Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

List of thumbnails

< >
31
31 		32
32
33
33 		34
34
35
35 		36
36
37
37 		38
38
39
39 		40
40
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/040.jpg" pagenum="29"/>
              affirmed that the Cypreſs never ſuffers either
                <lb/>
              by Worms or Age, and never ſplits of its own
                <lb/>
              accord. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Plato
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              was of Opinion,
                <lb/>
              that the publick Laws and Statutes ſhould be
                <lb/>
              carved in ſacred Tables of Cypreſs, believing
                <lb/>
              they would be more laſting than Tables of
                <lb/>
              Braſs. </s>
              <s>This Topick naturally leads me to give
                <lb/>
              an Account of what I myſelf remember to
                <lb/>
              have read and obſerv'd of this Wood. </s>
              <s>It is re­
                <lb/>
              lated that the Gates of the Temple of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Diana,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              at
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Epheſus,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              being of Cypreſs, laſted four hun­
                <lb/>
              dred Years, and preſerved their Beauty in ſuch
                <lb/>
              a Manner that they always ſeemed to be new.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>In the Church of St.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Peter
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              at
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Rome,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              upon the
                <lb/>
              repairing of the Gates by Pope
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Eugenius,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              I
                <lb/>
              found, that where they had not been injured
                <lb/>
              by the Violence of the Enemy in ſtripping a­
                <lb/>
              way the Silver with which they were formerly
                <lb/>
              covered, they had continued whole and ſound
                <lb/>
              above five hundred and fifty Years; for if we
                <lb/>
              examing the Annals of the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Roman
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Pontiffs, ſo
                <lb/>
              long it is from the Time of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Hadrian
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              the Third,
                <lb/>
              who ſet them up, to
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Eugene
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              the Fourth. </s>
              <s>There­
                <lb/>
              fore, though the Fir is very much commended
                <lb/>
              for making Rafters, yet the Cypreſs is prefer­
                <lb/>
              red before it, perhaps only upon this one Ac­
                <lb/>
              count, namely, that it is more laſting; but
                <lb/>
              then it is heavier than the Fir. </s>
              <s>The Pine and
                <lb/>
              Pitch Trees alſo are valued, for the Pine is
                <lb/>
              ſuppoſed to have the ſame Quality as the Fir,
                <lb/>
              of riſing againſt the Weight that is laid upon
                <lb/>
              it: But between the Fir and the Pine there is
                <lb/>
              this Difference, among others, that the Firs is
                <lb/>
              leſs injured by Worms, becauſe the Pine is of a
                <lb/>
              ſweeter Juice than the Fir. </s>
              <s>I do not know
                <lb/>
              any Wood that is to be preferred to the Larch,
                <lb/>
              or Turpentine Tree, which, within my Obſer­
                <lb/>
              vation, has ſupported Buildings perfectly ſtrong,
                <lb/>
              and to a very great Age, in many Places, and
                <lb/>
              particularly in thoſe very ancient Structures in
                <lb/>
              the Market-place at
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Venice,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              and indeed this one
                <lb/>
              Tree is reckoned to be furniſhed with the Con­
                <lb/>
              veniences of all the Reſt; it is nervous, tena­
                <lb/>
              cious of its Strength, unmoveable in Storms,
                <lb/>
              not moleſted with Worms; and it is an anci­
                <lb/>
              ent Opinion, that againſt the Injuries of Fire
                <lb/>
              it remains invincible, and in a Manner unhurt,
                <lb/>
              inſomuch that they adviſe us, on whatever Side
                <lb/>
              we are apprehenſive of Fire, to place Beams of
                <lb/>
              Larch by Way of Security. </s>
              <s>It is true I have
                <lb/>
              ſeen it take Fire and burn, but yet in ſuch a
                <lb/>
              Manner that it ſeemed to diſdain the Flames,
                <lb/>
              and to threaten to drive them away. </s>
              <s>It has
                <lb/>
              indeed one Defect, which is, that in Sea-wa­
                <lb/>
              ter it is very apt to breed Worms. </s>
              <s>For Beams
                <lb/>
              the Oak and Olive are accounted improper,
                <lb/>
              becauſe of their Heavineſs, and that they give
                <lb/>
              Way beneath the Weight that is laid upon
                <lb/>
              them, and are apt to warp even of themſelves;
                <lb/>
              beſides, all Trees that are more inclinable to
                <lb/>
              break into Shivers than to ſplit, are unfit for
                <lb/>
              Beams; ſuch are the Olive, the Fig, the Lin­
                <lb/>
              den, the Sallow, and the like. </s>
              <s>It is a ſurpriz­
                <lb/>
              ing Property which they relate of the Palm
                <lb/>
              Tree, that it riſes againſt the Weight that is
                <lb/>
              laid upon it, and bends upwards in ſpite of all
                <lb/>
              Reſiſtance. </s>
              <s>For Beams and Coverings ex­
                <lb/>
              poſed to the open Air, the Juniper is greatly
                <lb/>
              commended; and
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pliny
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays it has the ſame
                <lb/>
              Properties as the Cedar, but is ſounder. </s>
              <s>The
                <lb/>
              Olive too is reckoned extreamly durable, and
                <lb/>
              the Box is eſteemed as one of the Beſt of all.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>Nor is the Cheſnut, though apt to cleave and
                <lb/>
              ſplit, rejected for Works to the open Air. </s>
              <s>But
                <lb/>
              the wild Olive they particularly eſteem ſor the
                <lb/>
              ſame Reaſon as the Cypreſs, becauſe it never
                <lb/>
              breeds Worms, which is the Advantage of all
                <lb/>
              Trees that have oily and gummy Juices, eſpe­
                <lb/>
              cially if thoſe Juices are bitter. </s>
              <s>The Worm
                <lb/>
              never enters into ſuch Trees, and it is certain
                <lb/>
              they exclude all Moiſture from without. </s>
              <s>Con­
                <lb/>
              trary to theſe are ſuppoſed to be all Woods
                <lb/>
              that have Juices of a ſweet Taſte, and which
                <lb/>
              eaſily take Fire; out of which, nevertheleſs,
                <lb/>
              they except the ſweet as well as the wild Olive.
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Vitruvius
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays, that the Holm Oak and Beech
                <lb/>
              are very weak in their Nature againſt Storms,
                <lb/>
              and do not endure to a great Age.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pliny
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays,
                <lb/>
              that the Maſt-holm ſoon rots. </s>
              <s>But the Fir,
                <lb/>
              and particularly that which grows in the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Alps,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              for Uſes within Doors, as for Bedſteads, Ta­
                <lb/>
              bles, Doors, Benches, and the like, is excel­
                <lb/>
              lent; becauſe it is, in its Nature, very dry, and
                <lb/>
              very tenacious of the Glue. </s>
              <s>The Pitch-Tree
                <lb/>
              and Cypreſs alſo are very good for ſuch Uſes;
                <lb/>
              the Beech for other Service is too brittle, but
                <lb/>
              does mighty well for Coffers and Beds, and
                <lb/>
              will ſaw into extreme thin Planks, as will like­
                <lb/>
              wiſe the Scarlet-Oak. </s>
              <s>The Cheſnut, on the
                <lb/>
              Contrary, the Elm, and the Aſh are reckoned
                <lb/>
              very unfit for Planks, becauſe they eaſily ſplit,
                <lb/>
              and though they ſplit ſlowly, they are very in­
                <lb/>
              clinable to it; though elſe the Aſh is account­
                <lb/>
              ed very obedient in all Manner of Works. </s>
              <s>But
                <lb/>
              I am ſurprized the Ancients have not celebra­
                <lb/>
              ted the Nut Tree; which, as Experience ſhews
                <lb/>
              us, is extremely tractable, and good for moſt
                <lb/>
              Uſes, and eſpecially for Boards or Planks,
                <lb/>
              They commend the Mulberry-Tree, both for
                <lb/>
              its Durableneſs, and becauſe by Length of </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum