Pierre Davity

“Giovanni Botero”

“[The inhabitants of Congo] steale willingly from strangers, but they use no theft among themselves. The women are all given to make love, especially with strangers, not caring for their reputations, so as they may satisfie their lustfull desires.”

“The inhabitants of Paros were sometimes accused of disloyaltie, and to be no men of their words, because Miltiades, Generall of the Athenians armie, having subdued them, and they, having faithfully promised to be their subjects, they observed not their promise; and therefore it was said as in a common proverbe: To doe as they of Paros did; which was: to falsifie their faith.”

“The Suevians are much given to incontinencie, and the women are as tractable as men can desire, and both the one and the other begin this lewd life soone, and leave it late: and therefore there is a common proverbe, That the countrie of Suaube alone is able to furnish all Germanie with strumpets, Franconia with rogues and beggers, [Bohemia] with heretickes, Bavaria with theeves, Westphalia with perjurers and false witnesses, and the Marquisat of the Rhin with gluttons.”

“[The Corsicanes] are so full of revenge, as the Italians have a common proverbe which saith, That they must never trust a Corsicane, neither alive nor dead, for that as soone as any one is slaine, presently all his kinsmen meet to kill him, if it be possible, that slew him: and notwithstanding that they make some accord, yet there is no great trust in it, for that he may be surprised when he dreames least of it; so as the best course is to looke well to himselfe, and not to make any strict league of amitie with reconciled enemies.”

“The king of Spaine receives from this Estate [Milan] yearely eight hundred thousand duc∣kats of ordinarie, besides the free gifts and other extraordinarie matters: And to shew, that this king can tell how to draw as much as is possible from this Estate, or that his officers make it for him, the proverbe of Italie saith, That the officer of Sicile doth gnaw, He of Naples doth eate, but He of Milan doth devour.”