Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/085.jpg" pagenum="68"/>
              Thing I troubled myſelf about; all I ſtudied
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              was how to frame the beſt that poſſibly could
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              be, and that which deviates leaſt from a Re­
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              ſemblance of this, ought to be preferred above
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              all the reſt. </s>
              <s>So our Deſign is to deſcribe and
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              illuſtrate by Examples ſuch a City as the wiſeſt
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              Men judge to be in all Reſpects the moſt con­
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              venient; and in other Reſpects accommodat­
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              ing ourſelves to Time and Neceſſity, we ſhall
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              follow the Opinion of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Socrates,
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              that whatever
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              cannot be alter'd but for the worſe, is really
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              beſt. </s>
              <s>I lay it down therefore for granted, that
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              our City ought to be contrived as to ſuffer
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              none of the Inconveniencies ſpoken of in the
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              firſt Book, nor to want any of the Neceſſaries
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              of Life. </s>
              <s>Its Territory ſhall be healthy, wide,
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              pleaſant, various, fruitful, ſecure, and abound­
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              ing with Plenty of Fruits, and great Quantities
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              of Water. </s>
              <s>It muſt not want Rivers, Lakes,
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              and an open Paſſage to the Sea for the con­
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              venient bringing in of ſuch Things as are
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              wanted, and carrying out ſuch as may be
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              ſpared. </s>
              <s>All Things, in a Word, muſt con­
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              tribute to the eſtabliſhing and improving all
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              Affairs both civil and military, whereby the
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              Commonwealth may be a Defence to its Sub­
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              jects, an Ornament to itſelf, a Pleaſure to its
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              Friends, and a Terror to its Enemies. </s>
              <s>I take
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              it to be a great Happineſs to any City, to be
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              able to cultivate a good handſome Part of its
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              Territory, in Spite of any Enemy whatſoever.
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              </s>
              <s>Moreover your City ought to ſtand in the
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              Middle of its Territory, in a Place from
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              whence it can have a View all round its Coun­
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              try, and watch its Opportunities, and be ready
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              where-ever Neceſſity calls, which may lie con­
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              venient for the Farmer, and Ploughman to go
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              out to his daily Labour, and return with Eaſe
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              laden with Grain and Fruits. </s>
              <s>But the Situation
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              is one of the Things of greateſt Importance,
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              whether it ſhould be upon an open Plain, or
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              upon the Shore, or on a Hill: becauſe each of
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              theſe have ſome particular Qualities that are
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              uſeful, and others on the contrary that are not
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              ſo agreeable.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>WHEN
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Bacchus
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              led his Army through
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              India,
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              the exceſſive Heat bred Diſtempers among
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              them; whereupon he carried them up to the
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              Hills, where the Wholeſomneſs of the Air im­
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              mediately cured them. </s>
              <s>Thoſe that firſt built
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              Cites upon Hills, ſeem to have done it upon Ac­
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              count of the Security of ſuch a Situation; but
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              then they generally want Water. </s>
              <s>The Plains af­
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              ford great Conveniencies of Water, and of
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              Rivers; but the Air is more groſs, which
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              makes the Summer exceſſively hot, and the
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              Winter as cold; beſides, being leſs defended
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              againſt any Violence.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>THE Sea-ſhore is mighty convenient for the
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              Importation of Merchandizes; but all Sea­
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              towns are reckoned too fond and greedy of
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              Novelties, and to ſuffer perpetual Commo­
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              tions from the too great Concourſe, and the
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              Broils of Strangers, and are expoſed to very
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              dangerous Inſults and Revolutions from foreign
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              Fleets. </s>
              <s>In which ſoever of theſe Situations
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              therefore you build your City, you ſhould en­
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              deavour to contrive that it may partake of all
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              the Advantages, and be liable to none of
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              the Diſadvantages. </s>
              <s>Upon a Hill I would
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              make the Ground level, and upon a Plain I
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              would raiſe it to an Eminence in that Part
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              where my City was to be placed. </s>
              <s>And if we
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              cannot effect this juſt according to our Wiſh,
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              by reaſon of the great Variety of Places, let
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              us make uſe of the following Methods to ob­
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              tain at leaſt every Thing that is neceſſary:
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              On a maritime Coaſt, if it is a Plain, do not
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              let the City ſtand too near the Sea; nor too
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              far from it, if it is hilly. </s>
              <s>We are told that
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              the Shores of the Sea are liable to Alteration;
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              and that ſeveral Towns, and particularly
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Baiæ
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              in
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              Italy,
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              have been ſwallow'd up by the
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              Waves.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pharos
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              in
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              Ægypt,
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              which anciently was ſur­
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              rounded by the Sea, is now become a
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              Cherſo­
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              neſus,
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              or Neck of Land.
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              Strabo
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              writes, that
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Tyre
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              and
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              Clazomene
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              underwent the ſame
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              Change: Nay they tell us that the Temple
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              of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Jupiter Hammon
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſtood once upon the Sea­
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              ſhore, though now the Sea has left it, and it
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              ſtands far within the Land. </s>
              <s>They adviſe us
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              to build our City either cloſe to the Shore, or
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              elſe at a pretty good Diſtance from the Sea:
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              for we find that the Winds from the Sea are
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              heavy and ſharp, by reaſon of their Saltneſs:
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              And therefore, when they arrive at ſome Place
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              at a middling Diſtance from the Sea, eſpecially
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              if it is a Plain, you will find the Air there ex­
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              tremely moiſt through the diſſolving of the
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              Salt which it took from the Sea, which makes
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              it thick and heavy, and perfectly ropy; ſo
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              that in ſuch Places you ſhall ſometimes ſee a
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              Sort of Strings flying about in the Air like
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              Cobwebs; And they tell us, that a Mixture
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              of Salt has the ſame Effect upon the Air as it
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              has upon Water, which it will corrupt to
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              ſuch a Degree as to make it ſtink very offen­
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              ſively. </s>
              <s>The Ancients, and chiefly
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Plato,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              are
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              for having a City ſtand at ten Miles Diſtance </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
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