the greatness of cities-第3节

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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　wine　to　Burgundy；　in　abundance　of　corn　to　Champagne；　in　either　of　both　to　the　country　of　Orleans；　in　cattle　to　Brittany　and　the　territory　of　Bourges。　　　　　By　all　which　it　doth　appear　that　to　the　advancing　of　a　city　unto　greatness　it　sufficeth　not　simply　of　itself　alone　that　the　territory　be　fruitful。　And　the　reason　thereof　is　plain；　for　where　a　country　doth　plentifully　abound　with　all　matter　of　good　things；　the　inhabitants；　finding　all　those　things　at　home　that　are　fit；　necessary　and　profitable　for　their　use；　neither　care　nor　have　cause　to　go　anywhere　else　to　seek　them；　but　take　the　benefit　and　use　of　them　with　ease　where　they　grow。　For　every　man　loves　to　procure　his　commodity　with　the　most　ease　he　may：　and　when　they　find　them　with　ease　at　home；　to　what　end　should　they　travel　to　fetch　them　elsewhere？　And　this　reason　proves　the　more　strong　where　the　people　affect　and　long　least　after　vain　and　idle　delights　and　pleasures。　　　　　It　sufficeth　not　therefore　to　the　gathering　of　a　society　of　people　together　to　have　abundance　of　wealth　and　substance　alone；　but　there　must　be　besides　that　some　other　form　and　matter　to　unite　and　hold　them　in　one　place　together。　And　that　is　the　easiness　and　commodiousness　of　conduct；　the　carrying　out　and　bringing　in；　I　mean；　of　commodities　of　wares　to　and　fro。

　10。　Of　the　commodity　of　conduct

　　　　This　commodity　is　lent　unto　us　partly　of　the　land　and　partly　of　the　water。　　　　　Of　the　land；　if　it　be　plain。　For　by　that　means　it　conduceth　easily　the　merchandise　and　goods　of　all　sorts　and　kinds；　upon　carts；　horses；　mules　and　other　beasts　of　burden；　and　men　make　their　journeys　the　more　commodiously　on　foot；　on　horse；　in　chariot；　and　in　other　suchlike　sort　and　matter。　　　　　The　Portuguese　do　write　that　in　some　large　and　spacious　plains　of　China　they　use　coaches　with　sails；　which　some　essayed　not　many　years　since　in　Spain。　　　　　Of　the　water；　this　commodity　is　lent　us　if　it　be　navigable；　and　without　comparison　the　commodity　is　much　better　and　more　worth　far；　which　the　water　do　afford　us　than　which　the　earth　doth　give　us；　both　for　ease　and　speediness；　forasmuch　as　in　less　time；　and　with　less　charge　and　labour　（without　proportion　in　it）　greater　carriages　are　brought　from　countries　most　remote　by　water　than　by　land。　　　　　Now　your　navigable　water　is　either　of　the　sea　or　of　the　river　or　of　the　lake；　which　are　natural　helps　and　means；　or　of　channels　or　of　pools　as　that　of　Moeris　in　Egypt；　which　was　450　miles　about；　made　by　art　and　by　man's　industry　and　labour。　　　　　It　seems　in　very　truth　that　God　created　the　water；　not　only　for　a　necessary　element　to　the　perfection　of　nature；　but　more　than　so；　for　a　most　ready　means　to　conduct　and　bring　goods　from　one　country　to　another。　For　His　Divine　Majesty；　willing　that　men　should　mutually　embrace　each　other　as　members　of　one　body；　divided　in　such　sort　His　blessings　as　to　no　nation　did　he　give　all　things；　to　the　end　that　others　having　need　of　us；　and　contrariwise　we　having　need　of　others；　there　might　grow　a　community；　and　from　a　community　love　and　from　love　an　unity　between　us。　　　　　And　to　work　this　community　the　easier　He　produced　the　water；　which　of　nature　is　such　a　substance　that　through　the　grossness　thereof　it　is　apt　to　bear　great　burdens；　and　through　the　liquidness；　helped　with　the　winds　or　the　oars；　fit　to　carry　them　to　what　place　they　list。　So　that　by　such　a　good　mean　the　West　is　joined　with　the　East；　and　the　South　with　the　North。　And　a　man　might　say　that　whatso　grows　in　one　place　grows　in　all　places；　by　the　easy　means　provided　to　come　by　them。　　　　　Now　without　doubt　the　sea；　for　her　infinite　greatness　and　grossness　of　the　water；　is　much　more　profitable　than　the　lakes　or　the　rivers；　but　the　sea　serves　you　to　little　purpose　if　you　have　not　a　large　and　safe　port　to　ride　into。　I　say　large　either　for　the　greatness　or　for　the　depth　of　the　entry　thereat；　the　middest　and　the　extremes；　and　I　say　safe　either　from　all　or　from　many　winds；　or　at　least　from　the　most　blustering　and　most　tempestuous。　　　　　　It　is　held　that　among　all　winds　the　Northern　is　most　tolerable；　and　that　the　seas　that　are　troubled　on　the　Greekish　coast　cease　their　rage　and　wax　quiet　as　soon　as　the　wind　is　laid。　But　the　Southern　winds　trouble　them　and　beat　them　so　sore　（whereof　the　Gulf　of　Venice　is　an　undoubted　witness）　that　even　after　the　wind　is　laid　they　swell　and　rage　a　great　while　after。　　　　　Now　the　port　shall　be　safe　either　by　nature；　as　that　of　Messina　and　Marseilles；　or　else　by　art；　the　imitator　of　nature；　as　that　of　Genoa　and　of　Palermo。　　　　　Lakes　are；　as　it　were；　little　seas；　so　that　also　they　for　the　proportion　of　the　place；　and　other　respects　besides；　give　a　great　help　to　appopulate　towns　and　cities；　as　it　is　found　in　Nova　Hispania；　whereas　is　the　Lake　of　Mexico　which　extendeth　nine　hundred　miles　in　compass；　and　containeth　fifty　fair　and　goodly　towns　in　it；　amongst　the　which　there　is　the　town　Tenochtitlan；　the　Metropolitan　seat　of　that　great　and　large　kingdom。　　　　　The　rivers　also　import　much；　and　most　of　all　they　that　run　the　longest　course；　especially　through　the　richest　and　most　merchantable　regions；　such　as　is　Po　in　Italy；　Scheldt　in　Flanders；　Loire　and　Seine　in　France；　Danube　and　the　Rhine　in　Germany。　And　as　lakes　are　certain　several　remembrances　of　the　bosoms　of　the　gulfs　of　the　seas；　formed　and　made　by　nature；　even　so　chattels　wherein　to　the　water　of　the　lake　or　the　river　runneth　are　certain　imitations　and；　as　it　were；　shadows　of　the　same　rivers　made　by　skill　and　cunning。　　　　　The　ancient　kings　of　Egypt　made　a　ditch　that　from　the　Nile　ran　to　the　city　Heroopolis；　and　they　essayed　to　draw　a　channel　from　the　Red　Sea　to　the　Mediterranean；　to　knit　up　our　seas　with　the　Indian　Seas；　and　so　to　make　the　easier　transportation　to　and　fro　of　all　kinds　of　merchandise；　and　by　that　means　withal　to　enrich　their　own　kingdom。　And　it　is　a　thing　well　known　how　oft　it　hath　been　attempted　to　break　up　the　Isthmus　to　unite　the　Ionian　with　the　Aegean　Sea。　A　Sultan　of　Cairo　drew　a　chattel　from　the　Euphrates　to　the　city　of　Aleppo。　In　Flanders　you　may　see　both　at　Ghent　and　at　Bruges；　and　in　other　places　else　besides；　many　channels　made　by　art；　and　with　an　inestimable　expense　and　charge；　but　yet　of　mu