IN PRAISE OF TOWNS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11574, 18 December 1915, Page 8

IN PRAISE OF TOWNS.

'• Seeing ■ • • t-hat men are congregated into cities and commonwealths for houoity and utility's sake, these shortly bo tho commodities that do come by cities, commonalties and corporations," writes Stow 111 his '•Survey of London, published iu 1603. '• First, men' by this nearness of conversation aro 'withdraw 11 from barbarous fen tic aud iorco to a cor tain mildness ol manners, and to humanity aud justice; whereby they are contented to give and tako right, to and from their equals aud inferiors, and to hear and obey their heads and supyeriors." Aud whereas commonwealths and Kingdoms cannot have, next after God, any surer foundation than the lore and good will of one man towards another, that also is closely bred and maintained in cities, wlierei men by mutual society and coinpanying together, do grow to alliances, commonalties and corporations. " The JiU'ral .sciences and learnings of all sorts, which be lumina reipublicae, do flourish only in peopled towns, without the which a- realm is in 110 better oaso than a man that hicketh both bis eyes. arts, or Tvmdiora.fts, as they have, for the most part- been invented in towns and cities, so they cannot, anywhere else he either maintained or amended. The like is to b-? said of mm-ehandifcO. under which name T comprehend all manner of buying, selling, bartering. exchanging, communicating of things that men need to and fro. Wealth :uul riches, which are truly callod subsidia. belli, et 01namontft pacis, are increased chiefly in towns and cities both to tho prince and people." " Furthermore, even as theso societies and assemblies of men in cities nnd great towns aro a continual bridle against tyranny, which was the. cause that Tarf|uiu, Xero. Bionysius. nnd such othw's, have always sought, to weaken them: so, being well tempered, ! they are a, strong fort and bulwark, [ not only in tho aristocracy, but also in the lawful kingdom or just royalty. At once tho propagation of religion, the execution of good policy, the exercise of charity. ;uid the_ defense of the country, is best performed Ivy towns ;iml cities. - '