the greatness of cities-第12章

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on　and　power　of　arms；　and　made　the　name　of　the　Tartars　famous。　For　he　subdued　China　and　made　a　great　part　of　India　tributary　unto　him；　he　wasted　Persia；　and　made　Asia　to　tremble。　The　successors　of　this　great　prince　made　their　residence　in　the　city　of　Cambaluc；　a　city　no　less　magnificent　than　great；　for　it　is　said　it　is　in　compass　twenty…eight　miles；　besides　the　suburbs；　and　that　it　is　of　such　traffic　and　commerce　as　besides　other　sorts　of　merchandise　there　are　every　year　brought　into　it　very　near　a　thousand　carts；　all　loaden　with　silk　that　come　from　China。　Whereupon　a　man　may　guess　both　the　greatness　of　the　trades；　the　wealth　of　the　merchandise；　the　variety　of　the　artificers　and　arts；　the　multitude　of　people；　the　pomp；　the　magnificence；　the　pleasure　and　the　bravery　of　the　inhabitants　thereof。　　　　　But　let　us　now　come　to　China。　There　is　not　in　all　the　world　a　kingdom　（I　speak　of　united　and　entire　kingdoms）　that　is　either　greater；　or　more　populous；　or　more　rich；　or　more　abounding　in　all　good　things；　or　that　hath　more　ages　lasted　and　endured　than　that　famous　and　renowned　kingdom　of　China。　Hereof　it　grows　that　the　cities　wherein　their　kings　have　made　their　residence　have　ever　been　the　greatest　that　have　been　in　the　world。　And　those　are　Suntien；　Anchin　and　Panchin。　Suntien　（by　so　much　as　I　can　learn　out　of　the　undoubted　testimonies　of　other　men）　is　the　most　ancient　and　the　chiefest　and　the　principallest　of　a　certain　province　which　is　called　Kinsay；　by　which　name　they　commonly　call　the　same　city。*　It　is　seated　as　it　were　in　the　extremest　parts　almost　of　the　east；　in　a　mighty　great　lake　that　is　drawn　out　of　the　four　princely　rivers　that　fall　there　into　it；　whereof　the　greatest　is　called　Pulisanghin。　The　lake　is　full　of　little　islands　which；　for　the　gallantness　of　the　site；　the　freshness　of　the　air　and　sweetness　of　the　gardens　are　very　delightful　without　measure。　His　banks　are　tapestried　with　verdure；　mantled　with　trees；　watered　with　clear　running　brooks　and　many　springs；　and　adorned　with　magnificent　and　stately　palaces。　This　lake　in　his　greatest　breadth　is　four　leagues　wide　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　twenty…eight　miles；　or　thereabout。　In　circuit　it　is　an　hundred　miles　about；　with　large　passages　both　by　water　and　by　land。　The　streets　thereof　are　all　of　them　paved　gallantly　with　stone；　and　beautified　with　very　fair　benches　or　seats　to　sit　upon。　The　chattels　of　most　account　are　haply　fifteen；　with　bridges　over　them　so　stately　to　behold　that　ships　under　all　their　sails　pass　under　them。　The　greatest　of　these　channels　cutteth　through　the　midst；　as　it　were；　of　the　city　and　is　a　mile　wide；　a　little　more　or　less；　with　fourscore　bridges　upon　it；　a　sight；　no　question；　that　doth　exceed　all　other。　　　　　I　should　be　too　long　if　I　should　here　declare　all　that　might　be　said　of　the　greatness　of　the　walks　and　galleries；　of　the　magnificent　and　stately　buildings；　of　the　beauty　of　the　streets；　of　the　innumerable　multitude　of　inhabitants；　of　the　infinite　concourse　of　merchandise；　of　the　inestimable　number　of　ships　and　vessels；　some　inlaid　with　ebony　and　some　with　ivory；　and　chequered　some　with　gold　and　some　with　silver；　of　the　incomparable　riches　that　come　in　thither　and　are　carried　out　continually；　to　be　short；　of　the　delights　and　pleasures　whereof　this　city　doth　so　exceedingly　abound　as　it　deserves　to　be　called　proud　Suntien。　And　yet　the　other　two　cites　Panchin　and　Anchin　are　never　a　whit　less　than　this　is。　　　　　But　forasmuch　as　we　have　made　mention　of　China；　I　think　it　not　amiss　in　this　place　to　remember　the　greatness　of　some　other　of　her　cities；　according　to　the　relations　we　receive　in　these　days。　Canton；　then　（which　is　the　most　known；　though　not　the　greatest）　the　Portuguese　that　have　had　much　commerce　thither　these　many　years　confess　it　is　greater　than　Lisbon；　which　yet　is　the　greatest　city　that　is　in　Europe　except　Constantinople　and　Paris。　Sanchieo　is　said　to　be　three　times　greater　than　Seville；　so　that　since　Seville　is　six　miles　in　compass　Sanchieo　must　needs　be　eighteen　miles　about。　They　also　say　Huchou　exceeds　them　both　in　greatness。　Chinchew；　although　it　be　of　the　meaner　sort；　the　Fathers　of　the　Order　of　St。　Augustine　who　saw　it　do　judge　that　city　to　contain　threescore　and　ten　thousand　houses。　　　　　These　things　I　here　deliver　ought　to　be　not　thought　by　any　man　to　be　incredible。　For　（besides　that　Marco　Polo　in　his　relations　affirmeth　far　greater　things）　these　things　I　speak　are　in　these　days　approved　to　be　most　true　by　the　intelligences　we　do　receive　continually　both　of　secular　and　religious　persons；　as　also　by　all　the　nation　of　the　Portuguese。　So　as　he　that　will　deny　it　shall　show　himself　a　fool。　But　for　the　satisfaction　of　the　reader　I　will　not　spare　to　search　out　the　very　reasons　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　China　is　so　populous　and　full　of　such　admirable　cities。　　　　　Let　us　then　suppose　that　either　by　the　goodness　of　the　heavens　or　by　the　secret　influence　of　the　stars　to　us　unknown；　or　for　some　other　reasons　else　whatsoever　they　be；　that　part　of　the　world　that　is　oriental　unto　us　hath　more　virtue；　I　know　not　what；　in　the　producing　of　things　than　the　West。　Hereof　it　proceedeth　that　a　number　of　excellent　things　grow　in　these　happy　counties　of　which　others　are　utterly　destitute　and　void；　as　cinnamon；　nutmegs；　cloves；　pepper；　camphor；　sandalwood；　incense；　aloes；　the　Indian　nuts；　and　such　other　like。　Moreover　the　things　that　are　common　unto　both；　to　the　East；　I　say；　and　the　West；　they　are　generally　much　more　perfect　in　the　East　than　the　West；　as　for　proof　thereof；　the　pearls　of　the　West　in　comparison　of　the　East　are　as　it　were　lead　to　silver。　And　likewise　the　bezoar　that　is　brought　from　the　Indies　is　a　great　deal　better　far　than　the　bezoar　that　comes　from　Peru。　　　　　Now　China　comes　the　nearest　to　the　East　of　any　part　of　the　world；　and　therefore　doth　she　enjoy　all　those　perfections　that　are　attributed　to　the　East。　And　first　the　air　（which　of　all　things　importeth　to　the　life　of　man　so　much　as　nothing　more）　is　very　temperate；　whereunto　the　nearness　of　the　sea　addeth　a　great　help；　which　embraceth；　as　it　were；　with　arms　cast　abroad　a　great　part　thereof；　and　looks　it　in　the　face　with　a　cheerful　aspect；　and　with　a　thousand　creeks　and　gulfs　penetrateth　far　within　the　very　province。　　　　　Next；　that　the　country　is　for　the　most　part　very　plain　and　of　nature　very　apt　to　produce　not　only　things　necessary　for　the　use　and　sustenance　of　the　life　of　man　but　also　all　sorts　of　dainty　thing　for　man's　delight　and　pleasure。　The　hills　and　mountains　are　perpetually　arrayed　with　trees　of　all　sorts；　some　wild　and　some　fruitful；　the　plains　manured；　tilled　and　sown　with　rice；　barley；　wheat；　peas　and　beans；　the　gardens；　besides　our　common　sorts　of　fruits；　do　yield　most　sweet　melons；　most　delicate　plums；　most　excellent　figs；　pomecitrons　and　oranges　of　divers　forms　and　excellent　taste。　　　　　They　have　also　an　herb　out　of　which　they　press　a　delicate　juice　which　serves　them　for　drink　instead　of　wine。　It　also　preserves　their　health　and　frees　them　from　all　those　evils　that　the　immoderate　use　of　wine　doth　breed　unto　us。　　　　　They　also　abound　in　cattle；　in　sheep；　in　fowl；　in　deer；　in　wool；　in　rich　skins；　cotton；　linen；　and　in　infinite　store　of　silk。　There　are　mines　of　gold　and　silver　and　of　excellent　iron。　There　are　most　precious　pearls。　There　is　abundance　of　sugar；　honey；　rhubarb；　camphor；　red　lead；　woad；　musk　and　aloes；　and　the　porcelain　earth　is　known　nowhere　but　there。　　　　　More　than　this；　the　rivers　and　the　waters　of　all　sorts　run　gallantly　through　all　those　counties　with　an　unspeakable　profit　and　commodity　for　navigation　and　tillage。　And　the　waters　are　as　plentiful　of　fish　as　the　land　is　of　fruits；　for　the　rivers　and　the　seas　yield　thereof　an　infinite　abundance。　　　　　Unto　this　so　great　a　fertility　and　yield　both　of　the　land　and　water　there　is　joined　an　incredible　culture　of　both　these　elements。　And　that　proceedeth　out　of　two　causes；　whereof　the　one　dependeth　upon　the　inestimable　multitude　of　the　inhabitants　（for　it　is　thought　that　China　doth　contain　more　than　threescore　millions　of　souls）　and　the　other　consisteth　in　the　extreme　diligence　and　pains　that　is　taken　as　well　of　private　persons　in　the　tillage　of　their　grounds　and　well　husbanding　their　farms；　as　also　the　magistrates　that　suffer　not　a　man　to　le