Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              ons, ordained that no Houſe ſhould be more
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              than one Story high: To which Regulations a
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              Country-houſe is not ſubject. </s>
              <s>It was reckoned
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              one of the Glories of
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              Babylon,
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              that their Houſes
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              had Inhabitants in the fourth Story.
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              Ælius
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              Ariſtides,
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              the Orator, praiſing
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              Rome
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              in a pub­
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              lick Oration, cried it up as a miraculous Work
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              of the
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              Romans
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              to have built upon great Houſes
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              other Houſes as great: a handſome Piece of
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              Flattery; but it ſhewed the Numerouſneſs of
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              the People much more than the Magnificence
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              of the Buildings themſelves. </s>
              <s>We are told that
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              in Height of Houſes the City of
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              Rome
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              was out­
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              done by
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              Tyre,
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              which by that means was former­
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              ly very near being wholly deſtroyed by Earth­
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              quakes. </s>
              <s>It is one very great Beauty and Con­
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              venience in a Building to have no more Aſcents
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              and Deſcents in it than are abſolutely neceſſary;
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              and it is certainly a very true Saying, that
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              Stairs are nothing but Incumbrances to a Houſe,
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              from which Incumbrances I find the Ancients
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              were very ſtudious to keep clear. </s>
              <s>But in the
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              Country there is no Manner of Neceſſity for
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              ſetting one Houſe thus upon another: For on­
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              ly taking a larger Platform we may make
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              whatever Conveniencies we think fit upon the
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              ſame Floor; which I ſhould like extremely
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              well in Town too, if it could be had. </s>
              <s>There
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              is another Sort of private Houſes, in which the
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              Dignity of the Town-houſe, and the Delights
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              and Pleaſures of the Country-houſe are both
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              required; of which we ſaid nothing in the for­
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              mer Books, reſerving it purpoſely for this very
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              Place: And theſe are the Pleaſure-houſes juſt
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              without the Town, or the Villa's which are by
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              no means to be paſſed by without ſome Obſer­
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              vations, though I ſhall be as brief in them as
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              poſſible. </s>
              <s>Accordingly I ſhall here lay together
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              all that I have to ſay of each of theſe three
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              Sorts of Structures, and firſt of the Villa cloſe
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              to the Town. </s>
              <s>The Saying among the Anci­
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              ents, Let him that buys a Country-houſe ſell
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              his Houſe in Town, and let him that has Buſi­
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              neſs in Town, never think of a Houſe in the
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              Country, ſeems to imply, that a Villa near
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              Town is extremely convenient. </s>
              <s>The Phyſici­
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              ans adviſe us to dwell in the cleareſt and open­
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              eſt Air that we can find; and there is no room
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              to doubt but a Country-houſe ſeated upon an
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              Eminence, muſt of Courſe be the Beſt: But
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              then on the other Hand, the Maſter of a Fa­
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              mily, upon account of his private Buſineſs, or
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              the publick Affairs, may be obliged to be often
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              in the City; for which Purpoſe a Houſe in
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              Town ſeems neceſſary: But then as the former
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              is inconvenient for Buſineſs, ſo the latter is
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              prejudicial to the Health. </s>
              <s>It is a common
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              Thing for the Generals of Armies to remove
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              their Camps often, to avoid being incommod­
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              ed by ill Smells: What can we think then of a
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              great City, where ſuch vaſt Quantities of Filth,
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              and ſo long kept, are continually exhaling their
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              offenſive Steams? </s>
              <s>To reconcile this Dilemma
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              therefore, I do not think that of all the Struc­
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              tures which are raiſed for the Conveniency of
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              Mankind, there is any ſo commodious or ſo
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              healthy as the Villa; which at the ſame Time
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              as it lies in the Way for Buſineſs, is not wholly
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              deſtitute of pure Air.
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              Cicero
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              deſired his Friend
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Atticus
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              to build him a Villa in a Place of emi­
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              nent Note: But I, for my Part, am not for ha­
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              ving it in a Place of ſuch Reſort, that I muſt
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              never venture to appear at my Door without
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              being compleatly dreſſed. </s>
              <s>I would have it
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              afford me the Pleaſure which the old Gentle­
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              man in
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              Terence
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              boaſts he enjoyed,
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              of being never
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              tired either with the Town or Country. </s>
              <s>Martial
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              too gives a very juſt Deſcription of his Way of
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              Living in ſuch a Villa.</s>
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              <s>
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              You tell me, Friend, you much deſire to know,
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              What in my Villa I can find to do?
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              </s>
              <s>I eat, drink, ſing, play, bathe, sleep, eat again,
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              Or read, or wanton in the Muſes Train.
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              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>THERE is certainly a vaſt deal of Satisfaction
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              in a convenient Retreat near the Town, where
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              a Man is at Liberty to do juſt what he pleaſes.
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              </s>
              <s>The great Beauties of ſuch a Retreat, are being
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              near the City, upon an open airy Road, and
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              on a pleaſant Spot of Ground. </s>
              <s>The greateſt
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              Commendation of the Houſe itſelf is its making
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              a chearful Appearance to thoſe that go a little
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              Way out of Town to take the Air, as if it
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              ſeemed to invite every Beholder: And for this
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              Reaſon I would have it ſtand pretty high, but
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              upon ſo eaſy an Aſcent, that it ſhould hardly
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              be perceptible to thoſe that go to it, till they
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              find themſelves at the Top, and a large Pro­
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              ſpect opens itſelf to their View. </s>
              <s>Nor ſhould
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              there be any Want of pleaſant Landskips,
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              flowery Meads, open Champains, ſhady Groves,
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              or limpid Brooks, or clear Streams and Lakes
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              ſor ſwimming, with all other Delights of the
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              ſame Sort, which we before obſerved to be ne­
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              ceſſary in a Country Retreat, both for Conve­
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              nience and Pleaſure. </s>
              <s>Laſtly, what I have al­
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              ready ſaid conduces extremely to the Pleaſant­
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              neſs of all Buildings, I would have the Front
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              and whole Body of the Houſe perfectly well </s>
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