Magnificence of its Nobles and the Extent of its Commerce. The Doge is
only a Sumptuous kind of Puppet, the Real Government being vested in the
Seignory, or Council of Ten, that carry matters with a very High Hand,
but, on the whole, give Satisfaction both to the Quality and the Common.
Here are numbers of Priests of a very Free Life and Conversation, and
swarms of Monks that are notorious Evil-doers; for during the Carnival
(a very famous one here) they wear Masks, sing upon Stages, and fall
into many other Practices unbecoming their Profession. The Venetian Nuns
are the merriest in all Europe, and have a not much better Repute than
the Monks, many of them being the Daughters of the Nobility, who dispose
of 'em in this manner to save the Charges of keeping 'em at home. They
wear no Veils; have their Necks uncovered; and receive the Addresses of
Suitors at the Grates of their Parlours. The Patriarch did indeed at one
time essay to Reform the abuses that had crept into the Nunneries; but
the Ladies of San Giacomo, with whom he began, told him plainly that
they were Noble Venetians, and scorned his Regulations. Thereupon he
attempted to shut up their House, which so provoked 'em that they were
going to set Fire to it; but the Senate interposing, commanded the
Patriarch to desist, and these Merry Maidens had full liberty to resume
their Madcap Pranks.
Here they make excellent fine Drinking-glasses and Mirrors; likewise
Gold and Silver Stuffs, Turpentine, Cream of Tartar, and other articles.
The Streets mostly with Water running thro' 'em, like unto Rotterdam,
all going to and fro done in Boats called Gondoles,--a dismal,
Hearse-looking kind of Wherry, with a prow like the head of a Bass-Viol,
and rowed, or rather shoved along with a Pole by a Mad, Ragged Fellow,
that bawls out verses from Tasso, one of their Poets, as he plies his
Oar. The great Sight at Venice, after the Grand Canal and St. Mark's
Place, is the Carnival, which begins on Twelfth Day, and holds all Lent.
The Diversion of the Venetians is now all for Masquerading. Under a
Disguise, they break through their Natural Gravity, and fall heartily
into all the Follies and Extravagances of these occasions. With Operas,
Plays, and Gaming-Houses, they seem to forget all Habits, Customs, and
Laws; lay aside all cares of Business, and swamp all Distinctions of
Rank. This practice of Masking gives rise to a variety of Love
Adventures, of which the less said the better; for the Venetian Bona
Robas, or Corteggiane, as they call 'em now, are a most Artful
Generation. The pursuit of Amours is often accompanied by Broils and
Bloodshed; and Fiery Temper is not confined to the Men, but often breaks
out in the Weaker Sex; an instance of which I saw one day in St. Mark's
Place, where two Fine Women, Masked, that were Rivals for the favour of
the same Gallant, happening to meet, and by some means knowing one
another, they fell out, went to Cuffs, tore off each other's Mask, and
at last drew Knives out of their pockets, with which they Fought so
seriously, that one of them was left for Dead upon the Spot.
Another Frolic of the Carnival is Gaming, which is commonly in
Noblemen's Houses, where there are Tables for that purpose in ten or
twelve Rooms on a floor, and seldom without abundance of Company, who
are all Masked, and observe a profound Silence. Here one meets Ladies of
Pleasure cheek by jowl with Ladies of Quality, who, under the protection
of a convenient piece of Black Satin or Velvet, are allowed to enjoy the
entertainments of the Season; but are generally attended either by the
Husband or his Spies, who keep a watchful eye on their Behaviour.
Besides these Gaming-Rooms, there are others, where Sweetmeats, Wine,
Lemonade, and other Refreshments may be purchased, the Haughty Nobility
of Venice not disdaining to turn Tavern-keepers at this season of the
year. Here it is usual for Gentlemen to address the Ladies and employ
their wit and raillery; but they must take care to keep within the
bounds of Politeness, or they may draw upon themselves the Resentment of
the Husbands, who seldom put up with an Affront of this kind, though
perhaps only imaginary, without exacting a severe Satisfaction. For the
Common People there are Jugglers, Rope-dancers, Fortune-tellers, and
other Buffoons, who have stages in the Square of St. Mark, where, at all
times during the Carnival, 'tis almost impossible to pass along, owing
to the crowd of Masqueraders. Bull Baitings, Races of Gondoles, and
other Amusements, too tedious to enumerate, also take place. But among
the several Shows which attract the eyes of the Populace, I cannot
forbear describing one which is remarkable for its oddity, and perhaps
peculiar to the Venetians. A number of Men, by the help of Poles laid
across each other's Shoulders, build themselves up almost as children do
Cards--four or five Rows of 'em standing one above the other, and
lessening as they advance in height, till at last a little Boy forms
the Top, or Point, of the Structure. After they have stood in this
manner, to be gazed at, some time, the Boy leaps down into the arms of
people appointed to catch him at the Bottom; the rest follow his
example, and so the whole Pile falls to Pieces.
The Nobility of Venice are remarkable for their Persons as well as for
their Polite Behaviour, and have a great deal of Gravity and Wisdom in
their Countenances. They wear a light Cap with a kind of black Fringe,
and a long black Gown of Paduan Cloth, as their Laws require; though the
English have found means to introduce their Manufactures among 'em.
Underneath these Gowns they have suits of Silk; and are extremely neat
as to their Shoes and Stockings. Their Perukes are long, full-bottomed,
and very well Powdered; and they usually carry their Caps in their
Hands. The Women very well shaped, though they endeavour to improve
their Complexions with Washes and Paint. These of Quality wear such
high-heeled Shoes, that they can scarce walk without having two people
to support them. In matters of Religion (though their worship is as
pompous as Gold and Jewels can make it) the Venetians are very Easy and
Unconcerned; and neither Pope nor Inquisition is thought much of in the
Dominions of the Seignory. For Music in their Churches they have a
perfect Passion. The City is well furnished with Necessaries; but the
want of Cellarage makes all the Wine sour. The Inhabitants are of a
Fresh Complexion, and not much troubled with Coughs; which is strange,
they having so much Water about 'em. They begin their day at Sunset, and
count one o'clock an hour after, and so on to twenty-four; which is
likewise a Custom, I believe, among the Chineses.
They bury their Dead within the Four-and-Twenty Hours, and sometimes
sooner. The Funerals of Persons of Quality are performed with great Pomp
and Solemnity; and the deceased are carried to the Place of Interment
with their Faces bare. Whilst I was in Venice, their Patriarch (who is a
kind of Independent Pontiff in his own way; for, as I have said, they
reckon but little of his Holiness here) died, and was buried with this
Ceremony. He was carried in one of his own Coaches, by night, to St.
Mark's Church, which was all hung with Black for the occasion; and next
day the Corpse was laid on a Bed in the very middle of the Church,
dressed in the Sacerdotal Habit, with the Head towards the Choir, and
his Tiara, or Mitre, lying at the feet. At each corner of the bed stood
a _valet de chambre_, holding a Banner of Black Taffety, with the Arms
of the Deceased. A hundred large Wax Tapers were placed in Candlesticks
round the bed, and High Mass was sung; the Sopranos very beautiful.
After Mass was over, all retired; but the Body lay exposed till evening,
when it was stripped of its Vestments (for though a very Gorgeous
people, they are Economical in their ways), and put into a Leaden
Coffin, enclosed in another of Cypress, and was then let down into the
Grave. 'Tis not usual with the Relations to attend the Funeral, which
they look upon as a Barbarous Custom. But they wear Mourning longer and
more regularly than in many other countries. A woman in a Mourning Habit
appears Black from Head to Foot, not the least Bit of Linen being to be
seen.
The nature of my Employment now brought me into intimate Commerce with
Monsieur B----, a French Merchant of Lyons, who treated me with
extraordinary Civility, and made great Offers of being of Assistance to
me in my Voyage to Constantinople, whither I was now Bound. This
Gentleman, by means of the French Ambassador at the Porte, had gotten a
Firman, or passport, to enable him to Travel to that City, and with a
proper number of Attendants, through any part of the Turkish Dominions.
As 'tis inconvenient and dangerous Voyaging though the territories of
the Great Turk without such a Protection, nothing could be more
Agreeable than the offer he made me of his Company, the more so as his
Eminence had enjoined me to keep a Strict Watch upon every thing that M.
B---- said or did. He had designed to reach Constantinople by Land
through Bosnia, Servia, Bulgaria, and Roumania; yet, in compliance with
my Inclination (I wish my Inclination had been at the Deuce), which was
all for a Sea Passage, he consented to embark on board a Vessel bound to
Candia and other Islands of the Archipelago, from which we were to
procure a Passage to the Capital of the Ottoman Empire. What made this
Gentleman's Society more acceptable, was his thorough Knowledge of the
Trade of the Levant, and the Genius and Temper of the People. Thus, he
informed me of the Method of Dealing with Jews, Armenians, and Greeks;
of the Eastern manner of travelling in Caravans, and the necessary
precautions against such Accidents as are mostly fatal to Strangers; and
instructed me in the Art of concealing Things of Value,--although I
think I too could have given him a lesson in that Device,--and avoiding
those Snares which Governors, Military Officers, and Petty Princes make
use of in order to plunder Travellers and Merchants. Under these
favourable Auspices, we embarked, in the Autumn of '37, on board a
Trading Vessel called the _San Marco_, bound for Candia, but first for
Malta, so famous for its Order of Knights. A fine Gale at North-West
carried us pleasantly down the Gulf of Venice, or Adriatic Sea; and on
the fifth day we came in sight of Otranto, a Town destroyed by the Turks
nigh Three Hundred years ago, since which time it has hardly regained
its Ancient Lustre, but at present well Fortified, and defended by a
High Castle, which I have heard the Honourable Mr. Walpole, a Fine,
Lardy-Dardy, Maccaroni Gentleman, that lives at a place called
Strawberry Hill, by Twitnam, in England, has written a silly Romantic
Tale about. So we got clear of the Gulf of Venice, and in three days
more, after making Cape Passaro in Sicily, entered the Haven of Malta.
This is an Island that lies between Sicily and the Coast of Africa, and
is of an Egg-shaped figure, about twenty miles long and twelve broad.
The City of Malta is divided into three parts, which are properly so
many Rocks jutting out into the Sea, with large Harbours between them.
That called Valetta, in honour of the Grand Master who so gallantly
defended the place against the Turks, is extremely well Fortified, and
also defended by a Castle, held to be impregnable. The City contains
about Two Thousand Houses, well built with white Stone, and Flat-roofed,
surrounded by Rails and Balusters. On t'other side of the Harbour is
another City, formerly called Il Borgo, or the Borough, but now named
Citta Vittoriosa, alluding to the terrible Mauling the Turks got here in
1566. St. John's Church very handsome, and on one side of it a fine
Piazza, with a Fountain in the corner. Here are all the Tombs of the
Grand Masters, and a great many Flags taken from the Turks. The Right
Hand of St. John Baptist, wanting but Two Fingers, shown here for Money,
with many other Relics and Ornaments. The Grand Master lives in a
magnificent Palace; and close by is an Arsenal, with Arms for Thirty
Thousand Men.
The Treasury is a very stately Edifice; but what gives the highest Idea
of the Charity of this illustrious Order is their noble Hospital, where
all the Sick are received and provided for with the utmost Care. The
Rooms are large and commodious, and in each of them there are but two
Patients. Their Diet is brought to them in rich Silver Plate by the
Knights themselves, who are obliged to this attendance by their
Constitutions; and such an exact Decorum is observed, and every thing
performed with such Magnificence, that it raises the astonishment of
Strangers.
But if there be Charity and Benevolence for the Christian Sick, there is
little Mercy shown towards Infidels and Miscreants. The Prison for the
Slaves is an enormous Building, with a Colonnade running round it, and
capable of lodging three or four Thousand of those Unhappy People. There
are seldom less than Two Thousand in the House, except when the Galleys
of the Order are at Sea upon some Expedition. Then the poor Wretches are
Chained, Night and Day, to the Oar; but when on Shore they have only a
small Lock on their Ankles, like the slaves at Leghorn, and are
permitted to go to any part of the Island, from which they have seldom
an opportunity of making their Escape.
The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, commonly called
Knights of Malta, after removing from Jerusalem to Magrath, from thence
to Acre, and thence to Rhodes, were expelled from that Island by the
Sultan Solyman, having an Army of Three Hundred Thousand Men. The
Knights retired, first to Candia, and then to Sicily; but at last the
Emperor Charles the Fifth gave 'em the Island of Malta, which they hold
to this day. They formerly consisted of Eight Languages or Tongues,
according to their Different Nations, viz. those of Provence, Auvergne,
France, Italy, Arragon, Germany, Castile, and England; but this last one
has been extinct since our Harry the Eighth's time, and what English
Knights there be who are Papists are forced to find their Tongue where
they can. Each of the Languages has its Chiefs, who are also called
Pillars and Grand Crosses, being distinguished by a large White Cross
'broidered on their Breasts. The Seven Languages have their respective
Colleges and Halls in Malta, the Head of each House being called the
Grand Prior of his Nation; and to each belongs a certain number of his
Commanderies. The Knights, at their entrance into the Order, must prove
their Legitimacy, as well as Nobility, by four Descents, and are termed
Chevaliers by Right. Those who are raised to the rank of Nobles, for
some Valiant Exploit, are called Chevaliers by Favour. None are admitted
by the Statutes of the Order under the age of Sixteen; but some are
received from their very Infancy on paying a large Sum of Money, or by
Dispensation from the Pope. All the Knights oblige themselves to
Celibacy, which does not hinder their leading very Disorderly Lives; and
indeed Malta is full of Loose Cattle of all kinds. When they are
Professed, a Carpet is spread on the Ground, on which is set a Piece of
Bread, a Cup of Water, and a Naked Blade; and they are told, "This is
what Religion gives you. You must procure yourself the rest with your
Sword." The which they do, to a pretty considerable Tune, by spoiling of
the Turks. After they make their Vows, they wear a White Cross or Star,
with Eight Points, over their Cloaks or Coats, on the Left Side, which
is the proper Badge of their Order, the Golden Maltese Cross being only
an Ornament. The ordinary Habit of the Grand Master is a kind of
Cassock, open before, and tied about him with a Girdle, at which hangs a
Purse, alluding to the Charitable ends of their Order;--but 'tis not to
be denied that they have grown very Proud, and Live, many of 'em, in as
Shameful Luxury as the Prince Bishops of Germany. Over his Cassock the
Grand Master wears a Velvet Gown or Cloak when he goes to Church on
Solemn Festivals. He is addressed under the Title of Eminence by all the
Knights; but his Subjects of Malta, and the Neighbouring Islands, style
him Your Highness. As Sovereign, he coins Money, pardons Criminals, and
bestows the places of Grand Priors, Bailiffs, &c.; but in most cases of
importance is obliged to seek the advice of his Council, so that he is
not wholly Absolute. The Ecclesiastics proper of the Order--for the rest
are but Military Monks, that do a great deal more Fighting than Praying,
and savour much more of the Camp than of the Convent--are Chaplains,
Monastic Clerks, and Deacons. They likewise wear a White Cross, partake
of the Privileges of the Institution, and are great Rascals.
'Tis well known that the Knights of Malta are destined to the Profession
of Arms for the Defence of the Christian Faith, and the Protection of
Pilgrims of all Nations. It is to be observed, that there are also
Female Hospitallers of the Order of St. John, sometimes called
Chevalieres, or She-Knights, of equal Antiquity with the Knights, whose
business it is to take care of the Women Pilgrims in a Hospital apart
from that of the Men. As the Order look upon the Turks as the Great
Enemies of Christianity, they think themselves obliged to be in a state
of perpetual Hostility with that people, and, for Centuries, have never
so much as signed the preliminaries of a Peace with 'em. They have
performed innumerable and astonishing exploits against their much-hated
Enemies, the Insolence of whose Rovers they continue to Restrain and
Chastise, except when the Rovers, as sometimes happens, get the better
of 'em. They have Seven Galleys belonging to the Order, each of which
carries Five Hundred Men, and as many Wretches in Fetters tugging away
at the Oar, for Dear Life. Every one of these Galleys mounts Sixteen
Pieces of Heavy Artillery; and besides these they fit out a great many
Private Ships, by license from the Grand Master, to cruise up and down
among the Turks, doing great Havoc, and thereby growing very Rich. Thus
it will be plain to the Reader that a Knight of Malta is a kind of
Medley of Seaman, Swashbuckler, and Saint--Admiral Benbow, Field-Marshal
Wade, and Friar Tuck all rolled up into one.
I did become acquainted with one of these Holy Roystering Cavalieros,
by the name of Don Ercolo Amadeo Sparafucile di San Lorenzo, that was a
perfect Model of all these Characteristics. He Confessed with almost as
great regularity as he Sinned. The Chaplains must have held him as one
of the heartiest of Penitents; for he never came back from a Cruise
without a whole Sackful of Misdeeds, and straightway hied him to St.
John's Church, to fling his Sinful Ballast overboard and lighten ship.
How he swore! I never heard a man take the entrails of Alexander the
Great in vain before; but this was an ordinary expletive with Don
Ercolo. He belonged to the Italian Language, though I suspected he had a
dash of the Spanish in him; and many a Gay Bout over the choicest of
Wines have I had with him at his Inn, as their College-halls are
sometimes called. He could drink like a Fish, and fight like a Paladin.
He was a good Practical Sailor and Master of Navigation; Rode with ease
and dexterity; and was a Proficient in that most difficult trick of the
_Manege_, that of riding a horse _en Biais_, as the French term it, and
of which our Newcastle has learnedly treated; was an admirable Performer
on the Guitar and Viol di Gamba; Sung very sweetly; Fenced exquisitely;
must have been in his Youth (he was now about Sixty, and his Hair was
grizzled grey) as Beautiful as a Woman, as Graceful as my Sweet
Protectress Lilias, as Brave as the Cid, and as Cruel as Pedro of Spain.
As it is so long ago, and the Principal Parties in the Affair are all
Dead, I don't mind disclosing that my Instructions from his Eminence the
Cardinal were to Buy the Cavaliere di San Lorenzo at any Price. I told
him so plainly over a Flask of Right Alicant, at a little Feast I had
made for him in return for his many Hospitalities, and gave him to
understand that he had but to say the word, and Scroppa, the great
Goldsmith of Strada Reale, would be glad to cash his Draft for any Sum
under Fifty Thousand Ducats. For his Eminence wanted the Cavaliere to be
a Friend of France, and France at that time thought that she very much
wanted the Island of Malta.
Don Ercolo was not in the least angry; only, he Laughed in my Face.
"Chevalier Escarbotin," he said gaily, "you have mistaken your man. Tell
his Eminence the Cardinal de ---- that he may go and hang himself. I am
not to be bought. I am Rich to Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand ounces of
Gold, all got out of spoiling the Infidels. When I die, I shall leave
half to the Order, and half to the families of certain Poor Women
Creatures whom I have wronged, and who are Dead."
I said, to appease him, that I was but Joking.
"Ta, ta, ta!" retorts he. "I know your Trade well enough. I have been
too much among men not to be able to scent out a Spy. But you are a very
Jovial Fellow, Escarbotin; and I don't care what you are, so long as you
are not a Turk, which, by the way, I don't think you would mind
turning."
"O, Signore Cavaliere!"--I began to expostulate.
"What does it matter?" quoth Don Ercolo. "Does it matter anything at
all? Perhaps some of these days, when I am tired of the Eight Points, I
shall take the Turban myself."
"A Renegado!" I cried.
"Many a brave Gentleman has turned Renegado ere this," answered he.
"Next to the pleasure of Fighting the Turks, I should esteem the
condition of being a Turk myself, and fighting against the Order of
Malta. But I forgot. You are a Lutheran; although how you came to be a
Protestant, with that name of Escarbotin, I can't make out."
I murmured something about belonging to the Reformed Church at Geneva;
although I forgot that they were mostly Calvinists there, not Lutherans.
But of this Don Ercolo took little notice, and went on.
"When you write to the Cardinal, tell him that Ercolo Amadeo Sparafucile
di San Lorenzo is not to be purchased. The sly old Fox! He knows I have
great influence with my Uncle the Grand Master. Tell him that I am very
much obliged to him for his Offer, and thank him for old Acquaintance'
sake. Nay; I believe I am some kind of Kinsman of his Eminence, on the
Mother's side. But assure him that I am not in the least Angry with him.
If I were Poor, I should probably accept his Offer; but none of the Poor
Knights of our Order are worth Buying. It matters little to me whether
France, or Spain, or even Heretic England gets hold of this scorching
Rock, with its Swarms of Hussies and Rascals; only I prefer amusing
myself, and fighting the Turks, to meddling in Politics, and running the
risk of a life-long dungeon in the Castle of St. Elmo."
There was a long Silence after this, and he seemed plunged in profound
Meditation. Suddenly he fills a Cup with Wine, drains it, and, in his
old careless manner, says to me,
"Tell him this--be sure to tell him, lest he should be at the trouble of
sending Emissaries to Poison me--I have the best Antidote of any in the
Levant, and shall take three drops of it after every Bite and Sup for
Six Months to come. Not that I dread you. All Spy as you are, you still
look like an Honest Fellow. _You_ would not poison an old Friend, would
you, Little JACK DANGEROUS?"
I started to my feet, and stared at the grizzled, handsome Knight in
blank amazement. We had been conversing in the French tongue; but the
latter part of his Speech he had uttered in mine own English, and with a
faultless accent. Moreover, where before had I heard that Voice, had I
seen that Face? My Memory rolled back over the hills and valleys of
years; but the Mountains were too high, and the Recesses behind them
inaccessible without Mental Climbing, for which I was not prepared.
"Little Jack Dangerous," continued the grizzled Knight, "where have you
been these Seven-and-thirty Years? When I knew you first, you were but a
poor little Runaway Schoolboy, and I was a Tearing Fellow in the Flush
and Pride of my hot Youth."
"A Runaway Schoolboy!" I stammered.
"Ay! had you not fled from the Tyranny of one Gnawbit?"
"I remember Gnawbit well," I answered, with a shudder.
"Do you remember Charlwood Chase, and the Blacks that were wont to kill
Venison there?"
"I do."
"And Mother Drum, and Cicely, and Jowler, and the Night Attack, and how
near you were being hanged? Do you remember Captain Night?"