Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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>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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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>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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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.</
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<
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>CHAP. VIII.</
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Of the Parts of the Finiſhing; of the Shells, the Stuffing, and their different
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Sorts.
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>Moreover, the Ancients </
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