Meacon and the rest And that the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatick Seas are but gullets in respect of the Ocean And of consequence our trade and traffique is but poore in respect of the Marts and fayres of Cantan Malacca Calicut Ormuze Lisbon Siuill and other Cities that bound vpon the Ocean Let vs adde to these aforesaid that the difference and enmity betweene the Mahumetanes and vs depriueth vs in a manner of the commerce of Africk and of the most part of the trade of the Leuant Againe the chiefest parts of Italy that is the Kingdome of Naples and the Dukedome of Milan are subiect to the King of Spaine The other States are meane and meane also the chiefest of their Cities But it is time wee now returne from whence wee haue digressed long The residence of Princes is so powerfull and so mighty as it alone is sufficient ynough to set vp and forme a Citie at a trice In Aethiop Francis Aluarez writeth there is not a towne although the countrie be very large that conteineth aboue a thousand and six hundred houses and that of this greatnes there are but few For all that the King called by them the great Nego and falsely by vs the Prete Iohn who hath no setteled residence representeth with his only court a mighty great Citie forasmuch as wheresoeuer he be he shadoweth with an innumerable sight of tents and pauilions many miles of the country In Asia the Cities of accompt haue been all of them the Seates of Princes Damascus Antioche Angori Trebysonda Bursia Hierusalem But let vs passe ouer into Europe The translating of the imperiall Seate diminished the glory of Rome and made Constantinople great which is mainteyned in her greatnes and Maiesty with the residēce of the great Turke This Citie standeth in the fairest the best and most commodious Scite that is in the world It is Seated in Europe but Asia is not from it aboue foure hundred pases It commaundeth two Seas the Euxin and Propontis The Euxin Sea compasseth twoo thousand and seauen hundred miles The Propontis stretcheth more then two hundred miles euen till it ioyne with the Archipelagus The weather cannot be so fowle nor so stormy nor so blustering as it can hinder in a manner the shippes from comming with their goods to that same magnificent and gallant Citie in either of those two Seas Ys this Citie had a royall and a Nauigable Riuer it would lack nothing It is thirteene miles about and this circuit conteineth about a seauen hundred thousand persons But the plague makes a mighty slaughter euery third yeare amongst them But to say truth seldome or neuer is that Citie free of the plague And hereupon is offered a good matter worthy to bee considered how it comes to passe that that same scourge toucheth it so notably euery third yeare like a Tertian Ague as in Cayrus it cometh euery seauenth especially bycause that Citie is seated in a most healthfull place But I will put off this speculation to another time or leaue it to be discussed by wittes more exercised therein than mine There are within Constantinople seauen Hills neere the Sea syde towards the East there is the Serraglio of the great Turke whose walles are in compasse three miles There is an Arsenall consisting of more then one hundred and thirty Arches to lay their shipps in To conclude the Citie is for the beawty of the Scite for the opportunity of the Portes for the commodity of the Sea for the multitude of the Inhabitants for the greatnes of the traffique for the residence of the great Turke so conspicuous and so gallant as without doubt amongst the Cities of Europe the chiefest place is due to it For the very Court alone of that Prince mainteineth of horsemen and of footmen not lesse than thirty thousand very well appoynted In Africa Algier lately become the Metropolitan of a great State is now by that meanes growen very populous Tremise when it florished conteined a sixteene thousand housholds Tunis nine thousand Marocco an hundred thousand Fess which is at this day the seate of the mighty King of Africa conteineth threescore and fiue thousand Amongst the Kingdomes of Christendome I speake of the vnited and of one body the greatest the richest and most populous is France For it conteineth twenty seauen thousand parishes including Paris in them And the country hath aboue fifteene Millions of people in it It is also so fertile through the benefit of Nature so rich through the industrie of the people as it enuieth not any other country The residence of the Kings of so mighty a Kingdome hath for a long time hitherto been kept at Paris By the meanes whereof Paris is become the greatest Citie of Christendome It is in compas twelue miles and conteineth therein about foure hundred and fiftie thousand persons and feedeth them with such plenty of victualls and with such abundance of all delicate and dainty things as he that hath not seene it cannot by any meanes imagine it The kingdomes of England of Naples of Portugall and of Bo◅mia The Earledome of Flaunders and the Dukedome of Milan are States in a manner a like of greatnes and of power So that the Cities wherein the Princes of those same kingdomes haue at any time made their residence haue been in a manner also a like as London Naples Lisbon Prage Milan and Gaunt which haue each of them a sonder more or lesse an hundred and threescore thousand persons in them But Lisbon is in deede somewhat larger then the rest by meanes of the commerce and traffique of Aethiop India and Brasil as likewise London is by meanes of the warres and troubles in the lowe countries And Naples is within these thirty yeares growen as great againe as it was In Spaine there is not a Citie of any such greatnes partly bycause it hath been till now of late deuided into diuers little kingdomes and partly bycause through want of nauigable Riuers it cannot bring so great a quantitie of foode and victuall into one place as might mainteine therein an extraordinary number of people The Cities of most magnificencie and of greatest reputation are those where the ancient Kings and Princes held their Seates as Barcelon Saragosa Valenza Cardoua Toledo Burges Leon all honorable Cities and populous ynough but yet such as passe not the second rancke of the Cities of Italy Ouer and besides the rest there is Granada where a long time the Moores haue Reigned and adorned the same with many rich and goodly buildings It is scituated part vpon the Hilles and part vpon the plaine The hilly part consisteth of three Hilles deuided each from other It aboundeth of water of all sortes with the which is watered a great part of her pleasant and goodly country which is by the meanes thereof so well inhabited and
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
expert men in gouernment of States vsed Colonies a great deale more and tooke more good by Colonies than they did by Fortresses But in our time Fortes are a great deale more in vse then Colonies For they are more easily prepared and happely of more present good For Colonies require much dexterity and wisedome in the establishing and setting them in order And the benefit and good that proceedeth of them for they cannot grow to maturity and perfection without some time is not had by and by Howbeit Colonies are much much more safe and almost a perpetuall profit is euer in them As Septa and Tanger can witnes the truth hereof Townes of much importance to the Portugalls in the Coast of Mauritania which reduced to the forme of Colonies haue valiantly fought against the power and force of Seriffo and the Barbarians Calys witnesseth asmuch an English Colonie brought thither by Edward the third An. Dom. 1347. And it was the last Towne that country lost in the firme land It is no wisedome yet to set vp Colonies far off in places too remote from your state and gouernment For in that case it being no easie thing for you to succor them they must either become a praye to their enemies or else gouerne themselues as the occasion and time doth offer without respect had of their originall beginning or of whome they depend A number of the Colonies of the Graecians and Phoenicians which they had planted vpon all the regions almost of the Mediterranean Seas haue done the like But the Romanes considering this inconuenience established more iudicially more Colonies in Italie then in all the rest of their Empire else besides And out of Italy they carryed none till after the sixt hundred yeare that Rome was built And the first were Carthage in Africk and Narbona in France In the lawes of the Gracchians Paterculus found fault that they had made Colonies out of Italie Which the ancient Romanes did auoyde finding how much more powerfull Carthage was become then Tyrus Marsiles then Phocèa Siracusa then Corinth Bizantium then Miletum Vt Colonos Romanos ad censendum ex prouineijs in Italiam reuocarent That they might recall into Italie out of their Prouinces there to be taxed those Romanes who were translated into their Colonies I will not leaue vnspoken what Tacitus writeth of the disorders groweÌ„ in the planting of Colonies The Cities of Taranto and of Anzo greatly wanting of inhabitants Nero sent thither the old trayned soldiers who for all that yealded small helpe to the solitarines of those forsaken places For the most part of them returned into the Prouinces where they had ended the time of their warfare For not being vsed to the lawes of iust matrimony nor to the charge of education of children they left their houses without posteritie This mischiefe grew bycause the entier legions with Tribunes with Centurions and with Soldiers each in his order were not sent as in ancient times past was wont to be to the end that common weales might be founded and maintained with concord and with charitie But men that knâ—…w not one another onsisting of diuers companies without a hedd without mutuall affection drawen vpon the sodaine into one place together made rather vp a number than a Colonie Forasmuch as mention is made in this Treatise of diuers Townes Cities not described therein at full which happely the reader would long to heare for the rarenes and nouelties of them Hauing perused another booke of the author hereof entituled Relationes Vniuersales wherein I found some of those Townes and Cities dispersedlie in diuers places of that booke described more at large I haue for the readers better satisfaction and delight chosen out some such as I found to my likeing which here present themselues as followeth Cuzco THere followeth in 17. degrees Southward the Citie of Cuzco in a scituacion enuironed with mountaines It hath a Castle built of Stone so great and so huge that it seemeth rather the worke of Gyants than of ordinary men especially forasmuch as those people had neither Beastes to drawe them to the place or vse of Iron tooles to worke withall This Citie was the Seate of the Inga or King of Perù and the Metropolitan of the Empire There was not in it any thing else that either for greatnes or for policy deserued the name of a Citie It had great streetes but narrow and houses made of Stone ioyned together with maruailous care and diligence But the ordinary dwellings were built of timber and couered with thatche There was in Cuzco the rich temple of the Sun There was also diuers other Palaces of the King of Gold and Siluer without end There was a large and spatious market place out of which were drawen foure waies to foure Ports of the Empire The Kings of Perù to appopulate ennoble this Citie ordayned that euery King or Prince should build his Palace and send his children thither to inhabit there And to shew the largnes of the Empire and the sundry nations that were subiect thereunto commaunded that euery one should apparell theÌ„selues according to the attire and fashion of their owne natiue countrie and that they should also carry some certaine note thereof vpon their hedds An inuention that bare a braue and gallant shew This Citie was reedified after a new forme in the yeare 1534. by Francesco Bizzaco It containeth 50 thousand inhabitants and within the compasse of ten leagues about it two hundred thousand It hath a territory full of pleasant rych and goodly valleis I meane these Andaguayla Xaguisana Bilcas and Succay This last is of such a notable good ayre so pleasant so temperat and of such a gallant and delightfull scite as it would not be sleightly passed ouer here It is all bestrewed ouer thicke as it were with sumptuous country houses of the Spaniards and full of great and well peopled townes of Cuzcaâ—…es Our countrie fruits prosper aswell there as they do in Spaine Ormùz Ormùz imbraseth a part of Arabia Felix and the best Ilands of the Persian Sea with that part of the coast of Persia which is watered with the Riuers Tubo Tissnido and Drutto The chiefest part of the Kingdome is the Iland of Ormùz which is scituated in the mouth of the hauen distant from Arabia thirtie and from Persia nyne miles It hath two Portes diuided with a long ridge of land running into the Sea like a tongue the one in the East the other on the West It hath a hill that on the one side is of brimstone and on the other side of salt It hath no other water than of three welles And it is barren allmost of euery thing else for all that it aboundeth with all manner of delicacies and deinties aswell as it doth of all necessaries else besides thorough the goodnes and opportunity of the Scite Forasmuch as great wealth and riches are brought thither out of Arabia Persia and out of Cambaia and out
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
water Which of nature is such a substance that through the grossenes thereof it is apt to beare great burdens And through the liquidnes holpen with the windes or the oares fit to carry them to what place they list So that by such a good meane the West is ioyned with the East and the South with the North. And a man might say that what so growes in one place growes in all places by the easie meanes prouided to come by them Now without doubt the Sea for her infinit greatnes and grosnesse of the water is much more profitable than the Lakes or the Riuers But the Sea serues you to little purpose if you haue not a large and safe Port to ride into I say large either for the greatnes or for the depth in the entrie thereat the middest and the extreames And I say safe either from all or from many windes or at least from the most blustering and most tempestuous It is held that amongst all windes the Northerne is most tollerable and that the Seas that are troubled on the Greekish coast cease their rage and wax quiet assoone as the winde is laide But the Southern windes trouble them and beate them so sore wherof the Gulfe of Venice is an vndoubted witn esthar euen after the winde is laid they swell and rage a great while after Now the Port shal be safe either by nature as that of Messina and Marsiles or else by art the Imitato◅ of nature as that of Genoua and of Palermo Lakes are as it were little Seas So that also they for the proporcion of the place and other respects besides gaue a great helpe to appopulate townes and citties As it is found in Noua Hispania where as is the Lake of Mexico which extendeth nine hundred miles in compasse and conteineth 50. faire aud goodly townes in it Amongst the which there is the Towne Themistitan the Metropolitan seate of that great and large Kingdome The Riuers also import much and most of all they that runne the longest course especially through the richest and most merchantable Regions such as is Po in Italie Scaldis in Flanders Ligeris Sona in France Danubius and the Rhene in Germanie And as Lakes are certaine seuerall remembrances of the bosomes of the Gulphes of the Seas formed and made by nature Euen so Chanells whereinto the water of the Lake or the Riuer runneth are certaine Imitations and as it were shadowes of the same Riuers made by skill and cunning The ancient Kings of Egipt made a ditch that from Nilus ranne to the city Heroum they assaid to draw a Chanell from the Red Sea to Mare Mediterraneū to knit our Seas with the Indian Seas and so to make the easier transportation too and fro of all kindes of merchandize and by that meanes withall to enritch their owne Kingdome And it is a thing well knowē how ost it hath been attempted to breake vp Isthmus to vnite the Sea Ionium with Mare Aegeum A Souldier of Cayro drewe a Chanell from Eufrates to the cittie of Alepo In Flanders you may see both at Gant and at Bruges and in other places else besides many Chanels made by art and with an inestimable expence and charge but yet of much more profit for the ease they bring to merchandizing and to the trafique of other nations And in Lombardy many cities haue wisely procured this ease vnto them But none more then Milan that with one Chanell worthy of the Romaines glorie draweth the waters to it of Thesinum and of the Lake called Lago Maggiore and by such meanes enricheth it selfe with infinit store of merchandizes and with an other Chanell also benefiteth much by the Riuer Adda through the opportunitie and meanes it hath thereby to bring in the fruites and the goods of their exceeding plentifull countrie home vnto their houses And they should make it much the better if they would clense and scower the Chanell of Pauia and Iurea Now in Chanells and in Riuers for their better ease of conduct and of trafique besides the length of their courses we haue before spoken the depth the pleasantnes the thicknes of the water and the largnes thereof is of much moment to them The depth bycause deepe waters beare and susteine the greater burdens and the nauigation is the more safe without perill The Pleasantnes bycause it makes the nauigation easie vp and downe which way soeuer you bend your course Wherein it seemes to some they haue been much mistaken that had the ordering of the Chanell that comes from Thesinum to Milan Forasmuch as by the great fall of the water and the great aduantage giuen to the water it hath so strong a currant and is so violent that with infinit toyle and labor and losse of time they haue much a do to saile vpward But as towching Riuers nature hath shewed her selfe very kinde to Gallia Celtica and Belgica for asmuch as in Gallia Celtica the riuers for the most part are most calme and still and therefore they saile vp and downe with incredible facilitie because many of them come forth as it were in the plaines euen grounds By the meanes where of their course is not violent and they runne not between the mountaines nor yet a short and little way but many hundred miles through goodly and euen plaines Where for their recreation and their pleasure otherwhile men take their course one way another while another now go on forwardes and then turne back againe and so by this winding and turning too and fro they helpe diuers cities and prouinces with water and victualls or other such things as they need But there is not a country in Europe better furnished and prouided of Riuers than that part of Gallia Belgica that cōmonly we call Flanders The Meuse the Schelde the Mosella Tevora Ruer and Rhene deuided into three great Armes or branches runne pleasantly and gallantly forthright and ouerthwart the Prouince mightely enritch it by the cōmoditie of nauigation trafique of infinit treasure which certainly wants in Italie For Italie being long and strait and parted in the middest with the Apenine Hills the Riuers of Italie through the shortnes of their cou◅se cannot neither much encrease nor yet abate the violence of their Streames The Riuers of Lombardy come all as it were either out of the Alpes as Thesinum Adda Lambro Seruo A◅liga or out of the Apenine hills as Tarro Lenza Panarus Rhene and but a short way neither wherein they rather deserue to be called land floods than Riuers For they soone find out the Po which takes his course between the Appenine hils the Alpes So that he only resteth nauigable For washing this Prouince ouer by all his whole length he hath time to growe great and enrich himselfe with the helpe of many Riuers and to moderate his naturall swiftnesse by the long way he maketh But this
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
with a thousand creekes and gulfes penetrateth far within the very Prouince Next that The countrie is for the most part plaine and of nature very apt to produce not onely things necessarie for the vse and sustenance of the life of man but also all sorts of daintie things for mans delight and pleasure The Hilles and Mountaines are perpetually arrayed with trees of all sorts some wilde and some fruitfull The plaines manured tilled and sowen with rise barley wheate peaze and beanes The Gardens besides our common sortes of fruites doe yeald most sweet Mellons most delicat Plommes most excellent Figges Pomecitrons and Orenges of diuers formes and excellent taste They haue also an herbe out of which they presse a delicate iuyce which serues them for drincke in stead of wyne It also preserues their health and frees them from all those euills that the immoderat vse of wyne doth breed vnto vs. They also abound in cattell in sheepe in fowle in deere in wooll in rich Skinnes Cotton Linnen and in infinit store of Sylke There are Mines of Gold and Siluer and of excellent iron There are most pretious pearles There is abundance of Suger Honny Rewbarbe Camphire red Leade Woad Muske and Aloes and the Porcelan earth is knowen no where but there More then this The Riuers and the waters of all sorts runne gallantly through all those countries with an vnspeakeable profit and commoditie for nauigation and for tillage And the waters are as plentifull of fish as the land is of fruites For the Riuers and the Seas yeild thereof an infinite abundance Vnto this so great a fertilitie and yeild both of the land water there is ioyned an incredible cultùre of both these elements And that proceedeth out of two causes whereof the one dependeth vpon the inestimable multitude of the inhabitants for it is thought that China doth conteyne more then threescore Millions of Soules and the other consisteth in the extreame diligence and paines that is taken aswell of priuat persons in the tillage of their grouÌ„ds and well husbanding their farmes as also of Magistrates that suffer not a man to leade an idle life at home So that there is not a little scratt of ground that is not husbandly and very well manured Now for their Mechanicall Artes should I commit them heere to Silence When as there is not a countrie in the world where they do more florish both for varietie and for excellencie of skill and workmanship Which proceedeth also out of two causes whereof the one I haue commended before in that idlenes is euery where forbidden there and euery man compeld to worke no man suffered to be idle no not the blinde nor the lame nor the maimed if they bee not altogether impotent and weake And the women also by a law of Vitei King of China are bound to exercise their fathers trades and Artes and how noble or how great soeuer they be they must at least attend their distaffe and their needell The other cause is that the sonnes must of necessity follow their fathers mysteries So that hereupon it comes that Artificers are infinit and that children aswell boyes as gyrles euen in their infancy can skill to worke and that Artes are brought vnto most excellent and hygh perfection They suffer not any thing to goe to losse With the dong of the busâ—…es and oxen and other cattell they vse to feed fishe and of the bones of dogges aud other beasts they make many and diuers carued and engrauen workes as we doe make of Iuory Of ragges and cloutes they make paper To be short such is the plentie and varietie of the fruites of the earth and of mans industrie and labor as they haue no need of forreine helpe to bring them any thinge For they giue away a great quantite of their owne to forreine countreys And to speake of no things else the quantitie of Silke that is caried out of China is almost not credible A thousand quintals of silke are yerely caried thence for the Portugalls Indies for the Philippinaes they lade out fifteene shippes There are carried out to Giapan an inestimable summe and vnto Câ—…taia as great a quantitie as you may gesse by that we haue before declared is yearly carryed thence to Chiambalù And they sell their works and their labors by reason of the infinit stoare that is made so cheape and at so easy price as the Marchants of Noua Hispania that trade vnto the Philippinaes to make their martes vnto which place the Chinaes themselues doe traffique do wonder at it much By meanes whereof the traffique with the Philippinaes fals out to bee rather hurtfull then profitable vnto the King of Spaine For the benefit of the cheapnes of things is it that makes the people of Mexico who heretofore haue vsde to fetch their commodities from Spaine to fetch them at the Philippinaes But the King of Spaine for the desire he hath to winne vnto familiarity and loue and by that meanes to draw to our christian faith and to the bosome of the catholique church those people that are wrapt in the horrible darkenes of idolatrie esteemeth not a whit of his losse so he may gayne their soules to God By these things I haue declared it appeareth plaine that China hath the meanes partly by the benefit of Nature and partly by the industry and Art of man to susteine an infinit sight of people And that for that cause it is credible ynough that it becometh so populous a countrie as hath been said And I affirme this much more vnto it that it is necessarie it should be so for two reasons the one for that it is not lawfull for the King of China to make warre to get new countries but onely to defend his owne and thereupon it must ensue that he enioyeth in a manner a perpetuall peace And what is there more to be desired or wisht than peace VVhat thing can be more profitable than peace My other reason is for that it is not lawfull for any of the Chinaes to goe out of their country without leaue or lycence of the Magistrates So that the nomber of persons continually encreasing and abyding still at home it is of necessity that the nomber of people do become inestimable and of consequence the Cities exceeding great the townes infinit and that China it selfe should rather in a manner be but one bodie and but one Citie To say the truth wee Italians do flatter our selues too much and do admire too partially those things that do concerne our selues especially when we will preferre Italy and her Cities beyond all therest in the world The shape and figure of Italy is long and streyte deuided withall in the middest with the Apenine Hills And the pancitie and rarenes of Nauigable Riuers doth not beare it that there can be very great and populous Cities in it I will not spare to say that her riuers are but little brookes in comparison of Ganges Menan
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