Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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              moſt undigeſted: unleſs we will ſuppoſe, that
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              there is a fiery Spirit in the Bowels of the earth,
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              by which ſubterrancous Waters are concocted.
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              Ariſlotle
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              ſays that the Water in Wells grows
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              warm in the Summer in the Afternoon. </s>
              <s>Ac­
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              cordingly ſome will have it that Well-water
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              ſeems cold in Summer, only by compariſon with
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              the hot Air which ſurrounds us. </s>
              <s>Accordingly
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              we find, contrary to the old received Opinion,
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              that Water juſt freſh drawn, does not bedew
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              the Glaſs into which it is put, if the Glaſs be
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              perfectly clean and not greaſy. </s>
              <s>But as of the
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              firſt Principles whereof all Things conſiſt, eſ­
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              pecially according to the
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              Pythagorean
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              Notion,
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              there are two which may be called male, which
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              are Heat and Cold; and it being the Property
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              of Heat to penetrate, diſſolve, break, attract and
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              ſuck up all Moiſture, as it is that of Cold to
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              compreſs, contract, harden and conſolidate:
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              both theſe have in a great Meaſure the ſame
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              Effects, and particularly upon Water, provided
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              they are exceſſive and of too long Continuance;
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              becauſe they both equally conſume the more
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              ſubtile Parts, which occaſions exactly the ſame
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              aduſt Dryneſs. </s>
              <s>Thus we ſay, that Plants are
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              burnt up, not only by extreme Heat but alſo by
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              extreme Cold; becauſe when the more tender
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              Parts of the Subſtance of the Wood are con­
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              ſumed and dried up either by Froſt or Sun,
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              we ſee the Tree look ruſty and chapt as by
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              Fire. </s>
              <s>From the ſame Cauſes Water grows
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              viſcous by the Sun's Heat, and looks as if it
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              were full of Aſhes in extreme Froſt. </s>
              <s>But there
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              is another Difference even among Waters al­
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              lowed to be good; for particularly as to Rain­
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              water, it is of great Importance in what Sea­
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              ſon of the Year, at what Time of the Day,
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              and in what Winds you collect it, as alſo in
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              what Place you preſerve it, and what Time it
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              has been kept. </s>
              <s>The Rain which falls after
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              the Middle of Winter is thought to afford the
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              heavieſt Water; and that which is collected in
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              the Winter is ſaid to be ſweeter than that col­
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              lected in the Summer. </s>
              <s>The firſt Rains after
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              the Dog-days are bitter and unwholeſome, be­
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              ing corrupted with a Mixture of ſome of the
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              aduſt Particles of the Earth, and we are told
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              that the Earth itſelf has a bitter ſavour at that
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              Time of the Year, from being burnt up by the
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              Heat of the Sun. </s>
              <s>Hence we are adviſed, that
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              the Rain-water gathered from the Houſe-top,
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              is better than that which is collected in the
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              Ground; and of that which is gathered from
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              the Houſe-top, the moſt wholeſome is ſaid to
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              be that which is got after the Roof has been
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              well waſhed by the firſt Rain. </s>
              <s>The
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              African
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              Phyſicians tell us, that the Rain which falls in
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              Summer, eſpecially when it thunders, is not
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              pure, and is unwholſome from its Saltneſs.
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Theophraſtus
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              thinks, that the Night Rains are
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              better than thoſe in the Day. </s>
              <s>Hence that
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              is accounted the moſt wholeſome which falls
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              in a North Wind.
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              Columella
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              is of Opinion,
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              that Rain water would not be bad if it were
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              carried through carthen Pipes into covered
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              Ciſterns, becauſe it caſily corrupts when it
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              ſtands uncovered to the Sun, and ſoon ſpoils,
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              if it is kept in any Veſſel made of Wood.
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              </s>
              <s>Springs alſo are very different from one ano­
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              ther.
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              Hippocrates
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              judged thoſe which riſe
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              from the Roots of Hills to be the beſt. </s>
              <s>The
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              Opinion of the Ancients concerning Springs was
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              as follows. </s>
              <s>They thought the very beſt of all
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              were thoſe which lay either to the North, or
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              fronting the Sun-riſe about the Equinox; and
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              the worſt they ſuppoſed to be thoſe which lay
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              to the South. </s>
              <s>The next beſt they thought
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              were thoſe which fronted the Sun-riſe in Win­
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              ter, nor did they diſapprove of thoſe on the
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              Weſt Side of the Hill, which generally is very
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              moiſt with a great Abundance of light Dew,
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              and conſequently muſt afford a very ſweet
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              Water, becauſe the Dew does not fall but in
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              quiet, clear Places, and where there is a tem­
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              perate Air.
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              Theophraſtus
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              thinks that Water
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              gets a Taſte from the Earth, as in Fruits, Vines,
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              and other Trees, which all have a Savour of
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              the Earth from which they draw their Juices,
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              and from whatever happens to lie near their
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              Roots. </s>
              <s>The Ancients uſed to ſay, that there
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              were as many different Sorts of Wines, as there
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              were of different Soils wherein the Vineyards
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              were planted. </s>
              <s>Thus
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              Pliny
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              tells us, that the
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              Wines of
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              Padua
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              taſted of the Willows to which
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              the Inhabitants of that Country uſed to bind
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              their Vines.
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              Cato
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              teaches to medicate the Vines
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              with the Herb
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              Hellebore,
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              by laying Bundles of
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              it at the Roots, at the ſame Time that you
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              open them, in order to make them looſen the
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              Belly without Danger. </s>
              <s>For theſe Reaſons the
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              Ancients thought, that the Water which iſſued
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              out of the living Rock, was better than that
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              which roſe from the Ground. </s>
              <s>But the beſt of
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              all was thought to be that which diſtilled from
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              ſuch an Earth, which being put into a Baſon
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              with Water, and ſtirr'd together with it, would
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              the ſooneſt ſubſide and leave the Water the
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              leaſt tainted either in Colour, Smell, or Taſte.
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              </s>
              <s>For the ſame Reaſons
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              Columella
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              was of Opinion,
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              that Water which ran down ſtony Precipices </s>
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