Ut fera quæ nuper montes amifit avitos, - So rushes on his foe the grifly Bear, That, banish'd from the hills and bushy brakes, His angry keeper goads him to the fight. Scar'd with the mighty croud's promifcuous found; Then rearing on his hinder paws retires, And the vast hiffing multitude admires. In. Ruf. L. 2... There are fome other antiquities in Verona, of which the principal is the ruine of a triumphal arch erected to Flaminius, where one fees old Doric Pillars without any pedestal or bafis, as Vitruvius has defcribed them. I have not yet feen any gardens in Italy worth taking notice of. The Italians fall as far fhort of the French in this particular, as they excel them in their palaces. It must however be said, to the honour of the Italians, that the French took from them the firft plans of their gardens, as well as of their water-works; fo that their furpafling of them at prefent is to be attributed rather to the greatness of their riches, than the excellence of their tafte. I faw the terrace-garden of Verona, that travellers generally mention. Among the churches of Verona, that of St. George is the handfomeft: Its chief ornament is the martyrdom of the Saint, drawn by Paul Veronefe; as there are many other pictures about the town by the fame hand. A ftranger is always fhown the Tomb of Pope Lucius, who lyes buried in the dome. I faw in the fame church a monument erected by the publick to one of their Bishops: The infcription fays, that there was between him and his maker, Summa Neceffitudo, Summa Similitudo. The Italian epitaphs are often more extravagant than those of other countries, as the nation is more given to compliment and hyperbole. From Verona to Padua we travelled through a very pleafant country: It is planted thick with rows of white Mulberry-trees, that furnish food for great quantities of Silk-worms with their leaves, as the Swine and Poultry confume the fruit. The trees themfelves ferve, at the the same time, as so many stays for their Vines, which hang all along like garlands from tree to tree. Between the feveral ranges lye fields of corn, which in these warm countries ripens much better among the mulberry fhades, than if it were expofed to the open fun. This was one reason why the inhabitants of this country, when I paffed through it, were extremely apprehenfive of feeing Lombardy the feat of war, which must have made miferable havock among their plantations; for it is not here as in the corn fields of Flanders, where the whole product of the place rifes from year to year. We arrived fo late at Vicenza, that we had not time to take a full fight of the place. The next day brought us to Padua. St. Anthony, who lived above five hundred years ago, is the great Saint to whom they here pay their devotions. He lyes buried in the church that is dedicated to him at prefent, though it was formerly confecrated to the bleffed Virgin. It is extremely magnificent, and very richly adorned. There are narrow clefts in the monument that ftands over him, where good Catholicks rub their beads, and smell his bones, which they fay have in them a natural perfume, though very like apoplectic balfom; and what would make one fufpect that they rub the marble with it, it is observed that the fcent is stronger in the morning than at night. There are abundance of infcriptions and pictures hung up by his Votaries in feveral parts of the church: For it is the way of those that are in any fignal danger to implore his aid, and if they come off fafe they call their deliverance a miracle, and perhaps hang up the picture or defcription of it in the church. This custom spoils the beauty of several Roman Catholick churches, and often covers the walls with wretched daubings, impertinent infcriptions, hands, legs, and arms of wax, with a thousand idle offerings of the fame nature. They fell at Padua the life of St. Anthony, which is read with great devotion; the most remarkable part of it is his difcourfe to an affembly of fish. As the audience and fermon are both very extraordinary, I will fet down the whole paffage at length. Non curando gli Heretici il fuo parlare, egli fi come era alla riva del mare, dove sbocca il fiume Marecchia, chiamò da parte di Dio li pefci, che veniffero à fentir la fua fanta parola. Et ecco che di fubito Sopra acque nuotando gran moltitudine di varii, et diverfi pefci, e del mare, e del fiume, fi unirono tutti, fecondo le fpecie loro, e con bell ordine, quafi che di ragion capaci ftati foffero, attenti, e cheti con gratiofo Spettacolo s'accommodaro per fentir la parola di Dio. Ciò veduto il fanto entro al cuor fuo di dolcezza ftillandofi, et per altretanta maraviglia inarcando le cra, le ciglia, della obedientia di queste irragionevoli creature così cominciò. loro à parlare. Se bene in tutte le cofe create (cari, et amati pesci) fi. fcuopre la potenza, et providenza infinita di Dio, come nel Cielo, nel Sole, nella Luna, nelle Stelle, in quefto mondo inferiore, nel buomo, e nelle altre creature perfette, nondimeno in Voi particolarmente lampeggia e riSplende la bontà della maestà divina; perche fe bene fiete chiamati Rettili, mezzi frà pietre, e bruti, confinati nelli profondi abiffi delle ondeggiante acque: agitati fempre da flutti: moffi fempre da procelle; fordi al udire, mutoli al parlare, et horridi al vedere; con tutto ciò in Voi maravigliosamente fi fcorge la Divina grandezza; e da voi fi cavano li maggiori mifterii della bontà di Dio, ne mai fi parla di voi nella fcrittura fache non vi fia afcofto qualche profondo Sacramento; Credete voi, che fia fenza grandiffimo mifterio, che il primo dono fatto dall' onnipotente Iddio all buomo foffe di voi Pefci? Credete, voi che non fia mifterio in questo, che di tutte le creature, e di tutti gl' animali fi fien fatti facrificii, eccetto, che di voi Pefci? Credete, che non vi fia qualche fecreto in questo, che Chrifto noftro falvatore dall' agnelo pafquale in poi, fi compiacque tanto del cibo di voi pefci? Credete, che fia à cafo questo, che dovendo il Redentor del mondo, pagar, come huomo, il cenfo à Cefare la voleffe trovare nella bocca di un pefce? Tutti, tutti sono mifteri è Sacramenti: perciò fiete particolarmente obligati a lodare il vostro Creatore: amati pefci di Dio havete ricevuto l'effere, la vita, il moto, e'l fenfo; per ftanza vi hà dato il liquido elemento dell' Acqua, fecondo che alla voftra naturale inclinatione conviene: ivi bà fatti ampliffimi alberghi, ftanze, caverne, grotte, e fecreti luogi à voi più che fale Regie, e regal Palazzi, cari, e grati; et per propria fede havete l'acqua, elemento diafano, transparente, e sempre lucido quafi cristallo, e verro; et dalle più baffe, e profonde vostre ftanze fcorgete ciò che sopra acqua ò fi fa, ò nuota; havete gli occhi quafi ar Lince, è di Argo, et da caufa non errante guidati, feguite ciò che vi giova, et aggrada; et fuggite ciò che vi nuoce, havete natural defio di confervarvi fecondo le spetie vostre, fafe, oprate et caminate ove natura vi detta fenza contraftro alcuno; nè algor d'inverno, nè calor di ftate vi offende, ò nuoce ; fiafi per fereno, ò turbato il cielo, che alli voftri humidi alberghi nè frutto, nè danno apporta; siasi pure abbondevole de fuoi tefori, ò fcarfa de fuoi frutti la terra, che a voi nulla giova; piova, tuoni, faetti, lampaggi, è subiffi il mondo, che a voi ciò poco importa; verdeggi primavera, fcaldi la ftate, fruttifichi l'Autunno, et affideri li inverno, questo non vi rileva punto: ne trappaffar del bore nè correr de giorni, nè volar de mefi, ne fuggir d'anni, ne mutar de tempi, ne cangiar de ftagioni vi dan penfiero alcuno, ma ma fempre ficura, et tranquilla vita lietamente vivere: O quanto, o quanto grande la Maefta di Dio in voi fi fcuopre, O quanto mirabile la potenza fua; O quanto ftupenda, et maravigliofa fua providenza; poi che frà tutte le creature dell' univerfo voi folo non fentifti il diluvio univerfale dell' acque; nè provasti i danni, che egli face al monde; e tutto questo. ch' io ho detto dovrebbe muovervi à lodar Dio, à ringratiare fua divina maeftà di tanti e cofi fingolari beneficii, che vi ha fatti, di tante gratie, che vi ha conferite, di tanti favori, di che vi ha fatti degna; per tanto, se non potete fnodar la lingua à ringratiar il voftro Benefattore, et non fapete con parole efprimer le fue lodi, fatele fegno di riverenza almeno; chinatevi al fuo nome; moftrate nel modo che potete fembiante di gratitudine; rendetevi benevoli alla bontà fua, in quel miglior modo che potete; O fapete, non fiate fconofcenti de' fuoi beneficii, et non fiate ingrati de' fuoi favori. A quefto dire, O maraviglia grande, come fi quelli pefci haveffero havuto humano intelletto, e difcorfo, congefti di profonda Humiltà, con riverenti fembianti di religione, chinarono la tefta, blandiro co'l corpo, quafi approvando ciò che detto havea il benedetto padre S. Antonio. "When the hereticks would not regard his preaching, he betook him"felf to the fea-fhore, where the river Marecchia difembogues it felf "into the Adriatic. He here called the fish together in the name of God, that they might hear his holy word. The fifh came fwimming towards him in fuch vaft fhoals, both from the fea and from the river, “that the surface of the water was quite covered with their multitudes. They quickly ranged themfelves, according to their feveral fpecies, in"to a very beautiful congregation, and, like fo many rational creatures, prefented themfelves before him to hear the word of God. St. An"tonio was fo ftruck with the miraculous obedience and fubmiffion of "these poor animals, that he found a fecret fweetnefs diftilling upon his "foul, and at last addressed himself to them in the following words. 66 "Although the infinite power and providence of God (my dearly be"loved Fish) difcovers it felf in all the works of his creation, as in the "Heavens, in the Sun, in the Moon, and in the Stars, in this lower World, in Man, and in other perfect creatures; nevertheless the goodness of the divine Majefly fhines out in you more eminently, and appears after a "more particular manner, than in any other created Beings. For notwithstanding you are comprehended under the name of Reptiles, partaking of a middle nature between ftones and beafts, and imprisoned in the deep abyfs of waters; notwithstanding you are toft among billows, thrown up and down by tempefts, deaf to hearing, dumb to fpeech, and and terrible to behold: notwithstanding, I say, these natural disadvan"tages, the Divine Greatness shows it felf in you after a very wonder❝ful manner. In you are feen the mighty mysteries of an infinite good"nefs. The holy Scripture has always made ufe of you, as the types "and fhadows of fome profound Sacrament. "Do you think that, without a mystery, the first Present that God "Almighty made to Man, was of you, O ye Fishes? Do you think that "without a mystery, among all creatures and animals which were appoint"ed for facrifices, you only were excepted, O ye Fishes? Do you think "there was nothing meant by our Saviour Chrift, that next to the Paf"chal Lamb he took fo much pleasure in the food of you, O ye Fishes? "Do you think it was by meer chance, that when the Redeemer of the "world was to pay a tribute to Cafar, he thought fit to find it in the "mouth of a Fish? These are all of them fo many Mysteries and Sacraments, that oblige you in a more particular manner to the praises of your Creator. G "It is from God, my beloved Fish, that you have received being, life, "motion, and fenfe. It is he that has given you, in compliance with your "natural inclinations, the whole world of waters for your habitation. "It is he that has furnished it with lodgings, chambers, caverns, grottoes, "and fuch magnificent retirements as are not to be met with in the seats "of Kings, or in the palaces of Princes: You have the water for your "dwelling, a clear tranfparent element, brighter than chrystal; you can "fee from its deepest bottom every thing that passes on its furface; you "have the eyes of a Lynx, or of an Argus; you are guided by a fecret " and unerring principle, delighting in every thing that may be beneficial "to you, and avoiding every thing that may be hurtful; you are carried "on by a hidden instinct to preserve your felves, and to propagate your fpecies; you obey, in all your actions, works and motions, the dictates "and fuggeftions of nature, without the leaft repugnancy or contradi"Яtion. "The colds of winter, and the heats of fummer, are equally incapable "of molesting you. A ferene or a clouded sky are indifferent to you. "Let the earth abound in fruits, or be curfed with scarcity, it has no in"fluence on your welfare. You live fecure in rains and thunders, lightnings and earthquakes; you have no concern in the bloffoms of fpring, or in the glowings of fummer, in the fruits of autumn, or in the frofts "of winter. You are not folicitous about hours or days, months or years; "the variableness of the weather, or the change of seasons. 66 VOL. II. E 56 In |