Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
Text
Text Image
Image
XML
Thumbnail overview
Document information
None
Concordance
Figures
Thumbnails
List of thumbnails
<
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
91 - 100
101 - 110
111 - 120
121 - 130
131 - 140
141 - 150
151 - 160
161 - 170
171 - 180
181 - 190
191 - 200
201 - 210
211 - 220
221 - 230
231 - 240
241 - 250
251 - 260
261 - 270
271 - 280
281 - 290
291 - 300
301 - 310
311 - 320
>
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
<
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
91 - 100
101 - 110
111 - 120
121 - 130
131 - 140
141 - 150
151 - 160
161 - 170
171 - 180
181 - 190
191 - 200
201 - 210
211 - 220
221 - 230
231 - 240
241 - 250
251 - 260
261 - 270
271 - 280
281 - 290
291 - 300
301 - 310
311 - 320
>
page
|<
<
of 320
>
>|
<
archimedes
>
<
text
>
<
body
>
<
chap
>
<
p
type
="
main
">
<
s
>
<
pb
xlink:href
="
003/01/004.jpg
"/>
to divine Worſhip, and the Service of Poſterity? </
s
>
<
s
>Or laſtly, why ſhould I mention the Rocks
<
lb
/>
cut, Mountains bored through, Vallies filled up, Lakes confined, Marſhes diſcharged into the
<
lb
/>
Sea, Ships built, Rivers turned, their Mouths cleared, Bridges laid over them, Harbours formed,
<
lb
/>
not only ſerving to Men's immediate Conveniencies, but alſo opening them a Way to all Parts
<
lb
/>
of the World; whereby Men have been enabled mutually to furniſh one another with Proviſi
<
lb
/>
ons, Spices, Gems, and to communicate their Knowledge, and whatever elſe is healthful or
<
lb
/>
pleaſurable. </
s
>
<
s
>Add to theſe the Engines and Machines of War, Fortreſſes, and the like Inventi
<
lb
/>
ons neceſſary to the Defending the Liberty of our Country, Maintaining the Honour, and En
<
lb
/>
creaſing the Greatneſs of a City, and to the Acquiſition and Eſtabliſhment of an Empire. </
s
>
<
s
>I
<
lb
/>
am really perſuaded, that if we were to enquire of all the Cities which, within the Memory of
<
lb
/>
Man, have fallen by Siege into the Power of new Maſters, who it was that ſubjected and over
<
lb
/>
came them, they would tell you, the Architect; and that they were ſtrong enough to have
<
lb
/>
deſpiſed the armed Enemy, but not to withſtand the Shocks of the Engines, the Violence of
<
lb
/>
the Machines, and the Force of the other Inſtruments of War, with which the Architect diſ
<
lb
/>
treſſed, demoliſhed and ruinated them. </
s
>
<
s
>And the Beſieged, on the contrary, would inform
<
lb
/>
you, that their greateſt Defence lay in the Art and Aſſiſtance of the Architect. </
s
>
<
s
>And if you
<
lb
/>
were to examine into the Expeditions that have been undertaken, you would go near to find
<
lb
/>
that moſt of the Victories were gained more by the Art and Skill of the Architects, than by the
<
lb
/>
Conduct or Fortune of the Generals; and that the Enemy was oftener overcome and conquered
<
lb
/>
by the Architect's Wit, without the Captain's Arms, than by the Captain's Arms without the
<
lb
/>
Architect's Wit: And what is of great Conſequence is, that the Architect conquers with a
<
lb
/>
ſmall Number of Men, and without the Loſs of Troops. </
s
>
<
s
>Let this ſuffice as to the Uſefulneſs
<
lb
/>
of this Art.</
s
>
</
p
>
<
p
type
="
main
">
<
s
>BUT how much the Study and Subject of Building delights, and how firmly it is rooted in
<
lb
/>
the Mind of Man, appears from ſeveral Inſtances, and particularly from this; that you ſhall
<
lb
/>
find no body who has the Means but what has an Inclination to be building ſomething: And
<
lb
/>
if a Man has happened to think of any Thing new in Architecture, he is ſond of communicat
<
lb
/>
ing and divulging it for the Uſe of others, as if conſtrained thereto by Nature. </
s
>
<
s
>And how oſten
<
lb
/>
does it fall out, that even when we are employed upon other Things, we cannot keep our
<
lb
/>
Thoughts and Imaginations, from Projecting ſome Ediſice? </
s
>
<
s
>And when we ſee other Men's
<
lb
/>
Houſes, we immediately ſet about a careful Examination of all the Proportions and Dimenſions,
<
lb
/>
and, to the beſt of our Ability, conſider what might be added, retrenched or altered; and pre
<
lb
/>
ſently give our Opinions how it might be made more compleat or beautiful. </
s
>
<
s
>And if a Build
<
lb
/>
ing be well laid out, and juſtly finiſhed, who is he that does not view it with the utmoſt Plea
<
lb
/>
ſure and Delight? </
s
>
<
s
>But why need I mention not only how much Benefit and Delight, but how
<
lb
/>
much Glory to Architecture has brought to Nations, which have cultivated it both at home
<
lb
/>
and abroad? </
s
>
<
s
>Who that has built any publick Edifice does not think himſelf honoured by it,
<
lb
/>
when it is reputable to a Man only to have built a handſome Habitation for himſelf? </
s
>
<
s
>Men of
<
lb
/>
publick Spirits approve and rejoice when you have raiſed a fine Wall or Portico, and adorned
<
lb
/>
it with Portals, Columns, and a handſome Roof, knowing you have thereby not only ſerved
<
lb
/>
yourſelf, but them too, having by this generous Uſe of your Wealth, gained an Addition of
<
lb
/>
great Honour to yourſelf, your Family, your Deſcendants, and your City. </
s
>
<
s
>The Sepulchre of
<
lb
/>
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Jupiter
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
was the firſt Step to the ennobling the Iſland of
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Crete;
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
and
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Delos
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
was not ſo much
<
lb
/>
reſpected for the Oracle of
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Apollo,
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
as for the beautiful Structure of the City, and the Majeſty of
<
lb
/>
the Temple. </
s
>
<
s
>How much Authority accrued to the
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Roman
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
Name and Empire from their
<
lb
/>
Buildings, I ſhall dwell upon no further, than that the Sepulchres and other Remains of the
<
lb
/>
ancient Magnificence, every where to be found, are a great Inducement and Argument with us
<
lb
/>
for believing many Things related by Hiſtorians, which might otherwiſe have ſeemed incredible.
<
lb
/>
<
emph
type
="
italics
"/>
Thucydides
<
emph.end
type
="
italics
"/>
extreamly commends the Prudence of ſome Ancients, who had ſo adorned their City
<
lb
/>
with all Sorts of fine Structures, that their Power thereby appeared to be much greater than it
<
lb
/>
really was. </
s
>
<
s
>And what potent or wiſe Prince can be named, that among his chief Projects for
<
lb
/>
eternizing his Name and Poſterity, did not make Uſe of Architecture. </
s
>
<
s
>But of this enough.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>The Concluſion is, that for the Service, Security, Honour and Ornament of the Publick, we
<
lb
/>
are exceedingly obliged to the Architect; to whom, in Time of Leiſure, we are indebted for </
s
>
</
p
>
</
chap
>
</
body
>
</
text
>
</
archimedes
>