1Cunning and Fraud to their Strength, they
would be irreſiſtible. The politick Kings of
Cairo in Ægypt, a City ſo populous that they
thought it was extremely healthy and flouriſh
ing, when no more than a thouſand People died
in a Day, divided it by ſo many Cuts and Chan
nels, that it ſeemed not to be one ſingle City,
but a great Number of ſmall Towns lying toge
ther. This I ſuppoſe they did, not ſo much
that the Conveniencies of the River might be
equally diſtributed, as to ſecure themſelves
againſt the popular Commotions of a great
Multitude, and that if any ſuch ſhould happen,
they might the more caſily ſuppreſs them: juſt
as if a Man out of one huge Coloſſus, ſhould
make two or more Statues, that he might be better
able to manage or remove them. The Romans
never uſed to ſend a Senator into Ægypt, with
Proconſular Authority, to govern the whole
Province; but only ſome Knights, with Com
miſſion to govern ſeparate Parts of it. And
this they did, as we are informed by Arrian, to
Intent that a Province ſo inclined to Tumults
and Innovations, might not be under the Care
of a ſingle Perſon: and they obſerved that no
City was more exempt from Diſcord, than thoſe
which were divided by Nature, either by a Ri
ver flowing thro' the Middle of it, or by a Num
ber of little ſeparate Hills; or by being built
one Part upon a Hill, and the other upon a
Plain, with a Wall between them. And this
Wall or Diviſion, I think, ought not to bedrawn
like a Diameter clear thro'the Area, but ought
rather to be made to encloſe one Circle within
another: for the richer Sort, deſiring a more
open Space and more Room, will eaſily conſent
to be ſhut out of the inner Circle, and will be
very willing to leave the Middle of the Town,
to Cooks, Victuallers and other ſuch Trades;
and all the ſcoundrel Rabble belonging to Te
rence's Paraſite, Cooks, Bakers, Butchers and
the like, will be leſs dangerous there than if
they were not to live ſeparate from the nobler
Citizens. Nor is it ſoreign to our Purpoſe
what we read in Feſtus, that Servius Tullius
commanded the Patricians to dwell in a cer
tain Part of the Town, where if they offered
at any Diſturbance, he was immediately ready
to quell them from a ſuperior Situation. This
Wall within the City ought to run thro' every
Diſtrict of the Town; and it ſhould be built ſo
ſtrong and thick in all Reſpects, and be raiſed
ſo high (as indeed ſo ought all the other City
Walls) that it may overlook all the private
Houſes. It ſhould alſo be fortified with Bat
tlements and Towers; and a good Ditch on
both Sides would not be amiſs; that your Men
may the more eaſily defend it on any Side.
The Towers upon this Wall ought not to be
open on the Inſide, but walled up quite round;
and they ſhould be ſo ſeated as not only to re
pulſe the Aſſaults of a foreign Enemy, but of
Domeſtick one too upon Occaſion; and particu
larly they ought to command the great Streets,
and the Tops of all high Temples. I would
have no Paſſage into theſe Towers but from off
the Wall itſelf; nor any Way up to the
Wall but what is entirely in the Power of the
Prince. There ſhould be no Arches nor Tow
ers in the Streets that lead from the Fortreſs
into the City; nor Leads or Terraſſes from
whence the Soldiers may be moleſted with
Stones or Darts as they paſs to their Duty. In
a Word, the whole ſhould be ſo contrived that
every Place, which any Way commands the
Town, ſhould be in the Hands of the Prince;
and that it ſhould not be in the Power of any
Perſon whatſoever, to prevent his Men from
over-running the whole City as he pleaſes.
And herein the City of a Tyrant differs from
that of a King; and perhaps they differ too in
this, that a Town in a Plain is moſt conveni
ent for a free People; but one upon a Hill the
ſafeſt ſor a Tyrant. The other Edifices for
the Habitation both for King and Tyrant, are
not only the ſame in moſt reſpects, but alſo
differ very little from the Houſes of private
Perſons: And in ſome Particulars they differ
both from one another, and from theſe latter
too. We ſhall ſpeak firſt of thoſe Things
wherein they agree; and of their Peculiarities
afterwards. This Sort of Buildings is ſaid to
have been invented only for Neceſſity: Yet
there are ſome Parts of them which ſerve be
ſides to Conveniency, that by Uſe and Habit
ſeem to be grown as neceſſary as any: Such as
Porticoes, Places for taking the Air in, and the
like: Which, though Method may ſeem to re
quire it, I ſhall not diſtinguiſh ſo nicely, as to
divide what is convenient from what is neceſ
ſary: But ſhall only ſay, that as in the City it
ſelf, ſo in theſe Particular Structures, ſome
Parts belong to the whole Houſhold, ſome to
the Uſes of a few, and others to that of a ſingle
Perſon.
would be irreſiſtible. The politick Kings of
Cairo in Ægypt, a City ſo populous that they
thought it was extremely healthy and flouriſh
ing, when no more than a thouſand People died
in a Day, divided it by ſo many Cuts and Chan
nels, that it ſeemed not to be one ſingle City,
but a great Number of ſmall Towns lying toge
ther. This I ſuppoſe they did, not ſo much
that the Conveniencies of the River might be
equally diſtributed, as to ſecure themſelves
againſt the popular Commotions of a great
Multitude, and that if any ſuch ſhould happen,
they might the more caſily ſuppreſs them: juſt
as if a Man out of one huge Coloſſus, ſhould
make two or more Statues, that he might be better
able to manage or remove them. The Romans
never uſed to ſend a Senator into Ægypt, with
Proconſular Authority, to govern the whole
Province; but only ſome Knights, with Com
miſſion to govern ſeparate Parts of it. And
this they did, as we are informed by Arrian, to
Intent that a Province ſo inclined to Tumults
and Innovations, might not be under the Care
of a ſingle Perſon: and they obſerved that no
City was more exempt from Diſcord, than thoſe
which were divided by Nature, either by a Ri
ver flowing thro' the Middle of it, or by a Num
ber of little ſeparate Hills; or by being built
one Part upon a Hill, and the other upon a
Plain, with a Wall between them. And this
Wall or Diviſion, I think, ought not to bedrawn
like a Diameter clear thro'the Area, but ought
rather to be made to encloſe one Circle within
another: for the richer Sort, deſiring a more
open Space and more Room, will eaſily conſent
to be ſhut out of the inner Circle, and will be
very willing to leave the Middle of the Town,
to Cooks, Victuallers and other ſuch Trades;
and all the ſcoundrel Rabble belonging to Te
rence's Paraſite, Cooks, Bakers, Butchers and
the like, will be leſs dangerous there than if
they were not to live ſeparate from the nobler
Citizens. Nor is it ſoreign to our Purpoſe
what we read in Feſtus, that Servius Tullius
commanded the Patricians to dwell in a cer
tain Part of the Town, where if they offered
at any Diſturbance, he was immediately ready
to quell them from a ſuperior Situation. This
Wall within the City ought to run thro' every
Diſtrict of the Town; and it ſhould be built ſo
ſtrong and thick in all Reſpects, and be raiſed
ſo high (as indeed ſo ought all the other City
Walls) that it may overlook all the private
Houſes. It ſhould alſo be fortified with Bat
tlements and Towers; and a good Ditch on
both Sides would not be amiſs; that your Men
may the more eaſily defend it on any Side.
The Towers upon this Wall ought not to be
open on the Inſide, but walled up quite round;
and they ſhould be ſo ſeated as not only to re
pulſe the Aſſaults of a foreign Enemy, but of
Domeſtick one too upon Occaſion; and particu
larly they ought to command the great Streets,
and the Tops of all high Temples. I would
have no Paſſage into theſe Towers but from off
the Wall itſelf; nor any Way up to the
Wall but what is entirely in the Power of the
Prince. There ſhould be no Arches nor Tow
ers in the Streets that lead from the Fortreſs
into the City; nor Leads or Terraſſes from
whence the Soldiers may be moleſted with
Stones or Darts as they paſs to their Duty. In
a Word, the whole ſhould be ſo contrived that
every Place, which any Way commands the
Town, ſhould be in the Hands of the Prince;
and that it ſhould not be in the Power of any
Perſon whatſoever, to prevent his Men from
over-running the whole City as he pleaſes.
And herein the City of a Tyrant differs from
that of a King; and perhaps they differ too in
this, that a Town in a Plain is moſt conveni
ent for a free People; but one upon a Hill the
ſafeſt ſor a Tyrant. The other Edifices for
the Habitation both for King and Tyrant, are
not only the ſame in moſt reſpects, but alſo
differ very little from the Houſes of private
Perſons: And in ſome Particulars they differ
both from one another, and from theſe latter
too. We ſhall ſpeak firſt of thoſe Things
wherein they agree; and of their Peculiarities
afterwards. This Sort of Buildings is ſaid to
have been invented only for Neceſſity: Yet
there are ſome Parts of them which ſerve be
ſides to Conveniency, that by Uſe and Habit
ſeem to be grown as neceſſary as any: Such as
Porticoes, Places for taking the Air in, and the
like: Which, though Method may ſeem to re
quire it, I ſhall not diſtinguiſh ſo nicely, as to
divide what is convenient from what is neceſ
ſary: But ſhall only ſay, that as in the City it
ſelf, ſo in theſe Particular Structures, ſome
Parts belong to the whole Houſhold, ſome to
the Uſes of a few, and others to that of a ſingle
Perſon.