This
Gentleman Was Perfectly Well Esteemed At The Court Of London.
In
the war of 1744, he lived in the utmost harmony with the British
admirals who commanded our fleet in the Mediterranean.
In
consequence of this good understanding, a thousand occasional
services were performed by the English ships, for the benefit of
his master, which otherwise could not have been done, without a
formal application to our ministry; in which case, the
opportunities would have been lost. I know our admirals had
general orders and instructions, to cooperate in all things with
his Sardinian majesty; but I know, also, by experience, how
little these general instructions avail, when the admiral is not
cordially interested in the service. Were the king of Sardinia at
present engaged with England in a new war against France, and a
British squadron stationed upon this coast, as formerly, he would
find a great difference in this particular. He should therefore
carefully avoid having at Nice a Savoyard commandant, utterly
ignorant of sea affairs; unacquainted with the true interest of
his master; proud, and arbitrary; reserved to strangers, from a
prejudice of national jealousy; and particularly averse to the
English.
With respect to the antient name of Villa Franca, there is a
dispute among antiquarians. It is not at all mentioned in the
Itinerarium of Antoninus, unless it is meant as the port of Nice.
But it is more surprising, that the accurate Strabo, in
describing this coast, mentions no such harbour. Some people
imagine it is the Portus Herculis Monaeci. But this is
undoubtedly what is now called Monaco; the harbour of which
exactly tallies with what Strabo says of the Portus Monaeci -
neque magnas, neque multas capit naves, It holds but a few
vessels and those of small burthen. Ptolomy, indeed, seems to
mention it under the name of Herculis Portus, different from the
Portus Monaeci. His words are these: post vari ostium ad
Ligustrium mare, massiliensium, sunt Nicaea, Herculis Portus,
Trophaea Augusti, Monaeci Portus, Beyond the mouth of the Var
upon the Ligurian Coast, the Marsilian Colonies are Nice, Port
Hercules, Trophaea and Monaco. In that case, Hercules was
worshipped both here and at Monaco, and gave his name to both
places. But on this subject, I shall perhaps speak more fully in
another letter, after I have seen the Trophaea Augusti, now
called Tourbia, and the town of Monaco, which last is about three
leagues from Nice. Here I cannot help taking notice of the
following elegant description from the Pharsalia, which seems to
have been intended for this very harbour.
Finis et Hesperiae promoto milite varus,
Quaque sub Herculeo sacratus numine Portus
Urget rupe cava Pelagus, non Corus in illum
Jus habet, aut Zephirus, solus sua littora turbat
Circius, et tuta prohibet statione Monaeci.
The Troops advanc'd as far
As flows th' Hesperian Boundary, the Var;
And where the mountain scoop'd by nature's hands,
The spacious Port of Hercules, expands;
Here the tall ships at anchor safe remain
Tho' Zephyr blows, or Caurus sweeps the Plain;
The Southern Blast alone disturbs the Bay;
And to Monaco's safer Port obstructs the way.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 128 of 276
Words from 65967 to 66487
of 143308
