_Of the cities and townes that every one of these prouinces
hath in himselfe._
These fifteene prouinces, which with better truth might be called
kingdomes, according vnto the greatnes of them, as you may perceiue by
the number of cities and townes that each of them hathe, besides
villages, the which if I should adde herevnto, would be an infinite
number.
The number of cities and townes that euery prouince hath. First, the
prouince of Paguia, where as ordinarily the king and his counsel is
resident, hath 47 cities and 150 townes.
Canton hath 37 cities and 190 townes.
Foquien hath 33 cities and 99 townes.
Olam hath 90 cities and 130 townes.
Synsay hath 38 cities and 124 townes.
Sisuan hath 44 cities and 150 townes.
Tolanchia hath 51 cities and 123 townes.
Cansay hath 24 cities and 112 townes.
Ochian hath 19 cities and 74 townes.
Ancheo hath 25 cities and 29 townes.
Honan hath 20 cities and 102 townes.
Xaton hath 37 cities and 78 townes.
Quicheu hath 45 cities and 113 townes.
Chequeam hath 39 cities and 95 townes.
Susuan hath 42 cities and 105 townes.
[Sidenote: The mightie citie called Suntien, or Quinsay.[44]]
By which account appeareth to be 591 cities and 1593 townes, beside
villages and houses of pleasure, which are an infinite number: by the
which you may consider that this kingdome doth deserve to be called
great, and compared with the best and principalst that is heard of in al
the whole world. The Chinos do vse in their pronunciation to terme their
cities with this sylable, Fu, that is as much as to say, citie, as
Taybin fu, Canton fu, and their townes with this sylable, Cheu. They
have some villages that are so great, that it lacketh but onely the name
of a towne. All their cities for the most part are situated by the
riuers sides: such as are nauigable, the cities are moted rounde about,
which make them to bee verie strong, not only the cities but townes are
walled round about with high and strong wals of stone, one faddome high,
and all the rest is of bricke, but of so hard a substance that it is not
to be broken almost with pickaxes. Some cities hath their wals so broad,
that 4 and 6 men may walke side by side on them: they are garnished with
many bulwarks and towers, a small distance the one from the other, with
their battlements and faire galleries, where as many times their
vizroyes doeth goe to recreate themselues with the gallant sight of the
mountains and riuers, with their fields so odoriferous. There is betwixt
the wals of their cities and the mote of the same a broade space, that
six horsemen may ride together; the like space is within, betwixt the
walles and the houses, whereas they may walke without impediment. Their
wals are kept in such good reparation, by reason of their great care and
diligence, that they seeme to be but new made, and yet in some cities
there is founde mention of two thousand yeeres since the first
foundation. In every city the king doth ordaine a justice, and giveth
him great rents onely to visit them, and make them to be renewed and
repaired where as is requisite, and is done vpon the kings cost: for out
of his rents in such cities and townes is given them all that is needful
to be asked. The high waies in all this kingdome are made and kept
plaine with great care and diligence, and the entering into the cities
and townes are very sumptuous and with great maiestie, they have three
or foure gates bound with yron very strong. Their streetes very well
paved, and so broad that 15 horsemen may ride together in them, and so
straight, that although they be very long, yet you may discouer the end.
On both the sides are portals, vnder which be their shops full of all
sorts of merchandises very curious, and of all occupations that you will
desire: In the streets, a good space the one from the other, are made
manie triumphall arkes of extreme bewtie: they are made of masons worke,
very curiously painted after the fashion of the old antiquitie of Rome.
All their houses ordinarily haue three doores, that in the middest is
great, the other be lesser, but of a maruellous gallant proportion. The
king is alwayes resident in the citie of Suntien,[45] which in their
language is as much to say, the citie of heauen. Of which citie the
Chinos do declare many things which seemeth to be true, for that if you
do talke with many of them, and at sundrie times and places, yet doo
they not varie the one from the other: and according to their report, it
should be the greatest in all the worlde, in these dayes. They who do
make it to be least, do affirme, that to goe from gate to gate, leauing
the suburbs, had need of a summers day and a good horse to do it: it is
also called Quinsay, as Marcus Paulus doth call it.