Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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1in different Places, running from the Ground
quite
up above the Roof, to confine the Flame,
if
any ſhould happen, and prevent it catching
from
one Roof to another.
Marts ought to be
fixed
by the Sea-ſidé, upon the Mouths of Ri­
vers
, and the Meeting of ſeveral great Roads.
The Docks or Arſenals for Shipping ſhould
have
large Baſons or Canals of Water, wherein
to
receive ſuch Veſſels as want refitting, and
from
which they may be conveniently launched
out
again to Sea; but we ſhould take Care
that
this Water be not a ſtanding one, but be
kept
in conſtant Motion.
Shipping is very
much
rotted by ſoutherly Winds, and cracked
by
the mid-day Heat; but the Aſpect of the
riſing
Sun preſerves it.
All Granaries, or other
Structures
built for the laying up of Stores, ab­
ſolutely
require a Drineſs both of Air and Si­
tuation
.
But we ſhall ſpeak more fully of
the
Particulars, when we come to the Conve­
niencies
belonging to private Perſons, to whoſe
uſe
they are indeed referred; only we ſhall ſay
ſomething
here of the Places for laying up Salt.
A Storehouſe for Salt ought to be made in the
following
Manner.
Make up the Ground
with
a Layer of Coal to the Height of one
Cubit
or Foot and an half, and ſtamp it down
very
tight; then ſtrew it with Sand pounded
together
with clean Chalk, to the Height of
three
Hands breadths, and lay it exactly level;
and
then pave it with ſquare Bricks baked till
they
are quite black.
The Face of the Walls
on
the Inſide ought to be made of the ſame
Sort
of Bricks; but if you have not a ſufficient
Quantity
of them, you may build it with ſquare
Stone
, not either with ſoft Stone or Flint, but
with
ſome Stone of a middle Nature between
thoſe
two, only very hard; and let this Sort of
Work
go the Thickneſs of a Cubit into the
Wall
; and then let the whole Inſide be lined
with
Planks of Wood, faſtened with braſs Nails,
or
rather joynted together without any Nails
at
all, and fill up the intermediate Space be­
tween
the Lining and the Wall, with Reeds.
It would alſo have a mighty good Effect to
dawb
over the Planks with Chalk ſteeped in
Lees
of Oil, and mixed with Spart and Ruſhes
ſhred
ſmall.
Laſtly, all publick Buildings of
this
Nature ought to be well fortified with
ſtout
Walls, Towers, and Ammunition, againſt
all
Manner of Force, Malice, or Fraud either
of
Robbers, Enemies or ſeditious Citizens.
I
think
I have now ſaid enough of publick
Structures
, unleſs it may be thought neceſſary
to
conſider of one Particular more which con­
cerns
the Magiſtrate, and that not a little;
namely
, that it is neceſſary he ſhould have
Places
for the Confinement of ſuch as he has
condemned
either for Contumacy, Treachery
or
Villany.
I obſerve that the Ancients had
three
Sorts of Priſons.
The firſt was that
wherein
they kept the Diſorderly and the Igno­
rant
, to the Intent that every Night they might
be
doctored and inſtructed by learned and able
Profeſſors
of the beſt Arts, in thoſe Points
which
related to good Manners and an honeſt
Life
.
The Second was for the Confinement
of
Debtors, and for the Reformation of ſuch
as
were got into a licentious Way of Living.
The laſt was for the moſt wicked Wretches and
horrid
Profligates, unworthy of the Light of the
Sun
or the Society of Mankind, and ſoon to be
delivered
over to capital Puniſhment or perpe­
tual
Impriſonment and Miſery.
If any Man is
of
Opinion that this laſt Sort of Priſon ought
to
be made like ſome ſubterraneous Cavern, or
frightful
Sepulchre, he has certainly a greater
Regard
to the Puniſhment of the Criminal than
is
agreeable either to the Deſign of the Law or
to
Humanity; and though wicked Men do by
their
Crimes deſerve the higheſt Puniſhment,
yet
the Prince or Commonwealth ought never
to
forget Mercy in the Midſt of Juſtice.
There­
fore
let it be ſufficient to make this Sort of
Buildings
very ſtrong and ſecure, with ſtout
Walls
, Roofs and Apertures, that the Perſon
confined
may have no Means of making his
Eſcape
; which may in a great Meaſure be ob­
tained
, by the Thickneſs, Depth and Height of
the
Walls, and their being built with very hard
and
large Stones, joyned together with Pins of
Iron
or Braſs.
To this you may, if you pleaſe,
add
Windows grated with ſtrong Bars of Iron
or
Wood; though in reality nothing of this Sort
whatſoever
can fully ſecure a Priſoner always
thoughtful
of his Liberty and Safety, nor pre­
vent
his making his Eſcape, if you let him uſe
the
Strength which Nature and Cunning have
beſtowed
upon him, and on which Account
there
is an excellent Admonition contained in
this
Saying, that the vigilant Eye of a Goaler is
a
Priſon of Adamant.
But in other Reſpects,
let
us follow the Method and Cuſtoms of the
Ancients
.
We muſt remember that in a Pri­
ſon
there muſt be Privies and Hearths for Fire,
which
ought to be contrived to be without
either
Smoake or ill Smells.
the following
Plan
of an entire Priſon may anſwer all the
forementioned
Purpoſes.
Encloſe with very
high
and ſtrong Walls, without any Apertures,

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