e; but in his judgment very
unfit for winter: Lucullus made answer that the lord of the house had wit
like a crane, that changeth her country with the season; he had other
houses furnished, and built for that purpose, all out as commodious as
this. So Tully had his Tusculan, Plinius his Lauretan village, and every
gentleman of any fashion in our times hath the like. The [3153]bishop of
Exeter had fourteen several houses all furnished, in times past. In Italy,
though they bide in cities in winter, which is more gentlemanlike, all the
summer they come abroad to their country-houses, to recreate themselves.
Our gentry in England live most part in the country (except it be some few
castles) building still in bottoms (saith [3154]Jovius) or near woods,
_corona arborum virentium_; you shall know a village by a tuft of trees at
or about it, to avoid those strong winds wherewith the island is infested,
and cold winter blasts. Some discommend moated houses, as unwholesome; so
Camden saith of [3155]Ew-elme, that it was therefore unfrequented, _ob
stagni vicini halitus_, and all such places as be near lakes or rivers. But
I am of opinion that these inconveniences will be mitigated, or easily
corrected by good fires, as [3156]one reports of Venice, that
_graveolentia_ and fog of the moors is sufficiently qualified by those
innumerable smokes. Nay more, [3157]Thomas Philol. Ravennas, a great
physician, contends that the Venetians are generally longer-lived than any
city in Europe, and live many of them 120 years. But it is not water simply
that so much offends, as the slime and noisome smells that accompany such
overflowed places, which is but at some few seasons after a flood, and is
sufficiently recompensed with sweet smells and aspects in summer, _Ver
pinget vario gemmantia prata colore_, and many other commodities of
pleasure and profit; or else may be corrected by the site, if it be
somewhat remote from the water, as Lindley, [3158]_Orton super montem_,
[3159]Drayton, or a little more elevated, though nearer, as [3160]Caucut,
[3161]Amington, [3162]Polesworth, [3163]Weddington (to insist in such
places best to me known, upon the river of Anker, in Warwickshire, [3164]
Swarston, and [3165]Drakesly upon Trent). Or howsoever they be unseasonable
in winter, or at some times, they have their good use in summer. If so be
that their means be so slender as they may not admit of any such variety,
but must determine once for all, and make on