the greatness of cities-第11节

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This　lake　in　his　greatest　breadth　is　four　leagues　wide　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　twenty…eight　miles；　or　thereabout。　In　circuit　it　is　an　hundred　miles　about；　with　large　passages　both　by　water　and　by　land。　The　streets　thereof　are　all　of　them　paved　gallantly　with　stone；　and　beautified　with　very　fair　benches　or　seats　to　sit　upon。　The　chattels　of　most　account　are　haply　fifteen；　with　bridges　over　them　so　stately　to　behold　that　ships　under　all　their　sails　pass　under　them。　The　greatest　of　these　channels　cutteth　through　the　midst；　as　it　were；　of　the　city　and　is　a　mile　wide；　a　little　more　or　less；　with　fourscore　bridges　upon　it；　a　sight；　no　question；　that　doth　exceed　all　other。　　　　　I　should　be　too　long　if　I　should　here　declare　all　that　might　be　said　of　the　greatness　of　the　walks　and　galleries；　of　the　magnificent　and　stately　buildings；　of　the　beauty　of　the　streets；　of　the　innumerable　multitude　of　inhabitants；　of　the　infinite　concourse　of　merchandise；　of　the　inestimable　number　of　ships　and　vessels；　some　inlaid　with　ebony　and　some　with　ivory；　and　chequered　some　with　gold　and　some　with　silver；　of　the　incomparable　riches　that　come　in　thither　and　are　carried　out　continually；　to　be　short；　of　the　delights　and　pleasures　whereof　this　city　doth　so　exceedingly　abound　as　it　deserves　to　be　called　proud　Suntien。　And　yet　the　other　two　cites　Panchin　and　Anchin　are　never　a　whit　less　than　this　is。　　　　　But　forasmuch　as　we　have　made　mention　of　China；　I　think　it　not　amiss　in　this　place　to　remember　the　greatness　of　some　other　of　her　cities；　according　to　the　relations　we　receive　in　these　days。　Canton；　then　（which　is　the　most　known；　though　not　the　greatest）　the　Portuguese　that　have　had　much　commerce　thither　these　many　years　confess　it　is　greater　than　Lisbon；　which　yet　is　the　greatest　city　that　is　in　Europe　except　Constantinople　and　Paris。　Sanchieo　is　said　to　be　three　times　greater　than　Seville；　so　that　since　Seville　is　six　miles　in　compass　Sanchieo　must　needs　be　eighteen　miles　about。　They　also　say　Huchou　exceeds　them　both　in　greatness。　Chinchew；　although　it　be　of　the　meaner　sort；　the　Fathers　of　the　Order　of　St。　Augustine　who　saw　it　do　judge　that　city　to　contain　threescore　and　ten　thousand　houses。　　　　　These　things　I　here　deliver　ought　to　be　not　thought　by　any　man　to　be　incredible。　For　（besides　that　Marco　Polo　in　his　relations　affirmeth　far　greater　things）　these　things　I　speak　are　in　these　days　approved　to　be　most　true　by　the　intelligences　we　do　receive　continually　both　of　secular　and　religious　persons；　as　also　by　all　the　nation　of　the　Portuguese。　So　as　he　that　will　deny　it　shall　show　himself　a　fool。　But　for　the　satisfaction　of　the　reader　I　will　not　spare　to　search　out　the　very　reasons　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　China　is　so　populous　and　full　of　such　admirable　cities。　　　　　Let　us　then　suppose　that　either　by　the　goodness　of　the　heavens　or　by　the　secret　influence　of　the　stars　to　us　unknown；　or　for　some　other　reasons　else　whatsoever　they　be；　that　part　of　the　world　that　is　oriental　unto　us　hath　more　virtue；　I　know　not　what；　in　the　producing　of　things　than　the　West。　Hereof　it　proceedeth　that　a　number　of　excellent　things　grow　in　these　happy　counties　of　which　others　are　utterly　destitute　and　void；　as　cinnamon；　nutmegs；　cloves；　pepper；　camphor；　sandalwood；　incense；　aloes；　the　Indian　nuts；　and　such　other　like。　Moreover　the　things　that　are　common　unto　both；　to　the　East；　I　say；　and　the　West；　they　are　generally　much　more　perfect　in　the　East　than　the　West；　as　for　proof　thereof；　the　pearls　of　the　West　in　comparison　of　the　East　are　as　it　were　lead　to　silver。　And　likewise　the　bezoar　that　is　brought　from　the　Indies　is　a　great　deal　better　far　than　the　bezoar　that　comes　from　Peru。　　　　　Now　China　comes　the　nearest　to　the　East　of　any　part　of　the　world；　and　therefore　doth　she　enjoy　all　those　perfections　that　are　attributed　to　the　East。　And　first　the　air　（which　of　all　things　importeth　to　the　life　of　man　so　much　as　nothing　more）　is　very　temperate；　whereunto　the　nearness　of　the　sea　addeth　a　great　help；　which　embraceth；　as　it　were；　with　arms　cast　abroad　a　great　part　thereof；　and　looks　it　in　the　face　with　a　cheerful　aspect；　and　with　a　thousand　creeks　and　gulfs　penetrateth　far　within　the　very　province。　　　　　Next；　that　the　country　is　for　the　most　part　very　plain　and　of　nature　very　apt　to　produce　not　only　things　necessary　for　the　use　and　sustenance　of　the　life　of　man　but　also　all　sorts　of　dainty　thing　for　man's　delight　and　pleasure。　The　hills　and　mountains　are　perpetually　arrayed　with　trees　of　all　sorts；　some　wild　and　some　fruitful；　the　plains　manured；　tilled　and　sown　with　rice；　barley；　wheat；　peas　and　beans；　the　gardens；　besides　our　common　sorts　of　fruits；　do　yield　most　sweet　melons；　most　delicate　plums；　most　excellent　figs；　pomecitrons　and　oranges　of　divers　forms　and　excellent　taste。　　　　　They　have　also　an　herb　out　of　which　they　press　a　delicate　juice　which　serves　them　for　drink　instead　of　wine。　It　also　preserves　their　health　and　frees　them　from　all　those　evils　that　the　immoderate　use　of　wine　doth　breed　unto　us。　　　　　They　also　abound　in　cattle；　in　sheep；　in　fowl；　in　deer；　in　wool；　in　rich　skins；　cotton；　linen；　and　in　infinite　store　of　silk。　There　are　mines　of　gold　and　silver　and　of　excellent　iron。　There　are　most　precious　pearls。　There　is　abundance　of　sugar；　honey；　rhubarb；　camphor；　red　lead；　woad；　musk　and　aloes；　and　the　porcelain　earth　is　known　nowhere　but　there。　　　　　More　than　this；　the　rivers　and　the　waters　of　all　sorts　run　gallantly　through　all　those　counties　with　an　unspeakable　profit　and　commodity　for　navigation　and　tillage。　And　the　waters　are　as　plentiful　of　fish　as　the　land　is　of　fruits；　for　the　rivers　and　the　seas　yield　thereof　an　infinite　abundance。　　　　　Unto　this　so　great　a　fertility　and　yield　both　of　the　land　and　water　there　is　joined　an　incredible　culture　of　both　these　elements。　And　that　proceedeth　out　of　two　causes；　whereof　the　one　dependeth　upon　the　inestimable　multitude　of　the　inhabitants　（for　it　is　thought　that　China　doth　contain　more　than　threescore　millions　of　souls）　and　the　other　consisteth　in　the　extreme　diligence　and　pains　that　is　taken　as　well　of　private　persons　in　the　tillage　of　their　grounds　and　well　husbanding　their　farms；　as　also　the　magistrates　that　suffer　not　a　man　to　lead　an　idle　life　at　home。　So　that　there　is　not　a　little　scrap　of　ground　that　is　not　husbandly　and　very　well　manured。　　　　　Now　for　their　mechanical　arts；　should　I　commit　them　here　to　silence　whenas　there　is　not　a　country　in　the　world　where　they　do　more　flourish　both　for　variety　and　for　excellence　of　skill　and　workmanship？　Which　proceedeth　also　out　of　two　causes；　whereof　the　one　I　have　commended　before；　in　that　idleness　is　everywhere　forbidden　there；　and　every　man　compelled　to　work；　no　man　suffered　to　be　idle；　no；　not　the　blind　nor　the　lame　nor　the　maimed；　if　they　be　not　altogether　impotent　and　weak。　And　the　women　also；　by　a　law　of　Wu…ti　King　of　China；　are　bound　to　exercise　their　father'　s　trades　and　arts；　and　how　noble　or　great　soever　they　be　they　must　at　least　attend　their　distaff　and　their　needle。　The　other　cause　is　that　the　sons　must　of　necessity　follow　their　father's　mysteries；　so　that　hereupon　it　comes　that　artificers　are　infinite　and　that　children　as　well　boys　as　girls；　even　in　their　infancy；　can　skill　to　work；　and　that　arts　are　brought　unto　most　excellent　and　high　perfection。　　　　　They　suffer　not　anything　to　go　to　loss。　With　the　dung　of　the　bulls　and　oxen　and　other　cattle　they　use　to　feed　fish；　and　of　the　bones　of　dogs　and　other　beasts　they　make　many　and　divers　carved　and　engraven　works；　as　we　do　make　of　ivory。　Of　rags　and　clouts　they　make　paper；　to　be　short；　such　is　the　plenty　and　variety　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　of　man's　industry　and　labour；　as　they　have　no　need　of　foreign　help　to　bring　them　anything。　For　they　give　away　a　great　quantity　of　their　own　to　foreign　countries。　And　（to　speak　of　no　things　else）　the　quantity　of　silk　that　is　carried　out　of　China　is　almost　not　credible。　A　thousand　quintals　of　silk　are　yearly　carried　thence　for　the　Portuguese　Indies；　for　the　Philippines　they　lade　out　fifteen　ships。　There　are　carried　out　to　Japan　an　inestimable　sum；　and　unto　Cathay　as　great　a　quantity　as　you　may　guess　by　that　we　have　before　declared　is　yearly　carried　thence　to　Cambaluc。　And　they　sell　their　works　and　their　labours　（by　reason　of　the　infinite　store　that　is　made）　so　cheap　and　at　so　easy　price　as　the　merchants　of　Nova　Hispania　that　trade　unto　the　Philippines　to　make　their　marts　（unto　which　place　the　Chinese　themselves　do　traffic）　do　wonder　at　it　much。　By　means　whereof　the　traffic　with　the　Philippines　falls　out　to　be　rather　hurtful　than　profitable　unto　the　King　of　Spain。　For　the　benefit　of　the　cheapness　of　things　is　it　that　makes　the　people　of　Mexico　（who　heretofore　have　used　to　fetch　their　commodities　from　Spain）　to　fetch　them　at　the　Philippines。　But　the　King　of　Spain；　for　the　desire　he　hath　to　win　unto　familiarity　and　love；　and　by　that　means　to　draw　to　our　Christian　faith　and　to　the　bosom　of　the　Catholic　Church；　those　people　that　are　wrapt　in　the　horrible　darkness　of　idolaties；　esteemeth　not　a　whit　of　his　loss；　so　he　may　gain　their　souls　to　God。　　　　　By　these　things　I　have　declared　it　appeareth　plain　that　China　hath　the　means　partly　by　the　benefit　of　nature　and　partly　by　the　industry　and　art　of　man　to　susta