The River Tyber which runneth through her bosome, is not unlike to Jordan and Tagus; yet not so big as either of them, being all three of a troubled and muddy colour: But it is exceeding outragious, and often Manasseth to drowne the whole Mansions, as greeving to grace the wals of such a wicked and imperious place: Who having lost her former preheminent glory, and domination over the world, would now alledge and ascribe a second prerogative over the soules of men, the heavens, the hels, the silver-coyned Purgatory, the deposing and imposing of Kings: The former was done by the undaunted courage of the invincible sword, the latter by presumption, Avarice, insinuation, and absurd lyes.
[Saint Catherines observation.] I remember of a pretty observation of Saint Catherine of Siena, who being stricken in devotion, went to venerate Rome, accompanied with a goodly traine; and having visited all the Monuments, supposed Holy places, and Religious relickes there, for the space of five dayes; At last she came to take a view of the Popes Palace, where having spent a whole day, strictly remarkeing the gesture and carriage of the Popes servants: She sawe nothing but abhomination, prophanation, and irreligious living, and worser then in Rome it selfe: Whereuppon suddenly the next day shee departed for Siena, being an hundreth Miles distant; pittifully bewayling her journey, and the miserable livers she sawe in Rome. Protesting alwayes after for sixteene yeares time till her death, that the Winde [Meaning of Sodomy.] never came from the East blowing Westward to Siena, but she thought the filthinesse of the Popes Palace, and the beastlinesse of Rome, ever stunke in her nose.
This River of Tyber especially made muster of his extravagant disgorgements, at that time when Pope Clement 8. was crowned Duke of Ferrara, anno 1589. and that same night he returned to Rome, Tyber waxed so proud of his arrivall, that impetuously inunding his bankes to make him welcome, he over-whelmed the better halfe of the Towne: And if it had not bene for the infinite charges of the Pope, and desperate toile of the people, the violent force of his rage swelling courtesie, had absolutely subverted and carried away the rest of the City. The like inundation was never seene of Tyber, as after this Coronation, portending, that as the first Gomorah was destroyed by fire, so this second Sodome should be sommerssed by water. The beginning of this River springeth from the Ombrian and Aquilean hills joyning with the Alpes Appenine: whose course is fourescore and sixteene miles; disburdening it selfe in the sea Mediterren at Ostia twelve miles from Rome. The mouth and haven whereof have beene long dammed up, to stoppe the passage of hostile and Moorish incursions, least the City should be surprised on a sudden. By which slavish Ecclesiasticke feare, Rome is shamefully defrauded of shipping and forraine trafficke; and if it were not for the Clergy, which are the two parts of the inhabitants, (besides the Jewes and Curtezans, which are the greatest implements of the other third part) it would become the most miserable towne in Italy.