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LA TR A V E L S THROUGH
IF government would but dimbifli that great difparity which exifts between the
nobles and the citizens, and at the fame time encourage trade, reward induftry, and
d i f t i n g u i f l i merit, it would foon be perceived that the provinces of Padua, Vicenza,
a n d Verona, would no longer contain the number of vagrants and worthlefs beings that
c o n t i n u a l l y infcft every corner of thofe cities, and which, of courfe, is the caufc of
f u c h frequent aiTafTmations.
I MUST, however, do juftice to the government of Venice, and acknowledge, that,
w i t h i n thefe few years, the profperity and happinefs of the people have been more
attended to, and the inhabitants lefs opprefied by immoderate taxes.
THE nobles alfo treat their vaffals wi t h greater lenity and indulgence than fornicrly;
and they begin to be convinced that virtuous and induftrious fubjects tend more towards
t h e profperity of a ftate, tliah the accumulated treafures of St. Mark, or even whole
armies formed of fervile and debilitated Haves.
THAT the wealth and profperity of a ftate naturally increafe, in proportion as the
p o v e r t y and indolence of each individual diminiih, is, at prefcnt, I believe, a truth
u n i v e r f a l l y acknowledged.
WINCKELMAN, in his Hiftoire de I'Art cheK les Anciens, chap. i. feft. iii. after
h a v i n g demonftrated that different climates influence the texture and features of the
3iuman body, adds, that " they alfo a f fef t their morals and their natural genius; which,
o f courfe, muft have the fame effeft on their activity and induftry." He has juftly
obferved, that " thofe two laft qualities, as wel l as their cuftoms and manners, depend
" in a great meafure on the form of government under which they live."
I AM, therefore, not fearful of aflerting, that this people, as well as moil of the
inhabitants of Italy, who have fo great a fliare of natural genius, and in general fo
l i t t l e erudition, fo much good-humour and hofpitality, and are at the fame time fo
c h o l e r i c and vindidive, are capable, by proper management, of equalling, or probably
furpalTmg, many of the European nations, were their form of government better adapted
t o their natural charafter.
IF thofe who arc at the head of the different States of which Italy is compofed,
w o u l d but corredt the numberlefs errors and abufes whi c h have crept into their different
forms of government, and enforce the laws which are cftabliihed for puiiiihing the
g u i l t y , without diftinciionj as'alfo by aboliihing thofe afylums that ferve as a kind of
fupport to the frequent afts of cruelty and murder which are fo common in many
parts of Italy; %vere they to encourage merit by fome mark of diftindion, and reward
t h e individual who might be induced to propofe any plan which woul d be of fervicc to
t h e State; or ered manufadories to keep the lower clafs of people continually
employed j
T H E RH^TIAN ALPS. 13
employed ; then might we Jiopc to fee thofe different States occupy that rank which
nature feems to have allotted for them among tlie different powers of Europe.
I MUST, however, allow that fomc of thofe Sovereigns have already begun to contribute
confiderably to the welfare of their fubjeds, by their new and judicious regulations, in
t h e adminiftration of juftice, by the defire of having their people properly inftruded,
and by offering every encouragement to merit and induftry.
H i s Sardinian Majefty and the grand Duke of Tufcany are convincing proofs of this
affertion : and it were greatly to be wifhed that their examples were followed by the reft
o f the Italian Princes.
THE city of Padua, or Patavium, is of great antiquity, as it can boaft of being prior to
Rome, w h o m ilie frequently aiTifted in the wars which that Republ i c had againft the Boii,
the Senones, and the Cenoniani.
MANY hiftorians, and among others Livy, who was born in that city, affirm
t h a t it was founded by Antenor, a Trojan Prince, after the deftrudion of Troy, four
hundred and thirty-nine years before the city of Rome ; which is alfo confirmed by
Martial, when he addrefles himfelf to Valerius Flaccus, a poet, and native of Padua, in
thefe words, " Antenorei fpes alumnp. laris" .... Bur uofhing can he more erroneous
than that affertion, fince there is every reafon to believe that it was founded by a King
o f Veneti , named Patavinus, as I am going to relate.
WHEN the Illyrean colonies, which may be divided into three different bodies, viz. the
Lyburnians, the Syculians, and the Heneti or Venet i , fled from Greece to eftablifli themfelves
in Italy; the Lyburnians were the firft who (as many authors report) entered the
country of Carniola, and Friuli ; but, being repulfed by the Euganians, they flickered
themfelves in that part of Italy which was afterwards called Magna Groecia, and which
n o w forms the kingdom of Naples, 8cc.
THE fécond body, which were the Syculians, inhabitants of the frontiers of Dalmatia,
entered Italy after the Lyburnians, and fettled in that part whi c h at prefent forms the
Pope's dominions ; and whof e people were kno%vn b y the name of Oepiqui, who cornpofed
t l ie league of the Sabins, the Latins, the iEnftrians, and the Samnitcs.
THE third body, which were the Veneti, eftablifhed themfelves to the north of the Po,
and, for a length of time, formed a feparate nation. They liad feveral wars to fuftain
againft the Cifalpine Gauls ; and there appears not the leaft doubt but that Padua owes
its foundation to one of their Kings, as I have already mentioned.
THE fplendor of tliat city was diminiflied in fome degree when Rome was at the
h e i g h t of her glory; but the decline of that ancient and noble Republic carrying with
i t nearly the deftrudion of all the cities o f Italy, Padua of courfe fliared the common fate.
THAT city, after having borne its ihare in the dcvaftations made by the Huns and
Lombards, who overwhelmed that beautiful country, obtained its liberty under the
D Emp e r o r