erly
disproves," those winds are unwholesome, putrefying, and make men subject
to diseases. The best building for health, according to him, is in [3174]
"high places, and in an excellent prospect," like that of Cuddeston in
Oxfordshire (which place I must _honoris ergo_ mention) is lately and
fairly [3175]built in a good air, good prospect, good soil, 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
wholesomely sited, in a good coast, good air, wind, &c., Varro _de re rust.
lib. 1. cap. 12._ [3176]forbids lakes and rivers, marshy and manured
grounds, they cause a bad air, gross diseases, hard to be cured: [3177]"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 choosing of his
seat, or building his house, is _mente captus_, mad, [3178]Cato saith, "and
his dwelling next to hell itself," according to Columella: he commends, in
conclusion, the middle of a hill, upon a descent. Baptista, _Porta Villae,
lib. 1. cap. 22._ censures Varro, Cato, Columella, and those ancient
rustics, approving many things, disallowing some, and will by all means
have the front of a 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, _praedio rustic. lib. 1. cap. 4._
subscribes to this, approving especially the descent of a 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._ Julius Caesar Claudinus, a physician, _consult. 24_, for a
nobleman in Poland, melancholy given, adviseth him to dwell in a house
inclining to the [3179]east, and [3180]by all means to provide the air be
clear and sweet; which Montanus, _consil. 229_, counselleth the earl of
Monfort, his patient, to inhabit a pleasant house, and in a good air. If it
be so the natural site may not be altered of our city, town, village, yet
by artificial means it may be helped. In hot countries, therefore, they
make the streets of their cities very narrow, all over Spain, Africa,
Italy, Greece, and many cities of France, in Languedoc especially, and
Provence, those southern parts: Montpelier, the habitation and university
of physicians, is so built, with high houses, narrow s