squerade; their other habits also totaly different
from all nations.'

In Venice Evelyn made arrangements for visiting the Holy Land and parts
of Syria, Egypt, and Turkey; but they fell through owing to the vessel,
in which he would have sailed, being requisitioned to carry provisions
to Candia, then under attack from the Turks. Forced to abandon this
project, he remained in Venice 'being resolved to spend some moneths
here in study, especially physic and anatomie, of both which there was
now the most famous professors in Europe.' But in the autumn Mr.
Thicknesse, 'my dear friend, and till now my constant fellow traveller,'
was obliged to return to England on private affairs; so Evelyn was left
alone in Venice. Very shortly after that he had an illness which seems
to have at one time threatened a fatal termination. 'Using to drink my
wine cool'd with snow and ice, as the manner here is, I was so afflicted
with the angina and soare-throat, that it had almost cost me my life.
After all the remedies Cavalier Veslingius, cheife professor here, could
apply, old Salvatico (that famous physician) being call'd made me be
cupp'd and scarified in the back in foure places, which began to give me
breath, and consequently life, for I was in ye utmost danger: but God
being mercifull to me, I was after a fortnight abroad againe; when
changing my lodging I went over against Pozzo Pinto, where I bought for
winter provisions 3000 weight of excellent grapes, and pressed my owne
wine, which proved incomparable liquor.' Its goodness, indeed, seems to
have been the death of it. 'Oct. 31st. Being my birth-day, the nuns of
St. Catherine's sent me flowers of silk-work. We were very studious all
this winter till Christmas, when on twelfth day we invited all the
English and Scotts in towne to feast, which sunk our excellent wine
considerably.' In explanation of this passage, it needs to be said that
he had soon again changed his lodging and gone to reside with three
English friends 'neere St. Catherine's over against the monasterie of
nunnes, where we hired the whole house and lived very nobly. Here I
learned to play on ye theorbo, taught by Sig. Dominico Bassano.'

After 'the folly and madnesse of the Carnevall' was over, Evelyn left
Venice for Padua in January, 1646, but went back in March to take leave
of his friends there, and at Easter set out on his return journey to
England in company with the poet Waller, who had been glad to go abroad
a