Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/034.jpg" pagenum="23"/>
              performing a Work, wherein the Parts are
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              join'd with Dignity, Convenience and Beauty,
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              having not only other Things praiſe-worthy,
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              but alſo a Variety of Ornaments, ſuch as
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              Decency and Proportion requires; and this no
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              Queſtion is a very great Matter; but to cover
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              all theſe with a proper, convenient and apt
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              Covering, is the Work of none but a very
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              great Maſter. </s>
              <s>To conclude, when the whole
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              Model and the Contrivance of all the Parts
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              greatly pleaſes both yourſelf and others of
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              good Experience, ſo that you have not the
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              leaſt Doubt remaining within yourſelf, and do
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              not know of any Thing that wants the leaſt
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              Re-examination; even then I would adviſe
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              you not to run furiouſly to the Execution out
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              of a Paſſion for Building, demoliſhing old
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              Structures, or laying mighty Foundations of
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              the whole Work, which raſh and inconſiderate
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              Men are apt to do; but if you will hearken
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              to me, lay the Thoughts of it aſide for ſome
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              Time, till this favourite Invention grows old.
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              </s>
              <s>Then take a freſh Review of every Thing,
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              when not being guided by a Fondneſs for your
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              Invention, but by the Truth and Reaſon of
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              Things you will be capable of judging more
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              clearly. </s>
              <s>Becauſe in many Caſes Time will
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              diſcover a great many Things to you, worth
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              Conſideration and Reflection, which, be you
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              ever ſo accurate, might before eſcape you.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. II.</s>
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              <s>
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              That we ought to undertake nothing above our Abilities, nor ſtrive againſt
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              Nature, and that we ought alſo not only to conſider what we can do,
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              but what is ſit for us to do, and in what Place it is that we are to
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              build.
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>On examining your Model, among other
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              Points to be conſider'd, you muſt take
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              Care not to forget theſe. </s>
              <s>Firſt, not to under­
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              take a Thing, which is above the Power of
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              Man to do, and not to pretend to ſtrive directly
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              contrary to the Nature of Things. </s>
              <s>For Na­
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              ture, if you force or wreſt her out of her Way,
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              whatever Strength you may do it with, will
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              yet in the End overcome and break thro' all
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              Oppoſition and Hindrance; and the moſt ob­
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              ſtinate Violence (to uſe ſuch an Expreſſion)
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              will at laſt be forced to yield to her daily and
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              continual Perſeverence aſſiſted by Length of
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              Time. </s>
              <s>How many of the mighty Works of
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              Men do we read of, and know ourſelves to
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              have been deſtroy'd by no other Cauſe than
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              that they contended againſt Nature? </s>
              <s>Who
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              does not laugh at him, that having made a
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              Bridge upon Ships, intended to ride over the
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              Sea? </s>
              <s>or rather, who does not hate him for his
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              Folly and Inſolence? </s>
              <s>The Haven of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Claudius
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              below
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              Oſtia,
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              and that of
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              Hadrian
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              near
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              Terra­
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              cina,
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              Works in all other Reſpects likely to laſt
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              to Eternity, yet now having their Mouths
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              ſtop'd with Sand, and their Beds quite choak'd
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              up, they have been long ſince totally deſtroy'd
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              by the continual Aſſaults of the Sea, which in­
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              ceſſantly waſhing againſt it gains from it daily.
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              </s>
              <s>What then think ye will happen in any Place,
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              where you pretend to oppoſe or entirely repel
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              the Violence of Water, or the enormous
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              Weight of Rocks tumbling down on you in
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              Ruins? </s>
              <s>This being conſider'd, we ought never
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              to undertake any Thing that is not exactly
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              agreeable to Nature; and moreover we ſhould
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              take Care not to enter upon a Work in which
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              we may be ſo much wanting to ourſelves as to
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              be forced to leave it imperfect. </s>
              <s>Who would
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              not have blamed
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              Tarquin,
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              King of the
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              Romans,
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              if the Gods had not favoured the Greatneſs of
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              the City, and if by the Enlargement of the
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              Empire he had not received an Acceſſion of
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              Wealth ſufficient to compleat the Magnificence
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              of his Beginning, for throwing away the whole
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              Expence of his future Work in laying the
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              Foundations of his Temple. </s>
              <s>Beſides it is not
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              amiſs to conſider, and that not in the laſt
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              Place, not only what you are able, but alſo
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              what is decent for you to do. </s>
              <s>I do not com­
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              mend
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              Rhodope
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              of
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              Thrace,
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              the famous Courtezan,
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              and the Wonder of her Days, for building her­
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              ſelf a Sepulcher of incredible Expence: For
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              though ſhe might poſſibly by her Whoredom
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              have acquired the Riches of a Queen, yet ſhe
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              was by no means worthy of a Royal Sepulcher.
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              </s>
              <s>But on the other Hand I do not blame
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              Arte­
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              miſia,
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              Queen of
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              Caria,
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              for having built her
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              beloved and worthy Conſort a moſt ſtately </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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    </archimedes>
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