► Of Travel

Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education in the elder, a part of experience. He that travelled into a country before he hath some entrance into the language, Goethe to school, and not to travel. That young men travel under some tutor or grave servant, I allow well so that he be such a one that hath the language, and hath been in the country before whereby he may be able to tell them what things are worthy to be seen in. the country where they go, what acquaintances they are to seek, what exercises or discipline the place yielded for else young men shall go hooded, and look abroad little. It is a strange thing, that in sea voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men should make diaries but in land travel, wherein so much is to' be observed, for the most part they omit it as if chance were fitter to be registered than observation. Let diaries, therefore, be brought in use. The things to be seen and observed are the courts of princes, especially when they give audience to ambassadors the courts of justice, while they sit and hear cases and so of consistories ecclesiastic the churches and monasteries, with the monuments which are therein extant the walls and fortifications of cities and towns and so the havens and harbors antiquities, and ruins. libraries colleges, disputations, and lectures, where any are shipping and navies houses, and gardens of state, and pleasure, near great cities armories arsenals magazines exchanges burses warehouses exercises of horsemanship fencing training of soldiers, and the like comedies, such whereunto the better sort of persons do resort treasuries of jewels and robes cabinets, and rarities and, to conclude whatsoever is memorable in the places where they go after all which the tutors or servants ought to make diligent inquiry. As for triumphs, mosques, feasts, weddings, funerals capital executions, and such shows, men need not to be put in mind of them yet are they not to be neglected. If you will have a young man to put his travel into a little room, and in short time to gather much, this you must do. First, as was said, he must have some entrance into the language before he Goethe. Then he must have such a servant or tutor as know the country, as we likewise said. Let him carry with him also some card or book describing the country where the travelled which will be a good key to his inquiry. Let him keep also a dairy.
Let him not stay long in one city or town, more or less as the place deserved, but not long may, when he stayed in one city or town, let him change his lodging from one end and part of the town to another, which is a great adamant of acquaintance. Let him sequester himself from the company of his countrymen, and die in such places where there is good company of the nation where he travelled.(9essay.com) Let him, upon his removes from one place to another, procure recommendation to some person of quality residing in the place whither he remove the, that he may use his favor in those things he desired to see or know. Thus he may abridge his travel, with much profit. As for the acquaintance which is to be sought in travel, that which is most of all profitable, is acquaintance with the secretaries and employed men of ambassadors for so in travelling in one country he shall suck the experience of many. Let him also see and visit eminent persons is all kinds, which are of great name abroad, that he may be able to tell how the life agreed with the fame. For quarrels, they are with care and discretion to be avoided they are commonly for mistresses, health's, place, and words. And let a man beware how he kept company with choleric and quarrelsome persons for they will engage him into their own quarrels. When a traveler returned home, let him not' leave the countries where he hath travelled altogether behind him, but maintain a correspondence by letters with those of his acquaintance which are of most worth. And let his travel appear rather in his discourse than in his apparel of gesture and in his discourse let him be rather advised in his answers, that forwards to tell stories and let it appear that he doth not change his country manners for those of foreign parts but only prick in some flowers of that he hath learned abroad into the customs of his own country.