Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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obſerv'd that in Autumn the Leaves of Trees
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always began to fall to the South-ſide ſirſt;
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and in Buildings ruinated by Time, I have
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taken Notice that they always began to decay
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firſt towards the South. </
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<
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>The Reaſon of this
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may perhaps be that the Heat and Force of the
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Sun lying upon the Work while it was ſtill
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in Hand might exhauſt the Strength of the
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Cement; and the Stone itſelf being frequently
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moiſten'd by the South-wind, and then again
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dry'd and burnt by the Rays of the Sun,
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rots and moulders. </
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<
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>Againſt theſe and the like
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Injuries therefore, we ſhould oppoſe our beſt
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and ſtouteſt Materials. </
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<
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>What I think too is
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principally to be obſerv'd, is to let every Row
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or Courſe of Stone throughout the Wall be
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even and equally proportion'd, not patch'd up
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of great Stones on the right Hand and little
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ones on the left; becauſe we are told that the
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Wall by the Addition of any new Weight is
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ſqueezed cloſer together, and the Mortar in
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drying is hinder'd by this Preſſure from taking
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due hold, which muſt of Courſe make Cracks
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and Defects in the Work. </
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<
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>But you may be
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ſafely allow'd to make the inward Shell, and
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all the Front of the Wall of that Side, of a
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ſofter and weaker Stone; but whatever Shell
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you make, whether inward or outward, it
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muſt be always perpendicular, and its Line
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exactly even. </
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<
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>Its Line muſt always anſwer
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juſtly to the Line of the Platform, ſo as not in
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any Part to ſwell out or ſink in, or to be
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wavy, or not exactly plum, and perfectly well
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compacted and finiſhed. </
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<
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>If you rough. </
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<
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>Caſt
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your Wall as you build it, or while it is freſh,
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whatever Plaiſtering or Whitening you do it
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over with afterwards will laſt, in a Manner, for
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ever. </
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<
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>There are two Sorts of Stuffing; the
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one is that with which we fill the Hollow that
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is left between the two Shells, conſiſting of
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Mortar and broken Fragments of Stone thrown
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in together without any Order; the other con
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ſiſting of ordinary rough Stone, with which
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we may be ſaid rather to wall than only to fill
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up. </
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<
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>Both plainly appears to have been in
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vented by good-husbandry, becauſe any ſmall
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Coarſe Stuff is uſed in this Kind of Work.
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<
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>But if there was Plenty of large ſquare Stone
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eaſily to be had, who I wonder, would chooſe
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to make Uſe of ſmall Fragments? </
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<
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>And indeed
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herein alone the Ribs of the Wall differ from
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what we call the Finiſhing, that between the
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two Shells of this latter we ſtuff in coarſe Rub
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biſh or broken Pieces that come to Hand;
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whereas, in the Former we admit very ſew
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or no unequal Stones, but make thoſe Parts of
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the Wall quite through, of what we have
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call'd the
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ordinary
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Sort of Work. </
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<
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>If I were to
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chooſe, I would have the Wall throughout
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made of nothing but regularCourſes of ſquared
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Stone, that it might be as laſting as poſſible;
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but whatever hollow you leave between the
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Shells to be filled up with Rubbiſh, you ſhould
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take Care to let the Courſes of each Side be
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as even as poſſible and it will be proper be
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ſides to lay a good many large Stones, at con
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venient Diſtances, that may go quite through
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the Wall to both Shells, in order to bind and
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gird them together, that the Rubbiſh you
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ſtuff them with may not burſt them out.
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<
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>The Ancients made it a Rule in ſtuffing their
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Walls, not to continue the Stuffing uninterrup
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ted to the Heigth of above five Foot, and then
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they laid over it a Courſe of whole Stone. </
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<
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>This
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faſten'd and bound the Wall, as it were, with
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Nerves and Ligaments; ſo that if any Part of
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the Stuffing, either through the Fault of the
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Workman, or by Accident, happen'd to ſink,
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it could not pull every Thing elſe along with
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it, but the Weight above had in a Manner
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a new Baſis to reſt upon. </
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<
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>Laſtly, we are
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taught what I find conſtantly obſerved
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among the Ancients, never to admit any Stone
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among our Stuffing that weighs above a Pound,
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becauſe they ſuppoſe that ſmall ones unite
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more eaſily, and knit bettter with the Cement
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than large ones.</
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<
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>IT is not altogether foreign to our Pur
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poſe, what we read in
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Plutarch
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of King
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Minos,
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that he divided the Plebeans into ſeveral Claſ
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ſes, according to their ſeveral Profeſſions, upon
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this Principle, that the ſmaller the Parts are
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a Body is ſplit into, the more eaſily it may
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be governed and managed. </
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<
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>It is alſo of no
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little Conſequence to have the Hollow com
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pletly fill'd up, and every the leaſt Crevice
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cloſe ſtopt, not only upon the Account of
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Strength, but likewiſe to hinder any Animals
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from getting in and making their Neſts there,
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and to prevent the Gathering of Dirt and
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Seeds, which might make Weeds grow in the
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Wall. </
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<
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>It is almoſt incredible what huge
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Weights of Stone, and what vaſt Piles I have
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known moved and opened by the ſingle Root
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of one Plant. </
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<
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>You muſt take Care therefore
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to let your whole Structure be girt and fill'd
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compleatly.</
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