the greatness of cities-第9部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　lading　and　unlading　of　merchandise　both　quick　and　easy；　to　scour　the　seas　of　pirates　and　of　rovers；　to　make　the　rivers　navigable；　to　build　storehouses　apt　and　large　enough　to　contain　great　quantity　of　wares；　and　to　defend　and　maintain　the　ways　as　well　on　the　plains　as　on　the　mountains　and　hilly　places。　　　　　In　this　point　the　kings　of　China　have　deserved　all　praise　that　may　be。　For　they　have　with　an　incredible　expense　and　charge　paved　with　stone　all　the　highways　of　that　most　famous　kingdom；　and　have　made　stone　bridges　over　mighty　great　rivers；　and　cut　in　sunder　hills　and　mountains　of　inestimable　height　and　craggedness。　They　have　also　strewed　the　plains　and　bottoms　with　very　fair　stone；　so　that　a　man　may　there　pass　either　on　horse　or　afoot　as　well　in　the　winter　as　in　the　summer　time；　and　merchandise　may　be　easily　carried　to　and　fro　there　by　load；　either　on　carts　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　sloughs　up　to　the　belly；　and　carts　are　stabled　and　set　fast　in　the　tough　dirt　and　mire。　So　that　carriages　by　cart　or　horse　are　thereby　very　cumbersome；　and　a　journey　that　might　be　well　dispatched　in　a　day　can　hardly　be　performed　in　three　or　four。　And　the　ways　are　as　bad　in　many　parts　of　France；　as　in　the　country　of　Poitiers；　Saintonge；　Beauce　and　in　Burgundy。　But　this　is　no　place　to　censure　so　famous　provinces；　and　therefore　let　us　proceed。

　9。　Of　dominion　and　power

　　　　The　greatest　means　to　make　a　city　populous　and　great　is　to　have　supreme　authority　and　power；　for　that　draweth　dependency　with　it；　and　dependency　concourse；　and　concourse　greatness。　In　the　cities　that　have　jurisdiction　and　power　over　others；　as　well　the　public　wealth　as　the　wealth　of　private　men　is　drawn　by　divers　arts　and　means　unto　them。　Thither　do　repair　the　ambassadors　of　princes；　and　the　agents　of　dukes　and　commonwealths；　there　are　the　greatest　causes　heard；　as　well　criminal　as　civil；　and　all　appeals　are　brought　to　trial　there。　There　are　the　suits　and　causes；　as　well　of　men　of　quality　as　of　the　commonweal　and　common　persons　debated　and　decided；　the　revenues　of　the　state　are　there　laid　up；　and　there　spent　out　again　when　there　is　need。　The　richest　citizens　of　other　countries　seek　to　ally　themselves　and　to　get　an　habitation　there。　　　　　Out　of　all　which　causes　here　recited　there　must　needs　follow　an　abundance　of　wealth　and　riches；　a　most　strong　and　forcible　bait　to　allure　and　draw　forth　the　merchants；　the　artificers　and　the　people　of　all　sorts　that　live　upon　their　labour　and　their　service；　to　run　amain　from　the　furthest　coasts　unto　it。　After　this　sort　a　city　soon　increaseth　both　in　magnificency　of　building；　in　multitude　of　people　and　abundance　of　wealth；　and　also　groweth　to　the　proportion　of　a　principality。　　　　　The　truth　whereof　these　cities　all　of　them　declare　it　plain；　that　either　have　had　or　have　any　notable　jurisdiction　in　them；　Pisa；　Siena；　Genoa；　Lucca；　Florence　and　Brescia；　whose　countries　do　extend　an　hundred　miles　in　length　and　forty　in　breadth；　and　not　only　contain　the　most　fruitful　and　fertile　plains　but　also　many　rich　and　goodly　valleys；　many　towns　and　castles　that　have　above　a　thousand　houses　in　them　and　do　feed　very　near　three　hundred　and　forty　thousand　persons。　Many　free　and　imperial　cities　in　Germany　are　like　to　these：　Nuremberg；　Lubeck　and　Aachen；　and　such　was　Ghent　in　Flanders；　that　when　the　standard　was　advanced　and　spread　sent　out　at　once　an　hundred　thousand　men　of　war。　　　　　I　speak　not　here　of　Sparta；　Carthage；　Athens；　Rome　nor　Venice；　whose　greatness　grew　as　fast　as　their　power；　even　so　far　that；　to　pass　the　rest；　Carthage；　in　the　height　of　her　pride　and　glory；　was　twenty…four　miles　about；　and　Rome　was　fifty　besides　the　suburbs；　which　were　in　a　matter　so　infinite　and　great　as　on　the　one　side　they　extended　even　to　Ostia　and　on　the　other　side；　in　a　matter；　to　Utricoli；　and　round　about　they　occupied　and　possessed　a　mighty　deal　of　the　country。　But　let　us　proceed；　for　to　this　chapter　belongeth　all　that　shall　be　said　hereafter　of　the　residence　of　princes。

　10。　Of　the　residency　of　the　nobility

　　　　Amongst　other　causes　why　the　cities　of　Italy　are　ordinarily　greater　than　the　cities　of　France　or　other　parts　of　Europe；　it　is　not　of　small　importance　this；　that　the　gentlemen　in　Italy　do　dwell　in　cities；　and　in　France　in　their　castles；　which　are　for　the　most　part　palaces　compassed　and　surrounded　with　moats　full　of　water；　and　fenced　with　walls　and　towers　sufficient　to　sustain　a　sudden　assault。　　　　　And　although　the　noblemen　of　Italy　do　also　themselves　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　worthiness　of　the　matter　and　the　excellency　of　the　workmanship　fit　to　be　an　ornament　and　an　honour　rather　to　a　kingdom　than　to　a　city；　yet　notwithstanding；　these　buildings　generally　are　more　sumptuous　and　more　common　in　France　than　they　are　in　Italy。　For　the　Italian　divideth　his　expense　and　endeavours　part　in　the　city；　part　in　the　country；　but　the　greater　part　he　bestows　in　the　city。　But　the　Frenchman　employs　all　that　he　may　wholly　in　the　country；　regarding　the　city　little　or　nothing　at　all；　for　an　inn　serves　his　turn　when　he　needs。　Howbeit；　experience　teacheth　the　residence　of　noblemen　in　cities　makes　them　to　be　more　glorious　and　most　populous　not　only　because　they　bring　their　people　and　their　families　unto　it；　but　also　more　because　a　nobleman　dispendeth　much　more　largely；　through　the　access　of　friends　unto　him　and　through　the　emulation　of　others；　in　a　city　where　he　is　abiding　and　visited　continually　by　honourable　personages；　than　he　spendeth　in　the　country；　where　he　liveth　amongst　the　brute　beasts　of　the　field　and　converseth　with　plain　country　people　and　goes　apparelled　amongst　them　in　plain　and　simple　garments。　Gorgeous　and　gallant　buildings　necessity　must　also　follow；　and　sundry　arts　of　all　sorts　and　kinds　must　needs　increase　to　excellency　and　full　perfection　in　cities　where　noblemen　do　make　their　residence。　　　　　For　this　cause　the　Inca　of　Peru；　that　is；　the　king　of　Peru；　meaning　to　ennoble　and　make　great　his　royal　city　of　Cuzco　would　not　only　that　his　caciques　and　his　barons　should　inhabit　there；　but　he　did　also　command　that　every　one　of　them　should　erect　and　build　a　palace　therein　for　their　dwelling；　which　when　they　had　performed；　each　striving　with　the　other　who　should　erect　the　fairest；　that　city　in　short　time　grew　with　most　princely　buildings　to　be　magnificent　and　great。　Some　dukes　of　Lombardy　have　in　our　days　attempted　such　a　thing。　　　　　Tigranes　King　of　Armenia；　when　he　set　up　the　great　Tigranocerta　enforced　a　great　number　of　gentlemen　and　honourable　persons；　with　others　of　great　wealth　and　substance；　to　remove　themselves　thither　with　all　their　goods　whatsoever；　sending　forth　a　solemn　proclamation　withal　that　what　goods　soever　were　not　brought　thither　should　be　confiscate　clean。　　　　　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　adjoining　into　the　islands　where　Venice　is　miraculously　seated；　as　it　were；　were　noble　personages　and　rich；　and　thither　did　they　carry　with　them　all　their　wealth　and　substance；　with　the　which；　giving　themselves　through　the　opportunity　of　that　gulf　to　navigation　and　to　traffic；　they　became　within　a　while　owners　and　masters　of　the　city　and　of　the　islands　thereunto　adjoining；　and　with　their　wealth　and　riches　they　easily　ennobled　the　country　with　magnificent　and　gorgeous　buildings；　and　with　inestimable　treasure；　and　in　the　end　brought　it　to　that　greatness　and　power　in　which　we　do　both　see　it　and　admire　it　at　this　present。

　11。　Of　the　residency　of　the　prince

　　　　For　the　very　selfsame　causes　we　have　a　little　before　declared　in　the　chapter　of　dominion　and　power；　it　doth　infinitely　avail　to　the　ma　g　and　making　cities　great　and　populous　the　residency　of　the　prince　therein；　according　to　the　greatness　of　whose　empire　she　doth　increase。　For　where　the　prince　is　resident　there　also　the　parliaments　are　held；　and　the　supreme　place　of　justice　is　there　kept。　All　matters　of　importance　have　recourse　to　that　place；　all　princes　and　all　persons　of　account；　ambassadors　of　princes　and　of　commonwealths；　and　all　agents　of　cities　that　are　subject　make　their　repair　thither；　all　such　as　aspire　and　thirst　after　offices　and　honours　run　thither　amain　with　emulation　and　disdain　at　others。　Thither　are　the　revenues　brought　that　pertain　unto　the　state；　and　there　are　they　disposed　out　again。　By　all　which　means　cities　must　needs　increase　apace　it　may　easily　be　conceived　by　the　examples；　in　a　matter；　of　all　the　cities　of　importance　and　of　name。　　　　　The　ancientest　kingdom　was　that　of　Egypt；　whose　princes　kept　their　court　partly　in　Thebes　and　partly　in　Memphis；　by　means　whereof　those　two　cities　grew　to　mighty　greatness　and　to　beautiful　and　sumptuous　buildings。　Forasmuch　as　Thebes　（which　Homer　calls　poetically　the　City　of　a　Hundred　Gates）　was　in　circuit　（as　Diodorus　writeth）　seventeen　miles　about；　and　was　beautiful　with　proud　and　stately　buildings　both　public　and　private；　and　also　full　of　people。　And　Memphis　was　but　little　less。　　　　　In　after　ages；　other　kings　succeeding