the greatness of cities-第3部分

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　7。　Of　profit

　　　　This　profit　is　of　such　power　to　unite　and　tie　men　fast　unto　one　place；　as　the　other　causes　aforesaid；　without　this　accompany　them　withal；　are　not　sufficient　to　make　any　city　great。　　　　　Not　authority　alone；　for　if　the　place　whereto　men　are　drawn　through　the　authority　of　any　afford　them　no　commodity；　they　will　not　abide　nor　tarry　there。　　　　　Neither　yet　necessity；　for　such　a　congregation　and　collection　of　people　increaseth；　multiplieth　and　lasteth　for　many　years；　and　necessity　is　violent；　and　violence　cannot　produce　any　durable　effect。　So　that　it　comes　to　pass　that　not　only　cities　do　not　increase；　but　also　states　and　principalities　gotten　with　mere　strength　and　violence　cannot　be　long　maintained。　They　are　much　like　land　floods　that　have　no　head　nor　spring；　as　rivers　have　that　minister　perpetually　plenty　of　waters　to　them；　but　casually　and　in　a　moment　rise　and　swell；　and　by　and　by　assuage　and　fall　again；　so　that　as　they　are　to　travellers　fearful　in　their　swellings；　so　do　they　fall　again　within　a　while；　so　fast　as　travellers　may　soon　pass　away　on　foot　again　dry。　　　　　Such　were　the　conquests　of　the　Tartars；　that　have　so　oft　invaded　Asia　and　put　it　to　the　sword；　of　Alexander　the　Great；　of　Attila；　of　great　Tamburlane；　of　Charles　VIII　and　of　Louis　the　Twelfth　king　of　France。　And　the　reason　thereof　is　that　our　nature　is　so　great　a　lover；　and　longeth　after　commodity　so　much；　as　that　it　is　not　possible　to　quiet　and　content　her　with　that　which　is　no　more　but　necessary。　For　as　plants　although　they　be　set　deep　enough　within　the　ground；　cannot　for　all　that　last　and　be　long　kept　without　the　favour　of　the　heavens　and　the　benefit　of　rain；　even　so　the　habitations　of　men；　enforced　at　first　by　mere　necessity；　are　not　maintained　long　if　profit　and　commodity　go　not　companions　with　it。　Much　less　then　is　pleasure　and　delight　of　any　moment。　For　man　is　born　to　labour；　and　most　men　attend　their　business；　and　the　idler　sort　are　of　no　account　nor　reckoning；　and　their　idleness　is　built　and　founded　upon　the　labours　and　the　industry　of　those　that　work。　And　pleasure　cannot　stand　without　profit　and　commodity；　whereof　she　is；　as　it　were；　the　very　fruit。　　　　　Now　suppose　that　profit　is　the　very　thing　from　whence；　as　from　the　principal　cause；　the　greatness　of　cities　groweth　（for　the　same　profit　is　not　simple　and　of　one　sort　but　of　divers　forms　and　kinds）。　It　resteth　therefore　now　that　we　see　what　matter　of　commodity　and　profit　is　most　fit　for　the　end　whereof　we　have　disputed　all　this　while。　We　say　then　that　to　make　a　city　great　and　famous；　the　commodity　of　the　site；　the　fertility　of　the　soil　and　easiness　of　conduct　helpeth　sufficiently　enough。

　8。　The　commodity　of　the　site

　　　　I　call　that　a　commodious　site　that　serves　in　such　sort　as　many　people　thereof　need　for　their　traffic　and　transportation　of　their　goods　whereof　they　have　more　plenty　than　they　need；　or　for　receiving　of　things　whereof　they　have　scarcity　so　that　this　site；　standing　thus　between　both；　partaketh　with　both；　and　groweth　rich　with　the　extremes。　I　say　partaketh　with　the　extremes　because　it　cannot　otherwise　increase　the　greatness　of　a　city；　forasmuch　as　it　must　either　remain　desert　or　else　not　serve　but　for　a　simple　passage。　　　　　Derbent；　a　town　seated　in　the　ports　of　the　Caspian　Seas；　is　a　very　necessary　place；　to　go　from　Persia　into　Tartary　or　from　Tartary　into　Persia：　yet　notwithstanding；　it　never　grew　great　nor　no　famous　city；　and　in　these　our　days　there　is　no　reckoning　made　of　it。　And　the　reason　is　for　that　it　partaketh　not　of　these　extremes；　but　serveth　for　passage　only；　and　receiveth　those　that　travel　to　and　fro　not　as　merchants　and　men　of　commerce　and　traffic；　but　as　passengers　and　travellers；　and　to　speak　in　a　word；　it　is　seated　sure　in　a　very　necessary　place；　as　the　case　standeth；　but　not　profitably　unto　itself。　　　　　For　the　selfsame　cause；　in　the　straits　of　the　Alps　which　for　the　most　part　do　compass　Italy；　although　the　Frenchmen；　Switzers；　Dutchmen　and　Italians　continually　do　pass　by　them；　there　never　yet　was　found　a　mean　city；　much　less　any　great　and　stately　one。　　　　　The　like　may　be　said　of　many　other　cities　and　places。　For　Suez　is　a　very　necessary　place　for　them　that　came　out　of　the　Indies　by　the　Red　Sea　to　Cairo。　The　islands　of　St。　James；　and　the　Palma　and　Terceira　are　necessary　for　the　Portuguese　and　Spaniards　to　sail　to　the　Indies；　Brazil　and　to　the　New　World；　yet　neither　is　there；　nor　never　will　be　in　those　same　places；　city　of　good　importance。　As　neither　also　is　there　in　the　islands　between　Denmark　and　Sweden；　nor　yet　between　Mare　Germanicum　and　Mare　Balticum。　And　Flushing；　although　it　be　situated　in　a　passage　of　incredible　necessity；　for　the　commerce　and　traffic　there　is　between　the　Flemings；　Englishmen　and　other　nations；　yet　never　grew　it　great　but　still　remains　a　very　little　town。　But　contrariwise　Genoa　is　a　great　city；　and　so　is　Venice；　because　they　partake　of　the　extremes；　and　serve　not　only　as　for　passages　but　much　more　for　store…houses；　cellarage　and　warehouses　of　merchandise；　most　plentifully　brought　unto　them。　And　so　is　likewise　Lisbon；　Antwerp　and　some　other。　It　sufficeth　not　enough　therefore　to　the　making　of　a　city　magnificent　and　great　that　the　site　thereof　be　necessary；　but　it　must　withal　be　commodious　to　other　counties　that　are　borderers；　or　near　unto　it。

　9。　Of　the　fruitfulness　of　the　soil

　　　　The　second　cause　of　the　greatness　of　a　city　is　the　fruitfulness　of　the　country。　For　the　sustenance　of　the　life　of　man；　consisting　on　food　and　clothing；　and　both　of　them　gotten　out　of　those　things　the　earth　doth　produce；　the　fruitfulness　of　the　country　cannot　but　be　a　mighty　help　unto　it。　And　if　it　fall　out　to　be　so　great　as　it　not　only　well　sufficeth　to　maintain　the　inhabitants　thereof；　but　also　to　supply　the　wants　of　their　bordering　neighbours；　it　serveth　our　purpose　so　much　the　better。　And　forasmuch　as　all　soils　produce　not　all　things；　how　much　more　rich　and　more　able　a　country　shall　be　to　produce　divers　and　sundry　things　of　profit　and　commodity；　so　much　the　more　sufficient　and　fit　it　will　be　found　to　raise　a　great　city。　For　by　that　means　it　shall　have　the　less　need　of　others　（which　enforceth　people　otherwhile　to　leave　their　habitations）　and　be　able　to　afford　the　more　to　others　（which　draweth　our　neighbours　the　sooner　to　our　country）。　　　　　But　the　fruitfulness　of　the　land　sufficeth　not　simply　of　itself　alone　to　raise　a　city　unto　greatness：　for　many　provinces　there　are；　and　they　very　rich；　that　have　never　a　good　city　in　them；　as；　for　example；　Piedmont　is　one；　and　there　is　not　a　country　throughout　all　Italy　that　hath　more　plenty　of　corn；　cattle；　wine；　and　of　excellent　fruits　of　all　sorts；　than　it　hath；　and　it　hath　maintained　for　many　years　the　armies　and　forces　both　of　Spain　and　France。　And　in　England；　London　excepted；　although　the　country　do　abound　in　plenty　of　all　good　things；　yet　there　is　not　a　city　in　it　that　deserves　to　be　called　great。　As　also　in　France；　Paris　excepted；　which　notwithstanding　is　not　seated　in　the　fruitfullest　country　of　that　great　kingdom；　for　in　pleasantness　it　giveth　place　to　Touraine；　in　abundance　of　all　things　to　Saintonge　and　Poitiers；　in　variety　of　fruits　to　Languedoc；　in　commodiousness　of　the　seas　to　Normandy；　in　store　of　win