to the Grand Duke Cofmo by that prince, who not being able to defend it against the Turkish corfairs, was apprehensive of their lodging themselves in it, and from thence annoying all the neighbouring coasts. Upon his being declared fovereign of this country, he immediately went to work in order to put it in a condition of defence by making very strong fortifications; and to perpetuate the memory of his being the first Tuscan prince that had the government of this country, built a small town, which to this day is from the name of its founder called Cosmopoly.

About fix leagues to the weftward of Elba is fituated the island of CORSICA, which was called by the ancients Cyrnus, from the name of Hercules's fon; though others will have it that Cyrnus was a king that formerly reigned over this country. It was firft inhabited by the Etrurians, and afterwards by the Carthaginians, who were obliged to give place to their conquerors the Romans, and they remained quiet poffeffors of it, till they were obliged to abandon it to that inundation of barbarians, that in the lower times of the Roman empire overrun all these parts of Europe. It was for fome time in the hands of the Saracens, who were driven out by the Genoese; which people were soon after difpoffeffed by the Pifans, who were at that time a very powerful republic; from thence it fell under the dominion of the Pope, who restored it to its ancient mafters the Genoese, and they have been ever fince poffeffors of it. According to Pliny there were anciently reckoned in this island thirty-three cities; though Strabo will allow them to be no other than villages, not admitting of any more than four cities, of which two were colonies: the one called Mariana from Marius, the other Aleria, founded by Sylla. The whole face of the country is mountainous, and covered with woods, con、 fequently not very proper for cultivation. It produces neither corn

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nor greens, except in a few vallies watered by fmall rivulets. It CORSICA. abounds in honey, wine, wax, oil, and figs; the former commodity is, however, but little esteemed, upon account of the great number of yew-trees, which the bees fucking renders the honey distasteful and bitter. This particular was fo well known to the ancients, that Virgil, Ecl. ix. 130. says,

"Sic tua Cyrneas fugiant examina taxos

And Ovid, Amor. lib. i. Eleg. 12.

"Melle fub infami Corfica mifit apist.".

In the province of Nibia are found mines of iron and alum, and near the port of St. Fiorenzo are the falt-works, called Della Reya: between the harbour of St. Boniface and the coast of Sardinia, are found great quantities of coral. The mineral waters of this ifland are in great abundance, and reckoned infallible against the itch, and contraction of the nerves. The principal rivers are named Galum, Liamon, and Tavignan, which deriving their fources from the mountains, discharge themselves into the fea. The capital city, where the Genoese governor makes his refidence, is called BASTIA, where there is generally maintained a pretty numerous garrison; the people of the country being naturally jealous of their liberty, and given to frequent revolts. It is of late that the Genoefe have more than ever felt the effects of their warlike difpofition, who not being any longer willing to groan under the tyrannic yoke of that re

CORSICA. public, rofe up in arms with a refolution to fuffer all extremities rather than fubmit themselves any more to a government they had fo much reason to deteft. The Genoefe not being able to fubdue a people fighting for their rights and privileges, and led on by the agreeable profpect of liberty, were obliged to demand affiftance from the Emperor, who sent over an army commanded by the Prince of Wirtemberg, and he was foon after fucceeded by General Wachtendonck; but neither of these generals had any success against the Corficans; especially the latter, against whom the affair of the furcæ caudinæ, put in practice by the Samnites in their war with the Romans, was renewed; who, to prevent himself and his army falling into the hands of the enemy, was obliged to fign a treaty little advantageous to the republic of Genoa, which notwithstanding gave a public promise to ratify the articles of agreement made between the general and the victorious islanders; but, by the most signal act of perfidy, upon receiving two of their chiefs as hoftages for the performance of the treaty, immediately put them into a close prison. This black action fo irritated the Corficans that after the German troops were retired, they unanimously chose for their king one Theodore, a foreigner, a man of fome capacity, and of a difpofition not improper to support the character he was invested with. Under their new monarch they maintained themfelves for fome years, and gained continual advantages over the Genoefe, making themselves mafters of the whole country, and obliging their enemies to retire and shut themselves up within their fortreffes, which, for the want of artillery, were to them impregnable. This new fovereign, however, not being able to find neceffaries for the carrying on a war without fome support from other more confiderable powers, was obliged to leave the island in order to feek affiftance, by which he might finally expel the Genoefe; who taking advantage of his abfence, called in the French;

they

they willingly answered their defires by fending a large body of meri, CORSICA. who are now actually labouring to fubdue this warlike nation; though it is imagined that the government of Corfica will be scarcely any more in the hands of the Genoefe, but difpofed of according to the will of France, and of the Queen of Spain, who has been all along fufpected to have been at the bottom of the whole affair, and to have fecretly fomented the rebellion. The whole island is 325 miles in circumference, tolerably well inhabited, and in those parts that admit of cultivation by no means neglected by the inhabitants. Between Elba and Corfica lieth the island of PLANOSA, fo called PLANOSA. from its being flat and low land; and about fix leagues diftant, that of MONTE CHRISTO, which is high land and rocky. It is, like MONTE Planofa, uninhabited; having nothing on it but the remains of an ancient castle, built by the Moors, who were formerly masters of both these islands.

CHRISTO.

At the extremity of Corfica is fituated SARDINIA, divided from SARDINIA, the other by a freight of two leagues in breadth; it is an island very confiderable for its bignefs, being above 500 miles round, though not inhabited in proportion, upon account of the unwholesomeness of the air, which proceeds from the moist vapours arising from the great quantity of fenny lands, in which this country abounds. It has, however, in all times been reckoned exceffively fruitful, producing vaft quantities of corn, whence it was called, as well as Sicily, the granary of Rome. Horace mentions its fertility in the following words :

SARDINIA. And Lucan, comparing it with Sicily, runs out in its praises.

;

It produces likewise fruits of all forts, and cattle in abundance nor is its vintage by any means defpicable. There are alfo in the ifland great numbers of wild deer; and a breed of horses, which is very much esteemed all over Italy. There is found alfo in many parts of the country a poisonous herb, called Ranunculus, which inftantly produces a contraction of the nerves, particularly about the mouth; fo that those who die of it feem to expire laughing: whence comes the proverb of Rifus Sardonicus. Virgil in his eleventh Eclogue makes mention of this herb:

"Immo ego Sardois videar tibi amarior herbist."

V. 41.