Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

List of thumbnails

< >
101
101 		102
102
103
103 		104
104
105
105 		106
106
107
107 		108
108
109
109 		110
110
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/105.jpg" pagenum="87"/>
              compaſſing them quite round; as is alſo that
                <lb/>
              which is ſhaped like a Star with Rays running
                <lb/>
              out to the Circumference; and thus the For­
                <lb/>
              treſs will be, as we before obſerved it ought,
                <lb/>
              neither within nor without the City. </s>
              <s>If we
                <lb/>
              were to give a brief Deſcription of the Fortreſs,
                <lb/>
              or Citadel, it might perhaps be not amiſs to
                <lb/>
              ſay that it is the Back-door to the City ſtrong­
                <lb/>
              ly ſortified on all Sides. </s>
              <s>But let it be what it
                <lb/>
              will, whether the Crown of the Wall, or the
                <lb/>
              Key to the City, it ought to look fierce, ter­
                <lb/>
              rible, rugged, dangerous, and unconquerable;
                <lb/>
              and the leſs it is, the ſtronger it will be. </s>
              <s>A
                <lb/>
              ſmall one will require the Fidelity only of a
                <lb/>
              few, but a large one that of a great many:
                <lb/>
              And, as
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Euripides
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays, there never was a Mul­
                <lb/>
              titude without a great many dangerous Spirits
                <lb/>
              in it; ſo that in the Caſe before us, the Fewer
                <lb/>
              we have occaſion to truſt, the Safer we ſhall be.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>The outward Wall, or Incloſure of the For­
                <lb/>
              treſs ſhould be built very ſtrong, of large
                <lb/>
              Stone, with a good Slope on the Outſide, that
                <lb/>
              the Ladders ſet againſt it may be weakened by
                <lb/>
              their ſtanding too oblique; and that the Ene­
                <lb/>
              my who Aſſaults it and endeavours to ſcale it,
                <lb/>
              may lie entirely open to the Stones thrown
                <lb/>
              down upon him; and that Things caſt at the
                <lb/>
              Wall by the military Engines may not ſtrike
                <lb/>
              it full, but be thrown off aſlant. </s>
              <s>The Ground
                <lb/>
              or Area on the Inſide ſhould be all paved with
                <lb/>
              two or even three Layers of very large Stones,
                <lb/>
              that the Beſiegers may not get in upon you by
                <lb/>
              Mines run under the Wall. </s>
              <s>All the Reſt of
                <lb/>
              the Walls ſhould be made very high, and very
                <lb/>
              ſtrong and thick quite to the uppermoſt Cor­
                <lb/>
              niſh, that they may ſtoutly reſiſt all Manner of
                <lb/>
              Battery, and not eaſily be mounted by Ladders,
                <lb/>
              nor commanded by Intrenchments caſt up on
                <lb/>
              the Outſide. </s>
              <s>In other Reſpects the ſame
                <lb/>
              Rules are to be obſerved that we have given
                <lb/>
              for the Walls of the City. </s>
              <s>The greateſt De­
                <lb/>
              fence to the Walls either of a City or Fortreſs
                <lb/>
              is to be ſo provided, that the Enemy cannot
                <lb/>
              approach you on any Side without being ex­
                <lb/>
              poſed to imminent Danger. </s>
              <s>This is done both
                <lb/>
              by making very broad and deep Ditches, as
                <lb/>
              we ſaid before; and alſo by leaving private
                <lb/>
              Loop-Holes almoſt at the very Bottom of the
                <lb/>
              Wall, by which, while the Enemy is covering
                <lb/>
              himſelf with his Shield from the Beſieged above,
                <lb/>
              he may be taken in his Flank which lies un­
                <lb/>
              guarded. </s>
              <s>And indeed, there is no Kind of
                <lb/>
              Defence ſo ſerviceable as this. </s>
              <s>You gaul the
                <lb/>
              Enemy from theſe Loop-Holes with the greateſt
                <lb/>
              Safety to yourſelf, you have a nearer Aim at
                <lb/>
              him, and you are ſure to do moſt Execution,
                <lb/>
              ſince it is impoſſible he ſhould defend all Parts
                <lb/>
              of his Body at the ſame Time: And if your
                <lb/>
              Weapon paſſes by the firſt Man without hurt­
                <lb/>
              ing him, it meets another, and ſometimes
                <lb/>
              wounds two or three at a Time. </s>
              <s>On the
                <lb/>
              Contrary, when the beſieged throws Things
                <lb/>
              down from the Top of the Wall, they muſt
                <lb/>
              ſtand expoſed to a good Deal of Danger, and
                <lb/>
              it is a great Chance whether they hit ſo much
                <lb/>
              as one Man, who may eaſily ſee what is com­
                <lb/>
              ing upon him, and avoid it, or turn it aſide
                <lb/>
              with his Buckler. </s>
              <s>If the Fortreſs ſtands upon
                <lb/>
              the Sea-ſide, you ſhould fix Piles and Heaps of
                <lb/>
              Stone ſcattered up and down about the Coaſt
                <lb/>
              to make it unſafe, and prevent any Batteries in
                <lb/>
              Shipping from coming too near. </s>
              <s>If it is upon
                <lb/>
              a Plain it ſhould be ſurrounded with a Ditch
                <lb/>
              filled with Water; but then to prevent its
                <lb/>
              ſtinking and infecting the Air, you ſhould dig
                <lb/>
              for it till you come to a living Spring. </s>
              <s>If it is upon
                <lb/>
              a Hill, it ſhould be encompaſſed with broken
                <lb/>
              Precipices; and where we have an Opportuni­
                <lb/>
              ty we ſhould make uſe of all theſe Advantages
                <lb/>
              together. </s>
              <s>Thoſe Parts which are expoſed to
                <lb/>
              battery, ſhould be made Semi-circular, or ra­
                <lb/>
              ther with a ſharp Angle like the Head of a
                <lb/>
              Ship. </s>
              <s>I am not to learn that ſome People of
                <lb/>
              good Experience in military Matters, are of
                <lb/>
              Opinion that very high Walls are dangerous in
                <lb/>
              Caſe of Battery; becauſe their Ruins fill up the
                <lb/>
              Ditch, and make a Way in it for the Enemy to
                <lb/>
              approach and aſſault the Place. </s>
              <s>But we ſhall
                <lb/>
              avoid this Inconvenience, if we obſerve all the
                <lb/>
              Rules before laid down. </s>
              <s>But to return. </s>
              <s>With­
                <lb/>
              in the Fortreſs ought to be one principal Tower,
                <lb/>
              built in the ſtouteſt Manner, and ſortified as
                <lb/>
              ſtrongly as poſſible, higher than any other Part
                <lb/>
              of the Caſtle, and not acceſſible by more than
                <lb/>
              one Way, to which there ſhould be no other
                <lb/>
              Entrance but by a Draw-bridge. </s>
              <s>Draw­
                <lb/>
              bridges are of two Sorts; one which is lifted up
                <lb/>
              and ſtops up the Entrance; the other, which
                <lb/>
              ſlides out and in, as you have occaſion for it.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>In a Place expoſed to boiſterous Winds, this
                <lb/>
              laſt is the moſt Convenient. </s>
              <s>Any Tower that
                <lb/>
              may poſſibly infeſt this principal One, ought
                <lb/>
              to be left quite open and naked on that Side
                <lb/>
              which ſtands towards it, or faced only with a
                <lb/>
              very thin weak Wall.</s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum