Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              Wall, nor would it be amiſs to add a Tower,
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              which is not at all inconſiſtent with a religious
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              Edifice. </s>
              <s>The Monaſtery for thoſe Recluſe
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              who to Religion join the Study of the liberal
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              Arts, that they may be the more ready to pro­
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              mote the Good of Mankind, according to the
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              Obligation of their Character, ought to be nei­
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              ther within the Noiſe and Hurry of Tradeſ­
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              men, nor too far remote from the Acceſs of the
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              Citizens. </s>
              <s>And as they are a great many in
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              Family, and there is generally a great Con­
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              courſe of People to hear them Preach and Diſ­
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              pute concerning ſacred Things; they require a
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              very large Houſe. </s>
              <s>They can be placed no where
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              better than among ſome publick Buildings,
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              ſuch as Theatres, Circuſſes, or Squares, where
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              the Multitude going for their Pleaſure may
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              more eaſily by the Exhortations, Example and
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              Admonition of the Religious, be drawn from
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              Vice to Virtue, and from Ignorance to Know­
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              ledge.</s>
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              <s>CHAP. VIII.</s>
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              Of Places for Exerciſe, publick Schools, and Hoſpitals both for Men and
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              Women.
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              <s>The Ancients, and eſpecially the
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              Greeks,
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              uſed in the very Middle of their Cities
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              to erect thoſe Edifices which they called
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              Palæſtræ,
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              where thoſe who applied themſelves
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              to Philoſophy, attended publick Diſputations.
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              </s>
              <s>They were large ſpacious Places full of Win­
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              dows, with a free Proſpect on all Sides, and
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              raiſed Seats, and Porticoes running round ſome
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              green flowery Meadow. </s>
              <s>Such a Structure is
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              extremely proper for theſe Perſons, who may
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              be reckoned a Kind of Religious; and I would
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              have thoſe who delight in the Study of Learn­
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              ing, be provided with every Thing that may
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              induce them to ſtay with their Tutors with
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              Pleaſure, and without Uneaſineſs or Satiety.
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              </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon, I would have the Meadow,
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              the Portico, and every Thing elſe ſo laid out,
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              that nothing whatſoever could be better con­
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              trived for Recreation. </s>
              <s>In Winter let them re­
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              ceive the kindly Beams of the Sun, and in Sum­
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              mer be ſhady and open to gentle refreſhing
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              Breezes. </s>
              <s>But of the Delicacies of this Kind of
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              Structures we ſhall ſpeak more particularly in
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              another Place. </s>
              <s>Only if you do reſolve to erect
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              publick Schools, where the Learned may meet
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              and converſe, place them in that Situation
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              which may be moſt convenient and pleaſant for
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              them. </s>
              <s>Let there be no Noiſes of working Trades,
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              no noiſome ill Smells; and do not let it be a
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              Place for idle People to loyter in; but let it
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              have more the Air of a Solitude, ſuch as be­
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              comes Men of Gravity employed about the no­
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              bleſt and moſt curious Enquiries: In a Word,
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              it ſhould have more of Majeſty than Nicety.
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              </s>
              <s>As for Hoſpitals where the Prieſt is to exerciſe
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              his Charity towards the Poor and Diſtreſſed,
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              they are to be built with much Thought, and
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              a good Deal of Variety; for one Place is pro­
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              per for harbouring the Diſtreſſed, and another
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              for curing and foſtering the Sick and Infirm:
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              Among theſe laſt too we ſhould take Care to
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              make a good Deal of Diſtinction, that while
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              we are providing for a few uſeleſs People, we
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              do not neglect more that might really be of
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              Service. </s>
              <s>There have been ſome Princes in
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              Italy
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              that would never ſuffer any tattered Cripples
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              to go about their Cities begging Charity from
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              Door to Door; but as ſoon as ever they came,
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              an Order was brought to them not to be ſeen
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              in that City without working at ſome Trade
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              above three Days: For there is hardly any ſo
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              maimed but what may do ſome Work or other;
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              and even a blind Man may turn a Rope­
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              maker's Wheel, if he can do nothing elſe. </s>
              <s>As
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              for thoſe who are entirely oppreſſed and dif­
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              abled by ſome heavier Infirmity, they were
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              taken care of by Magiſtrates appointed on pur­
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              poſe to provide for ſick Strangers, and diſtri­
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              buted regularly to inferior Hoſpitlers, to be
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              looked after. </s>
              <s>And by this Means theſe poor
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              Wretches did not wander about begging Re­
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              lief, perhaps in vain; and the City was not of­
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              fended by miſerable and filthy Objects. </s>
              <s>In
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Tuſcany,
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              always famous for Religion and Pie­
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              ty, there are noble Hoſpitals, built at a vaſt
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              Expence; where as well Strangers as Natives,
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              are furniſhed plentifully with all Manner of
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              Neceſſaries for their Cure. </s>
              <s>But as the Sick are
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              of various Sorts, ſome afflicted with Leproſy or
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              Plague, with which they might infect thoſe who
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              are in Health, and others, if ſuch an Expreſ­
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              ſion may be allowed, with more wholſome </s>
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