Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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<
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>THE
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PREFACE.
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<
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>Our Anceſtors have left us many and various Arts tending to the Pleaſure and
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Conveniency of Life, acquired with the greateſt Induſtry and Diligence:
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Which Arts, though they all pretend, with a Kind of Emulation, to have in
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View the great End of being ſerviceable to Mankind; yet we know that each
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of them in particular has ſomething in it that ſeems to promiſe a diſtinct and
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ſeparate Fruit: Some Arts we follow for Neceſſity, ſome we approve for their
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Uſefulneſs, and ſome we eſteem becauſe they lead us to the Knowledge of Things that are de
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lightſul. </
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<
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>What theſe Arts are, it is not neceſſary for me to enumerate; for they are obvious.
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>But if you take a View of the whole Circle of Arts, you ſhall hardly find one but what, deſpiſ
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ing all others, regards and ſeeks only its own particular Ends: Or if you do meet with any of
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ſuch a Nature that you can in no wiſe do without it, and which yet brings along with it Pro
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ſit at the ſame Time, conjoined with Pleaſure and Honour, you will, I believe, be convinced,
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that Architecture is not to be excluded from that Number. </
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>For it is certain, if you examine
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the Matter carefully, it is inexpreſſibly delightful, and of the greateſt Convenience to Mankind
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in all Reſpects, both publick and private; and in Dignity not inferior to the moſt excellent. </
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<
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>But
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before I proceed further, it will not be improper to explain what he is that I allow to be an
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Architect: For it is not a Carpenter or a Joiner that I thus rank with the greateſt Maſters in
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other Sciences; the manual Operator being no more than an Inſtrument to the Architect.
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>Him I call an Architect, who, by ſure and wonderful Art and Method, is able, both with
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Thought and Invention, to deviſe, and, with Execution, to compleat all thoſe Works, which,
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by means of the Movement of great Weights, and the Conjunction and Amaſſment of Bodies,
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can, with the greateſt Beauty, be adapted to the Uſes of Mankind: And to be able to do this,
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he muſt have a thorough Inſight into the nobleſt and moſt curious Sciences. </
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<
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>Such muſt be the
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Architect. </
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<
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>But to return.</
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<
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>SOME have been of Opinion, that either Water or Fire were the principal Occaſions of bring
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ing Men together into Societies; but to us, who conſider the Uſefulneſs and Neceſſity of Co
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verings and Walls, it ſeems evident, that they were the chief Cauſes of aſſembling Men toge
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ther. </
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>But the only Obligation we have to the Architect is not for his providing us with ſafe
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and pleaſant Places, where we may ſhelter ourſelves from the Heat of the Sun, from Cold and
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Tempeſt, (though this is no ſmall Benefit); but for having beſides contrived many other
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Things, both of a private and publick Nature of the higheſt Uſe and Convenience to the Life
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of Man. </
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>How many noble Families, reduced by the Calamity of the Times, had been utterly
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loſt, both in our own native City, and in others, had not their paternal Habitations preſerved
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and cheriſhed them, as it were, in the Boſom of their Forefathers.
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Dædalus
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in his Time was
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greatly eſteemed for having made the
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Selinuntians
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a Vault, which gathered ſo warm and kindly
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a Vapour, as provoked a plentiful Sweat, and thereby cured their Diſtempers with great Eaſe
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and Pleaſure. </
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<
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>Why need I mention others who have contrived many Things of the like Sort
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conducive to Health; as Places for Exerciſe, for Swimming, Baths and the like? </
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<
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>Or why
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ſhould I inſtance in Vehicles, Mills, Time-meaſures, and other ſuch minute Things, which
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nevertheleſs are of great Uſe in Life? </
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<
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>Why ſhould I inſiſt upon the great Plenty of Waters
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brought from the moſt remote and hidden Places, and employed to ſo many different and uſe
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ful Purpoſes? </
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<
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>Upon Trophies, Tabernacles, ſacred Edifices, Churches and the like, adapted </
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