The Anatomy of Melancholy

The citizens of Barcino, saith he, otherwise penned in, Melancholy, and stirring little abroad, are much delighted with that pleasant prospect their city hath into the sea, which like that of old Athens besides Ægina Salamina, and many pleasant Ilands, had all the variety of delicious objects:

so are those Neapolitanes, and inhabitants of Genua, to see the ships, boats, and passengers go by, out of their windows, their whole cities being sited on the side of an hill, like Pera by Constantinople, so that each house almost, hath a free prospect to the sea, as some part of London to the Thames: or to have a free prospect all over the city at once, as at Granado in Spain, and Fez in Africk, the river running betwixt two declining hils, the steepness causeth each house almost, as well to oversee, as to be overseen of the rest.

Every country is full of such delightsome prospects, as well within land, as by sea, as Hermon and Rama in Palestina, Colalto in Italy, the top of Tagetus or Acrocorinthus, that old decayed castle in Corinth, from which Peloponesus, Greece, the Ionian and Ægean seas were semel & simul at one view to be taken.

In Egypt the square top of the great Pyramis 300. yards in height, and so the Sultans Palace in Grand Cairo, the country being plain, hath a marvellous fair prospect as well over Nilus, as that great city, five Italian miles long, and two broad, by the river side: from mount Sion in Jerusalem the holy land is of all sides to be seen: such high places are infinite:

with us those of the best note are Glassenbury Tower, Bever castle, Rodway Grange, Walsby in Lincolnshire, where I lately received a real kindness, by the munificence of the right honourable my noble Lady and patroness, the Lady Frances Countess Dowager of Exeter: And two amongst the rest, which I may not omit for vicinities sake, Oldbury in the confines of Warwickshire, where I have often looked about me with great delight, at the foot of which hill I was born:

And Hanbury in Staffordshire, contiguous to which is Falde a pleasant Village, and an ancient patrimony belonging to our family, now in the possession of mine elder brother William Burton Esquire. Barclay the Scot commends that of Greenwich tower for one of the best prospects in Europe, to see London on the one side, the Thames, ships, and pleasant meadows on the other. There be those that say as much and more of St. Marks steeple in Venice.

Yet these are at too great a distance; some are especially affected with such objects as be near, to see passengers go by in some great Rode way, or boats in a river, in subjectum forum despicere, to oversee a Fair, a Market place, or out of a pleasant window into some through-fare street to behold a continuall concourse, a promiscuous rout, coming and going, or a multitude of spectators at a Theater, a Maske or some such like shew.