Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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Cunning and Fraud to their Strength, they
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would be irreſiſtible. </
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<
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>The politick Kings of
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Cairo
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in
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Ægypt,
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a City ſo populous that they
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thought it was extremely healthy and flouriſh
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ing, when no more than a thouſand People died
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in a Day, divided it by ſo many Cuts and Chan
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nels, that it ſeemed not to be one ſingle City,
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but a great Number of ſmall Towns lying toge
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ther. </
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>This I ſuppoſe they did, not ſo much
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that the Conveniencies of the River might be
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equally diſtributed, as to ſecure themſelves
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againſt the popular Commotions of a great
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Multitude, and that if any ſuch ſhould happen,
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they might the more caſily ſuppreſs them: juſt
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as if a Man out of one huge Coloſſus, ſhould
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make two or more Statues, that he might be better
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able to manage or remove them. </
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<
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>The
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Romans
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never uſed to ſend a Senator into
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Ægypt,
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with
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Proconſular Authority, to govern the whole
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Province; but only ſome Knights, with Com
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miſſion to govern ſeparate Parts of it. </
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this they did, as we are informed by
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Arrian,
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to
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Intent that a Province ſo inclined to Tumults
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and Innovations, might not be under the Care
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of a ſingle Perſon: and they obſerved that no
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City was more exempt from Diſcord, than thoſe
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which were divided by Nature, either by a Ri
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ver flowing thro' the Middle of it, or by a Num
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ber of little ſeparate Hills; or by being built
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one Part upon a Hill, and the other upon a
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Plain, with a Wall between them. </
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<
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>And this
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Wall or Diviſion, I think, ought not to bedrawn
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like a Diameter clear thro'the Area, but ought
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rather to be made to encloſe one Circle within
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another: for the richer Sort, deſiring a more
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open Space and more Room, will eaſily conſent
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to be ſhut out of the inner Circle, and will be
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very willing to leave the Middle of the Town,
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to Cooks, Victuallers and other ſuch Trades;
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and all the ſcoundrel Rabble belonging to
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Te
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rence's
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Paraſite, Cooks, Bakers, Butchers and
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the like, will be leſs dangerous there than if
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they were not to live ſeparate from the nobler
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Citizens. </
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>Nor is it ſoreign to our Purpoſe
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what we read in
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Feſtus,
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that
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Servius Tullius
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commanded the
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Patricians
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to dwell in a cer
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tain Part of the Town, where if they offered
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at any Diſturbance, he was immediately ready
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to quell them from a ſuperior Situation. </
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<
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>This
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Wall within the City ought to run thro' every
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Diſtrict of the Town; and it ſhould be built ſo
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ſtrong and thick in all Reſpects, and be raiſed
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ſo high (as indeed ſo ought all the other City
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Walls) that it may overlook all the private
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Houſes. </
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>It ſhould alſo be fortified with Bat
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tlements and Towers; and a good Ditch on
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both Sides would not be amiſs; that your Men
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may the more eaſily defend it on any Side.
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>The Towers upon this Wall ought not to be
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open on the Inſide, but walled up quite round;
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and they ſhould be ſo ſeated as not only to re
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pulſe the Aſſaults of a foreign Enemy, but of
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Domeſtick one too upon Occaſion; and particu
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larly they ought to command the great Streets,
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and the Tops of all high Temples. </
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<
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>I would
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have no Paſſage into theſe Towers but from off
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the Wall itſelf; nor any Way up to the
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Wall but what is entirely in the Power of the
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Prince. </
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>There ſhould be no Arches nor Tow
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ers in the Streets that lead from the Fortreſs
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into the City; nor Leads or Terraſſes from
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whence the Soldiers may be moleſted with
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Stones or Darts as they paſs to their Duty. </
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<
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>In
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a Word, the whole ſhould be ſo contrived that
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every Place, which any Way commands the
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Town, ſhould be in the Hands of the Prince;
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and that it ſhould not be in the Power of any
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Perſon whatſoever, to prevent his Men from
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over-running the whole City as he pleaſes.
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>And herein the City of a Tyrant differs from
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that of a King; and perhaps they differ too in
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this, that a Town in a Plain is moſt conveni
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ent for a free People; but one upon a Hill the
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ſafeſt ſor a Tyrant. </
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<
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>The other Edifices for
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the Habitation both for King and Tyrant, are
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not only the ſame in moſt reſpects, but alſo
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differ very little from the Houſes of private
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Perſons: And in ſome Particulars they differ
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both from one another, and from theſe latter
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too. </
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<
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>We ſhall ſpeak firſt of thoſe Things
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wherein they agree; and of their Peculiarities
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afterwards. </
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<
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>This Sort of Buildings is ſaid to
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have been invented only for Neceſſity: Yet
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there are ſome Parts of them which ſerve be
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ſides to Conveniency, that by Uſe and Habit
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ſeem to be grown as neceſſary as any: Such as
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Porticoes, Places for taking the Air in, and the
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like: Which, though Method may ſeem to re
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quire it, I ſhall not diſtinguiſh ſo nicely, as to
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divide what is convenient from what is neceſ
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ſary: But ſhall only ſay, that as in the City it
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ſelf, ſo in theſe Particular Structures, ſome
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Parts belong to the whole Houſhold, ſome to
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the Uſes of a few, and others to that of a ſingle
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Perſon.</
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