such safety is most found in mountaines craggy places or small and little Ilands or such other like that are not easily to be approched or come vnto After the generall deluge of the world in the time of Noe while men feared their might a fresh happen such another ruin again vpon theÌ„ th y sought to secure theÌ„selues some by building their habitations vpon the tops of high hils some by aduancing huge Towers of incredible height and greatnes euen vp to the heauens And without doubt for this respect the Cittyes seated vpon the mountaines are for antiquity the most noble And the Towers are of the most ancient forme and kind of buildings that euer were vsed in this world But after the feare of a new deluge was past and gone men began to draw them selues downe and to erect their habitations in the plaines vntill the Terror of Armies and the swarme and feare of fyerce and cruell people enforced theÌ„ a fresh to saue them selues on the steepenes of the hilles or in the Ilands of the Seas or in the maryshes and bogges or other such like places When the Moores subdued Spaine brought it into miserable seruitude bondage Such as escaped with their liues out of the lamentable slaughter that was made of them Some retyred themselues vp to the highest mountaines of Biscay and of Aragon and some betaking them to their shipping saued themselues in the Iland of the seauen Cittyes so called bycause seauen Bishoppes seated themselues therein with their people The cruâ—…ll Ruine that Tamberlan carryed with him wheresoeuer he came made the people of Persia the couÌ„tryes bordering therupon to abandon and forsake their ancient natiue countries like birds that are scattered and to saue their liues by flyght Some vpon the mount Taurus some vpoÌ„ Antitaurus and some fled into the little Ilands of the Caspian Seâ—… And as the people of Istria at the coÌ„ming of the Slaui retyred to the Iland Capraria and thâ—…re built Giustinopoli So the people of Gallia Transpadana at the entry of the Lombards into Italie saued themselues within the maryshes where they built the Towne of Crema But forasmuch as to the naturall strength of those places neyther great conueniencie either of Territory or Trafique or good meanes to draw Trade or entercourse lent for the most part any helpe vnto them there was neuer seen Citty there of any great fame or memory But if the places whereto men are driuen of necessity to fly haue in them besides their safety any coÌ„modity of importance it will be an easy thing for them to encrease both with people and with riches and with buildings In this manner the Citties of Leuant and of Barbarie became populous and great thorough the multitude of Iewes that Ferdinando the King of Spayne and Emanuel the King of Portingall cast out of their Kingdomes as in particuler Salonica Rhodes And in these our dayes in England many Cittyes haue much encreased within fewe yeares both in people and in Trade through the resort of the lowe country people to it and especially London wherevnto many thousands of famylyes haue resorted themselues About the yeare of the Lord. 1400. while the Saracenes did put to fyer sword the Genouaes all the country there about Pisa did mightily encrease For to the strength of the place the country yeelded also plenty of al good things coÌ„modity of trafique At the coÌ„ming of Attyla into Italy the people of Lombardy being wonderfully affrayd thorough the horrible wast and ruine he brought with him fled to saue themselues into the Ilands of the Adriaticke Seas and there built many Townes Cittyes And after that in the warres that Pypin raysd against theÌ„ forsaking the places that were not secure and safe ynough as Ex quilinum Heraclea Palestin Malamocco they drew themselues neere to Rialto into one body and so by that meanes grew Venice magnificent and great CAP. IIII. How the Romanes encreased the Citty of Rome by wasting their neighbours Townes THe Romanes to make their owne country in any sort great famous furnished themselues very carefully euer with strength and power For to make their neighbour people of necessity glad and willing to draw themselues to Rome and there to dwell they ouer-threw their Townes euen downe to the ground So did Tullus Hostilius cast Alba downe to the earth a most strong Citty Tarquinius Prisâ—…us laid also playne Cornicolo a Citty abounding in mighty wealth Seruius Tullus made Pometia desert and in the tyme of liberty they vtterly destroyed Veios a Citty of such strength and power that with much a doe after a siege of ten yeares it was by cunning more than strength vanquished and ouerthrowen Now these people and such other hauing no dwelling place to draw themselues vnto nor to liue secure and safe they were enforst to chaunge their countryes with Rome which by this meanes wonderfully waxed great both in people and in riches CAP. V. That some haue gotten the Inhabitants of other townes in to their owne Citties THe like meanes to the former but somewhat more gentell the Romains vsed to appopulate and make great their owne Citty And that was to bring the people home whome they had subdued or the most of theÌ„ to Rome Romulus in this manner drew into the Citty the Seninenses the Antennates and the Crustumini But no country amplified more the Citty of Rome then the Sabines For in a sharpe and mighty fight with them after a longe and hard conflict he made a peace And the condicion was that Tatius the King of the Sabines should come with all his people to dwell in Rome Which condicion Tatius did accept and made choyse of the Capitoll and of the mount Quirinalis for his Seat and Pallace The same course did Anâ—…us Martiuâ—… take who gaue the hill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Latines when they were taken from their cittyes Politorio Tellena and Ficâ—…na The great Tamberlan also he amplified enlarged mightely the great Sarmacanda in bringing to it the richest and the wealthiest persons of the cittyes he had subdued And the Oâ—…tomans to make the citty of Constantinople rich and great they haue brought to it many thousand families especially artificers out of the cittyes they haue subdued As Mahomet the second from Trebisonda Selim the first from Cairo and Soliman from Tauris CAP. VI. Of Pleasure MEn are also drawen to liue together in Society thorough the delight and pleasure that eyther the Scite of the place or the art of man doth minister and yeild vnto them The Scite by the freshnes of the ayre the pleasant view of the valleis the pleasing shade of the woodes the coÌ„modity to hunt and the abundance of good waters Of all which good things Antioche in Soria is liberally endowed and Damascus no lesse Bursia in Bithinia Cordoua and Siuill in Spaine and many other good townes elsewhere Vnto
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
A TREATISE CONCERNING the causes of the Magnificencie and greatnes of Cities Deuided into thre bookes by Sig Giouanni Botero in the Italian tongue now done into English By Robert Peterson 〈◊〉 To The right honorable my verie good Lord Sir Thomas Egerton knight Baron of Ellesmere Lord high Chauncelor of England and one of his Maiesties most honorable Priuie Councell MY very good Lord when I had enterteyned some of my free howers of vacation from other businesses with the reading of this Author in his owne language and that my liking led me into this further trauaile with him to translate him into our owne tongue I thought I had yet done little for him except I did also set him before the common eye of my country that the pleasure and proffit which I reaped in this worke might by this communication thereof redownd to many And that I might do so worthy a writer all right the matter consisting of Policie and State I could not addresse my selfe my translatioÌ„ of him to one whose wisedome and graue both experience and Iudgment might be more parallell to the substance of this worke or whose honorable fauour to my selfe might require of me more loue and dutie then your good Lordship To expresse this I haue been bold to commend these my labours to your honorable fauor beseeching you to make them happy in your protection of them and with them to receaue my humble dutie and seruice which resteth euer Your Lordships to be commaunded Robert Peterson A Table of all the Chapters conteined in these three bookes of the Causes of the greatnes of Cities In the first Booke What a Citie is and what the greatnes of a Citie is said to be Fol. 1. Of Authoritie 2. Of Force 4. How the Romanes encreased the Citie of Rome by wasting their neighbour Townes 7. That some haue gotten the Inhabitants of other Townes in to their owne Cities 8. Of Pleasure 9. Of Proffit 11. Of the commoditie of the Scite 13. Of the fruitfulnes of the Soyle 15. Of the commodity of Conduct 17. In the second Booke The proper meanes the Romanes vsed to appopulate their Cities 30. Of Colonies 33. Of Religion 36. Of Schooles and studies 41. Of the place of Iustice. 45. Of Industrie 47. Of priuiledges 53. Of hauing in her possession some Merchandize of moment 55. Of Dominion and power 60. Of the Residency of the Nobility 62. Of the Residency of the Prince 65. In the third Booke Whether it be expedient for a Citie to haue few or many Citizens 87. What the reason is that Cities once growen to a greatnes encrease not onward according to that proportion 89. Of the causes that doe concerne the magnificency greatnes of a Citie 97. THE FIRST BOOKE of Iohannes Boterus of the causes of the magnificencie and greatnes of Citties CAP. I. What a Citty is and what the greatnes of a Citty is sayd to be A Citty is sayd to be an assembly of people acongregation drawen together to the end they may thereby the better liue at their ease in wealth and plenty And the greatnes of a Citty is sayd to be not the largnes oâ—… the â—…ite or the circuit of the walles but the multitude and number of Inhabitants and their power Now men are drawen together vpon sâ—…ndry causes and occasions therevnto them moouing â—…ome by authority some by force some by pleasure and some by profit that proceedeth of it CAP. II. Of Authority _â—… Ain was the first Author of Cittyes but the Poets whome Cicero therein followed fable that in the old world men scattered here and there on the mountaines and the plaines led a life little different from brute beastes without lawes without conformity of customes and manner of ciuile conuersation And that afterward there rose vp some who hauing with their wisdome and their eloquence wonne a speciall Reputation and Authority aboue the rest declared to the rude and barbarous multitude how much how great profit they were like to enioy if drawyng theÌ„selues to one place they would vnite themselues into one body by an interchangeable coÌ„municatioÌ„ coÌ„merce of all things that would proceed thereof And by this meanes they first founded Hamlets and Villages and after Townes and Cittyes and therevpon these Poets further seyned that 〈◊〉 and Amphiâ—…n drew after them the beasts of the fields the woods and stones meanyng vnder these fictions to signifie shew the grossenes of the witts and the roughnes of the manners of the same people But besides these fables we read of Tâ—…eseus that after he had taken vpon him the gouernment of the Athenians it came into his mynd to vnite into one Citty all the people that dwelt in the contry there about dispersedly in many Villages abroad Which he easely effected by manifesting vnto them the great coÌ„modity good that would ensue of it The like thing is daily at this time put in practise in Brasill Those people dwell dispersed here there in caues Cottages not to call them houses made of boughes leaues of the Palme And for asmuch as this manner of life to liue so dispersedly causeth these people to remaine in that same sauage mynd of theirs and roughnes of maner and behauiour and bringeth therewith much difficulty hinderaÌ„ce to the preaching of the Gospell to the conuersion of the Infidells the instruction of those that trauaile painfully to conuert them and to bring them to knowledge and ciuility The Portugalls Iesuits haue vsed extreame diligence and care to reduce draw them into some certaine place together more convenieÌ„t for their purpose where liuing in a ciuile coÌ„uersation they might more easely be instructed in the christian faith and gouerned by the Magistrate ministers of the King So that to this purpose I might here remember those citties that haue been built by the power and inhabited by the authority of great Princes or some famous coÌ„mon weales For the Grecians and Phaenicians were the authors of an infinit sight of Citties And Alexander the great and other Kings erected a number more besides whereof beare witnes the Alexandriae Tholomaiâ—…s Antiochiae Lysimachiae Philippopoles Demetriadeâ—… Caesareae Augustae Sebastiae Agrippinae Manfredoniae and in our time Cosmopolis and the Citty of the Sonne But none deserueth more prayse in this kind after Alexan er the great who built more than three scoare and ten Cittyes then the King Seleucus who besides many other built three Cittyes called Apaâ—…iae to the honor of his wife fiue called Laodiceae in memory of his mother and to the honor of himselfe fiue called Seleuâ—…tae and in all more than thirtie magnificent and goodly Citties CAP. III. Of Force THrough force and ineuitable necessity people are gathered other while together into one place when as some imminent peâ—…ill especially of wars or ruine and vnreconerable wast and deuastacion enforceth them to flye vnto it to put in safty their liues or their goods and
traffique but as passengers and trauailers and to speake in a word it is seated sure in a verie necessarie place as the case standeth but not profitably vnto it selfe For the selfe same cause in the streyts of the Alpes which for the most part doe compasse Italy although the Frenchmen Swyzers Dutch men Italians coÌ„tinually do passe by them there neuer yet was found a meane cittie much lesse any great and stately one The like may be sayd of many other good citties and places For Sues is a verie necessarie place for them that came out of the Indies by the red Sea to Câ—…yrus The Ilands of Saint Iames and the Palme and Terzeras are necessarie for the Portugals and Spaniards to sayle to the 〈◊〉 Brasill and to the new World yet neither is there nor neuer will bee in those same places cittie of good importance As neither also is there in the Ilands between Denmark and Suetia nor yet betweene Mare Germanicum and Mare Balticum And Flushing although it be scituated in a passage of incredible necessity for the commerce and traffique that is between the Flemings Englishmen and other Nations yet neuer grewe it great but still remaines a verie little towne But contrarywise Geneua is a great cittie and so is Venice because they partake of the extreames and serue onely for passages but much more for Store houses Cellerage and Ware houses of marchandize most plentifully brought vnto them And so is likewise Lysborne Anâ—…werpe and some other It sufficeth not inough therefore to the making of a cittie magnificent and great that the scite thereof be necessarie but it must withall be commodious to other countreys that are borderers or neere vnto it CAP. IX Of the fruitfulnes of the Soyle THe second cause of the greatnes of a city is the fruitfulnes of the country For the Sustenance of the life of man consisting on Foode and Cloaâ—…hing and both of them gotten out of those things the Earth doth produce the fruitfulnes of the country cannot but be a mighty helpe vnto it And if it fall out to be so great as it not only well sufficeth to mantaine the Inhabitants thereof but also to supply the wants of their bordering neighbours It serueth our purpose so much the better And forasmuch as all Soyles produce not all things How much more rich and more able a country shal be to produce diuers and sundry things of profit and commoditie So much the more sufficient and fyt it will be found to rayse a great citty For by that meanes it shall haue the lesse need of others which enforceth people other while to leaue their habitations and be able to afford the more to others which draweth our neighbors the sooner to our country But the fruitfulnes of the Land sufficeth not simply of it selfe alone to rayse a citty vnto greatnes For many Prouinces there are and they very rich that haue neuer a good citty in them As for Example Premont is one And there is not a country through out all Italy that hath more plenty of Corne Cattell Wine and of excellent fruits of all sorts than it hath And it hath mainteined for many yeares the Armies and forces both of Spaine and Fraunce And in England London excepted although the country do abound in plenty of all good things yet is there not a city in it that deserues to be called great As also in Fraunce Paris excepted which notwithstanding is not seated in the fruitfullest country of that great kingdome For in pleasantnes it giueth place to Turen in abundaÌ„ce of all things to Xanton and Poitiers In varyety of Fruites to Languedock in coÌ„modiousnes of the Seas to Normandie In store of wine to Burgundie in abundance of Corne to Campagna In eyther of both to the country of Orliens in Cattell to Brittaine and the territorie of Burges By all which it doth appeare that to the aduancing of a city vnto greatnes it sufficeth not simply of it selfe alone that the territorie be fruitfull And the reason thereof is plaine For where a countrie doth plentifullie abound with all maner of good things the Inhabitants finding all those things at home that are fit necessary and profitable for their vse neyther care nor haue cause to goe any where else to seeke them but take the benefit and vse of theÌ„ with ease where they grow For euery man loues to procure his coÌ„moditie with the most ease he may and when they finde them with ease at home to what end should they trauaile to fetch them elsewhere And this reason prooues the more stronge where the people affect and long least after vaine and idle delights and pleasures It sufficeth not therefore to the gathering of a Societie of people together to haue abundance of wealth and substance alone But there must be besides that some other forme matter to vnite and hold them in one place together And that is the easines and commodiousnes of conduct the carying out and bringing in I meane of coÌ„modities of wares too and froe CAP. X. Of the Commoditie of Conduct THis commoditie is lent vnto vs partly of the land and partly of the water Of the Land if it be plaine For by that meanes it conduceth easely the marchaÌ„dize and goods of all sorts and kinds vpon Carts Horses Mules other beasts of burden And men make their iorneys the more commodious you foote on Horse in Chariot and in other such like sort and maner The Portugalls do write that in some large and spacious plaines of China they vse Coaches with failes Which some assaid not many yeares since in Spaine Of the water this commoditie is lent vs if it be nauigable And without comparison the commoditie is much better and more worth far which the water doth assord vs than which the earth doth giue vs both for ease and speedines for as much as in lesse time and with lesse charge and labor without proporcion in it greater cariages are brought from countries most remote by water than by land Now your nauigabl water is either of the Sea or of the riuer or of the lake which are naturall helps and means or of Chanells or of Pooles as that of Miâ—… 〈◊〉 which was 45â—… miles about made by art and mans industrie and labor It seemes in very truth that God created the water not only for a necessarie Element to the perfection of nature But more than so for a most readie meanes to conduct and bring goods from one countrie to another For his diuine maiestie willing that men should mutually embrace each other as members of one body diuided in such sort his blessings as to no nation did he giue all things to the end that others hauing need of vs and contrarywise we hauing need of others there might growa * CoÌ„munitie and from a Communitie Loue and from Loue an vnitie betweene vs. And to worke this coÌ„munity the easier he produced the
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
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
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
get an habitation there Out of all which causes here recited there must needes follow an abundance of wealth and riches a most strong and forcible bayte to allure and drawe forth the marchants the artificers and the people of all sorts that liue vpon their labor and their seruice to run amaine from the furthest coastes vnto it After this sort a Citie soone encreaseth both in magnificency of building in multitude of people and abundance of wealth and also groweth to the proportion of a principallity The truth whereof these Cities all of them declare it plaine that eyther haue had or haue any notable iurisdiction in them Pisa Siena Genoa Luke Florence and Bressia Whose countries do extend an hundred miles in length and fortie in breadth and not onely conteine the most fruitfull and fertile playnes but also many rich and goodly valleis many townes and castles that haue aboue a thousand houses in them and do feede very neere three hun-and fortie thousand persons Many free and imperiall Cities in Germany are like to these Norimberg Lubeck and Augusta And such was Gaâ—…nt in Flanders that when the Standard was aduanst and spred sent out at once an hundred thousand men of warre I speake not here of Sparta Carthage Athens Rome nor Venice whose greatnes grew as fast as their power euen so far that to passe the rest Carthage in the height of her pride and glorie was 24 myles about and Rome was 50 besides the Suburbes which were in a manner so infinit and great as on the one side they extended euen to Hostia and on the other side in a manner to Ottricoliâ—… and round about they occupied and possessed a mighty deale of the countrye But let vs proceede For to this chapter belongeth all that shal be sayd hereafter of the residence of Princes CAP. X. Of the Residency of the Nobilitie AMongest other causes why the Cities of Italy are ordinarily greater then the Cities of France or other parts of Europe it is not of small importance this that the gentlemen in Italy doe dwell in Cities and in France in their castles which are for the most part Pallaices compassed and surrounded with moates full of water and fenced with walles and towers sufficient to susteine a suddaine assault And although the noble men of Italy doe also themselues magnificently dwell in the villages as you may see about the countries of Florence Venice and Genoa which are full of buildings both for the worthynes of the matter and the excellencie of the workemanshippe fit to bee an ornament and an honour rather to a Kingedome than to a Cittie yet not withstanding these buildings generally are more sumptuous and more common in France then they are in Italy For the Italion deuideth his expence and indeuours part in the Citie part in the country but the greater part he bestowes in the Citie But the Frenchman imployes all that he may wholy in the country regarding the Citie little or nothing at all For an Inne serues his turne wheÌ„ he needs How beit experieÌ„ce teacheth the residence of noblemen in Cities makes them to be more glorious more populous not onely by cause they bring their people their families vnto it but also more bycause a noble man dispendeth much more largely through the accesse of friends vnto him and through the emulation of others in a Citie where he is abiding and visited continually by honorable personages then he spendeth in the country where he liueth amongst the bruite beasts of the field and conuerseth with plaine country people and goes apparelled amongst them in plaine and simple garments Gorgeous and gallant buildings necessarily must also follow and sundry arts of all sorts and kynds must needs encrease to excellency and full perfection in Cities where noblemen do make their residence For this cause the Inga of Perù that is the king of Perù meaning to enoble and make great his royall Citie of Cusco would not only that his Cacichi and his Barrons should inhabite there but he did also command that euery one of them should erect and build a Pallace therein for their dwelling which when they had performed each striuing with the other who should erect the fairest that Citie in short time grew with most princely buildings to be magnificent and great Some Dukes of Lombardy haue in our daies attempted such a thing Tygranes King of Armenia when he set vp the great Tygranocerta enforst a great number of gentlemen and honorable persons with others of great wealth and substance to remooue themselues thyther withall their goods whatsoeuer sending forth a solemne proclamation withall that what goods so euer were not brought thither and could be found of theirs else where should be confiscat cleane And this is the cause that Venice in short time increased so notably in her beginning For they that fled out of the countries there adioyning into the IlaÌ„ds where Venice is miraculously seated as it were were noble personages and rich and thither did they carrie with them all their wealth and substance with the which geuing themselues thorough the opportunitie of that Gulfe to nauigation and to traffique they became within a while owners and masters of the Citie and of the Ilands thereunto adioyning and with their wealth and riches they easily enobled the countrie with magnificent and gorgeous buildings and with inestimable Treasure And in the end brought it to that greatnes and power in which we doe both see it and admire it at this present CAP. XI Of the Residencie of the Prince FOr the very selfe same causes we haue a little before declared in the chapter of dominion and power it doth infinitely auaile to the magnifying and making Cities great and populous the Residency of the Prince therein according to the greatnes of whose Empire she doth increase For where the Prince is resident there also the Parliaments are held and the supreame place of iustice is there kept all matters of importance haue recourse to that place all Princes and all persons of account Embassadors of Princes and of common weales and all Agents of Cities that are subiect make their repaire thither all such as aspire and thirst after offices and honors run thither amaine with emulation and disdaine at others thither are the reuenewes brought that appertain vnto the state there are they disposed out againe By all which meanes Cities must needs encrease a pace it may easiely be conceiued by the examples in a maner of all the Cities of Importance and of name The ancientest kyngdoÌ„e was that of Aegipt whose Princes kept their Court partly in Thebes and partly in Memphis By meanes whereof those two Cities grewe to a mightie greatnes and to beautifull and sumptuous buildings Forasmuch as Thebes which Homer calles poetically the Citie of a hundred gates was in circuit as Diodorus writeth 17. miles about and was beautified with prowd stately buildings both publique
and priuate and also full of people And Memphis was but little lesse In after ages other kings succeding which were called Ptolomei they kept their court in Aelxandria which did by that meanes mightilie increase in buildings in people in reuerent reputation taken of it and in inestimable wealth and riches and the other two Cities afforesaid that by the ruine of that kingdome falling first vnder the Caldaeians and afterward vnder the Persians were exceedingly decaied are now vtterly defaced The Soldanes after that forsaking Alexandria drew themselues to Cayrus which euen for this very cause became within a little time to speake of a Citie so populous as it hath gotten not without good cause the name of the great Cayrus But the Soldanes bycause they thought themselues not to be secure in respect of the innumerable multitude if so great a people should perchance rise vp in armes against them deuided it with large and many dicthes filled full of water so that it might appeare not to be one Citie alone but many little townes vnited and ioyned together At this daie it is deuided into ◅ townes a little mile distant one from another whose names are these Bulacco old Cayrus and new Cayrus It is said there are 16. thousand or as Ariosto writeth 18. thousand great streets in it that are euerie night shut vp with iron gates It may be 8 miles about within which compasse for that these people dwell not so at large nor so commodiously for ease as we do but for the most part within the ground stowed vp as it were and crowded and thrust together there is such an infinit multitude of them as they cannot be numbred The plague in a manner neuer leaueth them but euerie seauēth yeare they feele it most exceedingly And if it dispatch not out of the way aboue 3. hundred thousand they count it but a flea byt In the time of the Soldanes that Citie was accounted to stand to health when as there died not in it aboue a thousand persons in a daye And let this suffice that I haue said of Cayrus which is of so great a fame in the world at this day In Assiria the Kings made their residence in Niniue whose circuit was 480. furlongs about which comes to three score miles And in length it was as Diodorus writeth one hundred and fifty furlongs The Suburbes thereof no doubt must needs besides that be very large For the Scripture affirmeth that Niniue was great three dayes iorney to passe it ouer Diodorus writeth there was neuer any Citie after that set vp of so great a circuit and of so huge a greatnes For the heighth of the walles was a hundred foote the breadth able to conteine 3. cartes a brest together Towers in the walles a thousand and fiue hundred in heighth an hundred foot as Viues saith The residence of the Kings of Caldaeia was in Babilon This Citie was in compas foure hundred and foure-score furlongs so writes Herodotus her walls were wide fifty cubits high two hundred more Aristotile maketh it much greater For he writes that it was said in his time that when Babilon was taken it was three daies eare one part tooke knowledge of the conquest The people thereof were such a number as they durst offer battell vnto Cyrus the greatest and the mightiest King for power that euer was of Persia. Semiramis did build it but Nabucodonoser did mightely encrease it When it was ruinated afterward at the comming in of the Scythians and other people in those countries it was reedified by one Bugiafar Emperor of the Saracines who spent vpon it 18. Millions of Gold Giouius writeth that euen at this day it is greater then Rome if you respect the compas of the ancient walles But there are not only woodes to hunt in and fieldes for tilladge but also orchardes and large gardens in it The Kings of Media made their residence in Ecbatana the Kings of Persia in Persepolis of whose greatnes there is no other Argument then coniecture In our time the Kings of Persia haue made their residence in Tauris And as their Empire is not so great as it hath been so also neither is their Citie of the greatest It is in compasse for all that about sixteene miles yea some say more It is also very long and hath many gardens in it but it is without any walle a thing common in a manner to all the Cities in Perfia In Tartaria and in the Orientall Asia thorough the power of those great Princes are far greater Cities then in any parts else in the world The Tartars hauea◅ this day two great Empyres whereof the one is of the Mogoriā Tartars the other of the Cataians The Mogorian Tartars haue in our time incredibly enlarged their dominion For Mahamud their prince not contēted with his ancient confines sudued not many yeares since in a manner all that euer lieth between Ganges Indus The chiefe Citie of Mogora is Sarmarcāda which was incredibly enriched by the great Tamberlane with the spoyles of all Asia where like an horrible tempest or deadly raging flood he threw down to the ground the most ancient worthyest Cities and carried from thence their wealth riches And to speake of none other he onely tooke from Damascus eight thousād Camells laden with rich spoyles choisest moueable goods This City hath been of such greatnes power that in some ancient reports wee read it made out fortie thousād Horse But at this day it is not of such magnificency greatnes through the dominion of the Empire For as after the death of the great Tamberlane it was sodainly deuided into many parts by his sōnes So is it likewise in our time deuided amongst the sonnes of Mahamud who hath last of all subdued Cambaia And forasmuch as I haue made mention of Cambaia I must tell you there are in that kingdome two memorable Cities the one is Cambaia the other is called Citor Cambaia is of such greatnes that it hath gotten the name of a prouince Some write that it doth conteine one hundred and fiftie thousand houses to the which allow as commonly the maner is to euery house fiue persons and it will then come to little lesse then eight hundred thousand inhabitants But some make it to be much lesse Howbeit in any sort howsoeuer it is a most famous Citie the chiefest of a most rich kingdome and the Seate of a most mighty King that brought to the enterprise against Mahamud King of the Mogorians fiue hundred thousand footemen and a hundred and fifty thousand horsemen whereof thirty thousand were armed after the manner of our men of armes Citor is 12. miles about and is a Citie so magnificent of buildings so beautifull for goodly streetes and so full of delights and pleasures that few other Cities do come neere it and it is for that cause called by
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
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
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
are subiect to all the difficulties and hardnes wee haue before declared bycause they need a great deale more So that although men were as apt to generation in the height and pride of the Romanes greatnes as in the first beginning thereof Yet for all that the people encreased not proportionably For the vertue nutritiue of that Citie had no power to go further So that in successe of time the Inhabitants finding much want and lesse meanes to supply their lacke of victuall either forbare to marry or if they did marry their children opprest with penury their parents affording them no reliefe fled their country and sought abroad for better fortune To the which inconuenience the Romanes willing to prouide a remedy they made choyse of a number of poore Citizens and sent them into Colonies where like trees transplanted they might haue more roome to better themselues both in condition and commoditie and by that meanes encrease and multiply the faster By the selfe same reason man kinde growen to a certaine compleate number hath growen no further And it is three thousand yeares agone and more that the world was replenished as full with people as it is at this present For the fruites of the earth and the plenty of victuall doth not suffice to feede a greater number In Mesopotamia man kinde did first beginne to propagate From thence by successe of time it increased and spred apase daily both far and neere And hauing replenished the firme land they transported themselues into the Ilands of the Sea so from our countries they haue at length arriued by little and little to the countries we call the new world And what is there vnder the Sunne that doth make man with more horrible effusion of blood to fight for and with more cruelty than the earth foode and commodity of habitacion The Sueuians accounted it an honour and a glory to them to bring their cōfines by many hundred miles into a wast and wildernes In the new world in the I le of Saint Dominick and the borders thereabout the people chase and hunt men as wee do deere and hares The like doe many of the people of Brasill especially they whome we call Aymurij Who teare in peeces and deuour young boyes and young gyrles aliue and open the bellies of the women great with childe And take the creatures out and in the presence and sight of the fathers themselues eate them roasted vpon the coales a most horrible thing to heare much more to see it The people of Ghynea for the most part liue so poore and needy as they dayly sell their owne children for very vile price to the Moores who carry them into Barbary and to the Portugals who send them to their Ilands or sell them to the Castiglians for the new world The people of Perù do the like who for little more than nothing giue their children to them will haue them which proceedeth of misery and of the impotency they haue to bring them vp and to maintaine them The Tartarians and the Arabians liue vpon stealth and rapine The Nasomonj and the Cafrj the most sauage and barbarous people of all Aethyop liue vpon the spoyles of others Shipwrackes as the Portugalls haue many times felt It is also a thing knowen to all men how oft the French the Dutche the Gothes the Hunnes the Auarj the Tartars and diuers other nations vnable through their infinit multitude of people to liue in their ownes countries haue left their confines and possessed themselues with other mens countries to the vtter ruine and destruction of the inhabitants therein Hence it came to passe that within few Ages all the Prouinces of Europe and of Asia became possessed in a manner of strange people fled and run out of their countries and habitations eyther for the mightie multitude of people their countrie could not sustaine or for desire they had to lead a more commodiouse and easie life else where in greater plenty of good things The multitude againe of theeues and murderers whence doth it I pray you for the most part grow but of necessitie and want differences Suites and quarelles whence do they proceede but out of the streightnes and the scantnes of confines boūdaries ditches hedges and enclosures which men make about their Farmes and Manors watchmen of the viniardes and of ripe fruites Gates Lockes Bolltes and Mastiues kept about the house what do they argue else but that the world is hard apd either ministreth not sufficient to our necessities or satisfieth not our greedy couetous desires And what shall I rememberarmes of so many kindes and of so cruell sortes what shall I speake of continuall warres both on Sea and Land that bringeth all things vnto vtter ruine what of fortes on passages what of Garrysons Bulwarkes and Munition Neither doth this Lake of mischeifes containe all For I must adde to these the barrennes of Soyles the Scarcitie and dearthes of victuall the euill influence of the ayre the contagiouse and daungerous diseazes the Plagues the Earthquakes the Inundacions both of Seas and Riuers and such other accidents which destroy and ouerthrow now a Citie now a kingdome now a people now some other thing and are the let and stay that the number of men cannot encrease and grow immoderatly CAP. III. Of the Causes that do concerne the Magnificency and greatnes of a Citie IT now only resteth hauing brought our City to that dignity greatnes which the condition of the Scite and other circumstances afford vnto it that we labor to conserue to maintaine and vphold the dignitie and greatnes of the same And to speake all at a word these helpes may very well serue to do it that is Iustice Peace and Plenty For Iustice assureth euery man his owne Peace causeth tillage trade and Artes to florish And Plenty of foode and victuall susteineth the life of man with ease and much contentment to him And the people imbrace nothing more gladly than plenty of corne To conclude all those things that cause the greatnes of a Citie are also fit to conserue the same For the causes aswell of the production of things as also of the conseruation of them are euer all one and the same whatsoeuer they be IOHANNES BOTERVS IN HIS SIXT BOOKE del ragione di stato CAP. IIII. Of Colonies THe Romanes to kepe their enemies vnder and to hold the stout and warlike people downe In the beginning of their Empire they founded and set vp Colonies in their confines where placing a good number of their owne Citizens or of the Latins their fellowes and companions on whome they bestowed the lands and goodes they got and tooke from their enemies by warre they did the better secure themselues from sodaine assaultes Here a question may very well be made which is the greater safety of the twaine the Colonie or the Fortresse But without doubt the Colonie is the better For that includeth a Fortresse but not è contra The Romanes
of the Indies Inasmuch as the Moores say that if the world were a Ring Ormùz should be their Inell The Marchants of all nations vse to trade thither The naturall people there are partly Arabians and partly Persians the Arabians of a yealowish colour the PersiaÌ„s of a white of a good aspect and much giuen to Musick to neatnes and to cleanlynes to the knowledge of Histories and other such like pleasant studies The King which is a Mahumetan draweth out of the customes of the Citie of Ormùz 140. thousand Serafi out of Arabia twentie eight thousand out of Mogosta a countrie in Persia seauenteene thousand Babaren yealded vnto him 40. thousand His reuenues would be doubled if exemptions had not been graunted to the Kings of Persia and to other States and the Portugalls for the goods they enter in their names He payeth to the King of Portugall who holdeth a very strong Fortresse there twenty thousand Seraffes euerie yeare Tauris THere followes alongst the Sea which some call Mar maggiore Media The chiefest Citie whereof is Tauris some would that Tauris should be Echatana the Seate of the ancient Kings of Media This Citie is Scituated at the roote of a hill seauen daies iourney from the Mare Caspium or little more It hath an wholesome ayer but wyndy and colde And the soyle aboundeth with all things It is sixteene miles about but some do make it more It conteineth about two hundred thousand soules But it hath no building of importance For many inhabit within the earth and their houses are of mudd according to the manner of the East They lack no Springes Brookes nor gardeins Is was sometime that Seate of the Kings of Persia. But Tammas transferred it to Cusbin it was first destroyed by Selim and afterward by Soliman For it hath no walles and after that taken by Osman the generall of Amorat King of the Turkes who hath there erected a very strong Castell Derbentum Derbent is seated vnder the commaund of a Hill And with two walles that do extend euen downe to the Sea It imbraseth the suburbs the Hauen One wall is distaÌ„t from another 300. pases It hath two Iron gates with perpetuall watch ward Arasse Ciro two notable famous Riuers do make this country fruitfull It was sometimes vnder the King of Persia But it hath been destroyed by the Turkes in the last warres Aleppo Comagena is that part of Siria that followeth the course of Euphrates euen to the coÌ„fines of Armenia The chiefest City therof is the rich City of Aleppo This City which holdes the third place amongst the Cities of the Turkish Empire lieth vpon the Riuer Singa hath a ChaÌ„ell vnder grouÌ„d which produceth diuers fountaines publique priuate It containeth foure hills vpon the one of which is raysed a goodly castell and it hath great suburbes It hath no building there of importance except the Temples and the storehouses for Marchants of forreyne countries all of hard quarry stoane archt and vaulted with fouÌ„taines in the middest of the courts It aboundeth of corne and of the best wynes and of herbes and â—… fruites which are notwithstanding exceeding deere by reason of the quantity that is thereof there spent and eaten For traffique he that hath not seene it will neuer beleeue it For the Sope only that is made in that country bringes in 200. thousand crownes a yeare But the Art of Silke is an infinit woorke There hath been brought from Venice Marchandize for 350. thousand crownes This great manner of traffique is mightely holpen by the neighborhoode of our Seas and of Euphrates For from vs it is not aboue fiue reasonable daies iourney And from Euphrates also lesse The multitude of the people may be comprehended by this that in the yeare 1555. betweene the Citie and the Suburbes there dyed more then an hundred and twenty thousand persons in three monethes Fessa Fess is the fayrest the greatest the most populous and the richest Citie of all Barbary consisting all of it except the middest which is playne in Hilles and mountaines with a Riuer that crosseth it cleane thorough and serueth it wonderfull commodiously It consisteth of three parts the one on the East side of the Riuer And that contayneth foure thousand housholdes and is called Beleyda The other on the west side and hath 70. thousand houses and is called the old Fess The third is new Fess consisting of eight thousand neighbors It hath 700. Moschees The principall is Carue which is a mile and a halfe in compasse and hath â—… and thirtie gates vnto it The Marchants haue there a Court enclosed with a wall with twelue gates and fifteene streetes There is also a Colledge amongst many other whose buildings cost the King Abuhenon 400. thousand crownes There are to be seene in the Cities more theÌ„ six hundred springs of water it is 360. miles vpon the Riuer FINIS A Briefe Table directing the Reader of this Booke to the principall things in the same A Abundance of Corne Cattell Wyne and Fruits in Piemont more than in other places of Italie Fol. 16. Academy of Paris well prouided for for the sollace and recreation of the Schollers Fol. 43. Academies of Italie full of dissolutenes and great disorder Fol. 42. 43. Academies of Athens and Rhodes florished most Fol. 44. Academies would be seated in a good Ayer and pleasant Scituation Fol. 43. Alexandria by what meanes it encreased Fol. 66. Africk how many people it doth yeild Fol. 81. Anchin a Citie in China Fol. 71. Antwerpe a great Citie and by what meanes Fol. 15. B Babilon her greatnes Fol. 67. Balsame the best from Palestine Fol. 55. Bezaar from whence the best cometh Fol. 74. Brescia the description thereof Fol. 61. C Cayrus why it is called great Fol. 66. Cayrus euery seuenth yeare visited with a mighty plague Fol. 67. Cantan a great Citie in Chyna Fol. 73. Cain built the first Citie Fol. 2. Chanells made for transportation of goods Merchandize Fol. 20. Chanells in Flaunders Fol. 20 Chanell in Milan Fol. 21. Castells and Towers on Hills and Mountaines little peopled Fol. 27. China and the prayse thereof Fol. 71. China how many people it doth conteine and the multitude thereof Fol. 76. 78. China the description thereof and of her great ryches Fol. 74. 75. Chiambalù the description thereof Fol. 70. Citie said great not for the Scite and compasse of the walles but for the multitude of the inhabitants thereof Fol. 1. Cities how necessary they were to be erected Fol. 2. Cities built by many Princes and by whome Fol. 3. 4. Cities inhabited and built by the authoritie and power of great Princes Fol. 3. Cities seated on Hills and Mountaines for antiquitie most noble Fol. 8. Cities which are said fayre for Scite and which for Art Fol. 9. Cities by what manes they become great Fol. 13. Cities that serue for passage only few of them proue great Fol. 14. Cities grow
great by granting freedomes and immunities vnto them Fol. 30. Cities that are free more eminent and better stored with people than Cities subiect vnto Monarchies Fol. 3â—… Cities made great by imparting their freedomes and their offices to others Fol. 32. Cities made great by erecting goodly monuments buildings in them Fol. 33. Cities made great by the helpe of neere Colonies about them Fol. 35. Cities made great by erecting vniuersities in them Fol. 42. Cities made great by the residence of the Nobility in them Fol. 63. Cities made great by the residence of the Prince in them Fol. 65. Cities seated on the Ocean are the best for Marchandize Fol. 79. Cities exceeding great are more subiect to Plagues and dearth than the lesser Cities are Fol. 81. 93. Commodious conduct of ware is not ynough to make a Citie great but there must be some other vertue attractiue vnto it Fol. 29. Cities once growen to a certaine number encrease not further on and the cause why Fol 92. 94. Cities are maintained by iustice peace and plenty Fol 97. Cities that haue delight and pleasures in them drawe forreyâ—…ert to come vnto them Fol 9. 10. 11. Cities which are of greatest reputation in Spaine Fol 83. Crema and her beginning Fol 7. Children in Chyna bound to learne their fathers art and occupation Fol 56. Cloaues had from the Moluccaes Fol 55. Constantinople the principallest Citie in Europe Fol 80. 81. Constantinople and the description thereof Fol 80. Constantinople euerie third yeare visited with the plague Fol 81. D Dominion maketh a Citie great and by what meanes Fol 60. Dominion gotten by meere strength and force holdeth not long Fol 12. E AEthiop hath no greate Cities Fol 79. Europe and her great Cities Fol 82. F Fraunce the Nobility and gent. there do mostly inhabite the country and not the Cities Fol 62. Fraunce plentifull of all necessary things Fol 17. FrauÌ„ce and the greatnes therof with the number of people it doth containe Fol 82. G Gaunt how many people it doth containe Fol 82. Genoua serueth for passage and yet a great Citie Fol 15. God how he is desired of all creatures Fol 39. H Hierusalem the greatest Citie of the East Fol 36. Honor is atteyned by Armes and by learning Fol 41. 42. I Immunity increaseth a Citie Fol 42. Immunitie the meanes to cause people to come together Fol 42. Incense from Sabea Fol 55. Idolatry by whome and for what cause it was set vp Fol 37. Industrie of man of more importe than the fruitfulnes of the land Fol 48. 49. Italie the description thereof Fol 79. Iustice ministred with expedition in Rome England Scotland and Turky Fol 46. The Tribunall seat of Iustice is the most principall member of a State Fol 46. The sâ—…at of Iustice makes great repaire to Cities and makes Cities great Fol 45. 46. L Lisborne a great Citie Fol 15. 82. Lisborne how many people it doth conteine Fol 82. London encreased by the resort of the Hollanders Fol 6. 83. London how many people it doth containe Fol 82. Lakes are in a manner little Seas auaile much to people a Citie Fol 19. M Media the Kings thereof made their residence in Echatana Fol 68. Memphis and the greatnes thereof Fol 66. Milan aduanced by the religious life of the Cardinall Boroâ—…meo Fol 40. Moscouia three famous Cities in that Empire Fol 84. Mony makes men trudge from place to place Fol 45. Multitude breedeth confusion Fol 87. Merchandize helpeth greatly to thencrease of a Citie Fol 55. N Naples how many people it doth conteine Fol 82. Necessity enforceth men to draw themselues together Fol 4. Nilus the riuer and his effects Fol 24. 25. Niniuie and the greatnes thereof Fol 67. P Palermo and the description thereof Fol 85. Panchin a mightie great Citie in China Fol 72. Paris exceedeth all the Cities of Cristendome in people and plenty of all things Fol 24. 44. Pepper a good part thereof doth grow in Calicut Fol 55. Pearles where the best are had Fol 74. Persia the Kings therof made their resideÌ„ce in Persepolis Fol 68. Pysa grew great vpon the sacking of Genoua Fol 6. Plague mencioned in Boccace most fierce and cruell Fol 54. Poloma and her Cities Fol 84. Ports of the Sea which are good Fol 19. Power consisteth in the multitude of people Fol 87. 88. Prage how many people it doth containe Fol 82. R Reputation of a religious zeale and feare of God maketh a Citie great Fol 36. Residency of the Nobility causeth the encrease of a Citie Fol 62. Residency of the Prince magnifieth a City Fol 65. Residency of the Pope causeth the greatnes of Rome Fol 86. Rhodes grew great thorough the multitude of Iewes that repaired thither Fol 6. Rome and the prayse thereof Fol 10. Rome great by the ruine of her neighbour Cities Fol 7. Rome great by meanes of her reliques and the Popes residency therein Fol 40. Riuers how much they import for caryage of goods Fol 20. Riuers some better then some for transportation Fol 23. Riuers of name Fol 28. Riuers in Spaine not greatly nauigable Fol 26 Romanes how they came fierce Fol 31. Riuers in Italy but few that are nauigable Fol 79. S Salonicha grew great by the multitude of Iewes that fled thyther out of Spaine and Portugall Fol 6. Sarmacanda and the greatnes of it Fol 69. Sena a riuer and the properties thereof Fol 24. Scituation what manner of one is fit to make a Citie great Fol 13. Spaine containeth no very great Cities Fol 83. Suntien a Citie in China which is in circuit an 100. miles about Fol 72. Sinamom a good part thereof doth grow in Zeilan Fol 55. T Tartaria and the Empire thereof Fol 68. Tauris a Citie in Persia 16. miles about Fol 68. Tamberlane the mighty spoyle and pray â—…e made vpon Damascus Fol 69. Thebes and the greatnes thereof Fol 65. 66. Towers the most ancient manner and forme of building that we haue Fol 4. 5. Trades occupations brought into a City make it great Fol 48. 52. V Venice by what meanes it grew great Fol 7. 64. Venice and her prayse Fol 11. Venice serues for passage and yet a great and mighty City Fol 15. Usages and manners most barbarous and horrible of the new world and other countries Fol 95. W Water created of God not only for an Element but also for a meanes of transportacion of goods out of one country into another Fol 18. Water more commodious then the land Fol 18. Water one sort more apt to beare burdens then an other Fol 23. Wayes 2. most famous made and cut out of about 2000. miles in length by the King of Cusco Waies very bad thorough out Italy Fol 60. Wooll most excellent in England and in Spaine Fol 55. FINIS Brasill Noe. Biscay Aragon Tamberlan Giustinopoli Gallia traÌ„spadana Saracenes Rialto Venice Alba. Cornicolo Pometia Veios Tatius King of the Sabines Tamberlan Sarmacanda Ottoman Mahomet Selim. Thespis Samos Alexandria Menisis Rhodes Babilon Rome Uenice Derben uÌ„ Sues Premont England London Fraunce Paris Coaches with failes Lakes Noua His pania Mexico ThemistitaÌ„ Riuers Chanell Nilus Heroum Marerubrum Cayrus Alepo Gant Bruges Milan Thesinum Lago maggiore Depth PleasaÌ„tnes Thicknes Largenes Gallia Belgica Celtica Flanders Riuers of Lombardy Riuers of Romagna Tiber. Nilus Questio Nilus Resolutio Fiesole Florence Rome Messina Naples Carthagena Genoua Catharo Perù Maragnone a riuer in Perù The riuer of Plate Riuer of Canada Angola foce Riuer of Coanza Riuers Menan Meicon Indus Obuius Romulus Geneua Cassimire Cosmus MunicipiuÌ„ is euery City or towne hauing the liberty that Rome had Alba longa This chatter here meÌ„cioned is written at large in the end of this boâ—…ke 2. Millions and a halfe of people in Hierusalem which was but 4. myles about * Irreligious people * Orbiculary period Rome * King of Spaine * New Doctrine Sectes Question Resolution Wooll Silke Cloues Incense Balsame Pepper Sinamom Salt Suger Wooll Armor Tapestry Veluet Cloth of gold ad siluer Châ—…a King of Cusco Draudius sexceâ—…ta milia Carthage 24 miles about Rome 50. miles about besides the Suburbs Cusco a princely Citie in Perù Cacicha viceroy or LieuetenaÌ„t Armenia Tygranocerta Venice Egipt the ancientest Kingdome Thebes Memphis Thebes 17. miles about Alexandria Cayrus Draudius The greatnes of Cayrus Niniue 60. miles about Draudius Babilon was 480 furlongs in circuit Califfe Media Ecbatana Persepolis Tauris in Persia 16. miles in compas Tartaria Mogora Cataia Sarmarcanda enriched by Tamberlane 8000. Camells laden with spoyle 60. M. Draudius The Kingdome of Cambaia Citor Citor a Citie 12. miles about The great Cham. Chiambalù 28. miles in compasse besides the suburbes The kingdome of China Three great Cities in China Polisanga Suntien a Citie in Circuit 100. miles about Cantan Sanchieo Vechieo Chinchieo The Indian Nut is called Cocus is full of milke and sayd to be restoraâ—…e Vitei Chiambalù Aethiop The great Nego Asia Constantinople Mare Euxinum Propontis Archipelagus Constantinople 1â—… miles about Plague euery third yeare in CoÌ„stantinople Plague euery seauenth yeare in Cayrus Tremise Tunis Morocco Fess. France Paris 12. miles in compas Paris containeth 450 M. persons England Naples c. London Lisbon London Naples Spaine Granada Siuilia 6. miles about Uagliadoid Madrid Polonia Cracouium Vilna Moscouia Moscouia CoÌ„stantinople Paris Lisbon the chiefest Cities in Europe Scicilia Siracusa Palermo Draudius 17. thousand Serafo is â—… coyâ—…e in India worth 4. shillings Sterl and of Spanish mâ—…ny a peece of 8. which is 4. shillings
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