Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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muſt in Height exceed thoſe which ſtand be
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low them over the Columns, not leſs than a
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ſixth Part, nor more than two ninths. </
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<
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>In con
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venient Places in the Front of the upper Wall
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we may cut Inſcriptions or Stories in Relieve,
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in ſquare or round Pannels. </
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<
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>Beneath the Vault
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of the Arch the upper half of the Wall, upon
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which the Arch turns, is extremely proper for
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Stories in Relieve, but the lower Half being
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expoſed to be ſpattered with Dirt, is very un
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fit for ſuch Ornaments. </
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<
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>For a Baſement to
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the Piers we may make a Plinth not more than
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a Cubit and an Half high, and that its Angle
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may not be broke by the Bruſh of Wheels, we
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may carry it off into a Cima-reverſa, which
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muſt take up one fourth of the Height of the
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Baſement itſelf.</
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<
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>CHAP. VII.</
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Of the adorning Theatres and other Places for publick Shows, and of their
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Uſefulneſs.
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<
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>We come now to Places for publick
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Shows. </
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<
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>We are told that
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Epimenides,
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the ſame that ſlept fifty-ſeven Years in a Cave;
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when the
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Athenians
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were building a Place for
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publick Shows reproved them, telling them, you
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know not how much Miſchief this Place ſhall
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occaſion; if you did, you would pull it to
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Pieces with your Teeth. </
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<
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>Neither dare I pre
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ſume to find Fault with our Pontiffs, and thoſe
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whoſe Buſineſs it is to ſet good Examples to
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others, for having, with good Cauſe no doubt,
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aboliſhed the Uſe of publick Shows. </
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<
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>Yet
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Moſes
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was commended for ordaining, that all his Peo
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ple ſhould upon certain ſolemn Days meet to
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gether in one Temple, and celebrate publick
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Feſtivals at ſtated Seaſons. </
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<
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>What may we ſup
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poſe his View to have been in this Inſtitution?
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<
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>Doubtleſs he hoped the People, by thus meet
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ing frequently together at publick Feaſts, might
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grow more humane, and be the cloſer linked
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in Friendſhip one with another. </
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<
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>So I imagine
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our Anceſtors inſtituted publick Shows in the
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City, not ſo much for the Sake of the Diverſi
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ons themſelves, as for their Uſefulneſs. </
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<
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>And
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indeed if we examine the Matter thoroughly,
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we ſhall find many Reaſons to grieve that ſo
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excellent and ſo uſeful an Entertainment ſhould
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have been ſo long diſuſed: For as of theſe
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publick Diverſions ſome were contrived for the
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Delight and Amuſement of Peace and Leiſure,
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others for an Exerciſe of War and Buſineſs;
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the one ſerved wonderfully to revive and keep
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up the Vigour and Fire of the Mind, and the
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other to improve the Strength and Intrepidity
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of the Heart. </
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<
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>It is indeed true that ſome cer
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tain and conſtant Medium ſhould be obſerved,
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in order to make theſe Entertainments uſeful
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and ornamental to a Country. </
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<
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>The
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Arcadi
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ans,
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we are told, were the firſt that invented
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publick Games, to civilize and poliſh the Minds
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of their People, who had been too much ac
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cuſtomed to a hard and ſevere Way of Life;
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and
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Polybius
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writes, that thoſe who afterwards
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left off thoſe Entertainments, grew ſo barbarous
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and cruel, that they became execrable to all
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Greece.
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<
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> But indeed the Memory of publick
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Games is extremely ancient, and the Invention
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of them is aſcribed to various Perſons.
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Dionyſi
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us
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is ſaid to have been the firſt Inventor of
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Dances and Sports, as
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Hercules
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was of the Di
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verſion of the Combate. </
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<
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>We read that the
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Olympick Games were invented by the
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Æto
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lians
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and the
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Eleans,
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after their return from the
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Siege of
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Troy.
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<
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> We are told, that
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Dionyſius
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of
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Lemnos,
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who was the Inventor of the Chorus
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in Tragedies, was alſo the firſt that built a
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Place on purpoſe for publick Shows. </
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<
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>In
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Italy,
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Lucius Mummius,
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upon Occaſion of his Tri
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umph, firſt introduced theatrical Entertain
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ments two hundred Years before the Em
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peror
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Nero's
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Time, and the Actors were
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brought to
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Rome
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from
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Etruria.
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<
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> Horſe-Races
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were brought from the
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Tyrians,
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and almoſt the
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whole Variety of publick Diverſions came to
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Italy
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from
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Aſia.
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I am inclined to believe that
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the ancient Race of Men, that firſt began to
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cut the Figure of
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Janus
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upon their brazen
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Coins, were content to ſtand to ſee theſe Sort
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of Games under ſome Beech or Elm, according
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to thoſe Verſes of
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Ovid,
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ſpeaking of
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Romulus's
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Show.</
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His Play-houſe, not of
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Parian
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Marble made,
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Nor was it ſpread with purple Sails for ſhade.
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<
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>The Stage with Ruſhes or with Leaves they ſtrew'd:
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No Scenes in Proſpect, no machining God.
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