the greatness of cities-第6部分

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　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　h