Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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1contrived for different Seaſons, ſome to be uſed
n
Summer, others in Winter; and others as we
may
ſay in the middle Seaſons.
Parlours for
Summer
require Water and the Verdure of
Gardens
; thoſe for Winter, muſt be warm and
have
good Fire-places.
Both ſhould be large,
pleaſant
and delicate.
There are many Ar­
guments
to convince us that Chimnies were in
Uſe
among the Ancients; but not ſuch as ours
are
now.
One of the Ancients ſays, the Tops
of
the Houſes ſmoke, Et fumant culmina tecti:
And
we find it continues the ſame all over
Italy to this Day, except in Lombardy and
Tuſcany, and that the Mouths of none of the
Chimnies
riſe higher than the Tops of the
Houſes
. Vitruvius ſays, that in Winter Par­
lours
it is ridiculous to adorn the Ceiling with
handſome
Painting, becauſe it will be preſent­
ly
ſpoilt by the conſtant Smoke and continual
Fires
; for which Reaſon the Ancients uſed to
paint
thoſe Ceilings with Black, that it might
ſeem
to be done by the Smoke itſelf.
I find
too
, that they made Uſe of a purified Sort of
Wood
, that was quite clear of Smoke, like our
Charcoal
, upon which Account it was a Diſ­
pute
among the Lawyers, whether or no Coal
was
to come under the Denomination of Wood;
and
therefore it is probable they generally uſed
moveable
Hearths or Chafing-pans either of
Braſs
or Iron, which they carried from Place to
Place
where-everthey had Occaſion to make a
Fire
.
And perhaps that warlike Race of Men,
hardened
by continual Incampments, did not
make
ſo much Uſe of Fire as we do now; and
Phyſicians
will not allow it wholeſome, to be
too
much by the Fire-ſide. Ariſtotle ſays,
that
the Fleſh of Animals gains its Firmneſs
and
Solidity from Cold; and thoſe whoſe Buſi­
neſs
it is to take Notice of Things of this Na­
ture
have obſerved, that thoſe working Men
who
are continually employed about the Fur­
nace
have generally dry wrinkled Skins; the
Reaſon
of which they ſay is, becauſe the Jui­
ces
, of which the Fleſh is formed, are exhauſt­
ed
by the Fire, and evaporate in Steam.
In
Germany, Colchos, and other Places, where Fire
is
abſolutely neceſſary againſt the extreme
Cold
, they make Uſe of Stoves; of which we
ſhall
ſpeak elſewhere.
Let us return to the
Chimney
, which may be beſt made ſerviceable
in
the following Manner.
It muſt be as direct
as
poſſible, capacious, not too far from the
Light
, it muſt not draw the Wind too much,
but
enough however to carry up the Smoke,
which
elſe would not go up the Tunnel.
For
theſe
Reaſons do not make it juſt in a Corner,
nor
too far within the Wall, nor let it take up
the
beſt Part of the Room where your chief
Gueſts
ought to ſit.
Do not let it be in­
commoded
by the Air either of Doors or Win­
dows
, nor ſhould it project too ſar out into the
Room
.
Let its Tunnel be very wide and car­
ried
up perpendicular, and let the Top of it
riſe
above the higheſt Part of the whole Build­
ing
; and this not only upon Account of the
Danger
of Fire, but alſo to prevent the Smoke
from
being driven down the Chimney again by
any
Eddy of Wind on the Top of the Houſe.
Smoke being hot naturally mounts, and the
Heat
of the Flame quickens its Aſcent: When
it
comes therefore into the Tunnel of the
Chimney
, it is compreſſed and ſtraitened as in
a
Channel, and being puſhed on by the Heat
of
the Fire, is thruſt out in the ſame Manner
as
the Sound is out of a Trumpet.
And as a
Trumpet
, if it is too big, does not give a clear
Sound
, becauſe the Air has Room to rowl about
in
it; the ſame will hold good with Relation
to
the Smoke in a Chimney.
Let the Top of
the
Chimney be covered to keep out Rain, and
all
round the Sides let there be wide Holes for
the
Paſſage of the Smoke, with Breaks projec­
ting
out between each Hole to keep off the
Violence
of the Wind.
Where this is not ſo
convenient
, erect an upright Pin, and on it hang
a
braſs Cover broad enough to take in the
whole
Mouth of the Chimney, and let this Co­
ver
have a Vane at the Top like a Sort of
Creſt
, which like a Helm may turn it round
according
to the Wind.
Another very good
Method
alſo is to ſet on the Chimney Top ſome
Spire
like a Hunter's Horn, either of Braſs or
baked
Earth, broader at one End than the
other
, with the broad End turned downwards
to
the Mouth of the Chimney; by which
means
the Smoke being received in at the
broad
End, will force its Way out at the Nar­
row
, in Spite of the Wind.
To the Parlours
we
muſt accommodate the Kitchen, and the
Pantry
for ſetting by what is left after Meals,
together
with all Manner of Veſſels and Linen.
The Kitchen ought to be neither juſt under the
Noſes
of the Gueſts, nor at too great a Diſ­
tance
; but ſo that the Victuals may be brought
in
neither too hot nor too cold, and that the
Noiſe
of the Scullions, with the Clatter of
their
Pans, Diſhes and other Utenſils, may not
be
troubleſome.
The Paſſage through which
the
Victuals are to be carried, ſhould be hand­
ſome
and convenient, not open to the Weather,

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