Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/218.jpg" pagenum="166"/>
              others went farther, and raiſed ſuch a Super­
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              ſtructure as was proper for placing Epitaphs
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              and Inſcriptións of the Perſon's Exploits. </s>
              <s>The
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              former were contented with a plain Caſe for
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              the Body, or with adding ſomewhat of a little
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              Chapel about it, according to the Religion of
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              the Place. </s>
              <s>But the others erected either a Co­
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              lumn, or a Pyramid, an Obelisk, or ſome other
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              great Superſtructure, not principally for con­
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              taining the Body, but rather for delivering
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              down the Name with Glory to Poſterity. </s>
              <s>We
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              have already taken Notice, that there is a Stone
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              called
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              Sarcophagus,
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              found at
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              Aſon,
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              a Town
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              of
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              Troas,
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              which conſumes a dead Body im­
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              mediately; and in any made Ground, con­
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              ſiſting chiefly of old Rubbiſh, the Moiſture is
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              preſently dried up. </s>
              <s>But I ſhall inſiſt no longer
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              upon theſe minute Particulars.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. III.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>
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              Of little Chapels, by way of Sepulchres, Pyramids, Columns, Alars and Moles.
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>Now ſince the Sepulchres of the An­
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              cients are generally approved, and we
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              find them in different Places built ſometimes
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              after the Manner of little Chapels, ſometimes
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              in Pyramids, ſometimes Columns, and in ſe­
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              veral other Forms, as Moles and the like, we
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              ſhall ſay ſomething of each of theſe: And firſt
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              of Chapels. </s>
              <s>Theſe little Chapels ſhould be
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              like ſo many little Models of Temples; nor is
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              it at all improper to add the Ornaments and
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              Deſigns of any other Sort of Building, provi­
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              ded they be equally well adapted both for
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              Beauty and Duration. </s>
              <s>Whether it be moſt
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              adviſeable to build a Sepulchre which we would
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              have, if poſſible, endure to Eternity, of noble
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              or mean Materials, is not thoroughly deter­
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              mined, upon Account of the Danger of their
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              being removed for their Value. </s>
              <s>But the Beau­
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              ty of its Ornaments, as we have obſerved elſe­
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              where, is extremely effectual to its Preſerva­
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              tion, and to ſecuring the Monument to Poſ­
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              terity. </s>
              <s>Of the Sepulchres of thoſe great Prin­
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              ces
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              Caius Caligula,
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              and
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              Claudius Cæſar,
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              which
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              no doubt muſt have been very noble, nothing
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              now remains but ſome few ſmall ſquare Stones
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              of two Cubits broad, on which their Names
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              are inſcribed; and if thoſe Inſcriptions had
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              been cut upon larger Stones, I doubt not they
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              too would e'er now have been carried away
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              with the other Ornaments. </s>
              <s>In other Places
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              we ſee Sepulchres of very great Antiquity,
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              which have never been injured by any body,
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              becauſe they were built of common Chequer­
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              work, or of Stone that would not adorn any
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              other Building, ſo that they were never any
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              Temptation to Greedineſs. </s>
              <s>From whence I
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              draw this Admonition to thoſe who would
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              have their Sepulchres remain to Perpetuity,
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              that they build not indeed with a baſe Sort of
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              Stone, but not with ſuch excellent, as to be a
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              Temptation to every Man that beholds it, and
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              to be in perpetual Danger of being ſtolen away.
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              </s>
              <s>Beſides, in all Works of this Nature, a decent
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              Modeſty ſhould be obſerved according to every
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              Man's Quality and Degree; ſo that, I con­
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              demn a Profuſion of Expence in the Tombs
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              even of Monarchs themſelves, nor can I help
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              blaming thoſe huge Piles, built by the
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              Ægyp­
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              tian
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              Kings for their Sepulchres, which ſeem to
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              have been diſpleaſing to the Gods themſelves,
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              ſince none of them were buried in thoſe proud
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              Monuments. </s>
              <s>Others perhaps may praiſe our
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Etrurians
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              for not coming ſhort even of the
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Ægyptians
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              in the Magnificence of their Tombs,
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              and particularly
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              Porſena,
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              who built himſelf a
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              Sepulchre below the Town of
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              Cluſium,
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              all of
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              ſquare Stone, in the Baſe whereof, which was
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              fifty Foot high, was a Labyrinth which no
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              Man could find his Way thro', and over this
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              Baſe five Pyramids, one in the Middle, and one
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              at each Corner, the Breadth of each whereof,
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              at the Bottom was ſeventy-five Foot; at the
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              Top of each hung a brazen Globe, to which
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              ſeveral little Bells were faſtened by Chains,
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              which being ſhaken by the Wind might be
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              heard at a conſiderable Diſtance: Over all
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              this were four other Pyramids, an hundred
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              Foot high, and others again over theſe, aſton­
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              iſhing no leſs for their Workmanſhip than for
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              their Greatneſs. </s>
              <s>I cannot be pleaſed with theſe
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              enormous Structures, ſerving to no good Pur­
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              poſe whatſoever. </s>
              <s>There is ſomething much
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              more commendable in the Tomb of
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              Cyrus,
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              King of the
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              Perſians,
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              and there is more true
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              Greatneſs in his Modeſty, than in the vain Glory
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              of all thoſe haughtier Piles. </s>
              <s>Near the Town
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              of
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              Paſargardæ,
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              in a little vaulted Temple
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              built of ſquare Stone, with a Door ſcarce two
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              Foot high, lay the Body of
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              Cyrus,
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              incloſed in
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              a golden Urn, as the Royal Dignity required; </s>
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