1deficient in his Ears, as to have no Taſte for
Harmony: It may ſuffice if he does not build
a private Man's Houſe upon the publick
Ground, or upon another Man's: If he does
not annoy the Neighbours, either by his Lights,
his Spou s, his Gutters, his Drains, or by ob
ſtructing their Paſſage contrary to Law: If he
knows the ſeveral Winds that blows from the
different Points of the Compaſs, and their
Names; in all which Sciences there is no Harm
indeed in his being more expert; but Painting
and Mathematicks are what he can no more be
without, than a Poet can be without the
Knowledge of Feet and Syllables; neither do
I know whether it be enough for him to be only
moderately tinctured with them. This I can ſay of
myſelf, that I have often ſtarted in my Mind Ideas
of Buildings, which have given me wonderful
Delight: Wherein when I have come to re
duce them into Lines, I have found in thoſe
very Parts which moſt pleaſed me, many groſs
Errors that required great Correction; and up
on a ſecond Review of ſuch a Draught, and
meaſuring every Part by Numbers, I have been
ſenſible and aſhamed of my own Inaccuracy.
Laſtly, when I have made my Draught into a
Model, and then proceeded to examine the ſe
veral Parts over again, I have ſometimes found
myſelf miſtaken, even in my Numbers. Not
that I expected my Architect to be a Zeuxis in
Painting, nor a Nicomachus at Numbers, nor an
Archimedes in the Knowledge of Lines and
Angles: It may ſerve his Purpoſe if he is a
thorough Maſter of thoſe Elements of Painting
which I have wrote; and if he is skilled in ſo
much practical Mathematicks, and in ſuch a
Knowledge of mixed Lines, Angles and Num
bers, as is neceſſary for the Meaſuring of
Weights, Superficies and Solids, which Part of
Geometry the Greeks call Podiſmata and Em
boda. With theſe Arts, joined to Study and
Application, the Architect may be ſure to ob
tain Favour and Riches, and to deliver his
Name with Reputation down to Poſterity.
Harmony: It may ſuffice if he does not build
a private Man's Houſe upon the publick
Ground, or upon another Man's: If he does
not annoy the Neighbours, either by his Lights,
his Spou s, his Gutters, his Drains, or by ob
ſtructing their Paſſage contrary to Law: If he
knows the ſeveral Winds that blows from the
different Points of the Compaſs, and their
Names; in all which Sciences there is no Harm
indeed in his being more expert; but Painting
and Mathematicks are what he can no more be
without, than a Poet can be without the
Knowledge of Feet and Syllables; neither do
I know whether it be enough for him to be only
moderately tinctured with them. This I can ſay of
myſelf, that I have often ſtarted in my Mind Ideas
of Buildings, which have given me wonderful
Delight: Wherein when I have come to re
duce them into Lines, I have found in thoſe
very Parts which moſt pleaſed me, many groſs
Errors that required great Correction; and up
on a ſecond Review of ſuch a Draught, and
meaſuring every Part by Numbers, I have been
ſenſible and aſhamed of my own Inaccuracy.
Laſtly, when I have made my Draught into a
Model, and then proceeded to examine the ſe
veral Parts over again, I have ſometimes found
myſelf miſtaken, even in my Numbers. Not
that I expected my Architect to be a Zeuxis in
Painting, nor a Nicomachus at Numbers, nor an
Archimedes in the Knowledge of Lines and
Angles: It may ſerve his Purpoſe if he is a
thorough Maſter of thoſe Elements of Painting
which I have wrote; and if he is skilled in ſo
much practical Mathematicks, and in ſuch a
Knowledge of mixed Lines, Angles and Num
bers, as is neceſſary for the Meaſuring of
Weights, Superficies and Solids, which Part of
Geometry the Greeks call Podiſmata and Em
boda. With theſe Arts, joined to Study and
Application, the Architect may be ſure to ob
tain Favour and Riches, and to deliver his
Name with Reputation down to Poſterity.
CHAP. XI.
To what Sort of Perſons the Architect ought to offer his Service.
There is one Thing that I muſt not
omit here, which relates perſonally to
the Architect. It is, that you ſhould not im
mediately run and offer your Service to every
Man that gives out he is going to build; a
Fault which the inconſiderate and vain-glori
ous are too apt to be guilty of. I know not
whether you ought not to wait till you are
more than once importuned to be concerned.
Certainly they ought to repoſe a free and vo
luntary Confidence in you, that want to make
uſe of your Labours and Advice. Why ſhould
I offer thoſe Inventions which have coſt me ſo
much Study and Pains, to gain perhaps no
other Recompence, but the Confidence of a
few Perſons of no Taſte or Skill? If by my
Advice in the Execution of your intended
Work, I either ſave you from an unneceſſary
Expence, or procure you ſome great Conveni
ence or Pleaſure; ſurely ſuch a Service de
ſerves a ſuitable Recompence. For this Rea
ſon a prudent Man ſhould take care to main
tain his Reputation; and certainly it is enough
if you give honeſt Advice, and correct Draughts
to ſuch as apply themſelves to you. If after
wards you undertake to ſuperviſe and com
pleat the Work, you will find it very difficult
to avoid being made anſwerable for all the
Faults and Miſtakes committed either by the
Ignorance or Negligence of other Men: Upon
which Account you muſt take care to have
the Aſſiſtance of honeſt, diligent, and ſevere
Overſeers to look after the Workmen under
you. I would alſo have you, if poſſible, con
cern yourſelf for none but Perſons of the higheſt
Rank and Quality, and thoſe too ſuch as are
truly Lovers of theſe Arts: Becauſe your Work
loſes of its Dignity by being done for mean
Perſons. Do you not ſee what Weight the
Authority of great Men is to advance the Re
putation of thoſe who are employed by them?
And, indeed, I inſiſt the more upon this Piece
of Advice, not only becauſe the World has
generally a higher Opinion of the Taſte and
Judgment of great Men, than for the moſt
Part they deſerve, but alſo becauſe I would
have the Architect always readily and plen
tifully ſupplied with every thing that is ne
ceſſary for compleating his Edifice; which
thoſe of lower Degree are commonly not ſo
able, and therefore not ſo willing to do: to
which add, what we find very frequent Inſtances
of, that where the Deſign and Invention has
been perfectly equal in two different Works,
omit here, which relates perſonally to
the Architect. It is, that you ſhould not im
mediately run and offer your Service to every
Man that gives out he is going to build; a
Fault which the inconſiderate and vain-glori
ous are too apt to be guilty of. I know not
whether you ought not to wait till you are
more than once importuned to be concerned.
Certainly they ought to repoſe a free and vo
luntary Confidence in you, that want to make
uſe of your Labours and Advice. Why ſhould
I offer thoſe Inventions which have coſt me ſo
much Study and Pains, to gain perhaps no
other Recompence, but the Confidence of a
few Perſons of no Taſte or Skill? If by my
Advice in the Execution of your intended
Work, I either ſave you from an unneceſſary
Expence, or procure you ſome great Conveni
ence or Pleaſure; ſurely ſuch a Service de
ſerves a ſuitable Recompence. For this Rea
ſon a prudent Man ſhould take care to main
tain his Reputation; and certainly it is enough
if you give honeſt Advice, and correct Draughts
to ſuch as apply themſelves to you. If after
wards you undertake to ſuperviſe and com
pleat the Work, you will find it very difficult
to avoid being made anſwerable for all the
Faults and Miſtakes committed either by the
Ignorance or Negligence of other Men: Upon
which Account you muſt take care to have
the Aſſiſtance of honeſt, diligent, and ſevere
Overſeers to look after the Workmen under
you. I would alſo have you, if poſſible, con
cern yourſelf for none but Perſons of the higheſt
Rank and Quality, and thoſe too ſuch as are
truly Lovers of theſe Arts: Becauſe your Work
loſes of its Dignity by being done for mean
Perſons. Do you not ſee what Weight the
Authority of great Men is to advance the Re
putation of thoſe who are employed by them?
And, indeed, I inſiſt the more upon this Piece
of Advice, not only becauſe the World has
generally a higher Opinion of the Taſte and
Judgment of great Men, than for the moſt
Part they deſerve, but alſo becauſe I would
have the Architect always readily and plen
tifully ſupplied with every thing that is ne
ceſſary for compleating his Edifice; which
thoſe of lower Degree are commonly not ſo
able, and therefore not ſo willing to do: to
which add, what we find very frequent Inſtances
of, that where the Deſign and Invention has
been perfectly equal in two different Works,
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