the greatness of cities-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ety　of　people　together　to　have　abundance　of　wealth　and　substance　alone；　but　there　must　be　besides　that　some　other　form　and　matter　to　unite　and　hold　them　in　one　place　together。　And　that　is　the　easiness　and　commodiousness　of　conduct；　the　carrying　out　and　bringing　in；　I　mean；　of　commodities　of　wares　to　and　fro。

　10。　Of　the　commodity　of　conduct

　　　　This　commodity　is　lent　unto　us　partly　of　the　land　and　partly　of　the　water。　　　　　Of　the　land；　if　it　be　plain。　For　by　that　means　it　conduceth　easily　the　merchandise　and　goods　of　all　sorts　and　kinds；　upon　carts；　horses；　mules　and　other　beasts　of　burden；　and　men　make　their　journeys　the　more　commodiously　on　foot；　on　horse；　in　chariot；　and　in　other　suchlike　sort　and　matter。　　　　　The　Portuguese　do　write　that　in　some　large　and　spacious　plains　of　China　they　use　coaches　with　sails；　which　some　essayed　not　many　years　since　in　Spain。　　　　　Of　the　water；　this　commodity　is　lent　us　if　it　be　navigable；　and　without　comparison　the　commodity　is　much　better　and　more　worth　far；　which　the　water　do　afford　us　than　which　the　earth　doth　give　us；　both　for　ease　and　speediness；　forasmuch　as　in　less　time；　and　with　less　charge　and　labour　（without　proportion　in　it）　greater　carriages　are　brought　from　countries　most　remote　by　water　than　by　land。　　　　　Now　your　navigable　water　is　either　of　the　sea　or　of　the　river　or　of　the　lake；　which　are　natural　helps　and　means；　or　of　channels　or　of　pools　as　that　of　Moeris　in　Egypt；　which　was　450　miles　about；　made　by　art　and　by　man's　industry　and　labour。　　　　　It　seems　in　very　truth　that　God　created　the　water；　not　only　for　a　necessary　element　to　the　perfection　of　nature；　but　more　than　so；　for　a　most　ready　means　to　conduct　and　bring　goods　from　one　country　to　another。　For　His　Divine　Majesty；　willing　that　men　should　mutually　embrace　each　other　as　members　of　one　body；　divided　in　such　sort　His　blessings　as　to　no　nation　did　he　give　all　things；　to　the　end　that　others　having　need　of　us；　and　contrariwise　we　having　need　of　others；　there　might　grow　a　community；　and　from　a　community　love　and　from　love　an　unity　between　us。　　　　　And　to　work　this　community　the　easier　He　produced　the　water；　which　of　nature　is　such　a　substance　that　through　the　grossness　thereof　it　is　apt　to　bear　great　burdens；　and　through　the　liquidness；　helped　with　the　winds　or　the　oars；　fit　to　carry　them　to　what　place　they　list。　So　that　by　such　a　good　mean　the　West　is　joined　with　the　East；　and　the　South　with　the　North。　And　a　man　might　say　that　whatso　grows　in　one　place　grows　in　all　places；　by　the　easy　means　provided　to　come　by　them。　　　　　Now　without　doubt　the　sea；　for　her　infinite　greatness　and　grossness　of　the　water；　is　much　more　profitable　than　the　lakes　or　the　rivers；　but　the　sea　serves　you　to　little　purpose　if　you　have　not　a　large　and　safe　port　to　ride　into。　I　say　large　either　for　the　greatness　or　for　the　depth　of　the　entry　thereat；　the　middest　and　the　extremes；　and　I　say　safe　either　from　all　or　from　many　winds；　or　at　least　from　the　most　blustering　and　most　tempestuous。　　　　　　It　is　held　that　among　all　winds　the　Northern　is　most　tolerable；　and　that　the　seas　that　are　troubled　on　the　Greekish　coast　cease　their　rage　and　wax　quiet　as　soon　as　the　wind　is　laid。　But　the　Southern　winds　trouble　them　and　beat　them　so　sore　（whereof　the　Gulf　of　Venice　is　an　undoubted　witness）　that　even　after　the　wind　is　laid　they　swell　and　rage　a　great　while　after。　　　　　Now　the　port　shall　be　safe　either　by　nature；　as　that　of　Messina　and　Marseilles；　or　else　by　art；　the　imitator　of　nature；　as　that　of　Genoa　and　of　Palermo。　　　　　Lakes　are；　as　it　were；　little　seas；　so　that　also　they　for　the　proportion　of　the　place；　and　other　respects　besides；　give　a　great　help　to　appopulate　towns　and　cities；　as　it　is　found　in　Nova　Hispania；　whereas　is　the　Lake　of　Mexico　which　extendeth　nine　hundred　miles　in　compass；　and　containeth　fifty　fair　and　goodly　towns　in　it；　amongst　the　which　there　is　the　town　Tenochtitlan；　the　Metropolitan　seat　of　that　great　and　large　kingdom。　　　　　The　rivers　also　import　much；　and　most　of　all　they　that　run　the　longest　course；　especially　through　the　richest　and　most　merchantable　regions；　such　as　is　Po　in　Italy；　Scheldt　in　Flanders；　Loire　and　Seine　in　France；　Danube　and　the　Rhine　in　Germany。　And　as　lakes　are　certain　several　remembrances　of　the　bosoms　of　the　gulfs　of　the　seas；　formed　and　made　by　nature；　even　so　chattels　wherein　to　the　water　of　the　lake　or　the　river　runneth　are　certain　imitations　and；　as　it　were；　shadows　of　the　same　rivers　made　by　skill　and　cunning。　　　　　The　ancient　kings　of　Egypt　made　a　ditch　that　from　the　Nile　ran　to　the　city　Heroopolis；　and　they　essayed　to　draw　a　channel　from　the　Red　Sea　to　the　Mediterranean；　to　knit　up　our　seas　with　the　Indian　Seas；　and　so　to　make　the　easier　transportation　to　and　fro　of　all　kinds　of　merchandise；　and　by　that　means　withal　to　enrich　their　own　kingdom。　And　it　is　a　thing　well　known　how　oft　it　hath　been　attempted　to　break　up　the　Isthmus　to　unite　the　Ionian　with　the　Aegean　Sea。　A　Sultan　of　Cairo　drew　a　chattel　from　the　Euphrates　to　the　city　of　Aleppo。　In　Flanders　you　may　see　both　at　Ghent　and　at　Bruges；　and　in　other　places　else　besides；　many　channels　made　by　art；　and　with　an　inestimable　expense　and　charge；　but　yet　of　much　more　profit　for　the　ease　they　bring　to　merchandising　and　to　the　traffic　of　other　nations。　And　in　Lombardy　many　cities　have　wisely　procured　this　ease　unto　them；　but　none　more　than　Milan；　that　with　one　chattel　（worthy　of　the　Romans'　glory）　draweth　the　waters　to　it　of　the　Ticino　and　of　the　lake　called　Lago　Maggiore；　and　by　such　means　enricheth　itself　with　infinite　store　of　merchandises；　and　with　another　chattel　benefiteth　much　by　the　river　Adda　through　the　opportunity　and　means　it　hath　thereby　to　bring　in　the　fruits　and　the　goods　of　their　exceeding　plentiful　country　home　unto　their　houses。　And　they　should　make　it　much　the　better　if　they　would　cleanse　and　scour　the　chattel　of　Pavia　and　Ivrea。　　　　　Now　in　chattels　and　in　rivers；　for　their　better　ease　of　conduct　and　of　traffic；　besides　the　length　of　their　courses　we　have　before　spoken；　the　depth；　the　pleasantness；　the　thickness　of　the　water　and　the　largeness　thereof　is　of　much　moment　to　them。　The　depth　because　deep　waters　bear　and　sustain　the　greater　burdens　and　the　navigation　is　the　more　safe　without　peril；　the　pleasantness　because　it　makes　the　navigation　easy　up　and　down　which　way　soever　you　bend　your　course。　therein　it　seems　to　some　they　have　been　much　mistaken　that　had　the　ordering　of　the　chattel　that　comes　from　Ticino　to　Milan；　forasmuch　as　by　the　great　fall　of　the　water　and　the　great　advantage　given　to　the　water　it　hath　so　strong　a　current　and　is　so　violent　that　with　infinite　toil　and　labour　and　loss　of　time　they　have　much　ado　to　sail　upward。　But　as　touching　rivers；　nature　hath　showed　herself　very　kind　to　Gallia　Celtica　and　Belgica；　forasmuch　as　in　Gallia　Celtica　the　rivers　for　the　most　part　are　most　calm　and　still；　and　therefore　they　sail　up　and　down　with　incredible　facility　because　many　of　them　come　forth　as　it　were　in　the　plains　and　even　grounds；　by　the　means　thereof　their　course　is　not　violent；　and　they　run　not　between　the　mountains；　nor　yet　a　short　and　little　way；　but　many　hundreds　of　miles　through　goodly　and　even　plains。　Where；　for　their　recreation　and　their　pleasure；　otherwhile　men　take　their　course　one　way；　another　while　another；　now　go　on　forwards；　then　turn　back　again；　and　so；　by　this　winding　and　turning　to　and　fro　they　help　divers　cities　and　provinces　with　water　and　victuals　or　other　such　things　as　they　need。　But　there　is　not　a　country　in　Europe　better　furnished　and　provided　of　rivers　than　that　part　of　Gallia　Belgica　that　commonly　we　call　Flanders。　The　Meuse；　the　Scheldt；　the　Moselle；　Dender；　Ruhr　and　Rhine；　divided　into　three　great　arms　or　branches；　run　pleasantly　and　gallantly　forthright　and　overthwart　the　province；　and　mightly　enrich　it　by　the　commodity　of　navigation　and　traffic　of　infinite　treasure；　which　certainly　wants　in　Italy。　For　Italy　being　long　and　strait；　and　parted　in　the　middest　with　the　Apennine　Hills；　the　rivers　of　Italy；　through　the　shortness　of　their　course；　cannot　neither　much　increase　nor　yet　abate　the　violence　of　their　streams。　　　　　The　rivers　of　Lombardy　come　all；　as　it　were；　either　out　of　the　Alps；　as　the　Ticino；　Adda；　Lambro；　Serio；　Adige；　or　out　of　the　Apennine　Hills；　as　the　Toro；　Lenza；　Panaro；　and　Reno；　and　but　a　short　way　neither；　wherein　they　rather　deserve　to　be　called　land　floods　than　rivers；　for　they　soon　find　out　the　Po；　which　takes　his　course　between　the　Apennine　Hills　and　the　Alps；　so　that　he　only　resteth　navigable。　For　washing　the　province　over　by　all　his　whole　length；　he　hath　time　to　grow　great；　and　enrich　himself　with　the　help　of　many　rivers；　and　to　moderate　his　natural　swiftness　by　the　long　way　he　maketh。　But　this　take　withal；　that　forasmuch　as　the　said　rivers；　through　the　shortness　of　their　course；　enter　and　meet　together　with　a　mighty　rage　and　violence；　they　wax　great　otherwhile；　and　swell　and　run　with　such　a　raging　course　as　they　make　the　strongest　cities　afraid　of　them；　much　more　the　country　thereabout。　But　the　rivers　of　Romagna　and　of　other　parts　of　Italy；　falling　like　raging　land…floods　partly　on　this　side　and　partly　on　that　side　of　the　Apennine　hills；　soon　find　out　the　Adriatic　or　the　Tyrrhenian　or　the　Ionian　seas；　so　that　the　most　of　them　have　no　time　to　slake　their　rage；　nor　none　of　them　have　so　much　time　to　grow　great；　as　might　make　them　navigable。　For　that　little　that　is　navigable　in　Arno　or　Tiber；　it　is　not　worth　the　speaking。　　　　　The　thickness　of　the　water　is　also　a　very　good　help　in　this　case。　For　it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　water　of　one　river　beareth　great　and　weighty　burdens　much　better　than　the　water　of　some　other。　And　in　particular；　when　the　Obelisk　（set　up　in　the　time　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth）　which　is　to　be　seen　at　this　day　in　Saint　Peter's　Street；　was　brought　to　Rome；　it　is　well　known　by　good　experience　the　water　of　Tiber　was　of　more　strength　and　of　more　force　and　firmness　than　the　water　of　Nile。　　　　　And　Seine；　a　mean　river　in　France；　beareth　ships　of　such　bulk；　and　carrieth　burdens　so　great；　that　he　who　sees　it　not　will　not　believe　it；　and　there　is　not　a　river　in　the　world　that　for　proportion　is　able　to　bear　the　like　burden。　So　that　although　it　exceed　not　a　mediocrity　and　be　but　a　small　river；　yet　notwithstanding　it　supplieth　wonderfully　all　the　necessities　and　wants　of　Paris；　a　city　that　in　people　and　in　abundance　of　all　things　exceedeth　far　all　other　cities　whatsoever　within　the　scope　of　Christendom。　　　　　Here　a　man　might　ask　me　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　one　water　should　bear　more　burden　than　another？　　　　　Some　will；　that　this　proceedeth　from　the　nature　of　the　earth　that　thickeneth　the　water　and　maketh　it　stiff　and　by　consequence　firm　and　solid。　This　reason　hath　no　other　opposition　but　Nile；　the　water　whereof　is　so　earthy　and　so　muddy　that　the　Scripture　calleth　it　the　Troubled　River；　and　it　is　not　to　be　drunk　before　it　be　purged　and　settled　well　in　the　cistern。　And　it　doth　not　only　water　and　mellow　all　Egypt　over　with　its　liquidness；　but　more　than　that　maketh　it　fertile　and　mucketh；　as　it　were；　the　ground　with　its　fatness。　And　yet　it　is　not　of　the　fittest　nor　the　strongest　to　sustain　and　bear　ships；　boats　or　barks　of　any　good　burden；　whereupon　I　should　think　that　for　such　effect　and　purpose　we　should　not　so　muc