and the sundry and the admirable workes there wrought with inestimable Art and Cunninge It gaue not a iot of ground to the mynes of Hungary nor yet of Transiluania There was not a Country throughout all Europe neither more rich nor more inhabited then it no not one part of Europe nor of the world that had so many good Cities so great and so well frequented of forreiners and strangers So that not without good cause by reason of the incomparable treasure the Emperor Charles drew out of it some called those countryes the Emperors Indies Nature bringeth forth her formes in Materia prima And mans Art and cunning worketh vpon the naturall compound a thousand kindes of artificiall formes For nature is to the workeman the same that Materia prima is to the naturall agent A Prince therefore that will make his City populous must draw to it all sorts kindes of Art cunning Which he shall bring to passe if he bring out of other countries excellent artificers giue thē enterteinment conueniēt seate to dwell vpon if he reckon of good witts and est◅eme of singuler and rare inuentions and workemanship if other while also he doe reward perfection and excellen◅y in things of Art and cunning But aboue all things it is very necessarie the Prince suffer not rude vnwrought things to be caried out of his dominion Viz neither Wooll nor Silke nor Timber nor Mettall nor any other such like thing For with such matter the artificers will also goe away And vpon the trade of vnwrought stuffe or matter liue a greater nūber than vpō the simple matter it selfe alone And the Princes reuenew comes to be much greater by the exstraction of the worker than by the stuffe or matter As for example by the Veluets then by the Silkes by the Rash thē by the Woolles by the Linnen then by the Flaxe by the Cordage than by the Hempe The Kings of England and of France aware of these things not many yeares since made a law against the carying out of Woolles out of their dominions And the King of Spaine did afterward the like But these lawes could not be obserued so strictly by and by For these prouinces abounding with an infinite deale of fine Wooll they had not so many workemen as could ouer come it all And although the Princes afore said happely made this law for their owne particuler good bycause the profit and the custome that ryseth of the clothes is far greater then that which riseth of the wooll alone yet notwithstanding this lawe was good for the benefit of the whole countrie inasmuch as a nūber of people more doe liue vpon the wrought cloathes then vpon the rude and vnwrought Wooll out of which growes the riches and the greatnes of the King For the multitude of people is it that makes the Earth fruitfull and it that with the hand and with Art giueth a thousand formes to the naturall stuffe or matter And thus far the 3. chapter of the 8. booke of Boterus of the reason of State CAP. VII Of Priuiledges THe people are in these our daies so greeuously opprest and taxed by their Princes who are driuen to it partly of couetousnes and partly of necessitie that they greedely imbrase the least hope that may be of priuiledge and freedōe whensoeuer it is offered Whereof the Martes Faiers and Markets beare good witnesse which are frequented with a mighty concourse of trades men marchants and people of all sorts not for any respect else but that they are there free and franke from customes and exactions In our daies the Princely Citie of Naples through the exemptions and freedomes granted to the Inhabitants is most notably encreased both in buildings and in people And it would haue encreased a great deale more if through the greeses and suits of the Barons there whose lāds were vnfurnished of people or for some other peculiar reason the King of Spaine had not seuerely forbidden to enlarge it with further buildings The Cities in Flaunders are the most merchantable and the most frequented Cities for commerce and traffique that are in all Europe Yf you require the cause surely the exemptions from custome is the cheefest cause of it For the merchandize that is brought in and carried out and it is infinit that is brought in and carryed out payd but a very small custome All such as haue erected new Cities in times past to draw concourse of people to it haue graunted of necessitie large Immunities and priuiledges at least to the first Inhabitants thereof The like haue they done that haue restored Cities emptied with the plague consumed with the warres or afflicted otherwise with some other scourge of God The plague mencioned by Boccas that languished all Italie neere 3. yeares together was so fierce that from March to Iuly it tooke out of the world about an hundred thousand soules within Florence It slew also such a number within Venice as in a maner it became a desert So that the Senat to haue it reinhabited caused proclamation to be made that all such as would come thither with their families and dwell there two yeares together should haue the freedome of the Citie The same cōmon weale of Venice hath been also more than once deliuered out of extreame necessitie of victualls by promising priuiledge and freedome to such as brought them corne CAP. VIII Of hauing in her possession some merchandize of moment IT will also greatly helpe to drawe people to our Citie if shee haue some good store of vendible merchandize alwaies in her possession Which happely may be where through the goodnes of the soyle either all of it doth grow or a great part or that at least which is more excellent than other All as the Cloues in the Moluccaes the Frankinsence and sweet smelling goomes in Sabea the Balsam in Palestin Or where a good part of it doth grow as Pepper doth in Calicut and Sinamom in Zeilan or where it is most excellent as Salt is in Ciprus Sugers at Madera and Wooll in some Cities of Spaine and England There is also to be added vnto this the excellencie of Art and workemanship which through the qualitie of the water or the skill cunning of the Inhabitants or some hidden misterie of theirs or other such like cause chaunceth to be in one place more excellent then another As the Armor in Damascus and in Scyras Tapestrie in Arras Rash in Florence Veluets in Genoa Cloth of Gold and Siluer in Milan and Scarlet in Venice And to this purpose I cannot passe it ouer but I must declare vnto you that in China all Artes in a maner florishe in the highest decree of excellency that may be for many reasons but amongst the rest chiefely for this bycause the children are bound to follow their fathers mistery and trade So that forasmuch as they are borne as it were with a resolute minde to follow their fathers Art the fathers
get an habitation there Out of all which causes here recited there must needes follow an abundance of wealth and riches a most strong and forcible bayte to allure and drawe forth the marchants the artificers and the people of all sorts that liue vpon their labor and their seruice to run amaine from the furthest coastes vnto it After this sort a Citie soone encreaseth both in magnificency of building in multitude of people and abundance of wealth and also groweth to the proportion of a principallity The truth whereof these Cities all of them declare it plaine that eyther haue had or haue any notable iurisdiction in them Pisa Siena Genoa Luke Florence and Bressia Whose countries do extend an hundred miles in length and fortie in breadth and not onely conteine the most fruitfull and fertile playnes but also many rich and goodly valleis many townes and castles that haue aboue a thousand houses in them and do feede very neere three hun-and fortie thousand persons Many free and imperiall Cities in Germany are like to these Norimberg Lubeck and Augusta And such was Gaâ—…nt in Flanders that when the Standard was aduanst and spred sent out at once an hundred thousand men of warre I speake not here of Sparta Carthage Athens Rome nor Venice whose greatnes grew as fast as their power euen so far that to passe the rest Carthage in the height of her pride and glorie was 24 myles about and Rome was 50 besides the Suburbes which were in a manner so infinit and great as on the one side they extended euen to Hostia and on the other side in a manner to Ottricoliâ—… and round about they occupied and possessed a mighty deale of the countrye But let vs proceede For to this chapter belongeth all that shal be sayd hereafter of the residence of Princes CAP. X. Of the Residency of the Nobilitie AMongest other causes why the Cities of Italy are ordinarily greater then the Cities of France or other parts of Europe it is not of small importance this that the gentlemen in Italy doe dwell in Cities and in France in their castles which are for the most part Pallaices compassed and surrounded with moates full of water and fenced with walles and towers sufficient to susteine a suddaine assault And although the noble men of Italy doe also themselues magnificently dwell in the villages as you may see about the countries of Florence Venice and Genoa which are full of buildings both for the worthynes of the matter and the excellencie of the workemanshippe fit to bee an ornament and an honour rather to a Kingedome than to a Cittie yet not withstanding these buildings generally are more sumptuous and more common in France then they are in Italy For the Italion deuideth his expence and indeuours part in the Citie part in the country but the greater part he bestowes in the Citie But the Frenchman imployes all that he may wholy in the country regarding the Citie little or nothing at all For an Inne serues his turne wheÌ„ he needs How beit experieÌ„ce teacheth the residence of noblemen in Cities makes them to be more glorious more populous not onely by cause they bring their people their families vnto it but also more bycause a noble man dispendeth much more largely through the accesse of friends vnto him and through the emulation of others in a Citie where he is abiding and visited continually by honorable personages then he spendeth in the country where he liueth amongst the bruite beasts of the field and conuerseth with plaine country people and goes apparelled amongst them in plaine and simple garments Gorgeous and gallant buildings necessarily must also follow and sundry arts of all sorts and kynds must needs encrease to excellency and full perfection in Cities where noblemen do make their residence For this cause the Inga of Perù that is the king of Perù meaning to enoble and make great his royall Citie of Cusco would not only that his Cacichi and his Barrons should inhabite there but he did also command that euery one of them should erect and build a Pallace therein for their dwelling which when they had performed each striuing with the other who should erect the fairest that Citie in short time grew with most princely buildings to be magnificent and great Some Dukes of Lombardy haue in our daies attempted such a thing Tygranes King of Armenia when he set vp the great Tygranocerta enforst a great number of gentlemen and honorable persons with others of great wealth and substance to remooue themselues thyther withall their goods whatsoeuer sending forth a solemne proclamation withall that what goods so euer were not brought thither and could be found of theirs else where should be confiscat cleane And this is the cause that Venice in short time increased so notably in her beginning For they that fled out of the countries there adioyning into the IlaÌ„ds where Venice is miraculously seated as it were were noble personages and rich and thither did they carrie with them all their wealth and substance with the which geuing themselues thorough the opportunitie of that Gulfe to nauigation and to traffique they became within a while owners and masters of the Citie and of the Ilands thereunto adioyning and with their wealth and riches they easily enobled the countrie with magnificent and gorgeous buildings and with inestimable Treasure And in the end brought it to that greatnes and power in which we doe both see it and admire it at this present CAP. XI Of the Residencie of the Prince FOr the very selfe same causes we haue a little before declared in the chapter of dominion and power it doth infinitely auaile to the magnifying and making Cities great and populous the Residency of the Prince therein according to the greatnes of whose Empire she doth increase For where the Prince is resident there also the Parliaments are held and the supreame place of iustice is there kept all matters of importance haue recourse to that place all Princes and all persons of account Embassadors of Princes and of common weales and all Agents of Cities that are subiect make their repaire thither all such as aspire and thirst after offices and honors run thither amaine with emulation and disdaine at others thither are the reuenewes brought that appertain vnto the state there are they disposed out againe By all which meanes Cities must needs encrease a pace it may easiely be conceiued by the examples in a maner of all the Cities of Importance and of name The ancientest kyngdoÌ„e was that of Aegipt whose Princes kept their Court partly in Thebes and partly in Memphis By meanes whereof those two Cities grewe to a mightie greatnes and to beautifull and sumptuous buildings Forasmuch as Thebes which Homer calles poetically the Citie of a hundred gates was in circuit as Diodorus writeth 17. miles about and was beautified with prowd stately buildings both publique
and priuate and also full of people And Memphis was but little lesse In after ages other kings succeding which were called Ptolomei they kept their court in Aelxandria which did by that meanes mightilie increase in buildings in people in reuerent reputation taken of it and in inestimable wealth and riches and the other two Cities afforesaid that by the ruine of that kingdome falling first vnder the Caldaeians and afterward vnder the Persians were exceedingly decaied are now vtterly defaced The Soldanes after that forsaking Alexandria drew themselues to Cayrus which euen for this very cause became within a little time to speake of a Citie so populous as it hath gotten not without good cause the name of the great Cayrus But the Soldanes bycause they thought themselues not to be secure in respect of the innumerable multitude if so great a people should perchance rise vp in armes against them deuided it with large and many dicthes filled full of water so that it might appeare not to be one Citie alone but many little townes vnited and ioyned together At this daie it is deuided into ◅ townes a little mile distant one from another whose names are these Bulacco old Cayrus and new Cayrus It is said there are 16. thousand or as Ariosto writeth 18. thousand great streets in it that are euerie night shut vp with iron gates It may be 8 miles about within which compasse for that these people dwell not so at large nor so commodiously for ease as we do but for the most part within the ground stowed vp as it were and crowded and thrust together there is such an infinit multitude of them as they cannot be numbred The plague in a manner neuer leaueth them but euerie seauēth yeare they feele it most exceedingly And if it dispatch not out of the way aboue 3. hundred thousand they count it but a flea byt In the time of the Soldanes that Citie was accounted to stand to health when as there died not in it aboue a thousand persons in a daye And let this suffice that I haue said of Cayrus which is of so great a fame in the world at this day In Assiria the Kings made their residence in Niniue whose circuit was 480. furlongs about which comes to three score miles And in length it was as Diodorus writeth one hundred and fifty furlongs The Suburbes thereof no doubt must needs besides that be very large For the Scripture affirmeth that Niniue was great three dayes iorney to passe it ouer Diodorus writeth there was neuer any Citie after that set vp of so great a circuit and of so huge a greatnes For the heighth of the walles was a hundred foote the breadth able to conteine 3. cartes a brest together Towers in the walles a thousand and fiue hundred in heighth an hundred foot as Viues saith The residence of the Kings of Caldaeia was in Babilon This Citie was in compas foure hundred and foure-score furlongs so writes Herodotus her walls were wide fifty cubits high two hundred more Aristotile maketh it much greater For he writes that it was said in his time that when Babilon was taken it was three daies eare one part tooke knowledge of the conquest The people thereof were such a number as they durst offer battell vnto Cyrus the greatest and the mightiest King for power that euer was of Persia. Semiramis did build it but Nabucodonoser did mightely encrease it When it was ruinated afterward at the comming in of the Scythians and other people in those countries it was reedified by one Bugiafar Emperor of the Saracines who spent vpon it 18. Millions of Gold Giouius writeth that euen at this day it is greater then Rome if you respect the compas of the ancient walles But there are not only woodes to hunt in and fieldes for tilladge but also orchardes and large gardens in it The Kings of Media made their residence in Ecbatana the Kings of Persia in Persepolis of whose greatnes there is no other Argument then coniecture In our time the Kings of Persia haue made their residence in Tauris And as their Empire is not so great as it hath been so also neither is their Citie of the greatest It is in compasse for all that about sixteene miles yea some say more It is also very long and hath many gardens in it but it is without any walle a thing common in a manner to all the Cities in Perfia In Tartaria and in the Orientall Asia thorough the power of those great Princes are far greater Cities then in any parts else in the world The Tartars hauea◅ this day two great Empyres whereof the one is of the Mogoriā Tartars the other of the Cataians The Mogorian Tartars haue in our time incredibly enlarged their dominion For Mahamud their prince not contēted with his ancient confines sudued not many yeares since in a manner all that euer lieth between Ganges Indus The chiefe Citie of Mogora is Sarmarcāda which was incredibly enriched by the great Tamberlane with the spoyles of all Asia where like an horrible tempest or deadly raging flood he threw down to the ground the most ancient worthyest Cities and carried from thence their wealth riches And to speake of none other he onely tooke from Damascus eight thousād Camells laden with rich spoyles choisest moueable goods This City hath been of such greatnes power that in some ancient reports wee read it made out fortie thousād Horse But at this day it is not of such magnificency greatnes through the dominion of the Empire For as after the death of the great Tamberlane it was sodainly deuided into many parts by his sōnes So is it likewise in our time deuided amongst the sonnes of Mahamud who hath last of all subdued Cambaia And forasmuch as I haue made mention of Cambaia I must tell you there are in that kingdome two memorable Cities the one is Cambaia the other is called Citor Cambaia is of such greatnes that it hath gotten the name of a prouince Some write that it doth conteine one hundred and fiftie thousand houses to the which allow as commonly the maner is to euery house fiue persons and it will then come to little lesse then eight hundred thousand inhabitants But some make it to be much lesse Howbeit in any sort howsoeuer it is a most famous Citie the chiefest of a most rich kingdome and the Seate of a most mighty King that brought to the enterprise against Mahamud King of the Mogorians fiue hundred thousand footemen and a hundred and fifty thousand horsemen whereof thirty thousand were armed after the manner of our men of armes Citor is 12. miles about and is a Citie so magnificent of buildings so beautifull for goodly streetes and so full of delights and pleasures that few other Cities do come neere it and it is for that cause called by
the people that inhabit there the shadow of the heauens It hath been in our time the Citie of residency of the Queene Crementina who by cause she rebelled from the said King of Cambaia was with maine force depriued thereof in the yeare 1536. The Emperour of the Cataian Tartars commonly called the great Chame deriueth himselfe from the great Chiny who was the first that 300. yeares agone came out of Scythia Asiatica with a valiant expedition and power of armes and made the name of the Tartars famous For he subdued China and made a great part of India tributary vnto him he wasted Persia and made Asia to tremble The successors of this great Prince made their residence in the Citie of Chiambalù a Citie no lesse magnificent then great For it is said it is in compasse twentie eight miles besides the suburbes and that it is of such traffyque and commerce as besides other sorts of Marchandize there are euery yeare brought in to it very neere a thousand Carts all loaden with Silke that come from China Wherevpon a man may gesse both the greatnes of the trades the wealth of the Marchandize the variety of the Artificers Artes the multitude of people the Pompe the magnificency the pleasure and the brauery of the inhabitants thereof But let vs now come to China There is not in all the world a Kingdome I speake of vnited and entyer Kingdomes that is either greater or more populous or more riche or more abounding in all good things or that hath more ages lasted and endured than that famous and renowned Kingdome of China Hereof it growes that the Cities wherein their Kings haue made their residence haue euer been the greatest that haue been in the world And those are Suntien Anchin and Panchin Suntien by so much as I can learne out of the vndoubted testimonies of other men is the most ancient and the chiefest and the Principallest of a certaine Prouince which is called Quinsai by which name they coÌ„monly call the same City It is Seated as it were in the extreamest parts almost of the East in a mighty great Lake that is drawen out of the foure Princely Riuers that fall there in to it whereof the greatest is called Polisanga The Lake is full of little Ilands which for the gallaÌ„tnes of the Scite the freshnes of the ayer sweetnesse of the gardens are very delightfull without measure His bankes are â—…apestred with verdure mantled trees watered with cleare running brookes and many springes and adorned with magnificent and stately Palaces This Lake in his greatest breadth is foure leagues wyde at the mouth but in some places not aboue twoo The Citie is from the mouth of the riuer twentie eight miles or there about In circuit it is an hundred miles about with large passages both by water and by land The streetes thereof are all of them paued gallantly with Stone and beautified with very fayer benches or seates to sit vpon The Chanells of most account are happely fifteene with bridges ouer them â—…o sâ—…ately to behold that Shipps vnder all their sailes passe vnder them The greatest of these Chanells cutteth thorough the middest as it were of the Citie and is a mile wide a little more or lesse with foure score bridges vpon it A Sight no question that doth exceed all other I should be to long if I should here declare all that might be said of the greatnes of the walkes and galleryes of the magnificent and Stately buildings of the beautie of the Streets of the innumerable multitude of Inhabitants of the infinite concourse of Marchandize of the inestimable number of Shipps and vessells some in laid with Ebony and some with Iuory and chekered some with Gold and some with Siluer of the incomparable riches that come in thither and are carryed out continually to be short of the delightes and pleasures whereof this Citie doth so exceedingly abound as it deserues to be called proud Suntien and yet the other two Cities Panchin and Anâ—…hin are neuer a whitlesse then this is But forasmuch as we haue made mention of China I thinke it not a misse in this place to remember the greatnes of some other of her Cities according to the relations we receaue in these dayes Cantan then which is the most knowen though not the greatest the Portugalles that haue had much commerce thither these many yeares confesse it is greater then Lisborne which yet is the greatest Citie that is in Europe except Constantinople and Paris Sanchieo is said to be three times greater then Siuile So that â—…ith Siuile is six miles in compasse Sanchieo must needes be eighteene miles about They also say Vechieo exceedes them both in greatnes Chinchieo although it be of the meaner sort the fathers of the order of Saint Augustine who saw it do iudge that Citie to conteine three score and ten thousand houses These things I here deliuer ought to be not thought by any man to be incredible For beside that that Marcus Polus in his relations affirmeth far greater things these things I speake are in these dayes approued to be most true by the intelligences we do receaue continually both of seculer and religious persons as also by all the nation of the Portugalles So as he that will denie it shall shew himselfe a foole But for the satisfaction of the reader I will not spare to search out the very reasons how it comes to passe that China is so populous and full of such admirable Cities Let vs then suppose that either by the goodnes of the Heauens or by the secret Influence of the starres to vs vnknowne or for some other reasons else what soeuer they be that part of the world that is orientall vnto vs hath more vertue I knowe not what in the producing of things than the west Hereof it proceedeth that a number of excellent things grow in these happy countries of which others are vtterly destitute and voyde As Sinamome Nutmeâ—…ges Cloues Pepper Camphâ—…re Saunders Incense â—… Aloes the Indian Nuts and such other like Moreouer the things that are common vnto both to the East I say and the West they are generally much more perfect in the East than the West as for proofe thereof the Pearles of the West in comparison of the East are as it were lead to siluer And likewise the Bezà ar that is brought fâ—…om the Indies is a great deale better far than the Bezà ar that comes from Peru. Now Chyna comes the neerest to the East of any part of the world And therefore doth she enioye all those perfections that are attributed to the East And first the Ayer which of all things importeth the life of man so much as nothing more is very temperat whereunto the neerenes of the Sea addeth a great helpe which imbraceth as it were with armes cast abroad a great part thereof and lookes it in the face with a cheerefull aspect and
manured as none can be more Siuil is encreased mightily synce the discouery of the new world For thyther come the fleetes that bring vnto them yearely so much treasure as cannot be esteemed It is in compas about six miles It conteineth foure score thousand persons and aboue It is scituated on the left shore of the Riuer Betis which otherwise some call Guadalchilir It is bewtified with fayre and goodly churches and with magnificent and gorgeous Palaces buildings The country there about it is as fertile as it is pleasant Vagliadolid is not a Citie but for all that it may compare with the noblest Cities in Spaine And that by reason of the residence the King of Spaine hath long tyme made there in it As Madrid is at this day much encreased and continually encreaseth by the Court that King Phillip keepeth there Which is of such efficacie and power as although the country be neither plentifull 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 Spaine Cracouium and Vilna are the most popuous Cities of Polonia The reason is bycause Cracouium was the seate of the Duke of Polonia and Vilna the seate of the great Duke of Lituania In the Empire of the Muscouites there are three great and famous Cities Valadomere the great Nouoguardia and Muscouia which haue gotten their reputation bycause they haue been all three of them the seates of great Dukes and Princes of great dominions The most renowned of them at this day is Muscouia thorough the residence the Duke holdeth there It is in length fiue miles but not so wide There is vnto it a very great castell that serues for a Court and Pallace to that same Prince and it is so populous that some haue reckoned it amongst the foure Cities of the first and chiefest ranckes of Europe which to their iudgments are Moscouia it selfe Constantinople Paris and Lisbon In Scicilia in ancient times past the greatest Citie there was Siracusa which as Cicero doth write consisted of foure parts deuided a sunder which might be said to be foure Cities And the cause of her greatnes was the residence of the Kings or of the Tyrants as they were termed in tymes past call them as you will But when the commerce with the Africanes did fayle them afterward through the deluge of the Infidels and that the royall seate was remoued to Palermo Palermo did then encrease apase her glory and Siracusa did loose as fast her luster Palermo is a Citie equall to the Cities of the second ranke of Italy beautified with rich temples and magnificent Palaces with diuers reliques and goodly buildings made by the Saracines But two things chiefely made of late are worthyest to be noted The one is the streete made throughout the whole Citie which for streyghtnes breadth length and beautifulnes of buildings is such as I know not in what Citie of Italy a man should finde the like The other is the Péere edified with an inestimable expence and charge by the benefit whereof the Citie hath a very large and spacious Port a worke in truth worthy of the Romanes magnanimity But what meane I to wander thorough other parts of the world to shew how much it doth import the greatnes of a Citie the residence and a bode of a Prince therein Rome whose Maiesty exceeded all the world would she not be more like a desert then a Citie if the Pope held not his residence therein if the Pope with the greatnes of his court and with the concourse of Embassadours of Prelats and of Princes did not ennoble it and make it great If with an infinit number of people that serue both him and his ministers he did not replenish and fill the Citie If with magnificent buildings Conduits Fountaines and streetes it were not gloriously adorned If amongst so many riche and stately works belonging aswell to Gods glory as the seruice of the common weale he spent not there a great part of the reuenewes of the church And in a word if with all these meanes he did not draw and entertaine withall such a number of Marchants trades men Shop-keepers Artificers workmen and such a multitude of people for labor and for seruice OF THE CAVSES OF the greatnes and magnificency of Cities THE THIRD BOOKE CAP. I. Whether it be expedient for a Citie to haue few or many Citizens THe ancient Founders of Cities considering that lawes and Ciuile discipline could not be easily conserued and kept where a mighty multitude of people swarmed For multitudes do breede and bring confusion they lymited the number of Citizens beyond which they supposed the forme and order of gouernment they sought to holde within their Cities could not be else maintayned Such were Licurgus Solon and Aristotle But the Romanes supposing power without which a Citie cannot be long maintained consisteth for the most part in the multitude of people endeuoured all the wayes and meanes they might to make their country great and to replenish the same with store of people as we haue before and more at full declared in our bookes della ragion distato Yf the world would be gouerned by reason and all men would content them selues with that which iustly doth belong vnto them Happely the iudgment of the ancient law makers were worthy to be imbraced But experience shewes through the corruption of humane nature that force preuailes aboue reason armes aboue lawes teacheth vs besides the opiniō of the Romanes must be preferd before the Grecians Inasmuch as we see the Athenians and the Lacedemonians not to speake of other cōmon weales of the Graecians came to present ruine vpon a very small discomfiture losse of a thousand seuen hūdreth Citizens or little more where on the other side the Romāes triumphed in the end though many times they lost an infinit number of their people in their attemptes enterprises For it is cleere more Romāes perished in the warres they had against Pyrrhus the Carthaginensians Numantians Viriatus Sertorius and others than fell without comparison of all their enemies And yet for all that they rested alwaies conquerors by meanes of their vnexhausted multitude with the which supplying their losse from time to time they ouercame their enemies asmuch though they were strong and fyerce as with their fortitude and strength In these former bookes I haue sufficiently declared the waies and meanes whereby a City may encrease to that magnificency and greatnes that is to be desired So that I haue no further to speake thereunto but only to propound one thing more that I haue thought vpon not for the necessitie so much of the matter as that bycause I think it will be an ornament vnto the worke and giue a very good light vnto it And therefore let vs now consider CAP. II. What the reason is that Cities once growen to
a greatnes encrease not onward according to that proportion LEt no man thinke the wayes and meanes aforesaid or any other that may bee any waye deuised can worke or effect it that a Citie may go on in increase without ceassing And therefore it is in truth a thing worth the consideration how it comes to passe that Cities growen to a poynt of greatnes and power passe no further but either stand at that staye or else returne backe againe Let vs take for our example Rome Rome at her begynning when she was founded and built by Romulus as Dionisius Halicarnasse◅s writeth was able to make out 3300. fit men for the warres Romulus reigned thirty seauen yeares with in the compas of which time the Citie was encreased euen to 47000. persons fit to beare armes About 150. yeares after the death of Romulus in the time of Seruius Tullius there were numbred in Rome 80. thousand persons fit for armes The number in the end by little and little grew to 450. thousand My question therefore is how it comes to passe that from three thousand and three hundred men of warre the people of Rome grew to 450. thousand and from 450. thousand they went no further And in like manner syth it is 400. yeares since Milan and Venice made as many people as they do at this day How it doth also come to passe that the multiplycation goes not onward accordingly Some answere the cause hereof is the plagues the warres the dearthes and other such like causes But this giues no satisfaction For plagues haue euer been And warres haue been more common and more bloody in former times than now For in those dayes they came to hand strokes by and by and to a maine pictht battayle in the field where there were within three or foure houres more people slaine than are in these dayes in many yeares For warre is now drawen out of the field to the walles and the mattock and the spade are now more vsed than the sword The world besides was neuer without alteration and change of plenty and of dearth of health and of plagues Whereof I shall not need to bryng examples bycause the histories are full Now if Cities with all these accidents and chances begun at first with few people encrease to a great number of inhabitants How comes it that proportionably they do not encrease accordingly Some others say it is bycause God the gouernor of all things doth so dispose no man doth doubt of that But forasmuch as the infinit wisedome of God in the administration and the gouernment of nature worketh secondary causes My question is with what meanes that eternall prouidence maketh little to multiply and much to stand at a stay and go no further Now to answere this propounded question I say the selfe same question may be also made of all mankinde Forasmuch as within the compasse of three thousand yeares it multiplyed in such sort from one man and one woman as the prouinces of the whole continent and the Ilands of the Seas were full of people Whence it doth proceed that from those three thousand yeares to this day this multiplycation hath not exceeded further Now that I may the better resolue this doubt I purpose so to answere it As mine answere may not only serue for the Cities but also for the vniuersal theater of the world I say then that the augmentation of Cities proceedeth partly out of the vertue generatiue of men and partly out of the vertue nutritiue of the Cities The vertue generatiue is without doubt to this day the very same or at least such as it was before three thousand yeaeres were past Forasmuch as men are at this day as apt for generation as they were in the times of Dauid or of Moses So that if there were no other impediment or let therein the propagation of man kinde would encrease without end and the augmentation of Cities would bee without terme And if it do not encrease in infinit I must needs say it proceedeth of the defect of nutriment and sustenance sufficient for it Now nutriment and victualls are gotten eyther out of the Territories belonging to the Citie or out of forreine coūtryes To haue a City great populous It is necessary that victualls may be brought frō far vnto it And that victuals may be brought frō remote forraine parts vnto it It behooues that her vertue attractiue bee of such power strength as it be able to ouercome the hardnes the sharpnes of the regions the heigth of the moūtaines the descent of the valleies the swiftnes of the Riuers the rage of the Seas the dāgers of the Pyrats the vncerteinty of the windes the greatnes of the charge the euill passage of the waies the enuie of the bordering neighbours the hatred of enemies the emulation of cōpetitors the lēgth of the time that is required for transportation the dearthes necessities of the places frō whēce they must be brought the naturall dissension of nations the contrariety of sects opinions in religion and other such like things all which encrease as he people increase and the affaires of the Citie To conclude that it grow to be so mighty and so great as it can ouercome all the diligence and all the industrie that man can vse whatsoeuer For how shall Merchants be peeswaded they can bring corne for exaple out of the Indies or Cataia to Rōe or the Romanes expect to haue it thence But admit that either of them could so perswade themselues who can yet assure them the seasons wil be alwayes good for corne that the people stand to peace quietnes that the passages be open and the waies be safe Or what forme or what course can be taken to bring prouision to Rome by so long a way by land in such sort and manner as the conductors thereof may bee able to endure the trauaile and to wyeld the charge thereof Now any one of these impediments or lettes without adding moe to ouertwhart and crosse it more is ynough to dissipate and scatter quite a sonder the people of a City destitute of helpe and subiect to so many accidents and chances Euen one dearth one famine one violence of warre one interruption or staye of trade and traffique one cōmon losse to the Marchants or other such like accident will make as the winter doth the Swallowes the people to seeke an other country The ordinary greatnes of a Citie consisteth in these termes with which it can hardly be contented For the greatnes that depēdeth vpon remote causes or hard meanes cannot long endure For euery man will seeke his commoditie and ease where he may finde it best We must also adde to these things aforesayd that great ◅ities are more subiect vnto dearthes then the little For they neede more sustenance and victualles The plague also afflicteth them more sorely and more often with greater losse of people And to speake in a word great Cities
great by granting freedomes and immunities vnto them Fol. 30. Cities that are free more eminent and better stored with people than Cities subiect vnto Monarchies Fol. 3â—… Cities made great by imparting their freedomes and their offices to others Fol. 32. Cities made great by erecting goodly monuments buildings in them Fol. 33. Cities made great by the helpe of neere Colonies about them Fol. 35. Cities made great by erecting vniuersities in them Fol. 42. Cities made great by the residence of the Nobility in them Fol. 63. Cities made great by the residence of the Prince in them Fol. 65. Cities seated on the Ocean are the best for Marchandize Fol. 79. Cities exceeding great are more subiect to Plagues and dearth than the lesser Cities are Fol. 81. 93. Commodious conduct of ware is not ynough to make a Citie great but there must be some other vertue attractiue vnto it Fol. 29. Cities once growen to a certaine number encrease not further on and the cause why Fol 92. 94. Cities are maintained by iustice peace and plenty Fol 97. Cities that haue delight and pleasures in them drawe forreyâ—…ert to come vnto them Fol 9. 10. 11. Cities which are of greatest reputation in Spaine Fol 83. Crema and her beginning Fol 7. Children in Chyna bound to learne their fathers art and occupation Fol 56. Cloaues had from the Moluccaes Fol 55. Constantinople the principallest Citie in Europe Fol 80. 81. Constantinople and the description thereof Fol 80. Constantinople euerie third yeare visited with the plague Fol 81. D Dominion maketh a Citie great and by what meanes Fol 60. Dominion gotten by meere strength and force holdeth not long Fol 12. E AEthiop hath no greate Cities Fol 79. Europe and her great Cities Fol 82. F Fraunce the Nobility and gent. there do mostly inhabite the country and not the Cities Fol 62. Fraunce plentifull of all necessary things Fol 17. FrauÌ„ce and the greatnes therof with the number of people it doth containe Fol 82. G Gaunt how many people it doth containe Fol 82. Genoua serueth for passage and yet a great Citie Fol 15. God how he is desired of all creatures Fol 39. H Hierusalem the greatest Citie of the East Fol 36. Honor is atteyned by Armes and by learning Fol 41. 42. I Immunity increaseth a Citie Fol 42. Immunitie the meanes to cause people to come together Fol 42. Incense from Sabea Fol 55. Idolatry by whome and for what cause it was set vp Fol 37. Industrie of man of more importe than the fruitfulnes of the land Fol 48. 49. Italie the description thereof Fol 79. Iustice ministred with expedition in Rome England Scotland and Turky Fol 46. The Tribunall seat of Iustice is the most principall member of a State Fol 46. The sâ—…at of Iustice makes great repaire to Cities and makes Cities great Fol 45. 46. L Lisborne a great Citie Fol 15. 82. Lisborne how many people it doth conteine Fol 82. London encreased by the resort of the Hollanders Fol 6. 83. London how many people it doth containe Fol 82. Lakes are in a manner little Seas auaile much to people a Citie Fol 19. M Media the Kings thereof made their residence in Echatana Fol 68. Memphis and the greatnes thereof Fol 66. Milan aduanced by the religious life of the Cardinall Boroâ—…meo Fol 40. Moscouia three famous Cities in that Empire Fol 84. Mony makes men trudge from place to place Fol 45. Multitude breedeth confusion Fol 87. Merchandize helpeth greatly to thencrease of a Citie Fol 55. N Naples how many people it doth conteine Fol 82. Necessity enforceth men to draw themselues together Fol 4. Nilus the riuer and his effects Fol 24. 25. Niniuie and the greatnes thereof Fol 67. P Palermo and the description thereof Fol 85. Panchin a mightie great Citie in China Fol 72. Paris exceedeth all the Cities of Cristendome in people and plenty of all things Fol 24. 44. Pepper a good part thereof doth grow in Calicut Fol 55. Pearles where the best are had Fol 74. Persia the Kings therof made their resideÌ„ce in Persepolis Fol 68. Pysa grew great vpon the sacking of Genoua Fol 6. Plague mencioned in Boccace most fierce and cruell Fol 54. Poloma and her Cities Fol 84. Ports of the Sea which are good Fol 19. Power consisteth in the multitude of people Fol 87. 88. Prage how many people it doth containe Fol 82. R Reputation of a religious zeale and feare of God maketh a Citie great Fol 36. Residency of the Nobility causeth the encrease of a Citie Fol 62. Residency of the Prince magnifieth a City Fol 65. Residency of the Pope causeth the greatnes of Rome Fol 86. Rhodes grew great thorough the multitude of Iewes that repaired thither Fol 6. Rome and the prayse thereof Fol 10. Rome great by the ruine of her neighbour Cities Fol 7. Rome great by meanes of her reliques and the Popes residency therein Fol 40. Riuers how much they import for caryage of goods Fol 20. Riuers some better then some for transportation Fol 23. Riuers of name Fol 28. Riuers in Spaine not greatly nauigable Fol 26 Romanes how they came fierce Fol 31. Riuers in Italy but few that are nauigable Fol 79. S Salonicha grew great by the multitude of Iewes that fled thyther out of Spaine and Portugall Fol 6. Sarmacanda and the greatnes of it Fol 69. Sena a riuer and the properties thereof Fol 24. Scituation what manner of one is fit to make a Citie great Fol 13. Spaine containeth no very great Cities Fol 83. Suntien a Citie in China which is in circuit an 100. miles about Fol 72. Sinamom a good part thereof doth grow in Zeilan Fol 55. T Tartaria and the Empire thereof Fol 68. Tauris a Citie in Persia 16. miles about Fol 68. Tamberlane the mighty spoyle and pray â—…e made vpon Damascus Fol 69. Thebes and the greatnes thereof Fol 65. 66. Towers the most ancient manner and forme of building that we haue Fol 4. 5. Trades occupations brought into a City make it great Fol 48. 52. V Venice by what meanes it grew great Fol 7. 64. Venice and her prayse Fol 11. Venice serues for passage and yet a great and mighty City Fol 15. Usages and manners most barbarous and horrible of the new world and other countries Fol 95. W Water created of God not only for an Element but also for a meanes of transportacion of goods out of one country into another Fol 18. Water more commodious then the land Fol 18. Water one sort more apt to beare burdens then an other Fol 23. Wayes 2. most famous made and cut out of about 2000. miles in length by the King of Cusco Waies very bad thorough out Italy Fol 60. Wooll most excellent in England and in Spaine Fol 55. FINIS Brasill Noe. Biscay Aragon Tamberlan Giustinopoli Gallia traÌ„spadana Saracenes Rialto Venice Alba. Cornicolo Pometia Veios Tatius King of the Sabines Tamberlan Sarmacanda Ottoman Mahomet Selim. Thespis Samos Alexandria Menisis Rhodes Babilon Rome Uenice Derben uÌ„ Sues Premont England London Fraunce Paris Coaches with failes Lakes Noua His pania Mexico ThemistitaÌ„ Riuers Chanell Nilus Heroum Marerubrum Cayrus Alepo Gant Bruges Milan Thesinum Lago maggiore Depth PleasaÌ„tnes Thicknes Largenes Gallia Belgica Celtica Flanders Riuers of Lombardy Riuers of Romagna Tiber. Nilus Questio Nilus Resolutio Fiesole Florence Rome Messina Naples Carthagena Genoua Catharo Perù Maragnone a riuer in Perù The riuer of Plate Riuer of Canada Angola foce Riuer of Coanza Riuers Menan Meicon Indus Obuius Romulus Geneua Cassimire Cosmus MunicipiuÌ„ is euery City or towne hauing the liberty that Rome had Alba longa This chatter here meÌ„cioned is written at large in the end of this boâ—…ke 2. Millions and a halfe of people in Hierusalem which was but 4. myles about * Irreligious people * Orbiculary period Rome * King of Spaine * New Doctrine Sectes Question Resolution Wooll Silke Cloues Incense Balsame Pepper Sinamom Salt Suger Wooll Armor Tapestry Veluet Cloth of gold ad siluer Châ—…a King of Cusco Draudius sexceâ—…ta milia Carthage 24 miles about Rome 50. miles about besides the Suburbs Cusco a princely Citie in Perù Cacicha viceroy or LieuetenaÌ„t Armenia Tygranocerta Venice Egipt the ancientest Kingdome Thebes Memphis Thebes 17. miles about Alexandria Cayrus Draudius The greatnes of Cayrus Niniue 60. miles about Draudius Babilon was 480 furlongs in circuit Califfe Media Ecbatana Persepolis Tauris in Persia 16. miles in compas Tartaria Mogora Cataia Sarmarcanda enriched by Tamberlane 8000. Camells laden with spoyle 60. M. Draudius The Kingdome of Cambaia Citor Citor a Citie 12. miles about The great Cham. Chiambalù 28. miles in compasse besides the suburbes The kingdome of China Three great Cities in China Polisanga Suntien a Citie in Circuit 100. miles about Cantan Sanchieo Vechieo Chinchieo The Indian Nut is called Cocus is full of milke and sayd to be restoraâ—…e Vitei Chiambalù Aethiop The great Nego Asia Constantinople Mare Euxinum Propontis Archipelagus Constantinople 1â—… miles about Plague euery third yeare in CoÌ„stantinople Plague euery seauenth yeare in Cayrus Tremise Tunis Morocco Fess. France Paris 12. miles in compas Paris containeth 450 M. persons England Naples c. London Lisbon London Naples Spaine Granada Siuilia 6. miles about Uagliadoid Madrid Polonia Cracouium Vilna Moscouia Moscouia CoÌ„stantinople Paris Lisbon the chiefest Cities in Europe Scicilia Siracusa Palermo Draudius 17. thousand Serafo is â—… coyâ—…e in India worth 4. shillings Sterl and of Spanish mâ—…ny a peece of 8. which is 4. shillings
A TREATISE CONCERNING the causes of the Magnificencie and greatnes of Cities Deuided into thre bookes by Sig Giouanni Botero in the Italian tongue now done into English By Robert Peterson 〈◊〉 To The right honorable my verie good Lord Sir Thomas Egerton knight Baron of Ellesmere Lord high Chauncelor of England and one of his Maiesties most honorable Priuie Councell MY very good Lord when I had enterteyned some of my free howers of vacation from other businesses with the reading of this Author in his owne language and that my liking led me into this further trauaile with him to translate him into our owne tongue I thought I had yet done little for him except I did also set him before the common eye of my country that the pleasure and proffit which I reaped in this worke might by this communication thereof redownd to many And that I might do so worthy a writer all right the matter consisting of Policie and State I could not addresse my selfe my translatioÌ„ of him to one whose wisedome and graue both experience and Iudgment might be more parallell to the substance of this worke or whose honorable fauour to my selfe might require of me more loue and dutie then your good Lordship To expresse this I haue been bold to commend these my labours to your honorable fauor beseeching you to make them happy in your protection of them and with them to receaue my humble dutie and seruice which resteth euer Your Lordships to be commaunded Robert Peterson A Table of all the Chapters conteined in these three bookes of the Causes of the greatnes of Cities In the first Booke What a Citie is and what the greatnes of a Citie is said to be Fol. 1. Of Authoritie 2. Of Force 4. How the Romanes encreased the Citie of Rome by wasting their neighbour Townes 7. That some haue gotten the Inhabitants of other Townes in to their owne Cities 8. Of Pleasure 9. Of Proffit 11. Of the commoditie of the Scite 13. Of the fruitfulnes of the Soyle 15. Of the commodity of Conduct 17. In the second Booke The proper meanes the Romanes vsed to appopulate their Cities 30. Of Colonies 33. Of Religion 36. Of Schooles and studies 41. Of the place of Iustice. 45. Of Industrie 47. Of priuiledges 53. Of hauing in her possession some Merchandize of moment 55. Of Dominion and power 60. Of the Residency of the Nobility 62. Of the Residency of the Prince 65. In the third Booke Whether it be expedient for a Citie to haue few or many Citizens 87. What the reason is that Cities once growen to a greatnes encrease not onward according to that proportion 89. Of the causes that doe concerne the magnificency greatnes of a Citie 97. THE FIRST BOOKE of Iohannes Boterus of the causes of the magnificencie and greatnes of Citties CAP. I. What a Citty is and what the greatnes of a Citty is sayd to be A Citty is sayd to be an assembly of people acongregation drawen together to the end they may thereby the better liue at their ease in wealth and plenty And the greatnes of a Citty is sayd to be not the largnes oâ—… the â—…ite or the circuit of the walles but the multitude and number of Inhabitants and their power Now men are drawen together vpon sâ—…ndry causes and occasions therevnto them moouing â—…ome by authority some by force some by pleasure and some by profit that proceedeth of it CAP. II. Of Authority _â—… Ain was the first Author of Cittyes but the Poets whome Cicero therein followed fable that in the old world men scattered here and there on the mountaines and the plaines led a life little different from brute beastes without lawes without conformity of customes and manner of ciuile conuersation And that afterward there rose vp some who hauing with their wisdome and their eloquence wonne a speciall Reputation and Authority aboue the rest declared to the rude and barbarous multitude how much how great profit they were like to enioy if drawyng theÌ„selues to one place they would vnite themselues into one body by an interchangeable coÌ„municatioÌ„ coÌ„merce of all things that would proceed thereof And by this meanes they first founded Hamlets and Villages and after Townes and Cittyes and therevpon these Poets further seyned that 〈◊〉 and Amphiâ—…n drew after them the beasts of the fields the woods and stones meanyng vnder these fictions to signifie shew the grossenes of the witts and the roughnes of the manners of the same people But besides these fables we read of Tâ—…eseus that after he had taken vpon him the gouernment of the Athenians it came into his mynd to vnite into one Citty all the people that dwelt in the contry there about dispersedly in many Villages abroad Which he easely effected by manifesting vnto them the great coÌ„modity good that would ensue of it The like thing is daily at this time put in practise in Brasill Those people dwell dispersed here there in caues Cottages not to call them houses made of boughes leaues of the Palme And for asmuch as this manner of life to liue so dispersedly causeth these people to remaine in that same sauage mynd of theirs and roughnes of maner and behauiour and bringeth therewith much difficulty hinderaÌ„ce to the preaching of the Gospell to the conuersion of the Infidells the instruction of those that trauaile painfully to conuert them and to bring them to knowledge and ciuility The Portugalls Iesuits haue vsed extreame diligence and care to reduce draw them into some certaine place together more convenieÌ„t for their purpose where liuing in a ciuile coÌ„uersation they might more easely be instructed in the christian faith and gouerned by the Magistrate ministers of the King So that to this purpose I might here remember those citties that haue been built by the power and inhabited by the authority of great Princes or some famous coÌ„mon weales For the Grecians and Phaenicians were the authors of an infinit sight of Citties And Alexander the great and other Kings erected a number more besides whereof beare witnes the Alexandriae Tholomaiâ—…s Antiochiae Lysimachiae Philippopoles Demetriadeâ—… Caesareae Augustae Sebastiae Agrippinae Manfredoniae and in our time Cosmopolis and the Citty of the Sonne But none deserueth more prayse in this kind after Alexan er the great who built more than three scoare and ten Cittyes then the King Seleucus who besides many other built three Cittyes called Apaâ—…iae to the honor of his wife fiue called Laodiceae in memory of his mother and to the honor of himselfe fiue called Seleuâ—…tae and in all more than thirtie magnificent and goodly Citties CAP. III. Of Force THrough force and ineuitable necessity people are gathered other while together into one place when as some imminent peâ—…ill especially of wars or ruine and vnreconerable wast and deuastacion enforceth them to flye vnto it to put in safty their liues or their goods and
traffique but as passengers and trauailers and to speake in a word it is seated sure in a verie necessarie place as the case standeth but not profitably vnto it selfe For the selfe same cause in the streyts of the Alpes which for the most part doe compasse Italy although the Frenchmen Swyzers Dutch men Italians coÌ„tinually do passe by them there neuer yet was found a meane cittie much lesse any great and stately one The like may be sayd of many other good citties and places For Sues is a verie necessarie place for them that came out of the Indies by the red Sea to Câ—…yrus The Ilands of Saint Iames and the Palme and Terzeras are necessarie for the Portugals and Spaniards to sayle to the 〈◊〉 Brasill and to the new World yet neither is there nor neuer will bee in those same places cittie of good importance As neither also is there in the Ilands between Denmark and Suetia nor yet betweene Mare Germanicum and Mare Balticum And Flushing although it be scituated in a passage of incredible necessity for the commerce and traffique that is between the Flemings Englishmen and other Nations yet neuer grewe it great but still remaines a verie little towne But contrarywise Geneua is a great cittie and so is Venice because they partake of the extreames and serue onely for passages but much more for Store houses Cellerage and Ware houses of marchandize most plentifully brought vnto them And so is likewise Lysborne Anâ—…werpe and some other It sufficeth not inough therefore to the making of a cittie magnificent and great that the scite thereof be necessarie but it must withall be commodious to other countreys that are borderers or neere vnto it CAP. IX Of the fruitfulnes of the Soyle THe second cause of the greatnes of a city is the fruitfulnes of the country For the Sustenance of the life of man consisting on Foode and Cloaâ—…hing and both of them gotten out of those things the Earth doth produce the fruitfulnes of the country cannot but be a mighty helpe vnto it And if it fall out to be so great as it not only well sufficeth to mantaine the Inhabitants thereof but also to supply the wants of their bordering neighbours It serueth our purpose so much the better And forasmuch as all Soyles produce not all things How much more rich and more able a country shal be to produce diuers and sundry things of profit and commoditie So much the more sufficient and fyt it will be found to rayse a great citty For by that meanes it shall haue the lesse need of others which enforceth people other while to leaue their habitations and be able to afford the more to others which draweth our neighbors the sooner to our country But the fruitfulnes of the Land sufficeth not simply of it selfe alone to rayse a citty vnto greatnes For many Prouinces there are and they very rich that haue neuer a good citty in them As for Example Premont is one And there is not a country through out all Italy that hath more plenty of Corne Cattell Wine and of excellent fruits of all sorts than it hath And it hath mainteined for many yeares the Armies and forces both of Spaine and Fraunce And in England London excepted although the country do abound in plenty of all good things yet is there not a city in it that deserues to be called great As also in Fraunce Paris excepted which notwithstanding is not seated in the fruitfullest country of that great kingdome For in pleasantnes it giueth place to Turen in abundaÌ„ce of all things to Xanton and Poitiers In varyety of Fruites to Languedock in coÌ„modiousnes of the Seas to Normandie In store of wine to Burgundie in abundance of Corne to Campagna In eyther of both to the country of Orliens in Cattell to Brittaine and the territorie of Burges By all which it doth appeare that to the aduancing of a city vnto greatnes it sufficeth not simply of it selfe alone that the territorie be fruitfull And the reason thereof is plaine For where a countrie doth plentifullie abound with all maner of good things the Inhabitants finding all those things at home that are fit necessary and profitable for their vse neyther care nor haue cause to goe any where else to seeke them but take the benefit and vse of theÌ„ with ease where they grow For euery man loues to procure his coÌ„moditie with the most ease he may and when they finde them with ease at home to what end should they trauaile to fetch them elsewhere And this reason prooues the more stronge where the people affect and long least after vaine and idle delights and pleasures It sufficeth not therefore to the gathering of a Societie of people together to haue abundance of wealth and substance alone But there must be besides that some other forme matter to vnite and hold them in one place together And that is the easines and commodiousnes of conduct the carying out and bringing in I meane of coÌ„modities of wares too and froe CAP. X. Of the Commoditie of Conduct THis commoditie is lent vnto vs partly of the land and partly of the water Of the Land if it be plaine For by that meanes it conduceth easely the marchaÌ„dize and goods of all sorts and kinds vpon Carts Horses Mules other beasts of burden And men make their iorneys the more commodious you foote on Horse in Chariot and in other such like sort and maner The Portugalls do write that in some large and spacious plaines of China they vse Coaches with failes Which some assaid not many yeares since in Spaine Of the water this commoditie is lent vs if it be nauigable And without comparison the commoditie is much better and more worth far which the water doth assord vs than which the earth doth giue vs both for ease and speedines for as much as in lesse time and with lesse charge and labor without proporcion in it greater cariages are brought from countries most remote by water than by land Now your nauigabl water is either of the Sea or of the riuer or of the lake which are naturall helps and means or of Chanells or of Pooles as that of Miâ—… 〈◊〉 which was 45â—… miles about made by art and mans industrie and labor It seemes in very truth that God created the water not only for a necessarie Element to the perfection of nature But more than so for a most readie meanes to conduct and bring goods from one countrie to another For his diuine maiestie willing that men should mutually embrace each other as members of one body diuided in such sort his blessings as to no nation did he giue all things to the end that others hauing need of vs and contrarywise we hauing need of others there might growa * CoÌ„munitie and from a Communitie Loue and from Loue an vnitie betweene vs. And to worke this coÌ„munity the easier he produced the
gaue to curiositie And that was the great number of admirable things they did in Rome The triumphes of the victorious Captaines the wonderfull buildings the battailes on the water the fights of sword players the hunting of wilde beastes the publique shewes and sights the playes of Apollo the Seculars others which were performed with vnspeakable pompe and preparation and many other such like things that drew the curious people vnto Rome And for asmuch as these alluring sights were as it were perpetuall Rome was also as it were perpetually full of strangers and forreine people CAP. II. Of Colonies WHat shall we say of Colonies were they a good help to the greatnes of Rome or no That they were a great helpe to the encrease of the power it cannot be doubted But that they multiplyed also the number of the Inhabitants it is a thing somewhat doubtfull How beit for mine owne opiniō I should think they were a great helpe meanes vnto it For if any man thinke by taking the people out sending them to Colonies else where that the Cittye thereby comes rather to diminish then encrease happely for all that the contrary may happē For as plants cannot prosper so well nor multiply so fast in a nurserie where they are set and planted nere together as where they are transplanted into an open ground euen so men make no such fruitfull propagation of children where they are inclosed and shut vp within the walles of the Cittie they are bred and borne in as they doe abroad in diuers other parts where they are sent vnto For sometimes the Plague or other contagious sicknesse or disease consumeth them sometimes Famine enforceth them to change their habitations sometimes forraine Warres takes out of the world the stowtest men amongest them sometimes ciuile warres make the quietest sort forsake their dwellings And from many pouertie and miserie taketh away the minde the meanes and the spirite to wedde or thinke on progation Now they that might haue died in Rome with the aforesayd euills without children being remooued to other places escape the foresayd perils And beīg bestowed in Colonies prouided for both of house ground to it betake themselues to wiues and children to propagate breede them vp and so increase infinitely of ten become an hundred But what is this to the purpose may some man say Let vs suppose that they that are sent into Colonies would not encrease their Countrey if they tarried at home How should they then encrease it when they are sent thence abroad to other places well vno◅gh First because Colonies with their mother out of which they yssued make as it were but one bodie Then next because the loue of our originall Countrey which euerie man affecteth and the dependencie thereof which many waies help and the desire and hope to aspire to dignitie and honour which euermore draw vnto it the worthiest most noble minds By which meanes the Countrey growes to be more populous and rich Who can denie but that the 30. Colonies that yssued as it were out of one stocke from Alba Longa and so many desides as Rome hath sent out brought not much magnificencie and greatnesse both to the one and the other And that the Portugalls yssued out of Lysbone to possesse and inhabit the Ilands of Astori Capo Verde Medera and others haue not amplified and encreased Lys bone a great deale more than if they had neuer remooued thence to those same Ilands How beit true it is if Colonies must increase their mother It is verie necessarie then they beeneere neighbors otherwise through longe distance of place loue waxeth cold and all commerce is cut off cleane And therefore the Romanes for the space of 600. yeeres sent not a Colonie out of Italy and the first were Carthage and Narbona as is at large be fore declared in my sixt Booke Di Ragion di stato in the ◅hapter of Colonies And these be the means wherewith the Romanes either through their singuler dexteritie or excellent wits haue drawne strange Nations vnto their Cittie Let vs now speake of the meanes that other Nations also aswell as they haue vsed in this case where it shall not bee from the purpose that we beginne at Religion first as at the thing that ought to be the head and spring of all our workes and actions CAP. III. Of Religion REligion and the worshippe of God is a thing so necessary of such importance as without all doubt it not onely draweth a number of people with it but also causeth much commerce together And the Cities that in this kinde excell and florish in authoritie and reputacion aboue others haue also the better meanes to encrease their power glory Hierusalem as Plinie writeth was the chiefest most florishing Citie of all the East and principally for religion whereof she was the Metropolitan as also of the kingdome The high priests the prelates the Leuites kept there their residence there offered they their beasts there celebrated they their Sacrifices rendered vnto God their prayers peticions thyther repayred thrise a yeare all the people almost of Israell Insomuch as Iosephus reckoneth that at the time that Titus Vespasian laid his siege vnto it there were in the Citie two millions a halfe of people a nūber in truth very strange that I may not say incredible in respect the Citie was not much aboue 4 miles about But it is written by a man that might haue perfect knowledge of it and had no cause to lye Ieroboam when he was chosen King of Israel aduisedly considering his subiects could not liue without exercise of religion vse of sacrifice and that if they should repayre to Hierusalem to celebrate and make their sacrifice his people wold soon vnite thēselues with the Tribe of Iuda and the house of Dauid casting religiō off he set vp straight Idolatry For he caused to be made two calues of gold sending thē to the vttermost parts of his kingdome turning to his people he sayd vnto them Nolite vltra ascendere in Hierosolimam Ecce dij tui Israel qui te eduxerunt de terra Aegypti Religion is of such force might to amplifie Cities to amplifie Dominions and of such a vertue attractiue that Ieroboam to giue no place to his competitor in this part of allurement entertainmēt of the cōpanie impiously brought in Idolatrie in place of true religion And this man was the first that for desire to reigne did openly tread downe the lawe and all due worship vnto God and thereof gaue a lewd example to posteritie A notable note in truth not so much of follye as of extreame impiety Some that arrogat too much wisedome to themselus in matters of state and gouernment spare not to say and teach that to hold the subiects in due obediēce to their Prince mans witt pollicye preuaileth more then dyuine or godly counsell A speech
body And thervpon our forefathers in times past called the Goddesse of Artes Sciences Minerua bycause the toylâ—… of speculation weakeneth the strength and cutts the synewes For an afflicted body afflicteth many times the minde whereof groweth melancholy and sadnes And therefore it standes with good reason that all conuenient priuiledge and libertie be granted vnto schollers that may maintaine theÌ„ in conteÌ„ted cherefull mindes but no dissolutenes allowed in any wise vnto them whereof the Academies in Italie are growen too full For the penne is there turned into a poynado and the penner into a flaske and tutch-box for a gunne the disputations in to bloody brawlings the Scholes into listes and the Schollers into cutters and to hacksters Honesty is there flowted at and scorned and bashfulnes modesty accounted a discredit and a shame 〈◊〉 that a young man that were like ynough to lead the modest and sober life of a good student shall haue much to do if he scape to be vndone But let vs leaue complaints And yet I must needes say thus much first no Academy can florish aright without quarrels cards and dice be banisht quite clean cast out Francis the first king of France bycause the schollers of the vniuersity of Paris which in his time were almost an infinite sight should haue commoditie and meanes to take the ayre and to recreate theÌ„selues with honest exercises he assigned them a great meadow neere the Cittie and the Riuer where without let or trouble to them they might disport and solace themselues at their will and pleasure There they fell to wrastling there they plaid at the barriers at the ball and the foote ball there did they cast the sled and leape and runne with such cheerefullnes and pastime as it delighted the beholders thereof no lesse then themselues And so ceaseth by this meanes the clatter and the noyse of weapons and of Armor and also playe at cardes and dice. For the same reasons it is necessarie that the Citie wherein you will found an Academy be of an wholesome ayre and of a pleasant and delightfulâ—…â—…cituatioÌ„ where there may be both riuers fountaines springs and woods For these things of themselues without any other helpe are apt to delight chere vp the spirits and mindes of Students Such were in times past Athens and Rhodes where all good artes and learning florished most aboue all other Galeazzo Viscount besides these inuitings and allurements being earnestly desirous to illustrate and appopulate Pauia was the first that forbad his subiects vnder a great paine to goe any where else to studie which course some Princes else of Italie haue since his time followed But these are meanes full of distrust and trouble The honorable and notable meanes to reteine subiects in their country and to draw strangers also home to it is to procure them meanes of honest recreation to prouide them plenty of victuall to maintaine to them their priuiâ—…edges to giue them occasion to ryse to degrees of honor by their learned exercises to make account of good wiâ—…ts and to reward them well but aboue all to store them with plenty of doctors and learned men of great fame and reputation The great Pompey was not ashamed to enter into the Schooles For after he had conquered all the East he went to the Schooles at Rhodes to heare the professors there dispute But for a far greater reason Sigismond king of Polonia gaue a strait commaundement that none of his subiectâ—… should wander abroad out of his kingdome to study any where else And the Catholique king commaunded the like not many yeares since And it was to this end that his Subiects should not be infected with the Heresies that beganne in the time of king Sigismond and are at the heigth in these our dayes throughout all the Prouinces of the North. CAP. V. Of the place of Iustice. OVr liues our honor and our substance are all in the hands of the Iudge For loue and charitie fayling in all places the violence couetousnes of wicked men doth daily the more encrease from whome if the iudges doe not defend vs our busines what soeuer we do will ill go forward For this cause Cities that haue royall audience Senators Parliaments or other sorts and kindes of Courts of Iustice must needes be much frequented aswell for concourse of people that haue cause of Suite vnto it as also for the execution of iustice For it cannot be ministred without the helpe of many presidents I meane Senators Aduocates Proctors Sollicitors Notaries and such like Nay more then that which it greeues me to thinke on Expedition of iustice cannot be had in these our daies without ready money For nothing in the world doth make men run so fast as currant money For the AdamaÌ„t is not of such force to draw Iron vnto it as gold is to turne the eyes the mindes of men this way that way and which way they list And the reason is plaine bycause gold euen thorough the very vertue thereof conteineth in it all greatnes all coÌ„modities and all earthly good whatsoeuer To be short he that hath money hath you may say all worldly things that are to be had In these dayes through the plenty of money which the administration of iustice doth carry with it the Metropolitan Cities if they may not haue the whole administration of Ciuile and Criminall causes they will yet reserue at least vnto them the chiefest causes and all appeales Which is well done for matter of State whereof the iudiciall authority is a principall member by the meanes whereof they are the patrones and protectors of the life and goods of the Subiect But there must be a regard to the proffit that we haue poynted at This goes currant in all places especially where in iudiciall causes they do proceed according to the common vse and cours of the lawes of the Romans For that course and forme is longer and requireth more Ministers than the other In England and Scotland but especially in Turky where a short course is taken in tryall of causes euen as it were at the first sitting of the Iudge It profiteth little to encrease the greatnes of a Citie to hold pleas there Forasmuch as difficult and hard causes are in an after none as it were decided there and ended if sufficient witnes be produced at the hearing of the cause These adiornaments and many Termes are there cut off And Instruments Processe Officers and Mediators haue there no place Within a few blowes giuen they come to the halfe Sword So that the time the expence and the number of persons are far lesse and much fewer then the ciuile Lawes do require I speake not these things to the end I would haue causes prolonged and suites made eternall For they are to long already without more a doe And in doing iustice delay which receiueth no excuse by colour or pretence of warines and care to commit no error
hide not from them any thing but teach them instruct them with all affection assiduity diligence and care workmaÌ„ship is by this meanes there growen to that fulnes of excellency and perfectioÌ„ that may be possibly desired As it may be seene in these fewe workes that are brought out of China to the Philipinas from the Philipinas to Mexico from Mexico to Siuile But let vs returne to our purpose There are also some other Cities maisters of some commodities not bycause the goods do growe in their couÌ„trie or be wrought by their inhabitaÌ„ts but bycause they haue the coÌ„maund either of the countrie or of the Sea that is neere them the commaund of the Countrie as Siuil vnto which infinit wealth and riches are brought from Noua Hispania Perù the commaund of the Sea as Lisborne which by this meanes draweth to it the Pepper of Cocin and the â—…inamom of Zeilan and other riches of the Indies which cannot be brought by Sea but by them or vnder their leaue and lycence After the same sort in a manner Venice about a fower score and tenne yeares agone was Lady of the Spyceries For before the Portugalls possessed the Indies these things being brought by the Red Sea to Suez and from thence vpon Camells backes to Cayrus and after that by Nilus into Alexandria there were they bought vp by the Venetians who sent thither their great Argosyes and with incredible proffit to them caryed them in a manner into all the partes of Europe But all this commerce and trade is now quite turnde to Lisborne vnto which place by a new way the Spiceries taken as it were out of the hands of the Moores and the Turkes be yearely brought by the Portugalls then sold to the Spaniards Frenchmen Englishmen and to all the Northerne partes This commerce and trade is of such Importance as it alone is inough to enrich all Portugall to make it plentifull of all things There are some other Cities also Lords as it were of much merchandize and Traffique by meanes of their commodious Scituation to many Nations to whome they serue of warehouse Roome and stoare houses such are Malacca and Ormuze in the East Alexandria Constantinople Messina and Genoa in the Mediterranean Sea Andwerpe Amsterdam Danske and the Narue in the Northerne Seas and Franckford and Norimberg in Germany In which Cities many and great merchants exercise their traffique and make their ware houses vnto the which the nations thereuÌ„to adioyning vse to resort to make their prouisions of such things as they neede bycause they haue commodious meanes for transportation of it And this consisteth in the largenes and the safenes of the Ports in the opportunitie and fytnesse of the Gulphes and Creekes of the Seas in the nauigable Riuers that come into the Cities or runne by or neere them in the Lakes and the Chanels As also where the wayes be playne and safe And heere to the purpose bycause I speake of wayes I cannot passe ouer those two wayes which the Kings of Cusco called in their language Inghe in longe processe of time cut out throughout their dominion about 2000 miles in length so pleasant so commodious so plaine and so leuell as they giue no place to the magnificent workes of the Romans For there shall you see steepe and high hylles layd euen with the plaine and deepe valleyes filled vp and horrible huge stones cut in peeces There shall you see the trees that are planted heere and there in excellent good order euen by a lyne yeald both with their shade a comfort and with the charme of the birds that there abound in great plenty a maruailous delight and pleasure to the trauailers that passe those waies Neither are there wanting on those waies many good Innes for lodging for entertainment plentifull of all necessary things Nor Pallaces and goodly buildings that in eminent and open places as it were to meete you present you with a pleasant and bewtifull shew of their excellencye and rarenes nor pleasant Towneâ—… nor sweete countries nor a thousand other delights and pleasures to feede both the eye with varietie and the minde with admiration at the infinit effects partly wrought by nature and partly by the handy worke of man But to returne to our purpose It is a good matter and a great helpe to a Prince to know the naturall Scite of his countrie and with iudgment to haue an vnderstanding how to amend it by art and industrie As for example to defend his Ports with Rampiers and with Bulwarkes to make the Ladyng and vnladyng of Merchandize both quick and easie to scoure the Seas of Pyrates and of Rouers to make the Riuers nauigable to build storehouses apt and large ynough to conteine great quantitie of wares and to defend and maintaine the wayes aswell on the plaines as on the mountaynes and hilly places In this poynt the Kings of China haue deserued all prayse that may be For they haue with an incredible expence and charge paued with stone all the highe waies of that most famous Kingdome and haue made stone bridges ouer mighty great Riuers And cut in sunder hilles and mountaines of inestimable heigth and craggednes They haue also strewd the plaines and bottomes with very fayer stone So that a man may there passe either on horse or a foote aswell in the Winter as in the Sommer time and merchandize may be easily carryed too and fro there by loade eyther on Cartes or on Horse Mules or Camels And in this point no doubt some Princes in Italy are much to blame in whose countries in the winter time horses are bemired in sloughes vp to the bellie and carts are stabled and set fast in the tough durte and myre So that cariadges by cart or horse are thereby very combersome And a iorney that might be well dispatched in a day can hardlie be performed in three or fower And the wayes are as bad in many parts of France as in the country of Poytiers Santongia Beaussia and in Burgondy But this is no place to censure so famous Preuinces And therefore let vs proceed CAP. IX Of Dominion and power THe greatest meanes to make a Citie populous and great is to haue a supreame Authority power For that draweth dependency with it And dependency concourse coÌ„course greatnes In the Cities that haue iurisdiction power ouer others aswell the publique wealth as the wealth of priuat men is drawen by diuers Artes meanes vnto them Thyther doe repaire the Embassadors of Princes the agents of Dukes and coÌ„mon weales there are the greatest causes heard aswell criminall as ciuile and all appeales are brought to tryall there There are the suits and causes aswell of men of qualitie as of the common weale and common persons debated and decided Thereuenues of the State are there laid vp and there spent out againe when there is need The richest Citizens of other countries seeke to ally themselues and to
take withall that forasmuch as the sayd Riuers thorough the shortnesse of their course enter and meet together with a mightie rage and violence they wax great otherwhile and swell and runne with such a raging course as they make the strongest Citties afraide of them much more the Country thereabout But the Riuers of Romagna and of other parts of Italy falling like raging Land-flouds partly on this side and partly on that side of the Appenine hils soone find out the Adriaticke or the Tyrrhenian or the Ionian Seas So that the most of them haue no time to slake their rage nor none of them haue so much time to grow great as might make them nauigable For that little that is nauigable in Arn◅ or in Tiber it is not worth the speaking The thickenesse of the water is also a verie good helpe in this case For it cannot be denied that the water of one Riuer beareth great and waighty burdens much better than the water of some other And in particuler when the Obelisk set vp in the time of Sextus the fift which is to be seene at this day in Saint Peters street was brought to Rome It is well knowen by good experience the water of Tiber was of more strength and of more force and firmenesse than the water of Nilus And Seina a meane riuer in France beareth ships of such bulke and carieth burdens so gr◅ the that sees it not will not beleeue it And the◅e is not a riuer in the world that for proportion is able to beare the like burden So that although it exceede not a mediocritie and be but a small riuer yet notwithstanding it suplieth wonderfully all the necessities and wants of Paris a citie that in people and in abundance of all things exreedeth far all other cities whatsoeuer within the scope of Christendome Here a man might aske me how it comes to passe that one water should beare more burden than another Some will that this proceedeth from the nature of the earth that thickneth the water and maketh it stiffe and by consequence firme and solide This reason hath no other opposition but Nilus the water whereof is so earthie and so muddie that the Scripture calleth it the Troubled riuer And it is not to be dronke before it be purged and setled well in the Cesterne And it doth not only water mellow all Egipt ouer with its liquidnes but more than that maketh it fertile and mucketh as it were the ground with its satnes And yet it is not of the fittest nor the strongest to susteine and beare shipps boats or barks of any good burden wherevpon I should thinke that for such effect and purpose wee should not so much preferre the muddinesse of the water as the sliminesse thereof for that doth glew it as it were together and thicken it the better and maketh it more fit and more apt to beare good burden But some man might aske me here again frō whēce cometh this quality this diuersity I mean of waters I must answere it comes of 2. causes First frō the very breaking or bursting of it out and passage along thorough rich rank fat Countreys For riuers participating of the nature of the grounds that make them their beds banks become therby thēselues also fat and slimy of quality much like to oyle The next cause proceedeth frō the swiftnes the shortnes of the course Forasmuch as the lengh of a voiage the rage of the Riuers maketh thin subtileth the substance and breaks cuts in sunder the slimines of the water which happeneth in Nilus For running in a maner as it doth 2000. miles by a direct line for by an oblique crooked line it would be a great deale more and falling from places exceeding steepe and headlong where through the vehemency violent force of the course by the inestimable rage of the fall it breaketh dissolueth all into a very small and fine raine as it were it waxeth so fine and subtile and so tyreth his waters that they loose all their slimie properties which resteth all at the Riuers of Almaigne and of Fraunce For they grow and walke thorough most rich and pleasant Countreys and they be not ordinarily swift nor violent Now that this is the true reason thereof the water of Senna shall make a true proofe of it for if you wash your hands with it it scowreth like soape and clenseth you of all manner of spots But let vs now passe to the widenesse and that is necessarie to beginne withall in Riuers and in Chanels of which we speake of that they should be wide and large that Shippes may commodiouslly winde and turne heere and there at their will and pleasure and giue way each to other But the widenesse of a Riuer without depth serues not for our purpose for it dissipateth and disperseth the water in such sort that it maketh it vnfit for nauigation which happeneth to the riuer of Plate which through ouer much widenesse is for the most part lowe and of vneuen bottome and full of rocks and little Ilands And for the selfe same cause the riuers of Spaine are not gretly nauigable for they haue large bellies but they spread wide and vneuen they are and vncertaine And thus much sufficeth to haue sayd of Riuers Now forasmuch as the commodities and profits are such and so great which the water bringeth to aduance the greatnesse of a Cittie of consequent those citties must be the fa◅rest and the richest that haue the most store of nauigable Riuers And euen such are those citties that are seated vpon good Hauens of the Seas riuers or lakes that are commodious apt and fit for sundrie nauigations It may seeme to some that with the easinesse of conduct the foundation is now found out and full complement and perfection of the greatnesse of a cittie But it is not so for it behoues besides that that there be some matter of profite that may draw the people and cause them to repaire to one place more than to another For where there is no commoditie of conduct the multitude of people cannot bee great which the Hils and Mountaines teacheth vs on which wee may well see many Castles and little townes but no store of people that we might thereby call them great And the reason is because of the craggidnesse and steepnesse of their scites such things as are necessarie and commodious for a ciuile life cannot bee brought vnto them without an infinite toyle and labour And Fiesole became desert and Florence frequented vpon none other cause than that Fiesole standeth on too steepe and too high a place almost vnaccessible Florence in a verie plaine easie to haue accesse vnto it And in Rome we see the people haue forsaken the Auentine and other hils there drawne themselus altogether downe to the plaine and places neerest vnto Tyber for the commoditie which the plaine
an inuention in very truth rather of a miscreant caterpiller of a common weale than of a louer and a fauorer of the maiesty of a state For such are the Ruines of Kings the plague of Kingdomes the scandall of Christianitye the sworne enemyes of the church nay rather of God against whoÌ„e to the Imitacion of the ancient Gyants they build vp a new Tower vnto Babell which shall breed and bring vnto them in the end confusion and vtter Ruine Qui habitat in coelis irridebit eos dominus subâ—…annabit eos Heare ye Princes what the prophet Isay sayth of the councellors of King Pharao Sapientes consiliarij Pharaonis dederunt consilium insipiens Deceperunt AegyptuÌ„ angulum populorum eius Dominus miscuit in medio eius spiritum vertiginis errare fecerunt AegyptuÌ„ in omni opere suo sicut errat ebrius vomens Yf this place would suffer it I could easilie shew that the greatest part of the losse of States and ruines of christian Princes haue proceeded of this accursed variance in religion Through the which we are disarmed and depriued of the protection and fauor of allmighty God And haue thrust into the hands of the Turkes and 〈◊〉 the weapons and the scourges of Gods diuine Iustice against vs. But it sufficeth here to aduise Princes that tread down the lawes of God by that preposterous wicked kinde of gouernment that they learne of Ieroboam feare the issue of him whose acts they imitate that they may hereafter the better beware by other mens harmes For in reuenge of his impietie God raysed vp against Nadab his sonne the King Baassa who slew him and all his race Non dimisit ne vnam quiâ—…em animam de semine eius donec deleret cam But let vs returne where we left Of what strength and power to make a place populous Religion proues to be and to haue the opinion of some famous relique or notable argument and token of Gods diuine assistance or some authoritie in the administration and gouernment of ecclesiasticall causes Loretto in Italie Saint Michaell in France Guadalup Monferrato Compostella in Spayne doe all of thmeÌ„declare and manifest it plaine and many places moe besides though solitary and desert though sharpe and rocky vnto the which for no respect but for deuotion sake and pietie people daily do resort infinitelie in flockes froÌ„ the farthest parts that are And no maruaile if you looke into it thoroughly For there is not any thing in this world of more efficacy and force to allure and draw to it the harts of men then God which is the Summum bonum He is carefully desired and sought for continually of all creatures whatsoeuer with soule or without For all regard him as their last end Light things seeke their Summum bonum aboue heauy things beneath within this centre of the earth the heauens in their Reuolucions the Hearbes in their flowers the Trees in their fruits Beasts in the preseruacion of their kinde and man in seeking his tranquillitie of minde and euerlasting ioye But forasmuch as God is of so hyghe a nature as the sense of man cannot attaine it so shâ—…ning bryght as the eye of mans vnderstanding caÌ„not conceaue it euery man directly turnes him to that place where he leaues some print of his power or declares some signe of his assistance which ordinarily haue been and are seen in the mountaines or the deserts Is not then Rome indebted much for her magnificency and greatnes to the blood of the Martyres to the reliques of Saints to the holy consecrated places and to the supreame authoritie in beneficiall and spirituall causes Would she not become a very wildernes if the opinion of the holines of the places drew not the innumerable sight of people from the vttermost parts of the Earth Would she not become a desert if the Apostolicall seat and the power of the keyes caused not an inestimable multitude of people dayly to repaire vnto it for some buisines or other Mylan a most populous and famous Citie shall euer be a witnes what praise and glorie and how much encrease it hath gotten by the singuler pietie and religious life of that great Cardinall Borromeus Princes resorted euen from the vttermost ends of the South to visite him Byshops made accesse from all parts to consult with him for his opinion in any controuersies that sprang amongst them The Clergie likewise harkned vnto his counsells And the religious people of all nations held Milan for their country and the house of that godly man for their Port his liberality for their refuge and his godly life for a most faire and cleare glasse of ecclesiasticall discipline for al men to looke into and to take example by I should happely be too long if I should declare vnto you with what singuler praise and comendation he celebrated euery yeare his Synodes and with what magnificency he visited euery yeare his Prouinces how many churches he eyther built new or being old set in good order how many he adorned and bewtified How many monasteries of men and women he erected how many well ordered Colledges of young men Seminaries of priests he instituted how many sorts of Academies he set vp and fouÌ„ded to the inestimable good of the people How many kindes of entertainments and promotions he bestowed vpon arts and on artificers And I should neuer end if I should recount the manner and the meanes wherewith by amplifying Gods seruice and aduaÌ„cing of religion he encreased also the City and doubled the concourse of people vnto Milan CAP. IIII. Of Schooles and Studies THe commodity of learned Schooles is of no small moment to draw people especially young men to a Citie of whose greatnes we are in speech For inasmuch as there be twoo meanes for men of wit and courage to rise by to some degree of honor and reputation in the world the one by armes the other by booke the first is sought for in the field with the speare the sword and the last in the Academy with pen and booke And forasmuch as men long for honor or for profit And of liberall arts and sciences some bring certaine wealth to men and some promotions and preferments to honorable functions It is a thing of no small importance that in a Citie there be prouided an Academy or such a schoole as young men desirous to attaine to vertue and learning may thereby haue occasion to repaire rather thither than to any other place And that wil be effected soone if besides the commodity of the schoole and good teachers they may enioy conuenieÌ„t immunities priuiledges I say conuenient for that I would not haue impunitie afforded vnto faults nor licence geuen to fall to vice and wickednes but honest libertie allowed to them that they may the more commodiously and cheerefully attend their studies For to say truth studie is a matter of great labor and trauaile both of the minde
are subiect to all the difficulties and hardnes wee haue before declared bycause they need a great deale more So that although men were as apt to generation in the height and pride of the Romanes greatnes as in the first beginning thereof Yet for all that the people encreased not proportionably For the vertue nutritiue of that Citie had no power to go further So that in successe of time the Inhabitants finding much want and lesse meanes to supply their lacke of victuall either forbare to marry or if they did marry their children opprest with penury their parents affording them no reliefe fled their country and sought abroad for better fortune To the which inconuenience the Romanes willing to prouide a remedy they made choyse of a number of poore Citizens and sent them into Colonies where like trees transplanted they might haue more roome to better themselues both in condition and commoditie and by that meanes encrease and multiply the faster By the selfe same reason man kinde growen to a certaine compleate number hath growen no further And it is three thousand yeares agone and more that the world was replenished as full with people as it is at this present For the fruites of the earth and the plenty of victuall doth not suffice to feede a greater number In Mesopotamia man kinde did first beginne to propagate From thence by successe of time it increased and spred apase daily both far and neere And hauing replenished the firme land they transported themselues into the Ilands of the Sea so from our countries they haue at length arriued by little and little to the countries we call the new world And what is there vnder the Sunne that doth make man with more horrible effusion of blood to fight for and with more cruelty than the earth foode and commodity of habitacion The Sueuians accounted it an honour and a glory to them to bring their cōfines by many hundred miles into a wast and wildernes In the new world in the I le of Saint Dominick and the borders thereabout the people chase and hunt men as wee do deere and hares The like doe many of the people of Brasill especially they whome we call Aymurij Who teare in peeces and deuour young boyes and young gyrles aliue and open the bellies of the women great with childe And take the creatures out and in the presence and sight of the fathers themselues eate them roasted vpon the coales a most horrible thing to heare much more to see it The people of Ghynea for the most part liue so poore and needy as they dayly sell their owne children for very vile price to the Moores who carry them into Barbary and to the Portugals who send them to their Ilands or sell them to the Castiglians for the new world The people of Perù do the like who for little more than nothing giue their children to them will haue them which proceedeth of misery and of the impotency they haue to bring them vp and to maintaine them The Tartarians and the Arabians liue vpon stealth and rapine The Nasomonj and the Cafrj the most sauage and barbarous people of all Aethyop liue vpon the spoyles of others Shipwrackes as the Portugalls haue many times felt It is also a thing knowen to all men how oft the French the Dutche the Gothes the Hunnes the Auarj the Tartars and diuers other nations vnable through their infinit multitude of people to liue in their ownes countries haue left their confines and possessed themselues with other mens countries to the vtter ruine and destruction of the inhabitants therein Hence it came to passe that within few Ages all the Prouinces of Europe and of Asia became possessed in a manner of strange people fled and run out of their countries and habitations eyther for the mightie multitude of people their countrie could not sustaine or for desire they had to lead a more commodiouse and easie life else where in greater plenty of good things The multitude againe of theeues and murderers whence doth it I pray you for the most part grow but of necessitie and want differences Suites and quarelles whence do they proceede but out of the streightnes and the scantnes of confines boūdaries ditches hedges and enclosures which men make about their Farmes and Manors watchmen of the viniardes and of ripe fruites Gates Lockes Bolltes and Mastiues kept about the house what do they argue else but that the world is hard apd either ministreth not sufficient to our necessities or satisfieth not our greedy couetous desires And what shall I rememberarmes of so many kindes and of so cruell sortes what shall I speake of continuall warres both on Sea and Land that bringeth all things vnto vtter ruine what of fortes on passages what of Garrysons Bulwarkes and Munition Neither doth this Lake of mischeifes containe all For I must adde to these the barrennes of Soyles the Scarcitie and dearthes of victuall the euill influence of the ayre the contagiouse and daungerous diseazes the Plagues the Earthquakes the Inundacions both of Seas and Riuers and such other accidents which destroy and ouerthrow now a Citie now a kingdome now a people now some other thing and are the let and stay that the number of men cannot encrease and grow immoderatly CAP. III. Of the Causes that do concerne the Magnificency and greatnes of a Citie IT now only resteth hauing brought our City to that dignity greatnes which the condition of the Scite and other circumstances afford vnto it that we labor to conserue to maintaine and vphold the dignitie and greatnes of the same And to speake all at a word these helpes may very well serue to do it that is Iustice Peace and Plenty For Iustice assureth euery man his owne Peace causeth tillage trade and Artes to florish And Plenty of foode and victuall susteineth the life of man with ease and much contentment to him And the people imbrace nothing more gladly than plenty of corne To conclude all those things that cause the greatnes of a Citie are also fit to conserue the same For the causes aswell of the production of things as also of the conseruation of them are euer all one and the same whatsoeuer they be IOHANNES BOTERVS IN HIS SIXT BOOKE del ragione di stato CAP. IIII. Of Colonies THe Romanes to kepe their enemies vnder and to hold the stout and warlike people downe In the beginning of their Empire they founded and set vp Colonies in their confines where placing a good number of their owne Citizens or of the Latins their fellowes and companions on whome they bestowed the lands and goodes they got and tooke from their enemies by warre they did the better secure themselues from sodaine assaultes Here a question may very well be made which is the greater safety of the twaine the Colonie or the Fortresse But without doubt the Colonie is the better For that includeth a Fortresse but not è contra The Romanes