Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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and in ſhort the whole Structure falls to Ruin.
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<
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>The very Foundations themſelves, which you
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will hardly bèlieve, are ſecured by the Pro
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tection of the Covering: nor have ſo many
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Buildings been deſtroyed by Fire, Sword, War,
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by Multitude of Enemies, and all other Ca
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lamities put together, as have gone to Ruin
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by being left naked and uncovered thro Negli
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gence. </
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>It is certain the Coverings are the de
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fenſive Arms of the Building againſt the
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Aſſaults and Violence of Storms and Tempeſts.
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<
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>Wherefore our Anceſtors in this as in other
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things acted very laudably, in aſcribing ſo
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much Honour to the Covering, that they
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ſpent their whole Art and Study in adorning
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and beautifying it. </
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<
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>For ſome of their Cover
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ings we ſee of Braſs, others of Glaſs, ſome of
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Gold with gilded Beams and Rafters, and
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richly adorned with Corniſhes of Flowers and
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Statues. </
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>Of Coverings ſome are open to the
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Air, others not: the open are thoſe which are
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not for walking upon, but only for receiving
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the Rain. </
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>Thoſe not open to the Air, are
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the Roofs and Coves that are between the
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Covering and the Foundations, ſo that one
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Houſe ſeems to ſtand upon another. </
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<
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>By this
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means it comes to paſs that the ſame Work,
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which is the Covering to the Apartments
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below, is the
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Aréa
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to thoſe above. </
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<
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>Of theſe
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Coverings thoſe above our Heads we call Roofs,
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or Cielings; and thoſe which we tread upon
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with our Feet,
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Areas.
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<
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> Whether the uppermoft
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Covering, which lies to the open Air, is to be
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reckoned as an
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Area
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or Pavement, we ſhall
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examine in another Place. </
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>But the Covering
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to the open Air, tho' it be of a plain Super
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ficies, ought never to lie even with reſpect to
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the
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Area
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which it covers below; but ſhou'd
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always incline of one Side to throw off the
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Rain. </
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>But the Coverings within, that are of
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a plain Superficies, ſhould be in all Parts
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equally diſtant from the Floor. </
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<
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>All Coverings
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muſt anſwer in Lines and Angles to the Form
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and Shape of the Platform and Wall which
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they are to cover: And as thoſe are various,
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ſome being all of curve Lines, others all of
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ſtrait, and others of both mixed together, the
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Coverings too are therefore various, and of
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ſeveral kinds. </
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<
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>But tho' they have this natural
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Difference, and that ſome are hemiſpherical;
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others made up of four Arches; others vaulted;
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others conſiſting of Parts of ſeveral Arches;
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ſome ſloping or ridged like ordinary mean
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Houſes: yet which-ſoever of theſe Kinds we
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chuſe it is abſolutely neceſſary, that all Cover
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ings ſhou'd be ſo diſpoſed as to ſhelter and
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ſhade the Pavement, and throw off all Water
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and Rain, defending the whole Edifice upon
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which it is placed for a Covering. </
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<
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>For Rain
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is always prepared to do Miſchief, and where
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ever there is the leaſt Crack never fails to get
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in and do ſome Hurt or other: By its Subtility it
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penetrates and makes its way by its Humidity
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rots and deſtroys, by its Continuance looſens
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and unknits all the Nerves of the Building, and
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in the End ruins and lays Waſte the whole
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Structure to the very Foundations. </
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<
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>And for
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this Reaſon prudent Architects have always
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taken care that the Rain ſhould have a free
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Slope to run off; and that the Water ſhould
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never be ſtop'd in any Place, or get into any
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Part where it cou'd do Hurt. </
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<
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>And therefore
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they adviſed, that in Places ſubject to much
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Snow, the Coverings ſhould have a very ſteep
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Slope, riſing even to an acute Angle, that the
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Snow might never reſt and gather upon them,
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but fall off eaſily; but in more Summeriſh Cli
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mates (to uſe ſuch an Expreſſion) they laid
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their Covering leſs oblique. </
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<
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>Laſtly we ſhould
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endeavour if poſſible, without Prejudice to the
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Lights or Wall, to have the whole Structure
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overlaid with one equal Covering in a manner
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all of one Piece, and ſo far jutting out, that the
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Water falling from the Gutters may not wet
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or ſoak into the Wall: and all the Coverings
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ſhould be ſo diſpoſed, where there are more than
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one, that one may not ſpout upon the other.
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<
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>The Space of Covering too that the Water is
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to run over ſhould never be too large, becauſe
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upon Rains the Water gathering in the Gut
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ters in too great Abundance would waſh back
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again and flow into the Houſe; which would
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greatly prejudice the whole Work. </
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<
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>Where
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the
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Area
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therefore is very large, the Covering
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ſhould be divided into ſeveral Slopes, and the
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Rain flow off in different Places; and this is
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not only attended with Convenience, but Beauty
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too. </
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<
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>If you are obliged in any Place to have
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ſeveral Coverings, let them join one to another
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in ſuch a Manner, that when you are once
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under one, you may paſs from that to all the
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reſt always under ſhelter.</
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