes, as the Hebrev/, with its different dia- 
 lers, of which the Cananean or Phsenician language was one, 
 the Chinefe language, Gfr. had a gieat many fignifications for 
 the fame word, either from the plain fimplicity or poverty of 
 the ancient languages, or more probably from__an aifttVed myl- 
 terioufnel's in all they did. 
 
 ( 2 ) Tojignify their refpe^ to their deceajed ancejior:^ ^<^.] See 
 the remarks before on that head, and the accounts of the wor- 
 ihip of the Chinefe, who were originally Egyptians in the dif- 
 putcs between the Dominicans and Jefuits, where the latter 
 maintained the idolatrous ceremonies and offerings made to 
 their deceafed anceftorp, to imply nothing but a natural and civil, 
 refpecl. The Dominicans, on the contrary, very juftly held 
 them to be Idolatry, as they were judged to be, and condemned 
 as fuch by Clement XI. 
 
 (3) Called No-om in their facred language^ (^c."] ysjephus a^Si'mu. 
 ,^ppion diflinguifhes two lang'-ttges of the ancient Egyptians, the 
 one lacred, the other common. Their facrcd language was fu!i 
 of myfteries, perhaps like the cabala of the Jews. 
 
 (4) According to the number of the days cf the year."] Our au- 
 t hor feems to be a little out in this place ; for it is certain, the 
 ancient Egyptians did not m.ake their year to confift of fo many 
 4ays, unlefs you will lay, that thefe people being very great af- 
 tronomers, were more exa6t in their cbfervations. 
 
 (5) The pillars ivere oj the Corinthian order., ^<r.] It is gene- 
 lally fuppoled, that t^e different orders of pillars, as the Doric, 
 the Ionic, Corinthian, <Sc. came i\t\ fi*om the Greeks, as their 
 appellations being Greek, would make us believe-, but the fa- 
 irious and ancient .palace of Perfepolis, notwithftanding its Greek 
 name, where there were hieroglyphics and infcriptlons in cha- 
 ja(Sters none could uaderftand, with other reafont;, (hew that the 
 invention came from Egypt, or from the ancient Chaldeans, cr 
 -either from 8eth^ Noa\ and the ancient Hebrews. It is like wife 
 Vvry obfervable, that the iavention oi' arts andfciences camefrorrk 
 
 the 
 
io« The memoirs of 
 
 the eaO, nnd can be traced ro higher than North's flood; ur.lefs 
 you will allow ihe fiibles of Seth^ &lled;?cd by the hd-ined J ofe- 
 jhut\r\ his antiquilier. quoted above. All wlich i? a very natu- 
 ral confirmation of the account given hy Mojes^ agalnft our nic- 
 dern fceptics. 
 
 (6) J^rtifcial gardens. <Sf<:.] The ancient Babylonians had 
 artificial garci^ns, or horti penjijes^ on the tcps of their houfcs, as 
 early a?^ the great Semiramts ; the' Herodotus <ierives their inven- 
 tion from a later Eobylonian queen, who being a Mede by na- 
 tion, and loving woods, and not being permitted to po out of the 
 yalace^.had thofe artificial gaicens made to -diver her. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 VV II EN tlie ceremonies for the reception of the 
 urns were over, religious ceremonies with thefe peo- 
 ple alv/ays taking place of the civil, (i) they pro- 
 ceeded to the inauguration of the pophar regent, 
 which w as performed with no other ceremony, for 
 xeafors I fhall tell your reverences afterwards, but 
 placing him in a chair of ftate with his face towards 
 the eaft, on the top of the higheft hill in the nome, 
 to fhew that he was to infpedt, or overlook all, 
 looking towards the temple of the fun, which ftood 
 dire611y ^ailward of him, to put him in mind that 
 he was to take care of the religion of his anceflors 
 in the firft place. When he was thus placed, three 
 hundred and fixty five of the chief of the nome, as 
 reprefentatives of all the reil, cam.e up to him, and 
 making a refpe^lful bov/, faid, " eli pophar^* which 
 is as much as to fay, hail father of our nation ; and 
 he embracing them, as a father does his children, an- 
 Xwered them v;itk, " call hemm** that is, my dear 
 children. As mar»y cf th€ v omen did the fame. — 
 
 This 
 
SicNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 109 
 
 This was all the homage they paid him, which was 
 efteemed lb facred as never to be violated. All 
 the dillinclion of his habit was one great fun on his 
 brcaft, much bigger than any of the reft. The prer 
 cious ftones alfo, which were fet in the white fillet 
 binding his forehead, were larger than ordinary, as 
 were thofe of the crofs circles over his head, ter- 
 minated on the fummit with a large tuft of ^old 
 fringe, and a thin plate of gold in the fhape of the 
 fun, fallened to the top of it horizontally ; all of 
 them, both men and women,wore thofe nllet-crowiiS 
 with a tuft of gold, but no fun on the top, except 
 the pophijr. 
 
 As foon as the ceremonies and rejoicings were 
 over, which were performed in tents at the public 
 expenfe, he was condu(fled with the chearful accla- 
 mations of the people, and the found of mufical in- 
 ilruments, to a moft magnificent tent in the front 
 of the whole camp facing the eaft, which is looked 
 upon as the moft honorable, as firil feeing the rif- 
 ing iiin ; and fo on by eafy journies, till he came to 
 the chief town of that nome. The reafon why thefe 
 ceremonies were perform.ed in the different nomes, 
 was to fhew that they all depended on him, and be- 
 caufe the empire was fo very populous, it was im.- 
 poffible they could meet at one place. I can''t ex- 
 prcfs the carefTcs I received from them, efpecially 
 when they fouDd I Avas defcended from the fame 
 race by the mother's lide, and fo nearly related to 
 the pophar. Whenever I came firft into their com- 
 pany, they all embraced me, men and women, with 
 the moft endearing tendernefs ; the young beautiful 
 women did the fame, calling me brother, and catch- 
 ing me in their arms with fuch an innocent afTur- 
 ance, as if I had been their real brother left and 
 found again. I can't fay but fome of them feemed 
 to have a fondnels for me that feemed to be of ano- 
 ich afterwards gave me a great 
 M deal 
 
1 1^ The M E AI O 1 R S %>f 
 
 <ieal of trouble, but I imputed it to the nature of tke 
 lex, who are unaccountably more fotid of ft'rangei's, 
 whom they know nothing of, than of perfons of 
 much greater merit, who ccfnverfe with them every- 
 day. Whether it proceeds from the want of a iuf- 
 iicient folidity in their judgment, or from a levity 
 and fichlenefs in their nature, or frOni the fpirit of 
 contradiction, which makes them fond of what they 
 moftly fhould avoid ; or thinking that ftrangers arfe 
 not acquainted with their defe<fl:s, or in fine, ate 
 more likely to keep their cOunfel ', be that as it will 
 their mutual jealoufies gave me much unealinefs af- 
 terwards. But to fay a word or two more of thfe 
 nature of the people before I proceed in my rela- 
 tion •, as I told your reverences, they are the hand- 
 fomell race of people, I believe, nature ever pro- 
 duced, with this only difference, which fome may 
 think a defe(51, that they are all too much like one 
 another; but, if it be a defefl", it proceeds from a 
 very laudable caufe ; that is, from their fpringing 
 from one family, without any mixture of different 
 jiations in their blood ; '(2) they have neither wars 
 jior trafHc with other people, to adulterate their 
 race, for which reafon they know nothing of the 
 vices fuch a commerce often brings along with it — - 
 Their eyes are fomething too fmall, but not fo lit- 
 tle as thofe of the Chinefe ; their hair is generally 
 black, and inclined to be a little cropped or frizzled, 
 'ij3) and their complexion browii; but their features 
 are the molt exaA and regular imaginable ; and in 
 the mountainous parts tOV/ards the line, where the 
 air is cooler, they are rather fairer than our ItiRlians; 
 f 4) the men are univerfally well fhaped, tall and 
 !fiender, except thro* fome accidental deformity, 
 •which is very rare ; but the women, who keep them- 
 felves much within doors, are the moll beautiful 
 creatures, and the finefl fhaped in the world, ex- 
 cept, as I faidj beJBg too much alike- There is ivich 
 
 •i 
 
SlONOR GaTJDENTIO Hi LuCCA. Ill 
 
 ^D innocent fweetnefs in their beauty, and fuch a 
 ».ative modeity in their countenance, as can^t be de- 
 l<:ribed. A bold forwardnefs in a woman, is what 
 they diiiike-, and to give them their due, even the 
 vomen are the moft chafte I ever knev/, which is 
 partly owing to the early and j^rovident care of their 
 governors. But, as I defign to make a feparate ar- 
 ticle of the education of their young people, I fliall 
 fay no more at prefent on that head. 
 
 The vilitations which we made to carry the urns, 
 gave me an opportunity of feeing the greateil part 
 of their country as foon as I came there ; tho' the 
 pophar with a lefs retinue, and with whom I always 
 was, viiited them more particularly afterwards.--*- 
 The country is generally more hilly than plain, and 
 in fome parts even mountainous ; therje are, as I 
 faid, vaft ridges of mountains, which run feveral 
 hundred miles, either under, or parallel to the equa- 
 tor. Thefe are very cold, and contribute very much 
 to render the climate more temperate than might 
 ctherwife be expe<fled, both by refrigerating the air 
 with cooling breezes, which are waited from thence 
 over the rell of the country, and by fupplying the 
 plains with innumerable rivers running both north, 
 and fouth, but chiefly to^. ards the north. (5) Thefe 
 hills, and the great woods they are generally covered 
 with, are the occafion of the country ''s being fub- 
 jecl to rains , (6) there are vaft forefls and' places 
 which they cut down and deftroy asthey v. ar.t room, 
 leaving leiTer groves for beauty and variety, as well 
 as ufe and convenievtoy. The rains and hillinefs of 
 the country make travelling a little incommodious ;. 
 but then they afford numberlefs fprings and rivu- 
 lets, with fuch delicious vales, that adding thii. to 
 the honefty and innocence of the inhabitants, one 
 would think it a perpetual paradife. The foil is 
 fo prodigioufly fertile, not only in different forts of 
 gr*ia and rice, vath a fort of whedt much larger 
 M a. aavi 
 
212 TpfE MEMOIRS or 
 
 and ricKer in flov.^er than any Indian wheat I ever 
 faw ; but particularly in an inexhaiiilible variety of 
 fruits, legumes, and eatable herbs of fuch nourifh- 
 ing juice, and delicious tafte, that to provide fruit 
 for inch numbers of people is the ieall of their care. 
 — One would think the curfe of Adam had fcarce 
 reached that part of the world ; or that providence 
 had proportioned the fertility of the country to the 
 innocence of the inhabitants ; not but the induilry 
 and ingenuity of the people, joined with their per- 
 petual paace and refl from external and almoll in- 
 ternal broils, contribute very much to their riches 
 and fertility. Their villages being moil of them 
 built on the rivulets, for manufactures and trades, 
 are not to be numbered. Their hills are full of me- 
 tallic mines of all forts, with materials fuliicient to 
 %vGrk tlicm ; iilver is the fcarceft, and gold ahnoii: 
 the mcft plentiful •, it comes out. oftentimes in great 
 lumps from the mineral rocks, as if it wept out from 
 beetween the joints, and afterwards by the natural 
 heat of the earth, or other unknown caufes. This 
 gold is more du6tilc, eafier to work, and better for 
 all ufes, than that which is drawn from the ore. — 
 Their inventions for arts,and all manner tor (I won't 
 fay purpofes) even the nagnilicence of life, are 
 al^nif^iing. Vvhen I fpcke of their fruits'; I fhould 
 have mentioned a fmall fort of a grape that grows 
 there naturally, of which they make a wine, fharp 
 at firfl, but which v/ill keep a great many years, 
 mellowing and improving as it is kept ; but the 
 ehoicefl grapes, which are chiefly for drying, are 
 cultivated among them, tho* a very little pains doth 
 it. Their wdnes are more cordial that inebriating ; 
 but a fmaller fort diluted with water makes their 
 conllant drink.— I don't remember I ever faw any 
 horned beails in ihe country, except goats of a very 
 large fize, which ferve them for milk, tho' it is ra- 
 rather too rich t deer there are innumerable, of 
 
 more 
 
SrcKOR Gaudemtio i>i Lucca. ii^ 
 
 more different kinds than are in Europe. There is 
 a little beail feemingly of a fpecies .between a roe 
 and a (beep, whofe iiefh is the moil iLOuriihing and 
 delicious that can^ be tafted ; theie mahe a diih in 
 ail their feai^ts, and are chiefly referved for that end- 
 Their fovvd, both wild and tame, make the greateil 
 part of tlieir food ) as to fieHi.-meat, they don't eat 
 much, it being, as they thinlf, too grofs food. — • 
 The rivers and lakes are flored with vaft quan- 
 tities of mofl: exquiiite fifli, particularly a goidea 
 trout, whofe belly is of a bright icariet colour, as 
 delevftable to the palate as to the eye. They fup- 
 pofe flfh to be more nourifiiing and eafier of digef- 
 tion than fieili, for which reafan they eat mucix 
 more of it ; but having no rivers that run into the 
 fea, they want all of that kind. 
 
 Their bories, as I obferved before, are but fmall,. 
 but full of mettle and life, and extrer?iely fwift ; they 
 h-ave a. wild afs larger than the horre,.of all the co- 
 lours of the rainbovv^ very ftrong, and profitable for 
 burden and drudgery, but their great carriages are 
 iirawn by elks; the- dromedaries are for travelling 
 over the fan ds. The rivers, at leall in the plain and 
 low countries,, are cut into canals, by which they 
 carry moll of their provifion. and eiledts all over the 
 country.- This is only a fmall fketch of the nature 
 of the country,, becaufe I know thefe matters don'c 
 fall under the cognizance of your reverences fo mucli. 
 as the account of their religion, morals, culloms, 
 laws, and government; yet I muft fay that for riches, 
 plenty of all delicacies of life, manufaifiories, inven- 
 tions of arts, and every thing that conduces to make 
 this mortal Hate as happy as is poilible, no country 
 in the known v/orld can parallel it ; tho' there are 
 fome inconveiiiencies, as your reverences will ob- 
 ferve as I go on with my relation. 
 
 M I Remaiks 
 
114 The MEMOIRS ©f 
 
 Remarks of Signer Rhedi. 
 
 (i) Religiou.f ceremonies ahvays taking place of the chil^ ©"rj 
 The mod polite nations of antiquity, even among the heathen?, 
 gave the preference to religion, before all other confiderationp ; 
 as for the chriftian r€hfion,tho' of late, perfons of foiTse wit, lit- 
 tle judgment, and no moral'^, call it in queftion, it is well known,, 
 men become more men as they become chrtftians. The light 
 of faith brought in learning, politenefs, humanity, juflice, and 
 equity, inflead of that ignorance, and a brutal barbarity, that 
 overfpread the face of the earth •, and the want of it will lead ns 
 in time into the fame enormities which religion has taught us to 
 forfake •, on which account it is the part of all wife governments 
 to countenance and prelerve religion. 
 
 (a) Without any mixture of different natiom in tljeir bIcoJ.'] 7*.j- 
 ritus fays much the fame of the Germans, ipfe eorum opinionibus 
 acccdoy qui Germanise populos nullis aliarum nationum connubiis in- 
 Jedos^ propriuni ^ fine cram & tanqua::i fut ftmilem gentetn extitijfe 
 /srbitrantur* I agree, fays he, with their opinion, who ihink- 
 3ng the people of Germany fo peculiarly like one another, be- 
 caufe they have not been corrnpted by marriages with other na- 
 tions. They were noted in Augujius\ time to have blue eye?, as 
 jnoft of the native Germans have at this day. I remember I faw 
 a review of a German regiment in the city of Milan, where ai- 
 .Tnoll every one of the common foldicrs had blue eyes. No won- 
 der therefore, if thefe Africans our author fpeaks of, fhould be lb 
 like one another. 
 
 (3) Frizzled hair^ ^V.] The ancient Egyptians, according to 
 MerodottiJ and Bochart^ were fo, 
 
 (4) Fairer than our Italians^ ©*i-.] Tho' our Italians are fome- 
 thing more fwarthy than the northern Tramontani, yet our la- 
 dies keeping much in the houfe from their childhood, have^very 
 ifise fklns, and excel all others for delicacy of features/j! 
 
 (<) But chiefly towards the north^ ©"i-.] It is remarkable, that 
 TTicft fprings rife from the north fide of the hills, and more rivers 
 run northward than fouthward, at leaft on this fide of the line, 
 tho' the obfcrvation does not always hold; the reafon may be, 
 for that there are more mifts and dews hanging on the north 
 fide, becaufe the f'jn dries up the moidare on the fouth fide of 
 the mountains, more than on the north ; tho' perhaps all fprings 
 don't rife from rain and mills, ^c. yet mod do. 
 
 (6) It is well known to the naturalids, that great woods and 
 bills coUeft clouds and vapour?, and confeqaently caufe it bo 
 rain more there than in other places. 
 
 * Tacitus de morilus Germanorum. 
 
 X I fancy Signor FM; never faw our Englifli beauties. 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO Dl LuCCA. II5 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 B 
 
 E F O R E 1 come to tlie remaining occurrences 
 of my own life, in which nothing very extraordinary 
 happened till I came away, unlefs I reckon the ex- 
 traordinary happinefs I w^as placed in, as to all things 
 of this life, in one of the moll delicious regions of 
 the univerfe, married to the regent*s daughter whole 
 pi(flure is there before you, and the deplorable lois 
 of her with my only remaining fon, (here he could 
 Dot refrain from weeping for fome time) as well as 
 the prefent ftate to v/hich I am reduced-, tho' I muft 
 own I have received more favourable treatment than 
 could be well expedled. I fhall give your reverences 
 a fuccincfl account of their religion, laws, and cuf- 
 toms, which are almoil as far out of the common 
 way of thinking of the reft of the world, as their 
 country 
 
 T, 
 
 OF THEIR RELIGION. 
 
 H E religion of thefe people is really idolatry 
 in the main ; tho' as fimple and natural as poiRbie 
 for heathens. They indeed will not acknowledge 
 themfelves to be heathens in the fenfe we take the 
 word; that is, worfhipping of falfe gods, (i) for 
 they have an abhorrence of idolatry in words as well 
 as the Chinefe,. but are idolaters in effecfl:, worihip- 
 ing the material fun, and paying thofe faperftitious 
 
 kiites to their deceafed anceftors ) of which part of 
 theif 
 
ii6 Th£ memoirs of 
 
 their religion your reverences have had afiMl account 
 already. Thefe people however acknowledge one 
 fupreme God, maker of all thrings, whom they call 
 JSIJ^ or the mofl: high of all. This, they fay, natu- 
 Talreafon teaches them from an argument, tho* good 
 in itfelf, yet formed after a different way of argu- 
 inf5; from other people. They fay all their owii^. 
 v/ifdom, or that, of all the wifeit men in the world 
 put together, could never form this glorious world 
 in all its caufes and effe(5ls, fo juflly adapted to its 
 refpecftive ends, as it is with refj^edl' to every indi- 
 vidual fpecies. Therefore the author of it muft be^ 
 a being infinitely v^ifer than all intelle(5tual beings. 
 As for the notion of any thingproducing itfelf with- 
 out a prior caufe, they laugh at it, and afk, why we 
 don't fee fuch efPefts^ produced without a caufe. 
 Hence they hold only one independent caufe, and 
 that there muft be one, or nothing could ever be 
 produced. Tho^ they make a god of the fun, they 
 don't fay he is independent as to his own being ; but 
 that he received it from thisJSl. Some of the wifer 
 fort, when I argued with them, feemed to acknow- 
 ledge the fun to be a material being created by God y. 
 but others think him to be a fort of vicegerent, by 
 •whom the jEI performs every thing as- the chief in- 
 Urumental caufe of ^11 producftions. This is the 
 reafon that they addrefs all their prayers to the fun, 
 tho* they allow all pov/er is to be referred origi- 
 nally to the J£L The men look upon the mopn to 
 he a material being dependent on tKe fun ; but the 
 women feem to make a goddefs of her, by reafon of 
 the influence fhe has over that fex ; and fooliihly 
 think, fhe brings forth every month when fhe is at 
 the full, and that the liars are her's and the fun's 
 
 children, 
 
 * The old Arabians [by ^/or perhaps Ely mean foraethlng^ 
 very grand or high, as AlCair for Grand C^i'xv \ alchymyy for the 
 bigheft chymiOry, ^c, I wonder ^'gnor Rhedi tooli no nol^ce 
 ,©f this in his remarks, 
 
SiGNOK Gaucintio di Lxtcca. 117 
 
 children. They all of them, both men and women, 
 reft fatisfied in their belief, without any diiputes or 
 fliulied notions about a being fo infinitely above 
 them, thinking it much better to adore him in the 
 infcrutability cf his effence, in an humble filence, 
 than to be diiputing about what they cannot com- 
 p?'eh.end ; all their fearch is employed in fecond 
 caufes, and the know ledge of nature as far as it may 
 be ufeful to men. 
 
 iNqusiTOR.— I hope you don\ deny but that 
 fome men may have w rong notions of the deity in- 
 which they ought to be £et right by wifer and more 
 learned men than themfelvcs ; by eonfequence all 
 iearches and difputes about the being and nature 
 cf God are not to be condemned. 
 
 GaudentiO. — No, may it pleafe your rever- 
 ences, for I prefumc you only underfland me now as 
 reprefenting other peoples' opinions, not my own, 
 which is entirely conformable to w hat the catholic 
 church teacher. I oiien told the pophar, to whom 
 I could fpeak my mind with all the freedorri iii the 
 world, that as no mortal man could pretend to tell 
 what belonged to the incomprehenfibility of God*s 
 effence, ytt our reafon obliging us to believe his 
 being, it was neceffary by the fsme reafon that we 
 fhould be inftru<5ted by himfelf, or fome lawgiver 
 immediately commillioned by him, left we fbould err 
 in lb material a point* This lawgiver we chriftians 
 believe he did fend, by giving us his only fon, who 
 was capable of inftriKfiing us in what belonged to 
 the eternal God-Head ; that he did not only give us 
 the julleft notions w^e could poflibly have, but con- 
 firmed the truth of w^hat he laid with fuch figns and 
 wonders, as none but one fe»t from God could per- 
 form. 
 
 Inquisitor — Go on. 
 
 Gaudentio — Whenlfaid, they addrefs all their 
 prayers and r^ioil of the external adlions of their 
 
 woiihip 
 
1x8 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 ■^'orfliip to tlie fun, it is on account of tlieir believ- 
 ipg liim to be the pliyfical caufe of the produ<ftion 
 ^f all things by his natural iaftusnce ; w hich, tho*' 
 tl^e wifer fort of thena, when you came to reafon 
 piore clofely, will grant to be derived from the Mlt 
 and feme of them, will own him to be a mere m.ate- 
 iiai being, mo\ed by a prior caufe, yet the gene- 
 :iality of ihem don't refled on this •, but are really 
 guilty of idolatry in worfliipingf a mere creature. 
 Kevenhelefs, as to the moral eifecfls of the univerfe, 
 ©r the free adlio.ns of men with refpef^ to equity,, 
 juftice, goodnefs, uprightnefs, and the like, which 
 they allow to be properly the duty oF rational crea- 
 tures, and of much greater confequence than the- 
 phyfical part of the world ; this I fay, they all refer 
 to tKe fupreme being, whofe will it is, they fhould 
 be merciful, good, juft, and equitable to all, agre^- 
 3bly to the jult notions of the all- wife author of 
 their exiilence, whofe fupreme reafon being inca- 
 pable of any irregular bias, ought to be the rule of 
 
 V .. -^4.,i.^o2 *1-. ^ f '^"^OT^H r^r\ Ktr>-» ;:ir>'i o*rp in fnni'* 
 
 "ineaiare partakers of his perfe^lions. Thiey confirm 
 this notion by a very proper comparifon ; that, as 
 for example, to a(^ contrary to the laws of nature 
 in phyiical productions, is to produce monilrous 
 births, ^.c. fo to a(fi contrary to the ideas of the fu- 
 preme reafon in moral cafes, muil be a great de- 
 formity in his fight. I own I was charmed with thiar 
 r.aturai way of reafoning, and aiked them further,, 
 whether they believed the fupreme being troubled- 
 Mmfelf about the moral part of the world,, or the 
 free ad;f ions of men ? They feemed furpriied at the 
 i|ueilion, and afked me, whether I thought it was 
 poffible he fKouLd lea^e the Robleft part out of his 
 care, when he took the pains (that was their ex- 
 preffion) to create the leaft infeifl according to the 
 moft exadl rules of an and knowledge, beyond all 
 tkat the ait of man can come up t<>. I afked thenjt 
 
 ag^ain^ 
 
SjdKOR dAUD^NYio Bi Lucca. ^i^ 
 
 again, "virhat 1vere iKe rules, whick it was his will 
 that free agents, fuch as man, for inflance, fhould 
 ibiiow in the dire^ion of their lives? They told ine 
 reafan, jullice, aTid equity, in imitation of the fu- 
 preme reafon in him ; for, faid they, can }'ou thint 
 the fupreme being can approve of the enormous ac- 
 tions committed by m&n ; or that any vile practices 
 can be according to the juft ideas of his reafon ; if 
 not, they mull be contrary to the beft light of rea- 
 fon, not only in God but man, and thei-efore liable 
 to be puniihed by the jull governor of all. I 
 fubmit thefe notions to your reverences better judg- 
 ment, l>ut I 'thought them very extraordinary for 
 perforin who had nothing but the light of nature to 
 diTe(5l them. It is pity but they had been as right 
 in their more remote inferences as they were in thefe 
 principles- The fum therefore of the theoretical 
 part of their religion, is £rit, that the El is the fu- 
 preme, intelleiflual, rational, and moll noble of ail 
 beings ; that it is the duty of all intelle(f{:ual beings 
 to imitate the jufl laws of reafon in him, otherwdie 
 they depart from the lupreme rules of all their ac- 
 tions, fince what is contrary to the moll perfe^ rea- 
 fon in God, mufl be c^ontrary to our own, and b)'" 
 confequence of a deformity highly blameablein his 
 light ; all their prayers and whatever they afk of 
 this fupreme being is, that they may be jull and 
 good as he is. Secondly, that the fun is the chi^f, 
 at leail inflrumetal caufe of their bodies, and all 
 other phylical efPecl^. Your reverences know bet- 
 ^ter than I can inform you, that this is wrong. To 
 *him they addrefs their prayers for the prefervation 
 of their liVes, the fruits of the eai'th, &c. Thirdly, 
 •that their parelits at6 the more immediate inllru- 
 ^lental caufc of iheir natural being, which they de- 
 rive partly fVom the El, and partly from the fun ; 
 and they reverence them the more on this account, 
 iiS being the vicegerents of both, and believe them 
 
 to 
 
12<5 The memoirs oi- 
 
 to be immortal, as to the fpiritual or intellectual 
 part, and confeqiiently able and ready to aiilil them 
 according to the refpe<5t they flriew them by re- 
 verencing their tombs and honoring their memories. 
 Tho' upon a nicer examination I found, that the 
 fuperftitious worfhip they pay their deceafed ancef- 
 tors, was as much a politic as a religious inilitution, 
 becaufe their government being patriarchal, this 
 inviolable refpe^t they fhew to their parents makes 
 -them obey their elders or governors, not only with 
 the moll dutiful obfervance, but even with a filial 
 love and alacrity. 
 
 There are fome other points of iefs confequence, 
 and leduceable to thefe three heads, which your 
 reverences will obferve in the courfe of my rela- 
 tion. As for the immortality of the foul, rewards 
 and punifhments in another life, they believe both, 
 tho* they have an odd way of explaining ihem. 
 They fuppofe, without any helitation, that the foul 
 is a eeing independent of matter, as to its effence, 
 having faculties of thinking, willing, and chufing, 
 "which mere matter, let it be fptin ever fo fine, and 
 atfluated by the quick eft and the moft fubtie mo- 
 tion, can never be capable of; but their notion c»f 
 pre-exiflence with the Ml, before they v/ere fent 
 JDto bodies, is very confufed. The rewards and pu- 
 ijifliments in the next life, they believe will chiefly 
 confiil in this : that in proportion as their acftions 
 have been conformable to the juft ideas of the fu- 
 preme being in this life, partaking ftill more and 
 more of his infinite wifdom, io their fouls will ap- 
 proach fliil nearer to the beautiful intelligence of 
 their divine model in the next. But if their adiions 
 in this life have been coniiftent v;ith the fupremje 
 reafon in God, they fhall be permitted to go on for 
 ever in that inconliflency and difagreement, till they 
 become fo monftroufly wicked and enormous, as to 
 Isecome £:bcmip.abie even to themfclves. 
 
 ^ Of 
 
SiGNOK Gaudiktio di Lucca.. Ill 
 
 OF THEIR OPINION CONCERNING THE 
 TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS, 
 
 AND THE SCIENCE OF PHYSIOGNOMY- 
 
 i FOUND tKe wifeft of them held the metemp- 
 fycholis, or the tranfmigration of fouls, (i) not as 
 a punifhment in the next life, as fome of the ancient 
 heathen philofophers did, but as a punifhment in 
 this ; the chief punifhment in the next was explain- 
 ed above. This tranfmigration of fouls is quite 
 different from the received notion of the word, in- 
 Head of believing as the ancients did, that the fouls 
 of wicked and voluptuous men after their deaths, 
 tranfmi grated into beails according to the fimilitude 
 of their vicious inclinations, till pafling thro' one 
 animal into another, they- were permitted to com- 
 mence men again ; I fay, thefe people, inftead of 
 believing this, hold a metempfychofis of quite a dif- 
 ferent nature •, not that the fouls of men enter into 
 brutes, but that the fouls of brutes enter into the 
 bodies of men ^ven in this life. They fay for ex- 
 ample, that the bodies of men and women are fuch 
 delicate habitations, that the fouls of brutes are per- 
 petually envying them, and contriving to get into 
 them-, that unlefs the divine light of reafon be per- 
 petually attended to, thefe brutal fouls ileal in upon 
 them, and chain up the rational foul, fo that it fhall 
 not be able to govern the body, unlefs it be to carry 
 on the defigns of the brutal foul, or at beft, only 
 make fome faint efforts to get out of its flavery. I 
 
 I took it at iirft, that this fyAem was merely allegori- 
 cal, to fhew the fimilitude between tie paflions of 
 k N msxk 
 
 [ 
 
122 The memoirs of 
 
 men when not dlre(fled by reafon, and thofe of 
 brutes. But upon examination, I found it was tKeir 
 opinion, that this tranfmigration did reall/ happen, 
 infomuch, that in my laft journey with the pophar 
 into. Egypt, when he faw the turks, or other ftrange 
 nations, nay, feveral Armenian and EtirOpean chrif- 
 tians, he would fay to me in his own language, there 
 goes a hog, there goes a lion, a wolfe, a fox, a dog, 
 and the like ; that is, they believe the body of a vo- 
 luptuous man is poffefTed by the foul of a hog, a 
 luftful man by that of a goat, a treacherous man by 
 that of a fox-, a tyrannical man hy that of a w^olfe, 
 and fo of the reft. This belief is inllilled into them 
 fo early, and with fo much care, that it is of very 
 great benefit to keep them v/ithin the bounds of 
 xeafon. If a young man finds himfelf inclined to 
 any of thefe pafHons, he addreffes himfelf immedi* 
 ately to fome perfon whom he thinks of fuperior 
 wifdom, who affures him that the foul of fome cer- 
 tain brute is endeavouring to furprife and captivate 
 his rational foul, and take polTeflion of its place. 
 This makes them to be always watchful, and upon 
 their guard again ft their own paflions, not to be I'ur- 
 prifed by fuch a mercilefs enemy. Their prefent 
 remedy is to look ftedfaftly at the divine light that 
 fhines within them, and compare it with its original, 
 till by the force of its rays they drive away thof« 
 brutal fouls, which as foon as fully difcovered in 
 their treacherous attacks (for they come on, fay 
 they, by ftealth, not daring to attack that divine 
 light diredlly) are eaiily repulfed before they have 
 obtained pofTeifion, tho* it cofts a great deal of pains 
 to diilodge them, when once they are got in. The 
 fear of being abandoned to the flavery of thefe 
 t tut al fouls is fo deeply imprinted in them from 
 their- infancy^ that .theiy impute the temperance and 
 regularity of their lives, and think it in a great 
 meafure owing to this dodrine j the fame notions 
 
 hold 
 
SiGNOR GAl^iiENTIO DI LuCCA. I23 
 
 Kold with their women, which their mothers and 
 governeiTes inllill into them, as the wife men do 
 with th£ men, only thej belive the brutal fouls that 
 enter into women are of a different fpecies from 
 thofe that enter into men. They fay for inftance, 
 that af a camelion, makes them falfe and inconilant; 
 that of a peacock, coquettiili and vain ; that of a 
 tis^iefs, cruel and ill-natured, and fo on of the reft. 
 (2) They add another difference between men and 
 women, that when thefe brutal fouls are entered into 
 them, they are much harder to be driven out from 
 them, than from the men, befides that thefe brutal 
 fouls will lurk undifcovered in women a great w^hile, 
 and are often fcarce difcernable till the age of five 
 and twenty or thirty ; whereas in moll men it dif- 
 covers itfeif prefently after its entrance. 
 
 It w^as on account of this do(5lrine, as I found by 
 repeated obfervations, that they were fo addicted to 
 the Iludy of phylioggomy, laying down rules to know 
 by the countenance, the lines of the face, and un- 
 guarded looks of men, whether the brutal foul has 
 got pof^eflion or not, in order to apply proper re- 
 medies. This fcience, however uncertain and doubt- 
 ful among chriftians, (who have greater aififtance 
 of grace and virtue to reiift their paffions, thofe 
 treacherous invaders) is brought to greater perfec- 
 tion and certitude, than one would imagine among 
 fuch of thefe people who having no fuch helps, wall 
 take little care to cultivate and moderate their vi- 
 cious inclinations, unlefs they are apprifed and fore- 
 warned of the danger. Therefore their wife men, 
 w^henever they come in company of the younger 
 fort, confider attentively with themfelves all the 
 lineaments of the countenance, complexions, mo- 
 tions, habit of body, conftitution, tone of the voice, 
 make and turn of the face,nofe, ears, &c. but parti- 
 cularly they obferve the ftrudure and glances of the 
 eye. \yith innumerable ligns proceeding from it, by 
 N 2 which 
 
124 The MEMOIRS oi 
 
 which they pretend to difcover thofe paflions ; I 
 fay, they pretend to know by thefe what brutal 
 foul lays fiege to the rational foul, or whether it 
 has already taken pofTefiion of its poll. If they are 
 Ilrangers, they prudently take care to avoid their 
 company, or at leafl: are on their guard not to hava 
 any dealings with them in matters obnoxious to the 
 brutal foul they think them poifeiTed by. But if 
 the perfon attacked by thefe brutal fpirits are of 
 their own nation, they immediately forewarn fuck 
 to be on their guard, by Vv^hich, and the dread they 
 have entertained from their youth of thefe brutal 
 enemies, they are kept in fuch order, that,, as I faid, 
 I never faw fuch moral people in my life ; the v/orft 
 is, they are extremely inclined to be proud, and have 
 too great a value for themfelves, defpifing in their 
 hearts all other nations, as if they were nothing but 
 brutes in human Ihape. (3) However, their wife 
 men take as much care as polRble to corred: this 
 fault, as far as the ignorance of the laws of grace 
 s,,,:n .n^^,. . y^^ -oiuting them often in mind of the 
 
 iniferies and infirmities of hut^.an- lite, v/hicti befftg 
 Teal evils, mull be in punifbment of fome fault •, that 
 the moil perfecfl are liable to death, which makes 
 BO diilindlion between them and the reft of the 
 world. Befides that, humility, and a commiferation 
 for the defefls of others^ is one of the rays of the 
 divine light that is to, guide them. From fuch do- 
 cuments and inftrudlions of the wifer fort, though 
 they do not care to have any correfpondence with 
 other people, feeing them fo poifeffed with thofe 
 brutal fouls, yet they are a moft courteous and com - 
 pailionatc people in all their behaviour. 
 
 Remarks of Signer Rhedi. 
 
 {\) They held the metCKipfychofis^ortranfmigratson of fcub."] Thi-^ 
 ©plaion v/as very ancicQt, and came orJgiaaUy from I^gyp^ 
 
SiGNOR GaTJDENTIO DI LufcCA. 125 
 
 where Pythagoras learned it ; though perhaps nut liking this way 
 cf employing it, he altered it quite from what thefe men held, 
 which is the lefs irrational of the two. Though with Signor 
 Gaudentio\ leave, I can never believe, thefe wife men really held 
 that. opinion, but only underflood it allegorically ; I muft own 
 at the fame time, fome of the ancients did hold the other me- 
 tempfychofis. 
 
 (zj That of a tygrefs -made them Jo cruel^ ^c.'\ This notion of 
 the tranfmigration of the fouls of brutes into men and women 
 ill this life, paTticularly into the latter, was not unknown to the 
 ancients, though explained fomething after a different way: 
 witnefs a remaining fragment QiBimonides^ a very ancient Greek 
 poet, to that eftea-. 
 
 (3) Brutes i?t human Jh apt ^ ^c] The Chinefe, whom I have 
 proved to be defcendcd from the firft Egyptian<^, are fubject to 
 the like pride and contempt of ether people •, faying, that all 
 ether nations have but one eye, v;hereas nature ha? given them 
 two ; fignifying thereby, how much wifer they think themfelves 
 than other men.. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 OF THEIR LAWS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 V^ V E R and above what has been faid already 
 of the nature and cuftoms of thefe people, their liws 
 are very few ii nunriber-, but then theyare pro- 
 digiouily exafl in the obfervance of them. I have 
 often heaid the pophar make very fevere reileifiions, 
 contrary to his cuftom, on the la->vyers of other 
 couiAries who make laws upon laws, and add pre- 
 cepts upon precepts, till the endlefs number of them 
 N 3 mates 
 
126 The MEMOIRS or 
 
 jnakes the fundamental part to be forgotten ; leav- 
 ing nothing but a confufed heap of explanations^ 
 which may caufe ignorant people to doubt, whether 
 there is any thing in earn eft meant by the laws or 
 not.. " If I forbid my fon/' fays he, '* to do any 
 wrong to any one, v/hat need is there of reckoning 
 f.»p all the particulars by which a perfon may be 
 «^/ro]iged? Shew but the facft on both lides, any 
 mail of fenfe and equity can tell if there be' any- 
 y/rong done or not ; for if you multiply an infinity 
 of circumftances, it will be much more difficult to 
 decide what is right or what is wrong, than if you- 
 precifely and. abfolutely forbid any injury whatfo- 
 ever." 
 
 It is almoft incredible with what nicety and equity 
 their judges determine thofe few difputes, they have 
 among them, in a few minutes. To weigh the me- 
 rits of the caufe by the v.^eight of the purfe, would 
 be counted by them one of the greateft enormities... 
 There are no courts for difputes of this nature ; all 
 is done by laying the cafe before their public af- 
 femblies, or before any one or two prudent and juft 
 men, and the affair is finally decided at once. Ail 
 the law metim and ttcum among them is, thoujhalt 
 do 710 wr07ig to any one^ without entering into any 
 further niceticq^ Such as; explanatory fuppoiitions, 
 fay they, oftner fhew people how they may ingeni- 
 oufiy contrive, to do an injury than how to avoid it. 
 
 Their laws therefore are nothing but the firft 
 principles of natural juftice, judged and explained 
 by the elders in the public hearing of all who have 
 a mind to come in, as the fad:s are brought into 
 difpute. 
 
 The wcrfliip of the Deity, and that exceflive and 
 even fuperfiitious reverence they pay to their parents 
 both alive and dead, is fo carefully inculcated into 
 them from their infancy, that there is no need of 
 
 any 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio pi Lucca. 127 
 
 any written law to enforce it. They look on a man 
 to be pofleffed with fome brutal foul who fhould 
 pretend to call in queftion, or negled this duty. 
 
 There is a pofitive law among them, not to fhed 
 human blood voluntarily. (1) They carry this fun- 
 damental law of nature to fuch a height, that they 
 never put any one to death even for murder, which 
 very rarely happens; that is, once in feveral ages. 
 — ^If it appears that a perfon has really murdered, 
 another, a thing they think almoll impollible, the 
 perfon convi(5led is fliut up from all commerce of 
 men, with provilions to keep him alive as long aa 
 nature allows. After his death the h&i is pro- 
 claimed, as it w^as when they ihut him up, over all 
 the nomes. His name is blotted out of their genea- 
 logies ; then his dead body is mangled juft in the 
 fame manner as he killed the innocent, and after- 
 wards burnt to afhes, which are carried up to the 
 higheft part of the deferts, and then toffed up into 
 the air, to be carried av/ay by the winds blowing 
 from their own country ; nor is he ever more to be 
 reckoned as one of their race; and there is a general 
 mourning obferved throughout the kingdom for 
 nine days. 
 
 There is alio an exprefs law againft adultery and 
 v/horedom, which are likewife puniihed after death. 
 If perfons are caught in adultery, they are fhut up 
 apart till death ; then they are expofed naked as 
 they were furprifed, and the body of the woman 
 treated after the moll ignominious manner for three 
 days ; after which they are burnt, and their alhes 
 difperfed as before, (2) Whoredom is only puniih- 
 ed in the man, by chaining him to a he-goat, and. 
 the woman to a JaU-bitch, and leading them thus 
 round the nome. All in the refpecflive nome, men 
 and women, are to be prefent at the more lignal 
 punifhments; and parents are obliged to explain to 
 their children the wickednefs and horror of the 
 
 crimes. 
 
128 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 crime, for a warning for the future. I forgot to 
 tell your reverences, that if the woman brings forth, 
 by adultery, the child is preferved till able to be 
 carried with them when they go into Egypt, and 
 there given to fome ilranger, with ample provi- 
 iions for its maintenance, but never to be heard of 
 more. (3) 
 
 . There is alfo one particular I fhould have men- 
 tioned, relative to injuftice. If, for example, the 
 elders find there has been any confiderable injuflice 
 done, the criminal is obliged to rellore nine times 
 the value. If any one be convi<5led to have impofed 
 upon the judges, he is to be fent out to the ikirts of 
 the country to live by himfelf, for a time propor- 
 tionable to his guilt, with a mark on his forehead, 
 for all perfons to avoid him, left he fliould inllil 
 his principles into others. All other matters are 
 regiilated rather by cuftom than by laws, which will 
 be feen when I come to the form of their govern- 
 ment, and other particular inllitutions. 
 
 Remarks of Signor Rhedi, 
 
 . (1) Agai7ijl Jbedding of bloody ^c."] Thefe people defcending; 
 from Mifraim^ who might know the patriarch Ncah^ and might 
 have learnt by tradition the puniftument of Cain for the murder 
 of his brother Abel^ carried that opinion to an excefs. Thefe 
 people, be they who they will, or not be at all, I can't but ob- 
 ferve, how inexcufahle^ihe wickednefs of men was from the be- 
 ginning, without blaming Gsd^ as fome libertines do, for leav- 
 ing them in ignorance. 
 
 The wicked Ham, or Clam, war, in the ark with Noah, and 
 lived many years before the deluge, (the truth of which is at- 
 tefted by ancient hiflory as well as by fcripture and faith) and 
 faw the dreadful punifhment inflicled on the v/orld for fin ; could 
 not he have learnt godlinefs and the reward for it, of hi^ father 
 Noahf Could not Ham have taught his own children, they 
 theirs, and fo on ? But they corrupted their own ways, and 
 thereby fliewed the neceillty of the law of grace and revelation. 
 . . . (2} See 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio bi Lucca. 129 
 
 (z) See the bifhop of Meaux's univerfal hillory concerning the 
 Egyptians, part 3. and of thei/ puniibments after death. 
 
 (3) And never heard of more ^ ©*<:.] With our author's leave, 
 this is not fuch a jud and corapaffionate part, to turn innocent 
 children out among people whofe cuftoitis they had fuch a horror 
 of, only for their pafentf^ faults : fcr though the maxim be good, 
 " •etjactr&rt hretd^'' yet the care they took of their youth, .ind 
 the moral inftrut^lon tl*ey gave them, might rjiaks them ubhot 
 the crime? ^i thfif par^nt.^. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs. 
 
 OF THEIPv FOKM UF %j^wvjc.i\.ivivi£/JNi:. 
 
 X HEIR form of government, as I Iiad the 
 honor to acquaint your reverences before, is patri- 
 archal, v/hich they preferve inviolably, as being the 
 moll tenacious people in the world of their primi- 
 tive inftitutions. But the order of the fucceflion is 
 extremely particular, to keep up the equality of 
 brotherhood and dignity as exadl as they can. Your 
 reverences,! prefume, remember that they all fprung 
 from one family, (and lived as fuch when they were 
 driven out of Egypt) the head of which was prieil 
 of the fun. This government they had obferved- 
 ever fince Mifraim took pofTeliion of that land for 
 his habitation. But w^hen they w'ere fecured from 
 all the world in the firfl vale, as v/as mentioned be- 
 
130 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 fore, they eflabliflied that form of government after 
 a particular manner. The firft pophar fettling in 
 that vale with his live fons and as many daughters 
 with their hufbands, governed them during life as 
 father or patriarch of them all. Th.ir prodigious 
 veneration for their parents and feparation from all 
 other people, render this form infinitely more prac- 
 ticable than can be w^ell imagined. As they were 
 children of one man, the intereft of the v hole was 
 the intereft of every particular. AU the nation of 
 the firft tranfmigraiion were children, grand chil- 
 dren, or great grand children of the good old man 
 who condudled them thither. Having no w^ars or 
 voyages at fea, nor commerce with the diflempers, 
 as well as vices of other nations, who generally dif- 
 fer in their way of living as well as their climate ; 
 having nothing of this,! fay, to deftroy their people, 
 they not only increafed prodigioufty, without plu- 
 rality of wives, but by that and their almoft primitive 
 way of living ; they preferved their lives to a great 
 old age, moft of them living above a hundred years, 
 and' fc:ne of them above a hundred and fifty. The 
 firft pophar, fay their mem.oirs, lived till a hundred 
 and fifty five, and his eldeft fon, his fucceffor, being 
 more robuft than himfelf, to a Inindred and iixty. 
 Prefently after his eftablifliment in the firft vale, he 
 divided his fmall dominions into fi\Q nomes, or go- 
 vernments, under his five fons, as was obferved be- 
 fore, all were to be fubordinate to the eldeft ; but 
 it was only a patriarchal fubordination, relating to 
 the whole. The other governors, and indeed all 
 fathers of families were entire minifters of the laws 
 in their refpeflive families •, but thefe laft were 
 liable to the infpedlion of the more immediate fu- 
 periors, and all to that of the grand pophar, affifted 
 with fuchanumber of counfellorsaswere eftablifhed 
 afterwards. To give your reverences a more diftin6t 
 idea ofliiswond.erfid goveriiment,itv/ ill come much 
 
 to 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 131 
 
 to the fame, whether we defcend from the chief po- 
 phar to every refpeftive family, or from thefe up- 
 <^^ards. The particularities of the fucceflion I fhall 
 confider afterwards. However, it will be ealier 
 feen if we take them when their numbers were not 
 i\) great, at the lirit beginning of their eflablifh- 
 ment. The pophar then having dillinguifhed the 
 bounds of every nome, I mean in their firft tranf- 
 migration, each fon took poffeffion of it for him- 
 felf and pofterity. While each fon's children were 
 unmarried, they continued under the government of 
 their father, who made ufe of as much land as was 
 iufficient for the conveniencies and pleafures, as well 
 as neceifaries of life. Eut as foon as any fon was 
 liiarried, or at leafl when he could be called a father 
 of a family, the father, with confent of the pophar, 
 allotted him likewife a fufficient quantity for the 
 fame end •, fo they fpread and enlarged themfelves as 
 it were from the centre to a farther extent, much 
 in the fame manner as they build their tov/ns, till 
 they had occupied the whole nome. Here you will 
 fay, thefe people muft in procefs of time encreafe 
 to an infinitum^ without lands fufficient to maintain 
 them. This v/as really the cafe in the lirfl plan- 
 tation, which was fo entirely occupied by them, that 
 if the famous pophar who brought them into the 
 vafl continent they now enjoy, had not made that 
 glorious difcovery with the danger of his life, they 
 miill have returned iiito Egypt, or eat up one ano- 
 ther; but where they kre at prefent, they have room 
 enough, riotwithilandlTig their numbers, for feVeral 
 ages. However, I often reprefented to the pophar, 
 that it muft come to'that at laft •, the thought made 
 him uAfeafy at firft, and at length put him on a-fur- 
 ther difc6vefy,'as ybur reve.rences will fee in t^e fe- 
 queL But Tuch vaft numbers Gf:^them betaking 
 thehifelves to arts-aiid manlifa6i^urel, and.the coun- 
 try being fo prodigioufly fertile, there does not ap- 
 
 - ■ * ■ ' pear 
 
J32 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 pear any great difficulty in that relpefl. Of all arts 
 they look upon agriculture as the firlt in dignityx» 
 next to the liberal fciences, fince that nourifhes all 
 the reft •, but it comes fb eafily, and the fruits and 
 legumes are fo rich and delicious, that they have 
 little more trouble than to gather them, belides 
 laving two fummers and two fp rings, each differ- 
 ent feafon produces its peculiar fruits. But to re- 
 turn to the idea of their government ^ each father 
 of a family governs all his defcendants, married or 
 unmarried, as long as he lives. If his fons are fa- 
 thers, they have a fubordinate power under him ; if 
 he dies before he comes to fuch an age, the eldefl 
 fon, or the eldeft uncle, takes care of them, untill 
 they are fufficient to fet up family for themfelves. 
 The father, on extraordinary occafions, is liable to 
 be infpe<5led by five of the mofl prudent heads of 
 that diftridl ; thefe by five of the five adjacent dif- 
 tridls chofen by common confent ; thefe laft, by the 
 heads of the five nomes, and all the nomes by the 
 grand pophar affifled with three hundred and fixty 
 Sve elders, or fenators, chofen out of every nome. 
 What is mofl particular in this government, is, that 
 they are all abfolute in fome manner, and indepen- 
 dent, as looking on themfelves as all equal in birth ; 
 yet in ^n entire dependency of natural lubordinatioDi^ 
 or elderfhip, which runs through the whole oeco- 
 iiomy,^as your reverences will fee when I come to 
 the fucceflion. They are in the fame manner lords 
 and proprietors of their own pofTefHons, yet the po- 
 phar and governors can allot arid difpofe of all foir" 
 the'public emolument, becaufe they look upon him 
 to be as mucih the father of all, as the immedint^ 
 natural father is bf his proper children, and even ipf , 
 feme' fenfe their natural father by right of eldef- 
 ftiib, becaufe they fprung originally from one man, 
 whom the gratid pophar Tepfefents. To this, that 
 natural, or politic, or even ityperftitioius refpe^! they 
 
 iliew 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio ni Lucca. 13 j 
 
 fhcw to their parents, contributes fo much, that 
 the/ never dlfpute, but cm the contrary, revere the 
 regulations made by their fuperiors ; being fatisfied 
 that they are not only juil and good, but that it is 
 their own adl, fince it is done by virtue, of a fub- 
 ordinatiofi to which they all belong. 
 
 The fucceiRon of elderfhip has fomething very*. 
 particular, and even intricate in it* To expi-efs at 
 the fame time the fuperiority of the elder fon, and 
 the equality of independence, I ihall endeavour to 
 explain to your reverences as well as I can, the right 
 thereof. The elder fon of the firft pophar, is al- 
 ways grand pophar, when he is of ag€ to govern, 
 which, as I faid, i« fifty at foonelt ; but if the dire<5t 
 line fails, not the uncle's fon, nor any one in that 
 T*ome, but the right heir of the next nome, and fo 
 of all the five nomes. If they fhould fail in all the 
 Bomes, the right heir of the fecond fon of the firft 
 nome, and fo of all the reft. This they fay li?^ 
 ha^ppened feveral times fince their firft eftabliih- 
 raent, which is not much to be wondered at, if they 
 are fo ancient as they pretend. Thus, though the 
 grand popharfhip be confined to the eldeft in fome^ 
 fenfe, in effcsfl it belongs to them all ; but if the 
 next heir be a minor, as he is always judged to be 
 till he is fifty years of age, the eldeft of that age, 
 of the fecond fon of the next nome^ is regent till 
 the heir be out of his minority, andib on*, iniomuch, 
 tnat he vv ho has the next right to be grand pophar, 
 is never to be regent, to divide the fuperiorityamong 
 them as equal as is pofiible. All other public of- 
 ficers, teacheis of arts and fcienees, overfeers of all 
 the public employments,, cS'^^ are conllituted by the 
 grand pophar esrid fe^h^drini, with aiToGiiites of 
 
 O JMOJ^E 
 
134 The MEMOIRS or 
 
 MORE PARTICULARS 
 
 OF THEIR PUBLIC (ECONOMY. 
 
 T, 
 
 H O U G H; as I faid, the pophar is in fome 
 fenfe the proprietor of the whole country, as head 
 of the government, and chief patriarch ; yet the pa- 
 radox of this government conlifts in this, that they 
 are joint lords, acknowledging no inequality but 
 merely elderihip, and the refpecft due to dignitaries, 
 which they efteem as their own, or redounding to 
 themfelves, becaufe they all give their confent to 
 their eleftion for the public good. In a word, the 
 whole country is only one great family governed 
 by the laws of nature, with proper officers conlli- 
 tuted. by the whole, for order and common preferva- 
 tion ; every individual looks on himfelf as a part of 
 that great family. The grand pophar is the conj- 
 mon father, eileeming ail the reft as children and 
 brothers, calling them univerfally by that name, as 
 they all call one another brothers, bartering and ex- 
 changing their commodities as one brother would 
 do with another ; and not only that, but they join 
 ail in building their towns, public places, fchools, 
 &c. laying up all their ftores and provifions, over 
 and above the prefent confumption, in public places 
 for the ufe of the whole, with overfeers and infpe(5l- 
 ors, conftituted by common confent, who are to take 
 care chiefly that no diforder be committed. Thus 
 every one contributes to all public expences, feafts, 
 and the like, which on fome occafions are extremely 
 magnificent, affecfling an external grandeur in all 
 refpe^s. Thus alfo, every man wherever he goes, 
 enters into what houfe he pleafcs, as if it were his 
 own home j this they aie doing perpetually through- 
 out 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio bi Lucca. 135 
 
 cut the whole country, rather viliting then mer- 
 chandizing, exchanging the rarities of each refpec- 
 tive place with thole of other parts, juft like friends 
 mailing prefents to one another •, fo that all the 
 roads are like ftreets of great towns, with people 
 going backw^ard and forward perpetually. They do 
 this the more frequently to keep up a correfpon- 
 dence between the nornes, for fear that dillance of 
 place fliould caufe any forge tfulnefs of their being 
 of one family. The plenty of the country affords 
 them every thing that nature can call delightful, 
 and that w^ith fuch eafe, that infinite numbers are 
 employed in trades and arts, according to their ge- 
 nius or inclinations ; which, by their continual peace 
 and plenty, their long eflabliihment in one country^ 
 and under one form of government, the natural in- 
 genuity of the people, the fo early knowledge of 
 arts, which they brought with them out of Egypt ; 
 and by the improvements their wife men make in. 
 them from time to time, from what they learn when 
 they pay their viflts to their deceafed anceftors, they 
 have brought to prodigious perfecflion. One may 
 fay of them, that they are all maflers and all feryants, 
 every one has his employment ; generally fpeak- 
 ing, the younger fort v/ait on the elders, changing 
 their o:Kces as it is thought proper by their fupe-. 
 riors, as in a well regulated community. All their, 
 children univerfally are taught at the public ex- 
 penfe, as children of the government, without any 
 diflindion but that oi perfonal 7nerih As the per- 
 fons deputed for that end, judge of their genius, or 
 any particular inclination, they are difpofed after- 
 wards to thofe arts and callings for which they feem 
 mofl proper-, the moft fublime fciences are the moll 
 in refpecfl with them, and are chiefly the employ- 
 ment of their great men and governors, contrary to 
 the cuflom of other countries ; the reafon of v. hich 
 is, becaufe thele being never chofen till they 
 O a are- 
 
13<5 The memoirs of 
 
 are fifty years of age, tliej have had more time to 
 improve tliemfeives, and generally are perfons of 
 more exteniive capacities. They rightly fuppofe that 
 perfons who exeel others in the mofi: rational fci- 
 ences, are not only iittefl to govern a rational peo- 
 ][)le, but alfo moil capable of making themfelves 
 mailers of what they undertake ; not but fuch men 
 knowing the governors are chofe out of that rank, 
 liave an eye in their lludies to the rules and arts of 
 governing, which are communicated at a diltance by 
 them, accordir}g to the talerts they remark in the 
 iUbjedls. They dcn*t do this out of any fpirit of 
 ambition, employments being rather an honorary 
 trouble than advantage, but for the real good of the 
 "whole. Agriculture, as I faid, has the next place in 
 Iionor afteT liberal arts ; and next to that, thofe arts 
 sire moil elleemed which are moll neceffary ; the laft 
 of all are thofe which are of ieail ufe, though per- 
 liaps the moll delightful. 
 
 Since every one is employed for the common good 
 more than for themfelves, perhaps perfons may ap- 
 prehend that this gives a check to indullry, not hav- 
 ing that fpur of private interell, hoarding up riches, 
 or aggrandizir^g their families, as is to be found in 
 other nations. I was apprehenlive of this mylelf 
 \vhen I came to underiland their government, but 
 fo far from it, that poilibly there is not fuch an in- 
 duflrious race of people in the univerfe. They place 
 their great ambition m the grandeur of their country ^ 
 looking on thofe as narrow and mercenary fpirits, 
 who can prefer a part to the whole ; they pride 
 themfelves over other nations on that account, each 
 man having a proportionable lliare in the public, 
 grandeur ; the love of glory and praife feems to be 
 their greatefl paffibn. Befides their v/ife governors 
 have fuch ways of ilirring up their emulation by 
 public honors, harangues, and panegyricks in their 
 public alTemblisSjWith a thoufarid other arts of lliew 
 snd pageantry, and this for the n^oll minute arts, 
 
 that 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 137 
 
 Aat were it not for that fraternal love ingrafted in 
 them" from their infancy, they would be in danger 
 of raifing' their emulation to too great a height. — 
 Thofe who give indications of greater wifdom and 
 prudence in their condudl than others, are marked 
 out for governors, and gradually raifed according to 
 their merit. Whoever invents a new art has a ftatue 
 ere(fl:ed according to the ufefulnefs of it, with his 
 n'ame and family put down in the public recoids. 
 Whoever diftinguifhes himfelf by any particular 
 eminence, has fuitable marks of diftin<fiion paid him 
 on public occafions, as garlands, crowns, acclama- 
 tions, fongs, or hymns in his p'aiffe, &c. It is in- 
 credible how fuch' rewards as thefe encourage in- 
 duftry and arts in minds fo affected with glory, a? 
 thefe people are : on the other hand, their greateft 
 punifhment, except for capital crimes, which are 
 punifhed as above, arc by public difgraceis. 
 
 But nov/ I am fpeaking of their youth, — as they 
 look upon them as feeds of the common v/ealth, 
 which if corrupted in the bud, will never bring forth 
 fruit; fo their particular care is laid out in their 
 education, in which I believe they excel all nations 
 yet known. One cannot fay there is one perfon in 
 the v>rhole nation who may be called an idle perfon, 
 though they indulge their youth very much in pro» 
 per recreations, endeavouring to keep them as gay as 
 they can, becaufe they are naturally inclined to gra- 
 vity, and befides daily recreations, they have fet times 
 and feafons for public exercifes, as riding, vaulting, 
 running, but particularly, hunting wild beafts, and" 
 fifhing for crocodiles and alligators in their great 
 lakes, which I fnall defcribe to your reverences on 
 another occafion ; yet they are never fuffered to go 
 alone, that is, a company of young men together, 
 without grave men and perfons in authority along 
 with them, who are a guard to them in all their ac- 
 tions : nay, they are never fuffered to lye together, 
 G 3 each 
 
33S The MEMOIRS OF 
 
 each lying in a fingle bed, though in a public room^ 
 with fome grave perfon in the fame room with them. 
 Their women are kept much in the fame manner, 
 to prevent inconveniencies I fhall touch upon, when 
 I come to the education ot their women, and this fo 
 univerfally, that as there are no idle companions to 
 lead them into extravagancies, fo there are no idle 
 and loofe women to be found to corrupt their purit/^ 
 Their whole time, both for men and women is taken 
 up in employments or public recreadons,which with 
 the early care to inllru(5l them in the fundamental 
 principles of the morality of the country, prevents 
 all thofe diforders of youth we fee elfewhere. 
 Hence comes that ilrength of body and mind in their 
 men, and modeft blooming beauty in their women -, 
 fo that among this people, nature feems to have kept 
 itfelf up to its primitive and original perfed:ion.^ 
 Beiide that univerfal likenefs in them, proceeding 
 from their conjugal fidelity, and exclufion of all fo- 
 leign mixture in their breed,, where all the linea- 
 ments of their ancellors, diredl and collateral, meet 
 at laft in their offspring, gives the parents the com- 
 fort of feeing their own bloom and youth renewed 
 in their children^ though in my opinion this uni- 
 verfal likenefs is rather a defe^ ; not but the trea- 
 fures of nature are fo inexhauilible, that there are 
 fome dillinguilhing beauties in every face. Their 
 young men and women meet frequently, but then it 
 is in their public affemblies with grave people mixt 
 along with them. At all public exercifes the wo- 
 men are placed in view to fee and be feen, to in- 
 ilame the young men with emulation in their per- 
 formances. They are permitted to be decently fa- 
 miliar on thofe public occaiions, and can chufe their 
 lovers refpedlively, according to their liking, there 
 being no fuch thing as dowries or intereft, but mere 
 perfonal merit in the cafe ; but more of this in the 
 jiext paragraph^ w^here I fliall fpe^ak more particu- 
 larly 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 139 
 
 larly of the education of their Women and marriages. 
 This is a ftiort fketcK of the government and oeco- 
 nomy of a people who are fo much diflinguiflied' 
 from the euftoms of others as they are feparated by 
 their habitation and country. 
 
 Inquisitor. — You feem, fir, to have a very high 
 idea of this patriarchal government, and look upon 
 it according to the law of nature ; I hope you don't 
 deny but perfons may be obliged by the law of na- 
 ture to obey their forms of government, as well as 
 a patriarchal one ? 
 
 Gaudentio. — No^jeverend fathers, by no means, 
 I don't enter into comparifons, but relate matter of 
 fa(R:. It is not to be doubted, but different forms, 
 of government may be proper for different nations^ 
 and where once a form of government is lawfully 
 ellablifhed, perfons are obliged to obey to avoid 
 anarchy and confufion ; for example,whoever fhould 
 endeavour to fubvert a monarchical government once 
 lawfully eltabUfhed, mull break in upon the laws 
 of right and jullice, which are obligations of the 
 law of nature. 
 
 Inquisitor. — Read on. 
 
 Second Inquisitor. — Under favour I muft aflc 
 him a queftion or two firft. I ihixi'k, Sig?ior' Gua»~ 
 dcvtio^you make the grand pophar to be both prince 
 and priefl ; that is to be vefted both with temporal 
 and fpiritual power : is it your opinion that the 
 fpi ritual power is fubje6l to the temporal ? 
 
 Gaudentio. — I fpeak of heathens, reverend fa- 
 thers, and a heathenifh worfhip, where the grand 
 pophar was both prince of the people and chief 
 prieft of the fun by his place. I acknowledge no 
 head of the church but his holinefs, as moll agree- 
 able to the primitive inllitution of our religion. 
 
 Here he went on in Ms exalted notions oftkefo've' 
 reign ^ntiffi partly being a roman Qhaiholic, but- 
 
 Qhiejly, 
 
HO The MEMOIRS ot 
 
 chiejly^ in all appearance^ hecauje he was before the. 
 inqinjition ; for which reafon the puhUjher thought jit 
 to leave it out* 
 
 Gaudentio.— Doth it pleafe your reverences 
 tHat I go on with my hiftory ? 
 iNqjjisiTOjL. — Ay, ay, read on- 
 
 THE EDUCATION OF THEIR WOMEN, 
 AND MARRIAGES. 
 
 A . 
 
 -^^ S for their women, thepophar told me it was 
 what gave them the moft trouble of any thing in 
 their whole government ; that by their records their 
 ancellors had held frequent confultations after what 
 manner they were to be managed, there being great 
 difficulties to be feared, either from allowing them 
 liberty or keeping them under reftraint. If you 
 allow them liberty, you mull depend on their honor 
 or rather caprice, for your own ; if you keep them 
 under confinement, they will be fure to revenge, 
 themfeives the firit opportunity, which they will 
 find in fpite of all you can do. The rules, faid he, 
 by which men are governed, will not hold with wo- 
 men •, folid reafon, if you can make them feniible of 
 it, will fome time or other have an influence on mofl 
 men, whereas humour is what predominates in wo- 
 men. Hit that, you have them ; mifs it, you do no- 
 thing ; and yet they are fo far from being an indif- 
 ferent thing in the commonwealth, that much more 
 depends on the right management of them than peo- 
 ple imagine. Licentioufnefs of youth draws innu- 
 merable misfortunes on any government, and what 
 greiater incentives for licentioufnefs than lewd wo- 
 
 menj 
 
SiGNOR GaUBIINTTO BI LuCCA« >4T 
 
 V7omen, v/hether proflitutes, wanton ladies, or adul- 
 treffes ? For all loofe wcmen belong to one of 
 thefe clalTes. Our • women, continued he, are ex- 
 tremely beautiful, as you fee \ our men flrong and 
 vigorous; conjugal fidelity therefore and chaftity 
 mull be the ftrongell bonds to keep them in theic 
 duty. As for our young men, v/e keep them in per- 
 petual employment, and animate them to glory by 
 all ways capable of llirring up generous minds ; we 
 endeavour the fame on our women, by ways adapted 
 'to their genius. But our greatell care of all, is to 
 make marriage efteemed by both parties the hap- 
 piefl flate that can be wilhed for in this life. This 
 'WQ believe to depend more in making the womah 
 happy and iixt in her choice, than the man ; becauffe 
 if the perfon be impofed upon her, not according to 
 her own inward inclination, that diillke, or revenge, 
 or perhaps a more fhameful pafiion, will make her 
 feek for relief elfewhere ; and where women are not 
 virtuous, men will be lewd. We therefore permit 
 the woman to chufe entirely for herf^lf, and the men 
 to make their addreffes where they pleafe : but the 
 W^oman is to diftinguifli her choice by fome lignal 
 occafion or other, and that too not without grea^t 
 dilSculties on both fides, which being furmounted, 
 they elleem themfelve3 arrived at the nappy part of 
 all their wifhes. The m.oll ardent and tried love 
 determines the choice ; this endears the man to her 
 on the one hand, and the difficulty of finding any 
 woman who has not the fame inducements to love 
 her hufband, leaves him no encouragement in his 
 lawlefs delires among married women ; and the fin- 
 gle women are either fo early engaged with their 
 lovers, or fo polTefTed with the notion that a married 
 tnan can't belong to Ker, that his luit would he en- 
 tirely vain. In a ^^'ord, we don"" t allov/ the leaft 
 temporal interefl to interfere in the choice, but ra- 
 lhe,r wiih our young people iliould fall in love. 
 
 Our 
 
142 The memoirs of 
 
 Our whole bufinefs is to prove their conllancy, and' 
 lo malce them fo ; when we are well aiTured of this, 
 all obilacles are removed. We found this method 
 to have the leail inconvenielicies of an/, and the beft 
 means to preferve conjugal fidelity, on which the 
 good of families fo much depends. 
 
 When our nation, continued he, began to grow very 
 populous, and the country full of riches and plenty ; 
 the promifcuous converfation of our young men and 
 women, v/ith fome neglec^l on the part of the gor 
 vernors, was the occafion that the bounds of our in- 
 nocent ancellors were not fufficient to keep them in 
 their duty ; llrange diforders were crept among our 
 youth of both fexes ; our men grew enervated and 
 effeminate, our women wanton and enilamed : un- 
 natural abufes wafted away their conllitution, fo 
 that v/e loft thoufands of our young men and v/omen, 
 without knowing what v^^as the caufe ; even in the 
 married ftate, the women began not to be contented 
 with one man, on which account our anceftors had 
 almoft refolved to keep ail our women from the 
 iight of men untill they were married, and then to 
 deliver them up to their hufbands, who fhould have 
 a defpotic right over them ; as I am informed they 
 have in other nations. They judged this to be a 
 certain means to be fure of the legitimacy of their 
 children, and to prevent jealoufy ; the firft caufe, 
 though difTembled, of the man's diflike to his wife. 
 Others objecfled againft this fevere difcipline, and 
 faid, it v/as making the moft beautiful part of the 
 creation mere ilaves,.or at leaft, mere properties; it 
 was to give an innate check to the glory of a free 
 people ; it was to deprive the hufband of tl\e volun- 
 tary love of his moiety ; and take away the moft en- 
 dearing part of conjugal happinefs. Toahis, the 
 fevere iidc anfwered, that the v/onxen were come to 
 fuch a pafs, that the abufes of it ihewed they were 
 JX9X capable of liberty ; however, a medium betwixt 
 
 both. 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO DI LuCCA, 143 
 
 both carried it for that time. The injuries of the 
 marriage Hate, and the corruption of youth, which 
 was the occaiion of it, was judged to be of fuch con- 
 fequence to the commonw^ealth, that they were re- 
 folved to put a Hop to it at any rate. All the wife 
 men and governors confulted, and refolved unani- 
 moully to put the laws I mentioned, againft adultery 
 and whoredom in execution ; caufing proclama- 
 tions to be made for that intent throughout the 
 whole empire. All corrupters of youth of both 
 fexes were ihut up immediately, with thofe regula- 
 tions I related above, of having grave perfons al- 
 ways in the company of young people, men and wo- 
 men. They married off all that were at age for it 
 as fall as they could ; but found they did not en- 
 creafe as ufual, having exhaufted or debilitated their 
 native vigour by their unnatural abufes. 
 
 Some Paragraphs feem wanting in this Part 
 o/Gaudentio's Narrative^ which^ douhu 
 lefs^ were very curious. 
 
 There is a peculiar method allowed by them, in 
 which they differ from all other nations; for where- 
 as, other nations endeavour to preferve their young 
 people from love^ left they fhouid throw themfelves 
 away, or make difadvantageous matches \ thefe peo- 
 ple having no interefted views in that refped:, en- 
 courage a generous and honorable love, and maL:e it 
 their care to fix them in the ftri(5left love they can, 
 35 foon as they judge by their age and conftitution 
 how they are inclined ; this they do fcmetimes by 
 applauding them on their choice, but moftly by 
 raiiing vaft difficulties, contrived onpiirpofe, both 
 to try and enhance their conftancy. They have hif- 
 tories and ftories of heroic examples of fidelity and 
 conftancy in both fexes, but particularly for the 
 
 young 
 
i44v Th2 MEMOIRS of 
 
 young women, by which they are taught rather to 
 fuffer ten thoufand deaths than violate their plighted 
 faith •, one may fay, they are a nation of faithful 
 lovers -, the longer they live together, the more their 
 friendiliip encreafes, and infidelity in either fex is 
 looked upon as a capital crime. Add to this, that 
 A>eing all of the fam« rank and quality, except the 
 regard paid to elderfhip and public employments, 
 nothing but perfonal merit and a liking of each 
 other, determines the choice. There muft be fignal 
 proofs produced, that the woman prefers the man 
 before all others, as his-fervice muH be diftinguifhed 
 in the fame manner. Where this is approved of by 
 the governors or elders, if th^ wowian iniilts on her 
 demands, it is an inviolable law that that man mull 
 be her huiband. Tlieir hands are firll joined in 
 public, then they clafp each oth^r in the clofell em- 
 brace, in which poilure the elder of the place puts 
 a oircle of :th^ £neil tempered Heel, to fiiew that 
 this union is never to be diifolved ; it is all woven 
 with Howers, and fir ft laid over their necks, as they 
 are thus clafping each other ; thea round their waift^, 
 and laft of all round their breafts or hearts, to Hg- 
 nify, that the ardency of their love muft terminate 
 in an indiffoluble friendfhip, with infinite acclama- 
 trons and congratulations of the whole afTembly. I 
 believe the world, can'x lurnifh fuch excimples of con- 
 jugal chaftity as are preferved between them by this 
 m^ans. Widov^ers and widows never marry fingle 
 perfons,and but rarely at all, except left yoi!ng,when 
 they are to gain each other as before. By fuch pru- 
 dent preciautlons, infinite diforders are prevented, 
 p^roceeding not only fr£)mrdifproportionate and forced 
 j);>.arriages,. but from the licentioufnefs of idle per- 
 fonSj who either marry for money, or live on the 
 fj^iis of other people, till they can get an advan- 
 t>Hg^eou,s- match, v^^hich often ocGafions great misfor- 
 im^y m a*cosnm.cnwcsHh. Xhigjis a fbort fketch 
 
 cf 
 
SiG^^OR Gaubentio di Lucca. 14S 
 
 6f their government and cuftoms, which I thought 
 Would not be unacceptable to your reverences, tho* 
 a great many other cuftoms of lefs moment will oc- 
 cur in the fequel of my life. 
 
 Continuation of the Memoirs* 
 
 Where the Author returns to the more par- 
 ticvlar Circumjlances of his own Life. 
 
 JL H E Pophar Regent made choice of me for one 
 of his attending companions, with the other young 
 men who came home with us ; he had a great many 
 other attendants and officers deputed by common 
 confent, to w ait his orders as Regent ; thefe w^ere 
 changed every five years, as were thofe attending 
 the governors of the other Nomcs, on account of 
 improvement ; for, being all of equal quality, they 
 endeavour to give them as equal an education as is 
 poftible, changing their employments, and waiting 
 on one another in their turns by the appointment of 
 their refpec^ive governors, except thofe whofe ge- 
 nius or choice determines them to arts and fciences, 
 according to their oeconomydefcribed before* Imuft 
 only add, that having fuch a high value for their 
 race, no one thinks it a difgrace to perform the 
 mean eft offices, being all to be attended in like man- 
 
14^ The memoirs of 
 
 manner themfelves,when it comes to their turns,every 
 one looking on the honours done to every branch 
 cf their government, as their own. Hence all their 
 public ranks and ceremonies are the moft magnifi- 
 cent that can be imagined ; their is fcarce any thing 
 done even in entertainments between the private 
 tribes, but there are proper officers deputed for it, 
 and all expenfes paid out of the common Hock, with 
 deputies and overfeers for every thing. Their houfes 
 are all open to one another with a long gallery, 
 which runs from the end of one range of building 
 to the other ; the womens apartments join together, 
 with the men of each family joining to their own 
 ivomen, that is, their wives, lifters, and daughters. 
 The women have their fubaltern ofticers like the 
 men. The iiril apartment of every break of a itreet 
 belongs to the men, then the women's belonging to 
 them ; then the women of the next family joining 
 to them, and tlieir men beyond them, and fo on, with 
 large public halls at proper diflances for public af- 
 fembli^s *, fo that every thing they do is a fort of 
 paradox to us, for they are the freefl and yet 
 ilrifteft people in the world ; the v/hole nation, as 
 I obferved before, being more like one univer- 
 fal college, or community, than any thing elfe. The 
 women are perpetually employed as w^ell as the men, 
 it is their bufinefs to work all the fine garments for 
 themfelves and the men, which being much the 
 iame, except devices and fiowers, for their friends 
 and lovers, are made w^ith lefs ditiiculty ; the chief 
 difference is in the wearing them •, but the chief 
 diilinciion of fexes is in the ornaments of their 
 iiecks and hair. Crowns and fillets are worn by all, 
 jull after the model of the little pi<R:ure your reve- 
 rences fav/ in the cabinet; all their lapeftry, em- 
 broidery, and the like, with infinite other curioli- 
 ties, are all the works of their women ; fo that the 
 chief qualiiicatioR of their w^omen, or ladies, for 
 
 they 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO D I LuCCA, 14^ 
 
 itiey are all fucJi, is to excel iti tKe loom, needle, or 
 dillaff. Since I came there, hy the Pophar's delire, 
 thej have added that of painting, in which I believe 
 the vivacity of their genius will make them excel 
 all the reft of the world. Not teaching for hire, 
 I thought it no difgracein me to inllrudl fuch ami- 
 able fcholars in an art no man ought to be afliamed 
 of; it is a thing unknown with thefe j^eople, for 
 young ladies of all degrees, o? even young men, to 
 have nothing elle to mind or think of but vilits and 
 dreffes. When T gave them an account of the lives 
 of our quality ar.d gentry, they cried out, IVhat Bar- 
 Varia7ts I can any thing become beauty more than 
 knowledge and ingenuity ? They feemed to have 
 fuch a contempt, and even a horror for a life of that 
 nature, that the young ladies afked me with great 
 concern, if our ladies had any lovers? as if it v/ere 
 impoiiible to love a woman who had nothing to re- 
 commend her but what nature gave her. In fine, 
 by the defcription I gave of the idle life of our la- 
 dies, they judged them to be no more than beautiful 
 brutes. They af^ed me alfo, if I did not think my- 
 felf fortunate by my captivity, where I met with 
 ladies who thought the ornaments of the mind more 
 delirable than thofe of the body; and told me, they 
 imputed what they faw in me, to my good fortune 
 of being born of their race by the mother's iide ; 
 nay, could i'carce believe but my father had a mix- 
 ture of their blood fome way or other. I affured 
 them, I efteemed myfelf \f^ry happy to be in the 
 midft of fo many charms of body and mind; and 
 added, that though they had the ineilimable hap- 
 pinefs of being born all of one race, without any 
 mixture of foreign vices, yet in effedl, all the world 
 were originally brothers and iiilers, as fpringin ^ 
 irom one pair, iince men and women did not rife 
 out of the ground like muilirooms. This I faid, tc^ 
 ? 2 Rive 
 
14^ The memoirs o? 
 
 give them a little hint of natural and revealed re*- 
 ligion, which are infeparably linked together. 
 
 But to return to myfelf. — The Pophar being my 
 neareil relation, took me into his own family as his 
 conflant companion and attendant, when he was not 
 en the public concerns, where 1 always accompanied 
 him with moll diftinguifhing marks of his favour. 
 He would often confer with me, and inftrudl me in 
 their ways and culloms, and the polity of their go- 
 vernment ; enquiring frequently into the parcicula-. 
 lities of our governments, both civil and religious; 
 for the lall he never endeavouredvto perfuade me 
 to conform to their ceremonies *, and my own good 
 fenfe told me, it was prudence not to meddle with 
 them. I rather thought he feemed inclined to have 
 more favourable fentiments of our religion, as fuch, 
 than his own, though he was prodigioully blgotted 
 to their civil cufloms ; faying, it was impoliible ever 
 to preferve a commonwealth when they did not live 
 *i?p to their lav/s •, that thefe laws fhould be as few 
 and as iimple as pofiible, bat then kept to a tittle ; 
 for when once people come to break m upon fun- 
 damentals, all fubfequent laws Would not have half 
 the ilrcngth as prim.ary ones, with a great many 
 Other refie<S:ions, that fhe^^ied he was a man of a 
 moll confummate wifdom, and worthy the high poil 
 he bore. He had two fons, both dead, and tVvO 
 daughters living ; the one was about ten years old,, 
 when I arrived there ; it is fhe your reverences lav/ 
 in that picture ; the other born the year before the 
 Popliar fet out for Grand Cairo. Ills lady, much 
 younger than himfelf, fliewed fuch frelh remains, 
 of beauty, as demonllrated that nothing but what 
 Iprung from herfelf, could equal her. Both the 
 Pophar and his con fort looked on me as their oy;n 
 fon, nor could I expecl greater favour had I really 
 been fo. I took all the care imaginable not to ren- 
 d^f myfelf unworthy of it, and both revered and 
 
 loved 
 
SiCx^oii G'audentio di Lucca. 149 
 
 loved them beyond what I am able to exprefs; tho* 
 indeed, as I obferved, the whole race of them was 
 nothing but a Icingdom of brothers and friends; no 
 man had the leall fufpicion or fear of one another. 
 They were fo habituated to the obfervaUce of their 
 laws, by their natural difpofitions, and the never^ 
 ceafing vigilancy of their governors, that they fcem- 
 ed to have a gre^tter horror for the breach of their 
 laws, tiian the punifliments attending it ; faying, 
 that infinite diforders might be committed by the- 
 malicious inventions of men, if there was nothing 
 but fear to keep them in their duty. Such force 
 has education and tlie light of nature rightly cul'- 
 tivated. For myfelf, I was left to follow what li- 
 beral employment I had a mind- to. Philofophy, 
 mufic, ai^d painting had been the chief pa-rt of my 
 ftudy and diverlion till my unliappy captivity, and 
 the lols of my brother ; but as I was fallen amorr;;; 
 a nation of philofopher?, that noble Icience, the mii- 
 trefs of all others, made up the more feriou^ pait of 
 my employment. Thougii, by tlie Pophar lle[;enr's 
 earneft defire, I applied myfelF to the other two, 
 particularly painting. They had a great many old • 
 fafliioned mufical inllruments, and an infinite num- 
 ber of performers in their way, accompanying their 
 ffealls and public rejoicings. Their muiic, both vcr^ 
 cal and inltrumental, was not near fo perfect as one 
 might have expe(^led of fo polite a people, and did 
 not come up to the elevated genius of our Italians* 
 Their philofophy chiefly turned on the more ufeful 
 part oi it, that is, the mathematiclcs and diredilou 
 of nature. In the moral part of it they have a fyi'~ 
 tern, or rather notion, of which I forgot to acquaint 
 your reverences before; it is a too high and exalted ' 
 notion of Providence, if that exprellion may be al^ 
 lovi^ed, by which they imagine all things to be fo 
 governed in this w^orld, that whatever injury a man 
 iloes to iinother, it will be ruturncd upon him or his 
 P 3 po.aeri';'-. 
 
ISO The M E M O I R S 0^ 
 
 poflerlty, even in this world, in the fame manner^ 
 or even in a greater degree, than what he did to 
 others. 
 
 In G^ I SIT OR. — ^Youll be pleafed to explain your 
 own fentiments in this particular, lince v^e hope you 
 do not deny that fundamental law of nature and re- 
 ligion •, 'viz. That the divine Providence prefides 
 over all things; and as for fublunary things, we 
 prefume you believe that Providence does not only 
 iliew itfelf in the wonderful produ(f^ion and har- 
 mony confpicuous in all natural caufes and effedls, 
 beyond all the wit and art of men ; but alfo over 
 the moral part ; that is, the free a(5lions of men, by 
 fuitable rewards and punifhments in this world or 
 the next, to make an equal and juft compenfation 
 for all the goods and evils of this life, as God is the 
 juft and equal father of alL So pray explain your- 
 felf, that we may know your real fentiments on 
 that head. 
 
 Gaudentio. — I hope, reverend fathers, I fhall 
 convince you, my fentiments are really orthodox in 
 this point*, no man has more reafon to magnify Pro- 
 vidence than myfelf ; but heatheniih people may 
 carry a juft belief to fuperftition. That there is a 
 Providence over the phyfical part of the v/orld, no 
 man who has any juft knowledge in nature, can be 
 ignorant, and may be convinced by the leaft infe(5l, 
 every thing being adapted to its peculiar ends, with 
 fuch art and knowledge in the author of it, that all 
 the art and knowledge of men cannot do the like *, 
 and by confequence, not being able to make itfelf, 
 it muft be produced by a caufe iniinitely knowing 
 iind forefeeing. Then, as to the moral part of the 
 w^orld, the fame reafon Ihews, that lince the great 
 Creator defcends fo low as to take care of the leaft 
 anfe^l, it is incredible to think that the nobleft part 
 of the world, that is, the free asflions of men, Ihould 
 t^ without his care. But aahe has given them the 
 
 glorious 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. i^t 
 
 glorious endowments of his free will, the fame Pro- 
 vidence knows how to adapt the dire<5tion of them 
 by w^ays and means fuitable to their beings ; that is> 
 by letting them know his will, and propofing fuita> 
 bie rewards and punifhments for their good and bad 
 a(flions; which rewards and puniflxments, it is evi- 
 dent, are not alw^ays- feen in this life, fince the 
 wicked often profper, and the good fuffsr, but by 
 confequence muft be referved for another flate. 
 
 But thefe people not having a jull notion of the 
 next life, though they believe a future llate, carry 
 matters fo far, that they think every injury done to 
 another, will be fome way or other, retaliated upon 
 the aggrelTor, or his poilerity in this life •, only they 
 fay, the punifhm.ent always fails the heavier the 
 longer it is deferred. In this manner do they ac- 
 count for all the revolutions of the earth, that one 
 wicked adlion is punifhed by another ; that the de- 
 fcendants of the greatell monarchs have been loll in 
 beggary for almoft endlefs generations, and the per- 
 fons that difpolfefs^d them, treated after the fame 
 manner by fome of the defcendants of the former, 
 and fo on : which notion, in my opinion, is not juft, 
 fince a fincere repentance may v/ipe off the moll 
 grievous offences. But, as perfons, generally fpeak- 
 ing, are more fenfibly touched with the punifliments 
 of this life, it is not to be doubted but there are of- 
 ten moil fignal marks of avenging Providence in 
 this life, in order to deter the wicked. 
 Inquisitor. — Go on. 
 
 Gaudentio. — Finding the Pophar had a pro- 
 digious fancy for painting, by fome indifferent pieces 
 he had picked up, I applied myfelf with extraordi- 
 nary diligence to that ^art, particularly fince he 
 w^ould hrive me teach his daughter, whofe unparal- 
 leled charms, though jull in the bud, made me in- 
 fenlible to all others. By frequent drawing, I not 
 only pleafed him and others, but almoil myftU; 
 
 ever J 
 
152 The memoirs of 
 
 every one there, men and women, were to follow 
 fome art, or fcience ; the Pophar deiired me to im- 
 part my art to fome of the young people of both 
 i«xe.s ; faying, they had very great encouragements 
 for the inventors of any new arts, which I might 
 juilly claim a title to, with refpedl to their notion : 
 I did fo, and before I left the place^I hi!d the plea- 
 fure to fee fome of them equal, or even excelling 
 iheir mafler. 
 
 Thefe v/ere the chief employments of my leifure 
 hours ; though I was forced to leave them for coti- 
 iiderable intervals, to attend the Regent in the pri- 
 vate vifitations of his charge, v/hich he did fre- 
 quently from time to time, fometimes to one Nome^. 
 fometimes to another, having an eye over all, both 
 officers and people. Thefe vilitations were rather 
 prefervations againil, than remedies for any dif- 
 orders. He ufed to fay, that the commonwealth. 
 was like a great machine with different movemenrs^. 
 which if frequently viiited by the artift,. the leail 
 flav/ being tciken notice of in time, was not only foon. 
 remedied, but was a means of preferving all the reft 
 in a conftant and regular motion ; but if negiecfled, 
 would foon diforder the motions of the other parts, 
 and either coil a great deal to repair, or bring the 
 •whole machine to defhrudlion. Unlefs on public fo- 
 lemnities, Vv'hich are ahvays very magnificent, the 
 Pophar went about without any great train, not to 
 burden his people, accompanied by only an affifting 
 elder or two, the young Pophar and myfeif, he hold- 
 ing frequent confultatlons with the fubalterns, and 
 even with the meanefl artifans, calling them his 
 children ; and they having recourfe to him as their 
 common father. For the firft five years of his re^ 
 gency, the only difiiculty we had of any moment to 
 determine, v/as an affair of the moil delicate nature 
 I ever heard : though it does not concern myfeif, 
 I ihrvU relate it to your reverences for the peculiar 
 
 circumilance^ 
 
SiGNOR Gatjdentio di Lucca. 153 
 
 clrcumftances of it, it being a cafe entirely new, as 
 well as unprovided for by the laws in their conlli- 
 tution. 
 
 The cafe was thus : — Two twin brothers had 
 fallen in love with the fame woman, and fhe with 
 them. The men and the woman lived in different 
 parts 6f the fame Nome, and met accidentally at one 
 of their great folemnities ; it was at the feaft of the 
 fun, which is kept twice a year, becaufe, as I in- 
 formed your reverences, their kingdom lies between 
 the tropicks, but more on this fide the line than the 
 other. This lituation is the occalion that they have 
 two fprings and two fummers. At the beginning 
 of each fpring, there are great feafts in every Nome, 
 in honour of the fun ; they are held in the open 
 fields, in teflimony of his being the immediate caufe 
 (in their opinion) of the produ^lion of all things. 
 All the facrifice they offer to him, are five little py- 
 ramids of incenfe, according to the number of their 
 Nomes, placed on the altar m pktes of gold^ till 
 they take fire of themfelves. Five young men and 
 as many women are deputed by the go\ernors to 
 perform the ofrice of placing the pyramids of incenfe 
 on the altar, clad in their fpangled robes of the co- 
 lour of iheNome,with crovvms on their heads, march- 
 ing up two by two, a man and a woman, between 
 two rows of young men and Vv'omen, placed theatre- 
 wife, one above another, and make the moft beau- 
 tiful Ihew^ that eyes can behold. It happened that 
 one of the twin brothers was deputed, with the 
 young lady I am fpeaking of, to make the firil couple 
 for the placing the incenfe on the altar. They 
 . ■ marched up on different fides till they came to the 
 altar. When they have placed the incenfe, they fa- 
 lute each other, and crofs dow-n, he by the ranks of 
 the women, and flie by the men, which they do with 
 a wonderful grace becoming fuch an auguft affem- 
 bly. The defign of this is to encourage a decorum 
 
154 The memoirs or 
 
 in the carriage of the young people, and to give them 
 » fight of each other in their greateft luftre. When 
 the five couple have performed their ceremony, the 
 other ranks come two by two to the altar, faluting 
 each other, and croffing as before, by which means 
 the young people have an opportunity of feeing 
 every man and woman of the whole company, tho* 
 the placing of them is done by lot. If they have 
 not any engagement before, they generally take the 
 firft liking to one another at fuch interviews, and 
 the woman^s love and choice being what determines 
 the marriage, without any vievv^s of interefl:, being', 
 as I fa'id, all equal in quality, the young gallants 
 make it their bufinefs to gain the afPedlion of ske 
 perfon they like by their future fervices* To pre- 
 vent ittconveiiiencles of rivallhip at the beginniug, if 
 the man be the perfon the woman likes, he prefents 
 her with a flower jufl in ihe bud, which ihe takes 
 and puts in her breail If ihe is engaged before^ 
 jh^. iLp.-i*;« h?*t? ''>^p, t^ *»^^r:f/ Tier eng^^^ment '^ 
 which if in the bud only, Uiews the courtfhip is 
 gone no further ilian the iirft propofal and liking ; 
 if half blown, or the like, it is an emblem of further 
 progrefs; if full-blown, it fignifics that her choice 
 is determined, from whence they can never recede ; 
 that is, fhe can change the man that prefents it, but 
 he cannot challenge her till flie has worn.it publicly. 
 If any diflike fhould happen after that, they are to 
 be (hut up, never to have any hufoand. If fhe has 
 iio engagement, but does not approve of the perfon, 
 ihe makes him a low courtefy, with her eyes fhut 
 till he is gone av/ay. The women, it 25 true, for all , 
 this, have fome little coquettifh arts, diffembling; 
 their affedlions now and then, but not often. If 
 the man be engaged, he w^ears fome favour or other 
 to fhev/ it ; it he likes not the woman, he prefents 
 her with nothing ; if the v^xman fhould make fome 
 extraordinary advances, v.irhout any of his fide, fhe 
 
 J3.a^ 
 
SiGNOR Gau1>1:NTI0 Dl LuCCA. I55 
 
 lias liberty to live a maid, or to be difpofed of a- 
 inong the widows, being looked upon as fuch, who, 
 by the bye, marry none but widowers. But to re- 
 turn to the twins, — it happened that the brother 
 who went with the lady to the altar, feeing fhe had 
 BO bud upon her breaft, fell in love with her, and 
 fhe with him ; the awe of the ceremony hindered 
 them from taking any further notice of one another 
 at that time. As fhe v/ent down the ranks, the 
 other brother faw her, and fell in love with her 
 likewife, and contrives to meet her with a bud in 
 his hand, jufl as the ceremony ended, which fhe ac- 
 cepts of, taking him to be the perfon who had 
 marched up with her to the altar ; but being oblig- 
 ed to go off with the other young ladies ; whether 
 the concern fhe had been in, in performing the cere- 
 mony before fuch an iilufirious afTembly, or the heat 
 of the weather, or the joy fhe conceived in finding 
 her affedlion reciprocal, or all together, liad fuch an 
 cfFetft, that fhe fell into a fainting fit among her 
 companions ; who opening her bofom in haftc, not 
 minding the ilower, it fell down, and was trod under 
 foot. Jufl as fhe w^as recovered, the brother who 
 performed the ceremony, came up and prefented his 
 bud ; fhe thinking it had been that fhe had lofi, re- 
 ceived it with a look that lliewed he had made a 
 greater progrefs in her aifeclions than what the 
 ilower expreffed ; the laws not permitting any fur- 
 ther converfation at that jundlure, they retired to 
 their refpe<fiive habitations. Som.e time after, the 
 brother who had the luck to prefent the firR flower, 
 who for diftindlion I fhall call the younger brother, 
 as he really was, found a way to make her a vifit by 
 Health, at a grated windov/, which, as I obferved, 
 was publicly prohibited by the wife governors, but 
 privately connived at to enhance their love. He 
 came to her, and after fome amorous converfation, 
 ii?akes bold to prefent her the more advanced mark 
 
 of 
 
15^ Ths memoirs Of 
 
 of his affecflion, which fhe accepted of, and gave him 
 in return a fcarf worked with hearts, feparated by 
 little brambles, to fhew there was fome difficulties 
 for him to overcome yet. However, they gave one 
 another mutual affurances of love, and he was per- 
 mitted to profefs himfelf her lover, without declar* 
 ing her name, for fome private reafons Ihe had — *• 
 Not long after, the elder brother came and pro- 
 cured an opportunity of meeting her at the fame 
 windovv^ The night was very dark, fo that he could 
 not fee the fecond flower which fhe had in her bo- 
 fom, only fhe received him with greater figns of joy 
 and freedom than he expected ; but reiledling on 
 the figns he had remarked in her countenance, and 
 after her illnefs, by a fort of natural vanity tor his 
 own merits, flattered himfelf that her paflion was 
 rather greater tlian his, excufed himfelf for being fo 
 long without feeing her, and added, that if he were 
 to be guided by the height of his flame, he would 
 fee her every nijrht. She refle(5ling how lately fhe 
 had feen him, thought his diligence was very extra- 
 ordinary, but imputed it to the ardour of his paflion. 
 In fine, {he gave him fuch affured figns of love, that 
 he thought in himfelf he might pafs the middle ce- 
 remony, and prefent her with a fuil-blov/n flower, 
 to make fure of her. She took it, but told him, fhe 
 would not wear it for fome time, till fhe had pafTed 
 fome forms, and had further proof of his conftancy ; 
 butfor his confirmation of her affedlion, fhe put out 
 her hand as far as the grate would permit, which he 
 kiffed Vv'ith all the ardour of an inflamed lover ; 
 gives her a thoufand affurances of his fidelity, and 
 fhe in return gave him a ribbon with two hearts in- 
 terwoven with her own hair, feparated only with a 
 little hedge of pomegranates, almoft ripe, to fliew 
 ' that the time of gathering the fruit was nigh at 
 hand. Thus were the three lovers in the greateft 
 degree of happinefs imaginable. The brothers wore 
 
 her 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 157 
 
 her favours on all public occafions, congratulating 
 €ach other for the fuccefs in their amours ; but as 
 lovers affe(^ a fecrecy in all they do, never telling 
 one another who were the objeds of their affecftion, 
 the next great feall drew on, when the younger 
 brother thought it was time to prefent the laft mark 
 of his affedion, in order to demand her in marriage, 
 which was ufually performed in thofe public folem- 
 nities. He told her, he hoped it was now time to 
 reward his flame, by wearing the open flower, as a 
 full flgn of her confent, and gave her a full-blown 
 artificial carnation, with gold flames and little hearts 
 on the leaves, interwoven with wonderful art and 
 ingenuity: fhe thinking it had been a repetition of 
 the ardour of his afFeftion, took it, and put it in her 
 bofom, with all the marks of tendernefs by which 
 the fair fex in all countries know how to reward all 
 the pains of their lovers in a moment. Upon this 
 he refolved to afk her of her parents, which was the 
 only thing necefTary on his fide, the woman having 
 right to demand any man's fon in the kingdom, if 
 he had but prefented her with the laft mark of his 
 affecflion. The elder brother having given in his 
 fome time before, thought the parents approbation 
 was the only thing wanting on his fide, and refolves 
 the fame day on the fame thing. They were ftrang- 
 ly furprifed to meet one another, but feeing the dif- 
 ferent favours, they did not know what to make of 
 it. When the father came, they declared the caufe 
 of their coming, in terms which earneftly expreffed 
 the agony of their minds : the father was in as great 
 concern as they were, affuring them, he had but one 
 daughter, who, he was confident, would never give 
 fuch encouragement to two lovers at the fame time, 
 contrary to their laws ; but feeing their extremt 
 likenefs, he guefied there muft be fome miftake. — 
 Upon this the daughter was fent for,who, being in- 
 formed it was to declare her confent in the choice 
 
X58 The MEMOIRS ot 
 
 of her lover, came down with four flowers in her 
 bofom, not thinking but the tv/o full-blown had 
 belonged to the fame perfon, fince fhe had received 
 two before fhe had worn the firft. The defer iption 
 the poets give of the goddefs /^«z^5 riling out of the 
 fea could not be more beautiful than the bloom that 
 appeared in her cheeks when fhe came into the room. 
 I happened to be there prefent, being fent before by 
 the Pophar, to let the father know of the Regent's 
 intended vifit ; he being a conliderable officer, was 
 to order his concerns accordingly. As foon as the 
 young lady heard the caufe of their coming, and 
 feeing them Indiftinguifliably like each other, with 
 the public ligns of her favours wrought with her 
 owm hand, which they brought along with them, 
 fhe fcreamed out, " I am betrayed I" and immedi- 
 ately fell into a fwoon flat on the floor, almoft be- 
 tween her two lovers. The father, in a condition 
 ^'ery little better, fell down by his daughter, and 
 %athing her with his tears, called to herto open her 
 ^yes, or he muft die along w^ith her. The young 
 men ilood like ftatues, with rage and defpair in their 
 look^ at the fame time. I being the only indiffer- 
 ent peTfon in the room, though extremely furprifed 
 at the e% ent, called her mother and women to come 
 to her afiillance ; they carried her into another room, 
 undrelTed her, and by proper remedies, brought her 
 at laft to herfelf -, the lirfl: word flie faid was " Oh I 
 Bcrzlla, w^hat have you done !" Ail the refl: was no- 
 thing but fobs and fighs, enough to melt the hard- 
 r:ll heart. When fhe was in a condition to explain 
 herfelf, fhe declared, llie liked the perfon of the man 
 who went up with her to the altar ; that fome time 
 after, the fame perfon, as Ihe thought, had prefented 
 her with the firft marks of his afledtion, which fhe 
 accepted of, and, in fine, had given her confent by 
 w^earing the full-blown flower ; but which of the 
 two brothers it belonged to, fhe cculd not tell j 
 
 adding* 
 
Sign OR Gaudentio di Lucca. 159 
 
 adding, fhe was willing to fubmit to tKe decilion 
 of the elders, or to undergo what punifhment the/ 
 thought fit for her heedleis indifcretion, though flie 
 never defigned to entertain two perfons at the fame 
 time, but took them to be the fame perfon. The 
 care of the marriages being one of the fundamentals 
 of their goverament, and there being no provifion iu 
 the law for this extraordinary cafe, the matter was 
 referred to the Pophar Regent, who was to be there 
 in a few days, v/ith guards fet over the brothers for 
 fear of mifchief, till a full- hearing. The affair was 
 difcufTed before the Pophar Regent, and the reH cf 
 the elders of the place. The three lovers v/ere pre- 
 fent before them, each of tliem in fuch an agony as 
 cannot be expreffed. The brothers were fo alike, 
 it was hard to dillingulfh which was Vvhich ; the 
 Regent afl^ed them, which of the two went up to the 
 altar with the young lady ; the elder faid it was he, 
 which the younger did not deny. The lady being 
 interrogated, ovv-ned Ihe defigned to entertain the 
 perfon that went up with her to the altar, but went 
 no farther than the firfl liking. Then they aiked, 
 which of the two brothers gave the firll flower,— 
 the younger faid, he prefumed he did, fince he fell 
 in love v;ith her as flie went down the ranks, and 
 contrived to give her the £ov;er as foon as the ce- 
 remony was over, not knowing of his brothers af- 
 fecftion, neither did fhe bear any mark of engage- 
 ment, but accepted of his fervice ; the lady like wife 
 owning th^ receipt of fuch a ilov/er,but loll it, faint- 
 ing away in the crowd ;; but when, as fhe thought, 
 he reilored it to her, fhe did not like him quite fu 
 v;ell, as when flie received it the firlt time, fiippof- 
 ing them to be the fame perfon. Being afked ^Aio 
 gave her the fecond, third, and lafl: mark of engage- 
 ment, it appeared to be the younger brother, whofe 
 flower fhe wore publicly in her bofom ; but then 
 ihe received the full-blown flower from the elder 
 Q^z brodier 
 
leo The MEMOIKS of 
 
 brother alfo. The judges looked at one another 
 for fome time, not knowing v/ell what to fay to the 
 matter. Then the Regent afked her, when fhe gave 
 her confent, if fhe did not underiland the perfon to 
 be him that went up with her to the altar; ihe 
 owned fhe did, which was the elder, but in faft had 
 placed her afFeftions on the perfon who gave her 
 the firfl flower, v/hich was the younger. Then the 
 two brothers were placed before her, and fhe was 
 afked, that fuppofing fhe were now at liberty, with- 
 out any engagement, which of the two brothers file 
 would chufe for her hufband ; — fhe flopped^ and 
 blufhed at the quefiion, but at length faid, the 
 younger had been more afliduous in his courtfhip, 
 and with that burfl into tears, calling a look at the 
 younger brother, which eafily fhewed the fentiments 
 of her heart. Every one was in the lall fufpence 
 how the Regent would determine the cafe; but the 
 young men expreffed fuch a concern in their looks, 
 as if the laft fentence of life and death, happinefs 
 or mifery, was to be pronounced over them. When 
 the Regent, with a countenance partly fevere as well 
 as grave, turning towards the young lady, daughter, 
 faid he, your ill fortune, or indifcretion, has deprived 
 you from having either of them ; both yoti cannot 
 have, and you have given both an equal right ; if 
 either of them wall give up their right, you 
 may marry the other, not elfe. What do you fay, 
 fons, fays he, will you contribute to make one of 
 you happy ? They both perfilled they would not 
 give up their right till the laft gafp. Then, fays 
 the Regent, turning to the lady, who was almoft 
 dead with fear and confufion, fince neither of them 
 will give up their right, I pronounce fentence on 
 you, to be iliut up from the commerce of men, till 
 the death of one of your lovers ; then it fhall be left 
 to your choice to marry the furvivor ; fo giving or- 
 ders to have her taken away, the court was going to 
 break up, when the younger brother falling on his 
 
 knees, 
 
SiGNO'?. Gaudentio di LtccA. i6z 
 
 IcFxees, c-ied out, I yield my right rather than, the 
 adorable Bertl/a fhould be miferable on my account ; 
 let be iliut up from the commerce of men, for h-Q- 
 ing the occafion of fo divine a creature^s misfortune ; 
 ' take her, brother, and be happy, and you, divine Be- 
 Tilla, only pardon the confuiion my innocent love 
 has brought upon you, and then I fhall leave the 
 world in peace. Here the whole court rofeup,and the 
 young man Vvas going out when the Regent Hopped 
 him ; hold, fon, fay he, there is a greater happinefs 
 preparing for you than you expecft ; Berilhz is yours, 
 you alone deferve her, you love her good more than 
 your own ; as I find her real love is for you, here, 
 join your hands, as I find your hearts are already, 
 fo they v/ere married immediately, thellegent leav- 
 ing behind him a vail idea not only of his juftice, 
 but wifdom, in fo intricate a cafe. I drew an hil- 
 torical piece of painting of this remarkable tryal, 
 expreifing as nigh as I could, the pollures and ago- 
 rdes of three lovers, and prefented it to the di- 
 vine Ifyphena^ the Regent's daughter, telling her, 
 that if fee were to receive flowers as that young lady 
 did, &e would ruin ail the youths in Mezorania. 
 'She received it blufhing, and faid, fhe fhould never 
 receive any but from one hand, nor even that, if flie 
 thought fhe fnould do him any harm ; adding, her 
 father had given a jufl judgment, but turned off the 
 difcourfe with iuch innocence, yet knowledge of 
 what fhe faid, that I was furprifed to the lalt de- 
 gree, not being able to guefs whether I had ofFendexi 
 her or not. 
 
 Thefe viiitations in the company ofthe Pophar,. 
 gave me the opportunity of fee'ing ail the difPerent 
 parts and chief curioiities of the whole empire. — 
 Their great tov. ns, efpecially the heads of every 
 Nome, were built, as I faid, much after the fame 
 form, differing chieiiy in the fituatioxi. Thefe are 
 diieiiy defigned for the winter refidence, for their 
 0^3 courts 
 
i62 Thi memoirs Of 
 
 courts and colleges, but particularly for inilruding 
 and polifhing their youth of both.fexes, but with 
 fuch admirable care and oeconomy, to avoid all dif- 
 Jblutenefs and idlenefs ; that, as I obferved before, 
 there is no fuch thing known, as that any perfon 
 ihould have no other bulinefs on their hands but vi- 
 fits and drefs, elleeming thofe no better than brutes 
 and barbarians, who are not conltantly employed, 
 improving their natural talents in fome art or fcience 
 Their villas, or places of pleafure, are fcattered all 
 over the country, with moll beautiful variety •, their 
 villages and towns for manufadures, trades, conve- 
 niency of agriculture, &c. are innumerable ; their 
 canals, and great lakes, fome of them like little feas, 
 are very frequent, according as the nature of the 
 country will allow ; with pleafure-houfes and pa- 
 vilions, built at due dillances round the borders, in- 
 terfperfed with iflands and groves, fome natural, 
 fome artificial; where, at proper feafons, you might 
 fee thoufands of boats fkimming backwards and for- 
 wards, both for the pleafure and profit of fifhing ; 
 of which there is an inexhauflibie flore : there are 
 alfo vafl forefts of infinite variety and delight, dif- 
 tinguifhed here and there v/ith theatrical fpaces or 
 lawns, either natural or cut out by hand, for the 
 conveniency of pitching their tents, in the hot fea- 
 fons; with fuch romantic fcenes of deep vales, hang- 
 ing woods, and precipices, natural falls and cafcades, 
 or rather cataradls of water over the rocks ; that 
 all the decorations of art, are nothing but foils and 
 fhadows to thofe majeflic beauties cf nature; befides 
 the glorious profped:3 of different kinds over the 
 edges of the mountains, where we paffed in our vi- 
 litations'j fometimes prefenting us v/ith a boundlefs 
 view over the mofl delicious plains in the world ; in 
 other places, having our view terminated v.ith other 
 winding hills, exhaling their reviving perfumes from 
 innumerable fpecies of natural fruits and odoriferous 
 
 fhrubs. 
 
SiGNOP. Gaudentio di Lucca. 163 
 
 fhrtibs. Travelling thus by eafy journeys, Haying 
 or advancing in our progrefs as wq thought fit, I 
 admired with infinite delight, the effects of induftry 
 and liberty, in a country where nature and art feem- 
 ed to vie with each other in their different produc- 
 tions. There was another extraordinary fatisfac- 
 tion I received in thefe vifitations, which was the 
 opportunity of feeing, and partaking of their grand 
 matches, or rath-er companies, if I may ufe the ex- 
 prefHon, of their hunting and fifhing. AH the young 
 people with their governors, or all who are able 
 or willing to go, at particular feafons, difperfe 
 themfelves for' thefe hunts all over the kingdom : 
 the country being fo prodigioufly fertile, that it pro- 
 vides them almofl of itfelf w^hatever isneceffary, or 
 even deleiflable for life ; the people living in fome 
 meafure in common, and having no other interefl 
 but that of a well regulated community. They leave 
 the towns at certain feafons, and go and live in tents 
 for the conveniency of hunting and fifhing, accord- 
 ing as the country and feafons are proper for each 
 recreation. The fiat part of the country (though it 
 is generally more hilly than campaign) is flocked 
 with prodigious quantities of fov/1 and game, as 
 pheafants, partridges of different kinds, much larger 
 than our wild hens ; turkeys and peacocks, with 
 other fpecies of game, which we have in Italy ; 
 hares, almoft innumerable, but no coneys that ever 
 I fav/ ; unlefs we call coneys a leffer fort of hare, 
 which feed and run along the cliffs and rocks, but 
 do not burrough as ours do. There is alfo a fmall 
 fort of wuld goat much lefs than ours, not very fleet, 
 of a very high t'alte, and prodigioufly fat ; they take 
 vafl quantities of all forts, bat fliil leave fufficient 
 ilock to fupply next feafon, except hurtful bealls, 
 which they kill w^henever they can. But their great 
 hunts are in the mountains and woodland parts of the 
 country, where the foreils are full of infinite quan- 
 tities 
 
164 The memoirs of 
 
 titles of mail and fruits, and other food for wild 
 beafls of all kinds ; but particularly Hags of four 
 or five difFerent fpecies ; fome of which keep in the 
 wiideil parts, almoft as big as an horfe, whofe flefh 
 they dry and feafon with fpices, and is the richeili 
 food I ever rafted. Their wild fvvine are of two 
 kinds, fome valily large, others very little, not much 
 bigger than a lamb, but prodigioully fierce. This is 
 the moll delicate m.eat, feeding on the malls and wild 
 fruits in thickeft part of the groves, multiplying ex- 
 ceedingly, v/here they are not diilurbed, one fow 
 bringing fixteen or eighteen pigs; fo that I have 
 feen thoufands of them caught at out Biunting match, 
 and fent for prefents to the other parts of the king- 
 dom, where they have none ; which is their way in 
 all their recreations, having perfons appointed to 
 carry the rarities of th-e country to one another, and 
 to the governors, parents, and friends left behind. 
 When they go up to their grand hunt, they chufe 
 fome open vale, or vail lawn, as far in the wild 
 iorells as they can, v^here they pitch their tents and 
 there make rendezvous ; then they fend out their mofl 
 courageous young men in fmall bodies of ten in a 
 company,\vell armed, each with his fpear and. fu fee 
 ilung on his back, which of late years they find 
 more ferviceable againfl wild beafls than fpears, 
 having got famplcs of them from Perfia. Thefe 
 go quietly through the wildell parts of the forell at 
 proper diflances, fo as to meet at fuch a place, which 
 is to view the ground, and find a place proper to 
 make their Hand and pitch their toils They will 
 be feveral days out about this, but are to make no 
 noife, nor kill any wild bcait, unlefs attacked ; or 
 come upon him in his couch at unawares, that they 
 may not dillurb the relti When they have made 
 their report, feveral thoufands of them furround a 
 confiderable part of the forcfl. Handing clofe to- 
 gether for their mutual aliiilance, making as great 
 
 a noife 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 165 
 
 a noife as they can with dogs, drums, and rattles, and 
 other noify inftruments, to frighten the game to- 
 wards the centre, that none maj efcape the circle. 
 When this is done, all advance in a breafl, encourag- 
 ing their dogs, founding their horns, beating their 
 drums and rattles, that the moll courageous bealls 
 are all rouzed, and run before them towards the 
 centre, till by this means they have driven together 
 feveral hundreds of wild beails, lions, elks, wild 
 boars, ftags,foxes,hares, in fine, all fuch forts of bealls 
 as were within that circle. It is moft terrible to 
 fee fuch 3. heap of cruel bealls gathered together, 
 grinning and roaring at one another in a moll fright- 
 ful manner ; but the wild boar is the mailer of all. 
 Whoever comes near him in that rage, even the larg- 
 ell lion, he llrikes at him with his tuiks and makes 
 him keep his diilance. When they are brought 
 within a proper compafs, they pitch their toils 
 round them, and enclofe them in, every man join- 
 ing clofe to his neighbour, holding out their fpears 
 to keep them off. If any beall fhould endeavour to 
 efcape, which feme will do now and then, (par- 
 ticularly the wild boars) they run a-head againfl 
 the points of the fpears, and make very martial 
 fport. They told me, that once a prodigious v/ild 
 fov/ broke through three files of fpears, overturned 
 the men, and made a gap that let them all a running 
 almoft in a bod/ that way ; that they were forced 
 to open and let them take their career, and fo loll all 
 their labour. But nov/ they have men ready with 
 their fufees to drop any beall that fhould offer to 
 turn a-head. V/hen they are enclofed, there is moil 
 terrible work, the greatell bealts fighting and gor- 
 ing one another for rage and fpite, and the more 
 fearful running into the toils for fhelter. Then 
 our men with their fufees drop the largell as fall as 
 they can. When they fhoot the wild boar, three 
 or four aim at him at a time, to be fure to drop him 
 
 or 
 
i66 The ]\1 E M O I R S of 
 
 or difable him, otherwife he runs full at the lall 
 that wounded him, with fuch fury, that fometimes 
 he will break through the ftrongeft toils ; but his 
 companions all join their fpears to keep him off. — 
 When they have dropped all that are dangerous, and 
 as much as they have a rnind, they open their toils- 
 and difpatch all that are gafping. I have known 
 above an hundred head of bealls of all forts killed 
 in one day. Then they carry off their fpoil to the 
 rendezvous, fealting and rejoicing, and fending pre- 
 fents as before. 
 
 There is oftentimes very great danger when they 
 go through the woods to make difcovery of their 
 haunts *, becaufe, going in fmall companies, fome 
 flubborn beaft or other will attack them dire(5lly ; 
 every man, as I faid, has a fufee ilung at his back^ 
 and his fpear in his hand for his defence. Being 
 once in one of iheir parties, w^e Humbled on a pro- 
 digiouily wild boar^as he was ly^i^ in his haunt juft 
 in our w^ay ; feme of us were palling by him, but I 
 thougljit fuch a noble prey wa^not to be let go ; lo 
 we furrcunded liWn, and drew up to him with more 
 courage and curiofity than prudence : one of my 
 comip'anions, v.-ho was my intimate friend,, being one 
 of thcfe who coiidufled me over the defarts, came 
 up nigher to him than the reft^ v/ith his fpear in his 
 hands, llretched out ready to leceive him, in cafe he 
 fiiould come at him.; at which the beall llarted up 
 of afudden, with a noife that would have terrified 
 the fiouteii hero, and made at him with fuch a fury 
 that v;e gave him for lolt. He Rood his ground v;ith 
 fo much courage, and held his fpear fo firm and ex- 
 a£i, that he run it directly up the mouth of the 
 beall, quite into the inner part of his throat; the 
 boar roared and (hook his head in a terrible manner, 
 endeavouring to get the fpear out, which if he had 
 done, all ihe world could not have faved the young 
 man. I, feeing the danger, ran in with the fame pre- 
 
 cipitar;c>- 
 
FlGNOR GauDENTIO DI LuCCA. 167 
 
 cipitancv, and clapping the muzzle of my gun almoll 
 clofe to his fide, a little behind his fore-fhoulder, 
 fhot him quite through the bod/; fo he dropped 
 down quite dead before us. Juft as we thought the 
 danger was over, the fow, hearing his cry, came rufh- 
 .ing on us, and that fo fiiddenly, that before I could 
 turn myfelf with my fpear, fhe ftruck at me behind 
 v/ith her fnout, and pufhing on at the fame time, 
 knocked me down with her impetuofity, and the 
 place being a little fhelving, came tumbling quite 
 over me, which was the occafion of faving my life. 
 I was fcarce got on my feet, and on my guard, not 
 only afhamed of the foil, but very well apprifed of 
 the danger, when making at me alone, though my 
 companions came in to my affiftance, ihe pufked at 
 me a fecond time with equal fury. I held my fpear 
 with all my might, thinking to take her in the mouth, 
 but mining my aim, I took her juil in the throat, 
 where the head and neck join, and thrull my fpear 
 with fuch fo^ce, her own career meeting me, that I 
 Uruck quite through herwindpipe,flrikingthe fpear 
 in her neck-bone fo fail, that when fhe dropt, v^e 
 could fcarce get it out again. She toffed and reeled 
 her head a good while before fhe fell; but her wind- 
 pipe being cut, and bleeding inwardly, flie was foon 
 choaked. My companions had hit her with their 
 fpears on the iides and back, but her hide and briitles 
 were fo thick and hard, they did her very little da- 
 mage. They all applauded my courage and vitflory, 
 as if I had killed both the fwine. But I, as juitice 
 required, gave the greatefl part of the glory, for the 
 deaih of the boar, to the courageous di xterity of 
 the young man, v/ho had expofcd himfelf fo gene- 
 roufiy, and hit him fo exadl in the throat. We left 
 the carcaffes there, not being able to carry them off; 
 but marking the place, when we had made our ob- 
 fervations, v;e brought others with us to carry them 
 off. I had the honor to carry the boar's head on 
 
 ihs 
 
i68 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 the point of my fpear, which I would have given 
 to the young man, but he refufed it, faying, I had 
 not only killed it, but faved his life into the bargain. 
 The honor being judg'd to me by every one, I fent 
 it away as a prefent to the divine IJiphena^ a thing 
 allowed by their cuftoms, though as yet I never durft 
 make any declarations of love. She accepted of it, 
 but added, fhe hoped 1 would make no more fuch 
 prefents, and explained herfelf any further. 
 
 Thefe people having no wars, nor combats with 
 men, which are not allowed for fear of dellroying 
 their own fpecies, have no other way of fhewing 
 their courage but againft wild beafts ; where, with- 
 out waiting for any exprefs order of their fuperiors, 
 they will expofe themfelves to a great degree, and 
 fometimes perform exploits worthy the greateil he- 
 roes. 
 
 Their fifhing is of two kinds, one for recre- 
 ation and profit, the other to deftroy the crocodiles 
 and alligators, which are only found in the great lakes 
 and the rivers that run into them, and that in the 
 hotter and campaign parts of the country. In fome 
 lakes, even the largeft, they cannot live, in others 
 they breed prodigioufly. As they fi£h for them, 
 only to deftroy them, they chufe the propereft time 
 for it, that is, when the eggs are liatching ; which 
 is done in the hot fands, by the fides of the rivers 
 and lakes. The old ones are not only very ravenous 
 at that time, but lie lurking in the water near their 
 eggs, and are fo prodigioufly fierce, that there is no 
 taking their eggs, unlefsyou contrive to kill the old 
 ones before. Their way to fifh for them is thus ; 
 they beat at a diftance,by the fides of the rivers and 
 lakes, where they breed, which makes the old ones 
 hide themfelves in the water; then twenty or thirty 
 of the young men row quietly backward and for- 
 ward on the V, ater,\vhere they fuppofe the creatures 
 are ; having a great many ftrong lines with hooks, 
 made after the manner cf fifh-hocks, well armed as 
 
SiGNOR GAUDtNtiO BI LuCCA. t(^ 
 
 Far as tlie throat of the animal reaches. Thefe hooL-s 
 thej fallen under the wings of ducks and wafer- 
 fowls, kept for the purpofe, which they let drop out 
 of the boat, and fwin about the lake. Whenever the 
 ducks come over the places w^here the creatures are, 
 they ftrike at them, and fwallow the poor ditck im- 
 mediately, and fo hook themfelves with the violence 
 and check of the boat. As foon as one is hooked, 
 they tow him floundering and beating the w^ater at 
 a Itrange rate, till they have brought him into the 
 middle from the reft of his companions, who all lie 
 near the banks ; then the other boats furround him, 
 and dart their harping- fpears at him till they kill 
 him. Thefe harping-fpears are pointed with the 
 lineft tempered fteel, extremely fharp, with beards 
 to hinder them from coming out of his body, there 
 is a line fallened to the fpear to draw it back, and 
 the creature along with it; as alfo to hinder the 
 fpear from flying too far if they mlfs their aim.— 
 Some of them are prodigioufly dextrous at it ; but 
 there is no piercing the creature but on his belly, 
 which they muft hit as he flounders and rolls him- 
 felf in the water. If a fpear hits the fcales of his 
 back, it will fly oflr as from a rock, not without fome 
 danger to thofe who are very nigh, though they ge- 
 r.erally know the length of the firing. I was really 
 apprehenfive of thofe ftrange fierce creatures atfirfl, 
 and took a confiderable time before I could dart with 
 any dexterity •, but th« defire of glory, and the ap- 
 plaufes which are given to thofe that excel, who have 
 the flcins carried like trophies before their miftreffos; 
 this, and the charms of the Regent's daughter, fo in- 
 fpired me, that I frequently carried the prize. It: 
 is one of the finell recreations in the world; you 
 might fee feveral hundred boats at a time, either em- 
 ployed, or as fpe<5lators, with fliouts and cries when 
 the creature is hit in the right place, that makes the 
 %"try btLTihs trsmbie. When they have killed all thv^ 
 K old 
 
J-® The memoirs ot 
 
 old ones, the/ fend their people on the fhore to rake 
 for the eg^s, which they burn and deltroy on the 
 fpot ; not but fonie will be hatched before the reft, 
 and creep into the water to ferve for fport the next 
 year. They deftroy thefe animals, not only for their 
 own fecurity in the ufe of the lakes, but alfo to 
 preferve the wild fowl and fifh, which are devoured 
 and deftroyed by the crocodiles. 
 
 J^ut the fifhing on the great lakeGil-gol, or lake 
 of lakes, is without any danger, there being no alliga- 
 tors in that water, and is only for recreation and the 
 profit of the fifh. The lake is above an hundred Ita- 
 lian miles in circumference.* At proper feafons the 
 whole lake is covered with boats*, great numbers 
 of them full of ladies to fee the fports, befides 
 what are on the iflands and fhores, with trumpets, 
 hautboys, and other mufical inftruments playing all 
 the while. It is impoflible to defcribe the different 
 kinds of fifh the lake abounds with •, fuch as we 
 know nothing of in Europe •, though they have 
 fome like ours, but much larger, as pikes, or a fifli 
 like a pike, tv/o or three yards long ; a fifh like a 
 bream, a yard and an half over; carps, forty or ^hy 
 pounds weight ; they catch incredible numbers of 
 them ; fome kinds in one part of the lake, fome in 
 another. They fifh thus, and feaft on what they 
 catch for a fortnight or three weeks, if the feafon 
 proves kind, retiring at night to their tents, either 
 on the iflands or fliore, where there are perfons em- 
 ployed in drying and curing what are proper for 
 ufe ; fending prefents of them into other parts of 
 the country, in exchange for venifon, fowl, and the 
 like. Though there are noble lakes and ponds even 
 in the forefts, made by the enclofures of the hills and 
 woods, that are flored with excellent fifh, yet they 
 
 * The lake Merls, m Egypt, according to DioJorus Siculus^ 
 and Herodotus^ quoted by the BiOiop of Meaux, Hiji. Uni. Se^. 3. 
 was an hundred and fourrccre French leagues in circumference. 
 
I 
 
 SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. r^i 
 
 sre entirely deilitiite of tKe bell fort,, that is fea- 
 fifh. When this fiihing is over, the/ retire to the 
 towns, becaufe of the rainy feafons, which begin 
 prefently after^ 
 
 I am going now to enter into a part of my li% 
 of which I am in fome doubt whether it is proper 
 to lay before your reverences or not •, I mean the 
 Kopes and fears, the joys and anxieties of a young 
 man in love ; but in an honorable way, with no lefs 
 a perfon than the daughter of the Regent of this vaft 
 empire. Though I Ihall not enter into the detail 
 cf the many various circumftances attending fuch a 
 paffion, but fhall juil touch on fome particular }x:f- 
 fagesw'hich are very extraordinary, even in a 2:>aiiion 
 which generally,, of itfelf, runs into extremes. You : 
 reverences will remember, that there is no real dii- 
 tincftion of quality in thefe people, nor any regard 
 either to intereft or dignity, but meiely to perfonat 
 merit ;. their chief view being to render that ilate 
 happy, which makes up the belter part of humaa 
 life. I had nothing therefore to do in tiiis affair 
 but to fix my choice, and endeavour to pleafe and 
 be pleafed. Ivly choice was fcon determined ; the 
 flrll time I faw the incomparable IJiplie'da^xXxt Re- 
 gent's daughter, tliough fhe was' then but ten years 
 old, ten thoufand budding beauties appeared in her, 
 with {kx^z\\ unutterable charms, that although I as 
 good as defpaired of arriving at my v/ilhed-ior hap- 
 pinefs, I was refolved to fix there or no where. 
 
 I obferved, when I was- firft introduced into her 
 company, by the Regent her father, ^^^ had her eye 
 fixed on me, as a flranger as I fuppofed, but yet with 
 more than a girlifii curiofity. I was informed af- 
 terwards that fhe told her play-fellov/s, that that 
 flranger fhould be her hufband, or no one. The 
 wife Pophar, her father, had obferved i^t, and whe- 
 ther it was from his knowledge of the fex, and their 
 unaccountable fondnefs for ftrangers, or wbcther h« 
 R % difapprovei 
 
372 The memoirs of 
 
 difapproved of the thought, I cannot tell, but he 
 was refolved to try botli our conilancies to the ut- 
 iiioft. I was obliged by the Pophar to teach her 
 and fome other young ladies, as well as the young 
 men, to painty but it was always in the father or 
 mother's company. Not to detain your reverences 
 with matters quite foreign to, and perhaps unwor- 
 thy your cognizance, it wasiive years before I durft 
 let her fee the leaft glimmering of miy afFed:ion. She 
 was now fifteen,, which was the height of her bloom. 
 Her father feeing fhe carried no mark of any en- 
 gagerrrent, afked her in a familiar way, if her eyes 
 h^l made no conquells; flie bluflied and faid, fhe 
 hoped not. He told me alfo as a friend, that I was 
 older than their cuRoms cared to allow young men 
 to live iingle, and with a fmile afked me if the 
 charms of the Bafia's daughter, of Grand Cairo, had 
 extinguifhed in me all thoughts of lore. I told him, 
 there were objects enough in Mezorania to make 
 -one forget any thing one had feen before, but that 
 being a llranger, Ivvas willing to be thoroughly ac-- 
 quainted wiih the genius of the people, left I fhould 
 make any one unhappy. I was juil come back from 
 one of our vifitations, when I was frruck with the 
 moil lively fenfe of g^ief I ever felt in my life. I 
 had always obferved before, that ^/Af;^^ never wore 
 any fign of engagement, but then I found fhe car- 
 ried a bud in her bofom ; I fell ill immediately up- 
 on it, which fhe perceiving, came to fee me vvithout 
 any bud, as fhe ufed to be before, keeping her eyes 
 vipon me to fee what efPecfl it would have. Seeing 
 her continue w^ithout any marks of engagement, I 
 recovered, and m.ade bold to tell her one day, that 
 I could not but pity the miferable perfon, whoever 
 he was, v;ho had loft the place in her bofom he had 
 "before. She faid unconcernedly, that both the wear- 
 ing and taking av/ay the flower from her bofom, 
 wa5 done Qut of kiiidnefs tp the perfon. . I, was then 
 
 fa 
 
SiGNOR' G-AUDENTIO DI LuCCA* 175 
 
 fo taken up with contrary thoughts, that I did not 
 perceive Ihe meant to try whether fhe w^as the ob- 
 ject of my thoughts or not. However, finding fhe~ 
 carried no more marJts of engagement, I v.as refolv- 
 ed to try my fortune for life or death, when an op- 
 portunity offered beyond my wifli. Her mother 
 brought her to perfeft a piece of painting fhe was 
 drawing -, I obferved a melancholy and trouble in 
 her countenance I had never feen before ; that mo- 
 ment the mother v»'as fent for to the Regent ; I made 
 ufc of it to ailcher, what it was that afFe^led her in 
 fo fenfible a manner ; I pronounced thefe words 
 with fuch emotion and concern on my own part, that 
 fhe might eailly fee I was in fome very great agony. 
 She expreffed a great deal of confufion at the quef- 
 tion, infomiich, that v;ithout anfwering a word, flie 
 got up and v/ent out of the room, leaving me leaning 
 againil the wall almoft without life or motion. 
 Other company coming in, I was roufed out of my 
 lethargy, and ihrunk away to my own apartment, 
 but agitated with fuch numberlefs fears, as left me 
 almoil defritute of reafcn. However, I was refolv- 
 ed to make a molt jufl difcovery, and to be fully de- 
 termined in my happinefs or mifery. There was a 
 grated window on tile back -fide of the palace where 
 I had feen JfiphsnavifcCik fometimes, but never dared 
 to approach ; I went thither in the evening, and fav/ 
 her by herfelf. I ventured to it, and falling on my 
 knees, aiked her for heaven's fake what v; as the mat- 
 ter, or if I had offended her ? She immediately 
 burft into tears, and'juil faid, afk no more, and with- 
 drev/ ; though I cannot fay with any figns of indig-- 
 nation. Some time after I v/as fent for to teack 
 her in the finiibing of her piece. I muft tell your 
 reverences, t^hat I had privately drawn that picf^urc 
 of her which you faw, and put the little boy in af- 
 terwards. In a hurry I had left it behind mQ in-my 
 elofct, which the Pophar had found 2:::id2n tall r^ 
 
174 The memoirs o? 
 
 and taken away without my ]k:nowledge ; he Had 
 ihewn it to the mother, and malring as if he did 
 oiot mind JJiphena^ who ilood by and faw it, (as ihe 
 thought undifcerned) then feemedto talk in a threat- 
 ening tone to the mother about it. When I came 
 in, I had juft courage enough to call one glance at 
 lJiphena^'^\iQ,Ti methought I faw her eyes meet mine, 
 and ihewed a mixture of comfort and trouble at the 
 fame time. As this fubjeci: cannot be -^^^ry proper 
 For your reverences ears, I fball ccmprife in half an- 
 iiour what coil me whole years of lighs and folici- 
 tude, though happily crowned at laft with unfpeak-' 
 able joys. This trouble in IJiphena v/as, that hav- 
 ing made herfelf miilrefs- of the pencil, fbe had pri- 
 vately drawn my picflure in miniature, which fhe 
 kept fecretly in her bofom., but that had been dif- 
 «overed by the mother, as mine was by the father, 
 who to try her conllancy, had expreffed the utmofl 
 Indignation at it ; but her great eft trouble v;as, left 
 I fhould know, and take it for a difcovery of her 
 love, before 1 had made any overtures of mine. In 
 pror^fs of time v/e came to an eclaircilTement, fhe 
 received my two iirft flowers; but becaufe Lwas 
 half a ilrangerto their race, we were to give fome 
 more fignal proof of our love and conftiancy than 
 prdinary. We had frequently common cccallons 
 oifered us,fuch as might be looked upon as the great- 
 eft trials. She was the paragon not only of the 
 icingdom, but poffibly of the univerfe for all per- 
 fedlions as could be found-in her fex, Her ftature 
 was about the middle iize *, the juft proportion of 
 her lii2pe made her really taller than fhe feemed to 
 be ; her hair was black'* indeed, but of a much finer 
 glofs than the reft, nor quite fo much curled, hang- 
 ing down in eafy treHes' over her fhoulders, and 
 
 ihading 
 
 * The author being an Italian, did not think black- hair fo 
 beautiful. 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO DI LuCCA. 1 75 
 
 ihading fome part of Iier beautiful cKeel^s. Ber 
 eyes, though not fo large as our Europeans, dartsd 
 fuch luftre, v/ith a mixture of fv/cetnefs and vivacity, 
 that it was impollible not to be charmed with their 
 rays ; her features were not only the moft exaifl, but 
 inimitable and peculiar to herfclf. In iine, her 
 riofe, mouth, teeth, turn of the face, all concurring 
 together to form th-e moft exqulfite fymmetry, and 
 adorned with the bloom beyond all the bluilies of 
 the new-born aurora, rendered her the molt charm^ 
 ing, and th'e moft dangerous objed in nature. The 
 nobleft and gayeft youths of all the land paid their 
 homages to her adorable perfections, but ail in vain^. 
 ihe avoided doing hurt where fhe could do no good •, 
 fhedid not fo much fcorn as fhut her eyes- to all their 
 offers, though fuch a treafure gave me ten thoufand 
 anxieties before Iknew what ibare I had it it ; but 
 when once ftie received my addrefies, the fecurity 
 her conftant virtue gave me was proportionable to 
 the immenfe value of her perfon. ¥or rny part, I 
 had fome trials on my fide. I was furrounded with 
 beauties who found a great many v/ays to fhev/ me 
 they had no diftike to me. Whether being a ft ranger 
 of different features and make from their youth, gave 
 them a more pleafing curiolity,or the tallnefs cf my 
 ftature, fomething exceeding any of theirs,, or the 
 gaietyof my temper,which gave me a freer air thania 
 tifual v/ith them,, being as I obferved, naturally too 
 grave be that as it will TJiphenas bright ienfe eafily 
 favv I madefomefacrificestoher; but wehadgreate3^ 
 trials thanall thistoundergo,wh'ichIfhall brieilyre 
 late to your reverences, for the particularity of them* 
 When I thought I was almoft arrived at the height 
 of my happinefs, being affured of the heart of the di- 
 vine Iftphena^ the Pophar came to me one" day with 
 the moft feeming concern in his countenance I ever 
 marked in him, even beyond that of the affair with the 
 GreatBaiTa's daughter. After a little paufe, he told 
 
r>?6 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 me, he had obferved the love between his daughter- 
 and myfelf, that out of kindnefs to mj perfon, he 
 had confulted their wife men about it, who all con- 
 cluded, that on account of my being a llranger, and 
 not of the race by the father's iide, I could never mar- 
 ry his daughter y fo that I mull either folemnly re- 
 nounce all preteniions to her, or be fhut up for ever 
 without any commerce with his people till death.- 
 But, fays he, to fhew that we do jullice to your me- 
 rit, you are to have a public llatue erected in your, 
 honor, becaufe you have taught us the art of paint- 
 ing,which is to be crov/n'd with a garland of flovrers, . 
 by the moil beautiful young woman in the kingdom; 
 thus you live to glory, though you are dead to the 
 world. But if you will renounce all preteniions to 
 my daughter, we will furnilh you with riches fufii- 
 cient, v/ith the haDdfomenefs of your perfon, to gain 
 the greatell princefs in the world, provided you v/ill 
 give a folemn oath never to difcover the way to this 
 place. I fell down on my knees before him, and 
 cried out, here take me, Ihut me up, kill me, cut me 
 in a thoufand pieces, I will never renounce IJipJiena^ 
 He faid no more, but that their laws mull be obeyed. 
 I obferved tears in his eyes as he went out, which 
 made me fee he was in earnell. I had fcarce time" 
 to refle(fl on my miferable Hate, or rather w^as in- 
 capable of any refledlion at all, when four perfons 
 came in with a difmal heavinefs in their looks, and 
 bid me come along with them -, they were to con- 
 dudl me to the place of my confinement. In the 
 mean time, the Pophar goes to his daughter, and 
 tells her the fame thing, only added, that I was to 
 be fent back to my own country, loaded with fuch 
 immenfe riches, as might procure me the love of any 
 woman in the world ; for, fays he, thofe barbarians, . 
 meaning the Europeans,.will marry their daughters 
 to any one who has but riches enough to buy them ; 
 the men will do the fame with rwfpedl to the wo- 
 men : 
 
SiCsoK Gavbentio di Lucca. 177 
 
 men : let the woman be v;liofe daughter ftie will, 
 if fhe had but money enough to purchafe a kingdom, 
 a king would many her. Before he had pronounced 
 all this, Jfiphma had not ftrength to hear it out, but 
 fell down in a fvvoon at his feet ; when Ihe was come 
 to herfelf, he endeavoured to comfort her, and ad- 
 ded, that fhe was to have the young Pophar*s fon^ 
 a youth about her age ; for though he was not old 
 enough to govern, he v/as old enough to have chil- 
 dren ; he went on and told her, I was to have a fta- 
 tue ere(R:ed in honor of me, to be crowned by the 
 faireft woman in all Mezorania, which, fays he, is- 
 judged to be yourfelf ;. and if you refufe it, Amno- 
 philla is to be the perfon. This was the moll beau- 
 tiful woman next Ifiphena^ and by fome thought 
 equal to her, whofe iigns of her approbation and 
 liking to my perfon,! had taken no notice of,for the 
 fake o^JJtpkena^ She anfwer'd v/ith a refolution that 
 was furpriiing, even to her father, that flie would: 
 die before fhe would be wanting in her duty, but 
 that their laws allov/ed her to chufe whom fhe 
 pleafed for her hufband, without being undutiful ; 
 that as for the crowning of the ftatue, (lie accepted 
 of it, not for the reafon he gave, but to pay her ia;^ 
 refpecfls to my memory, who ihe v/as fure woi^-db 
 never marry any one elie. A& for the young Po- 
 phar,fhe would give her anfwer- when the ceremony 
 was over. When all things vrere read/ for the cf- 
 reniony, there was public proclamation made in all 
 parts of the Nome, that, whereas I had brought into 
 the kingdom, and freely communicated to them, the 
 noble art of painting, I was to have a public ilatu^ 
 ere6led in my honor, to be crowned widi a crov;n 
 of ilov/ers by the hand of the faircil v;oman ir all 
 Mezorania. Accordingly a flatue of full propor- 
 tion, of the finefl polifhcd marble, was eredled iti 
 one of their fpacious fquares, with my name en- 
 graved on the pedeftal, in golden characters, fetting 
 
 forth 
 
178 The memoirs oi 
 
 forth the fervice I had done the commonwealth, &c^ 
 The flatue had the pidlure o^Jfiphena in one hand, 
 and the emblems of the art in the other. The lalt 
 kindnefs I was to receive, was to be permitted to 
 fee the ceremony wuth a perfpef^ive glafs, from the 
 top of an high tov/or belonging to the place of my 
 confinement, from whence I could difcern every mi- 
 nute cifrcumllance that paiTed. Immediately the 
 crowd opened to make way for JJiphenay who came 
 in the Regent's triumphant chariot, drawn by eight 
 w^hite horfes, all caparifoned with gold and precious 
 Hones, herfelf more refplendant than the fun they 
 adored. There was a fcaifoid with a throne upon 
 it, juft clofe to the flatue, with gilt fleps, for her to 
 go up to put the crown on the head of it. As foon 
 as fhe appeared a fhout of joy ran through the whole 
 crowd, applauding the choice of her beauty, and the 
 w^ork fhe was going to perform: then proclamation 
 was made again for the fame intent, fetting forth 
 the reafons of the ceremony. When all was filent, 
 fl:ie fleps from the throne to the degrees Vv^ith the 
 crown in her hand, holding it up to be feen by all, 
 fupported by Amnophilla and Menifa.^ two of the 
 moil beautiful virgins after herfelf. There appear- 
 ed a ferenity in the looks of Jftphena. beyond what 
 could be expe(5led, exprefling a fixt refoiution at 
 the fame time. As foon as fhe had put x\\^ crown 
 on the head of the flatue, which was applauded witii 
 repeated fhouts and acclamations, fhe flood flill for 
 fome time, with an air that fhewed fhe was deter* 
 mined for fome great adlion, and turning to the 
 officers,, ordered them to make proclamation, that 
 every one fhould remark what fhe was going to do. 
 Upon this there was a profound filence through the 
 whole aflembly ; then ihe v/ent up the fleps again, 
 taking out the mofl confpicuous flower in the whole 
 crown, and putting it in the right hand of the flatue, 
 claps it into her bofom, with the other two flie had 
 
 received 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. 179 
 
 received from me before, as a (ign of her confent 
 for marriage, which could not be violated, at which 
 there arofe a fhout ten times louder than any before, 
 applauding fuch an heroic adl of conflancy, as had 
 never been feen in Mezorania. The Regent ran up 
 to her, and embracing her with tears ot joy trick- 
 ling dowA his cheeks, faid, flie fhould have her 
 choice, iince fhe had fulfilled the law, and fupplied 
 all defe(fl: by that extraordinay aS: of fidelity, with 
 orders to have that heroic a(5lion regillered in the 
 public records, for an example and encouragement 
 of conftancy to poflerity. But the people cried cut, 
 w'here is the man? where is the man ? let their con- 
 ilancy be rewarded immediately. 
 
 I2'e7'e the reader^ as zveJI as the fuhlipierj zuUl 
 lament the irreparable lofs ofthejheets, which 
 zvere mi /lead at his coming over ; he does net 
 fretend to charge his memory with vjhat they 
 -contained ; jiijl hazing had time to run them 
 joier in the Italian^ when Signer Rhcdi get 
 them copied oirt for him. As far as the pub- 
 Up-ier remembers^ the lojl Jheets contained f eve- 
 ral difcourjes heizueen the Pophar and Gauden- 
 tio, concerning religibny philofophy^ politicks^ 
 and the like J with the account of the lofs of his 
 wife and childr^Uj and fome other accidents that 
 lefel him during his fay in the country ^ which^ 
 as we fhaJl fe^ induced him to leave the place j 
 withfeveral curious remarks ofSi^nor Rhedi; 
 all whichy would doubtlefs have given a great 
 deal of fatisfaSiion to the readers hut no one 
 can be fo much cc7icerncd for the lofs as the puh- 
 
 lipier^ 
 
iSo The memoirs of 
 
 li flier y fince ihey caimct now he repairedy by rea- 
 Jon of the d-caih of the fume Signor Rhedi ; 
 never to be firfficiently repxtted by the learned 
 world. 
 
 TKefe difcourfes* made very gre^t irnpreflions 
 on the mind of a perfon of fo much penetration as 
 the Regent was, infomuch, that he feenied refolved 
 when his regency was out, which wanted now but a 
 year, to go along with me into Europe, during the 
 ilay he was to malie at Grand Cairo, to examine 
 matters at the fountain head, wifely judging a con- 
 iideration of fuch confequence, as that of religion, 
 to be no indifferent thing. Eor my own part, not- 
 withftanding the beauty and riches of the country, I 
 could find no fatisfadion in a place where I had loft 
 all that was dear to me, though I had the comfort 
 to have my dear JJjpkena and her three children all 
 baptized by my own hand before they died ; neither 
 could length of time allay my grief, but on the con- 
 trary, every thing I faw revived the memory of my 
 irreparable lofs. I confidered the inllabiiity of the 
 fleeting joys of this world, where I thought I had 
 built my happInefs,for a man of my fortune, on the 
 moit foiid foundation. But alas I all was gone as 
 if it had been but a dream, and the adorable Ifiphena 
 was no more. The good old Pophar was in a very 
 little better condition, having loll his dearefl daugh- 
 ter and his little grand children, particularly the 
 eldefl boy, who is in that pi(5^ure with his mother. 
 This refledion on the vanity of human felicity, 
 
 made 
 
 * Prcbabiv about the chriftian reiigiofl,>?vhich are loll as aforC' 
 
SiGNOR Gaudentio di Lucca. i8i 
 
 made liim more difpofed to hear the truths of our 
 divine religion, fo that he was refolved to go and 
 fearch further into the reafons for it. There v;as 
 another yet more forcible reafon induced me to fo- 
 licit the Pophar for my return into my native coun- 
 try, which was the care of my future Hate. I had 
 lived fo many years without the exercife of thofe 
 duties our church obliges us to perform, and though 
 I had not been guilty of any great crimes, I was not 
 willing to die out of her bofom : however, to do 
 all the good I could to a country vvhere I had once 
 enjoyed fo much happinefs, this being the laft year 
 we were to flay, I at length perfuaded the Regent, 
 that there might be fome danger of an invalion of 
 his country, from the oppofite fide towards the 
 fouthern tropic ; at leall, I did not know but there 
 might be fome habitable climate that may not be 
 fo far over the fands as towards Lybia and Egypt. 
 1 had often lignified my thoughts to him in that re- 
 fpefi. I told him, that though his Icingdom was 
 fafe and inaccefUble to all but ourfelves on that fide, 
 it was poflible, it might be nigher the great ocean 
 on the oppofite one ; or that the fands might not 
 be of fuch extent ; or in fine, there might be ridges 
 of mountains, and from them, rivers running into 
 the ocean, by which, in procefs of time, fome bar- 
 barous people might afcend and difturb their long 
 uninterrupted reft, v/ithout any fence to guard 
 againfl fuch an emergency. This laft thought 
 alarmed him., fo we were refolved to make a new 
 trial, without communicating the defign to any but 
 the chief council of five, where we were fure of in- 
 violable fecrecy. What confirmed me in my notion 
 was, that when we were on the utraoft point of our 
 mountains fouthward, looking over the defarts, I 
 could perceive fomething like clouds or fogs hanging 
 always towards one part. I imagined them to be fogs 
 covering the tops oi fome great mountains,, which 
 S muft 
 
i8^ The MEMOIRS of 
 
 muft have habitable vales. Being refolved to malce 
 a trial, we provided all things accordingly, and fet 
 out from the furtheft part of the kingdom fouth- 
 wards, taking only five perfons in our company, 
 fleering our courfe diredlly towards that point of 
 the horizon where I obferved the thick air always 
 hanging towards one place. We took provifion and 
 water but for ten days, leaving word, that they 
 Ihould not trouble themfehes about us, unlefs we 
 made a confiderable flay, becaufe, in cafe we found 
 mountains, we fhould always find fprings and fruits 
 to fubfifl on, while we made a further fearch into 
 the country ; otherwife, if we faw no hopes at the 
 five days end, we fhould return the other five, and 
 take new meafures. The third day of our voyage, 
 we found the deferts nothing fo barren as we ex- 
 pe<R:ed; the ground grew pretty hard, and the fourth 
 day, difcovered fome tufts of mofs and fhrubs, by 
 which we conjectured, w^e fhould fobn come to firm 
 land; the evening of that day we difcovered the tops 
 of the hills, but further off than we thought on,fo 
 that though we travelled at a great rate all that 
 night and mofl of the next day, we could only arrive 
 at the foot of them the fifth day at niglit. After 
 fome little fearch, we came to a fine fpring, but, to 
 our comfort, no figns of inhabitants ; if we had, we 
 Ihould have returned immediately to take further 
 advice. The next morning we got up to the top of 
 the higheft hill to difcover the country, but found 
 it to be only the point of a vafl mountainous coun- 
 try, like the worft part of our Alps, though there 
 •were fome fertile vales and woods, but no footfleps 
 of its ever having been inhabited, as we believed, 
 lince the creation. Seeing we could make good 
 provifion for our return, we were in no great pain 
 about time. We wandered from place to place, 
 viewing and obferving every way. We went on 
 thus along thofe craggy hills and precipices for five 
 
 days : 
 
SiGNOR GaXJDENTIO DI LuCCA. 183 
 
 clays •, tKev began to leflen towards our right, but 
 feemed rather to encreafe the other way. At length 
 in the moil difmal and horrid part of the hillbrow, 
 one of our young men thought he fpied fomething 
 like the figure of a man fitting by a little fpring, 
 under a craggy rock juil below us ; we fent three of 
 our people round another w^ay to keep him from 
 running into the wood, v/hlle the Pophar and my- 
 felf Hole quietly over the rock where he was. As 
 foon as he faw us, he whips up a broken chink in 
 the rock and difappeared immediately. We were 
 fure he could not get from us, fo we clofed and 
 fearched till we found a little cave in the windings 
 of the rock, where v/as his retiring place. His bed 
 was made of mofs and leaves, with little heaps of 
 dried fruits, of different fovt?, for his fiiftenance. 
 When he law us, he was furpriled ; he rulhed at 
 us like a lion, thinking to make his^vay through U5, 
 but being all live at the mouth of the cave, he ftood 
 ready to defend liimfelf again our attem.ps. View- 
 i'>ghim a little nigher, we faw he had fome remains 
 of an old tattered coat, and part of a pair of breeches, 
 with a ragged fafh or girdle round his wailt, by 
 which, to our great furprife, we found he w\is an 
 European. The Pophar fpoke to him in Lingua 
 Franca, and afked him who or what he was ; he 
 fhook his head as if he did not underfland us. I 
 fpoke to him in Fi'-ench, Italian and Latin, but he 
 was a xtranp;er to thofe languages. At length he 
 cried out, Inglis, Inglis. I had learned fomething 
 of that language when I was a ftudent at Parif. 
 Knowing my father had a mind I fliould learn as 
 many languages as I could, I had made an acquaint- 
 ance with feveral Englifn and Scotch lludents in 
 that tiniverfity, particularly v/ith one F. yohn/o/t^ an 
 Englifh benedi(5iine, and could fpeak it pretty well 
 for a foreigner, but had almoft forgot it for want 
 of life. I bid him take courage and fearnothing. 
 Si for 
 
i?4 1'he memo IPvS of 
 
 ior we would do him no harm. As foon as ever he 
 heard me fpeak Englifh, he fell down on his knees, 
 and begged us to take pity on him, and carry him 
 to Ibme habitable country, where he might poffibly 
 get an opportunity of returning home again, or at 
 leail of living like a human creature. Upon this 
 he came out to us, but looked more like a wild beaft 
 than a man -, his hair, beard, and nails, were grow^n 
 to a great length, and his mein w^as as haggard as 
 if he had been a great while in that wild place ; 
 though he was a ftout w^ell-built man, and fhewed 
 fomething above the common rank. 
 
 We went down to the fountain together, where 
 he made us to underitand, that his father w^as anEaft 
 India merchant, and his mother a Dutch woman of 
 Batavia ; that he had great part of h-s education in 
 London, but being very extravagant, his father, 
 whole natural Ion he was, had turned him ofr, and 
 fent him to Batavia to his niother^s friends; that by 
 his courage and induflry, he vvas in a v/ay of mak- 
 ing his fortune, being ad\ anced to be a lieutenant 
 In the Dutch guards at Batavia, but was unhappily 
 call away en the coail of Africa, where they had 
 been on a particular adventure ; that he and his 
 companions, four in number, wanderii^g irp in the 
 country to feek provilions, were taken by fome 
 ilrange barbarians, wdio carried them a vail, un- 
 known way into the continent, defigning to eat them 
 or facrifice them to their inhuman gods, as they had 
 done his companions ; but, being hale and fat at the 
 time of his taking, they referved him for feme par- 
 ticular feall ; that as they w-ere carrying him thro" 
 the woods, another party of barbar'ans, enemies to 
 the former, met them, and fell a fighting for their 
 booty ; which he perceiving, knowing he was to be 
 eaten if he flayed, flunk away in the Icuifle into the 
 ihickell woods, hiding himfelf by day and marching 
 
SiGNOR Gaudintio bi Lucca. 185 
 
 all nigKt, he did not Lnow where, but as he conjec- 
 tured, fliil higher into the country. 
 
 Thus he wandered from hill to hill, and wood to 
 wood, till he came to a defart of fands, which he 
 was refolved to try to pafs over, not daring to return 
 back, for fear of falling into the hands of thofe mer- 
 cilefs devourers. He paiTed two days and two nights 
 without water, living on the fruits he carried with 
 him, as many as he could, till he came to this moun- 
 tainous part of the country, which he. found unin- 
 habited ; taking up his abode in that rock, v/here 
 he never had any hopes of feeing a human creature 
 again ; neither did he know himfelf where he was, 
 or which way to go back. In fine, he told us he 
 had lived in that miferable place now upwards of 
 five years. 
 
 After we had comforted him as well as we could, 
 I afked him, v/hich way the main fea lay, as near as 
 he could guefs, and how far he thought it was to it. 
 He pointed with his hand towards the fouth, a little 
 turning towards the eaft, and faid, he believed it 
 might be thirty or forty days journey, but advifed 
 us never to go that way, for we fhould certainly be 
 devoured by the barbarians. I afked him, whether 
 the country was habitable from that place down to 
 the fea. He told me, yes; except that defart wc 
 had paiTed ; but v/hether it was broader in other 
 places, he could not tell. 
 
 Ail the time he was fpeaking, the Pophar eyed' 
 him from top to toe ; and calling me aiide, '' Vvhat 
 monfier" fays he "have we got here? There is 
 a whole legion of wild beaflsin that man •, I fee the. 
 lion, the goat, the woifeand the fox in that one por- 
 fon. I could not forbear fmiling at the Pophar's 
 ikill in phyfiognomy, and told him, we fhould tc'ike 
 care he fhould do no harm. Then I turned to the 
 man and afked him, if he would conform himfelf to 
 tlie.lavv'S and rites of the country if we carried him 
 
i86 The MEMOIRS of 
 
 among men again,where he fhould want for nothing. 
 He embraced my knees, and faid, he would conform 
 to any laws or any religion if I would but let him 
 fee a habitable country again. I flared at the man, 
 and began to think there was fome truth in the Po- 
 phar's fcience. However, I told him, if he would 
 but behave like a rationar creature, he fhould go 
 along with us; but he muft fuifer himfelf to be 
 ^blindfolded till he came to the place. He flartled a 
 little, and feemed to be prodigioufly fufpicious, left 
 we fhould deceive him. But on my affuring him, 
 on the faith of a human creature that he fhould 
 come to no harm, he confented. 
 
 After we had refrefhed ourfelves, being both glad 
 and concerned for the information we had received 
 of the nature of the country, which was the end of 
 our journey, in order to guard againft all inconveni-^ 
 encies, v/e covered his eyes very clofe, and conducfted 
 him back along with us, fometimes on foot, feme- 
 tim.es on one of the fpare dromedaries, till we arrived 
 fafe from whence we fet out : then we let him fee 
 where he w^as, and what a glorious country he was 
 come into. We cloathed him like ourfelves, that 
 is in our travelling drefs, to fhew^ he was not an en- 
 tire llranger to our race. He feemed loft in admi- 
 Tation of what he faw. He embraced me w4th all 
 the ligns of gratitude imaginable ; he conformed to 
 all our cuftoms, :ird made no fcruple of afiifting at 
 all their idolatrous ceremonies, ^s if he had been as 
 good a heathen as the beft of them ; which I feeing, 
 without declaring liiyfelf to be a chrixtian, I told 
 him, that I had been informed, the people of the 
 country where he was educated were chriliians, and 
 W'Ondercd to fee him join in adoring the fur. 
 *' Pugh I" fays he *' fome biggotted people make a 
 fcruple, but moft of our men of fenfe think one re- 
 ligion is as good as another" By this I perceived 
 our favage was of a new fet of peopb, \yhich I had 
 
 heard 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO DI LlTCSA. 1S7 
 
 heard of before I left Italy, called politici^^' who are 
 a fort of aiheifts in mafquerade. The Pophar, out 
 of his great fkill in phyfiognomv, would have no con- 
 verfation with him ; and commanded me to have a 
 ilridl eye over him. 
 
 However, the information he had given us of the 
 poffibility of invading the kingdom the way he came, 
 anfwered the intent of our voyage, and my former 
 conjectures; about which there was a grand council 
 held, and orders given to fecure the foot of our out- 
 ermoft mountain fouthwards, which ran a great way 
 in,to the defart ; fo that it was fuiiicient to guard . 
 againft any of thofe barbarous invaders of the con- 
 tinent. But to return to our European favage, for 
 he may be juftly called fo, being more dangerous in 
 a commonwealth, that the veryHickfoes themfelves ; 
 though he was a perfon who had a tolerable civi- 
 lized education, bating the want of all fenfe of re- 
 ligion, which he fucked in from his perpetual con- 
 verfation with libertines. He had a fmattering of 
 moft kinds of polite learning, but without a bottonx 
 in any refpeifK 
 
 After he had been with us fbmetime, his princi- 
 ples began to fhev/ themfelves in his pracfbice. Firfl, 
 he began to be rude with our v/omen, married oi* 
 Jingle it was all alike to him ; and by an unaccount- 
 able fpirit of novelty or contradicflion, our women 
 feemed inclined to be very fond of him •, fo that 
 we v/ere at our wits ends about him. Then he be- 
 gan to find fault with our government, defpifing and 
 condemning all our ceremonies and regulations : but 
 his great aim was to pervert our youth, enticing 
 them to all manner of liberties, and endeavouring to 
 make them believe, that there was no fuch thing as 
 
 moral 
 
 * The poli'ilci were fore-rnnnersofotir mocfern free-thinker.*, 
 whofe principles tend to the deftru£lion of all human focicty,as 
 *ur author fiiews iacomparablj well by and bj» 
 
188 The MEMOIRS o? 
 
 moral evil in nature ; that there was no harm in the 
 greateft crimes, if they could but evade the laws and 
 punifhments attending them. 
 
 As I had endeavoured to create a confidence in 
 him, he came to me one day, and faid, that lince I 
 was an European as well as himfelf, we might mahe 
 ourleives men for ever, if I would join with him : 
 " you fee" fays he '* thefe men cannot iight ; nay, 
 will rather be killed themfelves than kill any one 
 elfe ; can't you fhew me the way out of this coun- 
 try, where we will get a troop of flout fellows well 
 armed, and come and plunder all the country ; we 
 iliali get immenfe riches, and make ourfelves lords 
 and mnflers of all., I heard him with a great deal 
 of aitention. and anfwered him, that I thought the 
 proje(ft might eafily take, only for the horrid wick- 
 ednefs of the fa<fl: ; efpecially for us two, Vvho had 
 received fuch favours from the Pophar and his peo- 
 ple ; he, for his being delivered from the greatefl 
 mifery ; and myfelf, who had been freed from flavery 
 and made one of the head men of the kingdom; that 
 the adion would deferve to be branded with eternal 
 infamy, and the blackeft ingratitude ', beiide, the in- 
 finite villainies, injuflices, crimes, and deaths of in- 
 nocent perfons, who mull perilh in the attempt ; 
 which would aUvays flare us in the face, and torment 
 us v/ith never-ceafing flings, of confcience till our 
 death. " Confcience I" fays he "that is a jefl ; a 
 mere engine of prieflcraft : all right is founded in 
 power ; let us once get that, and who will difpute 
 our right ? As for the injuflice of it, that is a mere 
 notion, diflin(5li on of crimes, mere bigotry, and the 
 effe(fl of education, ufliered in under the cloak of 
 religion. Let us but be fuccefsful, and I will an- 
 fwer for your fcruples."" I told him, it was a mat- 
 ter not to be refolved on, on a fudden ; that 1 vvould 
 confider on it ; but I bid him be fure keep his mat- 
 ters to himfelf. 
 
 I^ went 
 
SiGNOR Gaudektio di Lucca. 189 
 
 I went immediately to the Popliar, and gave an 
 account of what had palled. He was llruck with 
 horror at the recital, not fo much for the confe- 
 quences, as that human nature could be brought to 
 fuch a monflrous deformity. " If your Europeans 
 are men of fuch principles, w^ho would not fly to 
 the furtheil corner of the earth to avoid their foci- 
 ety ? Or rather, who can be fure of his life among 
 fuch people ? Whoever thinks it no more in itfelf 
 to kill me than to kill a fly, will certainly do it if 
 I fl;and in his way*. If it were lawful'' continued 
 he " by our conflitutions to kill this man, he de- 
 ferves a thoufand deaths who makes it lawful to de- 
 ftroy all the world befides.'' I anfwered, that all 
 the Europeans were not men of his principles, nor 
 even thole of his nation, who were generally the^ 
 moll companionate, and bell natured men in the 
 world-, but that he was of a new fet of wretched 
 people who called themfelves deijis ; and interiorly 
 laughed at all religion and morality, looing upon 
 them as mere eng:r:c? 'kfuolic/ and prier^vjifv, « Xa- 
 teriorly I" fays he. Yes, and would cut any man's 
 throat exteriorly and adlually if it were not for fear 
 of the gallows. " Shut him up" cried he, " from all 
 commerce of men, left his breath fhould infe61 the 
 whole world ; or rather, let us fend him back to his 
 cave to live like a wild bealt ; v.here, if he is de- 
 voured by the favages, they do him no injury, by his 
 own principles." I reprefented to him that we were 
 juft on our journey back to Grand Cairo, where we 
 would carry him blindfold, that he fhould not know 
 our way over the fands, and give him his liberty ; 
 but that we fhould Ihut him up till then. This was 
 agreed on ; fo I took a fufflcient number of men to 
 feize him ; and to do it without any mifchief, for 
 he Avas as flout as a lion, we contrived to come upon 
 him in his bed, where M^e caught him with one of 
 Qur young v. omen. Three of ihcm fell upon him 
 
 at 
 
ipo The memoirs of 
 
 at once, and kept him down while the refl tied his 
 hands and legs, and carried him into a ftrong hold, 
 v/hence it w-as impofiible for him to efcape. The 
 woman was fhut up apart, according to our law^s. 
 
 When he found himfelf taken, he called me by 
 the moll cruel names he could think on, as, the moft 
 wicked and treacherous villain that ever was, thus to 
 betray him, and the trull he had put in me. Yes^ 
 lays I, it is a crime to difcover your fecrets, and no 
 crime in you to fubvert the government, and fet ail 
 mankind a cutting one another's throats by your 
 monllrous principles ; fo I left him for the prelent*. 
 
 Some time after I v/eat to him and told him, our 
 council had decreed, he Ihould be carried bach from 
 whence he came, and be delivered over to the lavages 
 either to be devoured by themT, or to defend himfelf 
 by his principles as well as he could. He cried out, 
 fure we would not be guilty of fuch a horrid bar- 
 barity. Barbarity I laid I, that is a mere jelt ! they 
 will do you no injury ; if your lielh is a rarity to 
 them. Vv hen. they have yon in theii' '^o,»^i, dicy •!?ireL 
 full right to malie ufe of I'c. He begged by all that 
 was dear, w^e would not fend him to the lavages, but 
 rather kill him on the fpot. Why, fay I, you are 
 worfe than thegreatell cannibals, becaufe they fpare 
 their friends, and only hate their enemies ; w^hereas 
 your principles fpare no body, and acknovvledge no 
 tie in nature. At length he ov/ned himfelf in a 
 miilake, and leemed to renounce his errors. When 
 I told him, if he w^ould engage his moil folemn pro- 
 mife to falYer himfelf to be blind- folded, and be- 
 have peaceably, we would carry him to a place where 
 he might find an opportunity to return to his own 
 couniry. JBut, fays I, what lignifies promifes and. 
 engagements in a man v/ho laughs at all obligations, 
 and looks upon it as jull and lawful to break them 
 as to make them. No, he curfed himfelf with the 
 rnoll dreadful imprecations, if he were not trad:able 
 
 ill 
 
SiGNOR Gaudxntio bi Lucca. 191 
 
 in all things we fhould command him. But, fays 
 he again, won't you deliver me back to the favages ; 
 I anfwered in the fame tone, fliould we do you any 
 wrong if we did ? At length to appeafe him I pro- 
 mifed him faithfully we would put him in a way to 
 return into his own country ; but bid him conlider, 
 if there was no fuch thing as right and wrong, what 
 would become of the world, or what fecurity could 
 there be in human life ? 
 
 In a few^ weeks the time drew on for our great 
 journey to Grand Cairo, where I W'as in hopes of 
 feeing my native country once more. All things 
 were now as ^ood as ready ; the Pophar and myfelf 
 had other defigns than ufual, and w^ere in fome pain 
 to think of leaving that once fo happy a country. 
 Though, as I faid, all things that could make me 
 happy, were buried with my dear JJtphena* The 
 Pophar had fonie ferious thoughts of turning chrif- 
 tian. The evidences of our religion were foon per- 
 ceived by a perfon of his deep penetration *, though 
 perfons of little learning and great vices pretend 
 they do not fee them. But, like a v^ife man, he was 
 refolved to examine into it,' in the places where it 
 was exercifed in the greateil fplendor. 
 
 We provided a good quantity of jewels, and as 
 much gold as we could well carry, for our present 
 expenfes to Grand Cairo and elfewhere, and future 
 exigencies. I went to my deifl: in his grotto, and 
 threw him in as much gold and jewels as v/^re fuf- 
 iicent to glut his avarice, and make him happy in 
 his brutal way of thinking. But I would not truft 
 myfelf with him alone, for all his promifes, as he, 
 on his fide, expreffed Hill a diiiidence of trufting any 
 body, I fuppofe from the confcioufnefs of his own 
 vile principles. Then I threw him a blinding-cap 
 which we had made for him, that he fhould not fee 
 our way over the defarts. This cap was made like 
 a head-piece, with breathing places for his mouth 
 
 and 
 
192 The memoirs of 
 
 and nofe, as well as to tai-e in nourifliment, opening 
 at the back part, and clafping with a fpring behind, 
 that being once locked, he could not open it himfelf. 
 He put it on his head two or three times before he 
 duril venture to clofe it. At length he clafped it, 
 and he was as blind as a beetle. We went to hinci 
 and tied his hands, which he let us do quietly enough, 
 and.fiill begged us, that we would not betray him to 
 the favages. I bid him think once more, that now 
 his own interior fenfe told him, that to betray him 
 would be a crime ; by confequence there was fuch 
 a thing as evil. 
 
 All things being in readinefs, we mounted our 
 dromedaries. The Pophar and all the reft kifTed 
 the ground as ufual ; I did the fame, out of refpeft 
 to the place, which contained the remains of my 
 never too much \3.mented I/tJy hen a ^ the aflies of whofe 
 heart are in the hollow of the flone whereon is her 
 picflure. Not to mention the ceremonies of our 
 taking leave, v/e were condudled in a mournful man- 
 ner over the bridge, and launched once more over 
 the ocean of the fands and defarts, which were be- 
 fore us. Our favage was on a dromedary, which 
 would follow the reft, but led by a cord faftened 
 to one of the reft for fecurity. It ftumbled v/ith 
 him twice or thrice, and threw him oif once, but 
 without any great hurt. But the fear of breaking 
 his neck, put him in fuch an agony, that though he 
 was as bold as a lion on other occafions,he was pro- 
 digioufiy ftartled at the thoughts of death. 
 
 We arrived at Grand Cairo at the ufual period 
 of time, without any particular difafter. As foon 
 as we were fettled, the Pophar ordered me to fend 
 the rieift packing as foon as v.-e could. *' This brutal 
 race'* fays he " next to the cannibals, are the fittcft 
 company for him." I unlocked the blinding hel- 
 met, and told him we had now fulfilled our promife; 
 that he v/as at Grand Cairo. wl:ere he might fin,d 
 
 feme 
 
SiGKOR GaUDENTIO DI LuCCA. I^J 
 
 fome way or other to return into Europe ; and to 
 convince him, carried him to fome European mit^ 
 chants who affured him of the fame, delivering to 
 him his gold and jewels. I begged him to refle6l 
 On his obligations to us, and the grateful acknow- 
 ledgments due to our memory on that account. We 
 had taken him from that miferabie folitude where 
 he lived more like a wild beaft that a man ; where 
 he was in danger of being found and devoured by 
 the cannibals. We had brought him into one of 
 the happiefl: countries in the world, if he would but 
 Jiave conformed to our laws ; and now had given 
 liim his liberty to go where he pleafed, with riches 
 fufficient to make him eafy, and benefits to make 
 him grateful ail his life ; fo I took my leave of him. 
 But to our forrow we had not done with, him yet. 
 
 As foon as the Pophar and the reil had performed 
 the ceremony of vifiting the tombs of their ancef- 
 tors, or rather the places where the tombs had been, 
 the good old man and myfeif began to think of our 
 meafures for our journey into Italy. During the 
 time we had to ftay, he ordered his people to ftay 
 there till the next annual caravan ; or in cafe he did 
 not return by that time, they were to return, and he 
 would take the opportunity of the next caravan af- 
 terwards, becaufe he was upon bufinefs that :!iearly 
 concerned him. 
 
 We had agreed with a mailer of a ihip to carry 
 •ill to Venice, which, as I had the honor to acquaint 
 jour reverences before, was a Trench ihip, com- 
 manded by Ivlcrjirur Godati. We had fixed the day 
 to go aboard, when, behold our favage at the head 
 of ?i, band of tutks came and feized every one of us 
 in the name of the great Baffa. By great good for- 
 ture while I ft aid at Grand Cairo, I had the great- 
 lul curioiity to inform myfeif what was become of 
 the former Baifa^s daughter we left there five and 
 twejity years ago. TJie people told mt, the. diiugh- 
 T ter 
 
15^4 The IvI E M O I R S or 
 
 Irer was married to the grand Sultan, and was now 
 ialtanefs mother to the prefent fultan, and regent 
 of the empire ; adding, that her brother was their, 
 prefent great BafTa. This lucky information faved 
 all our lives or liberties. We were cariied prifoners 
 before the great B«fra,the faithlefs favage accufing 
 us of crimes againfl the ftate; that v/e were im- 
 Bienfelj rich, a crime of itfelf fufticient to condemn 
 lis, and might make a difcovery of a country of vaft 
 advantage to the grand Signor. To be fhort, we 
 had all been put to the torture had not I begged 
 leave to fpeak a word or two in private to the great 
 BafTa. There I told him who I was ; that I was 
 the perfon who had faved his iiller's, (the now em-- 
 prefs) life ; and to comince him, told him all the 
 cirxrumRances except that of her love, though he 
 liad heard fomething of that too ; I ihewed him the 
 ring dlie iiad given me for a remembrance, w^hich he 
 alfo remembered ; adding, that we were innocent 
 inen, who lived honeflly, according to our own laws, 
 coming there to traffick like other merchants, and 
 had been traduced by one of the greateft villains 
 upon earth. In a word, this not only got us off and 
 procured us an ample pafsport from the great BafTa 
 for our further voyage, but he alfo ordered the in- 
 forming wretch to be feized and fent to the galiies 
 for life. He offered to turn turk if they would fpare 
 him ; but tliey being apprized of his principles, faid 
 he would be a difgrace to their religion, and order- 
 ed him av/ay immediately : upon which, feeing there 
 was no mercy, before they could feize his hands, 
 being grown mad with rage ;ind defpair, he drew 
 out a piflol and fhot himfelf through the head, not 
 being able to find a worfe hand than his own. The 
 Pophar,good man, bore thofe misfortunes with v>7on- 
 derful patience, though he afTured me his greatell 
 (^ricf was, to fee human nature fo far corrupted, as 
 it was in that impious wi'^tch, who could think the 
 
 mo? 
 
SiG.NCn Gaudentio di Lucca. 195 
 
 moft Iiorrid crimes were not worth the notice of the 
 Aipreme governor of the univerle. " But we lee'* 
 fays he " that providence can mate the wicked them- 
 felves the inllruments of its juft vengeance. For 
 can any thing be fo great a blot upon human nature, 
 as to be its own deftroyer, when the very brutes will 
 druggie for life till the laft gafp ?'' 
 
 However, he was uneafy till he had left that 
 hateful place : belides, there was fame figns of the 
 plague breaking out ; fo we went down to' Alexan- 
 dria as fall as we could •, and to encourage Morjssay 
 Godart, he made him a prefent before hand of a di- 
 amond of confiderable value. 
 
 We fet fail for Candy, where Mo7\ftevT Godart 
 was to touch, the i.6th day of Auguft, Anno 1712. 
 But alas I whether thefe tioubles, or not being ufed 
 to the ^t3y or fome infedlion of the plague he had 
 caught at Grand Cairo, or altogether, is uncertain, 
 but that great good man fellfo dangeroufly ill, tha-; 
 we thought we could fcarce get him to Candy. H:) 
 aflured me by the knov/ledge he had of himfelf and 
 nature, that h*s time was ccm«. We put in at the 
 £ril creek, where the land air a little refrelhed him; 
 but it was a fallacious crifi?, for in a few days all ot 
 us faw his end draw near. Then he told me, ho 
 was refolved to be baptized, and die in the christian 
 faith. I got him inftru<5led by a reverend prieft, be- 
 longing to Morju'ur God art ^ his name was Morjieur 
 la Gr^//?, whom I had formerly known wh-en he wa^ 
 a lludent in the college for foreign millions ; and 
 what was the only comfort I had now left, Ifaw 
 him baptized, and yield up the ghofl with a courage 
 becoming the greateft hero and the bell of men. — 
 This was the greateft alRi<flion I ever had in my 
 whole life, after the death of his daughter. He left 
 me all his efled:?, which were fufficient to make me 
 happy in this life, if riches can procure happinefs. 
 
 Wc had fomc days to Hay before Mcvjtcu.r Godari 
 T z could. 
 
ip^ The memoirs o? 
 
 cc 
 
 could ma^e an end of his concerns. I was ualJclng 
 in a melancholy poilure along th^ fea fhore, and re^ 
 fie<51ing on the adventures of my paft life, occaiion- 
 ed by thofc very \?ateTs whereon I was looking, when 
 I came, or rather my feet carried me, to a hanj^ing 
 rock on the lide of the iiland, juft on the edg^ of the 
 fea, and where there was juil room enough for two 
 or three perfons to Hand privately under covert, 
 very difiicylt to be difcerned; where, going to fit 
 dov/n and indulge my melancholy thoughts, I efpied 
 a turk and two women, as if concealed under the 
 rock. My own troubles not allowing me the cu- 
 riofity to pry into other peoples concerns, made m^ 
 turn fhort back again j but the elder of the two 
 v;omen, who was millrefs of the other, feeing by my 
 drefs, that I was a ftranger and a chriftian (being 
 now in that habit) came running to me, and falling 
 on her knees, laid hold of mine, and begged me to 
 take pity on a dillreiTed v/oman, w^ho expe^fied every 
 moment to be butchered by one of the moil inhu- 
 man villains living, from v/hofe violence ihcy had 
 iled, and hid themfelves in that place in expeftiation 
 of finding a boat to convey them off. I lifted her 
 up, and thought I fav/ fomething in that face I had 
 {qgu. before, though much altered by years and trou- 
 bles. She did the fame by my-, and at length cried 
 out, " O heavens ! it can't be the man I hope !" 
 I remembered confufedly fomething of the voice, as 
 Vicll as the face; and after a deal of aftonilliment, 
 found it was the Curdifh lady v^/ho had faved my life 
 from the pirate Hamsts. " Oh !"" fays fhe " I have 
 juil time enough to tell you, that we expecl to be 
 puriued by that inhuman wretch, ynlefs you can 
 find a boat to carry us off before he finds 7is, others 
 wife we muil fall a facrifice to his cruelty/' I never 
 ilayed to coniider confequences, but anfwered 
 precipitately, that I would do my beft, and fo raj^ 
 back to the ihip as fail as J could, and with the help 
 
 of 
 
SiGNOR G'audsntio di Lucca. 197 
 
 of the iiril man, brought the boat to the reck. ,1 
 was juft getting out to take hold of her hand, when- 
 we heard fome men coming rufhing in behind u?, 
 and one of them cried, ** hold, villain, that wicked 
 woman fhall not efcape fo, znd fires a piftol, which 
 miffing the kd/, ihot the man attending her into 
 the belly, fo that he fell down pre.fently, though not 
 quite dead. I had provided myfelf with aTurkiilx 
 fcymitar and a cafe of piitcls' under my fafli, for my 
 defence on fhipboard; I law there w?.s no lime 10 
 deliberate, fo I nred direclly at them, for they were 
 three, and had the good liiclt to drop one of them. 
 But Ilame/s, as I found afterv*' aids, minding nothing; 
 but his revenge on the woman, fired again, and mif- 
 fing the lady a fccond time, fhot her maid through 
 the arm, and was drawing his fcymitar to cleave hec 
 down, when I ilcpt in between the ladr, bnt fhoot- 
 ing with too much precipitancy, the bullets pafTe t 
 under his arm, and lodged in the boiy of his fecond ; 
 he llarted back at the lire fo near him, which gavo 
 me time to draw my fcymitar. Eeing ^ow upon 
 equal terms, he retired two or three paces, and cried* 
 " who art thou that venturefl thy lift fo boldly for 
 this wicked woman ?'* I knew his voice peifecll/ 
 well, neither was-he fo much altered r.s th-e lady. I 
 am the man, laid r,,whofe life thcu.woulde.ft hav^ 
 taken, but this lady favei it, whofe caufe I fne Unov/ 
 revenge, as well a»:my own and my dear brother'?* 
 We made no moief words, .but f«ll to .it with our fey- 
 mitars wiih ail sur might; he wa& a brave ftout 
 man, and \<^m- me ft el fhomd have- woik enouf^h to 
 hew him dew:?.. After feveral attacks-, h:e gave mi 
 a confiderable wo^^nd on my atm^ and I cut him a- 
 crofs the cheek a pretty large gafh, but net to en^ 
 danger his life, /^t len;.^th ihe iuilke of my cauf^ 
 would have it, that linking off hi<6:turban ct qt/^ 
 {i:roke,,and with r.noth^r, falling on h^s barehcivj. 
 Ici-t hisn quite into tlie brain, thv.t fpme cf them 
 T ; Iturtfd, 
 
19^ The M E M I R S of 
 
 fpurted on my fcymitar. He fell down, as I thought, 
 quite dead, but after fome time he gave a groan, 
 and uttered thefe words, " Mahomet, thou art juft, 
 I killed this woman's hulLand, andfhe has been the 
 occalion of mj death." With thefe words he gave 
 up the gholl. 
 
 By this time the lady'^s attendant was dead, fo I 
 took the lady and her w^oman witjiout fcaying, for 
 fear of further difficulties, and puttinor them into the 
 boat, conducted them to the fhip. Movjjeur Godart 
 was extremely troubled at the accident, faying, we 
 fhould have all the iiland upon us, and made great 
 difficulty to receive tke lady ; but upon a juft repre- 
 fentatlon of the cafe, and an abundand recompenfe 
 for his effecfls left behind, we got him- to take her 
 in, and hoift fail for Venice as faft as we could. 
 
 The lady had nov7 time to thank me for her de- 
 livery, and I to congratulate my happy fortune in 
 being able to make a return for her faving of my 
 life. 
 
 During our paifage, I begged her to give us th6 
 hiilory of hor fortunes iince i left her, which I prog-^ 
 nofticated then could not be very happy, confidering 
 the hands £hc was fallen into. 
 
 *' You remember^' faysfhe " I made a promife to 
 Hameis that I would marry him on condition he 
 w^ouldfave your life?'* Yes, nvadam, faid I, and am 
 ready to venture my own one* more m return for 
 fo great a beneiit. " You ha\^e done enough" fays 
 fhe, and with that acquainted u^, that when I was 
 fold oiT to the firange merchant, Hatnets carried hef 
 to Algiers, and claimed h'er promife. •* I was en- 
 tirely ignorant" fajs ihe •* of his having a hand in 
 the death of my my dear lord ; but, on the contrary, 
 ihe villain had contrived his wickednefs fo cunning-- 
 ly, that I thought he had generouily ventured his own: 
 life to fave his, and being, as you know, a very hand- 
 feme man, of x^p yery inferior rank, and o'prelling 
 
 the 
 
SlGN<?Pv GAb'D£NTIO Bl LuOCA. l99 
 
 die mofi ardent love for 1117 perfon, and I having no 
 hopes of returning into my own country, fulHiied 
 my promife made on your account, and married him. 
 V/e iiv'd contentedly enough together for fome years 
 bating that we had no children, till his conilant 
 companion, who was the man attending me at the 
 rock, and was killed by that villain, fell out about 
 a fair Have which Omar,io he was called, had bought 
 or taL:en prifoner in fome of their piracies. Humets^ 
 as well as he, fell in love with her, and v^ould have 
 talren her for his concubine, but the other conceal- 
 ed her from him. They had like to have fought 
 ^boutit, ///2««^/5 vowed revenge. The other, who 
 was the honeiler man of the two, was advifed to be 
 upon his guard, and to deliver the woman to him, 
 which he never would confent to, but was refolved 
 to run all rifques rather than the young lady fhould 
 iiifFer any dilhonor. In the mean time, her friends, 
 who V. ere rich people of Circallia, hearing where fhe 
 was, made interell to have her ranfomed, and taken 
 from both of them, by the authority of the Pey of 
 Algiers, v/ho was otherwife no friend to Hamets* 
 This laft had been informed that Omar^ becaufe he 
 could not enjoy her himfelf, contrived to have her 
 ranfomed from his rival, and I myfelf had a han4 
 in the affair, for which he threatened revenge on 
 both of us •, and being alfo difguHed with the Dey, 
 he gave orders to have his ihips ready to move, and 
 follow his trade of piracy. 1'hen Omar informed 
 me how Hamets had murdered my iirft hufband, 
 having hired the Arabians to do it, while h'e pretend- 
 ed to defend him to avoid my fufpicions ; wdih fuch 
 circumllances of the fa(f^, that I faw the truth w^as 
 too clear. It is not to be expreffed the horror and 
 detellationlwas in, both againll/Z/7?2f/s,andagainit 
 myfelf for marrying fuch a moniler. Omar added, 
 that he was certainly informed, that as foon as he 
 had us out at fea, he would make awa^ with us both ; 
 
 and 
 
ICO The memoirs of 
 
 and told me, if I would trull myfelf with him, he 
 would undertake to carry me off in a boat, and con- 
 ducf^ me into my own country. 
 
 I was refolved to ily to the fartheil end of the 
 earth to avoid his loathed fight \ fo refolted to pack 
 v.p our molt precious things; and go along with him. 
 He procured a boat to meet Uf, at a little creek of' 
 the iiland, by aperfon he thought he could confide 
 in ; but who betrayed the whole affair to Ilameis y 
 of which aifo we had timely notice to remove from 
 the Nation where we expe(f\ed the boat, and flying- 
 along the coall as privately as we could*, hid our^ 
 felves under the reck where you found u?, expedl- 
 ing either to find fome favourable cccalion to be 
 carried off, or to die by the hand of Hamets^ which 
 we certainly had done, had he net met with h'sjuH 
 death by yours* 
 
 The lady had fcarce given us this Hiort account of 
 her misfortune?, and we were not only congratulat- 
 ing her for her deliverance, but Itood in admiration 
 at the juHice of providence^ which reached over this 
 villain, both to bring him to condign punijhment 
 for the murder of the innocent Ciird, and making 
 him die by my hand^ live and.twenty years after hi 
 had robbed and killed my brother, with allhiscrey, 
 fold me for a Have, and would have killed m.e alio, 
 had not the llrange lady faved my life *, Il-^^xj^ we 
 were making fuch like reiiedions on thisilrang.^ 
 accident,. when they told us fi om above, that two 
 veifels f^emed to ccme full fail upon us, as if they 
 were purfuing us with all their might. We made 
 ail the fail we could, but our fhip being pretty hea- 
 vily loaded, we faw we mull be overtaken. 
 
 Some e^ us were refolved to fight it out to the 
 kll in cafe ihey were enemies. Eut Morjtcvr Go- 
 dart would hot confect to it, faying, the BafTa's 
 pafTpoit would fecure u?, or by yielding peaceably, 
 we might be nrfomcd. They cr.xe up to vsin a- 
 
 fbcrt 
 
Si.cii&ii Gavdx^tio di Lucca. 2ci 
 
 iliort time, and fainted us with a volley of fliot to 
 fhev/ what we were to trull to. We ftruck our fails 
 and let them board us without anj refinance. Mo?:- 
 /u-urGoJart, asl thought,Avith too mean a fpirit, told 
 them, with cap in hand, that he would give them any 
 fatisfadion ; and affured them, he would not wil- 
 lingly fall out with the fubje(fis of the grand Signor. 
 They feized every man of us, and fpying the lady 
 and myfelf, " there they are/' faid they " the adul- 
 trefs and her lover, with the fpoils of her murdered 
 hufband." Which words, ihev/ing they v/ere turfes 
 purfuing us from Candy, llruck Alonjieur Godart all 
 of aheap at once, and made me imagine I fliould 
 have much ado to find any quarter. They hauled 
 us upon deck, making ihew as if they were going ta 
 cut off my head. I never thought myfelf lb near 
 death before ; but had the prefence of mind to cry 
 out before the whole crew, that we were fervants 
 of the grand Sultanefs, and produced the paiTport 
 of the great BalTa, her brother, charging them on 
 ihsir peril not to touch us. This itopt their fury 
 a little ; feme cried out, " hold, have a care what 
 you do.*' Others cried, " kill them all for robbers 
 gnd murderers; theSultanefs will never protect luch 
 villains as thefe." 
 
 When the hurly-burly v/as fomewhat appeafed, 
 AXoii/hur Godart reafoned the cafe with them, and 
 told them, if they murdered us, they could never 
 conceal it, iince ail the crew of the three fhips heard 
 our appeal to the Sultanefs-Mother, the pafTport 
 fetting forth among other things, that T had laved 
 the life of the grand Sultanefs. This brought them 
 to a demur. The chiefs of them began to confuit 
 among themfelves what v/as bell to be done. When 
 I begged leave to fpeak, told them, if they v/ould 
 carry us to Conllantinople, we would willingly fub- 
 mit our lives and all that belonged to us, in cafe the 
 Sultanefs did not own the faft^aad t^e us into her 
 
 |irqtewtioav 
 
203 Thz me M O I R S or 
 
 protecffcion. That in cafe they put U8 to death, feme 
 one or other, in fuch a number, would certainly in- 
 Ibrm againil them, the confequences of" which they 
 Icnew very well. I touched alfo, but tenderly, ort 
 the death of Hajnets, and our innocence. The firll 
 part of my fpeech made them pafs over the other. 
 They demurred again, and at length refolved to 
 carry us to Conftantinople, and proceed againil us 
 by way of juftlce, not doubting to mate good prize 
 of us on account of our being chriftians. Thus 
 was our journey toYenice interrupted for fome time 
 by this accident. 
 
 When we came t-o the port, AIdr/9et:r Gorlart got 
 leave to fend our cafe* to M.o,iJieiir Savlgni^ the 
 French P.eiident ; who found means to reprefeixt 
 to the Sultanefs^ Mother, that there v;as a ftranger 
 in chains, who pretended to Be the perfon who had 
 faved her life when fhe was at Grand Cairo, and 
 would give her proofs of it if he could be admitted 
 to her highnefs's prefence. I would not fend the 
 ring Ihe gave me for fear of accidents. The Sul- 
 taneds gave orders immediately, I ihould be brought 
 to her prefence; ; faying, flie fhouid eaiily know 
 the perfon, for all it was fo long ago. I put on the 
 fame kind of drefs I was in when fhe firll faw me, 
 which, if your reverences remember, was the tra- 
 velling drefs of the Mezoranians. When I was 
 brought into her prefence, I fcare knew her, being 
 advanced to a middle age, and in the attire of the 
 grand Sultancfs ; ihe looked at me v/ith a great deal 
 of emotion, and bid me approach nigher. I im- 
 mediately fell on my knees, and holding the ring in 
 my hand, which ihe gave me at parting, as if I were 
 makibg a prefent of it, madam, faid I, behold a (lave 
 who had the honour to fave your highnefs*s life, and 
 now begs his own and that of nis companions ; and 
 moH humbly requeilsyour highnefs to accept of this 
 jewel as a token of our lail diftrefs. InHead of an- 
 fwering m?, wdu:h put me in great pain, almofi 
 
 doufetini;;^ 
 
Sl&NOR GAtTDlLN'nC OI LtTCCA. CO3 
 
 4o'ubting whether I was right or not, fhe turned to 
 her nigheft attendants,and cried in a pretty foft voice, 
 *' It is he, I know him by his voice as well as drefs.** 
 and rifing off her feat, came and took the ringher- 
 i^lf; and looking attentively at it, ** Yes, fir,'' faid 
 fhe " I ov/n the ring and bearer ; and acknowledge 
 you to b€ the perfon who faved my life ; for which 
 reafon I give you yours, and all that belongs to you, 
 forbidding all under pain of death, to give you the 
 Icall trouble,** and withal 'ordered a prodigious rich 
 Turkifti robe to be thrown over my fhoulders, as a 
 fign of her favour. Immediate orders were fent to 
 the port to fet M.Gvfteur God art and all his crew a\: 
 liberty, and to feall us as particular friends of the 
 grand Sultanefs. 
 
 The company being difmifled, fhe made a fign 
 for me to flay, having further bufmefs with me. — 
 When all v;ere gone, but two of her chief favourite 
 women, flie came to me without any ceremony, and 
 taking me in her arms, as if I had been her brother, 
 fhe em^braced me with a great de-al of tcndernefs ; 
 her joy to fee me, making her lay afide her gran- 
 deur, and yield to the tranfport of undifguifed na- 
 ture. She led me by the hand into a moll magnifi- 
 cent apartment, faying, *' come, Signer Gaudentio^ 
 for fol think you are called, after you have refrefhed 
 yourfelf, you fliall tell me your adventures.** She 
 made no fcruple to fit down v/ith me, teing now net 
 only miflrefs of herfelf, but of the wh-ole Ottoman 
 empire, as well as fure of her attendants We had 
 a refrefhment of all the rarities of the eafl, with the 
 richeft wines for me, though fhe drank none herfelf. 
 " I long to hear your adventures*' continued fhe '* of 
 fo many years abfence.*' So I told her in fhort, how I 
 was carried by that Urange merchant into an un- 
 known country, without telling her the way w^e Vv'ent 
 tliither; wherv^^ I hadmarried the Regent's daughter. 
 She bluflied a little at that part, and flicwcd the re- 
 mains 
 
204 Tki: M E mo I R S bi 
 
 niairiS of all her former beauty. But it put me in 
 mind of my own indlfcretion to touch on fo nice a 
 point. She pafTed it off with a great deal of good- 
 riefs ; and recovering myfelf, I continued to acquaint 
 her of the reafons of my return, as well as how I was 
 taken by Ilamets the firll time, which fhe had not 
 been acquainted with before ; and laftly, hov/ I met 
 with the fame Hamets again, killed him, and by that 
 means came into that misfortune. I called it then 
 a misfortune, but look upon now to be one of my 
 greatefl happinefTes, fince, by that occafion, I have 
 the honor of feeing your highnefs in that dignity, 
 of which you are the m.oft worthy of any one in all 
 the Ottoman empire. She feemed to be in admira- 
 tion at the courfe of my life, and afked me, " I think 
 iignor," faid fhe " you faid you were married ; is 
 your fpoufe with you ?'* No, madam, faid I, alas ! 
 llie is dead, and all my children, and I am going to 
 xetire and lead a private life in my native country. 
 
 With thefe and other difccurfes we pafTed the 
 greatcfl part of the day, when fhe bid me go back 
 to the fhip in public, attended with all the marks of 
 her high favours ; but faid, fhe would fend for me 
 prtvately in the evening, " for'* faid fhe " I have 
 u ihoufand other things to afk you."" 
 
 Accordinrfy I was introduced privately into the 
 -^eraglio •, which G^^, being Sultanefs Regent, could 
 eafily have done. There fhe entirely laid afide her 
 grandeur. We talked all former pafTages over again, 
 with the freedom of friends and old acquaintances; 
 .vhere, in our converfation, I found fhe was a wo- 
 man of prodigious depth and judgment, as indeed 
 Eer wading through fo many diilicukies, attending 
 the inconflancy of the Ottoman court, particularly 
 the regency, gave evident proof. I m.ade bold to 
 rfk her, how fhe arrived at that dignity, though fhe 
 vras the only perfon in the woild that defewed it ; 
 arid tcck the liberty to fay, in a familiar way, that 
 
 I believed 
 
SiGNOH Gaujdektio di LuOca. 205 
 
 i believed her highnefs was now fenlible of tKe for- 
 Vice I did her, in refufmg to comply with her for- 
 mer demands, lince the fates had referved her to be 
 the greatefh emprefs of the world, not the conforf: 
 of a wandering flave. Had I not been entirely af- 
 fured of her goodnefs, I fhouid not have dared to 
 have touched. on that head. She bliifhed with a 
 little confufion at iiril, but putting it off with a 
 grave air, fhe faid " grandeur does not always make 
 people happy. Ten thoufand cares attend a crown *, 
 but the indifference I had for all things, made mine 
 fit eafier than it might have done otherwife. It is 
 true" faid fhe ** tliat young people very feldom fee 
 their own good, and oftentimes run into fuch errorsj 
 hy the violence of their pafiions, vi^hich not only 
 deprives them of greater blelUngs, but renders their 
 misfortunes irretrievable. Some time after you were 
 gone" continued fhe " my father, the grand BaiTa, 
 T/as accufed by fome underhand enemies of male-ad- 
 inlniftration, a thing too frequent in our court, and 
 privately condemned to be flrangled ; but having 
 ibme trufly friends of the port, he had notice of it 
 before the orders cam.e. lie immediately departed 
 fromGrandCairo, and took a round-about Vv^ay to- 
 wards Confiantinople, to prevent, as the way is, the 
 execution of them. He fent rne before to prepare 
 matters, and to intercede with the young Sultan, my 
 32te deceafed lord, for his life ; leaving word where 
 1 might let him know of the fuccefs of my intercef- 
 . fion. I prefented myfelf before the Sultan, wit!i 
 that modefl alTurance which my innocence, my yotu\ 
 rUid grief for my father^s danger gave me. I fc-i 
 dov/n on my knees, and with a flood of tears beggsi 
 my father's life. The Sultan looked at me with 
 iome amasemerxi, and v.'hatever he faw in my face, 
 not only granted my requeH, and confirmed my fa- 
 ther in his former pcfl, but made a prof^fiion of 
 lov£ to my perfor: : ard even €ontim<cd it wiih more 
 V caiifiaucTj 
 
2c6 The memoirs of 
 
 conftancy than I thought a grand Sultan capable 
 of, having fo man/ exquilite beauties to divert him, 
 as they generally have. I confented, to fave iiiy fa- 
 ther's life ; and whether the indifference I had for 
 all men made him more eager, I cannot tell ; but I 
 found I was the chief in his favour. He had fome 
 other miilrefTes now and then, of whom he was very 
 fond ; but I never teizing him, nor fretting myfelf 
 about it, eafily found I continued to have the lolid 
 part of his friendfhip ; and bringing him the firft 
 male child, the prefent emperor, I became the chief 
 Sultanefs ; and by his death and the minority of my 
 fon, am now Regent ; by which I am capable of 
 Tendering you all the fervice the Ottoman empire 
 can perform, which I eileem one of the happiell 
 events of my life."" 
 
 I returned her the moft profound bow and hum- 
 ble thanks a heart full of the moft lively fenfe of 
 gratitude could pofTefs. She offered me the firft 
 poft of the Ottoman emj^ire, if I would but become 
 a mulTulman, or only fo in appearance. ** Or if," 
 fiiid fbe " you had rather be nigh me, you fliall be 
 the chief ofiicer of my houfhold. Though*' faid 
 Jhe " I have had affurance enough that neither your 
 inclinations nor principles can be forced, neither will 
 I endeavour to do it, but leave you as much at your 
 own. liberty, as your generous mailer did when he 
 bought you of Hamets." I expreffed all the grate- 
 ful acknowledgments poilible for fo generous an 
 offer, but afTured her with an air that even expref- 
 fed forrow for the refufal, that I lay under religious 
 obligations, which bound me indifpenfably to return 
 into my own country. 
 
 She was become nov/ as m^ch miflrefs of her in- 
 clinations, as fhe had acquired prudence and expe 
 rience by the long command Ihe had over her huf- 
 band's heart and the whole Ottoman empire. So, 
 rJ'ter a month's flay fne let me go, with all the 
 marks of honor her dignity would faffcr her to ex- 
 
 prefs. 
 
S'IGMOR■G'AUDE^^TIO Dl LuCGA. lO'f 
 
 prefs. She would have pimiflied the perfons that 
 took us, but I interceded for them. ^AriTjftsirr Go- 
 dart^ who was well rewarded for the iofs of his 
 time and confinement, can teilif/ the truth of this 
 hiftory. The lafl words fhe faid to me, were 
 to bid me remember, that a turlr and a woman were 
 capable of generous gratitude and honor as well as 
 chriflians. So we fet fail for Venice. 
 
 Secretary. — .Here6ne of the irjquiiitors came 
 in with a gold medal in his hand, and turning to the 
 esaminant, faid» " Signor GdiiderJio^ I believe you 
 have found a relation in Italy as well as in Africa > 
 and one of the fame nation vath your mother. It 
 is the Perfian lad/ you brought vyvCn you, whom 
 we fecured the fame time wo. did you, but would 
 not let you Irnov/ it till v/e could procure intelli- 
 gence from Venice, and a perfon who could fpeak 
 the Perfian language. We own v/e find her in the 
 fame ftory v/ith you^ and nothing material againlc 
 you from Venice. Upon the examining her efrefis, 
 we found this medal of the fame make with yours, by 
 which yci? knew who your m-Othcr was. She fays 
 it was about her neck when fhe v/as fold to the Per- 
 iian merchant. But fince we fhall give you both 
 jour liberties in a fhort time, fhe fiiall be brought 
 into you, and we give you leave to fay what you 
 
 ills, 
 
 will tpi her, with the interpreter by. Upon 
 the lady was introduced with her maid and the in- 
 terpreter. As foon as fhe fav/ our examinant in good 
 health, and feemingly at liberty, a joyful ferenity 
 fpread itfelf over her countenance, fbch as we had 
 not feen before. Our examinant afi>j:ed her, to be 
 pleafed to give an account of her life, fo far as fhe 
 thought proper, and hov/ fhe came by that meial. 
 
 Lady. — " All I know of myfelf,'' faid fhe " is 
 
 that the nofble Curd who bought me of a Perlian 
 
 xnerchant, for a compa ^ion for his only daughter, 
 
 about my own age, whom he thought I refembled 
 
 U 2 very 
 
20§ The memoirs o? 
 
 v^ry much, often declared to me, that the merchant 
 bought me of a Turkiih woman, who left that me- 
 dal about my neci^, fuppoiing it to be feme cbarm 
 or prefervative againft diftemp^ers, or becaufe a lif- 
 ter of mine had the fame faitened about her neck 
 •with a gold chain, which could not be taken o:^ 
 without breaking; but who, or where the iiiler was, 
 I never knew. 
 
 The ncble Curdifii lord, Vv^ho bought me, grev/ 
 prodigious fond of me, and bred me up as another 
 daughter ; and not only fo, but having an only fon, 
 fomething older than myfelf, he connived at a grovv-- 
 ing love he perceived between his fon and nlyftif ; 
 which, after forne diiSculties on both iides^, at length 
 came to a marriage, though it cofc my generous be- 
 nefad'or ?.nd father-in-lav/ his life ; for, another 
 young lord of Curdiilan, falling in love with me, 
 often challenged prince Calz, that was my dear huf- 
 band*s name, to decide their pretenfions by the fword, 
 which I had always forbid him to do ; faying, that 
 man fhould never be my hufoand who expofed my re- 
 putation by a duel-, fince the w^orld would leaver be- 
 lieve, that any man would expofe Lis life for a v/cmaiis 
 unlefs there had been iorne encouragement P'iven on 
 both fides ; whereas I never gave the leaii to any but 
 prince CalL However, the other met him one day, 
 and attacked him fo furioufly, that prince Call v/as 
 iorced to kill him in his own defence, making a thou - 
 land p:'otei;aiion;-: that he had a 1 moil iufFered'himfelf; 
 to be k^jled rather than to diibbey my orders- But 
 the father cf the prince, vjho Wcis llain v/iih a com- 
 pany of afTafTms, laid an ambufcade for prince Call 
 a?;:d his father, in which this latter' V7zs killed- and 
 Kioft of his train ; but by the valour of his fon and 
 two of his companior.s, the chief afiaflins vrere laid 
 .dead on the fpot and the igit put to ilight. But; 
 prince Cali^, after the dcat*i of his father, fearing 
 further treachery of that nature, prefently after wa 
 ■V7er« marriedj removed to another pan of the king- 
 dom, 
 
dom, from whence he being fent on a commiflion 
 by his king, he was inhumanly murdered by the bar- 
 barous Hamets^ 
 
 This is the fum of my unfortunate life, till I had 
 the good fortune to fave yours/' 
 
 Secretary. — We permitted the nephew and the 
 aunt (for {o they were found to be by the meH^al) 
 to embrace one another. SrgnGv Gaiidentio ai- 
 Turing her, that by all appearance, he was the fon 
 of her liiler, and the mother's iiiler that was loH, 
 and both of them preferved to fave each other's lives. 
 The lady then delared, Ihe would turn chriilian, 
 fince her misfortunes were come to that period. She 
 w^as refoived to leave the world and retire into feme 
 of our monalleries. We put her among the nuns of 
 our order, where fhe promifes to be a iignal exam- 
 ple of virtue and piety. 
 
 The inquifitors ordered the examinant to give 
 them the rem.aining part of his life, v;hich, in all 
 appearance, if they fcund his ftory to agree udth 
 their informations, might purchafe him his liberty. 
 
 Gaudentio. — I w^as telling your reverences that 
 at length v/e fet fail from the port, and fleered our 
 courfe diredlly for Venice, where we happily ar- 
 rived v/ithout any confiderable accident, the loth 
 of December, Ann. Dom. 1712 I do not queftion 
 but your re\^erences are already informed, that fuch 
 perfons did arrive at Venice about that time. Mon-- 
 Jieur Godart is well known to feveral m.erchants and 
 fome of the fenanors of that famous city, whom he 
 inform-ed of what he faw wdth his own eyes. But 
 there w^ere fome particular paiTages unhn-own to. 
 your reverences, wherein I had like to have made 
 Shipwreck of my life after fo many dangers, as I did 
 here of my liberty ; thijugh I do not complain, but 
 only reprefent my hard- fortune to your revereiirf'i 
 coniideration* It happened to be the carnival tim2 
 during our Hay at Venice. Curioiity Ted mc, as. vveli 
 
 u 3 
 
^10 Tut memoirs -ot 
 
 as a great many other fcran^^ers of the firll rank,,tD 
 fe the nature of it. I put on my Mezoranian ha- 
 bit, fpangled with funs of gold, and the fiiiet-crown, 
 • on my head, adorned with feveral jewels of very great 
 value, which I believe was the moit remarkable 
 and magniiicent drefs of any there. I went unmaf- 
 qu^:d,:being aiTured my face and perfon was unknown 
 to all that world. Every one's eyes were upon m<§. 
 ^e eral of the mafqueraders came up to me and talk- 
 ed to me, particularly the ladies. They fpoke-to me 
 In feveral languages, asLatin, French, Italian, Spa- 
 niih, High- Dutch, &c. I anfwered them all in the 
 Mezoranian language, which feemed as ftrange to 
 them, as my drefs. Some of them fpoke to me in the 
 Turkifh and Perfian language, in Lingua Franca, 
 2nd fome in an Indian language I really did not un- 
 . • • \ r:d« I anfwered them fhiil in the Mezoranian, 
 -.1 .. hich.x^o body knev/ one W'ord. Two ladies par- 
 ticularly, very richly dreiTed, followed me wherever 
 I wcnC- The. one, as it proved afterwards, v/as Fa^ 
 laz'la^ the celebrated courtefan, in ihe richeft drefs 
 of all the cojnpany ; the other w^as the lady who 
 was with me when I was taken up, and was 
 the occafion of my fettling st Bologna. I mean the 
 true reafon, for I will conceal nothing from your 
 T€verences. Notwithfbanding their,. diligence, I got 
 away unknow^n at that time. The next time I came 
 .1 appeared in the fame d-efs, but with richer jewels. 
 I had more eyes upon me then, than I had before. 
 The courtefan purfued me again in a different but 
 richer drefs than the. former. At length fhe get 
 me by myfelf, and pulling off her mafqae, ihewed 
 me a v/onderfui pretty face, only there wrs too iierce 
 an affurance in it. She cried in Italiar), *' O iignor, 
 you are not fo ignorant of our language as ycu would 
 ft^em to be ! You can fpeak Italian and French too. 
 Though we don*t know who you arc, we have 
 karned you are a man of honor. If yon wcakl not 
 
 undeTiland 
 
St^NOR Ga'JDENTIO DI LuCCxi. 211 
 
 ^nderfiand our words, you mav underhand a face, 
 Tvhich very great perfonages have been glad to lock 
 at/' and with that put on one of the moft enfnar- 
 ing airs I ever faw. I don't doubt but your re- 
 verences have heard of that famous courtefan, and 
 how the greatell man in Venice was once her flave. 
 I v/as juil going to anfvv^er her when the other lady 
 came up, and pulling off her mafque alfo, faid 
 alrnofl the fame things, but with a modeily more 
 graceful than her beauty, which was moil exquifite,.. 
 and the likeft the incomparable IJiphena I ever faw. 
 I made them both a moil refpedfui bow, and told 
 them, that it had been much fafer for me if I had 
 Icept myfelf Hill unknown, and never feen iuch dan- 
 gerous charms. I pronounced thefe words with an 
 air, that fhewed I was more pleafed with the mo- 
 A^SS.j of the laft lady, than the commanding aflur- 
 ance of the firil. The courtefan,. though a little- 
 Toettled atthepreferencefhe thought I gave the other, 
 put onamoreferious air, and faid, ilie had been in- 
 formed there was fomething very extraordinary in 
 my character, and ihouid be glad to hear more of it 
 by herfeif -, that her name wdi^Fa'villa^ and that fhe 
 lived in fuch a flreet, where I Ihould find her houfe 
 remarkable enough. The Bolognian lady, whom 
 your reverences knew very weii, and Vvho was then 
 at Venice on account of the death of her uncle, one 
 of the fenators, who had left her all his effeifls, faid 
 modeftly, if I ihould favour her with a viiit, as ilie 
 had been informed that I v/as a learned m.an, and a 
 vir tuoio, fhe being inclined that way herfeif, fhe 
 fhould be glad of an hour's converfation with me 
 on that fubje^fl ; telling me her name and where fhe 
 lived -, adding, if I would inform myfelf of her cha- 
 radler, I need not be afliamed of her acquaintance^ ; 
 ** nor I hope of mine, madam,'' fays the other, think- 
 ing fhe had been rfjtlected on by that word. It was 
 Mo7l/hur Godart who, with a kviiy peculiar to his 
 
 nation, 
 
212 Ths memoirs of 
 
 nation, had made the difcovery who I was, though 
 he knew nothing of me but what pafled iince I came 
 from Grand Cairo. I was going to repij to the 
 ladies, when company came up and broke cfF the 
 difcourfe. I was refolved to fee neither of them, 
 and would go no more to the afTembly, though al- 
 moR unavoidably I law both afterwards. I enquired 
 into Fwvillah charader, though I fcarce doubted of 
 it by w hat I faw and heard ; and was informed, that 
 ihe was an imperious courtefan, who had enllaved' 
 feveral perfons of the firft rank, of different nations, 
 and enriched herfelf by their fpoils ; fo 1 was fully 
 refolved not to fee her ; but as Morjfteur Godart and 
 myfelf were w^alking to fee the tov7n, he brought 
 me either induftiiouily or accidentally by her doer ; 
 ihe was fitting at the window of one of the moft 
 magnificent palaces in Venice, fuch fpoils had fhe 
 reaped from her bewitched lovers. As foon as fhe 
 fpied me, fhe fent a fervant to tell me, that that lady 
 would ipeah with me. I made fome difficulty, but 
 M.on/ieur Godart told mv?, a man of honor could not 
 refufe fuch a favour as that ; fo I went in and Mon- 
 fidur Godart w^ith me. The lady received me with 
 a moil charming agreeable air, much different from 
 her former afTurance, and condufled me into a moll 
 magnificent apartment, leaving NLovfteur Godart en- 
 tertaining a very pretty lady, her companion. Not 
 to detain your reverences too long, when I would 
 not underftand what fhe meant, fhe offered me mar- 
 riage, with the inheritance of all her efPefls ; I was- 
 put to the lail nonplus. I afTured her with a moft 
 profound bow, that though I was not w^orthy of 
 fuch a happinefs, I had an indifpenfable obligation 
 on me never to marry. All the blood fhe had came 
 ii> her face. I don't know what flic v/as going to 
 do, but finding her in thtitdifortler, I made another 
 bow, fb^7n<7 I wouh' cc::/i:':^ ■Tur.hcr en h*:r pro- 
 
SiGNOis. Gaudentio di Lucca. 213 
 
 pofal, and walked diredlly out of the houfe, defign- 
 ing to leave Venice as ibon as ever my affairs would 
 give me leave. 
 
 Some time after Monjteur Goclart came to me 
 and told me, he was forced to do as I did; that 
 the lady was in fuch an outrageous fury he did not 
 know what might be the confequence. Three nights 
 after ^sMQ-JumGodart, and a young kinfman oi his 
 and myfelf, were going towards the Rialto in the 
 dufk of the evening, four ruilians attacked us una- 
 wares •, two of them fet upon me, the other tVv^o at- 
 tacked Movjieur Godurt and his kinfman ; the poor 
 young gentleman was run through the body the iirll 
 pufh ; I made fhift to difable one of my adverfaries, 
 but in doing it, the other run me through the ribs, 
 but the i'word took only part of my body, and mif- 
 iing my entrails, the point went out on the lide of 
 my back. Morfteur Godan\ who to give him his 
 due, behaved himfelf with a great deal of courage 
 and bravery, had killed one of his men and wounded 
 the other ; bat the ruffians feeing us now two to 
 two, thought ^t to march off as well as they could*. 
 I was forced to be led to- my lodging, not doubting 
 but the v/ound v/as mortal, though it proved not to 
 be i^o. The aff^air made a great noife about 
 town. We very rationally fuppofed it was Favilla^ 
 who had fct the afn-iirLiis on, but we knew her to be 
 fo powerful v;ith the fenators, that there was no. 
 hopes of jufcice. 
 
 While I v;as recovering, I was told there w^as a 
 lady, Vvdth two waiting wom^n, dsfired to fse me ^ii 
 very earneil bulinefs, if it would not be incommo- 
 dious to me. (Monjhur Godari Vv^ould not ilir from 
 my bed-iide for iear of accidents) Who fhouM this 
 be but Famlla^ who came ail in mourning for my 
 m'sfoitune. I pretended to be a dying m.an, and 
 took the liberty of telling her of her way of living ; 
 to what '^ aifmal pals her paifions had brought her ; 
 
214 The memoirs of 
 
 in fine, I faid fo much, and begged her by all that 
 was dear to her to conlider her ftate, that burfting 
 into a flood of tears, fhe promifed me if I died, fhe 
 would become a penitent nun. I eifedied fo much 
 hy letters afterwards, that though I recovered, Ihe 
 performed her promife. 
 
 TheBelognian lady had heard of my misfortune, 
 and by a goodnefs peculiar to the tende; fax, particu- 
 larly with regard to ft rangers, fhe fent often to l^now 
 how I did, with prefents of the richeft cordials that 
 could be got in Venice. Finding my iilnefs con- 
 tinued longer than was expe(5led, ihe fent me word, 
 that though it was not fo decent for her to niake the 
 firll vifit, ihe had heard fo much of my adv entures, 
 as very much raifed her curiofity to hear them from 
 my own mouth, when I was capable of converfation 
 without doing me any prejudice. I had informed 
 myfelf of her characPcer from very good hands, fo 
 tint I was very curious to converfe with a perfon 
 of fo incomparable talents as I heard ihe was mil^ 
 trcfjj of. She was the only woman next to Iftphena, 
 and the great Baffa's dau.^hter I ever much liked in 
 my life. To fum up all in ihort, fhe came feveral 
 times to fee me, infomuch, that we contracted tlisj 
 ^noft virtuous friendfhip by our mucual incli.giatioa 
 to ieayning, and the fympathy of our tempers, as 
 ever pafTed between two perfons of different fexes. 
 It was on her account I refolved to fettle at Bologna ; 
 and having feme knov/ledge in nature and phyfic, 
 I took on me that character, to be the oftner in her 
 cC'rr»pany without fcr,iidnK We were neither of us 
 inclined to marry. She is one of the moil virtuous 
 women living ; and myfelf being advanced in years, 
 as we were entirely mailers of ourfelves, we thought 
 our innocent friendihip could be ofPeniive to no one. 
 What has iince pafTed iince I came to this town, I 
 do not doubt but your reverences are apprifed of. 
 This is a true and full account of my life hitherto. 
 
 Whatever 
 
SiGNOR GaUDENTIO 1)1 LuccA. ii$ 
 
 Whatever is blameable in it, I hope your reverences 
 will pardon, as I fubmit it entirely to your judg- 
 ments. 
 
 Secretaky. — x\s I had the honor to inform you 
 before, we enquired into all thefe fa(R:s, which 
 he faid happened to him in the company o^ Alonjieiir 
 Godurt, which finding to be true, we judged the refl 
 might be fo. We afked him if he would condu(fl 
 fome of our miffionaries to that ftrange country he 
 mentioned ; he told us he would, but not to trufi 
 him entirely, as not knov/ing what he might do 
 with them when he had them in unknown countries. 
 We thought fit to give him his liberty, firil to go 
 where he would, even out of Italy, with afTurances 
 if he came back of his own accord, we would fend 
 miffionaries along with him. He v/ent to Venice 
 and Genoa about his concerns, and is now come 
 back and with us, fo that we believe the man to be 
 really what he profeiTes himfeif to be. 
 
 THE END, 
 
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