The Greatness of Cities [31]
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
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