Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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it grows blacker and handſomer.
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Theophraſtus
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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. </
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>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.
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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. </
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>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. </
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>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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Egyptian
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Peach-Tree, which they ſay is like
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the Lote-Tree.</
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>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. </
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>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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>Though it is certain that none of theſe for
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Tractableneſs can compare with the Linden.
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<
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>Some there are that for Statues chuſe the Jubol
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Tree. </
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>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. </
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>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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>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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>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. </
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>And for this Reaſon
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Vitruvius
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adviſes us againſt joining Planks of Beech and
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Oak together.</
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<
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>CHAP. VII.</
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Of Trees more ſummarily.
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<
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>But to ſpeak of all theſe more ſum
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marily. </
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<
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>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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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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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 </
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