1the ſame Manner I would have the Architect
diligently conſider all the Buildings that have
any tolerable Reputation; and not only ſo, but
take them down in Lines and Numbers, nay,
make Deſigns and Models of them, and by
means of thoſe, conſider and examine the Or
der, Situation, Sort and Number of every Part
which others have employed, eſpecially ſuch as
have done any thing very great and excellent,
whom we may reaſonably ſuppoſe to have
been Men of very great Note, when they were
intruſted with the Direction of ſo great an Ex
pence. Not that I would have him admire a
Structure merely for being huge, and imagine
that to be a ſufficient Beauty; but let him
principally enquire in every Building what
there is particularly artful and excellent for
Contrivance or Invention, and gain a Habit of
being pleaſed with nothing but what is really
elegant and praiſe-worthy for the Deſign: And
where-ever he finds any thing noble, let him
make uſe of it, or imitate it in his own Per
formances; and when he ſees any thing well
done, that is capable of being ſtill further im
proved and made delicate, let him ſtudy to
bring it to Perfection in his own Works; and
when he meets with any Deſign that is only
not abſolutely bad, let him try in his own
Things to work it if poſſible into ſomething
excellent. Thus by a continued and nice Ex
amination of the beſt Productions, ſtill con
ſidering what Improvements might be made in
every thing that he ſees, he may ſo exerciſe
and ſharpen his own Invention, as to collect
into his own Works not only all the Beauties
which are diſperſed up and down in thoſe of
other Men, but even thoſe which lie in a Man
ner concealed in the moſt hidden Receſſes of
Nature, to his own immortal Reputation. Not
ſatisfied with this, he ſhould alſo have an Am
bition to produce ſomething admirable, which
may be entirely of his own Invention; like him,
for Inſtance, who built a Temple without uſing
one iron Tool in it; or him that brought the
Coloſſus to Rome, ſuſpended all the Way up
right, in which Work we may juſt mention
that he employed no leſs than four-and-twenty
Elephants; or like an Artiſt that in only ſeem
ingly working a common Quarry of Stone,
ſhould cut it out into a Labyrinth, a Temple,
or ſome other uſeful Structure, to the Surpriſe
of all Mankind. We are told that Nero uſed
to employ miraculous Architects, who never
thought of any Invention, but what it was al
moſt impoſſible for the Skill of Man to reduce
to practice. Such Geniuſſes I can by no mean
approve of; for, indeed, I would have the
Architect always appear to have conſulted Ne
ceſſity and Convenience in the firſt Place, even
tho' at the very ſame Time his principal Care
has been Ornament. If he can make a hand
ſome Mixture of the noble Orders of the An
cients, with any of the new Inventions of the
Moderns, he may deſerve Commendation. In
this Manner he ſhould be continually improv
ing his Genius by Uſe and Exerciſe in ſuch
Things as may conduce to make him Excel
lent in this Science; and indeed, he ſhould
think it becomes him to have not only that
Knowledge, without which he would not real
ly be what he profeſſed himſelf; but he ſhould
alſo adorn his Mind with ſuch a Tincture of
all the liberal Arts, as may be of Service to
make him more ready and ingenious at his own,
and that he may never be at a Loſs for any
Helps in it which Learning can furniſh him
with. In ſhort, he ought ſtill to be perſever
ing in his Study and Application, till he finds
himſelf equal to thoſe great Men, whoſe Praiſes
are capable of no further Addition: Nor let
him ever be ſatisfied with himſelf, if there
is that Thing any where that can poſſibly be
of Uſe to him, and that can be obtained either
by Diligence or Thought, which he is not
thoroughly Maſter of, till he is arrived at the
Summit of Perfection in the Art which he
profeſſes. The Arts which are uſeful, and in
deed abſolutely neceſſary to the Architect, are
Painting and Mathematicks. I do not require
him to be deeply learned in the reſt; for I
think it ridiculous, like a certain Author, to
expect that an Architect ſhould be a profound
Lawyer, in order to know the Right of con
veying Water or placing Limits between Neigh
bours, and to avoid falling into Controverſies
and Lawſuits as in Building is often the Caſe:
Nor need he be a perfect Aſtronomer, to know
that Libraries ought to be ſituated to the
North, and Stoves to the South; nor a very
great Muſician, to place the Vaſes of Copper
or Braſs in a Theatre for aſſiſting the Voice:
Neither do I require that he ſhould be an Ora
tor, in order to be able to diſplay to any Per
ſon that would employ him, the Services which
he is capable of doing him; for Knowledge,
Experience and perfect Maſtery in what he is
to ſpeak of, will never fail to help him to
Words to explain his Senſe ſufficiently, which
indeed is the firſt and main End of Eloquence.
Not that I would have him Tongue-tied, or ſo
diligently conſider all the Buildings that have
any tolerable Reputation; and not only ſo, but
take them down in Lines and Numbers, nay,
make Deſigns and Models of them, and by
means of thoſe, conſider and examine the Or
der, Situation, Sort and Number of every Part
which others have employed, eſpecially ſuch as
have done any thing very great and excellent,
whom we may reaſonably ſuppoſe to have
been Men of very great Note, when they were
intruſted with the Direction of ſo great an Ex
pence. Not that I would have him admire a
Structure merely for being huge, and imagine
that to be a ſufficient Beauty; but let him
principally enquire in every Building what
there is particularly artful and excellent for
Contrivance or Invention, and gain a Habit of
being pleaſed with nothing but what is really
elegant and praiſe-worthy for the Deſign: And
where-ever he finds any thing noble, let him
make uſe of it, or imitate it in his own Per
formances; and when he ſees any thing well
done, that is capable of being ſtill further im
proved and made delicate, let him ſtudy to
bring it to Perfection in his own Works; and
when he meets with any Deſign that is only
not abſolutely bad, let him try in his own
Things to work it if poſſible into ſomething
excellent. Thus by a continued and nice Ex
amination of the beſt Productions, ſtill con
ſidering what Improvements might be made in
every thing that he ſees, he may ſo exerciſe
and ſharpen his own Invention, as to collect
into his own Works not only all the Beauties
which are diſperſed up and down in thoſe of
other Men, but even thoſe which lie in a Man
ner concealed in the moſt hidden Receſſes of
Nature, to his own immortal Reputation. Not
ſatisfied with this, he ſhould alſo have an Am
bition to produce ſomething admirable, which
may be entirely of his own Invention; like him,
for Inſtance, who built a Temple without uſing
one iron Tool in it; or him that brought the
Coloſſus to Rome, ſuſpended all the Way up
right, in which Work we may juſt mention
that he employed no leſs than four-and-twenty
Elephants; or like an Artiſt that in only ſeem
ingly working a common Quarry of Stone,
ſhould cut it out into a Labyrinth, a Temple,
or ſome other uſeful Structure, to the Surpriſe
of all Mankind. We are told that Nero uſed
to employ miraculous Architects, who never
thought of any Invention, but what it was al
moſt impoſſible for the Skill of Man to reduce
to practice. Such Geniuſſes I can by no mean
approve of; for, indeed, I would have the
Architect always appear to have conſulted Ne
ceſſity and Convenience in the firſt Place, even
tho' at the very ſame Time his principal Care
has been Ornament. If he can make a hand
ſome Mixture of the noble Orders of the An
cients, with any of the new Inventions of the
Moderns, he may deſerve Commendation. In
this Manner he ſhould be continually improv
ing his Genius by Uſe and Exerciſe in ſuch
Things as may conduce to make him Excel
lent in this Science; and indeed, he ſhould
think it becomes him to have not only that
Knowledge, without which he would not real
ly be what he profeſſed himſelf; but he ſhould
alſo adorn his Mind with ſuch a Tincture of
all the liberal Arts, as may be of Service to
make him more ready and ingenious at his own,
and that he may never be at a Loſs for any
Helps in it which Learning can furniſh him
with. In ſhort, he ought ſtill to be perſever
ing in his Study and Application, till he finds
himſelf equal to thoſe great Men, whoſe Praiſes
are capable of no further Addition: Nor let
him ever be ſatisfied with himſelf, if there
is that Thing any where that can poſſibly be
of Uſe to him, and that can be obtained either
by Diligence or Thought, which he is not
thoroughly Maſter of, till he is arrived at the
Summit of Perfection in the Art which he
profeſſes. The Arts which are uſeful, and in
deed abſolutely neceſſary to the Architect, are
Painting and Mathematicks. I do not require
him to be deeply learned in the reſt; for I
think it ridiculous, like a certain Author, to
expect that an Architect ſhould be a profound
Lawyer, in order to know the Right of con
veying Water or placing Limits between Neigh
bours, and to avoid falling into Controverſies
and Lawſuits as in Building is often the Caſe:
Nor need he be a perfect Aſtronomer, to know
that Libraries ought to be ſituated to the
North, and Stoves to the South; nor a very
great Muſician, to place the Vaſes of Copper
or Braſs in a Theatre for aſſiſting the Voice:
Neither do I require that he ſhould be an Ora
tor, in order to be able to diſplay to any Per
ſon that would employ him, the Services which
he is capable of doing him; for Knowledge,
Experience and perfect Maſtery in what he is
to ſpeak of, will never fail to help him to
Words to explain his Senſe ſufficiently, which
indeed is the firſt and main End of Eloquence.
Not that I would have him Tongue-tied, or ſo