Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

List of thumbnails

< >
91
91 		92
92
93
93 		94
94
95
95 		96
96
97
97 		98
98
99
99 		100
100
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/107.jpg" pagenum="89"/>
              The Republick conſiſts of Things ſacred,
                <lb/>
              which appertain to the publick Worſhip: The
                <lb/>
              Care of which is in the Prieſts; and of Things
                <lb/>
              profane, which regard the Welfare and good of
                <lb/>
              the Society; the Care of which is in the Sena­
                <lb/>
              tors and Judges at Home, and in the Generals
                <lb/>
              of Armies and Fleets Abroad. </s>
              <s>To each of
                <lb/>
              theſe belong two Kinds of Building, one upon
                <lb/>
              account of the Perſon's Office, the other for
                <lb/>
              the Uſe of his own private Family. </s>
              <s>Every
                <lb/>
              Man's Houſe ſhould certainly be ſuited to the
                <lb/>
              Condition of Life which he is in, whether he
                <lb/>
              is a King, a Tyrant, or a private Perſon. </s>
              <s>There
                <lb/>
              are ſome Circumſtances which in a particular
                <lb/>
              Manner become Men in high Stations.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Virgil
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              very judiciouſly makes
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Anchiſes
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              have his Houſe
                <lb/>
              in a private Part of the City, and ſhaded with
                <lb/>
              Trees; knowing very well that the Habitati­
                <lb/>
              ons of great Men, for the Dignity and Quiet
                <lb/>
              both of themſelves and Families, ſhould be re­
                <lb/>
              mote from the Concourſe of the Vulgar, and
                <lb/>
              from the Noiſe of Trades; and this not only
                <lb/>
              for the Pleaſure and Conveniency of having
                <lb/>
              Room for Gardens, Groves, or the like, but
                <lb/>
              alſo that ſo large a Family, conſiſting of diffe­
                <lb/>
              rent Sorts of People, may not lie in the Way
                <lb/>
              to be corrupted and debauched by an ill
                <lb/>
              Neighbourhood, ſince (as is rightly obſerved)
                <lb/>
              more Miſchief is done by Wine Abroad than at
                <lb/>
              Home: And moreover, in order to avoid the
                <lb/>
              eternal Torment of numerous Viſitors and At­
                <lb/>
              tendants. </s>
              <s>I have indeed obſerved that wiſe
                <lb/>
              Princes have not only placed themſelves out of
                <lb/>
              the Way of the Crowd, but even out of the
                <lb/>
              City itſelf, that the common People might not
                <lb/>
              be troubleſome to them, but when they were
                <lb/>
              in ſome particular Want of their Protection:
                <lb/>
              And, in Reality, what ſignifies all their Wealth
                <lb/>
              and Greatneſs, if they can never enjoy a few
                <lb/>
              Hours of Repoſe and Leiſure? </s>
              <s>However, their
                <lb/>
              Houſes, let them ſtand where they will, ought
                <lb/>
              to have large ſpacious Apartments to receive
                <lb/>
              thoſe that come to attend them, and the Street
                <lb/>
              which leads from them to the Places where the
                <lb/>
              publick Affairs are tranſacted, ſhould be of a
                <lb/>
              good Breadth, that their Servants, Clients,
                <lb/>
              Suitors and Followers crowding to attend their
                <lb/>
              Patron, may not ſtop up the Way, and breed
                <lb/>
              Confuſion. </s>
              <s>The different Places where the
                <lb/>
              Magiſtrates are to exerciſe their Offices, are
                <lb/>
              known to every Body: The Buſineſs of the
                <lb/>
              Senator, is in the Senate-houſe; of the Judge,
                <lb/>
              in the Tribunal, or Court of Juſtice; of the
                <lb/>
              General in the Army; of the Admiral on board
                <lb/>
              the Fleet. </s>
              <s>But what ſhall we ſay of the Prieſts?
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>to whom belongs not only the Temple, but
                <lb/>
              alſo the Cloyſter, which might be called a
                <lb/>
              Lodgement, or Camp for Soldiers, ſince the
                <lb/>
              chief Prieſts, and all his inferior Miniſters, are
                <lb/>
              employed in a ſtubborn and laborious Warfare,
                <lb/>
              (as we have ſhewed in the Book called
                <emph type="italics"/>
              The
                <lb/>
              Prieſt
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ) namely, that of Virtue againſt Vice.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>Of Temples, ſome are principal, as is that
                <lb/>
              wherein the chief Prieſt upon ſtated Seaſons ce­
                <lb/>
              lebrates ſome ſolemn Rites and Sacrifices:
                <lb/>
              Others are under the Guardianſhip of inferior
                <lb/>
              Prieſts, as all Chapels in Town, and Oratories
                <lb/>
              in the Country. </s>
              <s>Perhaps the moſt convenient
                <lb/>
              Situation for the principal Temple may be in
                <lb/>
              the Middle of the City; but it is more Decent
                <lb/>
              to have it ſomewhat remote from the Crowd:
                <lb/>
              A Hill gives it an Air of Dignity, but it is more
                <lb/>
              ſecure from Earthquakes in a Plain. </s>
              <s>In a
                <lb/>
              Word, the Temple is to be placed where it
                <lb/>
              may appear with moſt Majeſty and Reverence:
                <lb/>
              For which Reaſon it ſhould lie entirely out of
                <lb/>
              the Way of all Filth and Indecency, to the In­
                <lb/>
              tent that Fathers, Matrons and Virgins, who
                <lb/>
              come to offer up their Prayers, may not be
                <lb/>
              ſhocked and offended, or perverted from their
                <lb/>
              intended Devotions.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Nigrigeneus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              the Archi­
                <lb/>
              tect, who wrote about the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Termini,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              informs us,
                <lb/>
              that the ancient Architects were for having the
                <lb/>
              Fronts of their Temples facing the Weſt: But
                <lb/>
              this Cuſtom was afterwards quite altered, and
                <lb/>
              it was thought better to have the Temples and
                <lb/>
              the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Termini
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              look to the Eaſt, that they might
                <lb/>
              have a View of the riſing Sun. </s>
              <s>But I have ob­
                <lb/>
              ſerved myſelf that the Ancients in the ſituating
                <lb/>
              of their ſmaller Temples or Chapels, generally
                <lb/>
              turned their Fronts ſo as they might be ſeen
                <lb/>
              from the Sea, or ſome River or great Road.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>To conclude, a Structure of this Kind ought
                <lb/>
              to be ſo built as to entice thoſe who are abſent
                <lb/>
              to come and ſee it, and to charm and detain
                <lb/>
              thoſe that are preſent by the Beauty and Curi­
                <lb/>
              oſity of its Workmanſhip. </s>
              <s>An arched Roof
                <lb/>
              will ſecure it moſt againſt Fire, and a flat one
                <lb/>
              againſt Earthquakes; but the former will be
                <lb/>
              the leaſt liable to Decay by the Injury of Time.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>And this may ſuffice as to the Temples, be­
                <lb/>
              cauſe many Things which ſeem neceſſary to be
                <lb/>
              ſaid here, belong more properly to their Orna­
                <lb/>
              ment than to their real Uſe: And therefore of
                <lb/>
              thoſe we ſhall treat elſewhere. </s>
              <s>Smaller Tem­
                <lb/>
              ples and Chaples muſt imitate the Greater, ac­
                <lb/>
              cording to the Dignity of their Situation and
                <lb/>
              Uſes.</s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum