1equal, incongruous, out of Proportion, or not
conducive to the general Beauty of the Whole.
All theſe Particulars you muſt provide for by
means of your Model; and from thence too
you ſhould before-hand conſider not only what
the Building is that you are to erect, but alſo
get together all the Materials you ſhall want
for the Execution, that when you have begun
your Work you may not be at a Loſs, or
change or ſuperſede your Deſign: but having
before-hand made Proviſion of every Thing that
you ſhall want, you may be able to keep your
Workmen conſtantly ſupplied with all their Ma
terials. Theſe are the Things which the Archi
tect is to take care of with the greateſt Dili
gence and Judgement. The Errors which
may happen in the manual Execution of the
Work, need not be repeated here; but only
the Workmen ſhould be well looked after, to
ſee that they work exactly by their Square,
Level and Plumb-line; that they do their
Buſineſs at the proper Seaſons, take proper Sea
ſons to let their Work reſt, and at proper Sea
ſons go to it again; that they uſe good Stuff,
ſound, unmixed, ſolid, ſtrong, and ſuitable to
the Work, and that they uſe it in proper Places,
and finiſh every Thing according to their Mo
del.
conducive to the general Beauty of the Whole.
All theſe Particulars you muſt provide for by
means of your Model; and from thence too
you ſhould before-hand conſider not only what
the Building is that you are to erect, but alſo
get together all the Materials you ſhall want
for the Execution, that when you have begun
your Work you may not be at a Loſs, or
change or ſuperſede your Deſign: but having
before-hand made Proviſion of every Thing that
you ſhall want, you may be able to keep your
Workmen conſtantly ſupplied with all their Ma
terials. Theſe are the Things which the Archi
tect is to take care of with the greateſt Dili
gence and Judgement. The Errors which
may happen in the manual Execution of the
Work, need not be repeated here; but only
the Workmen ſhould be well looked after, to
ſee that they work exactly by their Square,
Level and Plumb-line; that they do their
Buſineſs at the proper Seaſons, take proper Sea
ſons to let their Work reſt, and at proper Sea
ſons go to it again; that they uſe good Stuff,
ſound, unmixed, ſolid, ſtrong, and ſuitable to
the Work, and that they uſe it in proper Places,
and finiſh every Thing according to their Mo
del.
CHAP. X.
What it is that an Architect ought principally to conſider, and what Sciences
he ought to be acquainted with.
he ought to be acquainted with.
But to the Intent that the Architect may
come off worthily and honourably in
preparing, ordering and accompliſhing all
theſe Things, there are ſome neceſſary Ad
monitions, which he ſhould by no means ne
glect. And firſt he ought to conſider well
what Weight he is going to take upon his
Shoulders, what it is that he profeſſes, what
Manner of Man he would be thought, how
great a Buſineſs he undertakes, how much Ap
plauſe, Profit, Favour and Fame among Poſ
terity he will gain when he executes his Work
as he ought, and on the contrary, if he goes
about any thing ignorantly, unadviſedly, or in
conſiderately, to how much Diſgrace, to how
much Indignation he expoſes himſelf, what a
clear, manifeſt and everlaſting Teſtimony he
gives Mankind of his Folly and Indiſcretion.
Doubtleſs Architecture is a very noble Science,
not fit for every Head. He ought to be a Man
of a fine Genius, of a great Application, of the
beſt Education, of thorough Experience, and
eſpecially of ſtrong Senſe and ſound Judge
ment, that preſumes to declare himſelf an
Architect. It is the Buſineſs of Architecture,
and indeed its higheſt Praiſe, to judge rightly
what is fit and decent: For though Building is
a Matter of Neceſſity, yet convenient Building
is both of Neceſſity and Utility too: But to
build in ſuch a Manner, that the Generous ſhall
commend you, and the Frugal not blame you,
is the Work only of a prudent, wiſe and learn
ed Architect. To run up any thing that is
immediately neceſſary for any particular Pur
poſe, and about which there is no doubt of
what Sort it ſhould be, or of the Ability of
the Owner to afford it, is not ſo much the
Buſineſs of an Architect, as of a common
Workman: But to raiſe an Edifice which is to
be compleat in every Part, and to conſider and
provide before-hand every Thing neceſſary for
ſuch a Work, is the Buſineſs only of that ex
tenſive Genius which I have deſcribed above:
For indeed his Invention muſt be owing to his
Wit, his Knowledge, to Experience, his Choice
to Judgment, his Compoſition to Study, and
the Completion of his Work to his Perfection
in his Art; of all which Qualifications I take
the Foundation to be Prudence and mature
Deliberation. As to the other Virtues, Hu
manity, Benevolence, Modeſty, Probity; I do
not require them more in the Architect, than
I do in every other Man, let him profeſs what
Art he will: For indeed without them I do
not think any one worthy to be deemed a Man:
But above all Things he ſhould avoid Levity,
Obſtinacy, Oſtentation, Intemperance, and all
thoſe other Vices which may loſe him the good
Will of his Fellow-Citizens, and make him
odious to the World. Laſtly, in the Study of
his Art I would have him follow the Example
of thoſe that apply themſelves to Letters: For
no Man thinks himſelf ſufficiently learned in
any Science, unleſs he has read and examined
all the Authors, as well bad as good that have
wrote in that Science which he is purſuing. In
come off worthily and honourably in
preparing, ordering and accompliſhing all
theſe Things, there are ſome neceſſary Ad
monitions, which he ſhould by no means ne
glect. And firſt he ought to conſider well
what Weight he is going to take upon his
Shoulders, what it is that he profeſſes, what
Manner of Man he would be thought, how
great a Buſineſs he undertakes, how much Ap
plauſe, Profit, Favour and Fame among Poſ
terity he will gain when he executes his Work
as he ought, and on the contrary, if he goes
about any thing ignorantly, unadviſedly, or in
conſiderately, to how much Diſgrace, to how
much Indignation he expoſes himſelf, what a
clear, manifeſt and everlaſting Teſtimony he
gives Mankind of his Folly and Indiſcretion.
Doubtleſs Architecture is a very noble Science,
not fit for every Head. He ought to be a Man
of a fine Genius, of a great Application, of the
beſt Education, of thorough Experience, and
eſpecially of ſtrong Senſe and ſound Judge
ment, that preſumes to declare himſelf an
Architect. It is the Buſineſs of Architecture,
and indeed its higheſt Praiſe, to judge rightly
what is fit and decent: For though Building is
a Matter of Neceſſity, yet convenient Building
is both of Neceſſity and Utility too: But to
build in ſuch a Manner, that the Generous ſhall
commend you, and the Frugal not blame you,
is the Work only of a prudent, wiſe and learn
ed Architect. To run up any thing that is
immediately neceſſary for any particular Pur
poſe, and about which there is no doubt of
what Sort it ſhould be, or of the Ability of
the Owner to afford it, is not ſo much the
Buſineſs of an Architect, as of a common
Workman: But to raiſe an Edifice which is to
be compleat in every Part, and to conſider and
provide before-hand every Thing neceſſary for
ſuch a Work, is the Buſineſs only of that ex
tenſive Genius which I have deſcribed above:
For indeed his Invention muſt be owing to his
Wit, his Knowledge, to Experience, his Choice
to Judgment, his Compoſition to Study, and
the Completion of his Work to his Perfection
in his Art; of all which Qualifications I take
the Foundation to be Prudence and mature
Deliberation. As to the other Virtues, Hu
manity, Benevolence, Modeſty, Probity; I do
not require them more in the Architect, than
I do in every other Man, let him profeſs what
Art he will: For indeed without them I do
not think any one worthy to be deemed a Man:
But above all Things he ſhould avoid Levity,
Obſtinacy, Oſtentation, Intemperance, and all
thoſe other Vices which may loſe him the good
Will of his Fellow-Citizens, and make him
odious to the World. Laſtly, in the Study of
his Art I would have him follow the Example
of thoſe that apply themſelves to Letters: For
no Man thinks himſelf ſufficiently learned in
any Science, unleſs he has read and examined
all the Authors, as well bad as good that have
wrote in that Science which he is purſuing. In