Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              affirmed that the Cypreſs never ſuffers either
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              by Worms or Age, and never ſplits of its own
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              accord. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon
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              Plato
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              was of Opinion,
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              that the publick Laws and Statutes ſhould be
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              carved in ſacred Tables of Cypreſs, believing
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              they would be more laſting than Tables of
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              Braſs. </s>
              <s>This Topick naturally leads me to give
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              an Account of what I myſelf remember to
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              have read and obſerv'd of this Wood. </s>
              <s>It is re­
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              lated that the Gates of the Temple of
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              Diana,
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              at
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              Epheſus,
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              being of Cypreſs, laſted four hun­
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              dred Years, and preſerved their Beauty in ſuch
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              a Manner that they always ſeemed to be new.
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              </s>
              <s>In the Church of St.
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              Peter
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              at
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              Rome,
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              upon the
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              repairing of the Gates by Pope
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              Eugenius,
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              I
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              found, that where they had not been injured
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              by the Violence of the Enemy in ſtripping a­
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              way the Silver with which they were formerly
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              covered, they had continued whole and ſound
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              above five hundred and fifty Years; for if we
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              examing the Annals of the
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              Roman
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              Pontiffs, ſo
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              long it is from the Time of
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              Hadrian
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              the Third,
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              who ſet them up, to
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              Eugene
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              the Fourth. </s>
              <s>There­
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              fore, though the Fir is very much commended
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              for making Rafters, yet the Cypreſs is prefer­
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              red before it, perhaps only upon this one Ac­
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              count, namely, that it is more laſting; but
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              then it is heavier than the Fir. </s>
              <s>The Pine and
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              Pitch Trees alſo are valued, for the Pine is
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              ſuppoſed to have the ſame Quality as the Fir,
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              of riſing againſt the Weight that is laid upon
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              it: But between the Fir and the Pine there is
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              this Difference, among others, that the Firs is
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              leſs injured by Worms, becauſe the Pine is of a
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              ſweeter Juice than the Fir. </s>
              <s>I do not know
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              any Wood that is to be preferred to the Larch,
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              or Turpentine Tree, which, within my Obſer­
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              vation, has ſupported Buildings perfectly ſtrong,
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              and to a very great Age, in many Places, and
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              particularly in thoſe very ancient Structures in
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              the Market-place at
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              Venice,
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              and indeed this one
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              Tree is reckoned to be furniſhed with the Con­
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              veniences of all the Reſt; it is nervous, tena­
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              cious of its Strength, unmoveable in Storms,
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              not moleſted with Worms; and it is an anci­
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              ent Opinion, that againſt the Injuries of Fire
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              it remains invincible, and in a Manner unhurt,
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              inſomuch that they adviſe us, on whatever Side
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              we are apprehenſive of Fire, to place Beams of
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              Larch by Way of Security. </s>
              <s>It is true I have
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              ſeen it take Fire and burn, but yet in ſuch a
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              Manner that it ſeemed to diſdain the Flames,
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              and to threaten to drive them away. </s>
              <s>It has
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              indeed one Defect, which is, that in Sea-wa­
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              ter it is very apt to breed Worms. </s>
              <s>For Beams
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              the Oak and Olive are accounted improper,
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              becauſe of their Heavineſs, and that they give
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              Way beneath the Weight that is laid upon
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              them, and are apt to warp even of themſelves;
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              beſides, all Trees that are more inclinable to
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              break into Shivers than to ſplit, are unfit for
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              Beams; ſuch are the Olive, the Fig, the Lin­
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              den, the Sallow, and the like. </s>
              <s>It is a ſurpriz­
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              ing Property which they relate of the Palm
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              Tree, that it riſes againſt the Weight that is
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              laid upon it, and bends upwards in ſpite of all
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              Reſiſtance. </s>
              <s>For Beams and Coverings ex­
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              poſed to the open Air, the Juniper is greatly
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              commended; and
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              Pliny
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              ſays it has the ſame
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              Properties as the Cedar, but is ſounder. </s>
              <s>The
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              Olive too is reckoned extreamly durable, and
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              the Box is eſteemed as one of the Beſt of all.
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              </s>
              <s>Nor is the Cheſnut, though apt to cleave and
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              ſplit, rejected for Works to the open Air. </s>
              <s>But
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              the wild Olive they particularly eſteem ſor the
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              ſame Reaſon as the Cypreſs, becauſe it never
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              breeds Worms, which is the Advantage of all
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              Trees that have oily and gummy Juices, eſpe­
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              cially if thoſe Juices are bitter. </s>
              <s>The Worm
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              never enters into ſuch Trees, and it is certain
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              they exclude all Moiſture from without. </s>
              <s>Con­
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              trary to theſe are ſuppoſed to be all Woods
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              that have Juices of a ſweet Taſte, and which
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              eaſily take Fire; out of which, nevertheleſs,
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              they except the ſweet as well as the wild Olive.
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Vitruvius
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              ſays, that the Holm Oak and Beech
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              are very weak in their Nature againſt Storms,
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              and do not endure to a great Age.
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              Pliny
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              ſays,
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              that the Maſt-holm ſoon rots. </s>
              <s>But the Fir,
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              and particularly that which grows in the
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              Alps,
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              for Uſes within Doors, as for Bedſteads, Ta­
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              bles, Doors, Benches, and the like, is excel­
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              lent; becauſe it is, in its Nature, very dry, and
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              very tenacious of the Glue. </s>
              <s>The Pitch-Tree
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              and Cypreſs alſo are very good for ſuch Uſes;
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              the Beech for other Service is too brittle, but
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              does mighty well for Coffers and Beds, and
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              will ſaw into extreme thin Planks, as will like­
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              wiſe the Scarlet-Oak. </s>
              <s>The Cheſnut, on the
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              Contrary, the Elm, and the Aſh are reckoned
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              very unfit for Planks, becauſe they eaſily ſplit,
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              and though they ſplit ſlowly, they are very in­
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              clinable to it; though elſe the Aſh is account­
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              ed very obedient in all Manner of Works. </s>
              <s>But
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              I am ſurprized the Ancients have not celebra­
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              ted the Nut Tree; which, as Experience ſhews
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              us, is extremely tractable, and good for moſt
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              Uſes, and eſpecially for Boards or Planks,
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              They commend the Mulberry-Tree, both for
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              its Durableneſs, and becauſe by Length of </s>
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