Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/091.jpg" pagenum="74"/>
              pretty deal higher than the Ground beyond
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              it: For this will baulk the Aim of the mili­
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              tary Engines, and make them throw over the
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              Wall. </s>
              <s>And ſome think no Wall is ſo ſafe
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              againſt Battery, as thoſe which are built in un­
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              even Lines, like the Teeth of a Saw.</s>
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              <s>I AM very well pleaſed with thoſe Walls in
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Rome,
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              which at about half Way up to the
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              Top have a Walk with little private Holes,
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              out of which, the Archers may privately annoy
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              the Enemy, as he moves about the Field in
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              Security; and at the Diſtance of every fifty
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              Cubits are Towers, adjoining to the Wall like
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              Buttreſſes, projecting out in a round Figure
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              forwards, and ſomewhat higher than the Wall
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              itſelf; ſo that whoever offers to approach be­
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              tween theſe Towers, is expoſed to be taken in
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              Flank and ſlain; and thus the Wall is de­
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              fended by theſe Towers, and the Towers
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              mutually by one another. </s>
              <s>The Back of the
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              Towers, which look into the Town, ought to
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              have no Wall, but ſhould be left quite open
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              and naked; that if the Enemy ſhould get
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              Poſſeſſion of them, they may not be ſafe in
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              them from the Aſſaults of the Inhabitants.</s>
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              <s>THE Corniſhes of the Towers and Walls,
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              beſides that they add to their Beauty, and are
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              a Ligature to ſtrengthen their Work, do alſo
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              by their Projection hinder the getting into the
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              Town from ſcaling Ladders. </s>
              <s>Some are for
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              leaving Precipices of deep Holes here and there
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              along the Side of the Wall, and eſpecially near
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              the Towers, ſortified with wooden Bridges
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              which may be preſently raiſed or let down, as
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              Occaſion requires.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>THE Ancients uſed on each Side of their
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              Gates to erect two Towers, larger than the
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              reſt, and ſtrongly fortified on all Sides, to ſe­
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              cure and protect the Entrance into the Town.
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              </s>
              <s>There ought to be no Rooms with vaulted
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              Roofs in the Towers, but only wooden Floors,
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              that upon any Emergency may eaſily be re­
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              moved or burnt; and thoſe Floors ſhould not
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              be faſtened with Nails, that if the Enemy gets
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              the better, they may be taken away without
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              Difficulty. </s>
              <s>All that is neceſſary is to have a
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              Covering to ſhelter the Centinels from the
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              Storms and Injuries of the Weather. </s>
              <s>The
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              Battlements over the Gate ſhould have Holes
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              through the Bottom of them, through which,
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              Stones and Firebrands may be thrown down
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              upon the Enemy's Heads, or even Water, if
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              they have ſet Fire to the Gate; which for its
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              Security againſt ſuch a Misfortune, they tell us
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              ought to be covered over with Leather and
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              Plates of Iron. </s>
              <s>But of this, enough.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. V.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Proportion, Faſhion and Conſtruction of great Ways, and private Ones.
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>In making our Gates we should obſerve, that
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              they ought to be juſt as many in Num­
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              ber as the Highways, or Streets; for ſome we
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              ſhall call High Streets, and others, private ones.
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              </s>
              <s>Not that I intend to trouble my ſelf about the
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              Diſtinction of the Lawyers, who ſay that the
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              Road for Beaſts, and the Way for Men, ought
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              to be called by different Names: But by the
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              Name of Way, I ſhall underſtand them all.
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              </s>
              <s>The Highways are properly thoſe by which
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              we go into the Provinces, with our Armies
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              and all their Baggage; for which Reaſon the
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              Highways ought to be much broader than
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              others, and I find the Ancients ſeldom uſed
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              to make them leſs than eight Cubits in any
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              Part. </s>
              <s>By a Law in the twelve Tables it was
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              ordained, that the Ways which ran ſtrait
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              ſhould be twelve Foot broad, and thoſe which
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              were crooked or winding, not leſs than ſixteen.
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              </s>
              <s>The private Ways are thoſe which leaving the
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              publick ones, lead us to ſome Town or Caſtle,
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              or elſe into ſome other Highway, as Lanes in
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              Cities, and croſs Roads in the Country. </s>
              <s>There
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              are another Kind of publick Ways, which may
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              not improperly be called High Streets, as are
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              ſuch which are deſigned for ſome certain Pur­
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              poſe, eſpecially any publick one; as for In­
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              ſtance, thoſe which lead to ſome Temple, or
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              to the Courſe for Races, or to a Place of
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              Juſtice. </s>
              <s>The Ways are not to be made in the
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              ſame Manner in the Country, that they are in
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              the City. </s>
              <s>In the Country they ought to be
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              ſpacious and open, ſo as a Man may ſee all
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              about him; free and clear from all Manner
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              of Impediments, either of Water or Ruins;
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              without lurking Places or Retreats of any Sort
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              for Rogues to hide themſelves in, nor too
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              many croſs Roads to favour their Villanies:
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              Laſtly, they ought to be as ſtrait, and as ſhort as
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              poſſible: I do not reckon the ſhorteſt Way to be </s>
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