the greatness of cities-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ty　and　ease　where　he　may　find　it　best。　We　must　also　add　to　these　things　aforesaid　that　great　cities　are　more　subject　unto　dearths　than　the　little；　for　they　need　more　sustenance　and　victuals。　The　plague　also　afflicteth　them　more　surely　and　more　often；　with　greater　loss　of　people。　And　to　speak　in　a　word；　great　cities　are　subject　to　all　the　difficulties　and　hardness　we　have　before　declared　because　they　need　a　great　deal　more。　　　　　So　that；　although　men　were　as　apt　to　generation　in　the　height　and　pride　of　the　Romans；　greatness　as　in　the　first　beginning　thereof；　yet　for　all　that　the　people　increased　not　proportionably。　For　the　virtue　nutritive　of　that　city　had　no　power　to　go　further；　so　that　in　success　of　time　the　inhabitants；　finding　much　want　and　less　means　to　supply　their　lack　of　victual；　either　forbare　to　marry　or；　if　they　did　marry；　their　children　oppressed　with　penury；　their　parents　affording　them　no　relief；　fled　their　own　country　and　sought　abroad　for　better　fortune。　To　the　which　inconvenience　the　Romans　willing　to　provide　a　remedy；　they　made　choice　of　a　number　of　poor　citizens　and　sent　them　into　colonies；　where；　like　trees　transplanted；　they　might　have　more　room　to　better　themselves　both　in　condition　and　commodity；　and　by　that　means　increase　and　multiply　the　faster。　　　　　By　the　selfsame　reason　mankind　grown　to　a　certain　complete　number　hath　grown　no　further。　And　it　is　three　thousand　years　agone　and　more　that　the　world　was　replenished　as　full　with　people　as　it　is　at　this　present；　for　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　the　plenty　of　victual　doth　not　suffice　to　feed　a　greater　number。　In　Mesopotamia　mankind　did　first　begin　to　propagate。　From　thence　by　success　of　time　it　increased　and　spread　apace　daily　both　far　and　near　and　having　replenished　the　firm　land　they　transported　themselves　into　the　islands　of　the　sea；　and　so　from　our　counties　they　have　at　length　arrived　by　little　and　little　to　the　counties　we　call　the　New　World。　And　what　is　there　under　the　sun　that　doth　make　man；　with　more　horrible　effusion　of　blood；　to　fight　for；　and　with　more　cruelty；　than　the　earth；　food　and　commodity　of　habitation？　The　Suevians　accounted　it　an　honour　and　a　glory　to　them　to　bring　their　confines　by　many　hundred　miles　into　a　waste　and　wilderness。　In　the　New　World；　in　the　isle　of　St。　Dominic　and　the　borders　thereabout；　the　people　chase　and　hunt　men　as　we　do　deer　and　hares。　The　like　do　many　of　the　people　of　Brazil；　especially　they　whom　we　call　Aymores；　who　tear　in　pieces　and　devour　young　boys　and　young　girls　alive；　and　open　the　bellies　of　the　women　great　with　child；　and　take　the　creatures　out；　and　in　the　presence　and　sight　of　the　fathers　themselves　eat　them　roasted　upon　the　coals　　a　most　horrible　thing　to　hear；　much　more　to　see　it。　　　　　The　people　of　Guinea　for　the　most　part　live　so　poor　and　needy　as　they　daily　sell　their　own　children　for　very　vile　price　to　the　Moors；　who　carry　them　into　Barbary；　and　to　the　Portugals；　who　send　them　to　their　islands；　or　sell　them　to　the　Castilians　for　the　New　World。　The　people　of　Peru　do　the　like；　who　for　little　more　than　nothing　give　their　children　to　them　will　have　them；　which　proceedeth　of　misery；　and　of　the　impotency　they　have　to　bring　them　up　and　to　maintain　them。　The　Tartars　and　the　Arabians　live　upon　stealth　and　rapine；　the　Nasamoni　and　the　Cafri；　the　most　savage　and　barbarous　people　of　all　Ethiopia；　live　upon　the　spoils　of　others'　shipwrecks；　as　the　Portugals　have　many　times　felt。　　　　　It　is　also　a　thing　known　to　all　men　how　oft　the　French；　the　Dutch；　the　Goths；　the　Huns；　the　Avari；　the　Tartars　and　divers　other　nations；　unable　through　their　infinite　multitude　of　people　to　live　in　their　own　countries；　have　left　their　confines　and　possessed　themselves　with　other　men's　countries；　to　the　utter　ruin　and　destruction　of　the　inhabitants　therein。　Hence　it　came　to　pass　that　within　few　ages　all　the　provinces　of　Europe　and　of　Asia　became　possessed；　in　a　manner；　of　strange　people；　fled　and　run　out　of　their　counties　and　habitations　either　for　the　mighty　multitude　of　people　their　country　could　not　sustain；　or　for　desire　they　had　to　lead　a　more　commodious　and　easy　life　elsewhere；　in　greater　plenty　of　good　things。　　　　　The　multitude　again　of　thieves　and　murderers；　whence　doth　it；　I　pray　you；　for　the　most　part　grow；　but　of　necessity　and　want？　Differences；　suits　and　quarrels；　whence　do　they　proceed　but　out　of　the　straitness　and　the　scantness　of　confines；　boundaries；　ditches；　hedges　and　enclosures　which　men　make　about　their　farms　and　manors？　Watchmen　of　the　vineyards　and　of　ripe　fruits；　gates；　locks；　bolts　and　mastiffs　kept　about　the　house；　what　do　they　argue　else　but　that　the　world　is　hard　and　either　ministreth　not　sufficient　to　our　necessities　or　satisfieth　not　our　greedy　covetous　desires？　And　what　shall　I　remember　arms　of　so　many　kinds　and　of　so　cruel　sorts；　what　shall　I　speak　of　continual　wars　both　on　sea　and　land；　that　bringeth　all　things　unto　utter　ruin；　what　of　forts　on　passages；　what　of　garrisons；　bulwarks　and　munition？　　　　　Neither　doth　this　lake　of　mischiefs　contain　all；　for　I　must　add　to　these　the　barrenness　of　soils；　the　scarcity　and　dearths　of　victual；　the　evil　influence　of　the　air；　the　contagious　and　dangerous　diseases；　the　plagues；　the　earthquakes；　the　inundations　both　of　seas　and　rivers；　and　such　other　accidents　which　destroy　and　overthrow　now　a　city；　now　a　kingdom；　now　a　people；　now　some　other　thing；　and　are　the　let　and　stay　that　the　number　of　men　cannot　increase　and　grow　immoderately。

　3。　Of　the　causes　that　do　concern　the　magnificency　and　greatness　of　a　city

　　　　It　now　only　resteth；　having　brought　our　city　to　that　dignity　and　greatness　which　the　condition　of　the　site　and　other　circumstances　afford　unto　it；　that　we　labour　to　conserve；　to　maintain　and　uphold　the　dignity　and　greatness　of　the　same。　And　to　speak　all　at　a　word；　these　helps　may　very　well　serve　to　do　it：　that　is；　justice；　peace；　and　plenty。　For　justice　assureth　every　man　his　own。　Peace　causeth　tillage；　trade　and　arts　to　flourish。　And　plenty　of　food　and　victual　sustaineth　the　life　of　man　with　ease　and　much　contentment　to　him。　And　the　people　embrace　nothing　more　gladly　than　plenty　of　corn。　To　conclude；　all　those　things　that　cause　the　greatness　of　a　city　are　also　fit　to　conserve　the　same。　For　the　causes；　as　well　of　the　production　of　things　as　also　of　the　conservation　of　them；　are　ever　all　one　and　the　same；　whatsoever　they　be。





The　End