Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/194.jpg" pagenum="151"/>
              was once burnt by
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Phlegyas,
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              about the Time
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              that
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Phœnice
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              invented ſome Characters for the
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              Uſe of his Citizens. </s>
              <s>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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                <lb/>
              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,
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Catullus, Sallus
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              and
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              Var­
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              ro.
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              </s>
              <s> The Temple of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Epheſus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              was burnt by the
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Amazons,
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              in the Reign of
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              Sylvius Poſthumus,
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                <lb/>
              as it was alſo about the Time that
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              Socrates
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              was condemned to drink Poiſon at
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              Athens:
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                <lb/>
              and the Temple of the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              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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                <emph type="italics"/>
              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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                <lb/>
              Why ſhould I mention the ſacred Porticoes of
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Jeruſalem?
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              Or the Temple of
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              Minerva
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              at
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Miletus?
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Or that of
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              Serapis
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              at
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              Alexandria?
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                <lb/>
              Or at
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              Rome,
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              the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pantheon?
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              And the Temple
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              of the Goddeſs
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Veſta?
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              And that of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Apollo?
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                <lb/>
              In which laſt we are told the Sibyls Verſes
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              were deſtroyed. </s>
              <s>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.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Cæſar
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              owned that
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              Alexandria
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              eſcaped being burnt, when he himſelf took it,
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              becauſe its Roofs were vaulted. </s>
              <s>Nor are vault­
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              ed Roofs deſtituted of their Ornaments. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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
                <emph type="italics"/>
              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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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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              </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>But to re­
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              turn to our Subject. </s>
              <s>I am extremely delighted
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              with an Ornament mentioned by
                <emph type="italics"/>
              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. </s>
              <s>I ſhould be wonder­
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              fully pleaſed with ſuch a Contrivance. </s>
              <s>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
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              himſelf, though they
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              never ſuppoſed it rained in Heaven, could
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              not look handſome without it. </s>
              <s>The Rule for
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              theſe Pediments is as follows. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>Upon this Summit, as alſo at each
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              End, you ſet Acroteria, or little Pedeſtals for
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              Statues. </s>
              <s>The Height of the Acroteria or Pe­
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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. </s>
              <s>We are told that
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Buccides
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              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.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. XII.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Apertures proper to Temples, namely, the Windows, Doors, and Valves;
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              together with their Members, Proportions and Ornaments.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>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 </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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