Of force
Through force and inevitable necessity people are gathered otherwhile together into one place, whenas some imminent peril, especially of wars or ruin and unrecoverable waste and devastation, enforceth them to fly unto it, to put in safety their lives or their goods: and such safety is most found in mountains and craggy places, or small and little islands or such other like, that are not easily to be approached or come unto.
After the general deluge of the world in the time of Noah, while men feared there might afresh happen such another ruin again upon them, they sought to secure themselves, some by building their habitations upon the tops of high hills, and some by advancing huge towers of incredible height and greatness, even up to the heavens. And without doubt, for this respect, the cities seated upon the mountains are for antiquity the most noble, and the towers are of the most ancient form and kind of buildings that ever were used in this world. But after the fear of a new deluge was past and gone men began to draw themselves down, and to erect their habitations in the plains until the terror of armies, and the swarm and fear of fierce and cruel people, enforced them afresh to save themselves, on the steepness of the hills, or in the islands of the seas, or in the marshes and bogs, or other suchlike places.
When the Moors subdued Spain and brought it into miserable servitude and bondage, such as escaped with their lives out of the lamentable slaughter that was made of them, some retired themselves up to the highest mountains of Biscay and of Aragon, and some, betaking them to their shipping, saved themselves in the Island of the Seven Cities, so called because seven bishops seated themselves therein with their people.
The cruel ruin that Tamberlane carried with him wheresoever he came made the people of Persia and the countries bordering thereupon to abandon and forsake their ancient native countries (like birds that are scattered) and to save their lives by flight: some upon Mount Taurus, some upon the Anti Taurus, and some fled into the little islands of the Caspian Sea. And as the people of Istria, at the coming of the Slavs, retired to the island Capraria, and there built Justinopolis, so the people of Gallia Transpadana at the entry of the Lombards into Italy saved themselves within the marshes, where they built the town of Crema.
But forasmuch as to the natural strength of those places, neither great convenience either of territory or traffic, or good means to draw trade or intercourse, lent (for the most part) any help unto them: there was never seen city there of any great fame or memory. But if the places whereto men are driven of necessity to fly have in them besides their safety any commodity of importance, it will be an easy thing for them to increase, both with people, and with riches, and with buildings.
In this matter the cities of Levant and Barbary became great through the multitude of Jews that Ferdinand the King of Spain and Emmanuel the King of Portugal cast out of their kingdoms, as in particular Salonica and Rhodes. And in these days in England many cities have much increased within few years, both in people and in trade, through the resort of the Low Country people to it: and especially London, whereunto many thousands of families have resorted themselves.
About the year of Our Lord 900, while the Saracens did put to fire and sword Genoa and its territory and all the country there about, Pisa did mightily increase: for to the strength of the place the country yielded also plenty of all good things, and commodity of traffic.
At the coming of Attila into Italy the people of Lombardy, being wonderfully afraid through the horrible waste and ruin he brought with him, fled to save themselves into the islands of the Adriatic Sea, and there built many towns and cities. And after that, in the wars that Pepin raised against them, forsaking the places that were not secure and safe enough, as Equilio, Eraclea, Palestina and Malamocco, they drew themselves near to Rialto, into one body, and so by that means grew Venice magnificent and great.
