Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/011.jpg" pagenum="2"/>
              granted, we ſhall call the Deſign a firm and
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              graceful pre-ordering of the Lines and Angles,
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              conceived in the Mind, and contrived by an
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              ingenious Artiſt. </s>
              <s>But if we would enquire
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              what a Building is in its own Nature, together
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              with the Structure thereof, it may not be amiſs,
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              to conſider from what Beginnings the Habita­
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              tions of Men, which we call Edifices, took
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              their Riſe, and the Progreſs of their Improve­
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              ment: Which unleſs I am miſtaken, may be
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              reſolved as follows.</s>
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              <s>CHAP II.</s>
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              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the firſt Occaſion of erecting Edifices; of how many Parts the Art of
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              Building conſiſts, and what is neceſſary to each of thoſe Parts.
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              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>In the Beginning Men looked out for Set­
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              tlements in ſome ſecure Country; and ha­
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              ving found a convenient Spot ſuitable to their
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              Occaſions, they there made themſelves a Ha­
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              bitation ſo contrived, that private and publick
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              Matters might not be confounded together in
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              the ſame Place; but that they might have one
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              Part for Sleep, another for their Kitchen, and
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              others for their other neceſſary Uſes. </s>
              <s>They
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              then began to think of a Covering to defend
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              them from Sun and Rain; and in order there­
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              to, they erected Walls to place this Covering
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              upon. </s>
              <s>By this means they knew they ſhould
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              be the more compleatly ſheltered from pierc­
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              ing Colds, and ſtormy Winds. </s>
              <s>Laſtly, in the
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              Sides of the Walls, from Top to Bottom, they
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              opened Paſſages and Windows, for going in and
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              out, and letting in Light and Air, and for the
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              Conveniency of diſcharging any Wet, or any
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              groſs Vapours, which might chance to get into
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              the Houſe. </s>
              <s>And whoſoever it was, whether
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              the Goddeſs
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              Veſta,
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              Daughter of
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              Saturn,
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              or
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Euryalus
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              and
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              Hyperbius,
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              the two Brothers, or
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Gellio,
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              or
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              Thraſo,
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              or the Cyclop
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              Typhinchius,
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              that firſt contrived theſe Things: I am per­
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              ſuaded the firſt Beginnings of them were ſuch
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              as I have deſcribed, and that Uſe and Arts have
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              ſince improved them to ſuch a Pitch, that the
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              various Kinds of Buildings are become almoſt
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              infinite: Some are publick, ſome private, ſome
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              ſacred, ſome profane, ſome ſerve for Uſe and
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              Neceſſity, ſome for the Ornament of our Cities,
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              or the Beauty of our Temples: But no body
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              will therefore deny, that they were all derived
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              from the Principles abovementioned: Which
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              being ſo, it is evident, that the whole Art of
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              Building conſiſts in ſix Things, which are theſe:
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              The Region, the Seat or Platform, the Com­
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              partition, the Walling, the Covering and the
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              Apertures; and if theſe Principles are firſt
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              thoroughly conceived, that which is to follow
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              will the more eaſily be underſtood. </s>
              <s>We ſhall
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              therefore define them thus, the Region with
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              us ſhall be the whole large open Place in which
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              we are to build, and of which the Seat or Plat­
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              form ſhall be only a Part: But the Platform
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              ſhall be a determined Spot of the Region, cir­
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              cumſcribed by Walls for Uſe and Service. </s>
              <s>But
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              under the Title of Platform, we ſhall likewiſe
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              include all thoſe Spaces of the Buildings, which
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              in walking we tread upon with our Feet. </s>
              <s>The
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              Compartition is that which ſub-divides the
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              whole Platform of the Houſe into ſmaller Plat­
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              forms, ſo that the whole Edifice thus formed
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              and conſtituted of theſe its Members, ſeems to
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              be full of leſſer Edifices: By Walling we ſhall
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              underſtand all that Structure, which is carried
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              up from the Ground to the Top to ſupport
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              the Weight of the Roof, and ſuch alſo as is
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              raiſed on the Inſide of the Building, to ſepa­
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              rate the Apartments; Covering we ſhall call
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              not only that Part, which is laid over the Top
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              of the Edifice to receive the Rain, but any
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              Part too which is extended in length and
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              breadth over the Heads of thoſe within;
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              which includes all Ceilings, halſ-arched Roofs,
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              Vaults, and the like. </s>
              <s>Apertures are all thoſe
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              Outlets, which are in any Part of the Build­
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              ing, for the Convenience of Egreſs and Re­
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              greſs, or the Paſſage of Things neceſſary for
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              the Inmates. </s>
              <s>Of theſe therefore we ſhall treat,
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              and of all the Parts of each, having firſt pre­
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              miſed ſome Things, which whether they are
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              Principles, or neceſſary Concomitants of the
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              Principles of this Work which we have under­
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              taken, are certainly very much to our Purpoſe:
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              For having conſidered, whether there was any
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              Thing that might concern any of thoſe Parts
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              which we have enumerated; we found three
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              Things by no means to be neglected, which
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              relate particularly to the Covering, the Wall­
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              ing, and the like: Namely, that each of them
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              be adapted to ſome certain and determinate
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              Conveniency, and above all, be wholeſome. </s>
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