Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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<
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>THE
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ARCHITECTURE
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OF
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Leone Batiſta Alberti.
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<
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>BOOK X. CHAP. I.</
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Of the Defects in Buildings, whence they proceed, and their different Sorts;
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which of them can be corrected by the Architect, and which cannot; and the
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various Cauſes of a bad Air.
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>Since in the Remainder of this
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Work we are to treat of the correct
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ing the ſeveral Defects in Building,
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it is neceſſary firſt to conſider what
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thoſe Defects are which are capable of Emen
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dation by the Hand of Man: As the Phyſici
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ans think that the Knowledge of the Patient's
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Diſtemper, is the greateſt Step towards his
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Cure. </
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>Of the Defects in Buildings, as well
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publick as private, ſome are innate and owing
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to the Architect, and others proceed from fo
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reign Cauſes: And again, of theſe ſome are
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capable of being repaired by Art and Contri
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vance, and others will not poſſibly admit of
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any Remedy. </
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>What thoſe are which are owing
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to the Architect, we have pointed out ſo plain
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ly in the laſt Book, that a Repetition of them
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here is not neceſſary, having there ſhewn that
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ſome are the Errors of the Mind, ſome of the
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Hand; that thoſe of the Mind are an injudici
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ous Election, an inconvenient Compartition,
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an improper Diſtribution, or confuſed Pro
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portions; whereas thoſe of the Hand are an
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inaccurate or inconſiderate Preparation, Col
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lection, Working, and putting together the
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Materials: Faults which the Negligent and
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Unadviſed eaſily fall into. </
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>But the Defects
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which proceed from foreign Cauſes are ſcarcely
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to be numbered for their Multiplicity and Va
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riety: Of which Cauſes the firſt is that which
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is ſaid to overcome all Things, Time, whoſe
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Violence is no leſs deceitful than it is power
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ful, nor can any Sort of Bodies elude that great
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Law of Nature, of Feeling the Decays of old
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Age; inſomuch that ſome are of Opinion, the
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very Heavens themſelves are corruptible only
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for this Reaſon, becauſe they are Bodies. </
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<
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>We
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all know the Power of the Sun, of Damps, of
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Froſts and of Storms. </
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<
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>Battered by theſe En
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gines, we ſee the hardeſt Flints ſhiver and fall
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to Pieces, and huge Pieces of Rock broken
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down from the Mountains, with Parts of the
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Hill itſelf along with them. </
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<
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>To theſe add the
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Violence or Negligence of Men. </
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>I call Heaven
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to Witneſs, that I am often filled with the
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higheſt Indignation when I ſee Buildings de
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moliſhed and going to Ruin by the Careleſs
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neſs, not to ſay abominable Avarice of the
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Owners, Buildings whoſe Majeſty has ſaved
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them from the Fury of the moſt barbarous and
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enraged Enemies, and which Time himſelf,
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that perverſe and obſtinate Deſtroyer, ſeems to
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have deſtined to Eternity. </
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<
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>To theſe again add
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the ſudden Accidents of Fire, Lightening,
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Earthquakes, Inundations, and thoſe many ſur
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prizing, unheard of and incredible Phænomena
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which the miraculous Power of Nature ſo fre
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quently produces, and which are capable of </
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