1Writing whatſoever; but the Manner of ex
preſſing their Senſe which they uſed upon theſe
Occaſions, by Symbols, they thought muſt al
ways be underſtood by ingenious Men of all
Nations, to whom alone they were of Opinion,
that Things of Moment were fit to be commu
nicated. In Imitation of this Practice, various
Symbols have been uſed upon Sepulchres. Over
the Grave of Diogenes the Cynic, was a Column
with a Dog upon the Top of it, cut in Parian
Marble. Cicero glories, that he who was of
Arpinum, was the Diſcoverer at Syracuſe of
Archimedes's Tomb, which was quite decayed
and neglected, and all over-grown with Bram
bles, and not known, even to the Inhabitants
of the Place, and which he found out by a Cy
linder and ſmall Sphere which he ſaw cut upon
a high Column that ſtood over it. On the
Sepulchre of Symandes, King of Ægypt, the
Figure of his Mother was cut out of a Piece of
Marble twenty Cubits high, with three Royal
Diadems upon her Head, denoting her to be
the Daughter, Wife and Mother of a King.
On the Tomb of Sardanapalus, King of the
Aſſyrians, was a Statue which ſeemed to clap
its Hands together by Way of Applauſe, with
an Epitaph to this Effect: In one ſingle Day I
built Tarſus and Archileum; but do you, Friend,
eat, drink and be merry; for there is nothing elſe
among Men that is worthy of this Applauſe.
Such were the Inſcriptions and Symbols uſed
in thoſe Nations. But our Romans recorded
the Exploits of their great Men, by carving
their Story in Marble. This gave riſe to Co
lumns, Triumphal Arches, Porticoes enriched
with memorable Events, preſerved both in
Painting and Sculpture. But no Monument of
this Nature ſhould be made, except for Acti
ons that truly deſerve to be perpetuated. But
we have now dwelt long enough upon this
Subject. We have ſpoken of the publick Ways
by Land; and the ſame Ornaments will ſerve
thoſe by Water: But as high Watch-towers
belong to both, it is neceſſary here to ſay ſome
thing of them.
preſſing their Senſe which they uſed upon theſe
Occaſions, by Symbols, they thought muſt al
ways be underſtood by ingenious Men of all
Nations, to whom alone they were of Opinion,
that Things of Moment were fit to be commu
nicated. In Imitation of this Practice, various
Symbols have been uſed upon Sepulchres. Over
the Grave of Diogenes the Cynic, was a Column
with a Dog upon the Top of it, cut in Parian
Marble. Cicero glories, that he who was of
Arpinum, was the Diſcoverer at Syracuſe of
Archimedes's Tomb, which was quite decayed
and neglected, and all over-grown with Bram
bles, and not known, even to the Inhabitants
of the Place, and which he found out by a Cy
linder and ſmall Sphere which he ſaw cut upon
a high Column that ſtood over it. On the
Sepulchre of Symandes, King of Ægypt, the
Figure of his Mother was cut out of a Piece of
Marble twenty Cubits high, with three Royal
Diadems upon her Head, denoting her to be
the Daughter, Wife and Mother of a King.
On the Tomb of Sardanapalus, King of the
Aſſyrians, was a Statue which ſeemed to clap
its Hands together by Way of Applauſe, with
an Epitaph to this Effect: In one ſingle Day I
built Tarſus and Archileum; but do you, Friend,
eat, drink and be merry; for there is nothing elſe
among Men that is worthy of this Applauſe.
Such were the Inſcriptions and Symbols uſed
in thoſe Nations. But our Romans recorded
the Exploits of their great Men, by carving
their Story in Marble. This gave riſe to Co
lumns, Triumphal Arches, Porticoes enriched
with memorable Events, preſerved both in
Painting and Sculpture. But no Monument of
this Nature ſhould be made, except for Acti
ons that truly deſerve to be perpetuated. But
we have now dwelt long enough upon this
Subject. We have ſpoken of the publick Ways
by Land; and the ſame Ornaments will ſerve
thoſe by Water: But as high Watch-towers
belong to both, it is neceſſary here to ſay ſome
thing of them.
CHAP. V.
Of Towers and their Ornaments.
*
The greateſt Ornaments are lofty Tow
ers placed in proper Situations, and built
after handſome Deſigns: And when there are
a good Number of them ſtrewed up and down
the Country, they afford a moſt beautiful Pro
ſpect: Not that I commend the Age about
two hundred Years ago, when People ſeemed
to be ſeized with a Kind of general Infection
of building high Watch-towers, even in the
meaneſt Villages, inſomuch that ſcarce a com
mon Houſe-keeper thought he could not be
without his Turret: By which means there
aroſe a perfect Grove of Spires. Some are of
Opinion, that the Minds of Men take particu
lar Turns, at certain Seaſons, by the Influence
of ſome Planet. Between three and four hun
dred Years ſince the Zeal for Religion was ſo
warm, that Men ſeemed born for no other Em
ployment but to build Churches and Chapels;
for, to omit other Inſtances, in the ſingle City
of Rome at this Day, though above half thoſe
ſacred Structures are now ruinate, we ſee above
two thouſand five hundred Churches ſtill re
maining. And now again, what can be the
Reaſon, that juſt at this Time all Italy ſhould
be fired with a Kind of Emulation to put on
quite a new Face? How many Towns, which
when we were Children, were built of nothing
but Wood, are now lately ſtarted up all of
Marble? But to return to the Subject of Tow
ers. I ſhall not here ſtay to repeat what we
read in Herodotus, that in the Middle of the
Temple at Babylon there was a Tower, the
Baſe whereof was a whole Furlong, or the
eighth Part of a Mile, on every Side, and which
conſiſted of eight Stories built one above an
other; a Way of Building which I extremely
commend in Towers, becauſe each Story grow
ing leſs and leſs all the Way up, conduces both
to Strength and Beauty, and by being well knit
one into another, makes the whole Structure
firm. Towers are either ſquare or round, and
in both theſe the Height muſt anſwer in a cer
tain Proportion to the Breadth. When they
are deſigned to be very taper, ſquare ones
ſhould be ſix Times as high as they are broad,
and round ones ſhould have four Times the
Height of their Diameter. Thoſe which are
intended to be very thick, ſhould have in
Height, if ſquare, but four Times their Breadth,
and if round, but three Diameters. The Thick
neſs of the Walls, if they are forty Cubits high,
ers placed in proper Situations, and built
after handſome Deſigns: And when there are
a good Number of them ſtrewed up and down
the Country, they afford a moſt beautiful Pro
ſpect: Not that I commend the Age about
two hundred Years ago, when People ſeemed
to be ſeized with a Kind of general Infection
of building high Watch-towers, even in the
meaneſt Villages, inſomuch that ſcarce a com
mon Houſe-keeper thought he could not be
without his Turret: By which means there
aroſe a perfect Grove of Spires. Some are of
Opinion, that the Minds of Men take particu
lar Turns, at certain Seaſons, by the Influence
of ſome Planet. Between three and four hun
dred Years ſince the Zeal for Religion was ſo
warm, that Men ſeemed born for no other Em
ployment but to build Churches and Chapels;
for, to omit other Inſtances, in the ſingle City
of Rome at this Day, though above half thoſe
ſacred Structures are now ruinate, we ſee above
two thouſand five hundred Churches ſtill re
maining. And now again, what can be the
Reaſon, that juſt at this Time all Italy ſhould
be fired with a Kind of Emulation to put on
quite a new Face? How many Towns, which
when we were Children, were built of nothing
but Wood, are now lately ſtarted up all of
Marble? But to return to the Subject of Tow
ers. I ſhall not here ſtay to repeat what we
read in Herodotus, that in the Middle of the
Temple at Babylon there was a Tower, the
Baſe whereof was a whole Furlong, or the
eighth Part of a Mile, on every Side, and which
conſiſted of eight Stories built one above an
other; a Way of Building which I extremely
commend in Towers, becauſe each Story grow
ing leſs and leſs all the Way up, conduces both
to Strength and Beauty, and by being well knit
one into another, makes the whole Structure
firm. Towers are either ſquare or round, and
in both theſe the Height muſt anſwer in a cer
tain Proportion to the Breadth. When they
are deſigned to be very taper, ſquare ones
ſhould be ſix Times as high as they are broad,
and round ones ſhould have four Times the
Height of their Diameter. Thoſe which are
intended to be very thick, ſhould have in
Height, if ſquare, but four Times their Breadth,
and if round, but three Diameters. The Thick
neſs of the Walls, if they are forty Cubits high,