Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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and indeed, I do not think them inferior to
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thoſe of Iron. </
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<
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>The Cramps of Braſs and Iron
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are ſaſtened in with Lead: But thoſe of Wood
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are ſufficiently ſecured by their Shape, which
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is made in ſuch Manner, that for Reſemblance,
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they are called Swallow, or Dove-tailed. </
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<
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>The
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Cramps muſt be ſo placed that no Drops of
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Rain may penetrate to them; and it is
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Thought that the Braſs ones are yet more
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ſtrengthened againſt old Age, if in Caſting
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they are mixed with one thirtieth Part of Tin:
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They will be leſs liable to ruſt if they are
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anointed with Pitch, or Oil. </
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<
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>It is affirmed
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that Iron may be ſo tempered by White-lead,
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Plaiſter, and Liquid Pitch, as not to ruſt.
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<
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>Wooden Cramps done over with Maiden-wax
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and Lees of Oil, will never rot. </
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<
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>I have
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known them pour ſo much Lead upon Cramps,
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and that ſo boyling Hot, that it has burſt the
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Stones. </
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<
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>In ancient Structures we often meet
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with very ſtrong Walls made of nothing but
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Rubbiſh and broken Stuff; theſe are built like
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the Mud-Walls common in
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Spain
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and
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Africa,
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by faſtening on each Side Planks or Hurdles,
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inſtead of Shells, to keep the Stuff together till
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it is dry and ſettled: But herein they differ,
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that the Ancients filled up their Work with
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Mortar liquid, and in a Manner floating;
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whereas, the other only took a clammy Sort
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of Earth which they trod and rammed with
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their Feet, and with Beetles, after having firſt
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made it tractable by thorough wetting and
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kneading. </
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<
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>The Ancients alſo in thoſe rough
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Works of theirs, at the Diſtance of every three
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Foot made a Kind of Band of Pieces of large
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Stone, eſpecially of the ordinary Sort, or at
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leaſt angular; becauſe round Stones, though
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they are very hardy againſt all Sorts of Injuries,
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yet if they are not ſurrounded with ſtrong Sup
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ports, are very unfaithful in any Wall. </
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<
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>In
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theſe other Works, that is to ſay, in the
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African
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Buildings of Earth, they mixed with their Clay
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the
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Spaniſh
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-Broom, or Sea-Bullruſh, which
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made a Stuff admirably good for Working,
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and which remained unhurt either by Wind or
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Weather. </
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<
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>In
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Pliny
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's Time there was to be
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ſeen upon the Ridges of Mountains ſeveral
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little Towers for viewing the Country built of
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Earth, which had endured quite from the Days
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of
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Hanibal.
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<
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> We make this Sort of Cruſt
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(which is a fitter Name for it than Shell) with
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Hurdles and Mats, made of Reeds not freſh
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gathered; a Work indeed not very magni
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ficent, but generally uſed by the Old
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Plebeian
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Romans.
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<
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> They rough Caſt the Hurdles over
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with Clay, beat up for three Days running
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with the Reeds, and then (as we ſaid before)
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cloath it with Mortar, or Plaiſter of
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Paris,
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which they afterwards adorn with Painting
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and Statues. </
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<
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>If you mix your Plaiſter up with
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a third Part of broken Tile, or Brick pounded,
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it will be the leſs injured by wet: If you mix
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it with Lime, it will be the Stronger: But in
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damp Places, or ſuch as are expoſed to Cold and
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Froſt, Plaiſter of
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Paris
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is very unſerviceable.
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<
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>I will now, by Way of Epilogue, give you a
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Law of very great Antiquity among Arch
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itects, which in my Opinion ought no leſs to
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be obſerved than the Anſwers of Oracles: And
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it is this. </
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<
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>Make your Foundation as ſtrong as
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poſſible: Let the Superſtructure lie exactly
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plum to its Centre: Fortify the Corners and
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Ribs of the Wall from the Bottom to the Top
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with the largeſt and the ſtrongeſt Stones: Soak
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your Lime well: Do not uſe your Stone till
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it is thoroughly watered: Set the hardeſt Sort
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to that Side which is moſt expoſed to Injuries:
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Raiſe your Wall exactly by the Square, Level
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and Plum-line: Let the Middle of the upper
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Stone lie directly upon the Meeting of the two
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below it: Lay the entire Stones in the Courſes,
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and fill up the Middle with the broken Pieces:
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Bind the inward and outſide Shells to one
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another by frequent Croſs or Band-ſtones. </
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<
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>Let
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this ſuffice with Relation to the Wall; we
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come now to the Covering. </
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<
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>But I will not
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paſs over one Thing which I find the Ancients
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obſerved very religiouſly. </
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<
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>There are ſome
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Things in Nature which are endued with
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Properties by no means to be neglected; par
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ticularly, that the Lawrel-tree, the Eagle, and
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the Sea-calf, are never to be touched by
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Lightening. </
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<
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>There are ſome therefore who
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ſuppoſe that if theſe are incloſed in the Wall,
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the Lightening will never hurt it. </
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<
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>This I take
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to be juſt as probable as another wonderful
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Thing which we are told, that the Land-toad,
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or Rudduck, if ſhut up in an earthen Pot,
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and burned in a Field, will drive away the
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Birds from devouring the Seeds; and that the
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Tree
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Oſtrys,
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or
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Oſtrya
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brought into a Houſe,
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will obſtruct a Woman's Delivery; and that
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the Leaves of the Lesbian Oemony kept but
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under the Roof, will give a Flux of the Belly
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and an Evacuation that will certainly prove
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Mortal. </
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<
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>Let us now return to our Subject,
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for the better underſtanding of which, it will
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be proper to look back to what we have
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formerly ſaid of the Lines of Building</
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