Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              the Things neceſſary and uſeful to the Family.
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              <s>The Family conſiſts of the following Perſons:
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              The Husband, the Wife, their Children and
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              Relations, and all the different Sorts of Ser­
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              vants attendant upon theſe; beſides which,
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              Gueſts too are to be reckoned as Part of the
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              Family. </s>
              <s>The Things uſeſul to the Family are
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              Proviſions and all Manner of Neceſſaries, ſuch
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              as Cloths, Arms, Books, and Horſes alſo. </s>
              <s>The
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              principal Member of the whole Building, is
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              that which (whatever Names others may give
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              it) I ſhall call the Court-yard with its Portico;
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              next to this is the Parlour, within this the Bed­
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              chambers, and laſtly, the private Rooms for
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              the particular Uſes of each Perſon in the Fa­
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              mily. </s>
              <s>The other Members of the Houſe are
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              ſufficiently known by their Uſes. </s>
              <s>The Court­
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              yard therefore is the principal Member, to
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              which all the other ſmaller Members muſt cor­
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              reſpond, as being in a Manner a publick Mar­
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              ket-place to the whole Houſe, which from this
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              Court-yard derives all the Advantages of Com­
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              munication and Light. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon every
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              one deſires to have his Court-yard as ſpacious,
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              large, open, handſome and convenient as poſ­
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              ſible. </s>
              <s>Some content themſelves with one Court­
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              yard, others are for having more, and for en­
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              cloſing them all with very high Walls, or ſome
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              with higher and ſome with lower; and they
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              are for having them ſome covered and others
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              open, and others again half covered and half
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              uncovered; in ſome they would have a Portico
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              only on one Side, in others on two or more,
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              and in others all round; and theſe Porticoes,
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              laſtly, ſome would build with flat, others with
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              arched Rooſs. </s>
              <s>Upon theſe Heads I have no­
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              thing more to ſay, but that Regard muſt be had
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              to the Climate and Seaſon, and to Neceſſity
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              and Convenience; ſo as in cold Countries to
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              ward againſt the bleak North-wind, and the
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              Severity of the Air and Soil; and in hot Cli­
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              mates, to avoid the troubleſome and ſcorching
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              Rays of the Sun. </s>
              <s>Admit the pleaſanteſt
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              Breezes on all Sides, and ſuch a grateſul Quan­
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              tity of Light as is neceſſary; but do not let
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              your Court-yard be expoſed to any noxious
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              Vapours exhaled from any damp Place, nor to
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              frequent haſty Showers from ſome overlooking
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              Hill in the Neighbourhood. </s>
              <s>Exactly anſwer­
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              ing the Middle of your Court-yard place your
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              Entrance, with a handſome Veſtibule, neither
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              narrow, difficult or obſcure. </s>
              <s>Let the firſt Room
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              that offers itſelf be a Chapel dedicated to God,
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              with its Altar, where Strangers and Gueſts may
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              offer their Devotions, beginning their Friend­
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              ſhip by Religion; and where the Father of the
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              Family may put up his Prayers for the Peace
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              of his Houſe and the Welfare of his Relations.
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              </s>
              <s>Here let him embrace thoſe who come to viſit
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              him, and if any Cauſe be referred to him by his
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              Friends, or he has any other ſerious Buſineſs
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              of that Nature to tranſact, let him do it in this
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              Place. </s>
              <s>Nothing is handſomer in the Middle
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              of the Portico, than Windows of Glaſs, through
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              which you may receive the Pleaſure either of
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              Sun or Air, according to the Seaſon.
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              Martial
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              ſays, that Windows looking to the South, re­
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              ceive a pure Sun and a clear Light; and the
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              Ancients thought it beſt to place their Porti­
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              coes fronting the South, becauſe the Sun in
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              Summer running his Courſe higher, did not
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              throw in his Rays, where they would enter in
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              Winter. </s>
              <s>The Proſpect of Hills to the South,
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              when thoſe Hills, on the Side which you have
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              a View of, are continually covered with Clouds
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              and Vapours, is not very pleaſant, if they are
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              at a great Diſtance; and if they are near, and
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              in a Manner juſt over your Head, they will
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              incommode you with chill Shadows and cold
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              Rimes; but if they are at a convenient Dif­
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              tance, they are both pleaſant and convenient,
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              becauſe they defend you from the ſouthern
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              Winds. </s>
              <s>Hills towards the North reverberating
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              the Rays of the Sun, encreaſe the Heat; but at
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              a pretty good Diſtance, they are very delight­
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              ful, becauſe the Clearneſs of the Air, which is
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              always ſerene in ſuch a Situation, and the
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              Brightneſs of the Sun, which it always enjoys,
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              is extremely chearful to the Sight. </s>
              <s>Hills to the
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              Eaſt and ſo likewiſe to the Weſt, will make
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              your Mornings cold and the Dews plentiſul,
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              if they are near you; but both, if at ſome toler­
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              able Diſtance, are wonderfully Pleaſant. </s>
              <s>So
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              too, Rivers and Lakes are inconvenient if too
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              near, and afford no Delight, if too far off:
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              Whereas, on the Contrary, the Sea, if it is at
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              a large Diſtance, makes both your Air and Sun
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              unhealthy; but when it is cloſe to you, it does
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              you leſs Harm, becauſe then you have always
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              an Equality in your Air. </s>
              <s>Indeed there is this
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              to be ſaid, that when it is at a great Diſtance,
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              it encreaſes the Deſire we have to ſee it. </s>
              <s>There
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              is a good Deal too in the Point to which we
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              lie open to it: For if you are expoſed to the
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              Sea towards the South, it ſcorches you; if to­
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              wards the Eaſt, it infeſts you with Damps; if
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              to the Weſt, it makes your Air cloudy and full
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              of Vapours; and if to the North, it chills you
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              with exceſſive Cold. </s>
              <s>From the Court-yard
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              we proceed to the Parlours, which muſt be </s>
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