the greatness of cities-第5章

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the　like　burden。　So　that　although　it　exceed　not　a　mediocrity　and　be　but　a　small　river；　yet　notwithstanding　it　supplieth　wonderfully　all　the　necessities　and　wants　of　Paris；　a　city　that　in　people　and　in　abundance　of　all　things　exceedeth　far　all　other　cities　whatsoever　within　the　scope　of　Christendom。　　　　　Here　a　man　might　ask　me　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　one　water　should　bear　more　burden　than　another？　　　　　Some　will；　that　this　proceedeth　from　the　nature　of　the　earth　that　thickeneth　the　water　and　maketh　it　stiff　and　by　consequence　firm　and　solid。　This　reason　hath　no　other　opposition　but　Nile；　the　water　whereof　is　so　earthy　and　so　muddy　that　the　Scripture　calleth　it　the　Troubled　River；　and　it　is　not　to　be　drunk　before　it　be　purged　and　settled　well　in　the　cistern。　And　it　doth　not　only　water　and　mellow　all　Egypt　over　with　its　liquidness；　but　more　than　that　maketh　it　fertile　and　mucketh；　as　it　were；　the　ground　with　its　fatness。　And　yet　it　is　not　of　the　fittest　nor　the　strongest　to　sustain　and　bear　ships；　boats　or　barks　of　any　good　burden；　whereupon　I　should　think　that　for　such　effect　and　purpose　we　should　not　so　much　prefer　the　muddiness　of　the　water　as　the　sliminess　thereof；　for　that　doth　glue　it；　as　it　were；　together；　and　thicken　it　the　better；　and　maketh　it　more　fit　and　more　apt　to　bear　good　burden。　　　　　But　some　man　might　ask　me　here　again；　from　whence　cometh　this　quality；　this　diversity；　I　mean；　of　waters？　I　must　answer；　it　comes　of　two　causes。　First；　from　the　very　breaking　or　bursting　of　it　out；　and　passage　along　through　rough；　rich；　rank　and　fat　countries；　for　rivers　participating　of　the　nature　of　the　grounds　that　make　them　their　beds　and　banks；　become　thereby　themselves　also　fat　and　slimy；　and　of　quality　much　like　to　oil。　The　next　cause　proceedeth　from　the　swiftness　and　the　shortness　of　the　course；　forasmuch　as　the　length　of　a　voyage　and　the　rage　of　the　rivers　maketh　thin　and　subtleth　the　substance；　and　breaks　and　cuts　in　sunder　the　sliminess　of　the　water：　which　happeneth　in　Nile。　For　running　in　a　manner　as　it　doth　two　thousand　miles　by　a　direct　line　（for　by　an　oblique　and　crooked　line　it　would　be　a　good　deal　more）　and　falling　from　places　exceeding　steep　and　headlong　where；　through　the　vehemency　and　violent　force　of　the　course；　and　by　the　inestimable　rage　of　the　fall　it　breaketh　and　dissolveth　all　into　a　very　small　and　fine　rain；　as　it　were；　it　waxeth　so　fine　and　subtle；　and　so　tireth　his　waters　that　they　lose　all　their　slimy　properties；　which　resteth　all　at　the　rivers　of　Almaine　and　of　France。　For　they　grow　and　walk　through　most　rich　and　pleasant　countries；　and　they　be　not　ordinary　swift　nor　violent。　Now　that　this　is　the　true　reason　thereof　the　water　of　Seine　shall　make　a　true　proof　of；　for　if　you　wash　your　hands　with　it；　it　scoureth　like　soap　and　cleanseth　you　of　all　manner　of　spots。　　　　　But　let　us　now　pass　to　the　wideness；　and　that　is　necessary　to　begin　withal　in　rivers　and　in　channels　of　which　we　speak　of；　that　they　should　be　wide　and　large；　that　ships　may　commodiously　wind　and　turn　here　and　there　at　their　will　and　pleasure；　and　give　way　each　to　other。　But　the　wideness　of　a　river　without　depth　serves　not　for　our　purpose；　for　it　dissipateth　and　disperseth　the　water　in　such　sort　that　it　maketh　it　unfit　for　navigation；　which　happeneth　to　the　river　of　Plate；　which　through　overmuch　wideness　is　for　the　most　part　low　and　of　uneven　bottom；　and　full　of　rocks　and　little　islands。　And　for　the　selfsame　cause　the　rivers　of　Spain　are　not　greatly　navigable；　for　they　have　large　bellies　but　they　spread　wide；　and　uneven　they　are；　and　uncertain。　And　thus　much　sufficeth　to　have　said　of　rivers。　　　　　Now　forasmuch　as　the　commodities　and　profits　are　such　and　so　great　which　the　water　bringeth　to　advance　the　greatness　of　a　city；　of　consequent　those　cities　must　be　the　fairest　and　richest　that　have　the　most　store　of　navigable　rivers。　And　even　such　are　those　cities　that　are　seated　upon　good　havens　of　the　seas；　rivers　or　lakes；　that　are　commodious；　apt　and　fit　for　sundry　navigations。　　　　　It　may　seem　to　some　that　with　the　easiness　of　conduct　the　foundation　is　now　found　out；　and　full　complement　and　perfection　of　the　greatness　of　a　city。　But　it　is　not　so；　for　it　behoves　besides　that　that　there　be　some　matter　of　profit　that　may　draw　the　people　and　cause　them　to　repair　to　one　place　more　than　to　another。　For　where　there　is　no　commodity　of　conduct　the　multitude　of　people　cannot　be　great；　which　the　hills　and　mountains　teacheth　us；　on　which　we　may　well　see　many　castles　and　little　towns；　but　no　store　of　people　that　we　might　thereby　call　them　great。　And　the　reason　is；　because　of　the　cragginess　and　steepness　of　their　sites　such　things　as　are　necessary　and　commodious　for　a　civil　life　cannot　be　brought　unto　them　without　an　infinite　toil　and　labour。　And　Fiesole　became　desert　and　Florence　frequented　upon　none　other　cause　than　that　Fiesole　standeth　on　too　steep　and　too　high　a　place；　almost　inaccessible；　and　Florence　in　a　very　plain；　easy　to　have　access　unto　it。　And　in　Rome　we　see　the　people　have　forsaken　the　Aventine　and　other　hills　there；　and　drawn　themselves　altogether　down　to　the　plain　and　places　nearest　unto　Tiber　for　the　commodity　which　the　plain　and　the　water　affordeth　to　the　conduct　of　goods　and　traffic。　　　　　But　where　conduct　and　carriage　is　easy　you　see　not　for　all　that　a　notable　and　famous　city　by　and　by。　For　without　question　the　port　of　Messina　is　far　much　better　than　the　port　of　Naples；　that　notwithstanding　Naples；　if　you　behold　the　people；　exceedeth　more　than　two　Messinas。　The　port　of　Cartagena　exceeds　in　all　respects　the　port　of　Genoa；　and　yet　Genoa；　for　multitude　of　people；　for　wealth　and　for　all　matter　of　good　things　besides　mightily　exceedeth　Cartagena。　What　port　is　more　fair；　more　safe　or　more　spacious　than　the　chattel　of　Cattaro？　And　yet　is　there　not　any　memorable　city　in　that　place。　　　　　What　shall　I　say　of　rivers？　In　Peru　there　is　the　river　Marion　which　（it　is　said）　doth　run　（a　marvellous　thing　to　report）　six　thousand　miles　in　length；　and　more。　You　have　the　river　of　Plate　thereby；　which　though　it　give　place　to　Marion　for　the　length　of　his　stream　and　course　it　beareth　yet　more　water　a　great　deal；　and　at　the　mouth　of　it；　they　say；　it　is　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　wide。　In　New　France　there　is　the　river　of　Canada；　wide　at　the　mouth　thirty…five　miles；　and　two　hundred　fathom　deep。　In　Africa　there　are　also　very　great　rivers；　Senegal；　Gambia　and　Cuanza；　which　last　is　a　river　late　found　out　in　the　kingdom　of　Angola　which　is　thought　to　be　wide　at　the　mouth　thirty…five　miles；　and　yet　amongst　them　there　is　not　a　famous　city　to　be　found。　Nay　further；　on　the　river　of　Cuanza　the　barbarous　people　there　live　in　dens；　and　hide　them　in　caves　covered　with　boughs　in　the　company　and　fellowship；　as　it　were；　of　crabs　and　lobsters；　which　through　use　and　custom　grow　wondrous　familiar　and　secure　with　them。　　　　　In　Asia　although　Menam；　which　in　their　language　signifieth　the　Mother　of　Rivers；　and　Mekong；　which　is　navigable　for　more　than　two　thousand　miles；　and　likewise　Indus　and　other　royal　rivers　be　sufficiently　inhabited；　yet　for　all　that　Ob；　which　is　the　greatest　there　amongst　them　（for　where　it　falleth　into　the　Scythian　Ocean　it　is　eighty　miles　broad；　which　makes　some　men　think　the　Mare　Caspium　disburdeneth　itself　that　way　into　the　Ocean）；　hath　not　any　famous　city　in　it。　　　　　After　this　another　question　also　riseth；　how　it　comes　if　the　commodious　means　of　conduct　do　at　full　accomplish　the　greatness　of　a　city；　how；　I　say；　it　comes　to　pass　where　upon　the　shore　of　one　self　river　the　conduct　is　even；　easy　and　alike　and　that　city　yet　is　greater　than　another？　Without　doubt　it　sufficeth　not　alone　that　the　transportation　of　goods　to　and　fro　be　easy　and　commodious；　but　there　must　be　else　besides　that；　some　peculiar　virtue　attractive　that　may　draw　men　and　allure　men　more　to　one　place　than　to　another；　whereof　we　shall　in　the　next　book　speak　more　at　large。


Book　Two

　　　　Hitherto　have　we　spoken　of　aptness　of　the　site；　of　the　fruitfulness　of　the　soil　and　of　the　commodious　transportation　of　commodities　to　and　fro；　for　the　help　and　increase　of　our　city。　Let　us　now　see　what　those　things　are　that　may　allure　the　people　（who　are　of　nature　indifferent　to　be　here　or　there）　to　the　choice　of　one　place　b