Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/055.jpg" pagenum="43"/>
              of this Line I ſix a Nail in the Ground, from
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              which I raiſe, and let fall Perpendiculars, ac­
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              cording to the Method of the Geometers; and
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              to theſe two Lines I reduce every Thing
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              that I have Occaſion to meaſure; which ſuc­
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              ceeds perſectly well in all Reſpects; for the
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              Parallel Lines are obvious; you ſee exactly
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              where to make your Angles correſpondent,
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              and to diſpoſe every Part conſiſtently, and
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              agreeably, with the others. </s>
              <s>But if it ſo hap­
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              pens, that any old Buildings obſtruct your
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              Sight from diſcovering and fixing upon the
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              exact Seat of every Angle; your Buſineſs
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              then is to draw Lines, at equal Diſtances, in
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              thoſe Places which are clear and free; then
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              having marked the Point of Interſection, by
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              the Aſſiſtance of the Diameter and Gnomon,
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              and by drawing other Lines at equal Diſtances,
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              fitted to the Square, we may compleatly effect
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              our Purpoſe: And it will be of no ſmall Con­
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              venience to terminate the Ray of Sight with a
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              Line in thoſe Places which lie higher than the
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              reſt; whence letting fall a Perpendicular, we
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              may find the right Direction and Production of
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              our Lines. </s>
              <s>Having marked out the Lines
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              and Angles of our Trenches, we ought to
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              have, if poſſible, as ſharp and clear a Sight as
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              a certain
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Spaniard
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              in our Days was fabulouſly
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              ſaid to have, who they tell us, could ſee the
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              loweſt Veins of Water that run under Ground,
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              as plainly as if they were above Ground. </s>
              <s>So
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              the many Things happen under the Surface of
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              Earth, which we know nothing of, as makes it
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              unſafe to truſt the Weight and Expence of a
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              Building to it. </s>
              <s>And, certainly, as in all the
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              reſt of the Structure, ſo eſpecially in the Foun­
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              dations, we ought to neglect no Precaution
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              which it becomes an accurate and diligent
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              Architect to take; for an Error in any other
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              Part does leſs Miſchief, and is more eaſily re­
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              medied, or better borne, than in the Founda­
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              tion; in which, a Miſtake is inexcuſable. </s>
              <s>But
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              the Ancicnts uſed to ſay, dig on, and good
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              Fortune attend you, till you find a ſolid Bot­
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              tom; for the Earth has ſeveral Strata, and
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              thoſe of different Natures; ſome ſandy, others
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              gravelly, ſome ſtony, and the like; under
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              which, at certain Depths, is a hard, firm
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              Bank, fit to ſupport the heavieſt Structure.
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              </s>
              <s>This alſo is various, and hardly like any thing of
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              its own kind in any Particular; in ſome Places
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              it is exceſſively hard, and ſcarce penetrable with
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              Iron; in others, fatter and ſofter; in ſome
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              Places blacker, in others whiter; which laſt
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              is reckoned the weakeſt of all; in ſome Places
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              chalky, in others, ſtony; in others, a Kind
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              of Potters Clay mixed with Gravel; of all
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              which, no other certain Judgment can be
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              made, but that the beſt is reckoned to be that
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              which is hardeſt to the Pick-axe, and which
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              when wetted does not diſſolve. </s>
              <s>And for this
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              Reaſon, none is thought firmer and ſtronger,
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              or more durable, than that which ſerves as a
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              Bottom to any Springs of Water in the Bowels
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              of the Earth. </s>
              <s>But it is my Opinion, that the
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              beſt Way is to take Counſel with diſereet and
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              experienced Men of the Country, and with
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              the neighbouring Architects; who, both from
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              the Example of old Structures, and from their
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              daily Practice in actual Building, muſt be the
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              beſt Judges of the Nature of the Soil, and
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              what Weight it is able to bear. </s>
              <s>There are
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              alſo Methods of proving the Firmneſs of the
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              Soil. </s>
              <s>If you roll any great Weight along the
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              Ground, or let it fall down from any Heighth,
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              and it does not make the Earth ſhake, nor
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              ſtir the Water ſet there on Purpoſe in a Baſon;
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              you may ſafely promiſe yourſelf a good, ſound
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              Foundation in that Place. </s>
              <s>But in ſome Coun­
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              tries there is no ſolid Bottom to be found any
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              where; as near the
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              Adriatic,
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              and about
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              Ve­
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              nice,
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              where, generally, there is nothing to be
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              met with but a looſe, ſoft Mud.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg4"/>
              * Plate 4.
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              (facing
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              page 44)
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. III.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              That the Nature of Places is various, and therefore we ought not to truſt any
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              Place too haſtily, till we have firſt dug Wells, or Reſervoirs; but that in
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              marſhy Places, we muſt make our Foundation with Piles burnt at the Ends,
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              and driven in with their Heads downward with light Beetles, and many
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              repeated Blows, till they are driven quite into the Head.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>You muſt therefore uſe different Me­
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              thods for your Foundations, according
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              to the Diverſity of Places, whereof ſome are
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              lofty, ſome low, others between both, as the
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              Sides of Hills: Some again are parcht and
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              dry, as generally the Summits and Ridges of </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
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    </archimedes>
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