Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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<
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>THE
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ARCHITECTURE
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OF
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Leone Batiſta Alberti.
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<
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>BOOK VI. CHAP. I.</
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Of the Reaſon and Difficulty of the Author's Undertaking, whereby it appears
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how much Pains, Study and Application he has employed in writing upon
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theſe Matters.
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<
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>In the five preceding Books we have
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treated of the Deſigns, of the Ma
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terials for the Work, of the Work
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men, and of every Thing elſe that
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appeared neceſſary to the Con
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ſtruction of an Ediſice, whether publick or
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private, ſacred or profane, ſo far as related to
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its being made ſtrong againſt all Injuries of
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Weather, and convenient for its reſpective Uſe,
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as to Times Places, Men and Things: With
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how much Care we have treated of all theſe
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Matters, you may ſee by the Books themſelves,
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from whence you may judge whether it was
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poſſible to do it with much greater. </
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<
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>The La
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bour indeed was much more than I could have
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foreſeen at the Beginning of this Undertaking.
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<
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>Continual Difficulties every Moment aroſe
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either in explaining the Matter, or inventing
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Names, or methodizing the Subject, which per
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ſectly conſounded me, and diſheartened me
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from my Undertaking. </
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<
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>On the other Hand,
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the ſame Reaſons which induced me to be be
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gin this Work, preſſed and encouraged me to
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proceed. </
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<
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>It grieved me that ſo many great
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and noble Inſtructions of ancient Authors
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ſhould be loſt by the Injury of Time, ſo that
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ſcarce any but
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Vitruvius
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has eſcaped this ge
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neral Wreek: A Writer indeed of univerſal
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Knowledge, but ſo maimed by Age, that in
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many Places there are great Chaſms, and many
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Things imperfect in others. </
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>Beſides this, his
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Style is abſolutely void of all Ornaments, and
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he wrote in ſuch a Manner, that to the
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Latins
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he ſeems to write
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Greek,
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and to the
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Greeks,
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Latin:
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But indeed it is plain from the Book
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itſelf, that he wrote neither
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Greek
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nor
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Latin,
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and he might almoſt as well have never
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wrote at all, at leaſt with Regard to us, ſince
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we cannot underſtand him. </
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<
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>There remained
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many Examples of the ancient Works, Temples
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and Theatres, from whence, as from the moſt
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skilful Maſters, a great deal was to be learn
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ed; but theſe I ſaw, and with Tears I ſaw it,
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mouldering away daily. </
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<
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>I obſerved too that
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thoſe who in theſe Days happen to undertake
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any new Structure, generally ran after the
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Whims of the Moderns, inſtead of being de
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lighted and directed by the Juſtneſs of more
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noble Works. </
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>By this Means it was plain, that
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this Part of Knowledge, and in a Manner of
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Life itſelf, was likely in a ſhort Time to be
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wholly loſt. </
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<
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>In this unhappy State of Things,
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I could not help having it long, and often, in
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my Thoughts to write upon this Subject my
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ſelf. </
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<
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>At the ſame Time I conſidered that in
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the Examination of ſo many noble and uſeful </
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