Thither You Send Your
Servant To Buy A Bottle Of Wine.
He knocks at the little wicket,
which is opened immediately by a domestic, who supplies him with
what he wants, and receives the money like the waiter of any
other cabaret.
It is pretty extraordinary, that it should not be
deemed a disparagement in a nobleman to sell half a pound of
figs, or a palm of ribbon or tape, or to take money for a flask
of sour wine; and yet be counted infamous to match his daughter
in the family of a person who has distinguished himself in any
one of the learned professions.
Though Florence be tolerably populous, there seems to be very
little trade of any kind in it: but the inhabitants flatter
themselves with the prospect of reaping great advantage from the
residence of one of the arch-dukes, for whose reception they are
now repairing the palace of Pitti. I know not what the revenues
of Tuscany may amount to, since the succession of the princes of
Lorraine; but, under the last dukes of the Medici family, they
were said to produce two millions of crowns, equal to five
hundred thousand pounds sterling. These arose from a very heavy
tax upon land and houses, the portions of maidens, and suits at
law, besides the duties upon traffick, a severe gabelle upon the
necessaries of life, and a toll upon every eatable entered into
this capital. If we may believe Leti, the grand duke was then
able to raise and maintain an army of forty thousand infantry,
and three thousand horse; with twelve gallies, two galeasses, and
twenty ships of war.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 374 of 535
Words from 100041 to 100317
of 143308
