Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/087.jpg" pagenum="70"/>
              and making Sallies. </s>
              <s>But let this ſuffice as to
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              mountainous Situations. </s>
              <s>But if you build your
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              City in a Plain, and according to the general
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              Practice on the Banks of a River, ſo perhaps as
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              to have the Stream run through the Middle of
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              the Town, you muſt have a Care that this
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              River does not come from the South, nor run
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              towards that Point: Becauſe on one Side the
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              Damps, and on the other the Cold being en­
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              creaſed by the Vapours of the Water, will
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              come to you with double Violence and Un­
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              wholeſomeneſs. </s>
              <s>But if the River flows with­
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              out the Compaſs of the Walls, you muſt take
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              a View of the Country round about, and con­
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              ſider on which Side the Winds have the freeſt
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              Paſſage, that you may there erect a ſufficient
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              Wall to reſtrain the River within its Limits.
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              </s>
              <s>As for other Precautions, it may not be amiſs
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              to conſider what the Mariners tell us; to
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              wit, that the Winds are naturally inclined to
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              follow the Sun and the Eaſtern Breezes, when
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              the Phyſicians obſerve, that thoſe of the Morn­
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              ing are the pureſt, and thoſe of the Evening
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              the moſt damp: Whereas on the Contrary when
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              they blow from the Weſt they are heavieſt at
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              Sun-riſe, and lighteſt at Sun-ſet. </s>
              <s>For theſe
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              Reaſons the beſt Poſition for a City will be to
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              have the River come in from the Eaſt, and
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              go out towards the Weſt; becauſe then that
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              Breeze or gentle Wind which riſes with the
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              Sun, will carry the Vapours out of the City,
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              if any noxious ones ſhould ariſe, or at leaſt it
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              will not encreaſe them itſelf: However, I
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              would rather have a River, Lake, or any other
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              Water extend to the North than to the South,
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              provided the Town do not ſtand under the Sha­
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              dow of a Mountain, which is the worſt Situation
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              in the World. </s>
              <s>I will not repeat what we have
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              ſaid before, and we know that the South Wind
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              is very heavy and ſlow in its Nature, inſomuch
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              that when the Sails of a Ship are filled with
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              it, the Veſſel ſeems oppreſſed with its Weight,
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              and draws more Water; whereas, the
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              North Wind on the contrary ſeems to lighten
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              the Ship and the Sea too: however, it is better
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              to keep both theſe at a Diſtance, than to have
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              them continually beating againſt the Wall.
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              </s>
              <s>Nothing is more condemned than a River flow­
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              ing under high ſteep Banks, with a very deep
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              ſtony Channel, and always ſhaded; becauſe its
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              Water is unwholſome to drink, and the Air upon
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              it dangerous: And to avoid ſettling near Bogs
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              and Marſhes, or ſtanding muddy Waters is the
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              Part of every prudent conſiderate Builder. </s>
              <s>I
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              need not mention here the Diſeaſes occaſion'd
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              by ſuch Neighbourhoods: We need only ob­
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              ſerve of theſe Places, that beſides the common
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              Nuiſances in Summer of ill Smells, Fleas and
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              other naſty Vermin, they are liable to one
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              great Inconvenience beſides, when you imagine
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              the Air to be wholeſomeſt and cleareſt (which
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              we alſo took Notice of in relation to all
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              Plains) that they are Subject to exceſſive Colds
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              in Winter and exceſſive Heats in Summer.
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              </s>
              <s>Laſtly, we muſt be very ſure that none of theſe,
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              whether Hill, Rock, Lake, Bog, River or Well,
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              or the like, may be ſo diſpoſed as to be likely
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              to ſtrengthen or ſupport an Enemy, or to bring
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              any Manner of Inconveniencies upon your own
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              Citizens. </s>
              <s>And this is as much as is neceſſary
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              with Regard to the Region and Situation.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. III.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Compaſs, Space and Bigneſs of the City, of the Form and Diſpoſition
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              of the Walls and Fortifications, and of the Cuſtoms and Ceremonies ob­
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              ſerved by the Ancients in marking them out.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
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              <s>It is certain the Form of the City and the
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              Diſtribution of its Parts muſt be various
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              according to the Variety of Places; ſince we
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              ſee it is impoſſible upon a Hill to lay out an
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              Area whether round or ſquare, or of any other
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              regular Form, with that Eaſe, that you may
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              upon an open Plain. </s>
              <s>The ancient Architects
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              in encompaſſing their Towns with Walls, con­
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              demn'd all Angles jutting out from the naked
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              of the Wall, as thinking they help the Enemy
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              more in their Aſſault than the Inhabitants in
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              their Defence; and that they were very weak
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              againſt the Shocks of military Engines; and
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              indeed for Treacheries, and for the ſafer
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              throwing their Darts they are of ſome Ad­
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              vantage to the Enemy, eſpecially where they
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              can run up to the Walls, and withdraw again
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              immediately to their Camp; but yet they are
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              ſometimes of very great Service in Towns
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              ſeated upon Hills, if they are ſet juſt anſwering </s>
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