Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              then be reckoned ſo by a hundred; and they
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              abounded in ſuch an incredible Number of in­
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              genious Men who exerciſe their Talent this
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              Way, that we are told there was at one Time
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              no leſs than ſeven hundred Architects at
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              Rome,
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              whoſe Works were ſo noble that the extraor­
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              dinary Praiſe which is beſtowed upon them,
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              is hardly equal to their Merit. </s>
              <s>And as the
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              Wealth of the Empire was ſufficient to bear the
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              Expence of the moſt ſtately Structures, ſo we
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              are told that a private Man, by Name
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              Tatius,
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              at his own proper Charges built Baths for the
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              People of
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              Oſtia
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              with an hundred Columns of
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Numidian
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              Marble. </s>
              <s>But ſtill though the Con­
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              dition of their State was thus flouriſhing, they
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              thought it moſt laudable to join the Magnifi­
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              cence of the moſt profuſe Monarchs, to the an­
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              cient Parſimony and frugal Contrivance of their
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              own Country: But ſtill in ſuch a Manner, that
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              their Frugality ſhould not prejudice Conveni­
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              ency, nor Conveniency be too cautious and
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              fearful of Expence; but that both ſhould be
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              embelliſhed by every thing that was delicate or
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              beautiful. </s>
              <s>In a Word, being to the greateſt
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              Degree careful and exact in all their Buildings,
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              they became at laſt ſo excellent in this Art,
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              that there was nothing in it ſo hiden or ſecret
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              but what they traced out, diſcovered and
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              brought to light, by the Favour of Heaven,
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              and the Art itſelf not frowning upon their En­
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              deavours: For the Art of Building having had
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              her ancient Seat in
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              Italy,
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              and eſpecially among
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              the
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              Hetrurians,
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              who beſides thoſe miraculous
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              Structures which we read to have been erected
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              by their Kings, of Labyrinths and Sepulchres,
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              had among them ſome excellent ancient Writ­
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              ings, which taught the Manner of building
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              Temples, according to the Practice of the An­
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              cient
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              Tuſcans:
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              I ſay, this Art having had her
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              ancient Seat in
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              Italy,
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              and knowing with how
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              much Fervour ſhe was courted there, ſhe ſeems
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              to have reſolved, that this Empire of the World,
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              which was already adorned with all other Vir­
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              tues, ſhould be made ſtill more admirable by
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              her Embelliſhments. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon ſhe gave
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              herſelf to them to be throughly known and un­
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              derſtood; thinking it a Shame that the Head
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              of the Univerſe and the Glory of all Nations
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              ſhould be equalled in Magnificence by thoſe
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              whom ſhe had excelled in all Virtues and Sci­
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              ences. </s>
              <s>Why ſhould I inſiſt here upon their
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              Porticoes, Temples, Gates, Theatres, Baths,
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              and other gigantick Structures; Works ſo a­
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              mazing, that though they were actually exe­
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              cuted, ſome very great foreign Architects
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              thought them impracticable. </s>
              <s>In ſhort, I need
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              ſay no more than that they could not bear to
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              have even their common Drains void of Beau­
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              ty, and were ſo delighted with Magnificence
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              and Ornament, that they thought it no Profu­
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              ſion to ſpend the Wealth of the State in Build­
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              ings that were hardly deſigned for any thing
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              elſe. </s>
              <s>By the Examples therefore of the Anci­
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              ents, and the Precepts of great Maſters, and
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              conſtant Practice, a thorough Knowledge is to
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              be gained of the Method of raiſing ſuch mag­
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              nificent Structures; from this Knowledge
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              ſound Rules are to be drawn, which are by no
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              means to be neglected by thoſe who have not
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              a Mind to make themſelves ridiculous by build­
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              ing, as I ſuppoſe nobody has. </s>
              <s>Theſe Rules it
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              is our Buſineſs here to collect and explain, ac­
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              cording to the beſt of our Capacity. </s>
              <s>Of theſe
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              ſome regard the univerſal Beauty and Orna­
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              ment of the whole Edifice; other the particu­
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              lar Parts and Members taken ſeparately. </s>
              <s>The
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              former are taken immediately from Philoſophy
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              and are intended to direct and regulate the
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              Operations of this Art; the others from Ex­
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              perience, as we have ſhewn above, only filed
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              and perfected by the Principles of Philo­
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              ſophy. </s>
              <s>I ſhall ſpeak firſt of thoſe wherein this
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              particular Art is moſt concerned; and as for
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              the others, which relate to the Univerſality,
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              they ſhall ſerve by Way of Epilogue.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. IV</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              That Beauty and Ornament in every Thing ariſe from Contrivance, or the
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              Hand of the Artificer, or from Nature; and that though the Region indeed
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              can hardly be improved by the Wit or Labour of Man, yet many other
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              Things may be done highly worthy of Admiration, and ſcarcely credible.
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              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>That which delights us in Things that
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              are either beautiful or finely adorned,
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              muſt proceed either from the Contrivance and
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              Invention of the Mind, or the Hand of the
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              Artificer, or from ſomewhat derived immedi­
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              ately from Nature herſelf. </s>
              <s>To the Mind be­</s>
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