the greatness of cities-第5部分

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f　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　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