1over-turning the beſt finiſhed Structure of the
wiſeſt Architect. Plato ſays, that the whole
Atlantick Iſland, which was not leſs than Epi
rus, vaniſhed away at once into Smoke. Hiſ
tory informs us, that the Cities of Helice and
Bura were both ſwallowed up, one by the Sea
and the other by an Earthquake: That the
Lake Tritonis diſappeared in an Inſtant, and
on the contrary, that of Stymphalis in Argos,
appeared as ſuddenly: That at Teramene an
Iſland ſtarted up at once, with hot Springs in
it; and that between the two Iſlands of The
raſia and Thera a Flame burſt out of the Sea,
which made it foam and boil four whole Days
ſucceſſively, and at laſt appeared an Iſland
twelve Furlongs in Length, wherein the Rho
dians built a Temple to Neptune their Protec
tor. In other Places we are told of ſuch nu
merous Swarms of Mice, that they bred an
Infection, and that the Spaniards ſent Ambaſ
ſadors to the Roman Senate to implore their
Aſſiſtance againſt infinite Numbers of Hares
which eat up their Country; and many other
wonderful Accidents of the ſame Nature,
whereof we have made a Collection in our lit
tle Treatiſe, entitled Theogenius. But all the
Defects which proceed from foreign Cauſes are
not uncapable of being corrected: Neither
will thoſe which are owing to the Architect,
always admit of Amendment; for where every
thing is wrong and out of Order, no Improve
ment is practicable. Where the Building can
not be any ways altered for the better, but by
changing almoſt every Line and Angle, it is
much better to pull the Whole quite down, and
begin upon a new Foundation. But that is not
our Buſineſs now: We are here to ſhew what
may be amended or improved by Art. And
firſt we ſhall ſpeak of Buildings of a publick
Nature. Of theſe the greateſt and moſt im
portant is the City, or rather, if we may ſo
call it, the Region of the City. The Region
wherein an inconſiderable Architect has placed
his City, may perhaps have thoſe Defects
which will admit of Amendment. Either it
may be unſecure againſt ſudden Incurſions of
Enemies, or it may ſtand in a bad unhealthy
Air, or it may not be well ſupplied with all
Neceſſaries. Of theſe therefore we ſhall now
treat. The Way from Lydia into Cilicia lies
through a narrow Paſs cut by Nature among
the Hills, in ſuch a Manner that you would
think ſhe deſigned it as a Gate to that Pro
vince. At Thermopylæ, now called the Bocca
de Lupo, is a Paſs which three armed Men may
defend, being a broken Way interrupted by
numberleſs Rills of Water on every Side, which
riſe from the very Root of the Mountain.
Much like this are the broken Rocks in the
Mark of Ancona, called by the Vulgar Foſſo
ombrone, and many others in other Places. But
ſuch Paſſes, ſo fortified by Nature, are not to
be found every where: However, they ſeem in
a great Meaſure, to be capable of being imitat
ed by Art; and accordingly we find it to have
been very often prudently done by the Anci
ents, who in order to ſecure their Country from
the Inroads of their Enemies, uſed the follow
ing Methods, which we ſhall briefly gather
from as many of the great Works of the old
Heroes, as may ſerve to illuſtrate our preſent
Subject. Artaxerxes near the River Euphrates,
cut a Trench between himſelf and the Enemy,
threeſcore Foot broad, and ten Miles long. The
Cæſars (and particularly Adrian) built a Wall
acroſs Britain foreſcore Miles in Length, by
which they divided the Lands of the Barbari
ans from thoſe of the Romans. Antoninus Pius
made another of Turf acroſs the ſame Iſland.
After him Severus threw up a Trench an
hundred and twenty-two Miles long, which
divided the Iſland clear from Sea to Sea. An
tiochus Soter encompaſſed Margiana a Province
of India, where he built Antiochia, with a
Wall fifteen hundred Furlongs in Length; and
Seoſoſis carried a Wall of the ſame Length from
the Borders of Ægypt towards Arabia, thro'
a Deſart quite from the City of the Sun, which
was called Thebes. The Neritones, whoſe Coun
try formerly joined to Leucadia, cutting away
the Neck of Land, and letting in the Sea,
made it an Iſland: On the contrary, the Chal
cidians and the Boeotians raiſed a Dike over the
Straits, called the Euripus, to join Euboia to
Boeotia, that they might be able to ſuccour each
other. Alexander the Great built ſix Towns
near the River Oxus, not ſar diſtant from each
other, that upon any ſudden Attack from the
Enemy, they might have Aſſiſtance at Hand.
The Ancients frequently made uſe of little Re
doubts, which they called Tyrſes, fortified with
very high Ramparts, like Caſtles, to put a Stop
to Incurſions from their Enemies. The Per
ſians ſtopt up the Tygris with Sluices, that none
of the Enemy's Veſſels might get up the River:
But Alexander took them away and opened
the Stream, alledging that it was a mean and
cowardly Defence, and exhorting them rather
to truſt to their own Valour for their Securi
ty. Some have overflowed their Country and
wiſeſt Architect. Plato ſays, that the whole
Atlantick Iſland, which was not leſs than Epi
rus, vaniſhed away at once into Smoke. Hiſ
tory informs us, that the Cities of Helice and
Bura were both ſwallowed up, one by the Sea
and the other by an Earthquake: That the
Lake Tritonis diſappeared in an Inſtant, and
on the contrary, that of Stymphalis in Argos,
appeared as ſuddenly: That at Teramene an
Iſland ſtarted up at once, with hot Springs in
it; and that between the two Iſlands of The
raſia and Thera a Flame burſt out of the Sea,
which made it foam and boil four whole Days
ſucceſſively, and at laſt appeared an Iſland
twelve Furlongs in Length, wherein the Rho
dians built a Temple to Neptune their Protec
tor. In other Places we are told of ſuch nu
merous Swarms of Mice, that they bred an
Infection, and that the Spaniards ſent Ambaſ
ſadors to the Roman Senate to implore their
Aſſiſtance againſt infinite Numbers of Hares
which eat up their Country; and many other
wonderful Accidents of the ſame Nature,
whereof we have made a Collection in our lit
tle Treatiſe, entitled Theogenius. But all the
Defects which proceed from foreign Cauſes are
not uncapable of being corrected: Neither
will thoſe which are owing to the Architect,
always admit of Amendment; for where every
thing is wrong and out of Order, no Improve
ment is practicable. Where the Building can
not be any ways altered for the better, but by
changing almoſt every Line and Angle, it is
much better to pull the Whole quite down, and
begin upon a new Foundation. But that is not
our Buſineſs now: We are here to ſhew what
may be amended or improved by Art. And
firſt we ſhall ſpeak of Buildings of a publick
Nature. Of theſe the greateſt and moſt im
portant is the City, or rather, if we may ſo
call it, the Region of the City. The Region
wherein an inconſiderable Architect has placed
his City, may perhaps have thoſe Defects
which will admit of Amendment. Either it
may be unſecure againſt ſudden Incurſions of
Enemies, or it may ſtand in a bad unhealthy
Air, or it may not be well ſupplied with all
Neceſſaries. Of theſe therefore we ſhall now
treat. The Way from Lydia into Cilicia lies
through a narrow Paſs cut by Nature among
the Hills, in ſuch a Manner that you would
think ſhe deſigned it as a Gate to that Pro
vince. At Thermopylæ, now called the Bocca
de Lupo, is a Paſs which three armed Men may
defend, being a broken Way interrupted by
numberleſs Rills of Water on every Side, which
riſe from the very Root of the Mountain.
Much like this are the broken Rocks in the
Mark of Ancona, called by the Vulgar Foſſo
ombrone, and many others in other Places. But
ſuch Paſſes, ſo fortified by Nature, are not to
be found every where: However, they ſeem in
a great Meaſure, to be capable of being imitat
ed by Art; and accordingly we find it to have
been very often prudently done by the Anci
ents, who in order to ſecure their Country from
the Inroads of their Enemies, uſed the follow
ing Methods, which we ſhall briefly gather
from as many of the great Works of the old
Heroes, as may ſerve to illuſtrate our preſent
Subject. Artaxerxes near the River Euphrates,
cut a Trench between himſelf and the Enemy,
threeſcore Foot broad, and ten Miles long. The
Cæſars (and particularly Adrian) built a Wall
acroſs Britain foreſcore Miles in Length, by
which they divided the Lands of the Barbari
ans from thoſe of the Romans. Antoninus Pius
made another of Turf acroſs the ſame Iſland.
After him Severus threw up a Trench an
hundred and twenty-two Miles long, which
divided the Iſland clear from Sea to Sea. An
tiochus Soter encompaſſed Margiana a Province
of India, where he built Antiochia, with a
Wall fifteen hundred Furlongs in Length; and
Seoſoſis carried a Wall of the ſame Length from
the Borders of Ægypt towards Arabia, thro'
a Deſart quite from the City of the Sun, which
was called Thebes. The Neritones, whoſe Coun
try formerly joined to Leucadia, cutting away
the Neck of Land, and letting in the Sea,
made it an Iſland: On the contrary, the Chal
cidians and the Boeotians raiſed a Dike over the
Straits, called the Euripus, to join Euboia to
Boeotia, that they might be able to ſuccour each
other. Alexander the Great built ſix Towns
near the River Oxus, not ſar diſtant from each
other, that upon any ſudden Attack from the
Enemy, they might have Aſſiſtance at Hand.
The Ancients frequently made uſe of little Re
doubts, which they called Tyrſes, fortified with
very high Ramparts, like Caſtles, to put a Stop
to Incurſions from their Enemies. The Per
ſians ſtopt up the Tygris with Sluices, that none
of the Enemy's Veſſels might get up the River:
But Alexander took them away and opened
the Stream, alledging that it was a mean and
cowardly Defence, and exhorting them rather
to truſt to their own Valour for their Securi
ty. Some have overflowed their Country and