Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/063.jpg" pagenum="49"/>
              it proceeds, that the lower Part of Stones is of
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              a more ſolid and weighty Conſiſtence than the
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              Upper, and that they interrupted with Veins,
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              juſt according as their Subſtances happened to
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              unite and conglutinate. </s>
              <s>That Matter which is
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              found within the Veins, whether it be the Scum
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              of the firſt congealed Subſtance mix'd with the
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              Dregs of the adventitious Matter, or whatever
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              elſe it be, as it is plainly of ſo different a Con­
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              ſiſtence, that Nature will not permit it to
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              unite with the reſt, it is no Wonder that it is
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              the Part in Stone which is apt to crack. </s>
              <s>And
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              indeed, as Experience teaches us, the Deva­
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              ſtations of Time too evidently demonſtrate,
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              without ſearching into Cauſes more remote,
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              that all vegetative and compound Bodies con­
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              ſume and decay; ſo in Stones, the Parts ex­
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              pos'd to the Weather are ſooneſt rotted. </s>
              <s>This
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              being the Caſe, we are adviſed in Placing our
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              Stone to ſet thoſe Parts of it which are the
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              ſtrongeſt, and leaſt apt to putrify, againſt the
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              Violence of the alternate Injuries of the Wea­
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              ther, eſpecially in thoſe Parts of the Building
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              where moſt Strength is requir'd. </s>
              <s>For this Rea­
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              ſon we ſhould not ſet the Veins upright, leſt
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              the Weather ſhould make the Stone crack and
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              ſcale off; but they ſhould be laid flat down­
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              wards that the Preſſure of the incumbant
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              Weight may hinder them from opening. </s>
              <s>The
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              Side which in the Quarry lay moſt hid, ſhould
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              be placed againſt the Air; becauſe it is always
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              the ſtrongeſt and moſt unctious. </s>
              <s>But of all
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              Stone, none will prove ſo hardy as that which
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              has its Veins not running in parellel Lines with
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              thoſe of the Quarry, but croſſway and directly
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              tranſverſe. </s>
              <s>Moreover the Corners throughout
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              the whole Building, as they require the
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              greateſt Degree of Strength, ought to be par­
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              ticularly well fortify'd; and, if I miſtake not,
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              each Corner is in effect the half of the whole
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              Structure; for if one of them happens to fail,
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              it occaſions the Ruin of both the Sides to
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              which it anſwers. </s>
              <s>And if you will take the
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              Pains to examine, I dare ſay you will find that
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              hardly any Building ever begins to decay, but
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              by the Fault of one of its Corners. </s>
              <s>It there­
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              fore ſhew'd great Diſcretion in the Ancients,
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              to make their Corners much thicker than the
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              reſt of the Wall, and in Porticoes of Columns
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              to ſtrengthen their Angles in a particular Man­
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              ner. </s>
              <s>This Strength in the Corners is not re­
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              quired upon Account of its Supporting the
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              Covering (for that is rather the Buſineſs of the
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              Columns) but only to keep the Wall up to its
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              Duty, and hinder it from leaning any Way
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              from its perpendicular. </s>
              <s>Let the Corners there­
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              fore be of the hardeſt and longeſt Stones,
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              which may embrace both Sides of the Wall, as
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              it were, like Arms; and let them be full as
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              broad as the Wall, that there may be no need
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              to ſtuff the Middle with Rubbiſh. </s>
              <s>It is alſo
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              neceſſary, that the Ribs in the Wall and the
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              Jambs or Sides of the Apertures, ſhould be
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              fortify'd like the Corners, and made ſtrong in
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              proportion to the Weight they are deſign'd to
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              ſupport. </s>
              <s>And above all we ſhould leave Bits,
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              that is to ſay, Stones left every other Row jut­
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              ting out at the Ends of the Wall, like Teeth,
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              for the Stones of the other Front of the Wall
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              to faſten and catch into.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. VIII.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Parts of the Finiſhing; of the Shells, the Stuffing, and their different
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              Sorts.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>The Parts of the Finiſhing are thoſe
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              which, as we ſaid before, are common
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              to the whole Wall; that is, the Shell and the
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              Stuffing; but there are two Shells, one out­
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              ward and the other inward; if you make the
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              outward of the hardeſt Stone you can get, the
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              Building will be the more durable. </s>
              <s>And indeed
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              in all Sorts of Finiſhing, let it be of what
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              Kind of Work you will, either chequer'd, or
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              of rough Stones, it is indifferent, provided you
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              ſet againſt the continual miſchievous Violence
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              either of Sun, or Wind, or of Fire, or Froſt,
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              ſuch Stones as are in their Nature beſt fitted
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              for reſiſting either Force, Weight, or Injuries;
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              and we ſhould take Care to let our Materials be
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              particularly Sound where-ever the Rain in its
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              Fall from the Roof or Gutters is driven by the
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              Wind againſt the Wall; ſince we often find in
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              old Buildings, that ſuch Sprinklings will rot
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              and eat into Marble itſelf. </s>
              <s>Though all prudent
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              Architects, to provide againſt this Miſchief,
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              have taken Care to bring all the Water on the
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              Roof together into Gutters and Pipes, and ſo
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              carry it clear away. </s>
              <s>Moreover, the Ancients </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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