Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755
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              <s>
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              the Sides of the Pit. </s>
              <s>The Ancients uſed to ſend
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              their Slaves, upon their being convicted of ſome
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              Crime, to dig in their Mines, where the noi­
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              ſome Air ſoon diſpatched them. </s>
              <s>Againſt ſuch
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              Vapours we are taught to ſecure ourſelves, by
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              keeping the Air in continual Motion, and by
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              the Burning of Lamps, to the Intent, that if
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              the Vapour be very ſubtile, it may be conſu­
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              med by the Flame, or if it be more groſs, the
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              Workmen may know when to get out of Harm's
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              Way, becauſe ſuch a heavy Vapour will give
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              them Notice by extinguiſhing the Light. </s>
              <s>But
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              if theſe Damps multiply upon you, and con­
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              tinue for any Time, we are adviſed to dig Vents
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              on each Side, to give the Vapour a free Paſſage
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              to exhauſt itſelf. </s>
              <s>To prevent the falling in
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              of the Sides, work your Well in the following
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              Manner. </s>
              <s>Upon the Level of the Ground where
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              you reſolve to make your Well, lay a circular
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              Courſe of Work, either of Marble, or ſome
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              other ſtout Material, of the Diameter which
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              you intend for the Breadth of your Well. </s>
              <s>This
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              will be the Baſis or Foundation of your whole
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              Work. </s>
              <s>Upon this build the Sides of your Well
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              to the Height of three Cubits, and let it ſtand
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              till it is thoroughly dry. </s>
              <s>When this is dry, go
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              to digging your Well, and remove the Earth
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              from the Inſide of it; by which means, as you
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              dig away the Earth, the Sides already raiſed
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              will ſink by Degrees, and make their own Way
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              downwards; and thus adding to the Sides as
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              you go deeper, you may ſink your Work to
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              what Depth you pleaſe. </s>
              <s>Some are for Build­
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              ing the Sides of the Well without Mortar, that
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              the Veins of Water may not be ſtopt from
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              getting through them. </s>
              <s>Others are for inclo­
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              ſing it with no leſs than three different Walls,
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              that the Water riſing all up from the Bottom,
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              may be the clearer. </s>
              <s>But the main Point is
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              the Nature of the Place where you dig;
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              for as the Earth conſiſts of different Strata
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              placed one above the other, it ſometimes hap­
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              pens, that the Rain-water, ſoaking thro' the up­
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              per ſoft Coat, lodges in the firſt hard Bed;
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              and this never being pure, is unſit for Uſe:
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              At other Times, on the contrary, it happens,
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              that after you have actually found Water, up­
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              on digging deeper, it ſlips away and is loſt.
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              <s>The Reaſon of this is, that you have dug thro'
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              the Bottom of the Veſſel which contained it.
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              </s>
              <s>Upon this Account I very much approve of
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              thoſe who make their Well in the following
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              Manner. </s>
              <s>They encompaſs the Sides of the
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              Well, which is ready dug, with two Circles of
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              Wood or Plank, as if they were making a great
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              Tub, leaving the Space of about a Cubit be­
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              tween the two Circles. </s>
              <s>This Interſpace be­
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              tween the Planks, they ſill up with coarſe
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              Gravel, or rather with broken Fragments of
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              Flint or Marble, ſwimming in Mortar, and
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              then leave this Work to dry and harden for
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              ſix Months. </s>
              <s>This forms ſo entire a Veſſel,
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              that the Water can get in no other Way but
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              by bubbling up from the Bottom, by which
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              Means it muſt be thoroughly purged and be
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              perfectly clear and light. </s>
              <s>If you are to make
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              an horizontal Conduit under Ground, let the
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              Diggers obſerve the before-mentioned Precau­
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              tions againſt noxious Vapours; and in order
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              to keep the Ground from falling down upon
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              them, let them make uſe of Props, and after­
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              wards ſupport it with a regular Arch. </s>
              <s>The Con­
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              duit ſhould have frequent Vents, ſome perpendi­
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              cular, others oblique, not only for the exhaling
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              of unwholeſome Vapours, but chiefly for the
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              more convenient bringing out the Earth as it
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              is dug, and any Obſtruction which may get in.
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              <s>When we are digging for Water, if we do
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              not, the lower we go, meet with moiſter
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              Clods of Earth, and if our Tools do not find
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              more and more eaſy Entrance, we ſhall cer­
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              tainly be diſappointed of our Hopes of ſinding
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              what we dig for.</s>
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              <s>CHAP. VI.</s>
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              <s>
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              Of the Uſes of Water; which is beſt and moſt wholeſome; and the contrary.
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              <s>When Water is found, it ought not
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              to be raſhly applied to the Uſes of
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              Men. </s>
              <s>But as the City requires a very great
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              Plenty of Water, not only for drinking, but
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              alſo for waſhing, for ſupplying the Gardens,
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              for Tanners, and Fullers; for the Drains, and
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              for extinguiſhing ſudden Fires: The beſt is to
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              be choſen for drinking, and the others are to
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              be allotted to the other Uſes, according as
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              they are found to be reſpectively proper for
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              them.
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              Theophraſtus
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              was of Opinion, that the
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              colder the Water, the more ſerviceable to
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              Plants; and it is certain, that the foul and
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              muddy, eſpecially if it takes its Thickneſs </s>
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