Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. IV.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>
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              Of the Inſcriptions and Symbols carved on Sepulchres
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              </s>
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              <s>Let us now proceed to the Inſcriptions
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              themſelves, the Uſe whereof was various,
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              and almoſt infinite among the Ancients, being
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              by them not only uſed in their Sepulchres, but
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              alſo in their Temples, and even in their private
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              Houſes.
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              Symmachus
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              tells us, that on the Pe­
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              diments of their Temples they uſed to cut the
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              Name of the God to whom they dedicated,
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              and it is the Practice with our Countrymen to
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              inſcribe upon their Churches the Name of the
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              Saints, and the Year when they were conſe­
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              crated to them; which I highly approve. </s>
              <s>Nor
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              is it foreign to our Subject to take Notice, that
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              when
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              Crates
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              the Philoſopher came to
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              Cyzicus,
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              finding theſe Verſes wrote over the Door of al­
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              moſt every private Houſe:</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              The mighty
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              Hercules,
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              the Son of
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              Jove,
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              The Scourge of Monſters, dwells within theſe Walls.
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              </s>
              <s>Let nothing ill dare to approach the Place.
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              </s>
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              <s>HE could not help laughing, and adviſed
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              them rather to write over their Doors:
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              Here
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              dwells Poverty;
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              thinking that would drive away
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              all Sorts of Monſters muſt faſter than
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              Hercules
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              himſelf, though he were to live again. </s>
              <s>Epitaphs
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              on Sepulchres are either written, which are pro­
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              perly Epigrams, or repreſented by Figures and
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              Symbols.
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              Plato
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              would not have an Epitaph
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              conſiſt of more than four Lines; and accord­
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              ingly
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              Ovid
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              ſays:</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              On the rear'd Column be my Story wrote,
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              But brief, that every Paſſenger may read.
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              </s>
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              <s>AND it is certain that Prolixity, though it
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              is to be condemned every where, is worſe in
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              this Caſe than any other: Or if the Inſcription
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              be of any Length, it ought to be extremely
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              elegant, and apt to raiſe Compaſſion, and ſo
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              pleaſing that you may not regret the Trouble
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              of reading it, but be fond of getting it by Heart,
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              and repeating it often. </s>
              <s>That of
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              Omenea
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              has
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              been much commended.</s>
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              <s>
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              If cruel Fate allow'd the ſad Exchange
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              Of Life for Life, how chearfully for thee,
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              My beſt-lov'd
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              Omenea
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              had I died!
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              But ſince it muſt not be, theſe weeping Eyes
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              The hated Sun and painful Light ſhall fly,
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              To ſeek thee in the gloomy Realms below.
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              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>So this other:</s>
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              <s>
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              Behold, O Citizens, the Buſt and Urn
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              Of ancient
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              Ennius,
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              your old Bard, who ſung
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              In lofty Notes your Fathers brave Exploits.
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              </s>
              <s>Let none with Tears or ſolemn funeral Pomp
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              Bewail my Death, for
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              Ennius
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              ſtill ſurvives,
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              Still honour'd lives upon the Tongue of Fame.
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              <s>ON the Tombs of thoſe that were ſlain at
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Thermopylæ,
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              was this Inſcription:
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              O Paſſenger,
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              tell the
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              Spartans
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              that we lie here, obeying their
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              Commands.
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              </s>
              <s> Nor is there any thing amiſs in
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              throwing in a Stroke of Pleaſantry upon ſuch
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              an Occaſion.</s>
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              <s>
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              Thy Journey, Traveller, a Moment ſtay
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              To view a Wonder ſtrange and ſeldom ſeen:
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              A Man and Wife that lie for once at Peace.
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              </s>
              <s>Thou ask'ſt our Name. </s>
              <s>Ne'er ſhalt thou know
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              from me.
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              </s>
              <s>Mind not my ſtutt'ring Husband; come to me:
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              His Name is
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              Balbus, Bebbra
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              mine. </s>
              <s>Ah Wife!
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              Will nothing ſtop that drunken Tongue of thine!
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              </s>
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              <s>I AM extremely delighted with ſuch Inſcripti­
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              ons. </s>
              <s>The Ancients uſed to gild the Letters
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              which they uſed in their Inſcriptions. </s>
              <s>The
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              Ægyptians
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              employed Symbols in the following
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              Manner: They carved an Eye, by which they
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              underſtood God; a Vulture for Nature; a Bee
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              for King; a Circle for Time; an Ox for Peace,
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              and the like. </s>
              <s>And their Reaſon for expreſſing
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              their Senſe by theſe Symbols was, that Words
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              were underſtood only by the reſpective Nations
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              that talked the Language, and therefore In­
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              ſcriptions in common Characters muſt in a ſhort
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              Time be loſt: As it has actually happened to
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              our
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              Etrurian
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              Characters: For among the Ruins
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              of ſeveral Towns, Caſtles and Burial-places, I
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              have ſeen Tomb-ſtones dug up with Inſcripti­
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              ons on them, as is generally believed, in
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              Etru­
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              rian
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              Characters, which are like both thoſe of
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              the
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              Greeks
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              and
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              Latins;
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              but no body can un­
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              derſtand them: And the ſame, the
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              Ægyptians
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              ſuppoſed, muſt be the Caſe with all Sorts of </s>
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