the greatness of cities-第12节

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na　hath　the　means　partly　by　the　benefit　of　nature　and　partly　by　the　industry　and　art　of　man　to　sustain　an　infinite　sight　of　people。　And　that　for　that　cause　it　is　credible　enough　that　it　becometh　so　populous　a　country　as　hath　been　said。　And　I　affirm　this　much　more　unto　it；　that　it　is　necessary　it　should　be　so　for　two　reasons：　the　one；　for　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　the　King　of　China　to　make　war　to　get　new　counties　but　only　to　defend　his　own；　and　thereupon　it　must　ensue　that　he　enjoyeth　in　a　manner　a　perpetual　peace。　And　what　is　there　more　to　be　desired　or　wished　than　peace？　What　thing　can　be　more　profitable　than　peace？　My　other　reason　is；　for　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　any　of　the　Chinese　to　go　out　of　their　Country　without　leave　or　licence　of　the　magistrates；　so　that；　the　number　of　persons　continually　increasing　and　abiding　still　at　home；　it　is　of　necessity　that　the　number　of　people　do　become　inestimable；　and　of　consequence　the　cities　exceeding　great；　the　towns　infinite　and　that　China　itself　should　rather；　in　a　matter；　be　but　one　body　and　but　one　city。　　　　　To　say　the　truth；　we　Italians　do　flatter　ourselves　too　much；　and　do　admire　too　partially　those　things　that　do　concern　ourselves；　especially　when　we　will　prefer　Italy　and　her　cities　beyond　all　the　rest　in　the　world。　The　and　figure　of　Italy　is　long　and　strait；　divided　withal　in　the　midst　with　the　Apennine　Hills。　And　the　paucity　and　rareness　of　navigable　rivers　doth　not　bear　it　that　there　can　be　very　great　and　populous　cities　in　it。　I　will　not　spare　to　say　that　her　rivers　are　but　little　brooks　in　comparison　of　Ganges；　Menam；　Mekong　and　the　rest；　and　that　the　Tyrrhenian　and　the　Adriatic　Seas　are　but　gullets　in　respect　of　the　ocean。　And　of　consequence　our　trade　and　traffic　is　but　poor　in　respect　of　the　marts　and　fairs　of　Canton；　Malacca；　Calicut；　Ormuz；　Lisbon；　Seville　and　other　cities　that　bound　upon　the　ocean。　　　　　Let　us　add　to　the　aforesaid　that　the　difference　and　enmity　between　the　Mohammedans　and　us　depriveth　us　in　a　manner　of　the　commerce　of　Africa；　and　of　the　most　part　of　the　trade　of　the　Levant。　Again；　the　chiefest　parts　of　Italy；　that　is；　the　Kingdom　of　Naples　and　the　Dukedom　of　Milan　are　subject　to　the　King　of　Spain。　The　other　states　are　mean；　and　mean　also　the　chiefest　of　their　cities。　But　it　is　time　we　now　return　from　whence　we　have　digressed　long。　　　　　The　residence　of　princes　is　so　powerful　and　so　mighty　as　it　alone　is　sufficient　enough　to　set　up　and　form　a　city　at　a　trice。　In　Ethiopia　（Francis　Alvarez　writeth）　there　is　not　a　town　（although　the　country　be　very　large）　that　containeth　above　a　thousand　and　six　hundred　houses；　and　that　of　this　greatness　there　are　but　few。　For　all　that　the　king　（called　by　them　the　Great　Negus；　and　falsely　by　us　the　Prester　John）　who　hath　no　settled　residence　representeth　with　his　only　court　a　mighty　great　city；　forasmuch　as　wherever　he　be　he　shadoweth　with　an　innumerable　sight　of　tents　and　pavilions　many　miles　of　the　country。　　　　　In　Asia；　the　cities　of　account　have　been　all　of　them　the　seats　of　princes：　Damascus；　Antioch；　Ankara；　Trebizond；　Busra　and　Jerusalem。　But　let　us　pass　over　into　Europe。　The　translating　of　the　imperial　seat　hed　the　glory　of　Rome　and　made　Constantinople　great；　which　is　maintained　in　her　greatness　and　majesty　with　the　residence　of　the　Great　Turk。　　　　　This　city　standeth　in　the　fairest；　the　best　and　most　commodious　site　that　is　in　the　world。　It　is　seated　in　Europe；　but　Asia　is　not　from　it　above　four　hundred　paces。　It　commandeth　two　seas；　the　Euxine　and　Propontis。　The　Euxine　Sea　compasseth　two　thousand　and　seven　hundred　miles。　The　Propontis　stretcheth　more　than　two　hundred　miles；　even　till　it　join　with　the　Archipelago。　　　　　The　weather　cannot　be　so　foul；　nor　so　stormy；　nor　so　blustering　as　it　can　hinder　in　a　matter　the　ships　from　coming　with　their　goods　to　that　same　magnificent　and　gallant　city　in　either　of　those　two　seas。　If　this　city　had　a　royal　and　a　navigable　river　it　would　lack　nothing。　It　is　thirteen　miles　about　and　this　circuit　containeth　about　seven　hundred　thousand　persons。　But　the　plague　makes　a　mighty　slaughter　every　third　year　amongst　them。　But　to　say　truth；　seldom　or　never　is　that　city　free　of　the　plague。　And　hereupon　is　offered　a　good　matter　worthy　to　be　considered；　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　that　same　scourge　toucheth　it　so　notably　every　third　year　like　a　tertian　ague　（as　in　Cairo　it　cometh　every　seventh）；　especially　because　that　city　is　seated　in　a　most　healthful　place。　But　I　will　put　off　this　speculation　to　another　time；　or　leave　it　to　be　discussed　by　wits　more　exercised　therein　than　mine。　　　　　There　are　within　Constantinople　seven　hills；　near　the　seaside　towards　the　east　there　is　the　seraglio　of　the　Great　Turk；　whose　walls　are　in　compass　three　miles；　there　is　an　arsenal　consisting　of　more　than　one　hundred　arches　to　lay　their　ships　in。　To　conclude；　the　city　is　for　the　beauty　of　the　site；　for　the　opportunity　of　the　ports；　for　the　commodity　of　the　sea；　for　the　multitude　of　the　inhabitants；　for　the　greatness　of　the　traffic；　for　the　residence　of　the　Great　Turk；　so　conspicuous　and　so　gallant；　as　without　doubt　amongst　the　cities　of　Europe　the　chiefest　place　is　due　to　it。　For　the　very　court　alone　of　that　prince　maintaineth　of　horsemen　and　of　footmen　not　less　than　thirty　thousand　very　well　appointed。　　　In　Africa；　Algiers；　lately　become　the　Metropolitan　of　a　great　state；　is　now　by　that　means　grown　very　populous。　Tlemsen　when　it　flourished　contained　sixteen　thousand　households；　Tunis　nine　thousand；　Morocco　an　hundred　thousand；　Fez；　which　is　at　this　day　the　seat　of　the　mighty　King　of　Africa；　containeth　threescore　and　five　thousand。　　　　　Amongst　the　kingdoms　of　Christendom　（I　speak　of　the　united；　and　of　one　body）　the　greatest；　the　richest　and　most　populous　is　France。　For　it　containeth　twenty…seven　thousand　parishes；　including　Paris　in　them。　And　the　country　hath　above　fifteen　millions　of　people　in　it。　It　is　also　so　fertile　through　the　benefit　of　nature；　so　rich　through　the　industry　of　the　people；　as　it　envieth　not　any　other　country。　The　residence　of　the　kings　of　so　mighty　a　kingdom　hath　for　a　long　time　hitherto　been　kept　at　Paris；　by　the　means　whereof　Paris　is　become　the　greatest　city　of　Christendom。　It　is　in　compass　twelve　miles；　and　containeth　therein　about　four　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　persons；　and　feedeth　them　with　such　plenty　of　victuals　and　with　such　abundance　of　all　delicate　and　dainty　things　as　he　that　hath　not　seen　it　cannot　by　any　means　imagine　it。　　　　　The　kingdoms　of　England；　of　Naples；　of　Portugal　and　of　Bohemia；　the　earldom　of　Flanders　and　the　dukedom　of　Milan　are　states；　in　a　manner；　alike　of　greatness　and　of　power；　so　that　the　cities　wherein　the　princes　of　those　same　kingdoms　have　at　any　time　made　their　residence　have　been　in　a　matter　also　alike；　as　London；　Naples；　Lisbon；　Prague；　Milan　and　Ghent；　which　have　each　of　them　asunder　more　or　less　an　hundred　and　threescore　thousand　persons　in　them。　But　Lisbon　is　indeed　somewhat　larger　than　the　rest；　by　means　of　the　commerce　and　traffic　of　Ethiopia；　India　and　Brazil；　as　likewise　London　is　by　means　of　the　wars　and　troubles　in　the　Low　Countries。　And　Naples　is　within　these　thirty　years　grown　as　great　again　as　it　was。　　　　　In　Spain　there　is　not　a　city　of　any　such　greatness；　partly　because　it　hath　been　till　now　of　late　divided　into　divers　little　kingdoms；　and　partly　because　through　want　of　navigable　rivers　it　cannot　bring　so　great　a　quantity　of　food　and　victual　into　one　place　as　might　maintain　therein　an　extraordinary　number　of　people。　The　cities　of　most　magnificency　and　of　greatest　reputation　are　those　where　the　ancient　kings　and　princes　held　their　seats；　as　Barcelona；　Saragossa；　Valencia；　Cordova；　Toledo；　Burgos；　Leon；　all　honourable　cities　and　populous　enough；　but　yet　such　as　pass　not　the　second　rank　of　the　cities　of　Italy。　　　　　Over　and　besides　the　rest　there　is　Granada；　where　a　long　time　the　Moors　have　reigned　and　adorned　the　same　with　many　rich　and　goodly　buildings。　It　is　situated　part　upon　the　hills　and　part　upon　the　plain。　The　hilly　part　consisteth　of　three　hills　divided　each　from　other。　It　aboundeth　of　water　of　all　sorts；　with　the　which　is　watered　a　great　part　of　her　pleasant　and　goodly　country；　which　is　by　the　means　thereof　so　well　inhabited　and　manured　as　none　can　be　more。　　　　　Seville　is　increased　mightily　since　the　discovery　of　the　New　World；　for　thither　come　the　fleets　that　bring　unto　them　yearly　so　much　treasure　as　cannot　be　esteemed。　It　is　in　compass　about　six　miles。　It　containeth　fourscore　thousand　persons　and　above。　It　is　situated　on　the　left　shore　of　the　river　Betis；　which　some　call　Guadalquivir。　It　is　beautified　with　fair　and　goodly　churches；　and　with　magnificent　and　gorgeous　palaces　and　buildings。　The　country　there　about　it　is　as　fertile　as　it　is　pleasant。　　　　　Valladolid　is　not　a　city；　but　for　all　that　it　may　compare　with　the　noblest　cities　in　Spain；　and　that　by　reason　of　the　residence　the　King　of　Spain　hath　long　time　made　there　in　it；　as　Madrid　is　at　this　day　much　increased　and　continually　increaseth　by　the　court　that　King　Philip　keepeth　there。　Which　is　of　such　efficacy　and　power　as　although　the　country　be　neither　plentiful　nor　pleasant　it　doth　yet　draw　such　a　number　of　people　to　it　as　it　hath　made　that　place；　of　a　village；　one　of　the　most　populous　places　now　of