Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              to divine Worſhip, and the Service of Poſterity? </s>
              <s>Or laſtly, why ſhould I mention the Rocks
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              cut, Mountains bored through, Vallies filled up, Lakes confined, Marſhes diſcharged into the
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              Sea, Ships built, Rivers turned, their Mouths cleared, Bridges laid over them, Harbours formed,
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              not only ſerving to Men's immediate Conveniencies, but alſo opening them a Way to all Parts
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              of the World; whereby Men have been enabled mutually to furniſh one another with Proviſi­
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              ons, Spices, Gems, and to communicate their Knowledge, and whatever elſe is healthful or
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              pleaſurable. </s>
              <s>Add to theſe the Engines and Machines of War, Fortreſſes, and the like Inventi­
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              ons neceſſary to the Defending the Liberty of our Country, Maintaining the Honour, and En­
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              creaſing the Greatneſs of a City, and to the Acquiſition and Eſtabliſhment of an Empire. </s>
              <s>I
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              am really perſuaded, that if we were to enquire of all the Cities which, within the Memory of
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              Man, have fallen by Siege into the Power of new Maſters, who it was that ſubjected and over­
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              came them, they would tell you, the Architect; and that they were ſtrong enough to have
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              deſpiſed the armed Enemy, but not to withſtand the Shocks of the Engines, the Violence of
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              the Machines, and the Force of the other Inſtruments of War, with which the Architect diſ­
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              treſſed, demoliſhed and ruinated them. </s>
              <s>And the Beſieged, on the contrary, would inform
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              you, that their greateſt Defence lay in the Art and Aſſiſtance of the Architect. </s>
              <s>And if you
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              were to examine into the Expeditions that have been undertaken, you would go near to find
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              that moſt of the Victories were gained more by the Art and Skill of the Architects, than by the
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              Conduct or Fortune of the Generals; and that the Enemy was oftener overcome and conquered
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              by the Architect's Wit, without the Captain's Arms, than by the Captain's Arms without the
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              Architect's Wit: And what is of great Conſequence is, that the Architect conquers with a
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              ſmall Number of Men, and without the Loſs of Troops. </s>
              <s>Let this ſuffice as to the Uſefulneſs
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              of this Art.</s>
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              <s>BUT how much the Study and Subject of Building delights, and how firmly it is rooted in
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              the Mind of Man, appears from ſeveral Inſtances, and particularly from this; that you ſhall
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              find no body who has the Means but what has an Inclination to be building ſomething: And
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              if a Man has happened to think of any Thing new in Architecture, he is ſond of communicat­
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              ing and divulging it for the Uſe of others, as if conſtrained thereto by Nature. </s>
              <s>And how oſten
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              does it fall out, that even when we are employed upon other Things, we cannot keep our
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              Thoughts and Imaginations, from Projecting ſome Ediſice? </s>
              <s>And when we ſee other Men's
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              Houſes, we immediately ſet about a careful Examination of all the Proportions and Dimenſions,
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              and, to the beſt of our Ability, conſider what might be added, retrenched or altered; and pre­
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              ſently give our Opinions how it might be made more compleat or beautiful. </s>
              <s>And if a Build­
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              ing be well laid out, and juſtly finiſhed, who is he that does not view it with the utmoſt Plea­
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              ſure and Delight? </s>
              <s>But why need I mention not only how much Benefit and Delight, but how
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              much Glory to Architecture has brought to Nations, which have cultivated it both at home
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              and abroad? </s>
              <s>Who that has built any publick Edifice does not think himſelf honoured by it,
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              when it is reputable to a Man only to have built a handſome Habitation for himſelf? </s>
              <s>Men of
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              publick Spirits approve and rejoice when you have raiſed a fine Wall or Portico, and adorned
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              it with Portals, Columns, and a handſome Roof, knowing you have thereby not only ſerved
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              yourſelf, but them too, having by this generous Uſe of your Wealth, gained an Addition of
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              great Honour to yourſelf, your Family, your Deſcendants, and your City. </s>
              <s>The Sepulchre of
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Jupiter
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              was the firſt Step to the ennobling the Iſland of
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              Crete;
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              and
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              Delos
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              was not ſo much
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              reſpected for the Oracle of
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              Apollo,
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              as for the beautiful Structure of the City, and the Majeſty of
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              the Temple. </s>
              <s>How much Authority accrued to the
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              Roman
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              Name and Empire from their
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              Buildings, I ſhall dwell upon no further, than that the Sepulchres and other Remains of the
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              ancient Magnificence, every where to be found, are a great Inducement and Argument with us
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              for believing many Things related by Hiſtorians, which might otherwiſe have ſeemed incredible.
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Thucydides
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              extreamly commends the Prudence of ſome Ancients, who had ſo adorned their City
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              with all Sorts of fine Structures, that their Power thereby appeared to be much greater than it
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              really was. </s>
              <s>And what potent or wiſe Prince can be named, that among his chief Projects for
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              eternizing his Name and Poſterity, did not make Uſe of Architecture. </s>
              <s>But of this enough.
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              </s>
              <s>The Concluſion is, that for the Service, Security, Honour and Ornament of the Publick, we
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              are exceedingly obliged to the Architect; to whom, in Time of Leiſure, we are indebted for </s>
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