Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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bear, to get the Aſſiſtance and Skill of the beſt
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Artiſts for their Purpoſe; they have accord
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ingly rivalled the greateſt Kings in fine Deſigns
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and noble Compoſitions, ſo as, in my Opinion,
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to be very little, if at all, inferior to them. </
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>But
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thoſe Works are reſerved for the next Book,
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in which I dare promiſe the Reader he ſhall
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find ſome Entertainment worth his Pains. </
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<
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>But
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firſt we are here to ſpeak of ſome few Particu
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lars neceſſary to our preſent Subject.</
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<
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>CHAP. XVII.</
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Whether Statues ought to be placed in Temples, and what Materials are the
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moſt proper for making them.
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<
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>Some are againſt placing any Statues in
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Temples; and we are told that
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Numa,
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being a Diſciple of
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Pythagoras,
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would allow of
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none: And
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Seneca
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rallies himſelf and his Coun
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trymen upon this Account; we play with Ba
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bies, ſays he, like Children. </
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>The Ancients,
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who were of this Opinion, uſed to argue con
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cerning the Gods in the following Manner:
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Who can be ſo weak as not to know, that every
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Thing relating to the Gods is to be conſidered
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with the Mind, and not with the Eyes, ſince it
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is impoſſible to give them any Form that can
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be in the leaſt Degree anſwerable to the Ex
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cellence of their Nature? </
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<
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>And indeed they
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thought that the having no viſible Repreſenta
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tions of them made by Hands, muſt have a
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very good Effect, as it would put every Man
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upon forming ſuch an Idea of the firſt Mover,
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and of the ſupreme Intelligence, as beſt ſuited
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his own Capacity and Way of Thinking: By
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which he would be the more induced to revere
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the Majeſty of the Divine Name. </
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<
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>Others
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thought quite differently, holding, that the
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Gods were repreſented under human Forms to
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a very wiſe End, and that they had a very good
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Influence upon the Minds and Morals of the
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Vulgar, who when they approached thoſe Sta
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tues, imagined they were in the Preſence of
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the Gods themſelves. </
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<
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>Others eſpecially were
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for ſetting up to publick View in conſecrated
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Places, the Effigies of ſuch as had deſerved well
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of Mankind, and were therefore ſuppoſed to be
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admitted among the Gods, believing it muſt
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inſpire Poſterity, when they came to worſhip
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them, with a Love of Glory, and an Emulati
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on of their Virtue. </
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>It is certainly a Point of
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great Importance what Statues we ſet up, eſ
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pecially in Temples, as alſo whereabouts, in
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what Number, and of what Materials: For no
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ridiculous Figures are to be admitted here, as
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of the God
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Priapus,
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that is uſually ſet up in
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Gardens to ſcare away the Birds; nor of fight
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ing Soldiers, as in Porticoes, or the like; nei
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ther do I think they ſhould be placed in cloſe
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Nooks and mean Corners. </
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<
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>But firſt let us treat
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of the Materials with which they ſhould be
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made, and then proceed to the other Points.
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<
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>Of old, ſays
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Plutarch,
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they uſed to make their
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Images of Wood; as was that of
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Apollo
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at
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De
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los;
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and at
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Popolonia,
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near
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Piombino,
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was one
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of
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Jupiter
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of Vine-tree, which many affirmed
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to have remained perfectly clear of the leaſt
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Corruption. </
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<
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>Of the ſame Sort was that of the
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Epheſian Diana,
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which ſome ſaid was of Ebony,
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but
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Muſianus
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tells us it was of Vine-tree.
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Peras,
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who built the Temple of
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Juno
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the
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Argive,
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and
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dedicated his Daughter to be Prieſteſs of it,
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made a
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Jupiter
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out of the Trunk of a Pear
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tree. </
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<
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>Some would not allow the Statues of the
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Gods to be made of Stone, as thinking that
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Material had ſomething in it too rugged and
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cruel. </
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>They alſo diſapproved of Gold and
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Silver for this Uſe, becauſe thoſe Metals are
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produced of a barren ungrateful Soil, and have
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a wan ſickly Hue. </
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<
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>The Poet ſays:</
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Great
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Jove
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ſtood crampt beneath the lowly Roof,
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Scarce full erect; and in his mighty Hand
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Brandiſh'd aloft a Thunderbolt of Clay.
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<
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>SOME among the
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Ægyptians
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were of Opini
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on, that the Subſtance of God was Fire, and
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that he dwelt in the elemental Flame, and
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could not be conceived by the Senſes of Man
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kind: For which Reaſon they made their
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Gods of Chriſtal. </
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<
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>Others thought the Gods
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ought to be made of black Stone, in the Sup
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poſition of that Colour being incomprehenſi
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ble; and others laſtly of Gold, in Conformity
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with the Colour of the Stars. </
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<
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>I own for my
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Part, I have been very much in Suſpenſe what
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Materials was moſt proper for making Images
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that are to be the Objects of Worſhip. </
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<
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will ſay, no doubt, that whatever is to be made </
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