Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <p type="margin">
              <s>
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              ★
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              Plate 2.
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              (facing
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              page 13)
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              <s>CHAP. XIII.</s>
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              <s>
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              Of the Stair caſes, and their different Sorts, of the Steps of the Stairs which
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              ought to be in odd Numbers, and how many. </s>
              <s>Of the reſting Places, of the
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              Tunnels for carrying away the Smoke. </s>
              <s>Of Pipes and Conduits for carrying
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              off the Water, and of the proper Placing of Wells and Sinks.
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            <p type="main">
              <s>The placing of the Stairs is a Work of
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              ſuch Nicety, that without deliberate
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              and mature Conſideration you can never place
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              them well: For in a Stair-caſe there meet
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              three Apertures: One, the Door by which you
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              enter upon the Stairs; another, the Window
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              that ſupplies you with Light to ſee the Steps
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              by, and the third, the Opening in the Ceiling
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              which lets you into the
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              Area
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              above; and
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              therefore it is ſaid to be no Wonder, that the
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              Stairs ſhould perplex the Deſign of a Structure;
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              but let him that is deſirous to have the Stair
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              not hinder him, take Caré not to hinder the
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              Stair, but allow it a determinate and juſt Por­
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              tion of the Platform, in order to give its free
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              Courſe quite up to the Covering at the Top
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              of all. </s>
              <s>And do not let us repine that the
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              Stair-caſe ſhould take up ſo much of the
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              Area,
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              for it furniſhes us with very many Conve­
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              niencies, and is no Inconvenience to the other
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              Parts of the Building. </s>
              <s>Add to this, that
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              thoſe little Vaults and Spaces under the Stairs
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              are very ſerviceable for a great many Purpoſes.
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              </s>
              <s>Our Stair-caſes therefore are of two Sorts (for
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              as to thoſe Steps or Ladders which belong to
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              military Expeditions, I ſhall not ſpeak of them
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              here.) The firſt is that which has no Steps, but
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              is mounted by a ſloping Aſcent, and the other
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              is that which is mounted by Steps. </s>
              <s>The An­
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              cients uſed to make the ſloping one as eaſy
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              and as little ſteep as poſſible, and as I have
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              obſerved from their Works, thought it a con­
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              venient Aſcent when the higheſt Part of its
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              Perpendicular was raiſed one ſixth Part of the
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              Line at Bottom. </s>
              <s>In making of Stair-caſes
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              with Steps, they recommend the making of
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              the Steps in odd Numbers, and eſpecially in
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              their Temples: Becauſe they ſaid that by this
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              Means we always ſet our right Foot into the
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              Temple firſt; which was accounted a Point
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              of Religion. </s>
              <s>And I have obſerved, that the
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              beſt Architects never put above ſeven, or at
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              moſt nine Steps together in one Flight; imita­
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              ting I ſuppoſe, the Number either of the
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              Planets or of the Heavens; but at the End of
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              theſe ſeven or nine Steps, they very conſider­
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              ately made a Plain, that ſuch as were weak or
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              tired with the Fatigue of the Aſcent, might
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              have Leiſure to reſt themſelves, and that if they
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              ſhould chance to ſtumble, there might be a
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              Place to break their Fall, and give them Means
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              to recover themſelves. </s>
              <s>And I am thoroughly
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              of Opinion, that the Stairs ought to be
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              frequently interrupted by theſe landing Places,
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              and that they ſhould be well lighted, and be
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              ample and ſpacious according to the Dignity
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              of the Place. </s>
              <s>The Steps they never made
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              higher than nine Inches, nor lower than fix,
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              and in Breadth never leſs than a Foot and a
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              half, nor more than a Yard, The fewer Stair­
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              caſes that are in a Houſe, and the leſs Room
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              they take up, the more convenient they are
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              eſteem'd. </s>
              <s>The Iſſues for Smoak and Water
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              ought to be as direct as poſſible, and ſo built,
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              that they may not lie and gather within, or
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              ſoil, or offend, or endanger the Building For
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              this Reaſon too the Tunnels of the Chimnies
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              ſhould be carried quite clear from all Manner
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              of Wood-work, for fear ſome Spark, or their
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              meer Heat ſhould ſet Fire to the Beams or
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              Rafters that are near them. </s>
              <s>The Drains alſo
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              for carrying off the Water ſhould be ſo con­
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              trived, as to convey away all Superſluities, and
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              in their Paſſage not to do any Harm to the
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              Houſe, either by ſapping or dirtying it. </s>
              <s>For
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              if any of theſe Things do Miſchief, let it be
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              ever ſo little, yet by Length of Time and con­
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              tinuation, they will in the End be of the utmoſt
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              ill Conſequence; and I have obſerved, that
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              the beſt Architects have contrived either to
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              throw off the Rain by Spouts, ſo as not to wet
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              any body that is going into the Houſe, or car­
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              ried it thro Pipes into Ciſterns to ſerve for Uſe,
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              or elſe brought it together to ſome Place
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              where it might waſh away all the Filth, ſo that
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              the Eyes and Noſes of the Inhabitants might
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              not be offended with it. </s>
              <s>Indeed they ſeem
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              to have been particularly careful to throw the
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              Rain Water clear away from the Building,
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              that it might not ſap the Foundations, as well </s>
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