as [543]Munster informeth us.  In [544]Greichgea, a small territory on the Necker, 24 Italian miles over, I read of 20 walled towns, innumerable villages, each one containing 150 houses most part, besides castles and noblemen’s palaces.  I observe in [545]Turinge in Dutchland (twelve miles over by their scale) 12 counties, and in them 144 cities, 2000 villages, 144 towns, 250 castles.  In [546]Bavaria 34 cities, 46 towns, &c. [547]_Portugallia interamnis_, a small plot of ground, hath 1460 parishes, 130 monasteries, 200 bridges.  Malta, a barren island, yields 20,000 inhabitants.  But of all the rest, I admire Lues Guicciardine’s relations of the Low Countries.  Holland hath 26 cities, 400 great villages.  Zealand 10 cities, 102 parishes.  Brabant 26 cities, 102 parishes.  Flanders 28 cities, 90 towns, 1154 villages, besides abbeys, castles, &c.  The Low Countries generally have three cities at least for one of ours, and those far more populous and rich:  and what is the cause, but their industry and excellency in all manner of trades?  Their commerce, which is maintained by a multitude of tradesmen, so many excellent channels made by art and opportune havens, to which they build their cities; all which we have in like measure, or at least may have.  But their chiefest loadstone which draws all manner of commerce and merchandise, which maintains their present estate, is not fertility of soil, but industry that enricheth them, the gold mines of Peru, or Nova Hispania may not compare with them.  They have neither gold nor silver of their own, wine nor oil, or scarce any corn growing in those united provinces, little or no wood, tin, lead, iron, silk, wool, any stuff almost, or metal; and yet Hungary, Transylvania, that brag of their mines, fertile England cannot compare with them.  I dare boldly say, that neither France, Tarentum, Apulia, Lombardy, or any part of Italy, Valentia in Spain, or that pleasant Andalusia, with their excellent fruits, wine and oil, two harvests, no not any part of Europe is so flourishing, so rich, so populous, so full of good ships, of well-built cities, so abounding with all things necessary for the use of man.  ’Tis our Indies, an epitome of China, and all by reason of their industry, good policy, and commerce.  Industry is a loadstone to draw all good things; that alone makes countries flourish, cities populous, [548]and will enforce by reason of much manure, which necessarily follows, a barren soil to be fertile and good, as sheep, saith [549]Dion, mend a bad pasture.

Tell me politicians, why is that fruitful Palestina, noble Greece, Egypt, Asia Minor, so much decayed, and (mere carcases now) fallen from that they were?  The ground is the same, but the government is altered, the people are grown slothful, idle, their good husbandry, policy, and industry is decayed. Non fatigata aut effaeta, humus, as [550]Columella well informs Sylvinus, sed nostra fit inertia, &c.  May a man believe that which Aristotle in his politics,