Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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Time ſee any Commotion in the City. </
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<
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>In theſe
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Particulars the Palace of a King and of a Ty
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rant agree; but then they differ in theſe
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other. </
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<
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>The Palace of a King ſhould ſtand in
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the Heart of a City, it ſhould be eaſy of Acceſs,
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beautiſully adorned, and rather delicate and
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polite than proud or ſtately: But a Tyrant
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ſhould have rather a Caſtle than a Palace, and
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it ſhould ſtand in a Manner out of the City and
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in it at the ſame Time. </
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<
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>It looks noble to have
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the Palace of a King be near adjoyning to the
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Theatre, the Temple, and ſome Noblemens
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handſome Houſes: The Tyrant muſt have his
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Caſtle entirely ſeparated from all other Build
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ings. </
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>Both ſhould be built in a handſome and
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noble Manner, but yet ſo that the Palace may
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not be ſo large and rambling as to be not eaſily
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defended againſt any Inſult; nor the Caſtle ſo
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cloſe and ſo crampt up, as to look more like a
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Jail than the Reſidence of a great Prince.
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>We ſhould not omit one Contrivance very con
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venient for a Tyrant, which is to have ſome
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private Pipes concealed within the Body of the
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Wall, by which he may ſecretly hear every
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Thing that is ſaid either by Strangers or Ser
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vants. </
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<
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>But as a Royal Houſe is different from
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a Fortreſs in almoſt all Reſpects, and eſpecial
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ly in the main Ones, the beſt Way is to let the
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Palace join to the Fortreſs. </
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<
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>The Ancients
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uſed to build their Fortreſs in the City, that to
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they or their King might have a Place to fly
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to in any Time of Adverſity, and where the Vir
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tue of their Virgins and Matrons might be
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protected by the Holineſs of a Sanctuary: For
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Feſtus
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tells us, that the Ancients uſed to con
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ſecrate their Fortreſſes to Religion, upon which
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Account they were called
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Auguriales,
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and that
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in them a certain Sacrifice uſed to be perform
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ed by Virgins, which was extremely ſecret and
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entirely remote from the Knowledge of the
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Vulgar. </
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<
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>Accordingly you ſeldom meet with
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an ancient Fortreſs without its Temple. </
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<
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>But
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Tyrants afterwards uſurped the Fortreſs to
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themſelves, and overthrew the Piety and Reli
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gion of the Place, converting it to their cruel
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and wicked Purpoſes, and ſo made what was
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deſigned as a Refuge to the Miſerable, a Source
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of Miſeries. </
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<
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>But, to return. </
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<
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>The Fortreſs be
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longing to the Temple of
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Jupiter Hammon
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was encompaſſed with three Walls; the firſt
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Fortification was for the Prince, the ſecond for
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his Spouſe and her Children, and the laſt was
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the Poſt of the Soldiers. </
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<
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>A Stucture very well
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contrived, only that it was much better adapt
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ed for Defence than Offence. </
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>I muſt confeſs
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that as I cannot ſay much for the Valour of a
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Soldier that only knows how to repulſe an E
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nemy that aſſaults him, ſo I cannot much
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commend a Fort that, beſides being able to
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defend itſelf, is not alſo well diſpoſed for of
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fending its Enemies. </
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<
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>But yet you ſhould con
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trive the Matter ſo, that though you have both
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thoſe Advantages, you ſhould ſeem to have had
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an Eye only to one of them, namely, your own
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Defence; that it may be thought the other
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happened only from the Situation and Nature
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of the Building.</
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<
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>CHAP. IV.</
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Of the proper Situation, Structure and Fortification of a Fortreſs, whether in
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a Plain, or upon a Hill, its Incloſure, Area, Walls, Ditches, Bridges, and
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Towers.
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<
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>I find that even Men of good Experience in
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military Affairs, are in Doubt which is the
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beſt and ſtrongeſt Manner of building a For
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treſs, either upon a Hill or Plain. </
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<
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>There is
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ſcarce any Hill but what may be either at
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tacked or undermined; nor any Plain but
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what may be ſo well fortified that it ſhall be
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impoſſible to aſſault it without great Danger.
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<
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>But I ſhall not diſpute about this Queſtion.
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<
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>Our Buſineſs is to contrive every Thing ſuita
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bly to the Nature of the Place; and indeed all
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the Rules which we have laid down for the
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building a City, ſhould be obſerved in the
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building a Fortreſs. </
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<
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>The Fortreſs particular
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ly ſhould be ſure to have even and direct
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Streets, by which the Garriſon may march to
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attack an Enemy, or in Caſe of Sedition or
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Treachery, their own Citizens and Inhabitants,
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and bring in Succours, either out of their own
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Country or from Abroad, without Impedi
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ment, by Land, River, Lake, or Sea. </
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<
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>One
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very good Form for the Area of a Fortreſs, is
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that of a C joining to all the City Walls as to
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a round O with bending Horns, but not en</
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