Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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lighted, and that it be open to receive a great
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deal of Light and Sun, and a ſufficient Quan
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tity of wholſome Air. </
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<
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>Let nothing be within
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View that can offend the Eye with a melan
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choly Shade. </
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<
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>Let all Things ſmile and ſeem
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to welcome the Arrival of your Gueſts. </
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<
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>Let
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thoſe who are already entered be in Doubt
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whether they ſhall for Pleaſure continue where
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they are, or paſs on further to thoſe other Beau
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ties which tempt them on. </
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<
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>Let them be led
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from ſquare Rooms into round ones, and again
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from round into ſquare, and ſo into others
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of mixed Lines, neither all round nor all
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ſquare; and let the Paſſage into the very in
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nermoſt Apartments be, if poſſible, without the
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leaſt Aſcent or Deſcent, but all be upon one
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even Floor, or at leaſt let the Aſcents be as
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eaſy as may be.</
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<
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>CHAP. III.</
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That the Parts and Members of a Houſe are different both in Nature and
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Species, and that they are to be adorned in various Manners.
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<
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>But as the Members or Parts of a Houſe
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are very different one from the other both
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in Nature and Species, it may now be proper
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to ſay ſomething of each, having indeed pur
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poſely reſerved them for this very Place: For
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there are many Parts which it matters very
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little whether you make round or ſquare, pro
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vided they are fit for the Purpoſes to which they
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are intended; but it is not equally indifferent
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what Number they are in, and how they are
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diſpoſed; and it is neceſſary that ſome ſhould
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be larger, as the inner Courts, while ſome re
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quire a ſmaller Area, as the Chambers and all
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the private Apartments. </
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>Some others muſt be
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in a Medium between the others, as Eating
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parlours and the Veſtibule. </
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<
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>We have already
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in another Place given our Thoughts of the
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apt Diſpoſition of each Member of a Houſe,
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and as to the reſpective Difference of their
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Areas, there is no Occaſion to ſpeak here, be
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cauſe they are infinite both from the different
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Humours of Men, and the different Ways of
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Living in different Places. </
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>The Ancients, be
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fore their Houſes made either a Portico, or at
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leaſt a Porch, not always with ſtraight Lines,
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but ſometimes with curve, after the Manner of
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the Theatre. </
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>Next to the Portico lay the Veſ
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tibule, which was almoſt conſtantly circular;
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behind that was the Paſſage into the inner Court,
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and thoſe other Parts of the Houſe which we
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have already ſpoken of in their proper Places,
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whereof to enter upon a freſh Deſcription
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would make us too prolix. </
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<
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>The Things that
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we ought not to omit are theſe. </
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<
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>Where the
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Area is round it muſt be proportioned accord
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ing to the Deſign of the Temple; unleſs there
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be this Difference, that here the Height of the
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Walls muſt be greater than in the Temple, for
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Reaſons which you ſhall know ſhortly. </
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<
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>If it
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be quadrangular, then in ſome Particulars it
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will differ from thoſe Inſtructions which we
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have given for ſacred Edifices, as alſo for pro
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fane ones of a publick Nature; but yet in
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ſome others it will agree with the Council
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chambers and Courts. </
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<
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>According to the ge
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neral Cuſtom of the Ancients, the Breadth of
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the Porch was either two thirds of its Length,
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or elſe the Length was one whole Breadth and
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two thirds more, or elſe the Length was one
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whole Breadth with the Addition of two fifths.
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<
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>To each of theſe Proportions the Ancients ſeem
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always to have allowed the Height of the Wall to
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be equal to its whole Length, and one third more.
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<
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>By taking the actual Dimenſion of a great many
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Structures, I find that ſquare Platforms require
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a different Height of Wall where they are to
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be covered with vaulted Roofs, from what they
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do when their Roof is to be flat: As alſo that
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ſome Difference is to be made between the
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Proportions of a large Building and thoſe of a
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ſmall one: Which ariſes from the different In
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terval that there is from the Beholder's Eye,
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which muſt in this Caſe be conſidered as the
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Center, to the extreme Height which it ſur
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veys: But of thoſe Things we ſhall treat elſe
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where. </
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<
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>We muſt Proportion the Areas of our
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Apartments to our Roof, and our Roof to the
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Length of the Rafters with which it is to be
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covered in. </
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<
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>I call that a moderate Roof which
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may be ſupported by a Piece of Timber of a
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moderate Length. </
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<
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>But beſides the Proportions
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which I have already treated of, there are ſeve
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ral other proper Dimenſions and Agreements of
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Lines which I ſhall here endeavour to explain
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as clearly and ſuccinctly as poſſible. </
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<
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>If the
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Length of the Platform be twice its Breadth; </
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