Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              Sort of Embelliſhment as if all you conſulted
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              in raiſing your Wall, was to ſuſtain the Roof,
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              not leaving any Space where you can after­
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              wards conveniently or diſtinctly add either the
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              Dignity of Columns, the Embelliſhment of Sta­
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              tues, the Majeſty of Picture, or the Delicacy
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              of any Incruſtation. </s>
              <s>An Error of much the
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              ſame Nature as this is, the Building with ſo
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              little Conſideration, that though the ſame Ex­
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              pence might make our Structure beautiful and
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              graceful, yet we neglect the Pains and Con­
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              trivance of effecting it: For it is undeniable
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              that there may be in the mere Form or Figure
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              of a Building, an innate Excellence and Beau­
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              ty, which ſtrikes and delights the Mind, and
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              is immediately perceived where it is, as much
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              as it is miſſed where it is not; for, indeed, the
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              Eye is naturally a Judge and Lover of Beauty
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              and Gracefulneſs, and is very critical and hard
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              to pleaſe in it; neither can I give any Account
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              why it ſhould always happen, that we ſhould
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              be much more offended at what is wanting,
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              than ready to commend what is done well;
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              for ſtill we are continually thinking what fur­
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              ther might be added to make the Object ſtill
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              more ſplendid, and are naturally diſpleaſed if
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              any thing is omitted, which the moſt accurate,
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              ingenious, and diligent Artiſt might poſſibly
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              have procured: So that indeed we are often at
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              a Loſs to ſay what it is offends us, unleſs it be
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              that there is not wherewithal fully to ſatisfy our
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              immoderate Deſire of Perfection. </s>
              <s>This being
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              the true State of the Caſe, we ſhould certainly
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              endeavour, as much as in us lies, by the great­
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              eſt Study and Care, to make whatever Struc­
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              ture we raiſe as handſome, and as compleatly
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              adorned as poſſibly, eſpecially if it be ſuch a
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              one as every body expects to ſee in the utmoſt
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              Perfection, as, for Inſtance, a publick Structure,
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              and particularly a ſacred one, which no Man
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              can bear to ſee naked of Ornament. </s>
              <s>It is an­
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              other Error to apply the Ornaments peculiar to
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              a publick Structure, to a private one; or, on
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              the other Hand, thoſe peculiar to private Edi­
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              fices to one of a publick Nature: Eſpecially if
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              ſuch Ornaments are any thing petty, or not
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              durable, as, for Inſtance, to diſh up a publick
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              Structure with ſlight or paultry Painting; for
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              every Thing uſed about a publick Edifice ought,
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              if poſſible, to be eternal. </s>
              <s>It is another groſs
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              Error, which we ſee ſome ridiculous People
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              run into, who e'er they have well begun their
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              Building, fall to painting it, and decking it with
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              Statues and other Embelliſhments without
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              Number; all which are ſure to be ſpoiled and
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              demoliſhed before the Building is finiſhed.
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              </s>
              <s>We ſhould erect our Building naked, and let
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              it be quite compleated before we begin to
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              dreſs it with Ornaments, which ſhould always
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              be our laſt Work, being beſt done at leaſure,
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              when we can do it without any Impediment,
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              and can take the Advantage of ſuch Opportu­
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              nities as may offer for that Purpoſe. </s>
              <s>I would
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              have the Ornaments which you affix to your
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              Structure, to be the Work of various Hands,
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              and thoſe moderate Maſters; but if you can
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              procure any rare Pieces of greater Excellence
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              and Perfection, Statues and Pictuaes like thoſe
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              of a
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              Phidias
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              or a
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              Zeuxis,
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              let them be fixed only
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              in Places of peculiar Dignity and Honour. </s>
              <s>I
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              cannot commend
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              Dejoces
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              the King of
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              Media,
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              who encompaſſed his City of
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              Ecbatana
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              with
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              ſeven Walls, and made each of them of diffe­
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              rent Colours, one Purple, another Blue, another
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              gilt with Silver, and one even with Gold; nor can
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              I help blaming
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              Caligula,
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              who made his Stable
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              of Marble, and the Manger of Ivory. </s>
              <s>All that
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Nero
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              built was covered with Gold and enriched
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              with Gems.
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              Heliogabalus
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              was ſtill more ex­
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              travagantly profuſe, for he paved his Apart­
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              ments with Gold, and grieved that he could
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              not do it with Amber. </s>
              <s>Contempt is the beſt
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              Reward for theſe wild Prodigals who are oſ­
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              tentatious of ſuch Vain-glories, or rather Fol­
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              lies, and who are thus profuſe of the Labours
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              and Sweat of Mankind, about Things which
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              are of no Manner of Uſe or Advantage to the
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              main Structure, nor capable of raiſing the leaſt
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              Admiration either for Ingenuity or Contrivance.</s>
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              <s>I THEREFORE over and over again adviſe you
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              to avoid theſe Errors; and before you begin
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              your Work, thoroughly conſider the whole
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              Deſign your ſelf, and take the Advice of Men
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              of Skill upon it; be ſure to have a compleat
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              Model of the Whole, by which examine every
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              minute Part of your future Structure eight,
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              nine, ten Times over, and again, after different
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              Intermiſſions of Times; till there be not the
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              leaſt Member from the Foundation to the
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              Roof of your whole Building, within or without,
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              great or ſmall, but what you have throughly
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              and long weighed and conſidered, and deter­
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              mined of what Materials it ſhall be made,
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              where placed, in what Order and Proportions,
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              and to what it ſhall anſwer and bear Relation.</s>
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