Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Page concordance

< >
Scan Original
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/039.jpg" pagenum="28"/>
              Time to harden and to get a Kind of Matu­
                <lb/>
              rity of Strength before it is applied to Uſe.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>After it is thus prepared,
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Cato
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              directs, that it
                <lb/>
              muſt not be brought out into the Air but in
                <lb/>
              the Wane of the Moon, and after Mid-day, and
                <lb/>
              even in the Wane of the Moon he condemns
                <lb/>
              the four Days next after the fiſteenth, and pre­
                <lb/>
              cautions us againſt bringing it out in a South
                <lb/>
              Wind. </s>
              <s>And when we bring it out, we muſt
                <lb/>
              take Care not to draw it through the Dew,
                <lb/>
              nor to ſaw or cut it when it is covered with
                <lb/>
              Dew or Froſt, but only when it is perfectly dry
                <lb/>
              in all Reſpects.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. VI.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              What Woods are moſt proper for Building, their Natures and Uſes, how they
                <lb/>
              are to be employed, and what Part of the Edifice each Kind is moſt fit for.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Theophraſtus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              thinks that Timber is not dry
                <lb/>
              enough for the making of Planks, eſpeci­
                <lb/>
              ally for Doors, in leſs than three Years. </s>
              <s>The
                <lb/>
              Trees of moſt Uſe for Building were reckoned
                <lb/>
              to be theſe; the Holm, and all other Sorts of
                <lb/>
              Oaks, the Beech, the Poplar, the Linden, the
                <lb/>
              Willow, the Alder, the Aſh, the Pine, the Cy­
                <lb/>
              preſs, the Olive, both Wild and Garden, the
                <lb/>
              Cheſnut, the Larch Tree, the Box, the Cedar,
                <lb/>
              the Ebony, and even the Vine: But all theſe
                <lb/>
              are various in their Natures, and therefore muſt
                <lb/>
              be applied to various Uſes. </s>
              <s>Some are better
                <lb/>
              than others to be expoſed without Doors,
                <lb/>
              others muſt be uſed within; ſome delight in
                <lb/>
              the open Air, others harden in the Water, and
                <lb/>
              will endure almoſt for ever under Ground;
                <lb/>
              ſome are good to make nice Boards, and for
                <lb/>
              Sculptures, and all Manner of Joyner's Work;
                <lb/>
              ſome for Beams and Rafters; others are ſtronger
                <lb/>
              for ſupporting open Terraſſes, and Coverings;
                <lb/>
              and the Alder, for Piles to make a Foundation
                <lb/>
              in a River or marſhy Ground, exceeds all other
                <lb/>
              Trees, and bears the Wet incomparably well,
                <lb/>
              but will not laſt at all in the Air or Sun. </s>
              <s>On
                <lb/>
              the contrary, the Beech will not endure the
                <lb/>
              Wet at all. </s>
              <s>The Elm, ſet in the open Air,
                <lb/>
              hardens extremely; but elſe it ſplits and will
                <lb/>
              not laſt. </s>
              <s>The Pitch Tree and Pine, if buried
                <lb/>
              under Ground, are wonderfully durable. </s>
              <s>But
                <lb/>
              the Oak, being hard, cloſe, and nervous, and
                <lb/>
              of the ſmalleſt Pores, not admitting any Moiſ­
                <lb/>
              ture, is the propereſt of any for all Manner of
                <lb/>
              Works under Ground, capable of ſupporting
                <lb/>
              the greateſt Weights, and is the ſtrongeſt of
                <lb/>
              Columns. </s>
              <s>But though Nature has endued it
                <lb/>
              with ſo much Hardneſs that it cannot be bored
                <lb/>
              unleſs it be ſoaked, yet above Ground it is
                <lb/>
              reckoned inconſtant, and to warp and grow
                <lb/>
              unmanageable, and in the Sea-water quickly
                <lb/>
              rots; which does not happen to the Olive, nor
                <lb/>
              Holm Oak, nor Wild Olive, though in other
                <lb/>
              Things they agree with the Oak. </s>
              <s>The Maſt­
                <lb/>
              Holm never conſumes with Age, becauſe it's
                <lb/>
              Inſide is juicy, and as it were always green.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>The Beech likewiſe and the Cheſnut do not
                <lb/>
              rot in the Water, and are reckoned among the
                <lb/>
              principal Trees for Works under Ground. </s>
              <s>The
                <lb/>
              Cork Tree alſo, and the wild Pine, the Mul­
                <lb/>
              berry, the Maple, and the Elm are not amiſs
                <lb/>
              for Columns.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Theophraſtus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              recommends the
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Negropont
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Nut Tree for Beams and Rafters,
                <lb/>
              becauſe before it breaks it gives Notice by a
                <lb/>
              Crack, which formerly ſaved the Lives of a
                <lb/>
              great many People, who, upon the falling of
                <lb/>
              the publick Baths at
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Andros,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              by Means of that
                <lb/>
              Warning had Time to make their Eſcape. </s>
              <s>But
                <lb/>
              the Fir is much the Beſt for that Uſe; for as it
                <lb/>
              is one of the Biggeſt and Thickeſt of Trees, ſo
                <lb/>
              it is endued with a natural Stiffneſs, that will
                <lb/>
              not eaſily give way to the Weight that is laid
                <lb/>
              upon it, but ſtands firm and never yields. </s>
              <s>Add
                <lb/>
              beſides, that it is eaſy to work, and does not
                <lb/>
              lie too heavy upon the Wall. </s>
              <s>In ſhort, many
                <lb/>
              Perfections, and Uſes, and great Praiſes are aſ­
                <lb/>
              cribed to this ſingle Wood; nevertheleſs we
                <lb/>
              cannot diſown that it has one Fault, which is,
                <lb/>
              that it is too apt to catch Fire. </s>
              <s>Not inferior
                <lb/>
              to this for Roofs, is the Cypreſs, a Tree, in
                <lb/>
              many other Reſpects ſo uſeful, that it claims a
                <lb/>
              principal Rank among the moſt excellent. </s>
              <s>The
                <lb/>
              Ancients reckoned it as one of the Beſt, and
                <lb/>
              not inferior to Cedar or Ebony. </s>
              <s>In
                <emph type="italics"/>
              India
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              the
                <lb/>
              Cypreſs is valued almoſt equal with the Spice
                <lb/>
              Trees, and with good Reaſon; for whatever
                <lb/>
              Praiſes may be beſtowed upon the Ammony or
                <lb/>
              Cirenaic Field Pine, which
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Theophraſtus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays is
                <lb/>
              everlaſting, yet if you conſult either Smell,
                <lb/>
              Beauty, Strength, Bigneſs, Straitneſs, or Du­
                <lb/>
              ration, or all theſe together, what Tree can you
                <lb/>
              put in Competition with the Cypreſs? </s>
              <s>It is </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum