CHAP. X.
Of Thermes or publick Baths; their Conveniencies and Ornaments.
*
Some have condemned Baths, imagining
they made Men effeminate, while others
have had ſo great an Opinion of them, that
they have waſhed in them ſeven Times a Day.
The ancient Phyſicians, in order for the Cure
of various Diſtempers by means of Bathing,
erected a great Number of Thermes or publick
Baths in the City of Rome at an incredible Ex
pence. Heliogabalus particularly built Thermæ
in a great many Places, but having waſhed
once in each, he immediately ordered it to be
demoliſhed, ſcorning ever to waſh twice in the
ſame Bath. I am not thoroughly determined
whether this Kind of Structure be of a publick
or private Nature: And indeed I cannot help
thinking that it partakes ſomewhat of both,
ſince in many Particulars, it borrows from the
Deſigns of private Edifices, and in many others
from thoſe of publick ones. A publick Bath
or Thermæ requiring a very large Area of
Ground to ſtand upon, it is not proper to build
it in the principal and moſt frequented Part of
the City, neither ſhould it be placed too far
out of the Way, becauſe both the chief Citi
zens and the Women muſt reſort thither to
waſh themſelves. The Thermæ itſelf muſt have
a large open Space clear round it, which muſt
be encompaſſed with a high Wall, with proper
Entrances at convenient Places. In the Mid
dle of the Therme muſt be a large ſtately Hall,
which muſt be as it were the Center of the
whole Edifice, with Cells all round it after the
Manner of the Etrurian Temple, which we
have already deſcribed. Into this Hall we are
to enter through a handſome Veſtibule, front
ing to the South, from which we paſs into an
other ſmaller Veſtibule or Lobby, and ſo into
the great Hall. From the Hall is a large Gate
fronting to the North, which opens into a large
open Square, on the Right and Left of which
are ſpacious Porticoes, and immediately behind
thoſe Porticoes are the cold Baths. Let us once
more go back into the great Hall. On the
right Side of this Hall, which lies to the Eaſt,
is a broad ſpacious Lobby, with three Cells on
each Side of it, lying oppoſite to each other.
This Lobby carries us into another open Square,
which I call the Xyſtus, which is encompaſſed
with Porticoes on every Side. Of theſe Porti
coes, that which fronts you as you come into
the Square, has a handſome Withdrawing
room behind it. The Portico whoſe Front lies
to the South has cold Baths behind it, in the
ſame Manner as in the other Square, with con
venient Dreſſing-rooms adjoining to them:
And in the oppoſite Portico are the warm
Baths, which receive the ſouth Sun by Win
dows broke out behind the Portico. In con
venient Angles in the Porticoes of the Xyſtus
are the other ſmaller Veſtibules, for Paſſages
out into the open Space which encompaſſes the
whole Thermæ. Theſe are the ſeveral Mem
bers of the Thermæ which lie on the right Side
of the great Hall, and there muſt be juſt the
ſame on the left which lies to the Weſt, an
ſwering to the former: The Lobby with three
Cells on each Side, the open Square or Xyſtus
with its Porticoes and Withdrawing-rooms, and
the ſmaller Veſtibules in the Angles of the
Xyſtus. Let us return once more to that prin
cipal Veſtibule of the whole Structure, which
I ſaid fronted the South; on the right Hand of
which, upon the Line which runs to the Eaſt
are three Rooms, and as many on that which
runs to the Weſt; the one for the Women,
and the other for the Men. In the firſt Room
they undreſſed; in the ſecond they anointed
themſelves, and in the third they waſhed: And
ſome for the greater Magnificence, added a
fourth, for the Friends and Servants of thoſe
that were bathing to wait for them in. Theſe
Bathing-rooms received the Noon-day Sun at
very large Windows. Between theſe Rooms
and thoſe Cells which I told you lay along the
Side of the inner Lobbies, which lead out of
the great Hall into the open Square on the Side
or Xyſtus, another open Area was left, which
threw Light into the ſouth Side of thoſe inner
Cells that lie along thoſe Lobbies from the great
Hall. The whole Edifice of the Thermæ, as
I before obſerved, was encompaſſed clear round
with a broad open Space, which was even ſpa
cious enough for Races, nor were Goals want
ing in proper Places of it for that Purpoſe. In
the open Space on the ſouth Side in which is
the principal Veſtibule of the whole Edifice,
they made Men effeminate, while others
have had ſo great an Opinion of them, that
they have waſhed in them ſeven Times a Day.
The ancient Phyſicians, in order for the Cure
of various Diſtempers by means of Bathing,
erected a great Number of Thermes or publick
Baths in the City of Rome at an incredible Ex
pence. Heliogabalus particularly built Thermæ
in a great many Places, but having waſhed
once in each, he immediately ordered it to be
demoliſhed, ſcorning ever to waſh twice in the
ſame Bath. I am not thoroughly determined
whether this Kind of Structure be of a publick
or private Nature: And indeed I cannot help
thinking that it partakes ſomewhat of both,
ſince in many Particulars, it borrows from the
Deſigns of private Edifices, and in many others
from thoſe of publick ones. A publick Bath
or Thermæ requiring a very large Area of
Ground to ſtand upon, it is not proper to build
it in the principal and moſt frequented Part of
the City, neither ſhould it be placed too far
out of the Way, becauſe both the chief Citi
zens and the Women muſt reſort thither to
waſh themſelves. The Thermæ itſelf muſt have
a large open Space clear round it, which muſt
be encompaſſed with a high Wall, with proper
Entrances at convenient Places. In the Mid
dle of the Therme muſt be a large ſtately Hall,
which muſt be as it were the Center of the
whole Edifice, with Cells all round it after the
Manner of the Etrurian Temple, which we
have already deſcribed. Into this Hall we are
to enter through a handſome Veſtibule, front
ing to the South, from which we paſs into an
other ſmaller Veſtibule or Lobby, and ſo into
the great Hall. From the Hall is a large Gate
fronting to the North, which opens into a large
open Square, on the Right and Left of which
are ſpacious Porticoes, and immediately behind
thoſe Porticoes are the cold Baths. Let us once
more go back into the great Hall. On the
right Side of this Hall, which lies to the Eaſt,
is a broad ſpacious Lobby, with three Cells on
each Side of it, lying oppoſite to each other.
This Lobby carries us into another open Square,
which I call the Xyſtus, which is encompaſſed
with Porticoes on every Side. Of theſe Porti
coes, that which fronts you as you come into
the Square, has a handſome Withdrawing
room behind it. The Portico whoſe Front lies
to the South has cold Baths behind it, in the
ſame Manner as in the other Square, with con
venient Dreſſing-rooms adjoining to them:
And in the oppoſite Portico are the warm
Baths, which receive the ſouth Sun by Win
dows broke out behind the Portico. In con
venient Angles in the Porticoes of the Xyſtus
are the other ſmaller Veſtibules, for Paſſages
out into the open Space which encompaſſes the
whole Thermæ. Theſe are the ſeveral Mem
bers of the Thermæ which lie on the right Side
of the great Hall, and there muſt be juſt the
ſame on the left which lies to the Weſt, an
ſwering to the former: The Lobby with three
Cells on each Side, the open Square or Xyſtus
with its Porticoes and Withdrawing-rooms, and
the ſmaller Veſtibules in the Angles of the
Xyſtus. Let us return once more to that prin
cipal Veſtibule of the whole Structure, which
I ſaid fronted the South; on the right Hand of
which, upon the Line which runs to the Eaſt
are three Rooms, and as many on that which
runs to the Weſt; the one for the Women,
and the other for the Men. In the firſt Room
they undreſſed; in the ſecond they anointed
themſelves, and in the third they waſhed: And
ſome for the greater Magnificence, added a
fourth, for the Friends and Servants of thoſe
that were bathing to wait for them in. Theſe
Bathing-rooms received the Noon-day Sun at
very large Windows. Between theſe Rooms
and thoſe Cells which I told you lay along the
Side of the inner Lobbies, which lead out of
the great Hall into the open Square on the Side
or Xyſtus, another open Area was left, which
threw Light into the ſouth Side of thoſe inner
Cells that lie along thoſe Lobbies from the great
Hall. The whole Edifice of the Thermæ, as
I before obſerved, was encompaſſed clear round
with a broad open Space, which was even ſpa
cious enough for Races, nor were Goals want
ing in proper Places of it for that Purpoſe. In
the open Space on the ſouth Side in which is
the principal Veſtibule of the whole Edifice,
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