the greatness of cities-第6节

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rts　where　they　are　sent　unto。　For　sometimes　the　plague　or　other　contagious　sickness　or　disease　consumeth　them；　sometimes　famine　enforceth　them　to　change　their　habitations；　sometimes　foreign　wars　take　out　of　the　world　the　stoutest　men　amongst　them；　sometimes　civil　wars　make　the　quietest　sort　forsake　their　dwellings；　and　from　many　poverty　and　misery　taketh　away　the　mind；　the　means　and　the　spirit　to　wed　or　think　on　propagation。　　　　　Now　they　that　might　have　died　in　Rome　with　the　aforesaid　evils；　and　without　children；　being　removed　to　other　places　escape　the　foresaid　perils；　and；　being　bestowed　in　colonies　and　provided　for　both　of　house　and　ground　to　it；　betake　themselves　to　wives　and　children　and　to　propagate　and　breed　them　up　and　so　increase　infinitely；　and　of　ten　become　an　hundred。　　　　　But　what　is　this　to　the　purpose；　may　some　man　say？　Let　us　suppose　that　they　that　are　sent　into　colonies　would　not　increase　their　country　if　they　tarried　at　home　how　should　they　then　increase　it　when　they　are　sent　thence　abroad　to　other　places？　Well　enough。　First；　because　colonies　with　their　mother　out　of　which　they　issued　make；　as　it　were；　but　one　body。　Then　next；　because　the　love　of　our　original　country；　which　every　man　affecteth；　and　the　dependence　thereof　（which　many　ways　help）　and　the　desire　and　hope　to　aspire　to　dignity　and　honour　which　evermore　draw　unto　it　the　worthiest　and　most　noble　minds。　By　which　means　the　country　grows　to　be　more　populous　and　rich。　　　　　Who　can　deny　but　that　the　colonies　that　issued；　as　it　were；　out　of　one　stock；　from　Alba　Longa；　and　so　many　besides　as　Rome　hath　sent　out；　brought　not　much　magnificence　and　greatness；　both　to　the　one　and　the　other？　And　that　the　Portuguese　issued　out　of　Lisbon；　to　possess　and　inhabit　the　islands　of　Azores；　Cape　Verde；　Madeira　and　others　have　not　amplified　and　increased　Lisbon　a　great　deal　more　than　if　they　had　never　removed　thence　to　those　same　islands？　　　　　Howbeit；　true　it　is　if　colonies　must　increase　their　mother；　it　is　very　necessary　that　they　be　near　neighbours；　otherwise　through　long　distance　of　place　love　waxeth　cold；　and　all　commerce　is　cut　off　clean。　And　therefore　the　Romans　for　the　space　of　six　hundred　years　sent　not　a　colony　out　of　Italy；　and　the　first　were　Carthage　and　Narbonne；　as　is　at　large　before　declared　in　my　sixth　book　of　Reason　of　State；　in　the　chapter　of　Colonies。　　　　　And　these　be　the　means　wherewith　the　Romans；　either　through　their　singular　dexterity　or　excellent　wits；　have　drawn　strange　nations　unto　their　city。　Let　us　now　speak　of　the　means　that　other　nations　also　as　well　as　they　have　used　in　this　case；　where　it　shall　not　be　from　the　purpose　that　we　begin　at　religion　first　as　at　the　thing　that　ought　to　be　the　head　and　spring　of　all　our　works　and　actions。

　3。　Of　Religion

　　　　Religion　and　the　worship　of　God　is　a　thing　so　necessary　and　of　such　importance　as　without　all　doubt　it　not　only　draweth　a　number　of　people　with　it　but　also　causeth　much　commerce　together。　And　the　cities　that　in　this　kind　excel　and　flourish　in　authority　and　reputation　above　all　others　have　also　the　better　means　to　increase　their　power　and　glory。　　　　　Jerusalem；　as　Pliny　writeth；　was　the　chiefest　and　most　flourishing　city　of　all　the　East　and　principally　for　religion　whereof　he　was　the　Metropolitan；　as　also　of　the　kingdom。　The　high　priests；　the　prelates　and　the　Levites　kept　their　residence；　there　offered　they　their　beasts；　there　celebrated　they　their　sacrifices　and　rendered　unto　God　their　prayers　and　petitions；　thither　repaired　thrice　a　year　all　the　people　almost　of　Israel。　Insomuch　as　Josephus　reckoneth　that　at　the　time　that　Titus　Vespasian　laid　his　siege　unto　it　there　were　in　the　city　two　millions　and　a　half　of　people；　a　number　in　truth　very　strange；　that　I　may　not　say　incredible；　in　respect　the　city　was　not　much　above　four　miles　about。　But　it　is　written　by　a　man　that　might　have　perfect　knowledge　of　it；　and　had　no　cause　to　lie。　　　　　Jeroboam；　when　he　was　chosen　king　of　Israel；　advisedly　considering　his　subjects　could　not　live　without　exercise　of　religion　and　use　of　sacrifice；　and　that　if　they　should　repair　to　Jerusalem　to　celebrate　and　make　their　sacrifice　his　people　would　soon　unite　themselves　with　the　tribe　of　Judah　and　the　House　of　David；　casting　religion　off　he　set　up　straight　idolatry。　For　he　caused　to　be　made　two　calves　of　gold；　and　sending　them　to　the　uttermost　parts　of　his　kingdom；　turning　to　his　people　he　said　unto　them：　Nolite　ultra　ascendere　in　Hierusalem；　ecce　dii　tui　Israel　qui　te　eduxerunt　de　terra　Aegypti。　　　　　Religion　is　of　such　force　and　might　to　amplify　cities；　to　amplify　dominions；　and　of　such　a　virtue　attractive　that　Jeroboam；　to　give　no　place　to　his　Competitor　in　this　part　of　allurement　and　entertainment　of　the　company；　impiously　brought　in　idolatry　in　place　of　true　religion。　And　this　man　was　the　first　that　for　desire　to　reign　did　openly　tread　down　the　law　and　all　due　worship　unto　God；　and　thereof　gave　a　lewd　example　to　posterity。　A　notable　note　in　truth；　not　so　much　of　folly　as　of　extreme　impiety。　　　　　Some　that　arrogate　too　much　wisdom　to　themselves　in　matters　of　state　and　government　spare　not　to　say　and　teach　that　to　hold　the　subjects　in　due　obedience　to　their　prince　man's　wit　and　policy　prevaileth　more　than　divine　or　godly　counsel：　a　speech　and　invention　in　very　truth　rather　of　a　miscreant　and　caterpillar　of　a　commonweal　than　of　a　lover　and　a　favourer　of　the　majesty　of　a　state。　For　such　are　the　ruins　of　kings；　the　plague　of　kingdoms；　the　scandal　of　Christianity；　the　sworn　enemies　of　the　Church；　nay　rather　of　God；　against　whom；　to　the　imitation　of　the　ancient　giants；　they　build　up　a　new　tower　unto　Babel　which　shall　breed　and　bring　unto　them　in　the　end　confusion　and　utter　ruin。　Qui　habitat　in　coelis　irridebit　eos；　et　Dominus　subsannabit　eos。　Hear；　ye　princes；　what　the　prophet　Isaiah　saith　of　the　counsellors　of　King　Pharaoh：　Sapientes　consiliarii　Pharaonis　dederunt　consilium　insipiens；　deceperunt　Aegyptum　angulum　populorum　eius。　Dominus　miscuit　in　medio　eius　spiritum　vertiginis；　et　errare　fecerunt　Aegyptum　in　omni　opere　suo；　sicut　errat　ebrius　et　vomens。　　　　　If　this　place　would　suffer　it　I　could　easily　show　that　the　greatest　part　of　the　loss　of　states　and　ruins　of　Christian　princes　have　proceeded　of　this　accursed　variance　in　religion；　through　the　which　we　are　disarmed　and　deprived　of　the　protection　and　favour　of　Almighty　God；　and　have　thrust　into　the　hands　of　the　Turks　and　Calvinists　the　weapons　and　the　scourges　of　God's　Divine　justice　against　us。　But　it　sufficeth　here　to　advise　princes　that　tread　down　the　laws　of　God　by　that　preposterous　and　wicked　kind　of　government　that　they　learn　of　Jeroboam　and　fear　the　issue　of　him　whose　acts　they　imitate；　that　they　may　hereafter　the　better　beware　by　other　men's　harms。　For　in　revenge　of　his　impiety　God　raised　up　against　Nadab　his　son　the　King　Baasha；　who　slew　him　and　all　his　race。　Non　dimisit　ne　unam　quidem　animam　de　semine　eius；　donec　deleret　eam。　But　let　us　return　where　we　left。　　　　　Of　what　strength　and　power　to　make　a　place　populous　religion　proves　to　be；　and　to　have　the　opinion　of　some　famous　relic　or　notable　argument　of　God's　divine　assistance；　or　some　authority　in　the　admiration；　administration　and　government　of　ecclesiastical　causes；　Loreto　in　Italy；　St。　Michel　in　France；　Guadalupe　and　Compostela　in　Spain　do　all　of　them　declare　and　manifest　it　plain；　and　many　places　more　besides；　though　solitary　and　desert；　though　sharp　and　rocky；　unto　the　which　for　no　respect　but　for　devotion's　sake　and　piety　people　daily　do　resort　infinitely　in　flocks　from　the　farthest　parts　that　are。　　　　　And　no　marvel　if　you　look　into　it　thoroughly。　For　there　is　not　anything　in　this　world　of　more　efficacy　and　force　to　allure　and　draw　to　it　the　hearts　of　men　than　God；　which　is　the　summum　bonum。　He　is　carefully　desired　and　sought　for　continually　of　all　creatures　whatsoever；　with　soul　or　without；　for　all　regard　Him　as　their　last　end。　Light　things　seek　their　summum　bonum　above；　heavy　things　beneath；　within　the　centre　of　this　earth；　the　heavens；　in　their　revolutions；　the　herbs　in　their　flowers；　the　trees　in　their　fruits；　beasts　in　the　preservation　of　their　kind；　and　man；　in　seeking　his　tranquillity　of　mind　and　everlasting　joy。　　　　　But　forasmuch　as　God　is　of　so　high　a　nature　as　the　sense　of　man　cannot　attain　to　it；　so　shining　bright　as　the　eye　of　man's　understanding　cannot　conceive　it；　every　man　directly　turns　him　to　that　place　where　he　leaves　some　print　of　his　power；　or　declares　some　sign　of　his　assistance；　which　ordinary　have　been　and　are　seen　on　the　mountains　or　the　deserts。　　　　　Is　not　then　Rome　indebted　much　for　her　magnificence　and　greatness　to　the　blood　of　the　martyrs；　to　the　relics　of　saints；　to　the　holy　consecrated　places；　and　to　the　supreme　authority　in　beneficial　and　spiritual　causes？　Would　she　not　become　a　very　wilderness；　if　the　opinion　of　the　holiness　of　the　places　drew　not　the　innumerable　sight　of　people　from　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth？　Would　she　not　become　a　desert　if　the　apostolic　seat　and　the　power　of　the　keys　caused　not　an　inestimable　multitude　of　people　daily　to　repair　unto　it　for　some　business　or　other？　　　　　Milan；　a　most　populous　and　famous　city；　shall　ever　be　a　witness　what　praise　and　glory；　and　how　much　increase　it　hath　gotten　by　the　singular　piety