1from the Sea; but if you cannot place it ſo
far off, let it be at leaſt in ſome Situation where
the above-mention'd Winds cannot reach it,
otherwiſe than broken, tired and purified;
placing it ſo, that between it and the Sea there
may ſtand ſome Hill to interrupt any noxi
ous Vapour from thence. A Proſpect of the
Sea from the Shore is wonderfully pleaſant, and
is generally attended with a wholeſome Air;
and Ariſtotle thinks thoſe Countries are moſt
healthy where the Winds keep the Atmoſphere
in continual Motion: but then the Sea there
muſt not be weedy, with a low Beach ſcarce
covered with Water; but deep with a high
bold Shore of a living craggy Rock. The
placing a City upon the proud Shoulders of a
Mountain (if we may be allowed ſo florid an
Expreſſion) contributes greatly not only to
Dignity and Pleaſure, but yet more to Health.
In thoſe Places where the Hills overſhadow the
Sea, the Water is always deep; beſides that if
any groſs Vapours do ariſe from the Sea, they
ſpend themſelves before they reach ſo high;
and if any ſudden Attack is made upon you from
an Enemy, you lie leſs liable to be ſurprized,
and more advantageouſly for defending your
ſelf. The Ancients commend a Situation upon
the Eaſt Side of a Hill, and in hot Countries,
that Side which lies open to Northern Winds.
Others perhaps may rather chuſe the Weſt Side,
from this Inducement, that manured Ground
lying to that Aſpect is the moſt fruitful: And
indeed it is certain Hiſtorians tell us, that under
Mount Taurus, the Side which looks to the
North, is much more healthy than the others,
for the very ſame Reaſon that it is alſo more
fruitful. Laſtly, if we build our City upon a
Hill, we ſhould take particular Care that we are
not expoſed to one great Inconvenience which
generally happens in ſuch a Situation, eſpecially
if there are other Hills near, which raiſe their
Heads above us; namely, that there is not a
ſettled heavy Body of Clouds to darken and
eclipſe the Day and infect the Air. We ought,
beſides, to have a Care that this Situation is
not expoſed to the raging Fury and Violence
of Winds, and eſpecially of the North-wind;
which, as Heſiod tells us, ſhrinks up and bends
every Body, and particularly old People. It
will make the Situation very bad if there is
any neighbouring Rock ſtanding above the
City, ſo as to throw upon it the Vapours
raiſed by the Sun, or any very deep Valley
reaking with unwholeſome Steams. Others ad
viſe that the Circuit of the Town ſhould ter
minate in Clifts and Precipices; but that theſe
are not always ſafe againſt Earthquakes, or
Storms, is ſufficiently evident from very many
Towns, and particularly Voltera in Tuſcany;
for the very Ground itſelf falls away in ſuch
Places, and brings down after it whatſoever is
built upon it.
far off, let it be at leaſt in ſome Situation where
the above-mention'd Winds cannot reach it,
otherwiſe than broken, tired and purified;
placing it ſo, that between it and the Sea there
may ſtand ſome Hill to interrupt any noxi
ous Vapour from thence. A Proſpect of the
Sea from the Shore is wonderfully pleaſant, and
is generally attended with a wholeſome Air;
and Ariſtotle thinks thoſe Countries are moſt
healthy where the Winds keep the Atmoſphere
in continual Motion: but then the Sea there
muſt not be weedy, with a low Beach ſcarce
covered with Water; but deep with a high
bold Shore of a living craggy Rock. The
placing a City upon the proud Shoulders of a
Mountain (if we may be allowed ſo florid an
Expreſſion) contributes greatly not only to
Dignity and Pleaſure, but yet more to Health.
In thoſe Places where the Hills overſhadow the
Sea, the Water is always deep; beſides that if
any groſs Vapours do ariſe from the Sea, they
ſpend themſelves before they reach ſo high;
and if any ſudden Attack is made upon you from
an Enemy, you lie leſs liable to be ſurprized,
and more advantageouſly for defending your
ſelf. The Ancients commend a Situation upon
the Eaſt Side of a Hill, and in hot Countries,
that Side which lies open to Northern Winds.
Others perhaps may rather chuſe the Weſt Side,
from this Inducement, that manured Ground
lying to that Aſpect is the moſt fruitful: And
indeed it is certain Hiſtorians tell us, that under
Mount Taurus, the Side which looks to the
North, is much more healthy than the others,
for the very ſame Reaſon that it is alſo more
fruitful. Laſtly, if we build our City upon a
Hill, we ſhould take particular Care that we are
not expoſed to one great Inconvenience which
generally happens in ſuch a Situation, eſpecially
if there are other Hills near, which raiſe their
Heads above us; namely, that there is not a
ſettled heavy Body of Clouds to darken and
eclipſe the Day and infect the Air. We ought,
beſides, to have a Care that this Situation is
not expoſed to the raging Fury and Violence
of Winds, and eſpecially of the North-wind;
which, as Heſiod tells us, ſhrinks up and bends
every Body, and particularly old People. It
will make the Situation very bad if there is
any neighbouring Rock ſtanding above the
City, ſo as to throw upon it the Vapours
raiſed by the Sun, or any very deep Valley
reaking with unwholeſome Steams. Others ad
viſe that the Circuit of the Town ſhould ter
minate in Clifts and Precipices; but that theſe
are not always ſafe againſt Earthquakes, or
Storms, is ſufficiently evident from very many
Towns, and particularly Voltera in Tuſcany;
for the very Ground itſelf falls away in ſuch
Places, and brings down after it whatſoever is
built upon it.
YOU ought alſo to take particular Care that
ſuch a Situation has no Hill near that riſes
above it, which falling into the Hands of an
Enemy, may enable him to give you continual
Trouble; nor any Plain laying under it big
enough to conceal an Army in Safety, and
give it Time to make Lodgments and open
Trenches, or to range its Forces in Order of
Battle to attack you. We read that Dedalus
built the Town of Agrigentum, now called
Gergento, upon a very ſteep Rock, with a very
difficult Paſſage to it, inſomuch that only
three Men were ſufficient to defend it; a Fort
reſs certainly very convenient, provided your
Paſſage out cannot be ſtopt by the ſame Num
ber of Men that can ſecure the Paſſage in.
Men of Experience in military Affairs greatly
commend the Town of Cingoli, built by Labi
enus in the Mark of Ancona; becauſe, beſides
ſeveral other Advantages that it has, it will not
allow of one Thing common in mountainous
Situations, which is that when once you have
climbed up to the Top, you then can fight
upon an equal Foot; for here you are repulſed
by a very high ſteep Precipice: Neither can the
Enemy here waſte and deſtroy the Country
round with one ſingle Excurſion, nor ſecure
all the Ways at one Time, nor make a ſecure
Retreat to their Camp, nor ſend out to For
age, or to get Wood or Water without Dan
ger; whereas thoſe in the Town enjoy all the
contrary Advantages; for by Means of the
Hills that lie beneath them all running one
into another with a great Number of little
Vallies between, they can at any Time iſſue
out of a ſudden to attack the Enemy una
wares, and ſurprize them whenever any im
mediate Opportunity offers itſelf. Nor are
they leſs pleaſed with Biſſeium, a Town of the
Marſians, prodigiouſly ſecured by the three
Rivers which meet there from different Quar
ters, and very difficult of Acceſs thro' the
narrow Paſſes of the Vallies guarded all round
with ſteep and unpaſſable Mountains: ſo that
the Enemy can find no Place to fix a Camp
for a Siege, and can never guard all the Paſſes,
which are vaſtly convenient to thoſe in the
Place for bringing in Proviſions and Succours,
ſuch a Situation has no Hill near that riſes
above it, which falling into the Hands of an
Enemy, may enable him to give you continual
Trouble; nor any Plain laying under it big
enough to conceal an Army in Safety, and
give it Time to make Lodgments and open
Trenches, or to range its Forces in Order of
Battle to attack you. We read that Dedalus
built the Town of Agrigentum, now called
Gergento, upon a very ſteep Rock, with a very
difficult Paſſage to it, inſomuch that only
three Men were ſufficient to defend it; a Fort
reſs certainly very convenient, provided your
Paſſage out cannot be ſtopt by the ſame Num
ber of Men that can ſecure the Paſſage in.
Men of Experience in military Affairs greatly
commend the Town of Cingoli, built by Labi
enus in the Mark of Ancona; becauſe, beſides
ſeveral other Advantages that it has, it will not
allow of one Thing common in mountainous
Situations, which is that when once you have
climbed up to the Top, you then can fight
upon an equal Foot; for here you are repulſed
by a very high ſteep Precipice: Neither can the
Enemy here waſte and deſtroy the Country
round with one ſingle Excurſion, nor ſecure
all the Ways at one Time, nor make a ſecure
Retreat to their Camp, nor ſend out to For
age, or to get Wood or Water without Dan
ger; whereas thoſe in the Town enjoy all the
contrary Advantages; for by Means of the
Hills that lie beneath them all running one
into another with a great Number of little
Vallies between, they can at any Time iſſue
out of a ſudden to attack the Enemy una
wares, and ſurprize them whenever any im
mediate Opportunity offers itſelf. Nor are
they leſs pleaſed with Biſſeium, a Town of the
Marſians, prodigiouſly ſecured by the three
Rivers which meet there from different Quar
ters, and very difficult of Acceſs thro' the
narrow Paſſes of the Vallies guarded all round
with ſteep and unpaſſable Mountains: ſo that
the Enemy can find no Place to fix a Camp
for a Siege, and can never guard all the Paſſes,
which are vaſtly convenient to thoſe in the
Place for bringing in Proviſions and Succours,