Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              equal, incongruous, out of Proportion, or not
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              conducive to the general Beauty of the Whole.
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              <s>All theſe Particulars you muſt provide for by
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              means of your Model; and from thence too
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              you ſhould before-hand conſider not only what
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              the Building is that you are to erect, but alſo
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              get together all the Materials you ſhall want
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              for the Execution, that when you have begun
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              your Work you may not be at a Loſs, or
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              change or ſuperſede your Deſign: but having
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              before-hand made Proviſion of every Thing that
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              you ſhall want, you may be able to keep your
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              Workmen conſtantly ſupplied with all their Ma­
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              terials. </s>
              <s>Theſe are the Things which the Archi­
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              tect is to take care of with the greateſt Dili­
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              gence and Judgement. </s>
              <s>The Errors which
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              may happen in the manual Execution of the
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              Work, need not be repeated here; but only
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              the Workmen ſhould be well looked after, to
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              ſee that they work exactly by their Square,
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              Level and Plumb-line; that they do their
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              Buſineſs at the proper Seaſons, take proper Sea­
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              ſons to let their Work reſt, and at proper Sea­
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              ſons go to it again; that they uſe good Stuff,
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              ſound, unmixed, ſolid, ſtrong, and ſuitable to
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              the Work, and that they uſe it in proper Places,
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              and finiſh every Thing according to their Mo­
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              del.</s>
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              <s>CHAP. X.</s>
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              What it is that an Architect ought principally to conſider, and what Sciences
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              he ought to be acquainted with.
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              <s>But to the Intent that the Architect may
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              come off worthily and honourably in
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              preparing, ordering and accompliſhing all
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              theſe Things, there are ſome neceſſary Ad­
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              monitions, which he ſhould by no means ne­
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              glect. </s>
              <s>And firſt he ought to conſider well
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              what Weight he is going to take upon his
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              Shoulders, what it is that he profeſſes, what
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              Manner of Man he would be thought, how
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              great a Buſineſs he undertakes, how much Ap­
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              plauſe, Profit, Favour and Fame among Poſ­
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              terity he will gain when he executes his Work
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              as he ought, and on the contrary, if he goes
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              about any thing ignorantly, unadviſedly, or in­
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              conſiderately, to how much Diſgrace, to how
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              much Indignation he expoſes himſelf, what a
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              clear, manifeſt and everlaſting Teſtimony he
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              gives Mankind of his Folly and Indiſcretion.
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              <s>Doubtleſs Architecture is a very noble Science,
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              not fit for every Head. </s>
              <s>He ought to be a Man
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              of a fine Genius, of a great Application, of the
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              beſt Education, of thorough Experience, and
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              eſpecially of ſtrong Senſe and ſound Judge­
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              ment, that preſumes to declare himſelf an
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              Architect. </s>
              <s>It is the Buſineſs of Architecture,
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              and indeed its higheſt Praiſe, to judge rightly
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              what is fit and decent: For though Building is
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              a Matter of Neceſſity, yet convenient Building
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              is both of Neceſſity and Utility too: But to
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              build in ſuch a Manner, that the Generous ſhall
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              commend you, and the Frugal not blame you,
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              is the Work only of a prudent, wiſe and learn­
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              ed Architect. </s>
              <s>To run up any thing that is
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              immediately neceſſary for any particular Pur­
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              poſe, and about which there is no doubt of
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              what Sort it ſhould be, or of the Ability of
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              the Owner to afford it, is not ſo much the
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              Buſineſs of an Architect, as of a common
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              Workman: But to raiſe an Edifice which is to
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              be compleat in every Part, and to conſider and
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              provide before-hand every Thing neceſſary for
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              ſuch a Work, is the Buſineſs only of that ex­
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              tenſive Genius which I have deſcribed above:
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              For indeed his Invention muſt be owing to his
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              Wit, his Knowledge, to Experience, his Choice
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              to Judgment, his Compoſition to Study, and
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              the Completion of his Work to his Perfection
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              in his Art; of all which Qualifications I take
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              the Foundation to be Prudence and mature
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              Deliberation. </s>
              <s>As to the other Virtues, Hu­
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              manity, Benevolence, Modeſty, Probity; I do
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              not require them more in the Architect, than
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              I do in every other Man, let him profeſs what
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              Art he will: For indeed without them I do
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              not think any one worthy to be deemed a Man:
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              But above all Things he ſhould avoid Levity,
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              Obſtinacy, Oſtentation, Intemperance, and all
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              thoſe other Vices which may loſe him the good
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              Will of his Fellow-Citizens, and make him
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              odious to the World. </s>
              <s>Laſtly, in the Study of
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              his Art I would have him follow the Example
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              of thoſe that apply themſelves to Letters: For
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              no Man thinks himſelf ſufficiently learned in
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              any Science, unleſs he has read and examined
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              all the Authors, as well bad as good that have
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              wrote in that Science which he is purſuing. </s>
              <s>In </s>
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