The Greatness of Cities [9]
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
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