Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

< >
[Figure 31]
[Figure 32]
[Figure 33]
[Figure 34]
[Figure 35]
[Figure 36]
[Figure 37]
[Figure 38]
[Figure 39]
[Figure 40]
[Figure 41]
[Figure 42]
[Figure 43]
[Figure 44]
[Figure 45]
[Figure 46]
[Figure 47]
[Figure 48]
[Figure 49]
[Figure 50]
[Figure 51]
[Figure 52]
[Figure 53]
[Figure 54]
[Figure 55]
[Figure 56]
[Figure 57]
[Figure 58]
[Figure 59]
[Figure 60]
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/035.jpg" pagenum="24"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Mauſoleum:
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Though in Things of that Nature,
                <lb/>
              I think Modeſty is beſt.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Horace
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              blamed
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Mæcenas
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              for having too furious a Paſſion for
                <lb/>
              Building. </s>
              <s>I commend him, who according to
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Cornelius Tacitus,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              built
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Otho
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              's Sepulcher, modeſt,
                <lb/>
              but extremely durable. </s>
              <s>And though it be
                <lb/>
              true that private Monuments require Modeſty
                <lb/>
              and publick ones Magnificence; yet publick
                <lb/>
              ones too are ſometimes praiſed for being as
                <lb/>
              modeſt as the others. </s>
              <s>We admire
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pompey
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              's
                <lb/>
              Theatre for the ſurprizing Greatneſs and Dig­
                <lb/>
              nity of the Work: A Work truly worthy of
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pompey
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              and of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Rome
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              in the Midſt of her
                <lb/>
              Victories: but
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Nero
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              's unadviſedly Fondneſs for
                <lb/>
              Building, and mad Paſſion for Undertaking im­
                <lb/>
              menſe Deſigns, is commended by nobody.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>And beſides, who would not rather have
                <lb/>
              wiſh'd, that he who employ'd ſo many thou­
                <lb/>
              ſand Men to bore through the Hill near
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Poz­
                <lb/>
              zuolo,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              had taken the ſame Pains, and beſtowed
                <lb/>
              the ſame Expence upon ſome Work of greater
                <lb/>
              Uſe? </s>
              <s>Who will not deteſt the monſtrous Folly
                <lb/>
              and Vanity of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Heliogabalus?
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              who had Thoughts
                <lb/>
              of erecting a huge Column with Stairs on the
                <lb/>
              Inſide of it to mount to the Top, whereon
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Heliogabalus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              himſelf was to be ſet as a God,
                <lb/>
              which he pretended to make himſelf. </s>
              <s>But not
                <lb/>
              being able to find a Stone of that Bigneſs, tho'
                <lb/>
              he ſought for it quite to
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Thebais,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              he deſiſted
                <lb/>
              from his wild Deſign. </s>
              <s>Hereunto we may add,
                <lb/>
              that we ought not to begin a Thing, which
                <lb/>
              though in ſome Reſpects worthy and uſeful,
                <lb/>
              and not altogether ſo difficult of Execution,
                <lb/>
              ſome particular Opportunity or Means ſavouring
                <lb/>
              it at that Time, that yet is of a Nature to ſall
                <lb/>
              ſoon to decay, either thro' the Neglience of
                <lb/>
              Succeſſors, or Diſlike of the Inhabitants. </s>
              <s>I
                <lb/>
              therefore find Fault with the Canal which
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Nero
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              made navigable for Callies with five Rows of
                <lb/>
              Oars from
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Avernus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              to
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Oſtia,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              as well as
                <lb/>
              other Accounts, as becauſe the Maintaining of
                <lb/>
              it ſeem'd to require perpetual and eternal
                <lb/>
              Felicity of the Empire, and a Succeſſion of
                <lb/>
              Princes all inclined to the ſame Works. </s>
              <s>Theſe
                <lb/>
              Conſiderations being granted, we ought to re­
                <lb/>
              flect duly upon all the Particulars before­
                <lb/>
              mention'd, that is to ſay, what Work we un­
                <lb/>
              dertake, the Place we are to build in, and
                <lb/>
              what the Perſon is that is to build; and to con­
                <lb/>
              trive every Thing according to his Dignity and
                <lb/>
              Neceſſities, is the Part of a diſcreet and pru­
                <lb/>
              dent Architect.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. XII.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              That having conſider'd the whole Diſpoſition of the Building in all the Parts
                <lb/>
              of the Model, we ought to take the Advice of prudent and underſtanding Men,
                <lb/>
              and before we begin our Work, it will not only be proper to know how to
                <lb/>
              raiſe Money for the Expence, but alſo long before hand to provide all the
                <lb/>
              Materials for compleating ſuch an Undertaking.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>Having weigh'd and conſider'd theſe
                <lb/>
              Things you muſt proceed to the Ex­
                <lb/>
              amination of the Reſt, whether each of them
                <lb/>
              be perfectly contrived and conveniently diſ­
                <lb/>
              poſed in its proper Place. </s>
              <s>And to do this ef­
                <lb/>
              fectually, it is neceſſary you ſhould be full of
                <lb/>
              this Perſuaſion, all the while you are medita­
                <lb/>
              ting upon theſe Things, that it will be a Scandal
                <lb/>
              to you, if as far as in you lies, you ſuffer any
                <lb/>
              other Building with the ſame Expence or Ad­
                <lb/>
              vantages to gain more Praiſe and Approbation
                <lb/>
              than your own. </s>
              <s>Nor is it ſufficient in theſe
                <lb/>
              Caſes to be only not deſpiſed, unleſs you are
                <lb/>
              highly and principally commended, and then
                <lb/>
              imitated. </s>
              <s>Therefore we ought to be as ſevere
                <lb/>
              and diligent as poſſible in our Scrutiny of every
                <lb/>
              Particular, as well to ſuffer nothing but what
                <lb/>
              is excellent and elegant, as to have all Things
                <lb/>
              mutually concur to make the whole Handſome
                <lb/>
              and Beautiful, inſomuch that whatever you at­
                <lb/>
              tempted to add, or retrench, or alter, ſhould
                <lb/>
              be for the Worſe and make a Defect. </s>
              <s>But
                <lb/>
              herein, I repeat my Advice, let your Mode­
                <lb/>
              rator be the Prudence and Counſel of the moſt
                <lb/>
              experienced Judges, whoſe Approbation is
                <lb/>
              founded upon Knowledge and Sincerity: Be­
                <lb/>
              cauſe by their Skill and Directions you will be
                <lb/>
              much more likely, than by your own private
                <lb/>
              Will and Opinion, to attain to Perfection or
                <lb/>
              Something very near it. </s>
              <s>And beſides, the
                <lb/>
              Praiſe of good Judges is the higheſt Satisfaction;
                <lb/>
              and as for others they praiſe you ſufficiently, and
                <lb/>
              indeed too much in not doing Something bet­
                <lb/>
              ter themſelves. </s>
              <s>So that you will be ſure of </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>