1compaſſing them quite round; as is alſo that
which is ſhaped like a Star with Rays running
out to the Circumference; and thus the For
treſs will be, as we before obſerved it ought,
neither within nor without the City. If we
were to give a brief Deſcription of the Fortreſs,
or Citadel, it might perhaps be not amiſs to
ſay that it is the Back-door to the City ſtrong
ly ſortified on all Sides. But let it be what it
will, whether the Crown of the Wall, or the
Key to the City, it ought to look fierce, ter
rible, rugged, dangerous, and unconquerable;
and the leſs it is, the ſtronger it will be. A
ſmall one will require the Fidelity only of a
few, but a large one that of a great many:
And, as Euripides ſays, there never was a Mul
titude without a great many dangerous Spirits
in it; ſo that in the Caſe before us, the Fewer
we have occaſion to truſt, the Safer we ſhall be.
The outward Wall, or Incloſure of the For
treſs ſhould be built very ſtrong, of large
Stone, with a good Slope on the Outſide, that
the Ladders ſet againſt it may be weakened by
their ſtanding too oblique; and that the Ene
my who Aſſaults it and endeavours to ſcale it,
may lie entirely open to the Stones thrown
down upon him; and that Things caſt at the
Wall by the military Engines may not ſtrike
it full, but be thrown off aſlant. The Ground
or Area on the Inſide ſhould be all paved with
two or even three Layers of very large Stones,
that the Beſiegers may not get in upon you by
Mines run under the Wall. All the Reſt of
the Walls ſhould be made very high, and very
ſtrong and thick quite to the uppermoſt Cor
niſh, that they may ſtoutly reſiſt all Manner of
Battery, and not eaſily be mounted by Ladders,
nor commanded by Intrenchments caſt up on
the Outſide. In other Reſpects the ſame
Rules are to be obſerved that we have given
for the Walls of the City. The greateſt De
fence to the Walls either of a City or Fortreſs
is to be ſo provided, that the Enemy cannot
approach you on any Side without being ex
poſed to imminent Danger. This is done both
by making very broad and deep Ditches, as
we ſaid before; and alſo by leaving private
Loop-Holes almoſt at the very Bottom of the
Wall, by which, while the Enemy is covering
himſelf with his Shield from the Beſieged above,
he may be taken in his Flank which lies un
guarded. And indeed, there is no Kind of
Defence ſo ſerviceable as this. You gaul the
Enemy from theſe Loop-Holes with the greateſt
Safety to yourſelf, you have a nearer Aim at
him, and you are ſure to do moſt Execution,
ſince it is impoſſible he ſhould defend all Parts
of his Body at the ſame Time: And if your
Weapon paſſes by the firſt Man without hurt
ing him, it meets another, and ſometimes
wounds two or three at a Time. On the
Contrary, when the beſieged throws Things
down from the Top of the Wall, they muſt
ſtand expoſed to a good Deal of Danger, and
it is a great Chance whether they hit ſo much
as one Man, who may eaſily ſee what is com
ing upon him, and avoid it, or turn it aſide
with his Buckler. If the Fortreſs ſtands upon
the Sea-ſide, you ſhould fix Piles and Heaps of
Stone ſcattered up and down about the Coaſt
to make it unſafe, and prevent any Batteries in
Shipping from coming too near. If it is upon
a Plain it ſhould be ſurrounded with a Ditch
filled with Water; but then to prevent its
ſtinking and infecting the Air, you ſhould dig
for it till you come to a living Spring. If it is upon
a Hill, it ſhould be encompaſſed with broken
Precipices; and where we have an Opportuni
ty we ſhould make uſe of all theſe Advantages
together. Thoſe Parts which are expoſed to
battery, ſhould be made Semi-circular, or ra
ther with a ſharp Angle like the Head of a
Ship. I am not to learn that ſome People of
good Experience in military Matters, are of
Opinion that very high Walls are dangerous in
Caſe of Battery; becauſe their Ruins fill up the
Ditch, and make a Way in it for the Enemy to
approach and aſſault the Place. But we ſhall
avoid this Inconvenience, if we obſerve all the
Rules before laid down. But to return. With
in the Fortreſs ought to be one principal Tower,
built in the ſtouteſt Manner, and ſortified as
ſtrongly as poſſible, higher than any other Part
of the Caſtle, and not acceſſible by more than
one Way, to which there ſhould be no other
Entrance but by a Draw-bridge. Draw
bridges are of two Sorts; one which is lifted up
and ſtops up the Entrance; the other, which
ſlides out and in, as you have occaſion for it.
In a Place expoſed to boiſterous Winds, this
laſt is the moſt Convenient. Any Tower that
may poſſibly infeſt this principal One, ought
to be left quite open and naked on that Side
which ſtands towards it, or faced only with a
very thin weak Wall.
which is ſhaped like a Star with Rays running
out to the Circumference; and thus the For
treſs will be, as we before obſerved it ought,
neither within nor without the City. If we
were to give a brief Deſcription of the Fortreſs,
or Citadel, it might perhaps be not amiſs to
ſay that it is the Back-door to the City ſtrong
ly ſortified on all Sides. But let it be what it
will, whether the Crown of the Wall, or the
Key to the City, it ought to look fierce, ter
rible, rugged, dangerous, and unconquerable;
and the leſs it is, the ſtronger it will be. A
ſmall one will require the Fidelity only of a
few, but a large one that of a great many:
And, as Euripides ſays, there never was a Mul
titude without a great many dangerous Spirits
in it; ſo that in the Caſe before us, the Fewer
we have occaſion to truſt, the Safer we ſhall be.
The outward Wall, or Incloſure of the For
treſs ſhould be built very ſtrong, of large
Stone, with a good Slope on the Outſide, that
the Ladders ſet againſt it may be weakened by
their ſtanding too oblique; and that the Ene
my who Aſſaults it and endeavours to ſcale it,
may lie entirely open to the Stones thrown
down upon him; and that Things caſt at the
Wall by the military Engines may not ſtrike
it full, but be thrown off aſlant. The Ground
or Area on the Inſide ſhould be all paved with
two or even three Layers of very large Stones,
that the Beſiegers may not get in upon you by
Mines run under the Wall. All the Reſt of
the Walls ſhould be made very high, and very
ſtrong and thick quite to the uppermoſt Cor
niſh, that they may ſtoutly reſiſt all Manner of
Battery, and not eaſily be mounted by Ladders,
nor commanded by Intrenchments caſt up on
the Outſide. In other Reſpects the ſame
Rules are to be obſerved that we have given
for the Walls of the City. The greateſt De
fence to the Walls either of a City or Fortreſs
is to be ſo provided, that the Enemy cannot
approach you on any Side without being ex
poſed to imminent Danger. This is done both
by making very broad and deep Ditches, as
we ſaid before; and alſo by leaving private
Loop-Holes almoſt at the very Bottom of the
Wall, by which, while the Enemy is covering
himſelf with his Shield from the Beſieged above,
he may be taken in his Flank which lies un
guarded. And indeed, there is no Kind of
Defence ſo ſerviceable as this. You gaul the
Enemy from theſe Loop-Holes with the greateſt
Safety to yourſelf, you have a nearer Aim at
him, and you are ſure to do moſt Execution,
ſince it is impoſſible he ſhould defend all Parts
of his Body at the ſame Time: And if your
Weapon paſſes by the firſt Man without hurt
ing him, it meets another, and ſometimes
wounds two or three at a Time. On the
Contrary, when the beſieged throws Things
down from the Top of the Wall, they muſt
ſtand expoſed to a good Deal of Danger, and
it is a great Chance whether they hit ſo much
as one Man, who may eaſily ſee what is com
ing upon him, and avoid it, or turn it aſide
with his Buckler. If the Fortreſs ſtands upon
the Sea-ſide, you ſhould fix Piles and Heaps of
Stone ſcattered up and down about the Coaſt
to make it unſafe, and prevent any Batteries in
Shipping from coming too near. If it is upon
a Plain it ſhould be ſurrounded with a Ditch
filled with Water; but then to prevent its
ſtinking and infecting the Air, you ſhould dig
for it till you come to a living Spring. If it is upon
a Hill, it ſhould be encompaſſed with broken
Precipices; and where we have an Opportuni
ty we ſhould make uſe of all theſe Advantages
together. Thoſe Parts which are expoſed to
battery, ſhould be made Semi-circular, or ra
ther with a ſharp Angle like the Head of a
Ship. I am not to learn that ſome People of
good Experience in military Matters, are of
Opinion that very high Walls are dangerous in
Caſe of Battery; becauſe their Ruins fill up the
Ditch, and make a Way in it for the Enemy to
approach and aſſault the Place. But we ſhall
avoid this Inconvenience, if we obſerve all the
Rules before laid down. But to return. With
in the Fortreſs ought to be one principal Tower,
built in the ſtouteſt Manner, and ſortified as
ſtrongly as poſſible, higher than any other Part
of the Caſtle, and not acceſſible by more than
one Way, to which there ſhould be no other
Entrance but by a Draw-bridge. Draw
bridges are of two Sorts; one which is lifted up
and ſtops up the Entrance; the other, which
ſlides out and in, as you have occaſion for it.
In a Place expoſed to boiſterous Winds, this
laſt is the moſt Convenient. Any Tower that
may poſſibly infeſt this principal One, ought
to be left quite open and naked on that Side
which ſtands towards it, or faced only with a
very thin weak Wall.