ABSTRACT
The pleasure of them is best knowne to such as have seen them abroad in France, Spaine and Italy; where the Gardens and Galleries of great men are beautified and set forth to admiration with these kinds of ornaments. And indeed the possession of such rarities, by reason of their dead costlinesse, doth properly belong to Princes, or rather to princely minds.) But the profitable necessitie of some knowledge in them, will plainly appeare in the handling of each particular. Sure I am, that he that will travell, must both heed them and understand them, if he desire to bee thought ingenious, and to bee welcome to the owners. For next men and manners, there is nothing fairely more delightful, nothing worthier observation, than these Copies and memorials of men and matters of elder times; whole lively presence is able to perswade a man, that he now seeth two thousand yeeres agoe.2 Such as are skilled in them, are by the Italians termed Virtuosi as if others that either neglect or despise them, were idiots or rakehels. And to say truth, they are somewhat to be excused, if they have all Leeshebbers (as the Dutch call them) in so high estimation, for they themselves are so great lovers of them (& fimilia fimili gandet) that they purchase them at any rate and lay up mightie treasures of money in them. Witnesse then Exchequer of mettals in the Cabinets of the great Duke of Tuscany, for number and raritie absolutely the best in the world, and not worth so little as 100,000 pound. For proofs whereof, doe but consider the number of those which Peter do Medicis lost at Florence upon his banisment and departure, thence, namely, a hundred thousand peeces of gold, and silver, and brasse, as Philip de Commines
reporteth, who mentioneth them as an infinite treasure. And yet Peter was but a private man, and not to be, any way compared with the Dukes of his House, that here have beene since, all of them great and diligent gatherers of all manner of Antiquities. And for Statues, the Diana of Ephesus in the marble chamber at Paris, Laocoon and Nilus in Beluere at Rome, and many more, are peeces of inestimable value; but the matchlesse, and never too much admired Toro in Cardinall Farneses garden out strippeth all other Statues in the world for greatnesse and workemanship. It comprehendeth a great Bull, and (if my memory faile mee not) seven or eight figures more as great as the life, all of one entire peece of marble, covered with a house made of purpose, and estimated at the wealth of a kingdome, as the Italians say, or all other Statues put together ...
