Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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the Things neceſſary and uſeful to the Family.
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>The other Members of the Houſe are
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ſufficiently known by their Uſes. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>From the Court-yard
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we proceed to the Parlours, which muſt be </
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