Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755
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              make Choice of that Haven into whoſe Mouth
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              none blow but the moſt gentle and temperate
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              Winds, and where you may enter or go out,
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              with the moſt eaſy Breezes, without being
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              forced to wait too long for them.</s>
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              <s>THEY ſay, that of all Winds the North is
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              the gentleſt; and that when the Sea is di­
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              ſturbed by this Wind, as ſoon as ever the
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              Wind ceaſes, it is calm again: But if a South­
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              wind raiſes a Storm, the Sea continues turbu­
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              lent a long while. </s>
              <s>But as Places are various,
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              our Buſineſs is to chuſe ſuch a one as is beſt
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              provided with all Conveniencies for Shipping:
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              we muſt be ſure to have ſuch a Depth, in the
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              Mouth, Boſem and Sides of the Haven, as
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              will nor refuſe Ships of Burthen, though
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              ever ſo deep laden; the Bottom too ought to
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              be clear, and not ſull of any Sort of Weeds:
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              Though, ſometimes, thick entangled Weeds
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              are of a good deal of Uſe in faſtening the An­
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              chor. </s>
              <s>Yet I ſhould rather chuſe an Haven
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              that does not produce any thing which can
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              contaminate the Purity of the Air, or preju­
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              dice the Ships, as Ruſhes and Weeds which
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              grow in the Water really do; for they en­
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              gender a great many Kinds of Worms which
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              get into the Timbers of the Veſſel, and the
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              rotting of the Weeds raiſes unwholeſome Va­
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              pours. </s>
              <s>There is another Thing which makes
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              an Haven noiſome and unhealthy, and that is
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              a Mixture of freſh Water; eſpecially Rain­
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              water that runs down from Hills: Though I
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              would be ſure to have Streams and Springs in
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              the Neighbourhood, from whence, freſh Water
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              that will keep may be brought for the Uſe of
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              the Veſſels. </s>
              <s>A Port alſo ought to have a clear,
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              ſtrait and ſafe Paſſage outwards, with a Bot­
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              tom not often ſhifting, free from all Impedi­
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              ments, and ſecure from the Ambuſhes of Ene­
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              mies and Pirates. </s>
              <s>Moreover, I would have
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              it covered with ſome high ſteep Hill, that may
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              be ſeen a great Way off, and ſerve as a Land­
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              mark for the Sailors to ſteer their Courſe by.
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              </s>
              <s>Within the Port we ſhould make a Key and
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              a Bridge for the more eaſy unlading of the
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              Shipping. </s>
              <s>Theſe Works the Ancients raiſed
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              in different Ways, which it is not yet our
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              Time to ſpeak of; and we ſhall come to it
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              more properly when we ſpeak of the Method
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              of improving a Haven and running up a Pier.
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              </s>
              <s>Beſides all this, a good Haven ſhould have
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              Places to walk in, and a Portico and Temple,
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              for the Reception of Perſons that are juſt
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              landed; nor ſhould it want Pillars, Bars and
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              Rings to faſten Ships to; and there ſhould alſo
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              be a good Number of Warehouſes or Vaults
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              for the laying up of Goods. </s>
              <s>We ſhould alſo
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              at the Mouth erect high and ſtrong Towers,
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              from the Lanterns of which we may ſpy what
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              Sails approach, and by Fires give Directions to
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              the Mariners, and which by their Fortificati­
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              ons may defend the Veſſels of our Friends, and
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              lay Chains acroſs the Port to keep out an
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              Enemy. </s>
              <s>And from the Port ſtrait thro' the
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              Heart of the City ought to run a large Street,
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              in which ſeveral other Quarters of the Town
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              ſhould center, that the Inhabitants may pre­
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              ſently run thither from all Parts to repulſe any
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              Inſult from an Enemy. </s>
              <s>Within the Boſom of
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              the Haven likewiſe, ſhould be ſeveral ſmaller
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              Docks, where battered Veſſels may refit. </s>
              <s>But
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              there is one Thing which we ought not to
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              omit, ſince it relates entirely to the Haven;
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              which is, that there have been, and now are,
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              many famous Cities, whoſe greateſt Security
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              has lain in the unſafe and uncertain Entrance
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              of their Harbours, and from the Variety of its
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              Channels made almoſt hourly for the con­
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              tinual Alteration of the Bottom. </s>
              <s>Thus much
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              we thought proper to ſay of publick Works in
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              the univerſal Acceptation; and I cannot tell
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              whether there is any Occaſion to add what
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              ſome inſiſt upon, that there ought to be ſe­
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              veral Squares laid out in different Parts of the
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              City, ſome for the expoſing of Merchandizes
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              to ſale in Time of Peace; others for the Exer­
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              ciſes proper for Youth; and others for laying
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              up Stores in Time of War, of Timber, For­
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              age, and the like Proviſions neceſſary for the
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              ſuſtaining of a Siege. </s>
              <s>As for Temples, Cha­
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              pels, Halls for the Adminiſtration of Juſtice,
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              and Places for Shows, they are Buildings that,
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              tho' for publick Uſe, are yet the Property of
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              only a few Perſons; which are the Prieſts
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              and Magiſtrates; and therefore we ſhall treat
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              of them in their proper Places.</s>
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              The End of Book
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              IV.</s>
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