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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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