Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/041.jpg" pagenum="30"/>
              it grows blacker and handſomer.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Theophraſtus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              tells us, that the Rich uſed to make their
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              Doors of the Lote-Tree, the Scarlet-Oak, and
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              of Box. </s>
              <s>The Elm, becauſe it firmly main­
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              tains its Strength, is ſaid to be very proper for
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              Jambs of Doors, but it ſhould be ſet with its
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              Head downwards.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Cato
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              ſays, that Levers
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              ought to be made of Holly, Laurel, and Elm:
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              For Bars and Bolts, they recommend the Cor­
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              nel-Tree; for Stairs, the wild Aſh or the
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              Maple. </s>
              <s>They hollowed the Pine, the Pitch­
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              Tree and the Elm for Aqueducts, but they ſay
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              unleſs they are buried under Ground they pre­
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              ſently decay. </s>
              <s>Laſtly, the Female Larch-Tree,
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              which is almoſt of the Colour of Honey, for
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              the Ornaments of Edifices and for Tables for
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              Painting, they found to be in a Manner eternal
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              and never crack or ſplit; and beſides, as its
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              Veins run ſhort, not long, they uſed it for the
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              Images of their Gods, as they did alſo the
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              Lote, the Box, the Cedar, and the Cypreſs
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              too, and the large Roots of the Olive, and the
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Egyptian
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Peach-Tree, which they ſay is like
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              the Lote-Tree.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>IF they had Occaſion to turn any Thing
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              long and round, they uſed the Beech, the
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              Mulberry, the Tree that yields the Turpentine,
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              but eſpecially the moſt cloſe bodied Box, moſt
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              excellent for Turning; and for very curious
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              Works, the Ebony. </s>
              <s>Neither for Statues or
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              Pictures did they deſpiſe the Poplar, both
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              white and black, the Sallow, the Hornbeam,
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              the Service-Tree, the Elder, and the Fig;
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              which Woods, by their Dryneſs and Evenneſs,
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              are not only good for receiving and preſerving
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              the Gums and Colours of the Painter, but are
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              wonderfully ſoft and eaſy under the Carver's
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              Tool for expreſſing all Manner of Forms.
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              </s>
              <s>Though it is certain that none of theſe for
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              Tractableneſs can compare with the Linden.
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              </s>
              <s>Some there are that for Statues chuſe the Jubol­
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              Tree. </s>
              <s>Contrary to theſe is the Oak, which
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              will never join either with itſelf or any other
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              Wood of the ſame Nature, and deſpiſes all
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              Manner of Glue: The ſame Defect is ſuppos'd
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              to be in all Trees that are grained, and in­
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              clin'd to diſtil. </s>
              <s>Wood that is eaſily plain'd,
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              and has a cloſe Body, is never well to be
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              faſten'd with Glue; and thoſe alſo that are of
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              different Natures, as the Ivy, the Laurel and
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              the Linden, which are hot, if glued to thoſe
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              that grow in moiſt Places, which are all in
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              their Natures cold, never hold long together.
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              </s>
              <s>The Elm, the Aſh, the Mulberry, and the
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              Cherry-Tree, being dry, do not agree with the
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              Plane Tree or the Alder, which are Moiſt.
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              </s>
              <s>Nay, the Ancients were ſo far from joining
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              together Woods different in their Natures, that
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              they would not ſo much as place them near
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              one another. </s>
              <s>And for this Reaſon
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Vitruvius
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                <lb/>
              adviſes us againſt joining Planks of Beech and
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              Oak together.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. VII.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of Trees more ſummarily.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>But to ſpeak of all theſe more ſum­
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              marily. </s>
              <s>All Authors are agreed that
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              Trees which do not bear Fruit are ſtronger and
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              ſounder than thoſe which do; and that the
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              wild ones, which are not cultivated either with
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              Hand or Steel, are harder than the Domeſtick.
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Theophraſtus
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              ſays, that the wild ones never fall
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              into any Infirmities that kill them, whereas the
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              Domeſtick and Fruit-bearers are ſubject to
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              very conſiderable Infirmities; and among the
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              Fruit-bearers thoſe which bear early are
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              weaker than thoſe which bear late, and the
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              Sweet than the Tart; and among the tart ones,
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              ſuch are accounted the Firmeſt, that have the
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              Sharpeſt and the leaſt Fruit. </s>
              <s>Thoſe that bear Fruit
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              only once in two Years, and thoſe which are
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              entirely barren, have more Knots in them than
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              thoſe which bear every Year; the Shorteſt
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              likewiſe are the Hardeſt, and the Barren grow
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              faſter than the Fruitful. </s>
              <s>They ſay likewiſe
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              that ſuch Trees as grow in an open Place, un­
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              ſhelter'd either by Woods or Hills, but ſhaken
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              by frequent Storms and Winds, are ſtronger
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              and thicker, but at the ſame Time ſhorter and
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              more knotty than ſuch as grow down in a Val­
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              ley, or in any other Place defended from the
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              Winds. </s>
              <s>They alſo believe that Trees which
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              grow in moiſt ſhady Places are more tender
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              than thoſe which grow in a dry open Situation,
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              and that thoſe which ſtand expoſed to the
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              North are more ſerviceable than thoſe which
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              grow to the South. </s>
              <s>They reject, as abortive
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              all Trees that grow in Places not agreeable to
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              their Natures, and though ſuch as ſtand to the </s>
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