the greatness of cities-第4章

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s　of　any　good　burden；　whereupon　I　should　think　that　for　such　effect　and　purpose　we　should　not　so　much　prefer　the　muddiness　of　the　water　as　the　sliminess　thereof；　for　that　doth　glue　it；　as　it　were；　together；　and　thicken　it　the　better；　and　maketh　it　more　fit　and　more　apt　to　bear　good　burden。　　　　　But　some　man　might　ask　me　here　again；　from　whence　cometh　this　quality；　this　diversity；　I　mean；　of　waters？　I　must　answer；　it　comes　of　two　causes。　First；　from　the　very　breaking　or　bursting　of　it　out；　and　passage　along　through　rough；　rich；　rank　and　fat　countries；　for　rivers　participating　of　the　nature　of　the　grounds　that　make　them　their　beds　and　banks；　become　thereby　themselves　also　fat　and　slimy；　and　of　quality　much　like　to　oil。　The　next　cause　proceedeth　from　the　swiftness　and　the　shortness　of　the　course；　forasmuch　as　the　length　of　a　voyage　and　the　rage　of　the　rivers　maketh　thin　and　subtleth　the　substance；　and　breaks　and　cuts　in　sunder　the　sliminess　of　the　water：　which　happeneth　in　Nile。　For　running　in　a　manner　as　it　doth　two　thousand　miles　by　a　direct　line　（for　by　an　oblique　and　crooked　line　it　would　be　a　good　deal　more）　and　falling　from　places　exceeding　steep　and　headlong　where；　through　the　vehemency　and　violent　force　of　the　course；　and　by　the　inestimable　rage　of　the　fall　it　breaketh　and　dissolveth　all　into　a　very　small　and　fine　rain；　as　it　were；　it　waxeth　so　fine　and　subtle；　and　so　tireth　his　waters　that　they　lose　all　their　slimy　properties；　which　resteth　all　at　the　rivers　of　Almaine　and　of　France。　For　they　grow　and　walk　through　most　rich　and　pleasant　countries；　and　they　be　not　ordinary　swift　nor　violent。　Now　that　this　is　the　true　reason　thereof　the　water　of　Seine　shall　make　a　true　proof　of；　for　if　you　wash　your　hands　with　it；　it　scoureth　like　soap　and　cleanseth　you　of　all　manner　of　spots。　　　　　But　let　us　now　pass　to　the　wideness；　and　that　is　necessary　to　begin　withal　in　rivers　and　in　channels　of　which　we　speak　of；　that　they　should　be　wide　and　large；　that　ships　may　commodiously　wind　and　turn　here　and　there　at　their　will　and　pleasure；　and　give　way　each　to　other。　But　the　wideness　of　a　river　without　depth　serves　not　for　our　purpose；　for　it　dissipateth　and　disperseth　the　water　in　such　sort　that　it　maketh　it　unfit　for　navigation；　which　happeneth　to　the　river　of　Plate；　which　through　overmuch　wideness　is　for　the　most　part　low　and　of　uneven　bottom；　and　full　of　rocks　and　little　islands。　And　for　the　selfsame　cause　the　rivers　of　Spain　are　not　greatly　navigable；　for　they　have　large　bellies　but　they　spread　wide；　and　uneven　they　are；　and　uncertain。　And　thus　much　sufficeth　to　have　said　of　rivers。　　　　　Now　forasmuch　as　the　commodities　and　profits　are　such　and　so　great　which　the　water　bringeth　to　advance　the　greatness　of　a　city；　of　consequent　those　cities　must　be　the　fairest　and　richest　that　have　the　most　store　of　navigable　rivers。　And　even　such　are　those　cities　that　are　seated　upon　good　havens　of　the　seas；　rivers　or　lakes；　that　are　commodious；　apt　and　fit　for　sundry　navigations。　　　　　It　may　seem　to　some　that　with　the　easiness　of　conduct　the　foundation　is　now　found　out；　and　full　complement　and　perfection　of　the　greatness　of　a　city。　But　it　is　not　so；　for　it　behoves　besides　that　that　there　be　some　matter　of　profit　that　may　draw　the　people　and　cause　them　to　repair　to　one　place　more　than　to　another。　For　where　there　is　no　commodity　of　conduct　the　multitude　of　people　cannot　be　great；　which　the　hills　and　mountains　teacheth　us；　on　which　we　may　well　see　many　castles　and　little　towns；　but　no　store　of　people　that　we　might　thereby　call　them　great。　And　the　reason　is；　because　of　the　cragginess　and　steepness　of　their　sites　such　things　as　are　necessary　and　commodious　for　a　civil　life　cannot　be　brought　unto　them　without　an　infinite　toil　and　labour。　And　Fiesole　became　desert　and　Florence　frequented　upon　none　other　cause　than　that　Fiesole　standeth　on　too　steep　and　too　high　a　place；　almost　inaccessible；　and　Florence　in　a　very　plain；　easy　to　have　access　unto　it。　And　in　Rome　we　see　the　people　have　forsaken　the　Aventine　and　other　hills　there；　and　drawn　themselves　altogether　down　to　the　plain　and　places　nearest　unto　Tiber　for　the　commodity　which　the　plain　and　the　water　affordeth　to　the　conduct　of　goods　and　traffic。　　　　　But　where　conduct　and　carriage　is　easy　you　see　not　for　all　that　a　notable　and　famous　city　by　and　by。　For　without　question　the　port　of　Messina　is　far　much　better　than　the　port　of　Naples；　that　notwithstanding　Naples；　if　you　behold　the　people；　exceedeth　more　than　two　Messinas。　The　port　of　Cartagena　exceeds　in　all　respects　the　port　of　Genoa；　and　yet　Genoa；　for　multitude　of　people；　for　wealth　and　for　all　matter　of　good　things　besides　mightily　exceedeth　Cartagena。　What　port　is　more　fair；　more　safe　or　more　spacious　than　the　chattel　of　Cattaro？　And　yet　is　there　not　any　memorable　city　in　that　place。　　　　　What　shall　I　say　of　rivers？　In　Peru　there　is　the　river　Marion　which　（it　is　said）　doth　run　（a　marvellous　thing　to　report）　six　thousand　miles　in　length；　and　more。　You　have　the　river　of　Plate　thereby；　which　though　it　give　place　to　Marion　for　the　length　of　his　stream　and　course　it　beareth　yet　more　water　a　great　deal；　and　at　the　mouth　of　it；　they　say；　it　is　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　wide。　In　New　France　there　is　the　river　of　Canada；　wide　at　the　mouth　thirty…five　miles；　and　two　hundred　fathom　deep。　In　Africa　there　are　also　very　great　rivers；　Senegal；　Gambia　and　Cuanza；　which　last　is　a　river　late　found　out　in　the　kingdom　of　Angola　which　is　thought　to　be　wide　at　the　mouth　thirty…five　miles；　and　yet　amongst　them　there　is　not　a　famous　city　to　be　found。　Nay　further；　on　the　river　of　Cuanza　the　barbarous　people　there　live　in　dens；　and　hide　them　in　caves　covered　with　boughs　in　the　company　and　fellowship；　as　it　were；　of　crabs　and　lobsters；　which　through　use　and　custom　grow　wondrous　familiar　and　secure　with　them。　　　　　In　Asia　although　Menam；　which　in　their　language　signifieth　the　Mother　of　Rivers；　and　Mekong；　which　is　navigable　for　more　than　two　thousand　miles；　and　likewise　Indus　and　other　royal　rivers　be　sufficiently　inhabited；　yet　for　all　that　Ob；　which　is　the　greatest　there　amongst　them　（for　where　it　falleth　into　the　Scythian　Ocean　it　is　eighty　miles　broad；　which　makes　some　men　think　the　Mare　Caspium　disburdeneth　itself　that　way　into　the　Ocean）；　hath　not　any　famous　city　in　it。　　　　　After　this　another　question　also　riseth；　how　it　comes　if　the　commodious　means　of　conduct　do　at　full　accomplish　the　greatness　of　a　city；　how；　I　say；　it　comes　to　pass　where　upon　the　shore　of　one　self　river　the　conduct　is　even；　easy　and　alike　and　that　city　yet　is　greater　than　another？　Without　doubt　it　sufficeth　not　alone　that　the　transportation　of　goods　to　and　fro　be　easy　and　commodious；　but　there　must　be　else　besides　that；　some　peculiar　virtue　attractive　that　may　draw　men　and　allure　men　more　to　one　place　than　to　another；　whereof　we　shall　in　the　next　book　speak　more　at　large。


Book　Two

　　　　Hitherto　have　we　spoken　of　aptness　of　the　site；　of　the　fruitfulness　of　the　soil　and　of　the　commodious　transportation　of　commodities　to　and　fro；　for　the　help　and　increase　of　our　city。　Let　us　now　see　what　those　things　are　that　may　allure　the　people　（who　are　of　nature　indifferent　to　be　here　or　there）　to　the　choice　of　one　place　before　another　to　make　their　habitations　in；　and　what　causeth　commerce　and　traffic。　And　let　us　first　declare　the　proper　means　the　Romans　took；　and　then　afterward　the　means　that　generally　were　common　to　them　and　others。

　1。　The　proper　means　of　the　Romans

　　　　The　first　means　the　Romans　used　was　the　opening　of　the　sanctuary　and　giving　liberty　and　freedom　to　all　that　would　to　come　unto　them；　which　Romulus　did　to　the　end　（his　neighbours　at　that　time　evil　entreated　by　tyrants；　and　the　country　swarming　full　with　discontented　persons）　Rome　might　by　that　means　be　the　sooner　peopled　through　the　benefit　of　their　safety　they　were　sure　to　find　there；　neither　was　he　therein　deceived　a　whit；　for　thither　flocked　with　their　goods　a　number　of　people　that　were　either　thrust　out　of　their　habitations；　or　unsafe　and　unsure　of　their　lives　in　their　countries。　But　when　they　found　afterward　a　want　of　women　necessary　for　propagation；　Romulus　proclaimed　certain　great　and　solemn　feasts　at　which　he　stole　and　held　away　by　force　the　greatest　part　of　the　youngest　women　that　did　resort　to　see　them：　so　that　it　is　no　marvel　if　out　of　so　fierce　and　stout　a　people　there　rose　so　fierce　and　stout　an　issue。　　　　　The　very　same　reason　in　a　matter　in　these　our　days　hath　increased　so　much　the　city　of　Geneva；　forasmuch　as　it　hath　offered　entertainment　to　all　comers　out　of　France　and　Italy　that　have　either　forsaken　or　been　exiled　their　countries　for　religion's　sake。　And　the　same　country　of　Germany　（they　call　Francorum　Vallem）　by　the　sufferance　of　Casimir；　one　of　the　Counts　Palatine　of　the　Rhine；　later　erected　by　the　Belgians　that　were　for　religion　thrust　out　of　their　countries　have　done　the　like。　　　　　Cosimo　the　Great　Duke　of　Tuscany；　to　appopulate　the　port　Ferraio；　gave　protection　to　such　as　would　fly　thither；　and　confined　a　number　that　for　their　offences　had　worthy　deserved　punishment；　which　course　the　Great　Duke　Francis　his　son　observed　afterward　for　the　peopling　of　Pisa　and　Livorno。　But　as　we　have　afore　said；　it　is　neither　strength　nor　necessity　that　have　power　to　make　a　city　frequented；　or　to　raise　it　unto　greatness。　For　a　people　enforced　and　violently　driven　to　rest　in　one　place　is　like　unto　seed　sown　in　the　sands；　wherein　it　never　taketh　root　to　grow　to　ripeness。　　　　　But　let　us　return　unto　our　sanctuary。　It　cannot　be　denied　but　that　a　moderate　liberty　and　a　lawful　place　of　safety　very　greatly　helpeth　to　draw　a　multitude　of　people　to　a　resting　place。　And　hereof　it　comes　that　free　cities　are　in　comparison　of　other　places　more　famous　and　more　replenished　with　people　than　cities　subject　unto　princes　and　to　monarchies。　　　　　The　second　means　wherewith　Rome　increased　was　that　they　made　the　towns　that　well　deserved　of　them　（which　they　after　called　municipia）　to　be　partakers　of　their　franchises　and　of　their　offices。　For　these　honours；　to　be　citizens　of　Rome；　and　to　enjoy　the　great　privileges　annexed　to　their　enfranchisement；　drew　into　the　city　all　such　as　through　adherency；　through　favour　or　through　service　done　unto　the　commonwealth　might　have　any　hope　to　bear　office　or　rule　therein；　and　such　as　looked　not　so　high　resorted　yet　thither　to　serve　their　kinsmen's　turns　or　their　friends　with　their　voices；　to　advance　them　to　some　good　office。　And　thus　Rome　was　frequented　and　enriched　with　concourse　of　an　infinite　sight　of　people；　both　noble　and　rich；　that　in　particular　or　in　common　which　were　honoured　with　the　enfranchisement　and　freedom　of　Rome。　　　　　The　third　means　was　the　continual　entertainment　the　Romans　gave　to　curiosity；　and　that　was　the　great　number　of　admirable　things　they　did　in　Rome。　The　triumphs　of　the　victorious　captains；　the　wonderful　buildings；　the　battles　on　the　water；　the　fights　of　sword　players；　the　hunting　of　wild　beasts；　the　public　shows　and　sights；　the　plays　of　Apollo；　the　Seculars　and　others；　which　were　performed　with　unspeakable　pomp　and　preparation；　and　many　other　suchlike　things　that　drew　the　curious　people　unto　Rome。　And　forasmuch　as　these　alluring　sights　were；　as　it　were；　perpetual；　Rome　was　also；　as　it　were；　perpetually　full　of　strangers　and　for