Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              ſquare Area for Incampments: But indeed in
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              ſituating a Camp we muſt accommodate our­
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              ſelves to the Neceſſity of the Time, and the
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              Nature of the Place, according to the Purpoſe
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              which we have in Hand, whether it be to op­
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              preſs the Enemy or to reſiſt him. </s>
              <s>Let us
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              make our Foſs ſo big, that it may not be filled
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              up without great Labour, and a long Space of
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              Time; or rather let us have two Foſſes, with
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              ſome intermediate Space between them. </s>
              <s>The
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              Ancients, in Works of this Nature alſo, held it
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              a Point of Religion to make uſe of odd Num­
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              bers; for which Reaſon it was their Cuſtom to
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              make their Ditches fifteent Foot wide, and nine
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              deep. </s>
              <s>Let the Sides of the Ditch be Perpen­
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              dicular, ſo that it may be as broad at the Bot­
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              tom as the Top; but where the Soil is looſe,
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              you may allow a ſmall Slope, running ſome­
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              what narrower towards the Bottom. </s>
              <s>In a
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              Plain, or a low Situation, fill your Ditch with
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              Water brought from ſome River, Lake, or Sea:
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              But if this cannot be effected ſtrew all the Bot­
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              tom with ſharp Points of Steel and Caltrops,
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              and fix up and down a good Number of Stakes
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              with their Ends ſmoothed and ſharpened, to
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              keep off the Enemy. </s>
              <s>Having compleated your
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              Ditch, make your Rampart ſo thick, that it
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              may not be to be ſhaken by every little mili­
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              tary Engine, and ſo high as to be above the
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              Reach of the grappling Hooks, and even of
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              Darts thrown by the Hand. </s>
              <s>The Earth dug
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              out of the Foſs lies very convenient and ready
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              at Hand for making up the Rampart. </s>
              <s>The
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              Ancients for that Work very much commend­
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              ed Turfs dug out of the Meadows with the
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              Graſs upon them, the Roots whereof faſten
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              them very ſtrongly together. </s>
              <s>Others intermix
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              them with Twigs of green Oziers, which ſtrike
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              their Roots into the Rampart, and by the Con­
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              texture of their Fibres ſtrengthen the whole
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              Work. </s>
              <s>Along the inward Edge of the Foſs
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              and the Outſide of the Rampart ſet Thorns,
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              Spikes, Tenter-hooks and the like, to retard
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              the Enemy in his Aſcent. </s>
              <s>Let the Top of the
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              Rampart be girt with a ſtrong Frame of Tim­
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              bers joyned to one another croſſways like a
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              Corniſh, with Hurdles and Earth well rammed
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              in together between them; and upon theſe
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              raiſe your Battlements, and ſtick in forked Pa­
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              liſadoes like Stag's Horns. </s>
              <s>In a Word, let
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              every Thing be ſo contrived in this Kind of
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              Structure, as to make it difficult to be either
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              undermined, thrown down, or mounted; and
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              to protect the Soldier who is to defend it.
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              </s>
              <s>Upon the Edge of this Rampart erect Towers
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              at the Diſtance of every hundred Feet, and
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              eſpecially in ſuch Parts as are moſt likely to be
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              attacked, where they ought to ſtand cloſer and
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              be built higher that they may the more effec­
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              tually annoy the Enemy, when he attempts to
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              make his Way into the Camp. </s>
              <s>Let the
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              Præ­
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              torium,
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              or General's Tent, and the Gate look­
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              ing towards the Enemy, as alſo that in the
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              Back of the Camp, which two Gates uſed
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              formerly to be called the
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              porta Quintana,
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              and
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              the
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              porta Decumana,
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              be placed in the ſtrong­
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              eſt Parts of the Camp, and lie convenient for
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              making any ſudden Sally with the Army, or
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              bringing in of Proviſions, or giving a ready
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              Retreat to your own Men. </s>
              <s>All theſe Con­
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              veniencies belong more particularly to a ſtati­
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              onary Camp, than to a flying one: But as we
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              ought to be provided againſt all Accidents that
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              either Fortune or the Calamity of the Times
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              can produce, we ſhould not, even in a flying
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              Camp, neglect any of thoſe Particulars which
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              we have ſpoken of, as far as may be neceſſary.
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              </s>
              <s>Thoſe Things which belong to a ſtationary
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              Camp, eſpecially one that is to expect a Siege,
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              are very nearly the ſame with thoſe which we
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              ſpoke of with Relation to the Citadel of a Ty­
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              rant. </s>
              <s>A Citadel is a Structure purpoſely de­
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              ſigned for the Suſtaining a Siege, ſince the Ci­
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              tizens always look upon it with an irreconcile­
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              able Hatred: And it is indeed the moſt cruel
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              Kind of Siege that can be imagined, to be con­
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              tinually watching it, and to be always upon the
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              Catch for an Opportunity that may offer, by
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              Means of which you may ſatisfy the ſtrong De­
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              ſire you have to deſtroy it: And for this Rea­
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              ſon, as we obſerved before, we ſhould take the
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              greateſt Care to make it ſtrong, ſtout, durable,
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              well provided for its own Defence, and for
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              weakening and repulſing the Enemy, and able
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              to defy the moſt obſtinate and violent Attacks.
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              </s>
              <s>On the other Hand in thoſe Camps, where you
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              are to be ſhut up and moleſt an Enemy, all the
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              ſame Things are to be obſerved with the ſame
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              Care: For it is indeed a juſt Obſervation, that
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              the Nature of War is ſuch, that he who be­
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              ſieges is in a great Meaſure beſieged himſelf.
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              </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon you are to conſider not only
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              how you may take the Place, but alſo how
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              you may keep yourſelf from being oppreſſed,
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              either by the Boldneſs or Diligence of the E­
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              nemy, or by the Careleſſneſs of your own Men.
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              </s>
              <s>In order to take the Place, you muſt proceed
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              either by Siege or by Aſſault: And to keep
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              yourſelf from being oppreſſed, there are alſo
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              two Methods, which are, being ſtoutly fortified, </s>
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