友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
the greatness of cities-第1部分
快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!
The Greatness of Cities
by Giovanni Botero
A Treatise Concerning The Causes of the Magnificency and Greatness of Cities
Divided into three books by Sig。 Giovanni Botero in the Italian Tongue; now done into English by Robert Peterson 1606
Book One
1。 What a city is; and what the greatness of a city is said to be
A city is said to be an assembly of people; a congregation drawn together to the end they may thereby the better live at their ease in wealth and plenty。 And the greatness of a city is said to be; not the largeness of the site or the circuit of the walls; but the multitude and number of the inhabitants and their power。 Now men are drawn together upon sundry causes and occasions thereunto them moving: some by authority; some by force; some by pleasure; and some by profit that proceedeth of it。
2。 Of authority
Cain was the first author of cities; but the poets (whom Cicero therein followed) fable that in the old world men scattered here and there; on the mountains and the plains; led a life little different from brute beasts; without laws; without conformity of customs and matter of civil conversation。 And that afterward there rose up some who; having with their wisdom and their eloquence won a special reputation and authority above the rest; declared to the rude and barbarous multitude how much and how great profit they were like to enjoy if; drawing themselves to one place; they would unite themselves into one body; by an interchangeable communication and commerce of all things that would proceed thereof。 And by this means they first founded hamlets and villages; and after towns and cities; and thereupon these poets further feigned that Orpheus and Amphion drew after them the beasts of the fields; the woods and stones: meaning under these fictions to signify and show the grossness of the wits and the roughness of the matters of the same people。 But besides these fables; we read of Theseus that after he had taken upon him the government of the Athenians; it came into his mind to unite into one city all the people that dwelt in the country there about; dispersedly in many villages abroad; which he easily effected; by manifesting unto them the great commodity and good that would ensue of it。 The like thing is daily at this time put into practice in Brazil。 Those people dwell dispersed here and there in caves and cottages (not to call them houses) made of boughs and leaves of the palm。 And forasmuch as this matter of life; to live so dispersedly; causeth these people to remain in that same savage mind of theirs; and roughness of matter and behaviour; and bringeth therewith much difficulty and hindrance to the preaching of the Gospel; to the conversion of the infidels and the instruction of those that travail painfully; to convert them and to bring them to knowledge and civility; the Portuguese and Jesuits have used extreme diligence and care to reduce and draw them into some certain place together more convenient for their purpose; where living in a civil conversation they might more easily be instructed in the Christian faith and governed by the magistrate and ministers of the King。 So that to this purpose I might here remember those cities that have been built by the power and inhabited by the authority of great princes or some famous commonweals。 For the Greeks and Phoenicians were the authors of an infinite sight of cities。 And Alexander the Great and other kings erected a number more besides; whereof bear witness Alexandria; Ptolemais; Antioch; Lysimachia; Philippopolis; Demetrias; Caesarea; Augusta; Sebastia; Agrippina; Manfredonia; and in our time Cosmopolis; and the City of the Sun。 But none deserveth more praise in this kind (after Alexander the Great; who built more than three score and ten cities) than King Seleucus; who besides many others built three cities called Apamea; to the honour of his wife; and five called Laodicea; in memory of his mother; and to the honour of himself five called Seleucia: and in all more than thirty magnificent and goodly cities。
3。 Of force
Through force and inevitable necessity people are gathered otherwhile together into one place; whenas some imminent peril; especially of wars or ruin and unrecoverable waste and devastation; enforceth them to fly unto it; to put in safety their lives or their goods: and such safety is most found in mountains and craggy places; or small and little islands or such other like; that are not easily to be approached or come unto。 After the general deluge of the world in the time of Noah; while men feared there might afresh happen such another ruin again upon them; they sought to secure themselves; some by building their habitations upon the tops of high hills; and some by advancing huge towers of incredible height and greatness; even up to the heavens。 And without doubt; for this respect; the cities seated upon the mountains are for antiquity the most noble; and the towers are of the most ancient form and kind of buildings that ever were used in this world。 But after the fear of a new deluge was past and gone men began to draw themselves down; and to erect their habitations in the plains until the terror of armies; and the swarm and fear of fierce and cruel people; enforced them afresh to save themselves; on the steepness of the hills; or in the islands of the seas; or in the marshes and bogs; or other suchlike places。 When the Moors subdued Spain and brought it into miserable servitude and bondage; such as escaped with their lives out of the lamentable slaughter that was made of them; some retired themselves up to the highest mountains of Biscay and of Aragon; and some; betaking them to their shipping; saved themselves in the Island of the Seven Cities; so called because seven bishops seated themselves therein with their people。 The cruel ruin that Tamberlane carried with him wheresoever he came made the people of Persia and the countries bordering thereupon to abandon and forsake their ancient native countries (like birds that are scattered) and to save their lives by flight: some upon Mount Taurus; some upon the Anti Taurus; and some fled into the little islands of the Caspian Sea。 And as the people of Istria; at the coming of the Slavs; retired to the island Capraria; and there built Justinopolis; so the people of Gallia Transpadana at the entry of the Lombards into Italy saved themselves within the marshes; where they built the town of Crema。 But forasmuch as to the natural strength of those places; neither great convenience either of territory or traffic; or good means to draw trade or intercourse; lent (for the most part) any help unto them: there was never seen city there of any great fame or memory。 But if the places whereto men are driven of necessity to fly have in them besides their safety any commodity of importance; it will be an easy thing for them to increase; both with people; and with riches; and with buildings。 In this matter the cities of Levant and Barbary became great through the multitude of Jews that Ferdinand the King of Spain and Emmanuel the King of Portugal cast out of their kingdoms; as in particular Salonica and Rhodes。 And in these days in England
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!