Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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fore go on to collect thoſe Rules which the
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moſt approved Ancients have left us in many
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and various Places, and to theſe, according to
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our Cuſtom, we ſhall add whatever we our
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ſelves have deduced from antique Works, or
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the Inſtructions of moſt experienced Artificers,
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if we happen to know any Thing that may be
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ſerviceable to our Purpoſe. </
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<
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>And I believe it
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will be the beſt Method, following Nature
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herſelf, to begin with thoſe Things which were
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ſirſt in Uſe among Men in their Buildings;
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which, if we miſtake not, were Timber Trees
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which they fell'd in the Woods: Though
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among Authors, I find, ſome are divided
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upon this very Subject. </
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<
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>Some will have it,
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that Men at firſt dwelt in Caves, and that
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they and their Cattle were both ſheltered
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under the ſame Roof; and therefore they
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believe what
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Pliny
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tells us, that one
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Gellius
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Texius
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was the firſt, that, in Imitation of Na
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ture built himſelf a Houſe of Mud.
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Diodorus
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ſays that
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Veſta,
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the Daughter of
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Saturn,
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was
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the firſt that invented Houſes.
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Euſebius
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Pamphilus,
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an excellent Searcher into Antiqui
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ty, tells us from the Teſtimony of the Ancients,
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that the Grandſons of
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Protogenes
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firſt taught
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Men the Building of Houſes, which they
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patch'd up of Reeds and Bullruſhes: But to
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return to our Subject. </
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<
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>The Ancients, then,
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and particularly
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Theophraſtus,
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inform us, that
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moſt Trees, and eſpecially the Fir, the Pitch
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tree and the Pine, ought to be cut immediately,
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when they begin to put forth their young
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Shoots, when through their abundance of Sap
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you moſt eaſily ſtrip off the Bark. </
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<
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>But that
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there are ſome Trees, as the Maple, the Elm,
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the Aſh, and the Linden, which are beſt cut
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after Vintage. </
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<
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>The Oak if cut in Summer,
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they obſerve is apt to breed Worms; but if in
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Winter, it will keep ſound and not ſplit.
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</
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<
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>And it is not foreign to our Purpoſe what they
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remark, that Wood which is cut in Winter, in
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a North Wind, though it be green, will never
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theleſs burn extremely well, and in a Manner
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without Smoak; which manifeſtly ſhews that
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their Juices are not crude, but well digeſted.
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Vitruvius
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is for cutting Timber from the be
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ginning of Autumn, till ſuch Time as the ſoft
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Weſterly Winds begin to blow. </
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<
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>And
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Heſiod
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ſays, that when the Sun darts his burning Rays
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directly upon our Heads, and turns Mens Com
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plections to brown, then is the Time for Har
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veſt, but that when the Trees drop their
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Leaves, then is the Seaſon for cutting of Tim
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ber.
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Cato
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moderates the Matter thus; let the
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Oak, ſays he, be felled during the Solſtice, be
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cauſe in Winter it is always out of Seaſon; other
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Woods that bear Seed may be cut when that
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is mature; thoſe that bear none, when you
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pleaſe. </
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<
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>Thoſe that have their Seeds green and
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ripe at the ſame Time, ſhould be cut when
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that is fallen, but the Elm when the Leaves
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drop. </
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<
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>And they ſay it is of very great Im
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portance, what Age the Moon is of when you
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fell your Timber: For they are all of Opini
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on, and eſpecially
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Varro,
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that the Influence of
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the Moon is ſo powerful over Things of this
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Nature, that even they who cut their Heir in
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the Wane of the Moon, ſhall ſoon grow bald;
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and for this Reaſon, they tell us,
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Tiberius
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ob
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ſerved certain Days for cutting his Hair. </
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<
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>The
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Aſtrologers affirm, that your Spirits will al
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ways be oppreſſed with Melancholly, if you
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cut your Nails or Hair while the Moon is op
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preſſed or ill diſpoſed. </
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<
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>It is to our preſent
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Purpoſe what they ſay, that ſuch Things as
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are deſigned in their Uſes to be moveable,
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ought to be cut and wrought when the Moon
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is in
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Libra
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or
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Cancer;
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but ſuch as are to be
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fixed and immoveable, when ſhe is in
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Leo,
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Taurus,
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or the like. </
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<
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>But that Timber ought
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to be cut in the Wane of the Moon, all the
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Learned are agreed, becauſe they hold that the
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flegmatick Moiſture, ſo very liable to immedi
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ate Putrefaction, is then almoſt quite dried up,
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and it is certain, that when it is cut in ſuch a
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Moon, it is never apt to breed Worms. </
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<
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>Hence
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they ſay you ought to reap the Corn which
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you intend to ſell, at full Moon; becauſe then
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the Ears are full; but that which you intend
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to keep in the Wane. </
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<
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>It is alſo evident, that
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the Leaves of Trees cropt in the Wane of the
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Moon do not rot.
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Columella
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thinks it beſt to
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fell Timber from the twentieth to the thirtieth
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Day of the Moon's Age;
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Vegetius,
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from the
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fifteenth to the two and twentieth; and hence
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he ſuppoſes the religious Ceremony to ariſe, of
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celebrating all Myſteries relating to Eternity
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only on thoſe Days, becauſe Wood cut then
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laſted in a Manner for ever. </
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<
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>They add, that
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we ſhould likewiſe obſerve the Setting of the
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Moon. </
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<
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>But
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Pliny
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thinks it a proper Time to
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fell Trees when the Dog-ſtar reigns, and when
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the Moon is in Conjunction with the Sun,
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which Day is called an
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Interlunium,
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and ſays
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it is good to wait for the Night of that Day
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too, till the Moon is ſet. </
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<
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>The Aſtronomers
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ſay, the Reaſon of this is, becauſe the Action
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of the Moon puts the Fluids of all Bodies into
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Motion; and that therefore when thoſe Fluids </
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