24[Figure 24]THE
ARCHITECTURE
OF
Leone Batiſta Alberti.
ARCHITECTURE
OF
Leone Batiſta Alberti.
Of the Reaſon and Difficulty of the Author's Undertaking, whereby it appears
how much Pains, Study and Application he has employed in writing upon
theſe Matters.
how much Pains, Study and Application he has employed in writing upon
theſe Matters.
In the five preceding Books we have
treated of the Deſigns, of the Ma
terials for the Work, of the Work
men, and of every Thing elſe that
appeared neceſſary to the Con
ſtruction of an Ediſice, whether publick or
private, ſacred or profane, ſo far as related to
its being made ſtrong againſt all Injuries of
Weather, and convenient for its reſpective Uſe,
as to Times Places, Men and Things: With
how much Care we have treated of all theſe
Matters, you may ſee by the Books themſelves,
from whence you may judge whether it was
poſſible to do it with much greater. The La
bour indeed was much more than I could have
foreſeen at the Beginning of this Undertaking.
Continual Difficulties every Moment aroſe
either in explaining the Matter, or inventing
Names, or methodizing the Subject, which per
ſectly conſounded me, and diſheartened me
from my Undertaking. On the other Hand,
the ſame Reaſons which induced me to be be
gin this Work, preſſed and encouraged me to
proceed. It grieved me that ſo many great
and noble Inſtructions of ancient Authors
ſhould be loſt by the Injury of Time, ſo that
ſcarce any but Vitruvius has eſcaped this ge
neral Wreek: A Writer indeed of univerſal
Knowledge, but ſo maimed by Age, that in
many Places there are great Chaſms, and many
Things imperfect in others. Beſides this, his
Style is abſolutely void of all Ornaments, and
he wrote in ſuch a Manner, that to the Latins
he ſeems to write Greek, and to the Greeks,
Latin: But indeed it is plain from the Book
itſelf, that he wrote neither Greek nor Latin,
and he might almoſt as well have never
wrote at all, at leaſt with Regard to us, ſince
we cannot underſtand him. There remained
many Examples of the ancient Works, Temples
and Theatres, from whence, as from the moſt
skilful Maſters, a great deal was to be learn
ed; but theſe I ſaw, and with Tears I ſaw it,
mouldering away daily. I obſerved too that
thoſe who in theſe Days happen to undertake
any new Structure, generally ran after the
Whims of the Moderns, inſtead of being de
lighted and directed by the Juſtneſs of more
noble Works. By this Means it was plain, that
this Part of Knowledge, and in a Manner of
Life itſelf, was likely in a ſhort Time to be
wholly loſt. In this unhappy State of Things,
I could not help having it long, and often, in
my Thoughts to write upon this Subject my
ſelf. At the ſame Time I conſidered that in
the Examination of ſo many noble and uſeful
treated of the Deſigns, of the Ma
terials for the Work, of the Work
men, and of every Thing elſe that
appeared neceſſary to the Con
ſtruction of an Ediſice, whether publick or
private, ſacred or profane, ſo far as related to
its being made ſtrong againſt all Injuries of
Weather, and convenient for its reſpective Uſe,
as to Times Places, Men and Things: With
how much Care we have treated of all theſe
Matters, you may ſee by the Books themſelves,
from whence you may judge whether it was
poſſible to do it with much greater. The La
bour indeed was much more than I could have
foreſeen at the Beginning of this Undertaking.
Continual Difficulties every Moment aroſe
either in explaining the Matter, or inventing
Names, or methodizing the Subject, which per
ſectly conſounded me, and diſheartened me
from my Undertaking. On the other Hand,
the ſame Reaſons which induced me to be be
gin this Work, preſſed and encouraged me to
proceed. It grieved me that ſo many great
and noble Inſtructions of ancient Authors
ſhould be loſt by the Injury of Time, ſo that
ſcarce any but Vitruvius has eſcaped this ge
neral Wreek: A Writer indeed of univerſal
Knowledge, but ſo maimed by Age, that in
many Places there are great Chaſms, and many
Things imperfect in others. Beſides this, his
Style is abſolutely void of all Ornaments, and
he wrote in ſuch a Manner, that to the Latins
he ſeems to write Greek, and to the Greeks,
Latin: But indeed it is plain from the Book
itſelf, that he wrote neither Greek nor Latin,
and he might almoſt as well have never
wrote at all, at leaſt with Regard to us, ſince
we cannot underſtand him. There remained
many Examples of the ancient Works, Temples
and Theatres, from whence, as from the moſt
skilful Maſters, a great deal was to be learn
ed; but theſe I ſaw, and with Tears I ſaw it,
mouldering away daily. I obſerved too that
thoſe who in theſe Days happen to undertake
any new Structure, generally ran after the
Whims of the Moderns, inſtead of being de
lighted and directed by the Juſtneſs of more
noble Works. By this Means it was plain, that
this Part of Knowledge, and in a Manner of
Life itſelf, was likely in a ſhort Time to be
wholly loſt. In this unhappy State of Things,
I could not help having it long, and often, in
my Thoughts to write upon this Subject my
ſelf. At the ſame Time I conſidered that in
the Examination of ſo many noble and uſeful