Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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made it a perfect Marſh, like
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Arabia,
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which
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by means of a Number of Lakes and Bogs oc
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caſioned by the River
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Euphrates,
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was not to
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be approached by an Enemy. </
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<
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>Thus by ſuch
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Fortifications they both ſecured their own
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Country againſt the Attacks of an Enemy, and
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at the ſame Time made their Enemy's Coun
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try weaker and more defenceleſs. </
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<
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>What are
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the Cauſes which make the Air unhealthy, we
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have already ſhewn ſufficiently at Length in
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the proper Place. </
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>We may only obſerve here
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in general, that for the moſt Part thoſe Cauſes
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are either the too great Power of the Sun, or
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too much Shade; ſome infectious Winds from
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neighbouring Parts, or peſtilent Vapours from
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the Soil itſelf, or elſe ſomething in the very
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Climate itſelf that is noxious. </
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<
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>To mend the
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Air when it is unhealthy or corrupted, is a
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Work ſcarce thought poſſible to be done by any
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human Contrivance; unleſs by appeaſing the
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Wrath of Heaven by Prayers and Supplications,
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which, like the Nail driven by the Conſul, have
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ſometimes, as we read, put a Stop to the moſt
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deſtructive Contagions. </
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<
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>Againſt the Inconve
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niencies of the Sun or Wind to the Inhabitants
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of ſome little Town or Villa, perhaps ſome
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Remedy may be found: But to alter the Cli
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mate of a whole Region or Province, is a Task
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too great; not that I deny the Poſſibility of
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amending a great many of thoſe Defects which
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proceed from the Air, by curing the Earth of
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exhaling noxious Vapours. </
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>In order to ſhew
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how this may be done, it is not neceſſary that
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I ſhould here ſpend Time in debating whether
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it is by means of the Power of the Sun, or by
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ſome natural inward Heat, that the Earth emits
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thoſe two Vapours, of which one mounting up
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into the Air is condenſed by the Cold, into
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Rain and Snow; and the other, which is a dry
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Vapour, is ſuppoſed to be the Cauſe of Winds:
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It is enough that we are aſſured, that both theſe
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ariſe out of the Earth; and as we find that
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thoſe Steams which proceed from the Bodies
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of Animals, partake of the Nature of the Bodies
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from which they ariſe, peſtiferous from peſti
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lentious Bodies, and ſweet from wholeſome and
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cleanly ones, and that ſometimes where the
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Sweat or Vapour is not bad in itſelf, it is ren
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dered offenſive by the Naſtineſs of the Gar
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ment through which it paſſes; ſo it is with the
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Earth: For when the Ground is neither well
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covered with Water, nor perfectly dry, but lies
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like a Marſh or Bog, it muſt for ſeveral Rea
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ſons emit noxious and unwholeſome Vapours.
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</
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<
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>Thus we find, that where the Sea is deep, the
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Water is cold, and warm where it is ſhallow;
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the Reaſon of which, we are told, is becauſe
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the Rays of the Sun cannot ſtrike to the Bot
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tom of a deep Water: As if you plunge a red
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hot Iron into Oil, if the Oil be but a ſmall
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Quantity, it will raiſe a ſtrong thick Smoke,
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but if there is Oil enough to cover it quite over,
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it will preſently quench the Iron, and make
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no Smoke at all. </
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<
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>But to proceed briefly with
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the Subject which we have begun to take
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in Hand.
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Servius
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tells us, that a Marſh near
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a certain Town being almoſt dried up, and a
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Plague ſucceeding, the Inhabitants went for
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Counſel to
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Apollo,
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who commanded them to
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dry it up entirely. </
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<
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>Near
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Tempe,
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there was a
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large ſtanding Lake, which
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Hercules
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made dry
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Ground, by cutting a Trench to let out the
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Water, and he is ſaid to have burnt the Ser
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pent
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Hydra
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in a Place from whence frequent
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Eruptions of Water uſed to ravage the neigh
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bouring City; by which means the ſuperfluous
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Moiſture being conſumed, and the Soil render
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ed firm and dry, thoſe over-abounding Chan
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nels of Water were entirely ſtopt. </
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<
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>In ancient
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Times the
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Nile
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having once ſwelled higher
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than uſual, when the Waters went off, beſides
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the Mud, they left a great Number of different
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Animals, which as the Ground became dry,
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rotted and infected the Air with a dreadful
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Plague.
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Strabo
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ſays, that the City
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Mazaca,
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near the Hill
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Argæus,
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abounds in good Wa
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ter; but if in Summer it has not a Way made
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for it to run off, it renders the Air unwhole
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ſome and infectious. </
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<
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>Moreover, towards the
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northern Parts of
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Africa,
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and alſo in
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Æthiopia,
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it never Rains; ſo that the Lakes are often
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dried up, and left like Bogs of Mud, abounding
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with infinite Numbers of Animals that breed
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by Corruption, and particularly with great
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Swarms of Locuſts. </
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<
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>Againſt theſe Inconveni
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encies, both the Remedies uſed by
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Hercules
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are
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very proper, namely, cutting a Trench that the
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Water may not ſtagnate and make a Bog, and
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then laying the Ground open to the Sun,
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which I take to be the Fire uſed by
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Hercules
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for burning the
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Hydra.
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<
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> It may alſo be of Ser
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vice to fill up the Place with Stones, Earth or
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Sand: And in what Manner you may fill up a
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ſtanding Water with River-ſand, we ſhall ſhew
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in the proper Place.
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Strabo
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ſays, that in his
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Time the Country about the City of
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Ravenna,
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being continually overflowed by the Sea, uſed
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to be incommoded with noiſome Vapours,
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which yet did not make the Air unwholeſome,
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and it ſeems ſtrange how this ſhould happen, </
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