Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <pb xlink:href="003/01/108.jpg" pagenum="90"/>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. VII.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              That the Prieſt's Camp is the Cloyſter; the Duty of the Prieſt; the various
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              Sorts of Cloyſters and their proper Situations.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>The Prieſt's Camp is the Cloyſter, in
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              which a certain Number of Perſons ſhut
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              themſelves up together in order to devote them­
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              ſelves either to Religion or Virtue; ſuch are thoſe
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              who have dedicated themſelves to the ſacred
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              Functions, or who have taken upon themſelves
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              a Vow of Chaſtity. </s>
              <s>Beſides this Cloyſter is a
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              Place where Perſons of ſtudious Diſpoſitions
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              employ themſelves about the Knowledge of
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              Things as well Divine as Human; for as the
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              Prieſt's Duty is as far as in him lies to lead
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              Mankind into a Courſe of Life as near to Per­
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              fection as poſſible, this can never be done more
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              effectually than by Philoſophy. </s>
              <s>For as there
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              are two Things in the Nature of Man to which
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              this muſt be owing, Virtue and Truth; when
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              the former has taught us to calm and govern
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              our Paſſions, and the latter to know the Prin­
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              ciples and Secrets of Nature, which will purge
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              the Mind from Ignorance and the Contagion of
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              the Body; we may then be qualified to enter
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              into a happy Courſe of Life, and to have ſome
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              Reſemblance with the divine Nature itſelf. </s>
              <s>Add
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              to this, that it is the Duty of all good Men, as
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              the Prieſts ought and would be thought to be,
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              to exerciſe themſelves in all thoſe Offices of
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              Humanity which are due from every Man to
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              his Neighbour, namely, to aſſiſt and relieve the
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              Poor, the Diſtreſſed and the Infirm, to the ut­
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              moſt of their Power. </s>
              <s>Theſe are the Things
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              in which the Prieſt is to employ himſelf and
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              all thoſe under his Direction. </s>
              <s>Of the Struc­
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              tures proper for theſe Purpoſes, whether be­
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              longing to the ſuperior or inferior Rank of
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              Prieſts, we are now to treat; and firſt we ſhall
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              begin with the Cloyſter. </s>
              <s>Cloyſters are of ſe­
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              veral Sorts, either for ſuch Perſons as are to be
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              ſo ſtrictly confined that they muſt never ap­
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              pear in publick at all, unleſs at Church or in
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              Proceſſions; or for thoſe who are to be allow­
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              ed a little more Liberty. </s>
              <s>Of theſe again ſome
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              are for Men, others for Women. </s>
              <s>Thoſe for
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              Women ſhould, in my Opinion, be neither too
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              much in the City, nor too much out of it: For
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              though in a Solitude they may not be ſo much
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              ſrequented, yet any one that has a Deſign may
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              have more Opportunity to execute any villan­
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              ous Enterprize where there are ſo few Wit­
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              neſſes, than where there are a great many both
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              to ſhame and diſſwade him from ſuch an At­
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              tempt. </s>
              <s>It is our Buſineſs in both to take Care
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              not that they have no Inclinations to be un­
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              chaſte, but no means. </s>
              <s>For this Purpoſe every
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              Entrance muſt be ſo ſecured, that nobody can
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              poſſibly get in; and ſo well watched, that no­
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              body may loyter about in order to attempt it
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              without inſtant Suſpicion and Shame. </s>
              <s>No
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              Camp for an Army ſhould be ſo well guarded
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              by Intrenchments and Paliſadoes, as a Monaſ­
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              tery ought to be by high Walls, without either
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              Doors or Windows in them, or the leaſt Hole
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              by which not only no Violator of Chaſtity, but
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              not ſo much as the leaſt Temptation either by
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              the Eye or Ear, may poſſibly get in to diſorder,
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              or pollute the Minds of the Recluſe. </s>
              <s>Let them
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              receive their Light from an open Court on the
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              Inſide. </s>
              <s>Round this Court the Portico, Cells,
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              Refectory, Chapter-houſe and the like Conve­
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              niencies ſhould be diſpoſed according to their
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              various Uſes, in the ſame Manner as in private
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              Houſes. </s>
              <s>Nor ſhould Space be wanting for
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              Gardens and Meadows, for the moderate Re­
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              creation of the Mind, but not for adminiſtring
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              to Pleaſure. </s>
              <s>If all theſe Precautions are ta­
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              ken, it will be beſt to have them out of the
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              Way of a Concourſe of People. </s>
              <s>The Cloyſters
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              for both Sexes therefore cannot be better placed
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              than without the City; that the Attention of
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              their Thoughts which are entirely dedicated to
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              Holineſs, and the calm and ſettled Religion of
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              their Minds may not be diſturbed by too many
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              Viſitors. </s>
              <s>But then I would have their Houſes,
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              whether they are for Men or Women, ſituated
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              in the moſt healthy Air that can be found out;
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              that the Recluſe, while they are wholly intent
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              upon the Care of their Souls, may not have
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              their Bodies, already impared, by conſtant faſt­
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              ing and watching, oppreſſed likewiſe with
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              Weakneſs and Diſeaſes. </s>
              <s>Thoſe who are with­
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              out the City ſhould be placed in a Situation
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              naturally ſtrong, that neither Robbers nor any
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              plundering Enemy with a ſmall Force, may
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              be able at every turn to ſack it; and I would
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              have it moreover fortified with a Trench and a </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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