DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.55582#0092
44 EE NICE.
in Traffick. The Merchants who are
grown Rich, and able to manage great
Dealings, buy their Nobility, and ge-
nerally give over Trade. Their Manu-
factures of Cloth, Glass and Silk, for-
merly the belt in Europe^ are now ex-
celled by those of other Countries. They
are tenacious of old Laws and Cusloms
to their great Prejudice, whereas a Tra-
ding Nation muss bestill for new Chan-
ges and Expedients, as different Jun-
ctures and Emergencies arise. The State
is at present very sensible of this Decay
in their Trade, and as a Noble Venetian^
who is still a Merchant, told me, they
will speedily find out some Method to
redress it j possibly by making a free
Port, for they look with an Evil Eye
upon Leghorne, which draws to it most of
the Vessels bound for Italy. They have
hitherto been so negligent in this Parti-
cular, that many think the Great Duke’s
Gold has had no small Inssuence in their
Councils.
Venice has several Particulars which
are not to be found in other Cities, and
is therefore very entertaining to a Tra-
veller. It looks, at a distance, like agreat
Town half ssoated by a Deluge. There
are Canals every where crosting it, so
that one may go to most Houses cither
in Traffick. The Merchants who are
grown Rich, and able to manage great
Dealings, buy their Nobility, and ge-
nerally give over Trade. Their Manu-
factures of Cloth, Glass and Silk, for-
merly the belt in Europe^ are now ex-
celled by those of other Countries. They
are tenacious of old Laws and Cusloms
to their great Prejudice, whereas a Tra-
ding Nation muss bestill for new Chan-
ges and Expedients, as different Jun-
ctures and Emergencies arise. The State
is at present very sensible of this Decay
in their Trade, and as a Noble Venetian^
who is still a Merchant, told me, they
will speedily find out some Method to
redress it j possibly by making a free
Port, for they look with an Evil Eye
upon Leghorne, which draws to it most of
the Vessels bound for Italy. They have
hitherto been so negligent in this Parti-
cular, that many think the Great Duke’s
Gold has had no small Inssuence in their
Councils.
Venice has several Particulars which
are not to be found in other Cities, and
is therefore very entertaining to a Tra-
veller. It looks, at a distance, like agreat
Town half ssoated by a Deluge. There
are Canals every where crosting it, so
that one may go to most Houses cither