Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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be ask'd, there is none of us but would readily
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ſay, that ſuch a Thing might be remedied and
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corrected. </
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<
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>Indeed every one cannot propoſe
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the Remedy, but only ſuch as are well practi
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ced and experienced that Way. </
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<
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>It is therefore
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the Part of a wiſe Man to weigh and review
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every particular thoroughly in his Mind: That
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he may not afterwards be forced to ſay, either
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in the Middle or at the End of this Work, I
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wiſh this, or I wiſh that were otherwiſe. </
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<
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>And
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it is really ſurprizing, what a hearty Puniſh
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ment a Man ſuffers for a Work ill managed:
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For in Proceſs of Time, he himſelf at Length
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finds out the Miſtakes he fooliſhly made in the
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Beginning for want of due Reflection: And
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then, unleſs he pulls it to pieces and reforms
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it, he is continually repenting and fretting at
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the Eye-ſore; or if he pulls it down, he is
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blamed upon Account of the Loſs and Expence,
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and accuſed of Levity and Inſtability of Mind.
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Suetonius
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tells us, that
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Julius Cæſar
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having
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begun a Structure at the Lake
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Nemorenſis
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from
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the very Foundations, and compleated it at
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vaſt Expence, pull'd it all down again, becauſe
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it was not exactly in all reſpects to his Mind.
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<
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>For which he is certainly very much to be
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blamed, even by us his Poſterity, either for
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not ſufficiently conſidering what was requiſite
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at firſt, or elſe afterwards for diſliking thro'
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Levity what might really not be amiſs. </
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<
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>I
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therefore always highly commend the ancient
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Cuſtom of Builders, who not only in Draughts
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and Paintings, but in real Models of Wood or
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other Subſtance, examin'd and weigh'd over
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and over again, with the Advice of Men of the
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beſt Experience, the whole Work and the Ad
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meaſurements of all its Parts, before they put
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themſelves to the Expence or Trouble. </
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<
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>By
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making a Model you will have an Opportunity,
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thoroughly to weigh and conſider the Form
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and Situation of your Platform with reſpect to
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the Region, what Extent is to be allow'd to
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it, the Number and Order of the Parts, how
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the Walls are to be made, and how ſtrong and
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firm the Covering; and in a Word all thoſe
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Particulars which we have ſpoken of in the
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preceding Book: And there you may eaſily
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and freely add, retrench, alter, renew, and in
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ſhort change every Thing from one End to
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t'other, till all and every one of the Parts are
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juſt as you would have them, and without Fault.
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</
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<
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>Add likewiſe, that you may then examine and
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compute (what is by no means to be neglected)
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the Particulars and Sum of your future Ex
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pence, the Size, Heighth, Thickneſs, Num
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ber, Extent, Form, Species and Quality of
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all the Parts, how they are to be made, and
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by what Artificers; becauſe you will thereby
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have a clear and diſtinct Idea of the Numbers
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and Forms of your Columns, Capitals, Baſes,
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Corniſhes, Pediments, Incruſtations, Pave
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ments, Statues and the like, that relates either
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to the Strength or Ornament. </
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<
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>I muſt not
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omit to obſerve, that the making of curious,
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poliſh'd Models, with the Delicacy of Painting,
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is not required from an Architect that only
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deſigns to ſhew the real Thing itſelf; but is
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rather the Part of a vain Architect, that makes
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it his Buſineſs by charming the Eye and
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ſtriking the Fancy of the Beholder, to divert
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him from a rigorous Examination of the Parts
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which he ought to make, and to draw him
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into an Admiration of himſelf. </
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<
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>For this Rea
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ſon I would not have the Models too exactly
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finiſh'd, nor too delicate and neat, but plain
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and ſimple, more to be admired for the Con
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trivance of the Inventor, than the Hand of
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the Workman. </
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<
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>Between the Deſign of the
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Painter and that of the Architect, there is this
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Difference, that the Painter by the Exactneſs
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of his Shades, Lines and Angles, endeavours
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to make the Parts ſeem to riſe from the Can
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vaſs, whereas the Architect, without any Re
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gard to the Shades, makes his Relieves from
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the Deſign of his Platform, as one that would
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have his Work valued, not by the apparent
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Perſpective, but by the real Compartments
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founded upon Reaſon. </
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<
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>In a Word, you ought
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to make ſuch Models, and conſider them by
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yourſelf, and with others ſo diligently, and
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examine them over and over ſo often, that
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there ſhall not be a ſingle Part in your whole
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Structure, but what you are thoroughly ac
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quainted with, and know what Place and how
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much Room it is to poſſeſs, and to what Uſe to
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be applied. </
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<
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>But above all, nothing requires
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our Attention ſo much as the Covering, which
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ſeems in its Nature, if I miſtake not, beyond
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any Thing elſe in Architecture to have been
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of the greateſt and firſt Convenience to Man
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kind; ſo that indeed it muſt be own'd, that
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it was upon the Account of this Covering that
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they invented not only the Wall and thoſe
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other Parts which are carried up with the Wall
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and neceſſarily accompany it, but alſo thoſe
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Parts which are made under Ground, ſuch as
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Conduits, Channels, Receptacles of Rain
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Water, Sewers and the like. </
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<
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>For my Part,
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that have had no ſmall Experience in Things of
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this Nature, I indeed know the Difficulty of </
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