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. </s>
              <s>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? </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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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              <s>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? </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>But to return to our Subject.</s>
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              <s>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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              </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>We are
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              now to adorn thoſe Parts which are intended
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              only for private Uſe. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>Let him
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              be contented with Cypreſs, Larch and Box </s>
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