Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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long the Flection, Diſtribution, Diſpoſition,
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and other Things of the like Nature which
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give Dignity to the Work: To the Hand, the
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amaſſing, adding, diminiſhing, chipping, po
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liſhing, and the like, which make the Work
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delicate: The Qualities derived from Nature
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are Heavineſs, Lightneſs, Thickneſs, Clearneſs,
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Durability,
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&c.
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which make the Work wond
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erful. </
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<
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>Theſe three Operations are to be adapt
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cd to the ſeveral Parts according to their various
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Uſes and Offices. </
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<
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>There are ſeveral Ways of
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dividing and conſidering the different Parts:
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But at preſent we ſhall divide all Buildings
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either according to the Parts in which they
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generally agree, or to thoſe in which they ge
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nerally differ. </
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<
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>In the firſt Book we ſaw that
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all Edifices muſt have Region, Situation, Com
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partition, Walling, Covering, and Apertures;
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in theſe Particulars therefore they agree. </
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<
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>But
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then in theſe others they differ, namely, that
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ſome are Sacred, others Profane, ſome Pub
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lick, others Private, ſome deſigned for Neceſ
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ſity, others for Pleaſure, and ſo on. </
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<
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>Let us be
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gin with thoſe Particulars wherein they agree.
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</
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<
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>What the Hand or Wit of Man can add to
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the Region, either of Beauty or Dignity, is
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hardly diſcoverable; unleſs we would give in
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to thoſe miraculous and ſuperſtitious Accounts
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which we read of ſome Works. </
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<
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>Nor are the
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Undertakers of ſuch Works blamed by pru
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dent Men, if their Deſigns anſwer any great
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Conveniency; but if they take Pains to do
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what there was no Neceſſity for, they are juſt
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ly denied the Praiſe they hunt after. </
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<
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>For who
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would be ſo daring as to undertake, like
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Staſi
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crates,
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(according to
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Plutarch
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) or
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Dinocrates
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(according to
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Vitruvius
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) to make Mount
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Athos
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into a Statue of
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Alexander,
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and in one of the
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Hands to build a City big enough to contain
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ten thouſand Men? </
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<
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>Indeed I ſhould not diſ
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commend Queen
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Nitocris
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for having forced
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the River
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Euphrates,
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by making vaſt Cuts, to
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flow three Times round the City of the
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Aſſy
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rians,
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if ſhe made the Region ſtrong and ſecure
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by thoſe Trenches, and fruitful by the over
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flowing of the Water. </
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<
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>But let us leave it to
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mighty Kings to be delighted with ſuch Un
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dertakings: Let them join Sea to Sea by cut
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ting the Land between them: Let them level
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Hills: Let them make new Iſlands, or join old
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ones to the Continent: Let them put it out
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of the Power of any others to imitate them,
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and ſo make their Names memorable to Poſte
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rity: Still all their waſt Works will be com
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mended not ſo much in Proportion to their
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Greatneſs as their Uſe. </
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<
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>The Ancients ſome
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times added Dignity not only to particular
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Groves, but even to the whole Region, by
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Means of Religion. </
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<
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>We read that all
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Sicily
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was conſecrated to
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Ceres;
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but theſe are Things
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not now to be inſiſted upon. </
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<
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>It will be of great
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and real Advantages, if the Region be poſſeſſed
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of ſome rare Quality, no leſs uſeful than extra
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ordinary: As for Inſtance, if the Air be more
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temperate than in any other Place, and always
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equal and uniform, as we are told it is at
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Moroe,
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where Men live in a Manner as long as
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they pleaſe; or if the Region produces ſome
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thing not to be found elſewhere and very de
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ſirable and wholeſome to Man, as that which
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produces Amber, Cinnamon, and Balſam; or
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if it has ſome divine Influence in it, as there is
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in the Soil of the Iſland
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Eubœa,
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where we are
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told nothing noxious is produced. </
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<
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>The Situ
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ation, being a certain determinate Part of the
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Region, is adorned by all the ſame Particulars
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as beautify the Region itſelf. </
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<
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>But Nature ge
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nerally offers more Conveniencies, and thoſe
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more ready at Hand, for adorning the Situati
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on than the Region; for we very frequently
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meet with Circumſtances extreamly noble and
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ſurpriſing, ſuch as Promontories, Rocks, brok
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en Hills vaſtly high and ſharp, Grottoes, Ca
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verns, Springs and the like; near which, if we
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would have our Situation ſtrike the Beholders
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with Surprize, we may build to our Hearts
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deſire. </
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<
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>Nor ſhould their be wanting in the
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Proſpect Remains of Antiquity, on which we
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cannot turn our Eyes without conſidering the
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various Revolutions of Men and Things, and
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being filled with Wonder and Admiration. </
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<
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>I
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need not mention the Place where
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Troy
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once
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ſtood, or the Plains of
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Leuctra
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ſtained with
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Blood, nor the Fields near
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Traſumenus,
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and a
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thouſand other Places memorable for ſome
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great Event. </
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<
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>How the Hand and Wit of Man
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may add to the Beauty of the Situation, is not
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ſo eaſily ſhewn. </
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<
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>I paſs over Things com
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monly done; ſuch as Plane-trees brought by
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Sea to the Iſland of
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Tremeti
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to adorn the Situ
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ation, or Columns, Obelisks and Trees left by
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great Men in order to ſtrike Poſterity with Ve
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neration; as for Inſtance, the Olive-tree planted
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by
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Neptune
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and
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Minerva,
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which flouriſhed for
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ſo many Ages in the Citadel of
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Athens:
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I like
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wife paſs over ancient Traditions handed down
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from Age to Age, as that of the Turpentine
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tree near
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Hebron,
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which was reported to have
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ſtood from the Creation of the World to the
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Days of
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Joſephus
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the Hiſtorian. </
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<
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