Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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[Figure 91]
[Figure 92]
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1Treaſury. But this is no more than what the
Neighbours all around, and other Strangers,
will do willingly and of their own Accord, to
a Place where they know they can live with
Health, Pleaſure and Plenty, and among a
People of a fair and regular Behaviour.
But
the principal Ornament of the City will ariſe
ſrom the Diſpoſition of the Streets, Squares and
publick Edifices, and their being all laid out
and contrived beautifully and conveniently, ac­
cording to their ſeveral Uſes; for without Or­
der, there can be nothing Handſome, Conve­
nient or Pleaſing.
In a well regulated City,
Plato is of Opinion that the Laws ſhould pre­
vent the introducing of any foreign Delicacies
or Corruptions; and, in order thereto ſhould
ſuffer no Citizen to travel till full forty Years
of Age; and that ſuch Strangers as ſhould be
admitted into the City, in order to proſecute
their Studies, when they had ſufficiently im­
proved themſelves, ſhould be ſent Home again
to their own Country.
And this is neceſſary,
becauſe the Citizens, from the Contagion of
Foreigners, are apt to fall off daily more and
more from that Parſimony wherein they were
educated by their Anceſtors, and to deſpiſe
their own old Cuſtoms and Uſages; which is
the chief Reaſon that Cities grow ſo univer­
ſally corrupted. Plutarch tells us, that the
People of Epidaurus obſerving that their Citi­
zens grew vicious by their Intercourſe with the
Illyrians, and knowing that a Depravity of
Manners is always the Occaſion of continual
Innovations; in order to prevent it, elected one
Citizen yearly out of their Number, who was
always to be a Man of Gravity and Circum­
ſpection, who ſhould go among the Illyrians,
and provide and bring them all ſuch Things as
any of theſe Citizens gave him Commiſſion to
procure them.
In a Word, all the wiſeſt Men
are agreed in this, that the greateſt Care and
Precaution ought to be uſed to keep the City
from being corrupted by the Intercourſe of
Strangers who come to it.
Not that I am for imi­
tating thoſe who are againſt granting Admiſſion
to any Strangers whatſoever.
Among the Greeks
it was the ancient Cuſtom never to receive any
People that were not in League with them,
though not in Enmity neither, if they had Oc­
caſion to paſs through their Country in Arms:
Neither would they drive them away; but
they uſed to appoint a Market for all Neceſſa­
ries at ſome little Diſtance without the Walls,
where the Strangers might refreſh themſelves
with whatever Conveniencies they wanted, and
the Citizens might not be expoſed to any
Danger.
But I, for my Part, am beſt pleaſed
with the Carthaginians, who, though they
permitted Strangers to come among them,
would not ſuffer them to have every Thing
in common with their own Citizens.
The
Streets which led to the Market or publick
Place were open to all Strangers; but the more
private Parts of the City, ſuch as the Arſenal,
and the like, they were not allowed ſo much
as to ſee.
Inſtructed therefore by theſe Ex­
amples, let us lay out the Platform of our City
in ſuch a Manner, that not only Strangers may
have their Habitations ſeparate, convenient for
them, and not inconvenient to the Citizens;
but alſo that the Citizens themſelves may con­
verſe, negociate and dwell together commo­
diouſly and honourably, according to their ſe­
veral Ranks and Occaſions.
It will add much
to the Beauty of the City, if the Shops for par­
ticular Trades ſtand in particular Streets and
Diſtricts in the moſt convenient Parts of the
Town.
Goldſmiths, Silverſmiths and Painters
may have their Shops in the publick Place, and
ſo may the Sellers of Drugs, of Habits, and
other creditable Trades; but all naſty, ſtink­
ing Occupations ſhould be removed out of the
Way, eſpecially the offenſive Smells of Tan­
ners, which ſhould be ſet by themſelves and
towards the North, becauſe the Winds ſeldom
blow into the City from that Corner; or, if
they do, they blow ſo ſtrong that they rather
fly than paſs over it.
There may perhaps be
ſome who would like better to have the Ha­
bitations of the Gentry ſeparate by themſelves,
quite clear and free from all Mixture with the
meaner Sort of People.
Others are for having
every Diſtrict of the City ſo laid out, that each
Part might be ſupplied at Hand with every
Thing that it could have Occaſion for, and for
this Reaſon they are not againſt having the
meaneſt Trades in the Neighbourhood of the
moſt honourable Citizens.
But of this Sub­
ject we have ſaid enough.
Conveniency is one
Thing, and Dignity another.
Let us now
return.

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