Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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tated and drove about by the Winds, which
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puſh on the Waves in great Rows to the Shore,
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where if they meet with Oppoſition, eſpecially
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from any hard rugged Body they beat againſt
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them with their whole Strength, and being
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daſhed back again they break, and falling from
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on high with continual Repetition dig up and
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demoliſh whatever reſiſts their Fury. </
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<
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>A full
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Proof of this is the great Depth of Water
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which we conſtantly find under high Rocks
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by the Sea-ſide. </
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<
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>But when the Shore runs off
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with an eaſy Deſcent, the raging Sea not find
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ing any Thing to exert its Force againſt, grows
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quiet, and falls back leſs furious upon itſelf;
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and if it has brought any Sand along with it,
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leaves it there; by which Means we ſee ſuch
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Shores growing higher and higher into the Sea
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every Day. </
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<
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>But when the Sea meets with a
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Promontory, and afterwards with a Bay, the
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Current runs impetuouſly along the Shore, and
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turns back again upon itſelf; which is the Rea
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ſon that in ſuch Places we frequently meet with
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deep Channels cut under the Shore. </
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<
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>Others
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maintain, that the Sea hath a Breath and Reſ
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piration of its own, and pretend to obſerve,
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that no Man ever dies naturally but when the
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Tide is going off, whence they would infer, that
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our Life has ſome Connection and Relation
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with the Motion and Life of the Sea: but this
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is not worth Dwelling upon. </
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<
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>It is certain, that
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the Tides riſe and fall variouſly in different
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Places. </
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<
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>The
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Negropont
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has no leſs than ſix
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Tides every Day. </
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<
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>At
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Conſtantinople
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it has no
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other Change but by flowing into the
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Pontus.
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In the
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Propontis
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the Sea naturally throws upon
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the Shore every Thing that is brought down
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into it by the Rivers: becauſe every Thing
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which is put into an unnatural Agitation reſts
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of Courſe where-ever it finds a Place which is
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not diſturbed. </
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<
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>But as upon almoſt all Shores
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we ſee Heaps of Sand or Stones thrown up, it
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may not be a miſs juſt to mention the Conjec
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tures of the Philoſophers upon this Occaſion.
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</
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<
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>I have ſaid elſewhere, that Sand is form'd of
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Mud dried by the Sun, and ſeparated by the
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Heat into very minute Particles. </
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<
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>Stones are
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ſuppoſed to be engendered by the Sea-water;
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ſor they tell us, that by Means of the Sun's
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Heat and of Motion, the Water grows warm,
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dries, and its lighter Parts evaporating hardens
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into a Conſiſtence, which grows to have ſo
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much Solidity, that if the Sea is but a little
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while at reſt, it by degrees contracts a ſlimy
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Cruſt, of a bituminous Nature; this Cruſt in
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Time is afterwards broken, and by new Motion
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and Colliſion the new-made Subſtance becomes
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globular, and grows ſomewhat like a Spunge:
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Theſe globular Spunges are carried to the Shore,
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where by their Slimineſs they lick up the
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Sand which is put into Agitation, which again
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is dried and concocted by the Heat of the
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Sun, and by the Salts, till by Length of Time
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it hardens into Stone. </
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<
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>This is the Conjecture
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of the Philoſophers. </
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<
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>We frequently ſee the
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Shore grow higher and higher towards the
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Mouth of Rivers, eſpecially if they flow through
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looſe Grounds, and are much ſubject to Land
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floods; for ſuch Rivers throw up vaſt Quan
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tities of Sand and Stones before their Mouths
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into the Sea, and ſo lengthen out the Shore.
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<
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>This manifeſtly appears from the
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Danube,
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the
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Phaſis
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in
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Colchis,
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and others, and eſpecially in
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the
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Nile.
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<
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> The Ancients called
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Ægypt
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the
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Nile
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's Houſe, and tell us, that it was formerly
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covered by the Sea quite as far as the
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Peluſian
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Marſhes. </
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<
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>So it is related, that a great Part of
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Cilicia
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was added to it by the River.
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Ariſtotle
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ſays, that all Things are in perpetual Motion,
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and that in length of Time the Sea and the
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Hills will change Places with one another.
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<
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>Hence the Saying of the Poet:</
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All that the Earth in her dark Womb conceals,
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Time ſhall dig up and drag to open Light.
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<
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>BUT to return. </
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<
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>The Waves have this par
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ticular Property, that when they meet with any
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Bank which reſiſts them, they daſh againſt it
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with the more Fury; and being beaten back,
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according to the Height they fall from, the
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more Sand they root up. </
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<
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>This appears from
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the great Depth of the Sea under the Rocks, a
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gainſt which they beat with much more Vio
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lence, than they fall upon a ſoft and ſloping
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Sand. </
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<
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>This being the Caſe, it requires great
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Diligence and the moſt careful Contrivance to
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reſtrain the Rage and Strength of the Sea,
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which will many Times defeat all our Art and
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Ability, and is not eaſily ſubdued by the Pow
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er of Man. </
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<
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>However, the Sort of Work which
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we formerly recommended for the Foundati
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ons of a Bridge may be of ſome Service in this
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Caſe. </
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<
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>But if it is neceſſary for us to carry
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out a Pier into the Sea in order to fortify a
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Port, we muſt begin our Work upon the dry
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Ground, and ſo by Additions work it forwards
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into the Sea. </
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<
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>Our firſt and greateſt Care muſt
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be to chuſe a firm Soil for this Structure; and
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where-ever you raiſe it, raiſe it up with a
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Slope of the lighteſt Stones that can be got, in </
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