Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
Text
Text Image
Image
XML
Thumbnail overview
Document information
None
Concordance
Figures
Thumbnails
List of thumbnails
<
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
91 - 100
101 - 110
111 - 120
121 - 130
131 - 140
141 - 150
151 - 160
161 - 170
171 - 180
181 - 190
191 - 200
201 - 210
211 - 220
221 - 230
231 - 240
241 - 250
251 - 260
261 - 270
271 - 280
281 - 290
291 - 300
301 - 310
311 - 320
>
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
<
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
91 - 100
101 - 110
111 - 120
121 - 130
131 - 140
141 - 150
151 - 160
161 - 170
171 - 180
181 - 190
191 - 200
201 - 210
211 - 220
221 - 230
231 - 240
241 - 250
251 - 260
261 - 270
271 - 280
281 - 290
291 - 300
301 - 310
311 - 320
>
page
|<
<
of 320
>
>|
<
archimedes
>
<
text
>
<
body
>
<
chap
>
<
p
type
="
main
">
<
s
>
<
pb
xlink:href
="
003/01/025.jpg
"
pagenum
="
14
"/>
to have made a Monſter with Limbs diſpro
<
lb
/>
portionable: Variety is without Diſpute a very
<
lb
/>
great Beauty in every Thing, when it joins and
<
lb
/>
brings together, in a regular manner, Things
<
lb
/>
different, but proportionable to each other;
<
lb
/>
but it is rather ſhocking, if they are unſuitable
<
lb
/>
and incoherent. </
s
>
<
s
>For as in Muſick, when the
<
lb
/>
Baſe anſwers the Treble, and the Tenor agrees
<
lb
/>
with both, there ariſes from that Variety of
<
lb
/>
Sounds an harmonious and wonderful Union
<
lb
/>
of Proportions which delights and enchants
<
lb
/>
our Senſes; ſo the like happens in every thing
<
lb
/>
elſe that ſtrikes and pleaſes our Fancy. </
s
>
<
s
>Laſtly,
<
lb
/>
theſe Things muſt be ſo executed, as Uſe or
<
lb
/>
Conveniency requires, or according to the
<
lb
/>
approved Practice of Men of Skill; becauſe
<
lb
/>
deviating from eſtabliſhed Cuſtom, generally
<
lb
/>
robs a Thing of its whole Beauty, as conform
<
lb
/>
ing to it, is applauded and attended with Suc
<
lb
/>
ceſs. </
s
>
<
s
>Nevertheleſs, tho' other famous Archi
<
lb
/>
tects ſeem, by their Practice, to have deter
<
lb
/>
mined this or that Compartition, whether
<
lb
/>
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Doric,
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
or
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Ionic,
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
or
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Corinthian,
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
or
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Tuſcan,
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
to
<
lb
/>
be the moſt convenient of any; yet they do
<
lb
/>
not thereby tie us down to follow them ſo
<
lb
/>
cloſely, as to tranſcribe their very Deſigns into
<
lb
/>
this Work of ours; but only ſtir us up by
<
lb
/>
their Inſtructions to produce ſomething of
<
lb
/>
our own Invention, and to endeavour to ac
<
lb
/>
quire equal or greater Praiſe than they did.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>But of theſe Things we ſhall ſpeak more di
<
lb
/>
ſtinctly in their proper Places, when we come
<
lb
/>
to conſider in what manner a City and its
<
lb
/>
Members ought to be diſpoſed, and every
<
lb
/>
thing neceſſary for the Convenience of
<
lb
/>
each.</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
head
">
<
s
>CHAP. X.</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
head
">
<
s
>
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Of the Columns and Walls, and ſome Obſervations relating to the Columns.
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
main
">
<
s
>We are now to treat ſummarily of the
<
lb
/>
Diſpoſition of the Wall. </
s
>
<
s
>But here I
<
lb
/>
muſt not omit what I have obſerved among
<
lb
/>
the Ancients; namely, that they conſtantly
<
lb
/>
avoided drawing any of the outer Lines of the
<
lb
/>
Platform quite ſtrait, ſo as to let any great
<
lb
/>
Length go on without being interrupted by
<
lb
/>
the Concavity of ſome curve Line, or the In
<
lb
/>
terſection of ſome Angle; and the Reaſon
<
lb
/>
why thoſe wiſe Men did this is plain, that the
<
lb
/>
Wall, having, as it were, Props joined to it to
<
lb
/>
reſt againſt, might be ſo much the ſtronger.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>In treating of the Walling, we ſhould begin
<
lb
/>
with the moſt noble Parts of it. </
s
>
<
s
>This Place
<
lb
/>
thereſore naturally leads us to ſpeak of the Co
<
lb
/>
lumns, and of the Things belonging to them;
<
lb
/>
a Row of Columns being indeed nothing elſe
<
lb
/>
but a Wall open and diſcontinued in ſeveral
<
lb
/>
Places. </
s
>
<
s
>And having occaſion to define a Co
<
lb
/>
lumn, it would not be at all improper to ſay,
<
lb
/>
that it is a certain ſtrong continued Part of
<
lb
/>
the Wall, carried up perpendicular from the
<
lb
/>
Foundation to the Top, for ſupporting the
<
lb
/>
Covering. </
s
>
<
s
>In the whole Compaſs of the Art
<
lb
/>
of Building, you will find nothing, that either
<
lb
/>
for Workmanſhip, Expence or Beauty, de
<
lb
/>
ſerves to be preferred before the Columns.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>But theſe Columns having ſome Particulars in
<
lb
/>
which they differ from one another; in this
<
lb
/>
Place we ſhall ſpeak only of their Agreement;
<
lb
/>
becauſe that regards the Genus of them; but
<
lb
/>
as to their Difference, which relates to their
<
lb
/>
Species, we ſhall handle it in its proper Place.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>To begin therefore as we may ſay from the
<
lb
/>
Root, every Column has its Foundation; this
<
lb
/>
Foundation being brought up to a Level with
<
lb
/>
the Plane of the
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Area,
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
it was uſual to raiſe
<
lb
/>
thereupon a kind of little Wall, which we
<
lb
/>
ſhall call the Plinth, others perhaps may call
<
lb
/>
it the Dye; upon the Plinth ſtood the Baſe,
<
lb
/>
on the Baſe, the Column; and over the Co
<
lb
/>
lumn the Capital; their Proportion was, that
<
lb
/>
from the middle downwards, they were ſome
<
lb
/>
what bigger, and from thence upwards grew
<
lb
/>
more and more taper, and that the Foot was
<
lb
/>
ſomething larger than the Top of all. </
s
>
<
s
>I make
<
lb
/>
no doubt, that at firſt the Column was in
<
lb
/>
vented to ſupport the Covering. </
s
>
<
s
>Afterwards
<
lb
/>
Men's Thoughts being ſtirred up to worthy
<
lb
/>
Attempts, they ſtudied, tho' themſelves were
<
lb
/>
mortal, to make their Buildings in a Manner
<
lb
/>
immortal and eternal; and for this Reaſon
<
lb
/>
they made Columns, Architraves, Intabla
<
lb
/>
tures, and Coverings all of Marble. </
s
>
<
s
>And in
<
lb
/>
doing theſe Things, the ancient Architects al
<
lb
/>
ways kept ſo cloſe to Nature, as to ſeem, if
<
lb
/>
poſſible, never to have conſulted any Thing
<
lb
/>
but mere Convenience in Building, and at the
<
lb
/>
ſame Time made it their Care, that their
<
lb
/>
Works ſhould be not only ſtrong and uſeful, </
s
>
</
p
>
</
chap
>
</
body
>
</
text
>
</
archimedes
>