1Time ſee any Commotion in the City. In theſe
Particulars the Palace of a King and of a Ty
rant agree; but then they differ in theſe
other. The Palace of a King ſhould ſtand in
the Heart of a City, it ſhould be eaſy of Acceſs,
beautiſully adorned, and rather delicate and
polite than proud or ſtately: But a Tyrant
ſhould have rather a Caſtle than a Palace, and
it ſhould ſtand in a Manner out of the City and
in it at the ſame Time. It looks noble to have
the Palace of a King be near adjoyning to the
Theatre, the Temple, and ſome Noblemens
handſome Houſes: The Tyrant muſt have his
Caſtle entirely ſeparated from all other Build
ings. Both ſhould be built in a handſome and
noble Manner, but yet ſo that the Palace may
not be ſo large and rambling as to be not eaſily
defended againſt any Inſult; nor the Caſtle ſo
cloſe and ſo crampt up, as to look more like a
Jail than the Reſidence of a great Prince.
We ſhould not omit one Contrivance very con
venient for a Tyrant, which is to have ſome
private Pipes concealed within the Body of the
Wall, by which he may ſecretly hear every
Thing that is ſaid either by Strangers or Ser
vants. But as a Royal Houſe is different from
a Fortreſs in almoſt all Reſpects, and eſpecial
ly in the main Ones, the beſt Way is to let the
Palace join to the Fortreſs. The Ancients
uſed to build their Fortreſs in the City, that to
they or their King might have a Place to fly
to in any Time of Adverſity, and where the Vir
tue of their Virgins and Matrons might be
protected by the Holineſs of a Sanctuary: For
Feſtus tells us, that the Ancients uſed to con
ſecrate their Fortreſſes to Religion, upon which
Account they were called Auguriales, and that
in them a certain Sacrifice uſed to be perform
ed by Virgins, which was extremely ſecret and
entirely remote from the Knowledge of the
Vulgar. Accordingly you ſeldom meet with
an ancient Fortreſs without its Temple. But
Tyrants afterwards uſurped the Fortreſs to
themſelves, and overthrew the Piety and Reli
gion of the Place, converting it to their cruel
and wicked Purpoſes, and ſo made what was
deſigned as a Refuge to the Miſerable, a Source
of Miſeries. But, to return. The Fortreſs be
longing to the Temple of Jupiter Hammon
was encompaſſed with three Walls; the firſt
Fortification was for the Prince, the ſecond for
his Spouſe and her Children, and the laſt was
the Poſt of the Soldiers. A Stucture very well
contrived, only that it was much better adapt
ed for Defence than Offence. I muſt confeſs
that as I cannot ſay much for the Valour of a
Soldier that only knows how to repulſe an E
nemy that aſſaults him, ſo I cannot much
commend a Fort that, beſides being able to
defend itſelf, is not alſo well diſpoſed for of
fending its Enemies. But yet you ſhould con
trive the Matter ſo, that though you have both
thoſe Advantages, you ſhould ſeem to have had
an Eye only to one of them, namely, your own
Defence; that it may be thought the other
happened only from the Situation and Nature
of the Building.
Particulars the Palace of a King and of a Ty
rant agree; but then they differ in theſe
other. The Palace of a King ſhould ſtand in
the Heart of a City, it ſhould be eaſy of Acceſs,
beautiſully adorned, and rather delicate and
polite than proud or ſtately: But a Tyrant
ſhould have rather a Caſtle than a Palace, and
it ſhould ſtand in a Manner out of the City and
in it at the ſame Time. It looks noble to have
the Palace of a King be near adjoyning to the
Theatre, the Temple, and ſome Noblemens
handſome Houſes: The Tyrant muſt have his
Caſtle entirely ſeparated from all other Build
ings. Both ſhould be built in a handſome and
noble Manner, but yet ſo that the Palace may
not be ſo large and rambling as to be not eaſily
defended againſt any Inſult; nor the Caſtle ſo
cloſe and ſo crampt up, as to look more like a
Jail than the Reſidence of a great Prince.
We ſhould not omit one Contrivance very con
venient for a Tyrant, which is to have ſome
private Pipes concealed within the Body of the
Wall, by which he may ſecretly hear every
Thing that is ſaid either by Strangers or Ser
vants. But as a Royal Houſe is different from
a Fortreſs in almoſt all Reſpects, and eſpecial
ly in the main Ones, the beſt Way is to let the
Palace join to the Fortreſs. The Ancients
uſed to build their Fortreſs in the City, that to
they or their King might have a Place to fly
to in any Time of Adverſity, and where the Vir
tue of their Virgins and Matrons might be
protected by the Holineſs of a Sanctuary: For
Feſtus tells us, that the Ancients uſed to con
ſecrate their Fortreſſes to Religion, upon which
Account they were called Auguriales, and that
in them a certain Sacrifice uſed to be perform
ed by Virgins, which was extremely ſecret and
entirely remote from the Knowledge of the
Vulgar. Accordingly you ſeldom meet with
an ancient Fortreſs without its Temple. But
Tyrants afterwards uſurped the Fortreſs to
themſelves, and overthrew the Piety and Reli
gion of the Place, converting it to their cruel
and wicked Purpoſes, and ſo made what was
deſigned as a Refuge to the Miſerable, a Source
of Miſeries. But, to return. The Fortreſs be
longing to the Temple of Jupiter Hammon
was encompaſſed with three Walls; the firſt
Fortification was for the Prince, the ſecond for
his Spouſe and her Children, and the laſt was
the Poſt of the Soldiers. A Stucture very well
contrived, only that it was much better adapt
ed for Defence than Offence. I muſt confeſs
that as I cannot ſay much for the Valour of a
Soldier that only knows how to repulſe an E
nemy that aſſaults him, ſo I cannot much
commend a Fort that, beſides being able to
defend itſelf, is not alſo well diſpoſed for of
fending its Enemies. But yet you ſhould con
trive the Matter ſo, that though you have both
thoſe Advantages, you ſhould ſeem to have had
an Eye only to one of them, namely, your own
Defence; that it may be thought the other
happened only from the Situation and Nature
of the Building.
CHAP. IV.
Of the proper Situation, Structure and Fortification of a Fortreſs, whether in
a Plain, or upon a Hill, its Incloſure, Area, Walls, Ditches, Bridges, and
Towers.
a Plain, or upon a Hill, its Incloſure, Area, Walls, Ditches, Bridges, and
Towers.
I find that even Men of good Experience in
military Affairs, are in Doubt which is the
beſt and ſtrongeſt Manner of building a For
treſs, either upon a Hill or Plain. There is
ſcarce any Hill but what may be either at
tacked or undermined; nor any Plain but
what may be ſo well fortified that it ſhall be
impoſſible to aſſault it without great Danger.
But I ſhall not diſpute about this Queſtion.
Our Buſineſs is to contrive every Thing ſuita
bly to the Nature of the Place; and indeed all
the Rules which we have laid down for the
building a City, ſhould be obſerved in the
building a Fortreſs. The Fortreſs particular
ly ſhould be ſure to have even and direct
Streets, by which the Garriſon may march to
attack an Enemy, or in Caſe of Sedition or
Treachery, their own Citizens and Inhabitants,
and bring in Succours, either out of their own
Country or from Abroad, without Impedi
ment, by Land, River, Lake, or Sea. One
very good Form for the Area of a Fortreſs, is
that of a C joining to all the City Walls as to
a round O with bending Horns, but not en
military Affairs, are in Doubt which is the
beſt and ſtrongeſt Manner of building a For
treſs, either upon a Hill or Plain. There is
ſcarce any Hill but what may be either at
tacked or undermined; nor any Plain but
what may be ſo well fortified that it ſhall be
impoſſible to aſſault it without great Danger.
But I ſhall not diſpute about this Queſtion.
Our Buſineſs is to contrive every Thing ſuita
bly to the Nature of the Place; and indeed all
the Rules which we have laid down for the
building a City, ſhould be obſerved in the
building a Fortreſs. The Fortreſs particular
ly ſhould be ſure to have even and direct
Streets, by which the Garriſon may march to
attack an Enemy, or in Caſe of Sedition or
Treachery, their own Citizens and Inhabitants,
and bring in Succours, either out of their own
Country or from Abroad, without Impedi
ment, by Land, River, Lake, or Sea. One
very good Form for the Area of a Fortreſs, is
that of a C joining to all the City Walls as to
a round O with bending Horns, but not en