Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/020.jpg" pagenum="11"/>
              It is that the Angles, the Lines and all the
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              Parts have a certain Variety, but not too much
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              nor too little of it, but ſo ordered both for
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              Uſe and Beauty, that the entire Parts may an­
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              ſwer to the entire, and like Parts to like. </s>
              <s>Right
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              Angles are very convenient; the Acute are
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              never uſed even in mean inconſiderable Plat­
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              forms, unleſs upon abſolute Neceſſity, or the
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              Conſtraint of the Nature and Manner of the
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              Situation, or to make ſome other Part of the
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              Platform more graceful. </s>
              <s>The obtuſe Angles,
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              have been thought very convenient, but it has
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              always been obſerved as a Rule never to place
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              them any where in unequal Numbers. </s>
              <s>The
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              circular Platform is eſteemed to be the moſt
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              capacious of all, and the leaſt expenſive to en­
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              cloſe either with Wall or Rampart. </s>
              <s>The
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              neareſt to this is ſaid to be that which has ſe­
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              veral Sides, but then they muſt be all alike and
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              anſwerable to each other, and equal through­
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              out the whole Platform. </s>
              <s>But thoſe are com­
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              mended moſt of all, which are moſt conveni­
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              ent for raiſing the Wall to the juſt Heighth of
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              the Work, as are thoſe which have ſix and
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              eight Sides. </s>
              <s>I have ſeen a Platform of ten
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              Angles very commodious and majeſtick. </s>
              <s>You
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              may make them very well of twelve, nay, ſix­
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              teen Angles. </s>
              <s>I myſelf have ſeen one of twenty­
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              four; but theſe are very rare. </s>
              <s>The Side Lines
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              ought to be ſo ordered, that thoſe which are
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              oppoſite may be equal to them, nor ſhould we
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              ever in any Work apply a long Line to correſ­
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              pond to a ſhort one; but let there be a juſt
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              and reaſonable Proportion, according to the
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              Degree of the Thing, among all the Parts.
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              </s>
              <s>We would have the Angles ſet towards that
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              Side, which either any Weight of Earth, or the
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              Violence and Aſſaults of Waters or Winds may
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              threaten and endanger; to the Intent that the
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              Force and Shock that beats upon the Edifice
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              may be broken and ſplit into ſeveral Parts, re­
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              ſiſting the Attack (to uſe ſuch an Expreſſion)
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              with the ſtout Corner of the Wall, and not
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              with one of the weak Sides. </s>
              <s>But if the other
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              Lineaments of the Structure hinder you from
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              diſpoſing of ſuch an Angle in ſuch a Part as
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              you could deſire, at leaſt make uſe of a curve
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              Line; that being a Part of a Circle, and the
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              Circle itſelf according to the Philoſophers be­
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              ing all Angles. </s>
              <s>Further, the Seat muſt be
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              either upon a Plain, or on the Side or Top of
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              a Hill; if it is on a Plain, it is neceſſary to
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              raiſe the Earth and make ſomething of an E­
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              minence; for beſides that, ſuch a Situation in
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              a Plain adds much of Dignity, if you neglect to
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              do it, you will find very great Inconveniences.
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              </s>
              <s>For the overflowing of Rivers and Rains gene­
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              rally leaves Mud upon level Grounds, which by
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              degrees raiſes the Earth higher and higher,
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              which ſtill increaſes, if through Negligence the
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              Rubbiſh and Dirt, which gathers every Day be
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              not removed.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Frontinus
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              the Architect uſed to
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              ſay, that ſeveral Hills were riſen in
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              Rome
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              in his
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              Time by the continual Fires. </s>
              <s>But we in our
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              Days ſee it in a Manner quite buried under
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              Ground with Filth and Rubbiſh. </s>
              <s>In the
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              Dutchy of
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              Spoletto,
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              I have ſeen a ſmall ancient
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              Temple, which at firſt was built in a Plain,
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              that is now almoſt wholly buried by the raiſ­
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              ing of the Earth; that Plain reaching to the
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              Foot of the Hills. </s>
              <s>But why ſhould I menti­
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              on Buildings that ſtand under Mountains?
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              </s>
              <s>That noble Temple by the Wall of
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              Ravenna,
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              which has for its Covering a Cup of Stone of
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              one ſingle Piece, though it be near the Sea and
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              far enough from the Hills, is above a fourth
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              Part ſunk in the Earth, through the Injury of
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              Time. </s>
              <s>But how high this Eminence ought
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              to be raiſed for each Platform, ſhall be ſhewn
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              in due Time, when we come to treat of that
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              Subject more particularly, and not ſummarily
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              as we do here. </s>
              <s>It is certain every Situation
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              ſhould be made ſtrong, either by Nature or
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              Art. </s>
              <s>And therefore it is not amiſs to follow
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              their Method, who adviſe firſt to try the Good­
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              neſs of the Earth by digging in ſeveral Places at
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              ſome Diſtance the one from the other, whe­
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              ther it be firm or looſe, or ſoft, fit or unfit to
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              bear the Weight of the Wall. </s>
              <s>For if it ſtands
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              upon a Deſcent, we muſt have a Care that the
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              upper Part does not lie too heavy and break
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              down the lower; or that the lower Part, if
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              any Accident ſhould ſhake it, does not pull
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              the upper down along with it. </s>
              <s>I would have
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              this Part of the Building, which is intended to
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              be the Baſis of all the Reſt, particularly ſtrong
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              and tightly knit together in all its Parts. </s>
              <s>If
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              the Seat be upon the Summit of an Hill, either
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              it ſhould be raiſed where it is not even, or elſe
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              be made level by plaining away the Top. </s>
              <s>But
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              here we are to conſider, that we ſhould always
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              chuſe that Way (though ſtill with a due Re­
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              gard to the Dignity of the Work) which is leaſt
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              troubleſome and expenſive. </s>
              <s>Perhaps it may be
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              proper to pare away ſome of the Top of the
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              Hill, and enlarge and add to the Sides. </s>
              <s>For
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              which Reaſon that Architect, whoever he was,
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              ſhewed a great deal of Contrivance, that built
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Alatro,
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              a Town of the
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              Campagna di Roma,
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              ſeated upon a Rocky Hill; for he ſo ordered </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
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