Full text: Vitruvius: The architecture of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio in ten books

119 
the air, as they are from the earth by means of clouds, 
b 
there can be no doubt of the necessity of making spa- 
cious and pleasant walks open to the air in every city. 
That they may always be dry and free from mud, the 
following method must be adopted. They must be dug 
out and drained to the lowest possible level; and on 
the right and left sewers must be constructed; and in 
the walls thereof, towards the walk, drains are laid, with 
an inclination to the sewer. When this is done, the 
place is filled in with charcoal; over which the walks are 
strewed with gravel, and levelled. Thus, from the na- 
tural porosity of the charcoal, and the inclination of the 
drains towards the sewer, the quantity of water is car- 
ried off, and the passages remain dry and unaffected by 
the moisture. In these places the ancients also made 
depôts for the reception of things necessary for the use 
of the city. For in case of the city being under block- 
ade, all things are more easily provided than wood. Salt 
is with facility laid in beforehand; corn, from the public 
or private stores, is soon collected ; and the want of that 
is remedied by the use of garden herbs, flesh, or pulse. 
Water is obtained either by digging new wells, or by 
collecting it from the roofs of buildings; but wood, 
which is absolutely necessary for cooking the food, is 
provided with difficulty and trouble; and that which is 
slowly procured is quickly consumed. In such times 
these walks are opened, and an allowance distributed to 
the tribes, according to their numbers. Thus they are 
conducive to two good purposes; to health in time of 
peace, and to preservation in time of war. If walks are 
provided after these directions not only behind the scene 
of the theatre, but also adjoining the temples of all the 
gods, they will be of great utility in every city. As they 
have been sufficiently explained, the method of arranging 
the different parts of baths will now follow.
	        
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