Provision may be had elsewhere, and our Towns are generally bigger in the woodland than the fieldone, more frequent and populous, and Gentlemen more delight to dwell in such places. Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire (where I was once a Grammar Schollar) may be a sufficient witness, which stands, as Camden notes, loco ingrato & sterili, but in an excellent aire, and full of all manner of pleasures. Wadley in Barkshire is situate in a vale, though not so fertill a soil as some vales afford, yet a most commodious site, wholsome, in a delicious aire, a rich and pleasant seat.

So Segrave in Leicestershire (which Town I am now bound to remember) is sited in a Champion, at the edge of the Wolds, and more barren than the villages about it, yet no place likely yeelds a better aire. And he that built that fair house Wollerton in Nottinghamshire, is much to be commended, (though the tract be sandy and barren about it) for making choice of such a place.

Constantine lib. 2. cap. de agricult. praiseth mountaines, hilly, steep places, above the rest by the Sea side, and such as look toward the North upon some great river, as Farmack in Darbyshire on the Trent, environed with hills, open only to the North, like Mount Edgemond in Cornwall, which Mr. Carew so much admires for an excellent seat: Such as is the generall site of Bohemia: serenat Boreas, the North wind clarifies,

but neer lakes or marishes, in holes, obscure places, or to the South and West he utterly disproves, those winds are unwholsome, putrifying, and make men subject to diseases. The best building for health, according to him, is in high places, and in an excellent prospect, like that of Cuddeston in Oxfordshire (which place I must honoris ergo mention) is lately and fairly built in a good aire, good prospect, good soile, both for profit and pleasure, not so easily to be matched.

P. Crescentius, in his lib. 1. de Agric. cap. 5. is very copious in this subject, how a house should be wholsomely sited, in a good coast, good aire, wind, &c. Varro de re rust. lib. 1. cap. 12. forbids lakes and rivers, marish and manured grounds, they cause a bad aire, gros diseases, hard to be cured: if it be so that he cannot help it, better, as he adviseth, sell thy house and land, than lose thine health.

He that respects not this in chusing of his seat, or building his house, is mente captus, mad, Cato saith, and his dwelling next to Hell it self, according to Columella: he commends in conclusion, the middle of an hill, upon a descent. Baptista Porta Villæ, lib. 1. cap. 22. censures Varro, Cato, Columella, and those ancient Rusticks, approving many things, disallowing some, and will by all means have the front of an house stand to the South, which how it may be good in Italy and hotter climes, I know not, in our Northern countries I am sure it is best:

Stephanus a Frenchman, prædio rustic. lib. 1. cap. 4. subscribes to this, approving especially the descent of an hill South or South-East, with trees to the North, so that it be well watered; a condition in all sites which must not be omitted, as Herbastein inculcates, lib. 1.

Iulius Cæsar Claudinus a Physician, consult. 24. for a Nobleman in Poland, melancholy given, adviseth him to dwell in a house inclining to the East, and by all means to provide the aire be cleer and sweet; which Montanus, consil. 229. counselleth the Earle of Montfort his patient, to inhabit a pleasant house, and in a good aire. If it be so the naturall site may not be altered of our City, Town, Village, yet by artificiall means it may be helped.

In hot countries therefore thy make the streets of their Cities very narrow, all over Spain, Africk, Italy, Greece, and many Cities of France, in Languedock especially, and Provence, those Southern parts: Monpelier, the habitation and University of Physicians, is so built, with high houses, narrow streets, to divert the Suns scalding rayes, which Tacitus commends, lib. 15. Annal. as most agreeing to their health, because the height of buildings, and narrowness of streets, keep away the Sun beams.

Some Cities use Galleries, or arched Cloysters towards the street, as Damascus, Bologna, Padua, Berna in Switzerland, Westchester with us, as well to avoid tempests, as the Suns scorching heat. They build on high hills in hot countries, for more aire; or to the sea side, as Baiæ, Naples, &c. In our Northern coasts we are opposite, we commend straight, broad, open, fair streets, as most befitting and agreeing to our clime.

We build in bottomes for warmth: and that site of Mitylene in the Iland of Lesbos, in the Ægean Sea, which Vitruvius so much discommends, magnificently built with fair houses, sed imprudenter positam, unadvisedly sited, because it lay along to the South, and when the South wind blew, the people were all sick, would make an excellent site in our Northern climes.

Of the artificiall site of houses I have sufficiently discoursed: if the of the dwelling may not be altered, yet there is much in choice of such a chamber or room, in opportune opening and shutting of windowes, excluding forrain aire and winds, and walking abroad at convenient times. Crato a German commends East and South site (disallowing cold aire and Northern winds in this case, rainy weather and misty dayes) free from putrefaction, fens, bogs, and muckhills. If the aire be such, open no windowes, come not abroad.

Montanus will have his patient not to stir at all, if the wind be big or tempestuous, as most part in March it is with us; or in cloudy, louring dark dayes, as in November, which we commonly call the black moneth, or stormy, let the wind stand how it will, consil. 27. and 30. he must not open a casement in bad weather, or in a boisterous season, consil. 299. he especially forbids us to open windows to a South wind.