While visiting the Italian city of Genoa, English chronicler John Evelyn observes a wild argument between two local businessmen. After Evelyn had hailed a boat to cross the harbour, another boatman “interposed his boat before him and took us in”. This was apparently too much for the first boatman, who with “sudden and devilish passion” threatened the second:

“Tears gushing out of his eyes, he put his finger in his mouth and almost bit it off by the joint, showing it to his antagonist as an assurance to him of some bloody revenge, if he ever came near that part of the harbour again.”

Evelyn claims that such acts are common-place in Genoa, a “beautiful city more stained with horrid acts of revenge and murders than any one place in Europe, maybe the world”.

Source: The diary of John Evelyn, October 17th 1644. Content on this page is © Alpha History 2019-23. Content may not be republished without our express permission. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use or contact Alpha History.