Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
Text
Text Image
Image
XML
Thumbnail overview
Document information
None
Concordance
Figures
Thumbnails
Table of figures
<
1 - 30
31 - 60
61 - 90
91 - 92
[out of range]
>
<
1 - 30
31 - 60
61 - 90
91 - 92
[out of range]
>
page
|<
<
of 320
>
>|
<
archimedes
>
<
text
>
<
body
>
<
chap
>
<
p
type
="
caption
">
<
s
>
<
pb
xlink:href
="
003/01/193.jpg
"
pagenum
="
150
"/>
Indeed, within the Temple I think detached
<
lb
/>
Pictures do much better than painting upon
<
lb
/>
the Wall itſelf, and in my Mind Statues are
<
lb
/>
handſomer than Pictures. </
s
>
<
s
>unleſs they be ſuch
<
lb
/>
excellent ones as thoſe two, for which
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Cæſar
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
<
lb
/>
the Dictator gave ninety Talents, or fourteen
<
lb
/>
hundred of our Crowns, in order to adorn the
<
lb
/>
Temple of
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Venus
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
his Progenitor; and I look
<
lb
/>
upon a Picture with no leſs Pleaſure (I mean a
<
lb
/>
good one, for ill Painting is a Diſgrace to the
<
lb
/>
Wall) than I read a good Hiſtory. </
s
>
<
s
>They both
<
lb
/>
indeed are Pictures, only the Hiſtorian paints
<
lb
/>
with Words, and the Painter with his Pencil.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>All other Qualifications are common to them
<
lb
/>
both, and they both require the greateſt Genius
<
lb
/>
and Application. </
s
>
<
s
>But I would have nothing
<
lb
/>
either on the Wall or Pavement of the Tem
<
lb
/>
ple but what ſavours entirely of Philoſophy. </
s
>
<
s
>We
<
lb
/>
read that in the Capitol there were Tables of
<
lb
/>
Braſs whereon were inſcribed the Laws by
<
lb
/>
which the Empire was to be governed; which,
<
lb
/>
when the Temple was deſtroyed by Fire, were
<
lb
/>
reſtored by the Emperor
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Veſpaſian
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, to the
<
lb
/>
Number of three Thouſand. </
s
>
<
s
>We are told that
<
lb
/>
at the Entrance of the Temple of
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Apollo
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
at
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
De
<
lb
/>
los
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, there were Verſes engraved, containing ſe
<
lb
/>
veral Compoſitions of Herbs proper to be uſed
<
lb
/>
as Remedies againſt all Sorts of Poiſon. </
s
>
<
s
>Thus
<
lb
/>
I ſhould think it would be proper among us,
<
lb
/>
by Way of Inſcription, to have ſuch Precepts
<
lb
/>
as may make us more juſt, more modeſt, more
<
lb
/>
uſeful, more adorned with all Virtues, and
<
lb
/>
more acceptable in the Sight of God; ſuch as
<
lb
/>
theſe,
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Be what you would be thought; Love if
<
lb
/>
you would be beloved
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, and the like. </
s
>
<
s
>And I would
<
lb
/>
have the Compoſition of the Lines of the
<
lb
/>
Pavement full of muſical and geometrical Pro
<
lb
/>
portions; to the Intent that which-ſoever Way
<
lb
/>
we may turn our Eyes, we may be ſure to find
<
lb
/>
Employment for our Minds. </
s
>
<
s
>One Method
<
lb
/>
which the Ancients took to adorn their Tem
<
lb
/>
ples, was to fill them with Things that were
<
lb
/>
uncommon and excellent; as in the Temple of
<
lb
/>
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Hercules
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, where were to be ſeen ſome Horns
<
lb
/>
of Emmets brought from
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
India
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
; or like thoſe
<
lb
/>
Crowns made of Cinnamon which
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Veſpaſian
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
<
lb
/>
gave to the Capitol; or like that great Root of
<
lb
/>
Cinnamon which
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Auguſta
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
placed in the prin
<
lb
/>
cipal Temple of Mount
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Palatine
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, in a Cup of
<
lb
/>
Gold. </
s
>
<
s
>At
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Thermus
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, a Town in
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Ætolia
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
plun
<
lb
/>
dered by
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Philip
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, we are told, that in the Por
<
lb
/>
ticoes of the Temple there were above fifteen
<
lb
/>
thouſand Suits of Armour, and to adorn the
<
lb
/>
Temple itſelf above two thouſand Statues; all
<
lb
/>
which, according to
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Polybius
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
's Relation, were
<
lb
/>
deſtroyed and broken by
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Philip
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, except thoſe
<
lb
/>
which were inſcribed with the Name, or bore
<
lb
/>
the Repreſentation of ſome God; and perhaps
<
lb
/>
Variety is more to be conſulted in ſuch Collec
<
lb
/>
tions than Number.
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Solinus
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
informs us, that
<
lb
/>
in
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Sicily
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
there were ſome Artificers who had
<
lb
/>
the Secret of making Statues of Salt; and
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Pliny
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
<
lb
/>
tells us, that there was one made of Glaſs.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>There is no Queſtion but ſuch Things muſt be
<
lb
/>
exceeding rare, and very worthy to raiſe our
<
lb
/>
Admiration of the Work both of Nature and
<
lb
/>
Art. </
s
>
<
s
>But of Statues we ſhall ſpeak in another
<
lb
/>
Place. </
s
>
<
s
>The Walls and Apertures muſt be
<
lb
/>
adorned with Columns; but not like a Porti
<
lb
/>
co. </
s
>
<
s
>There is one Thing which I have obſerv
<
lb
/>
ed in the Covering of ſome of the biggeſt
<
lb
/>
Temples, which is, that not having Columns
<
lb
/>
of Height ſufficient to reach to the Spring of
<
lb
/>
their Arches, they heightened the Sides of the
<
lb
/>
Arches themſelves in ſuch a Manner that their
<
lb
/>
Sagitta was a third Part longer than their Se
<
lb
/>
mi-diameter, which added not a little to the
<
lb
/>
Clearneſs and Beauty of the Work itſelf. </
s
>
<
s
>And
<
lb
/>
here I muſt not omit one Precept, namely, that
<
lb
/>
the Spring of the Arch ſhould have at leaſt ſo
<
lb
/>
much Perpendicular, as to prevent the Projec
<
lb
/>
ture of the Cornices from taking away any Part
<
lb
/>
of the Arch from the Sight of thoſe that ſtaid
<
lb
/>
below in the Middle of the Temple.</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
head
">
<
s
>CHAP. XI.</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
head
">
<
s
>
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Why the Roofs of Temples ought to be arched.
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
main
">
<
s
>I am entirely for having the Roofs of Tem
<
lb
/>
ples arched, as well becauſe it gives them
<
lb
/>
the greater Dignity, as becauſe it makes them
<
lb
/>
more durable. </
s
>
<
s
>And indeed I know not how
<
lb
/>
it happens that we ſhall hardly meet any one
<
lb
/>
Temple whatſoever that has not fallen into the
<
lb
/>
Calamity of Fire. </
s
>
<
s
>We read that
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Cambyſes
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
burnt
<
lb
/>
all the Temples in
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Ægypt
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
in general, and re
<
lb
/>
moved the Treaſure and Ornaments belonging
<
lb
/>
to them to
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Perſepolis. </
s
>
<
s
>Euſebius
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
relates, that the
<
lb
/>
Oracle of
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Delphos
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
was burnt three Times by
<
lb
/>
the
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Thracians
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, and another Time it took Fire
<
lb
/>
of itſelf, and was rebuilt by
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Amaſis
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
, as we are
<
lb
/>
informed by
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Herodotus.
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
</
s
>
<
s
> We read too that it </
s
>
</
p
>
</
chap
>
</
body
>
</
text
>
</
archimedes
>