54 D • M o c R r r u s to the Reader. J/i(}ani~ may not comparewith them. They have neither gold nor filver oftheir owne,wine n0r oyle, or fcarce any cornegrowing in thofeunited Provinces, little or noWood,Tinne,Lead,Iron,Silke,Wooll, any ltuffe almofr, or Mettle; and yet !ftmgary, Tranjilvania, that bragge of their ~nines,fertile England canrlot compare with them.! dare boldly fay,that neither France,Tarentum,Apulia,Lonzbardy,or any part of Italy, y •fence in Spaine,orthat pleafant Anda!ujia,with theirexcellent fruits,Wi.aeand Oy le, two Harvefis,no not any part of Europe is fo flmirilhing, fo rich,fo populous, fo full ofgood fi1ips, of well built Cities, fo aboundingwith all things necelfary for theufe of man. 'Tis our Indies, an Epitome of china, and all by reafon of their indufrry, good policy, and commerce. Indufiry is a Load-fione to draw all good things;that alonemakescoun- · ~'Pj1'••• I n- tries flourifi1, cities populous, •and will enforce by teafonof much ma- :';, , ;.,:jg;:;,~- nure,which necelfarily followes, abarren foyleto be fertile and good,as d4t (o!um .Bo- Sheep, faith b D ion, mend abad pallure. ~·~;;;;: : ;'};;: Tell me Politicians, why is that fruitfull Paleftina, noble Greece, Al- >aubi over gypt, LAjiaMinor, [o much decayed, and (meerecarca!les now) falne fl•b•l•>~urop- from that they were ~ The ground is the fame; but the government is al- ~t;;;;~~''" tered, the people are growne fioathfull, idle, their good husbandry, po- '"'"' rujlJ. licie,and indulhy isdec"-)Led.Nm .fotrgaraaut ejft7:ta humm,as' Co!umeUa ' ·"f·' • well informessy!vinw,(ednoftr!I fit inertia,&c. Maya man beleevethae which Arijlotle in his politicks, Paufam.u,Stephanm,Sophiamu.,Gerbeli- "' relate ofold Greecell find heretofore 7o.CitiesinEp1rm overthrown d H.Jit urbiU.. by Pau!w Almilim , a goodly Province in times paH, d now left defolat<: J<fol" "'' & ofgood towns,and almofi inhabitants.6 z Cities in M acetl~niain Stral>o' s ~7;;:;,~{;~~;~ time. I finde 3o.in Laconia, but now fcatcefo many Villages, faith Ger..: tur. a.. ·bcl••• 6e!rsu . Ifany man from Mmlnt Taigetm fhould view the countrey round ~:{'· Gw .. abour, andfeetotJelttz.u, tot urbes ptr Pe!oponefom dijjerfa<, [o many · ' 6 ' delicate and brave bUilt cities, with fuch colt and exquifite cunning, cPid<bittaJ [o noarly fetoutin Peloponefm,' he fhould perceive them now ruinou5 !~;; .~·::,J,. and overthrown, burnr,waHe, defolate, and laid Ievell with the ground. '" ~q""'"'·'"' Incredtbtledtc1u,&c. And as he lamenrs, .Qeuta/14 fando Temperet 11 !tt. inr.udera r•- chrymi! ? .f0u tam dur111 aut ftrrem (fo he profocutes it)Who is hethat ~;;;;,:;~11"' · canfufliciently condole and commiferaterhefe ruines ~Where arethofe 4ooo. cmes of Algypt,tho[e xoo. cmesmCrete~ Aretheynowcometo two~ What faith Pfiny and .£/ian of old Italy? There were in former ages rx66. cities: Blondm•ndMMhiavel,bothgrantthemnow nothing neer fo populous, and full ofgood towns as inthetimeof .Augujlw (for . now Le.nder Albertm can finde but 3 oo.at moll )and ifwe may_give ere- £ Lob. 1· ditto f Livy, not then foftrongand puilfanrasofold: They m~jlered7o. :Z~~'f::;:::r Legions in former times, rPhic!J now the knowneworldwill {cArte yeeld.vt.. firopr. ' "••-lexander built 70. cities in a fhort fpace for his parr, our Sultans and ~~dt 1';~"" Turies demolifh twice as many,and l~ave all defolate.Many will not be- '• '· leevebutthatourlflandof Great Britaine is now more populous then ever it was;yet let them read Bede,Le!and,and others, they fi1all finde ii: moll flourifhed in the Saxon Heptarchy, and in the Conquerors time was farre better inhabited, then at this prefent. See that Domefday-Book,and fhew me thofe thoufands ofPari!hes, which are nowdecayed, cities IUined
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