the greatness of cities-第13章

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f　their　grounds　and　well　husbanding　their　farms；　as　also　the　magistrates　that　suffer　not　a　man　to　lead　an　idle　life　at　home。　So　that　there　is　not　a　little　scrap　of　ground　that　is　not　husbandly　and　very　well　manured。　　　　　Now　for　their　mechanical　arts；　should　I　commit　them　here　to　silence　whenas　there　is　not　a　country　in　the　world　where　they　do　more　flourish　both　for　variety　and　for　excellence　of　skill　and　workmanship？　Which　proceedeth　also　out　of　two　causes；　whereof　the　one　I　have　commended　before；　in　that　idleness　is　everywhere　forbidden　there；　and　every　man　compelled　to　work；　no　man　suffered　to　be　idle；　no；　not　the　blind　nor　the　lame　nor　the　maimed；　if　they　be　not　altogether　impotent　and　weak。　And　the　women　also；　by　a　law　of　Wu…ti　King　of　China；　are　bound　to　exercise　their　father'　s　trades　and　arts；　and　how　noble　or　great　soever　they　be　they　must　at　least　attend　their　distaff　and　their　needle。　The　other　cause　is　that　the　sons　must　of　necessity　follow　their　father's　mysteries；　so　that　hereupon　it　comes　that　artificers　are　infinite　and　that　children　as　well　boys　as　girls；　even　in　their　infancy；　can　skill　to　work；　and　that　arts　are　brought　unto　most　excellent　and　high　perfection。　　　　　They　suffer　not　anything　to　go　to　loss。　With　the　dung　of　the　bulls　and　oxen　and　other　cattle　they　use　to　feed　fish；　and　of　the　bones　of　dogs　and　other　beasts　they　make　many　and　divers　carved　and　engraven　works；　as　we　do　make　of　ivory。　Of　rags　and　clouts　they　make　paper；　to　be　short；　such　is　the　plenty　and　variety　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　of　man's　industry　and　labour；　as　they　have　no　need　of　foreign　help　to　bring　them　anything。　For　they　give　away　a　great　quantity　of　their　own　to　foreign　countries。　And　（to　speak　of　no　things　else）　the　quantity　of　silk　that　is　carried　out　of　China　is　almost　not　credible。　A　thousand　quintals　of　silk　are　yearly　carried　thence　for　the　Portuguese　Indies；　for　the　Philippines　they　lade　out　fifteen　ships。　There　are　carried　out　to　Japan　an　inestimable　sum；　and　unto　Cathay　as　great　a　quantity　as　you　may　guess　by　that　we　have　before　declared　is　yearly　carried　thence　to　Cambaluc。　And　they　sell　their　works　and　their　labours　（by　reason　of　the　infinite　store　that　is　made）　so　cheap　and　at　so　easy　price　as　the　merchants　of　Nova　Hispania　that　trade　unto　the　Philippines　to　make　their　marts　（unto　which　place　the　Chinese　themselves　do　traffic）　do　wonder　at　it　much。　By　means　whereof　the　traffic　with　the　Philippines　falls　out　to　be　rather　hurtful　than　profitable　unto　the　King　of　Spain。　For　the　benefit　of　the　cheapness　of　things　is　it　that　makes　the　people　of　Mexico　（who　heretofore　have　used　to　fetch　their　commodities　from　Spain）　to　fetch　them　at　the　Philippines。　But　the　King　of　Spain；　for　the　desire　he　hath　to　win　unto　familiarity　and　love；　and　by　that　means　to　draw　to　our　Christian　faith　and　to　the　bosom　of　the　Catholic　Church；　those　people　that　are　wrapt　in　the　horrible　darkness　of　idolaties；　esteemeth　not　a　whit　of　his　loss；　so　he　may　gain　their　souls　to　God。　　　　　By　these　things　I　have　declared　it　appeareth　plain　that　China　hath　the　means　partly　by　the　benefit　of　nature　and　partly　by　the　industry　and　art　of　man　to　sustain　an　infinite　sight　of　people。　And　that　for　that　cause　it　is　credible　enough　that　it　becometh　so　populous　a　country　as　hath　been　said。　And　I　affirm　this　much　more　unto　it；　that　it　is　necessary　it　should　be　so　for　two　reasons：　the　one；　for　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　the　King　of　China　to　make　war　to　get　new　counties　but　only　to　defend　his　own；　and　thereupon　it　must　ensue　that　he　enjoyeth　in　a　manner　a　perpetual　peace。　And　what　is　there　more　to　be　desired　or　wished　than　peace？　What　thing　can　be　more　profitable　than　peace？　My　other　reason　is；　for　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　any　of　the　Chinese　to　go　out　of　their　Country　without　leave　or　licence　of　the　magistrates；　so　that；　the　number　of　persons　continually　increasing　and　abiding　still　at　home；　it　is　of　necessity　that　the　number　of　people　do　become　inestimable；　and　of　consequence　the　cities　exceeding　great；　the　towns　infinite　and　that　China　itself　should　rather；　in　a　matter；　be　but　one　body　and　but　one　city。　　　　　To　say　the　truth；　we　Italians　do　flatter　ourselves　too　much；　and　do　admire　too　partially　those　things　that　do　concern　ourselves；　especially　when　we　will　prefer　Italy　and　her　cities　beyond　all　the　rest　in　the　world。　The　and　figure　of　Italy　is　long　and　strait；　divided　withal　in　the　midst　with　the　Apennine　Hills。　And　the　paucity　and　rareness　of　navigable　rivers　doth　not　bear　it　that　there　can　be　very　great　and　populous　cities　in　it。　I　will　not　spare　to　say　that　her　rivers　are　but　little　brooks　in　comparison　of　Ganges；　Menam；　Mekong　and　the　rest；　and　that　the　Tyrrhenian　and　the　Adriatic　Seas　are　but　gullets　in　respect　of　the　ocean。　And　of　consequence　our　trade　and　traffic　is　but　poor　in　respect　of　the　marts　and　fairs　of　Canton；　Malacca；　Calicut；　Ormuz；　Lisbon；　Seville　and　other　cities　that　bound　upon　the　ocean。　　　　　Let　us　add　to　the　aforesaid　that　the　difference　and　enmity　between　the　Mohammedans　and　us　depriveth　us　in　a　manner　of　the　commerce　of　Africa；　and　of　the　most　part　of　the　trade　of　the　Levant。　Again；　the　chiefest　parts　of　Italy；　that　is；　the　Kingdom　of　Naples　and　the　Dukedom　of　Milan　are　subject　to　the　King　of　Spain。　The　other　states　are　mean；　and　mean　also　the　chiefest　of　their　cities。　But　it　is　time　we　now　return　from　whence　we　have　digressed　long。　　　　　The　residence　of　princes　is　so　powerful　and　so　mighty　as　it　alone　is　sufficient　enough　to　set　up　and　form　a　city　at　a　trice。　In　Ethiopia　（Francis　Alvarez　writeth）　there　is　not　a　town　（although　the　country　be　very　large）　that　containeth　above　a　thousand　and　six　hundred　houses；　and　that　of　this　greatness　there　are　but　few。　For　all　that　the　king　（called　by　them　the　Great　Negus；　and　falsely　by　us　the　Prester　John）　who　hath　no　settled　residence　representeth　with　his　only　court　a　mighty　great　city；　forasmuch　as　wherever　he　be　he　shadoweth　with　an　innumerable　sight　of　tents　and　pavilions　many　miles　of　the　country。　　　　　In　Asia；　the　cities　of　account　have　been　all　of　them　the　seats　of　princes：　Damascus；　Antioch；　Ankara；　Trebizond；　Busra　and　Jerusalem。　But　let　us　pass　over　into　Europe。　The　translating　of　the　imperial　seat　hed　the　glory　of　Rome　and　made　Constantinople　great；　which　is　maintained　in　her　greatness　and　majesty　with　the　residence　of　the　Great　Turk。　　　　　This　city　standeth　in　the　fairest；　the　best　and　most　commodious　site　that　is　in　the　world。　It　is　seated　in　Europe；　but　Asia　is　not　from　it　above　four　hundred　paces。　It　commandeth　two　seas；　the　Euxine　and　Propontis。　The　Euxine　Sea　compasseth　two　thousand　and　seven　hundred　miles。　The　Propontis　stretcheth　more　than　two　hundred　miles；　even　till　it　join　with　the　Archipelago。　　　　　The　weather　cannot　be　so　foul；　nor　so　stormy；　nor　so　blustering　as　it　can　hinder　in　a　matter　the　ships　from　coming　with　their　goods　to　that　same　magnificent　and　gallant　city　in　either　of　those　two　seas。　If　this　city　had　a　royal　and　a　navigable　river　it　would　lack　nothing。　It　is　thirteen　miles　about　and　this　circuit　containeth　about　seven　hundred　thousand　persons。　But　the　plague　makes　a　mighty　slaughter　every　third　year　amongst　them。　But　to　say　truth；　seldom　or　never　is　that　city　free　of　the　plague。　And　hereupon　is　offered　a　good　matter　worthy　to　be　considered；　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　that　same　scourge　toucheth　it　so　notably　every　third　year　like　a　tertian　ague　（as　in　Cairo　it　cometh　every　seventh）；　especially　because　that　city　is　seated　in　a　most　healthful　place。　But　I　will　put　off　this　speculation　to　another　time；　or　leave　it　to　be　discussed　by　wits　more　exercised　therein　than　mine。　　　　　There　are　within　Constantinople　seven　hills；　near　the　seaside　towards　the　east　there　is　the　seraglio　of　the　Great　Turk；　whose　walls　are　in　compass　three　miles；　there　is　an　arsenal　consisting　of　more　than　one　hundred　arches　to　lay　their　ships　in。　To　conclude；　the　city　is　for　the　beauty　of　the　site；　for　the　opportunity　of　the　ports；　for　the　commodity　of　the　sea；　for　the　multitude　of　the　inhabitants；　for　the　greatness　of　the　traffic；　for　the　residence　of　the　Great　Turk；　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　m