196 A, D, 1590* 



prefent refidence, is fo great and populous as to be reckoned one of 

 the four cities of the firft rank in Europe, which are Mofcow.'Conflan- 

 tinople, Paris, and Lifbon. In Sicily, Palermo is the chief, being equal 

 to cities of the fecond rank in Italy *. Rome, whofe majefly exccedeth 

 all the world, would fhe not be more like a defart than a city, if the 

 pope held not his refidence therein, with the greatnefs of his court, the 

 concourfe of ambaffadors, prelates, princes, with an infinite number of 

 peo[)le ferving both him and them ; if, with magnificent buildings, 

 conduits, fountains, and ftreets, it were not glorioufly adorned; and if, 

 with all thefe means, it did not draw and entertain fuch a number of 

 merchants, tradefmen, fhopkeepers, artificers, workmen, and labourers ? 



IB. ii, r. I.] 



In B. ii, c. 2. he inquires, ' what the reafon is, that cities, once 



* grown to a certain greatnefs, increafe not onward according to that 



* proportion ?' After remarking on the increafe and decreafe of old 

 Rome, he fubjoins, and in like manner, fince it is 40Q years [i. e. 572 

 years from this year 1762] fince Milan and Venice had as many people 

 as they have at this day, how comes it to pafs that the multiplication 

 goes not onward accordingly ? Some anfwer, that plagues, wars, deaths, 

 &c. are the caufes : but this gives no fatisfadion, becaufe thefe have 

 always been. Others give a more trifling anfwer, viz. God governs the 

 ■world ; which we know was alfo always fo. My anfwer may not only 

 ferve for cities, but alfo for the univerfal theatre of the world : I fay then, 

 that the augmentation of cities proceeds partly out of the virtue gene- 

 rative of men, and partly out of the virtue nutritive of cities. Now, 

 forafmuch as men are at this day as apt for generation as they were in 

 the times of David or Mofes, if there were no other impediment, the 

 propagation of mankind would increafe without end, and the augment- 

 ation of cities would be without term ; and if they do not increafe in 

 infinitum, I mufi; needs fay it proceeds from the defed of nutriment and 

 fufienance fufficient for it, which are gotten either out of their own ter- 

 ritories or elfe from foreign countries. Now, to have a city great and 

 populous, it is neceflary that viduals may eafily be brought into it, and 

 that fuch city have the means for that end, by overcoming all obfla- 

 cles. Now, that greatnefs which depends on remote caufes, or h:ird 

 means, cannot long endure, and every man will ieek his advantage and 

 eafe where he may find it beft : great cities are more fubjed to dearths 

 than fmall ones ; and plagues afflid them more grievoufly and frequently, 

 and with a greater lols of people. So that although men were as apt to 

 generation in the height of old Roman greatnefs as in the firft beginning 

 thereof, yet for all that the people increafed not proportionably, becaufe 



* By cities of the fecond rank in Italy, he underftands fuch as contain under an hundred thoufand 

 inhabitants. . 



