1Matters, and ſo neceſſary to Mankind; it would
be a Shame to neglect any of thoſe Obſervati
ons which voluntarily offered themſelves to me;
and I thought it the Duty of an honeſt and
ſtudious Mind, to endeavour to free this Sci
ence, for which the moſt Learned among the
Ancients had always a very great Eſteem, from
its preſent Ruin and Oppreſſion. Thus I ſtood
doubtful, and knew not how to reſolve, whe
ther I ſhould drop my Deſign, or go on. At
length my Love and Inclination for theſe Stu
dies prevailed; and what I wanted in Capacity,
I made up in Diligence and Application. There
was not the leaſt Remain of any ancient Struc
ture, that had any Merit in it, but what I went
and examined, to ſee if any Thing was to be
learned from it. Thus I was continually ſearch
ing, conſidering, meaſuring and making
Draughts of every Thing I could hear of, till
ſuch Time as I had made myſelf perfect Ma
ſter of every Contrivance or Invention that had
been uſed in thoſe ancient Remains; and thus
I alleviated the Fatigue of writing, by the
Thirſt and Pleaſure of gaining Information.
And indeed the Collecting together, rehearſing
without Meanneſs, reducing into a juſt Method,
writing in an accurate Style, and explaining
perſpicuouſly ſo many various Matters, ſo un
equal, ſo diſperſed, and ſo remote from the
common Uſe and Knowledge of Mankind,
certainly required a greater Genius, and more
Learning than I can pretend to. But ſtill I
ſhall not repent of my Labour, if I have only
effected what I chiefly propoſed to myſelf,
namely, to be clear and intelligible to the
Reader, rather than Eloquent. How difficult
a Thing this is, in handling Subjects of this
Nature, is better known to thoſe who have
attempted it, then believed by thoſe who never
tried it. And I flatter myſelf, it will at leaſt
be allowed me, that I have wrote according to
the Rules of this Language, and in no obſcure
Style. We ſhall endeavour to do the ſame in
the remaining Parts of this Work. Of the
three Properties required in all Manner of
Buildings, namely, that they be accommoda
ted to their reſpective Purpoſes, ſtout and
ſtrong for Duration, and pleaſant and delight
ful to the Sight, we have diſpatched the two
firſt, and are now to treat of the third, which
is by much the moſt Noble of all, and very
neceſſary beſides.
be a Shame to neglect any of thoſe Obſervati
ons which voluntarily offered themſelves to me;
and I thought it the Duty of an honeſt and
ſtudious Mind, to endeavour to free this Sci
ence, for which the moſt Learned among the
Ancients had always a very great Eſteem, from
its preſent Ruin and Oppreſſion. Thus I ſtood
doubtful, and knew not how to reſolve, whe
ther I ſhould drop my Deſign, or go on. At
length my Love and Inclination for theſe Stu
dies prevailed; and what I wanted in Capacity,
I made up in Diligence and Application. There
was not the leaſt Remain of any ancient Struc
ture, that had any Merit in it, but what I went
and examined, to ſee if any Thing was to be
learned from it. Thus I was continually ſearch
ing, conſidering, meaſuring and making
Draughts of every Thing I could hear of, till
ſuch Time as I had made myſelf perfect Ma
ſter of every Contrivance or Invention that had
been uſed in thoſe ancient Remains; and thus
I alleviated the Fatigue of writing, by the
Thirſt and Pleaſure of gaining Information.
And indeed the Collecting together, rehearſing
without Meanneſs, reducing into a juſt Method,
writing in an accurate Style, and explaining
perſpicuouſly ſo many various Matters, ſo un
equal, ſo diſperſed, and ſo remote from the
common Uſe and Knowledge of Mankind,
certainly required a greater Genius, and more
Learning than I can pretend to. But ſtill I
ſhall not repent of my Labour, if I have only
effected what I chiefly propoſed to myſelf,
namely, to be clear and intelligible to the
Reader, rather than Eloquent. How difficult
a Thing this is, in handling Subjects of this
Nature, is better known to thoſe who have
attempted it, then believed by thoſe who never
tried it. And I flatter myſelf, it will at leaſt
be allowed me, that I have wrote according to
the Rules of this Language, and in no obſcure
Style. We ſhall endeavour to do the ſame in
the remaining Parts of this Work. Of the
three Properties required in all Manner of
Buildings, namely, that they be accommoda
ted to their reſpective Purpoſes, ſtout and
ſtrong for Duration, and pleaſant and delight
ful to the Sight, we have diſpatched the two
firſt, and are now to treat of the third, which
is by much the moſt Noble of all, and very
neceſſary beſides.
CHAP. II.
Of Beauty and Ornament, their Effects and Difference, that they are owing
to Art and Exactneſs of Proportion; as alſo of the Birth and Progreſs
of Arts.
to Art and Exactneſs of Proportion; as alſo of the Birth and Progreſs
of Arts.
It is generally allowed, that the Pleaſure and
Delight which we feel on the View of any
Building, ariſe from nothing elſe but Beauty
and Ornament, ſince there is hardly any Man
ſo melancholy or ſtupid, ſo rough or unpoliſh
ed, but what is very much pleaſed with what
is beautiful, and purſues thoſe Things which
are moſt adorned, and rejects the unadorned
and neglected; and if in any Thing that he
Views he perceives any Ornament is wanting,
he declares that there is ſomething deficient
which would make the Work more delightful
and noble. We ſhould therefore conſult Beauty
as one of the main and principal Requiſites in
any Thing which we have a Mind ſhould pleaſe
others. How neceſſary our Forefathers, Men
remarkable for their Wiſdom, looked upon this
to be, appears, as indeed from almoſt every
thing they did, ſo particularly from their Laws,
their Militia, their ſacred and all other pub
lick Ceremonies; which it is almoſt incredible
what Pains they took to adorn; inſomuch that
one would almoſt imagine they had a Mind to
have it thought, that all theſe Things (ſo ab
ſolutely neceſſary to the Life of Mankind) if
ſtript of their Pomp and Ornament, would be
ſomewhat ſtupid and inſipid. When we lift
up our Eyes to Heaven, and view the wonder
ful Works of God, we admire him more for
the Beauties which we ſee, than for the Con
veniencies which we feel and derive from
them. But what Occaſion is there to inſiſt upon
this? When weſee that Nature conſults Beauty
in a Manner to exceſs, in every Thing ſhe does,
even in painting the Flowers of the Field. If
Beauty therefore is neceſſary in any Thing, it
is ſo particularly in Building, which can never
be without it, without giving Offence both to
the Skilful and the Ignorant. How are we
moved by a huge ſhapeleſs ill-contrived Pile
Delight which we feel on the View of any
Building, ariſe from nothing elſe but Beauty
and Ornament, ſince there is hardly any Man
ſo melancholy or ſtupid, ſo rough or unpoliſh
ed, but what is very much pleaſed with what
is beautiful, and purſues thoſe Things which
are moſt adorned, and rejects the unadorned
and neglected; and if in any Thing that he
Views he perceives any Ornament is wanting,
he declares that there is ſomething deficient
which would make the Work more delightful
and noble. We ſhould therefore conſult Beauty
as one of the main and principal Requiſites in
any Thing which we have a Mind ſhould pleaſe
others. How neceſſary our Forefathers, Men
remarkable for their Wiſdom, looked upon this
to be, appears, as indeed from almoſt every
thing they did, ſo particularly from their Laws,
their Militia, their ſacred and all other pub
lick Ceremonies; which it is almoſt incredible
what Pains they took to adorn; inſomuch that
one would almoſt imagine they had a Mind to
have it thought, that all theſe Things (ſo ab
ſolutely neceſſary to the Life of Mankind) if
ſtript of their Pomp and Ornament, would be
ſomewhat ſtupid and inſipid. When we lift
up our Eyes to Heaven, and view the wonder
ful Works of God, we admire him more for
the Beauties which we ſee, than for the Con
veniencies which we feel and derive from
them. But what Occaſion is there to inſiſt upon
this? When weſee that Nature conſults Beauty
in a Manner to exceſs, in every Thing ſhe does,
even in painting the Flowers of the Field. If
Beauty therefore is neceſſary in any Thing, it
is ſo particularly in Building, which can never
be without it, without giving Offence both to
the Skilful and the Ignorant. How are we
moved by a huge ſhapeleſs ill-contrived Pile