(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 streets, to divert the sun’s scalding rays, which Tacitus commends, lib. 15.  Annat., as most agreeing to their health, [3181]"because the height of buildings, and narrowness of streets, keep away the sunbeams.”  Some cities use galleries, or arched cloisters towards the street, as Damascus, Bologna, Padua, Berne in Switzerland, Westchester with us, as well to avoid tempests, as the sun’s scorching heat.  They build on high hills, in hot countries, for more air; or to the seaside, as Baiae, Naples, &c.  In our northern countries we are opposite, we commend straight, broad, open, fair streets, as most befitting and agreeing to our clime.  We build in bottoms for warmth:  and that site of Mitylene in the island of Lesbos, in the Aegean 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.