Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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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. </
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<
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>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
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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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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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<
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>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. </
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>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.</
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<
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>WHEN
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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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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.</
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>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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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.</
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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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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
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Jupiter Hammon
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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. </
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<
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>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. </
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<
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>The Ancients, and chiefly
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Plato,
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are
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for having a City ſtand at ten Miles Diſtance </
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