the greatness of cities-第7章

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e　the　freedom　of　the　city。　The　same　commonwealth　of　Venice　hath　been　also　more　than　once　delivered　out　of　extreme　necessity　of　victuals　by　promising　privilege　and　freedom　to　such　as　brought　them　corn。

　8。　Of　having　in　her　possession　some　merchandise　of　moment

　　　　It　will　also　greatly　help　to　draw　people　to　our　city　if　she　have　some　good　store　of　vendible　merchandise　always　in　her　possession；　which　haply　may　be　where；　through　the　goodness　of　the　soil；　either　all　of　it　doth　grow；　or　a　great　part；　or　that　at　least　which　is　more　excellent　than　other：　all；　as　the　cloves　in　the　Moluccas；　the　frankincense　and　sweet…smelling　gums　in　Sabaea；　the　balsam　in　Palestine；　or　where　a　good　part　of　it　doth　grow；　as　pepper　doth　in　Calicut　and　cinnamon　in　Ceylon；　or　where　it　is　most　excellent；　as　salt　is　in　Cyprus；　sugars　at　Madeira　and　wool　in　some　cities　of　Spain　and　England。　There　is　also　to　be　added　unto　this　the　excellency　of　art　and　workmanship　which；　through　the　quality　of　the　water　or　the　skill　and　cunning　of　the　inhabitants；　or　some　hidden　mystery　of　theirs；　or　other　such　like　cause；　chanceth　to　be　in　one　place　more　excellent　than　another；　as　the　armour　in　Damascus　and　in　Shiraz；　tapestry　in　Arras；　rash　in　Florence；　velvets　in　Genoa；　cloth　of　gold　and　silver　in　Milan；　and　scarlet　in　Venice。　　　　　And　to　this　purpose；　I　cannot　pass　it　over　but　I　must　declare　unto　you　that　in　China　all　arts　in　a　matter　flourish　in　the　highest　degree　of　excellency　that　may　be；　for　many　reasons　but　amongst　the　rest　chiefly　for　this；　because　the　children　are　bound　to　follow　their　father's　mystery　and　trade。　So　that　forasmuch　as　they　are　born；　as　it　were；　with　a　resolute　mind　to　follow　their　father's　art；　and　the　fathers　hide　not　from　them　anything；　but　teach　them　and　instruct　them　with　all　affection；　assiduity；　diligence　and　care；　workmanship　is　by　this　means　there　grown　to　that　fullness　of　excellency　and　perfection　that　may　be　possibly　desired；　as　may　be　seen　in　these　few　works　that　are　brought　out　of　China　to　the　Philippines；　from　the　Philippines　to　Mexico；　and　from　Mexico　to　Seville。　But　let　us　return　to　our　purpose。　　　　　There　are　also　some　other　cities　masters　of　some　commodities；　not　because　the　goods　do　grow　in　their　country　or　be　wrought　by　their　inhabitants；　but　because　they　have　command　either　of　the　country　or　of　the　sea　that　is　near　them：　the　command　of　the　country；　as　Seville；　unto　which　infinite　wealth　and　riches　are　brought　from　Nova　Hispania　and　Peru；　the　command　of　the　sea；　as　Lisbon；　which　by　this　means　draweth　to　it　the　pepper　of　Cochin　and　the　cinnamon　of　Ceylon　and　other　riches　of　the　Indies；　which　cannot　be　brought　by　sea　but　by　them；　or　under　their　leave　and　licence。　　　　　After　the　same　sort　in　a　matter　Venice；　about　four…score　and　ten　years　agone；　was　Lady　of　the　Spiceries；　for　before　the　Portuguese　possessed　the　Indies　these　things　being　brought　by　the　Red　Sea　to　Suez；　and　from　thence　upon　camels'　backs　to　Cairo；　and　after　that　by　Nile　into　Alexandria；　there　were　they　bought　up　by　the　Venetians　who　sent　thither　their　great　argosies；　and　with　incredible　profit　to　them　carried　them　in　a　matter　into　all　the　parts　of　Europe。　　　　　But　all　this　commerce　and　trade　is　now　quite　turned　to　Lisbon；　unto　which　place；　by　a　new　way；　the　spiceries　（taken　as　it　were　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Moors　and　Turks）　be　yearly　brought　by　the　Portuguese；　and　then　sold　to　the　Spaniards；　Frenchmen；　Englishmen　and　to　all　the　northern　parts。　This　commerce　and　trade　is　of　such　importance　as　it　alone　is　enough　to　enrich　all　Portugal　and　to　make　it　plentiful　of　all　things。　　　　　There　are　some　other　cities　also　lords；　as　it　were；　of　much　merchandise　and　traffic；　by　means　of　their　commodious　situation　to　many　nations；　to　whom　they　serve　of　warehouse　room　and　storehouses：　such　are　Malacca　and　Ormuz　in　the　East；　Alexandria；　Constantinople；　Messina　and　Genoa　in　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　Antwerp；　Amsterdam；　Danzig　and　Narva　in　the　Northern　Seas；　and　Frankfurt　and　Nuremberg　in　Germany。　In　which　cities　many　great　merchants　exercise　their　traffic　and　make　their　warehouses；　unto　the　which　the　nations　thereunto　adjoining　use　to　resort　to　make　their　provisions　of　such　things　as　they　need　because　they　have　commodious　means　for　transportation　of　it。　And　this　consisteth　in　the　largeness　and　the　safeness　of　the　ports；　in　the　opportunity　and　fitness　of　the　gulfs　and　creeks　of　the　seas；　in　the　navigable　rivers　that　come　into　the　cities；　or　run　by　or　near　them；　in　the　lakes　and　chattels；　as　also　where　the　ways　be　plain　and　safe。　　　　　And　here　to　the　purpose；　because　I　speak　of　ways；　I　cannot　pass　over　those　two　ways　which　the　kings　of　Cuzco　（called　in　their　language　Incas）　in　the　long　process　of　time　cut　out　throughout　their　dominion；　about　two　thousand　miles　in　length；　so　pleasant；　so　commodious；　so　plain　and　so　level　as　they　give　no　place　to　the　magnificent　works　of　the　Romans。　For　there　shall　you　see　steep　and　high　hills　laid　even　with　the　plain；　and　deep　valleys　filled　up；　and　horrible　huge　stones　cut　in　pieces；　there　shall　you　see　the　trees　that　are　planted　here　and　there；　in　excellent　good　order　even　by　a　line；　yield　both　with　their　shade　a　comfort　and　with　the　charm　of　the　birds　that　there　abound　in　great　plenty；　a　marvellous　delight　and　pleasure　to　the　travellers　that　pass　those　ways。　Neither　are　there　wanting　on　those　ways　many　good　inns　for　lodging　and　for　entertainment；　plentiful　of　all　necessary　things；　nor　palaces　and　goodly　buildings　that　in　eminent　and　open　places；　as　it　were；　to　meet　you；　present　you　with　a　pleasant　and　beautiful　show　of　their　excellency　and　rareness；　nor　pleasant　towns；　nor　sweet　countries；　nor　a　thousand　other　delights　and　pleasures　to　feed　both　the　eye　with　variety　and　the　mind　with　admiration　at　the　infinite　effects；　partly　wrought　by　nature　and　partly　by　the　handiwork　of　man。　But　to　return　to　our　purpose。　　　　　It　is　a　good　matter　and　a　great　help　to　a　prince　to　know　the　natural　site　of　his　country；　and　with　judgment　to　have　an　understanding　how　to　amend　it　by　art　and　industry。　As；　for　example；　to　defend　his　ports　with　rampiers　and　with　bulwarks；　to　make　the　lading　and　unlading　of　merchandise　both　quick　and　easy；　to　scour　the　seas　of　pirates　and　of　rovers；　to　make　the　rivers　navigable；　to　build　storehouses　apt　and　large　enough　to　contain　great　quantity　of　wares；　and　to　defend　and　maintain　the　ways　as　well　on　the　plains　as　on　the　mountains　and　hilly　places。　　　　　In　this　point　the　kings　of　China　have　deserved　all　praise　that　may　be。　For　they　have　with　an　incredible　expense　and　charge　paved　with　stone　all　the　highways　of　that　most　famous　kingdom；　and　have　made　stone　bridges　over　mighty　great　rivers；　and　cut　in　sunder　hills　and　mountains　of　inestimable　height　and　craggedness。　They　have　also　strewed　the　plains　and　bottoms　with　very　fair　stone；　so　that　a　man　may　there　pass　either　on　horse　or　afoot　as　well　in　the　winter　as　in　the　summer　time；　and　merchandise　may　be　easily　carried　to　and　fro　there　by　load；　either　on　carts　or　on　horse；　mules　or　camels。　　　　　And　in　this　point；　no　doubt；　some　princes　in　Italy　are　much　to　blame；　in　whose　countries　in　the　winter…time　horses　are　bemired　in　sloughs　up　to　the　belly；　and　carts　are　stabled　and　set　fast　in　the　tough　dirt　and　mire。　So　that　carriages　by　cart　or　horse　are　thereby　very　cumbersome；　and　a　journey　that　might　be　well　dispatched　in　a　day　can　hardly　be　performed　in　three　or　four。　And　the　ways　are　as　bad　in　many　parts　of　France；　as　in　the　country　of　Poitiers；　Saintonge；　Beauce　and　in　Burgundy。　But　this　is　no　place　to　censure　so　famous　provinces；　and　therefore　let　us　proceed。

　9。　Of　dominion　and　power

　　　　The　greatest　means　to　make　a　city　populous　and　great　is　to　have　supreme　authority　and　power；　for　that　draweth　dependency　with　it；　and　dependency　concourse；　and　concourse　greatness。　In　the　cities　that　have　jurisdiction　and　power　over　others；　as　well　the　public　wealth　as　the　wealth　of　private　men　is　drawn　by　divers　arts　and　means　unto　them。　Thither　do　repair　the　ambassadors　of　princes；　and　the　agents　of　dukes　and　commonwealths；　there　are　the　greatest　causes　heard；　as　well　criminal　as　civil；　and　all　appeals　are　brought　to　trial　there。　There　are　the　suits　and　causes；　as　well　of　men　of　quality　as　of　the　commonweal　and　common　persons　debated　and　decided；　the　revenues　of　the　state　are　there　laid　up；　and　there　spent　out　again　when　there　is　need。　The　richest　citizens　of　other　countries　seek　to　ally　themselves　and　to　get　an　habitation　there。　　　　　Out　of　all　which　causes　here　recited　there　must　needs　follow　an　abundance　of　wealth　and　riches；　a　most　strong　and　forcible　bait　to　allure　and　draw　forth　the　merchants；　the　artificers　and　the　people　of　all　sorts　that　live　upon　their　labour　and　their　service；　to　run　amain　from　the　furthest　coasts　unto　it。　After　this　sort　a　city　soon　increaseth　both　in　magnificency　of　building；　in　multitude　of　people　and　abundance　of　wealth；　and　also　groweth　to　the　proportion　of　a　principality。　　　　　The　truth　whereof　these　cities　all　of　them　declare　it　plain；　that　either　have　had　or　have　any　notable　jurisdiction　in　them；　Pisa；　Siena；　Genoa；　Lucca；　Florence　and　Brescia；　whose　countries　do　extend　an　hundred　miles　in　length　and　forty　in　breadth；　and　not　only　contain　the　most　fruitful　and　fertile　plains　but　also　many　rich　and　goodly　valleys；　many　towns　and　castles　that　have　above　a　thousand　houses　in　them　and　do　feed　very　near　three　hundred　and　forty　thousand　persons。　Many　free　and　imperial　cities　in　Germany　are　like　to　these：　Nuremberg；　Lubeck　and　Aachen；　and　such　was　Ghent　in　Flanders；　that　when　the　standard　was　advanced　and　spread　sent　out　at　once　an　hundred　thousand　men　of　war。　　　　　I　speak　not　here　of　Sparta；　Carthage；　Athens；　Rome　nor　Venice；　whose　greatness　grew　as　fast　as　their　power；　even　so　far　that；　to　pass　the　rest；　Carthage；　in　the　height　of　her　pride　and　glory；　was　twenty…four　miles　about；　and　Rome　was　fifty　besides　the　suburbs；　which　were　in　a　matter　so　infinite　and　great　as　on　the　one　side　they　extended　even　to　Ostia　and　on　the　other　side；　in　a　matter；　to　Utricoli；　and　round　about　they　occupied　and　possessed　a　mighty　deal　of　the　country。　But　let　us　proceed；　for　to　this　chapter　belongeth　all　that　shall　be　said　hereafter　of　the　residence　of　princes。

　10。　Of　the　residency　of　the　nobility

　　　　Amongst　other　causes　why　the　cities　of　Italy　are　ordinarily　greater　than　the　cities　of　France　or　other　parts　of　Europe；　it　is　not　of　small　importance　this；　that　the　gentlemen　in　Italy　do　dwell　in　cities；　and　in　France　in　their　castles；　which　are　for　the　most　part　palaces　compassed　and　surrounded　with　moats　full　of　water；　and　fenced　with　walls　and　towers　sufficient　to　sustain　a　sudden　assault。　　　　　And　although　the　noblemen　of　Italy　do　also　themselves　magnificently　dwell　in　the　villages；　as　you　may　see　about　the　countries　of　Florence；　Venice　and　Genoa；　which　are　full　of　buildings　both　for　the　worthiness　of　the　matter　and　the　excellency　of　the　workmanship　fit　to　be　an　ornament　and　an　honour　rather　to　a　kingdom　than　to　a　city；　yet　notwithstanding；　these　buildings　generally　are　more　sumptuous　and　more　common　in　France　than　they　are　in　Italy。　For　the　Italian　divideth　his　expense　and　endeavours　part　in　the　city；　part　in　the　country；　but　the　greater　part　he　bestows　in　the　city。　But　the　Frenchman　employs　all　that　he　may　wholly　in　t