Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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<
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>CHAP. X.</
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Of the Method of cutting Marble into thin Scantlings, and what Sand is beſt
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for that Purpoſe; as alſo of the Difference and Agreement between
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Moſaic
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Work in Relieve, and Flat, and of the Cement to be uſed in that Sort of Work.
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<
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>As to thoſe Incruſtations which are faſten
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ed on to the Work, whether flat Facings,
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or pannelled Work, the ſame Method is to be
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uſed in both. </
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<
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>It is very ſurprizing to conſider
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the Diligence which the Antients uſed in ſaw
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ing and poliſhing their Scantlings of Marble.
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<
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>I myſelf have ſeen ſome Pieces of Marble above
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ſix Foot long and three broad, and yet ſcarce
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half an Inch thick, and theſe have been joined
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together with a curve Line, that the Spectators
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might not eaſily find out where the Junctures
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were.
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Pliny
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tells us, that the Ancients com
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mended the Sand of
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Æthiopia
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as the Beſt for
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ſawing of Marble, and that the
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Indian
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came up
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the neareſt to it: But that the
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Ægyptian
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was
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rather too ſoft, though even that was better than
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ours. </
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<
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>They tell us that there is a Sort found
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in a certain Flat in the
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Adriatic
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Sea, which
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was much uſed by the Ancients. </
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<
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>We dig a
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Sand about the Shore of
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Pozzuolo,
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which is not
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improper for this Purpoſe. </
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<
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>The ſharp Sand
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found in any Sort of Torrent is good, but the
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larger it is, the wider it cuts and the more it
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eats into the Stone; whereas the ſofter it goes
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through, the Smoother it leaves the Surface,
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and the more eaſily to be poliſhed. </
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<
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>The Po
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liſhing muſt be begun with chizzelling, but
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ended with the ſofteſt and ſmootheſt rubbing.
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<
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>The
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Theban
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Sand is much commended for rub
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bing and poliſhing of Marble; ſo is the Whet
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ſtone, and the Emeril, whoſe Duſt nothing can
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exceed for this Purpoſe. </
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<
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>The Pumice-ſtone
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too, for giving the laſt Poliſh, is very uſeful.
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>The Scum of calcined Tin, which we call Put
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ty, white Lead burnt, the
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Tripoli
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Chalk in
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particular, and the like, if they are beat in
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to the fineſt Duſt that poſſibly can be, ſtill re
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taining their Sharpneſs, are very good for this
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Work. </
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<
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>For faſtening on the Scantlings, if
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they are thick, fix into the Wall either Pins of
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Iron, or little Spars of Marble ſticking out from
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the Wall, to which you may faſten your Scant
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ling without any Thing of Cement. </
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<
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>But if the
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Scantlings are thin, after the ſecond Plaiſter
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ing, inſtead of Mortar, take Wax, Pitch, Ro
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ſin, Gum Maſtic, and a good Quantity of any
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other Sort of Gum whatſoever, all melted and
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mixed together, and warm your Piece of Mar
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ble by degrees, leſt if you put it to the Fire at
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once of a Sudden, the Heat ſhould make it
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crack. </
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>In fixing up your Scantlings, it will be
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very laudable if the Juncture and Order in
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which you place them, produce a beautiful Ef
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fect, by means of the Veins and Colours an
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ſwering and ſetting off one another. </
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<
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>I am
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mightily pleaſed with the Policy of the Anci
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ents, who uſed to make thoſe Parts which lay
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neareſt to the Eye as neat and as exactly poliſhed
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as was poſſible, but did not take ſo much Pains
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about thoſe which ſtood at any Diſtance, or
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Heigth, and in ſome Places put them up with
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out any poliſhing at all, where they knew the
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Eye of the moſt curious Examiner could not
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reach them.
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Moſaic
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Work in Relieve, and
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that which is flat, agree in this Particular,
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that both are deſigned to imitate Painting, by
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means of an artful Compoſition of various Co
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lours of Stones, Glaſs, and Shells.
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Nero
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is ſaid
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to have been the Firſt that had Mother of
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Pearl cut and mixed in
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Moſaic
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Work. </
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<
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>But
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herein they differ, that in
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Moſaic
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Work in Re
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lieve we uſe the largeſt Pieces of Marble,
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&c.
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that we can get; whereas in the flat
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Moſaic,
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we put none but little ſquare Pieces, no big
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ger than a Bean; and the ſmaller theſe Pieces
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are, the more Bright and Sparkling they make
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the Work, the Light by ſo many different Faces
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being broke into the more various Parts. </
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<
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>They
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differ too in this, that in faſtening on the for
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mer, Cement made of Gums is the Beſt; but
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in the flat Work, we ſhould uſe Mortar made
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of Lime, with a Mixture of
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Tyburtine
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Stone,
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beat as ſmall as Duſt. </
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<
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>There are ſome that, in
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flat Work
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Moſaic
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Work, are for ſteeping the
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Lime often in hot Water, in order to get out
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its Saltneſs and make it ſofter and more gluey.
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</
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<
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>I have known ſome of the hardeſt Stone poliſh
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ed upon a Grind-ſtone, in order to be uſed in
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the
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Moſaic
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in Relieve. </
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<
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>In the flat
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Moſaic
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Work
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you may faſten Gold to Glaſs with a Cement
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of Lead or Litharge, which may be made more
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liquid than any Sort of Glaſs whatſoever. </
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<
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>All </
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