Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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was once burnt by
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Phlegyas,
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about the Time
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that
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Phœnice
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invented ſome Characters for the
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Uſe of his Citizens. </
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<
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>It was alſo conſumed by
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Fire in the Reign of
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Cyrus,
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a few Years before
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the Death of
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Servius Tallus,
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the King of
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Rome;
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and it is certain, that it was again burnt about
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the Time of the Birth of thoſe three great Lu
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minaries of Learning,
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Catullus, Sallus
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and
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Var
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ro.
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<
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> The Temple of
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Epheſus
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was burnt by the
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Amazons,
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in the Reign of
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Sylvius Poſthumus,
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as it was alſo about the Time that
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Socrates
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was condemned to drink Poiſon at
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Athens:
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and the Temple of the
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Argives
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was deſtroyed
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by Fire the ſame Year that
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Plato
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was born at
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Athens,
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at which Time
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Tarquin
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reigned at
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Rome.
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Why ſhould I mention the ſacred Porticoes of
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Jeruſalem?
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Or the Temple of
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Minerva
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at
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Miletus?
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Or that of
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Serapis
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at
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Alexandria?
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Or at
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Rome,
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the
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Pantheon?
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And the Temple
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of the Goddeſs
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Veſta?
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And that of
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Apollo?
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In which laſt we are told the Sibyls Verſes
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were deſtroyed. </
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>We indeed find, that ſcarce
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any Temple eſcaped the ſame Calamity.
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Dia
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dorus
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writes, that there was none beſides that
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dedicated to
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Venus,
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in the City of
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Eryx
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in
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Si
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cily,
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that had eſcaped to his Time unhurt by
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the Flames.
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Cæſar
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owned that
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Alexandria
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eſcaped being burnt, when he himſelf took it,
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becauſe its Roofs were vaulted. </
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<
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>Nor are vault
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ed Roofs deſtituted of their Ornaments. </
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>The
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Ancients transferred all the ſame Ornaments to
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their Cupolas, as the Goldſmiths uſed about
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the Pateras or Cups for the Sacrifices; and the
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ſame Sort of Work as was uſed in the Quilts
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of their Beds, they imitated in their vaulted
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Roofs, whether plain or camerated. </
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<
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>Thus we
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ſee them divided into four, eight, or more Pan
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nels, or croſſed different Ways with equal
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Angles and with Circles, in the moſt beautiful
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Manner that can be imagined. </
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<
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>And here it
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may be proper to obſerve, that the Ornaments
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of vaulted Roofs, which conſiſt in the Forms
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of their Pannels or Excavations, are in many
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Places exceeding handſome, and particularly
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at the
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Rotonda
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at
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Rome;
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yet we have no where
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any Inſtruction left us in Writing how to make
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them. </
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<
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>My Method of doing it, which is very
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eaſy and cheap, is as follows: I deſcribe the
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Lineaments of the future Pannels or Excavati
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ons upon the Boards of the Scaffolding itſelf,
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whether they are to be Quadrangular, Sexan
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gular, or Octangular. </
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<
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>Then thoſe Parts which
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I intended to excavate in my Roof, I raiſe to
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the ſtated Height with unbaked Bricks ſet in
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Clay inſtead of Mortar. </
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<
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>Upon this Kind of
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Mount thus raiſed on the Back of the Scaffold
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ing, I build my vaulted Roof of Brick and Mor
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tar, taking great Care that the thinner Parts
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cohere firmly with the Thicker and Stronger.
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<
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>When the Vault is compleated and ſettled and
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the Scaffolding is taken away from under it, I
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clear the ſolid Building from thoſe Mounts of
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Clay which I had raiſed at firſt; and thus the
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Shape of my Evcavations or Pannels are formed
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according to my original Deſign. </
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<
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>But to re
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turn to our Subject. </
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<
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>I am extremely delighted
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with an Ornament mentioned by
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Varro,
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who
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tells us of a Roof on which was painted a Sky
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with a moving Star in it, which by a Kind of
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Hand ſhewed at once the Hour of the Day and
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what Wind blew abroad. </
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<
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>I ſhould be wonder
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fully pleaſed with ſuch a Contrivance. </
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<
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>The
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Ancients were of Opinion that raiſing the Roof
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high and ending it with a Pedient gave ſuch an
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Air of Greatneſs to a Building, that they uſed
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to ſay the Houſe of
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Jove
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himſelf, though they
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never ſuppoſed it rained in Heaven, could
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not look handſome without it. </
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<
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>The Rule for
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theſe Pediments is as follows. </
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>Take not more
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than the Fourth nor leſs than the Fifth of the
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Breadth of your Front along the Cornice, and
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let this be the Summit or upper Angle of your
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Pediment. </
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<
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>Upon this Summit, as alſo at each
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End, you ſet Acroteria, or little Pedeſtals for
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Statues. </
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<
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deſtals at the Ends ſhould be equal to that of
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the Freze and Cornice; but that which ſtands
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on the Summit, ſhould be an eighth Part higher
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than the others. </
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<
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>We are told that
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Buccides
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was the firſt that adorned his Pediments with
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Statues, which he made of Earth coloured red;
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but afterwards they came to be made of Mar
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ble, and the whole Covering too.</
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<
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>CHAP. XII.</
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Of the Apertures proper to Temples, namely, the Windows, Doors, and Valves;
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together with their Members, Proportions and Ornaments.
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<
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>The Windows in the Temple ought to
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be ſmall and high, ſo that nothing but
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the Sky may be ſeen through them; to the
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Intent that both the Prieſts that are employed
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in the Performance of divine Offices, and thoſe
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that aſſiſt upon Account of Devotion, may </
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