Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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Germany,
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in
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Cæſar
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's Time, that no Man ſhould
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build too delicately, and eſpecially in the
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Country, to prevent Diſſention among the
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People from a Deſire of uſurping each other's
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Poſſeſſions.
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Valerious Poplicola
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having built a
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ſtately Houſe on that which is now the
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Monte
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Cavallo
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at
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Rome,
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pulled it down to avoid Envy,
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and built himſelf another in the Plain; and the
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ſame Modeſty appeared in every Thing both
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Publick and Private in thoſe ancient Times,
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while the Manners of the
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Romans
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continued
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uncorrupted: But afterwards, when the Em
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pire was enlarged, the Luxury of Building ran
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ſo high in almoſt every Body (except in
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Octa
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vianus,
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who had ſo great a Diſlike to ſumptu
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ous Buildings, that he pulled down a Country
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houſe only for its being too magnificent) I ſay,
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the Extravagance of Building ran ſo high in
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the City of
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Rome,
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that ſome of the
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Gordian
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Family, among others, built a Houſe on the
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Road to
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Preneſte,
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with two hundred Columns
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all of the ſame Bigneſs, and upon one Row,
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whereof fifty were of
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Numidian,
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fifty of
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Clau
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dian,
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fifty of
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Samian,
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and fifty of
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Titian
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Mar
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ble, as I remember to have read. </
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>What a
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Piece of Magnificence was that which we read
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of in
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Lucretius,
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that in ſome Houſes there were
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Statues of young Men all of Gold, holding
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lighted Torches in their right Hands, to light
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up their Feaſts at Night? </
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>My Deſign in men
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tioning theſe Things is to confirm by the Com
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pariſon, what I ſaid before, that the Magnifi
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cence of the Building ſhould be adapted to the
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Dignity of the Owner; and if I may offer my
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Opinion, I ſhould rather, in private Edifices,
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that the greateſt Men fell rather a little ſhort
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in Ornament, than they ſhould be condemned
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for Luxury and Profuſion by the more Diſ
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creet and Frugal. </
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>But ſince all agree, that we
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ſhould endeavour to leave a Reputation behind
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us, not only for our Wiſdom but our Power
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too; for this Reaſon, as
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Thucydides
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obſerves,
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we erect great Structures, that our Poſterity
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may ſuppoſe us to have been great Perſons.
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>When therefore we adorn our Habitations not
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more for Delicacy than to procure Honour to
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our Country and our Families, who can deny
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this to be a Work well becoming the wiſeſt
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Men? </
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<
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>Accordingly I would have thoſe Parts
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of the Houſe which are chiefly in the publick
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View, and which are in a Manner to give the
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firſt Welcome to every Gueſt, as the Front, the
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Veſtibule, and the like, be made as handſome
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as poſſible. </
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>And, though indeed I think thoſe
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ought to be very much blamed that are guilty
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of too much Exceſs; yet I think thoſe are much
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more to be condemned that lay out a great
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Expence upon a Building capable of no Orna
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ment, than thoſe that turn both their Thoughts
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and Money upon Ornament principally: Tho'
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I believe, I may venture to ſay, that whoever
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conſiders the true Nature of Ornament in
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Building will be convinced, that it is not Ex
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pence ſo much that is requiſite,, as Taſte and
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Contrivance. </
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>I think no prudent Man in
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building his private Houſe ſhould willingly
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differ too much from his Neighbours, or raiſe
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their Envy by his too great Expence and Oſ
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tentation; neither, on the other Hand, ſhould
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he ſuffer himſelf to be out-done by any one
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whatſoever in the Ingenuity of Contrivance, or
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Elegance of Taſte, to which the whole Beauty
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of the Compoſition, and Harmony of the ſeve
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ral Members muſt be owing, which is indeed
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the higheſt and principal Ornament in all
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Building. </
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<
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>But to return to our Subject.</
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<
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>THE Royal Palace, or in a free City, the
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Houſe of the Senator or chief Magiſtrate ought
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to be the firſt in Beauty and Magnificence.
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<
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>Of the Ornaments of thoſe Parts of this Palace
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or Houſe which bear any Relation to a pub
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lick Edifice, I have treated already. </
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<
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>We are
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now to adorn thoſe Parts which are intended
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only for private Uſe. </
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>I would have the Veſti
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bule adorned in the moſt handſome and ſplen
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did Manner, according to the Quality of the
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Owner; beſides which there ſhould be ſtately
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Porticoes, and handſome Courts, with every
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Thing elſe in Imitation of a publick Edifice,
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that tends either to Dignity or Ornament, as far
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as the Nature of the Structure itſelf will bear,
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only uſing ſo much Moderation as to ſeem ra
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ther to aim at Beauty and Gracefulneſs, than
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at any Thing ſumptuous: And as we obſerved
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in the laſt Book, with relation to Works of a
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publick Nature, that ſecular Buildings ought
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to yield in Dignity to the ſacred, ſo here the
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Edifices of private Perſons ought to give Way
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in Excellence and Number of Ornaments to
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thoſe of the publick. </
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<
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>A private Houſe ought
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not to have Doors of Braſs or Ivory, which was
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objected to
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Camillus
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as a Crime, nor Roofs
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fretted with great Quantities of Gold, or inlaid
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with Glaſs, nor ſhould every Part be incruſted
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with
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Hymettian
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or
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Parian
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Marble; ſuch Ma
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terials being proper only in Temples: But the
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Builder's chief Commendation in a private
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Structure, is to uſe moderate Materials elegant
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ly, and elegant ones moderately. </
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<
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>Let him
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be contented with Cypreſs, Larch and Box </
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