Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

List of thumbnails

< >
101
101 		102
102
103
103 		104
104
105
105 		106
106
107
107 		108
108
109
109 		110
110
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <pb xlink:href="003/01/102.jpg" pagenum="84"/>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. II.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Portico, Veſtibule, Court-yard, Hall, Stairs, Lobbies, Apertures, Back­
                <lb/>
              doors, concealed Paſſages and private Apartments; and wherein the Houſes
                <lb/>
              of Princes differ from thoſe of private Men; as alſo of the ſeparate and
                <lb/>
              common Apartments for the Prince and his Spouſe.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>I do not think the Portico and Veſtibule
                <lb/>
              were made only for the Conveniency of
                <lb/>
              Servants, as
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Diodorus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays; but rather for the
                <lb/>
              common Uſe of the Citizens: But Places for
                <lb/>
              walking in within the Houſe, the inner Court­
                <lb/>
              yard, the Hall (which I believe took its Name
                <lb/>
              from Dancing, becauſe Nuptials and Feaſts
                <lb/>
              are celebrated in it) do not belong at all to the
                <lb/>
              Publick, but entirely to the Inhabitants. </s>
              <s>Par­
                <lb/>
              lours for eating in are of two Sorts, ſome for
                <lb/>
              the Maſter, and others for the Servants: Bed­
                <lb/>
              chambers are for the Matrons, Virgins, Gueſts,
                <lb/>
              and are to be ſeparate for each. </s>
              <s>Of the uni­
                <lb/>
              verſal Diviſion of theſe, we have already treat­
                <lb/>
              ed in our firſt Book of Deſigns, as far as was
                <lb/>
              neceſſary under a general Title: We ſhall now
                <lb/>
              proceed to ſhew the Number of all theſe, their
                <lb/>
              Proportions, and proper Situations for the great­
                <lb/>
              eſt Convenience of the Inhabitants. </s>
              <s>The Por­
                <lb/>
              tico and Veſtibule are adorned by the Noble­
                <lb/>
              neſs of Entrance; the Entrance is adorned by
                <lb/>
              the View which it has before it, and by the
                <lb/>
              Magnificence of its Workmanſhip. </s>
              <s>Then the
                <lb/>
              inner Rooms for eating, laying up all Manner
                <lb/>
              of Neceſſaries, and the like, ought to be ſo
                <lb/>
              contrived and ſituated, that the Things pre­
                <lb/>
              ſerved in them may be well kept, that there be
                <lb/>
              no want of Sun or Air, and that they have all
                <lb/>
              Manner of proper Conveniencies, and be kept
                <lb/>
              diſtinct, ſo that too great Familarity may not
                <lb/>
              leſſen the Dignity, Conveniency or Pleaſure of
                <lb/>
              Gueſts, nor encourage the Impertinence of
                <lb/>
              Perſons that pay their Attendance to you.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>And indeed Veſtibules, Halls, and the like
                <lb/>
              Places of publick Reception in Houſes, ought
                <lb/>
              to be like Squares and other open Places in
                <lb/>
              Cities; not in a remote private Corner, but in
                <lb/>
              the Center and the moſt publick Place, where all
                <lb/>
              the other Members may readily meet: For here
                <lb/>
              all Lobbies and Stair-caſes are to terminate;
                <lb/>
              here you meet and receive your Gueſts. </s>
              <s>More­
                <lb/>
              over, the Houſe ſhould not have above one
                <lb/>
              Entrance, to the Intent that nobody may come
                <lb/>
              in, nor any thing be carried out, without the
                <lb/>
              Knowledge of the Porter. </s>
              <s>Take Care too,
                <lb/>
              that the Windows and Doors do not lie handy
                <lb/>
              for Thieves, nor be ſo open to the Neighbours
                <lb/>
              that they can interrupt, or ſee or hear what is
                <lb/>
              ſaid or done in the Houſe. </s>
              <s>The
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Ægyptians
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              built their private Houſes without any Win­
                <lb/>
              dows outwards. </s>
              <s>Some perhaps may be for
                <lb/>
              having a Back-gate to which the Fruits of the
                <lb/>
              Harveſt may be brought home, either in Carts
                <lb/>
              or on Horſes, and not make a Naſtineſs before
                <lb/>
              the principal Entrance; as alſo a ſmaller pri­
                <lb/>
              vate Door, at which the Maſter of the Houſe,
                <lb/>
              without the Knowledge of any of his Family,
                <lb/>
              may receive any private Meſſages or Advices,
                <lb/>
              and go out himſelf, as his Occaſions call him.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>I have nothing to ſay againſt theſe: And I am
                <lb/>
              entirely for having concealed Paſſages and pri­
                <lb/>
              vate and hidden Apartments, barely known to
                <lb/>
              the Maſter himſelf; where, upon any Misfor­
                <lb/>
              tune, he may hide his Plate and other Wealth,
                <lb/>
              or by which, if need be, he may eſcape him­
                <lb/>
              ſelf. </s>
              <s>In
                <emph type="italics"/>
              David's
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Sepulchre there were ſeveral
                <lb/>
              private Places made for concealing the King's
                <lb/>
              Hereditary Treaſures; and they were contriv­
                <lb/>
              ed ſo cunningly, that it was hardly poſſible to
                <lb/>
              find them out. </s>
              <s>Out of one of theſe Places,
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Joſephus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              informs us, that
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Hircanus,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              the High
                <lb/>
              Prieſt, thirteen hundred Years afterwards. </s>
              <s>took
                <lb/>
              three thouſand Talents of Gold (which makes
                <lb/>
              eighteen hundred thouſand
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Italian
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Crowns) to
                <lb/>
              free the City from
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Antiochus's
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Siege: And out
                <lb/>
              of another of them,
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Herod,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              a long Time after
                <lb/>
              that, got a vaſt Quantity of Gold. </s>
              <s>In theſe
                <lb/>
              Things therefore the Houſes of Princes agree
                <lb/>
              with thoſe of private Perſons. </s>
              <s>The chief Dif­
                <lb/>
              ference between private Houſes and Palaces is,
                <lb/>
              that there is a particular Air ſuitable to each:
                <lb/>
              In the Latter the Rooms deſigned for the Re­
                <lb/>
              ception of Company ſhould be more numerous
                <lb/>
              and ſpacious; thoſe which are intended only
                <lb/>
              for the Uſe of a Few, or only of one Perſon,
                <lb/>
              ſhould be rather neat than large: But here
                <lb/>
              again a Palace ſhould differ from the Houſe
                <lb/>
              of a private Perſon, and even theſe private A­
                <lb/>
              partments ſhould be made more ſpacious and
                <lb/>
              large, becauſe all Parts of a Prince's Palace are </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum