Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <pb xlink:href="003/01/268.jpg" pagenum="192"/>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. IV.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              With what Paintings, Plants, and Statues, it is proper to adorn the Pave­
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              ments, Porticoes, Apartments and Gardens of a private Houſe.
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>There are ſome other Ornaments ex­
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              tremely proper for a private Houſe, by
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              no means to be omitted in this Place. </s>
              <s>The
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              Ancients ſtained the Pavements of their Porti­
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              coes with Labyrinths, both ſquare and circular,
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              in which the Boys uſed to exerciſe themſelves.
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              </s>
              <s>I have myſelf ſeen Pavements ſtained in Imita­
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              tion of the Bell-flower-weed, with its Branches
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              twining about very beautifully. </s>
              <s>Other have
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              paved their Chambers with a Sort of
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              Moſaic
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              Work of Marble, in Imitation of Carpets, others
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              in Imitation of Garlands and Branches of Trees.
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              </s>
              <s>It was a very ingenious Invention of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Oſis,
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              who
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              ſtrewed the Pavement at
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              Pergamus
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              with inlaid
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              Work, in Imitation of the Fragments that lie
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              ſcattered about after Meals; an Ornament not
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              ill ſuited to a Parlour.
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              Agrippa
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              was very right
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              in making his Floors of common baked Earth.
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              </s>
              <s>I, for my Part, hate every Thing that ſavours
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              of Luxury or Profuſion, and am beſt pleaſed
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              with thoſe Ornaments which ariſe principally
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              from the Ingenuity and Beauty of the Contri­
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              vance. </s>
              <s>Upon ſide Walls no Sort of Painting
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              ſhews handſomer than the Repreſentation of
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              Columns in Architecture.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Titius Cæſar
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              adorn­
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              ed the Walls of the Portico in which he uſed
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              to walk, with a Sort of
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              Phœnician
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              Stone ſo fine­
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              ly poliſhed, that it returned the Reflection of
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              all the Objects like a Looking-glaſs.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Antoninus
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              Caracalla,
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              the Emperor, painted his Portico
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              with the memorable Exploits and Triumphs of
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              his Father.
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              Severus
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              did the ſame; but
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              Aga­
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              thocles
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              painted not his Father's Actions, but his
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              own. </s>
              <s>Among the
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              Perſians,
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              according to their
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              ancient Laws, it was not permitted to paint or
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              carve any other Story, but of the wild Beaſts
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              ſlain by their Kings. </s>
              <s>It is certain, the brave
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              and memorable Actions of one's Countrymen,
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              and their Effigics, are Ornaments extremely
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              ſuitable both to Porticoes and Halls.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Caius
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              Cæſar
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              embelliſhed his Portico with the Statues
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              of all thoſe that had enlarged the Confines of
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              the Republick, and he gained a general Ap­
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              probation by ſo doing. </s>
              <s>I am as much pleaſed
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              as any body with this Kind of Ornaments; but
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              yet I would not have the Wall too much
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              crowded with Statues or Hiſtory Pieces. </s>
              <s>We
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              may find by Gems, and eſpecially by Pearls,
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              that if they are ſet too thick together, they loſe
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              their Beauty. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon, in ſome of the
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              moſt convenient and moſt conſpicuous Parts of
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              the Wall, I am for making handſome Pannels
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              of Stone, in which we may place either Sta­
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              tues, or Pictures; ſuch as
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pompey
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              had carried
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              along in his Triumph; Repreſenting his Ex­
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              ploits both by Sea and Land in Picture. </s>
              <s>Or
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              rather, I am for having Pictures of ſuch Ficti­
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              ons of the Poets, as tend to the Promotion of
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              good Manners; ſuch as that of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Dædalus,
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              who
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              painted the Gates of
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              Cumæ
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              with the Repre­
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              ſentation of
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              Icarus
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              flying. </s>
              <s>And as the Sub­
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              jects both of Poetry and Painting are various,
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              ſome expreſſing the memorable Actions of great
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              Men; others Repreſenting the Manners of pri­
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              vate Perſons; others deſcribing the Life of
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              Ruſticks: The former, as the moſt Majeſtick,
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              ſhould be applied to publick Works, and the
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              Buildings of Princes; and the latter, as the
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              more chearful, ſhould be ſet apart for Pleaſure­
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              houſes and Gardens. </s>
              <s>Our Minds are delight­
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              ed in a particular Manner with the Pictures of
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              pleaſant Landskips, of Havens, of Fiſhing,
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              Hunting, Swimming, Country Sports, of flowery
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              Fields and thick Groves. </s>
              <s>Neither is it foreign
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              to our preſent Purpoſe juſt to mention, that
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Octavianus,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              the Emperor, adorned his Palace
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              with the huge Bones of ſome extraordinary
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              Animals. </s>
              <s>The Ancients uſed to dreſs the
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              Walls of their Grottoes and Caverns with all
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              Manner of rough Work, with little Chips of
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              Pumice, or ſoft
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Tyburtine
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              Stone, which
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Ovid
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              calls the living Pumice; and ſome I have known
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              dawb them over with green Wax, in Imitati­
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              on of the moſſy Slime which we always ſee in
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              moiſt Grottoes. </s>
              <s>I was extremely pleaſed with
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              an artificial Grotto which I have ſeen of this
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              Sort, with a clear Spring of Water falling from
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              it; the Walls were compoſed of various Sorts of
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              Sea-ſhells, lying roughly together, ſome reverſ­
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              ed, ſome with their Mouths outwards, their
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              Colours being ſo artfully blended as to form a
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              very beautiful Variety. </s>
              <s>In that Apartment
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              which is peculiar to the Maſter of the Family
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              and his Wife, we ſhould take Care that nothing </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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