Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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Mauſoleum:
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Though in Things of that Nature,
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I think Modeſty is beſt.
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Horace
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blamed
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Mæcenas
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for having too furious a Paſſion for
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Building. </
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>I commend him, who according to
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Cornelius Tacitus,
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built
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Otho
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's Sepulcher, modeſt,
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but extremely durable. </
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>And though it be
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true that private Monuments require Modeſty
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and publick ones Magnificence; yet publick
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ones too are ſometimes praiſed for being as
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modeſt as the others. </
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<
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>We admire
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Pompey
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's
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Theatre for the ſurprizing Greatneſs and Dig
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nity of the Work: A Work truly worthy of
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Pompey
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and of
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Rome
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in the Midſt of her
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Victories: but
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Nero
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's unadviſedly Fondneſs for
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Building, and mad Paſſion for Undertaking im
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menſe Deſigns, is commended by nobody.
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>And beſides, who would not rather have
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wiſh'd, that he who employ'd ſo many thou
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ſand Men to bore through the Hill near
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Poz
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zuolo,
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had taken the ſame Pains, and beſtowed
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the ſame Expence upon ſome Work of greater
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Uſe? </
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>Who will not deteſt the monſtrous Folly
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and Vanity of
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Heliogabalus?
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who had Thoughts
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of erecting a huge Column with Stairs on the
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Inſide of it to mount to the Top, whereon
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Heliogabalus
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himſelf was to be ſet as a God,
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which he pretended to make himſelf. </
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>But not
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being able to find a Stone of that Bigneſs, tho'
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he ſought for it quite to
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Thebais,
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he deſiſted
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from his wild Deſign. </
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>Hereunto we may add,
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that we ought not to begin a Thing, which
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though in ſome Reſpects worthy and uſeful,
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and not altogether ſo difficult of Execution,
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ſome particular Opportunity or Means ſavouring
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it at that Time, that yet is of a Nature to ſall
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ſoon to decay, either thro' the Neglience of
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Succeſſors, or Diſlike of the Inhabitants. </
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>I
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therefore find Fault with the Canal which
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Nero
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made navigable for Callies with five Rows of
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Oars from
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Avernus
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to
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Oſtia,
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as well as
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other Accounts, as becauſe the Maintaining of
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it ſeem'd to require perpetual and eternal
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Felicity of the Empire, and a Succeſſion of
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Princes all inclined to the ſame Works. </
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>Theſe
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Conſiderations being granted, we ought to re
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flect duly upon all the Particulars before
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mention'd, that is to ſay, what Work we un
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dertake, the Place we are to build in, and
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what the Perſon is that is to build; and to con
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trive every Thing according to his Dignity and
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Neceſſities, is the Part of a diſcreet and pru
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dent Architect.</
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<
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>CHAP. XII.</
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That having conſider'd the whole Diſpoſition of the Building in all the Parts
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of the Model, we ought to take the Advice of prudent and underſtanding Men,
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and before we begin our Work, it will not only be proper to know how to
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raiſe Money for the Expence, but alſo long before hand to provide all the
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Materials for compleating ſuch an Undertaking.
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<
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>Having weigh'd and conſider'd theſe
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Things you muſt proceed to the Ex
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amination of the Reſt, whether each of them
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be perfectly contrived and conveniently diſ
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poſed in its proper Place. </
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>And to do this ef
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fectually, it is neceſſary you ſhould be full of
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this Perſuaſion, all the while you are medita
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ting upon theſe Things, that it will be a Scandal
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to you, if as far as in you lies, you ſuffer any
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other Building with the ſame Expence or Ad
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vantages to gain more Praiſe and Approbation
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than your own. </
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>Nor is it ſufficient in theſe
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Caſes to be only not deſpiſed, unleſs you are
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highly and principally commended, and then
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imitated. </
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<
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>Therefore we ought to be as ſevere
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and diligent as poſſible in our Scrutiny of every
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Particular, as well to ſuffer nothing but what
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is excellent and elegant, as to have all Things
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mutually concur to make the whole Handſome
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and Beautiful, inſomuch that whatever you at
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tempted to add, or retrench, or alter, ſhould
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be for the Worſe and make a Defect. </
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<
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>But
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herein, I repeat my Advice, let your Mode
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rator be the Prudence and Counſel of the moſt
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experienced Judges, whoſe Approbation is
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founded upon Knowledge and Sincerity: Be
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cauſe by their Skill and Directions you will be
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much more likely, than by your own private
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Will and Opinion, to attain to Perfection or
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Something very near it. </
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<
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>And beſides, the
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Praiſe of good Judges is the higheſt Satisfaction;
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and as for others they praiſe you ſufficiently, and
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indeed too much in not doing Something bet
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ter themſelves. </
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<
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>So that you will be ſure of </
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