Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              of all: Becauſe they double the Heat of a Place
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              already ſufficiently warmed by whole Day's
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              Sun. </s>
              <s>And if it happens, that with all this Sun
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              the heavy groſs Winds have free Acceſs to you,
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              what can be more annoying or intollerable?
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              </s>
              <s>The early Morning Breezes too, which bring
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              the Vapours crude juſt as they are raiſed, are
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              certainly to be avoided. </s>
              <s>Thus we have briefly
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              ſpoken of the Sun and Winds, by which the
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              Air is altered and made healthy and noxious,
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              as much as we thought neceſſary here: And
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              in their Places we ſhall diſcourſe of them more
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              diſtinctly.</s>
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              <s>CHAP. IV.</s>
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              <s>
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              Which Region is, and which is not commodious for Building.
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              <s>In chuſing the Region it will be proper to
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              have it ſuch, that the Inhabitants may find
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              it convenient in all Reſpects, both as to its na­
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              tural Properties, and as to the Neighbourhood
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              and its Correſpondence with the reſt of Man­
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              kind. </s>
              <s>For certainly I would never build a City
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              upon a ſteep inacceſſible Cliff of the
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              Alps,
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              as
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Caligula
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              intended; unleſs obliged by the ut­
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              moſt Extremity: Nor in a ſolitary Deſart, as
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Varro
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              deſcribes that Part of
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              France
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              to have
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              been which was beyond the
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              Rhine,
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              and as
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              Cæſar
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              paints
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              England
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              in his Days. </s>
              <s>Neither ſhould I
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              be pleaſed to live, as in
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              Ægina,
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              only upon the
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              Eggs of Birds, or upon Acorns, as they did in
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              ſome Parts of
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              Spain
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              in
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              Pliny
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              's Time. </s>
              <s>I would
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              if poſſible have nothing be wanting that could
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              be of Uſe in Life. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon, more than
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              any other,
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              Alexander
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              was perfectly in the right
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              in not building a City upon Mount
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              Athos
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              (though the Invention and Deſign of the Archi­
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              tect
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              Policrates
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              muſt needs have been wonder­
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              ful) becauſe the Inhabitants could never have
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              been well ſupplied with Conveniences.
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              Ariſtotle
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              was indeed beſt pleaſed with a Region that was
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              difficult of Acceſs, and eſpecially to build a
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              City in: And we find there have been ſome
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              Nations, which have choſe to have their Con­
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              fines quite ſtript and laid into a Deſart for a
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              great Way together, only in order to diſtreſs
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              their Enemies. </s>
              <s>Whether this Method is to be
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              approved or blamed, we ſhall examine in an­
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              other Place. </s>
              <s>If it is of Service in a publick
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              Regard, I cannot find Fault with it: But for
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              the Situation of other Buildings, I ſhould much
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              rather chuſe a Region that had many and dif­
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              ferent Ways of Acceſs, for the eaſy bringing in
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              all Manner of Neceſſaries, both by Land-Car­
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              riage and Water-Carriage, as well in Winter
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              as in Summer. </s>
              <s>The Region itſelf likewiſe
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              ſhould neither be too moiſt through too great
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              abundance of Water, nor too much parched
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              with Drought, but be kindly and temperate.
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              </s>
              <s>And if we cannot find one exactly in all Re­
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              ſpects as we would have it, let us chuſe it ra­
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              ther ſomewhat cold and dry, than warm and
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              moiſt: For our Houſes, our Cloaths, Fires,
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              and Exerciſe, will eaſily overcome the Cold;
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              neither is it believed, that the Dryneſs of a Soil
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              can have any thing in it very noxious, either to
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              the Bodies or Mind, only that by Dryneſs
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              Men's Bodies are hardened, and by Cold per­
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              haps made ſomewhat rougher: But it is held
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              for certain, that all Bodies corrupt with too
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              much Humidity, and are relaxed by Heat.
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              </s>
              <s>And we find that Men either in cold Weather,
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              or that live in cold Places, are more healthy
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              and leſs ſubject to Diſtempers; though it is al­
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              lowed, that in hot Climates Men have better
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              Wits, as they have better Conſtitutions in cold.
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              </s>
              <s>I have read in
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              Appian
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              the Hiſtorian, that the
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Numidians
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              are very long lived, becauſe their
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              Winters are never too cold. </s>
              <s>That Region
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              therefore will be far the beſt, which is juſt
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              moderately warm and moiſt, becauſe that will
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              produce luſty handſome Men, and not ſubject
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              to Melancholy. </s>
              <s>Secondly, that Region will
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              be moſt eligible, which being placed among
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              Countries liable to Snow, enjoys more Sun
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              than its Neighbours; and among Countries
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              burnt by the Sun, that which has moſt Humi­
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              dity and Shade. </s>
              <s>But no Building, let it be
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              what it will, can be placed more unſightly or
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              inconveniently, than in a Valley down be­
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              tween two Hills; becauſe, not to inſiſt upon
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              more manifeſt Reaſons, an Edifice ſo placed
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              has no Manner of Dignity, lying quite hid;
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              and it's Proſpect being interrupted can have
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              neither Pleaſure nor Beauty. </s>
              <s>But what is this
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              to thoſe greater Miſchiefs which will ſhortly
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              happen, when the Houſe is overwhelmed by
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              Floods and filled with Waters that pour in up­
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              on it from the adjoining Hills; and imbibing </s>
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