Interest.
The Interest of this Prince is much Austrian, and consequently Spanish; yet not so far, as to break with France, to which he opens his Ports and Passages for his own sake. He loves to have no War in Italy, because he hath something to lose: and though he loves to have the Pope his Friend, yet he cares not for having any of his Subjects Pope. A Pope of his family, Clement the VII. having made him what he is, he is affraid a Pope of some other Florentine Family strive to make him what he was.
The Language.
As for the Language of Florence it's pure, but in their Books, not their mouths: They do so choak it in the Throat, that it's almost quite drown'd there: nor doth it recover it self again till it come to Rome where Lingua Toscana in bocca Romana is a most sweet Language.
The Academy of Wits.
The Academy of the Crusca hath much contributed to the enriching of this Language with choice words. The rich Dictionary made by this famous Company, and called from them the Crusca, was forty years compiling, but will be in vogue as long as Men shall speak Italian.
The Learned Men.
Finally, for the Learned Men of this Town in later times, they are these: Marsilius Ficinus the Christian Platonick; Dante and Petrarck in Poetry: Guicciardin in History: Poggio in raillery: Vespucius in Geography: Accursius in Law: Michael Angelo in Painting: Joannes Casa in Practical Morality: Naclantus in Divinity: Galilæo in Astronomy: Doni, Luigi, Alemanni and others in Belle Lettere.
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