1pened at Philippi, where, as we are informed
by Theophraſtus, upon drawing off the Water
and drying up a Lake, the Country was made
warmer. The Cauſe of theſe Alterations is
ſuppoſed to have lain in the Purity or Groſſ
neſs of the Air; for a thick Air is more dif
ficultly moved, and longer retains either the
Heat or the Cold than a thin one, which is
ſoon apt to be frozen with Cold, or on a Change
of Weather, to be warmed again with the Sun's
Heat. A Country which lies uncultivated and
neglected is ſaid to afford a thick and unhealthy
Air; and in Places ſo much covered with
Wood, that neither Sun nor Wind can eaſily
get through, the Air is generally crude. The
Caves about the Lake Avernus were ſo ſur
rounded with thick Woods that the Sulphur
which exhaled from them uſed to kill the Birds
which flew over them: But Cæſar, by cutting
down thoſe Woods, made that peſtilential Spot
of Ground very healthy. At Leghorn a Sea-port
Town in Tuſcany, the Inhabitants uſed always
to be afflicted with ſevere Fevers in the Dog
days: By banking off the Sea with a
good Wall, the Town was freed from thoſe
Diſtempers; but afterwards, when they let the
Water again into their Ditches, for the better
Fortification of the Place, their Fevers return'd.
Varro writes, that when his Camp lay in the
Iſland of Coroyra (now Corfu) and his Soldiers
died apace of Peſtilence; by keeping all the
Windows towards the South cloſe ſhut, he
preſerved his Army. At Murano, a famous
Town belonging to the Venetians, they are
very ſeldom touched with the Plague, though,
their neighbouring Metropolis, Venice, is ſre
quently and ſeverely afflicted with it. The
Reaſon of this is ſuppoſed to be the great
Number of Glaſs-houſes there; for it is very
certain that the Air is wonderfully purged by
Fire. And for a Proof that all Manner of
Poiſons hate the Fire, it is obſerved, that the
dead Bodies of poiſonous Animals do not breed
Worms, like others; becauſe it is the Nature
of Poiſon to deſtroy and totally to extinguiſh
the Principles of Life: But if ſuch Bodies are
touched by Lightening they will engender
Worms, becauſe then their Poiſon is deſtroyed
by Fire; for Worms are bred in the dead Bo
dies of Animals from no other Cauſe than a
certain fiery Power in Nature working upon a
Humidity which is apt to be put in Motion by
a Heat which it is the Property of Poiſon to
extinguiſh, where it prevails, as it is itſelf ex
tinguiſhed by it, where that Heat is the moſt
powerful. If you root out poiſonous Herbs,
and eſpecially Squills, the good Plants will
draw to themſelves the bad Nouriſhment which
they uſed to imbibe from the Earth, by which
means our Food will be corrupted. It may be
of Service to ſhelter your Houſe from unwhole
ſome Winds by a Grove and eſpecially of Ap
ple-trees; for it is of a good deal of Conſe
quence out of the Shade of what Leaves you
receive you Air. Pitch-trees are faid to be
very good for Phthyſical Folks, or for thoſe
who are recovering their Health ſlowly after
long Sickneſs. It is contrary with Trees which
have a bitter Leaf, for they yield an unwhole
ſome Air. Thus where-ever the Country is
low, cloſe and maſhy, it will be of Service to
lay it quite open to the Sun and Air; becauſe
the Damps and noxious Animals which ariſe
from ſuch Places will be preſently deſtroyed
by Dryneſs and Winds. At Alexandria is a
publick Place to which the Filth and Rubbiſh
of the Town is carried, and it is now grown
up to ſuch a Hill, that it ſerves as a Land-mark
to Mariners to find their Way into the Port.
How much more convenient would it not be
to fill up low hollow Places with ſuch Stuff?
Thus at Venice, (for which I highly applaud
them) they have in my Time filled up ſeveral
of their Marſhes with the Rubbiſh of the Town.
Herodotus tells us, that the People who live a
mong the Marſhes in Ægypt, in order to avoid
the Gnats, lie a Nights in very high Towers.
At Ferrara by the Po few or no Gnats appear
within the City; but out of Town, to thoſe
who are not uſed to them, they are execrable.
It is ſuppoſed that they are driven from the
Town by the great Quantity of Smoke and
Fire. Flies do not haunt Places which are
cold or expoſed to much Wind, and eſpecial
ly where the Windows are very high. Some
ſay that Flies will not enter where the Tail of
a Wolf is buried, and that a Squill hung up
will alſo drive away venomous Animals. The
Ancients made uſe of a great many Defences
againſt the violent Heats; among which I am
very well pleaſed with their Crypts or ſubter
raneous Porticoes, Vaults, which received Light
no where but from the Top. They were alſo
fond of Halls with large Windows turned away
from the South, open to a cool Air, and ſhad
ed by ſome neighbouring Edifice. Metellus,
the Son of Octavia, Auguſtus's Siſter, made an
Awning over the Forum with Sails, that
the People might follow their Cauſes without
prejudicing their Healths. But Air is more
by Theophraſtus, upon drawing off the Water
and drying up a Lake, the Country was made
warmer. The Cauſe of theſe Alterations is
ſuppoſed to have lain in the Purity or Groſſ
neſs of the Air; for a thick Air is more dif
ficultly moved, and longer retains either the
Heat or the Cold than a thin one, which is
ſoon apt to be frozen with Cold, or on a Change
of Weather, to be warmed again with the Sun's
Heat. A Country which lies uncultivated and
neglected is ſaid to afford a thick and unhealthy
Air; and in Places ſo much covered with
Wood, that neither Sun nor Wind can eaſily
get through, the Air is generally crude. The
Caves about the Lake Avernus were ſo ſur
rounded with thick Woods that the Sulphur
which exhaled from them uſed to kill the Birds
which flew over them: But Cæſar, by cutting
down thoſe Woods, made that peſtilential Spot
of Ground very healthy. At Leghorn a Sea-port
Town in Tuſcany, the Inhabitants uſed always
to be afflicted with ſevere Fevers in the Dog
days: By banking off the Sea with a
good Wall, the Town was freed from thoſe
Diſtempers; but afterwards, when they let the
Water again into their Ditches, for the better
Fortification of the Place, their Fevers return'd.
Varro writes, that when his Camp lay in the
Iſland of Coroyra (now Corfu) and his Soldiers
died apace of Peſtilence; by keeping all the
Windows towards the South cloſe ſhut, he
preſerved his Army. At Murano, a famous
Town belonging to the Venetians, they are
very ſeldom touched with the Plague, though,
their neighbouring Metropolis, Venice, is ſre
quently and ſeverely afflicted with it. The
Reaſon of this is ſuppoſed to be the great
Number of Glaſs-houſes there; for it is very
certain that the Air is wonderfully purged by
Fire. And for a Proof that all Manner of
Poiſons hate the Fire, it is obſerved, that the
dead Bodies of poiſonous Animals do not breed
Worms, like others; becauſe it is the Nature
of Poiſon to deſtroy and totally to extinguiſh
the Principles of Life: But if ſuch Bodies are
touched by Lightening they will engender
Worms, becauſe then their Poiſon is deſtroyed
by Fire; for Worms are bred in the dead Bo
dies of Animals from no other Cauſe than a
certain fiery Power in Nature working upon a
Humidity which is apt to be put in Motion by
a Heat which it is the Property of Poiſon to
extinguiſh, where it prevails, as it is itſelf ex
tinguiſhed by it, where that Heat is the moſt
powerful. If you root out poiſonous Herbs,
and eſpecially Squills, the good Plants will
draw to themſelves the bad Nouriſhment which
they uſed to imbibe from the Earth, by which
means our Food will be corrupted. It may be
of Service to ſhelter your Houſe from unwhole
ſome Winds by a Grove and eſpecially of Ap
ple-trees; for it is of a good deal of Conſe
quence out of the Shade of what Leaves you
receive you Air. Pitch-trees are faid to be
very good for Phthyſical Folks, or for thoſe
who are recovering their Health ſlowly after
long Sickneſs. It is contrary with Trees which
have a bitter Leaf, for they yield an unwhole
ſome Air. Thus where-ever the Country is
low, cloſe and maſhy, it will be of Service to
lay it quite open to the Sun and Air; becauſe
the Damps and noxious Animals which ariſe
from ſuch Places will be preſently deſtroyed
by Dryneſs and Winds. At Alexandria is a
publick Place to which the Filth and Rubbiſh
of the Town is carried, and it is now grown
up to ſuch a Hill, that it ſerves as a Land-mark
to Mariners to find their Way into the Port.
How much more convenient would it not be
to fill up low hollow Places with ſuch Stuff?
Thus at Venice, (for which I highly applaud
them) they have in my Time filled up ſeveral
of their Marſhes with the Rubbiſh of the Town.
Herodotus tells us, that the People who live a
mong the Marſhes in Ægypt, in order to avoid
the Gnats, lie a Nights in very high Towers.
At Ferrara by the Po few or no Gnats appear
within the City; but out of Town, to thoſe
who are not uſed to them, they are execrable.
It is ſuppoſed that they are driven from the
Town by the great Quantity of Smoke and
Fire. Flies do not haunt Places which are
cold or expoſed to much Wind, and eſpecial
ly where the Windows are very high. Some
ſay that Flies will not enter where the Tail of
a Wolf is buried, and that a Squill hung up
will alſo drive away venomous Animals. The
Ancients made uſe of a great many Defences
againſt the violent Heats; among which I am
very well pleaſed with their Crypts or ſubter
raneous Porticoes, Vaults, which received Light
no where but from the Top. They were alſo
fond of Halls with large Windows turned away
from the South, open to a cool Air, and ſhad
ed by ſome neighbouring Edifice. Metellus,
the Son of Octavia, Auguſtus's Siſter, made an
Awning over the Forum with Sails, that
the People might follow their Cauſes without
prejudicing their Healths. But Air is more