Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

< >
[Figure 81]
[Figure 82]
[Figure 83]
[Figure 84]
[Figure 85]
[Figure 86]
[Figure 87]
[Figure 88]
[Figure 89]
[Figure 90]
[Figure 91]
[Figure 92]
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
120[Figure 20]
THE
ARCHITECTURE
OF

Leone Batiſta Alberti.
BOOK IV. CHAP. I.
It is plain that Building was in­
vented
for the Service of Man­
kind
; for if we conſider the
Matter
ever ſo little, it is natural
to
ſuppoſe that their firſt Deſign
was
only to raiſe a Structure that might de­
fend
them and theirs from the ill Qualities of
the
Weather; afterwards they proceeded to
make
not only every Thing that was ne­
ceſſary
to their Safety, but alſo every Thing
that
might be convenient or uſeful to them.
At laſt, inſtructed and allured by the Oppor­
tunities
that naturally offer'd themſelves, they
began
to contrive how to make their Build­
ings
ſubſervient to their Pleaſures and Recre­
adons
, and proceeded every Day further and
further
in ſo doing: So that if upon conſider­
ing
the various Sorts of Buildings, we
ſhould
ſay, that ſome were contrived by Ne­
ceſſity
, ſome by Convenience, and ſome by
Pleaſure
, it might, perhaps, be no ill Defini­
tion
of the Matter.
Yet when we take a View
of
the great Plenty and Variety of Buildings
all
about us, we eaſily perceive that all were
not
erected merely upon thoſe Accounts, or
for
one Occaſion more than another, but that
this
great Variety and Difference among them,
are
owing principally to the Variety there is
among
Mankind.
So that, if according to
our
Method we would make a careful Enquiry
into
their Sorts and Parts, it is here that we
muſt
begin our Diſquiſition, namely, from the
Nature
of Mankind, and wherein they differ
from
one another; ſince upon their Account
it
is that Buildings are erected, and for their
Uſes
varied: So that having thoroughly con­
ſidered
theſe Things, we may treat of them
more
clearly.
For this Purpoſe, it will not
be
amiſs to recollect the Opinions of the wiſe
Founders
of ancient Republicks and Laws con­

Text layer

  • Dictionary
  • Places

Text normalization

  • Original
  • Regularized
  • Normalized

Search


  • Exact
  • All forms
  • Fulltext index
  • Morphological index