Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              Tranquility, Pleaſure and Health, in Time of Buſineſs for Aſſiſtance and Profit; and in both,
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              ſor Security and Dignity. </s>
              <s>Let us not therefore deny that he ought to be praiſed and eſteemed,
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              and to be allowed a Place, both for the wonderful and raviſhing Beauty of his Works, and for
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              the Neceſſity, Serviceableneſs, and Strength of the Things which he has invented, among the
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              Chief of thoſe who have deſerved Honour and Rewards from Mankind. </s>
              <s>The Conſideration of
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              theſe Things induced me, for my Diverſion, to look a little further into this Art and its Ope­
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              rations, from what Principles it was derived, and of what Parts it conſiſted: And finding them
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              of various Kinds, in Number almoſt infinite, in their Nature marvellous, of Uſe incredible, in­
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              ſomuch that it was doubtful what Condition of Men, or what Part of the Commonwealth, or
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              what Degree in the City, whether the Publick or Private, Things ſacred or profane, Repoſe or
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              Labour, the Individual or the whole human Species, was moſt obliged to the Architect, or
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              rather Inventor of all Conveniencies; I reſolved, for ſeveral Reaſons, too tedious here to re­
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              peat, to collect all thoſe Things which are contained in theſe Ten Books. </s>
              <s>In treating of which,
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              we ſhall obſerve this Method: We conſider that an Ediſice is a Kind of Body conſiſting, like
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              all other Bodies, of Deſign and of Matter; the firſt is produced by the Thought, the other by
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              Nature; ſo that the one is to be provided by the Application and Contrivance of the Mind,
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              and the other by due Preparation and Choice. </s>
              <s>And we further reflected, that neither the one
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              nor the other of itſelf was ſufficient, without the Hand of an experienced Artificer, that knew
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              how to form his Materials after a juſt Deſign. </s>
              <s>And the Uſe of Ediſices being various, it was
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              neceſſary to enquire whether one and the ſame Kind of Deſign was fit for all Sorts of Buildings;
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              upon which Account we have diſtinguiſhed the ſeveral Kinds of Buildings: Wherein perceiv­
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              ing that the main Point was the juſt Compoſition and Relation of the Lines among themſelves,
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              from whence ariſes the Height of Beauty, I therefore began to examine what Beauty really was,
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              and what Sort of Beauty was proper to each Edifice. </s>
              <s>And as we often meet with Faults in all
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              theſe Reſpects, I conſidered how they might be altered or amended. </s>
              <s>Every Book therefore
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              has its Title prefixed to it, according to the Variety of the Subject: The Firſt treats of Deſigns;
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              the Second, of Materials; the Third, of the Work; the Fourth, of Works in general; the
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              Fifth, of Works in particular; the Sixth, of Ornaments in general; the Seventh, of the Orna­
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              ments proper for ſacred Edifices; the Eighth, of thoſe for publick and profane ones; The
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              Ninth, of thoſe for the Houſes of private Perſons; the Tenth, of Amendments and Alterations
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              in Buildings: To which is added, a various Hiſtory of Waters, and how they are found, and
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              what Uſe is to be made of the Architect in all theſe Works: As alſo Four other Books, Three of
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              which treat of the Art of Painting; and the Fourth, of Sculpture.
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