1Mauſoleum: Though in Things of that Nature,
I think Modeſty is beſt. Horace blamed
Mæcenas for having too furious a Paſſion for
Building. I commend him, who according to
Cornelius Tacitus, built Otho's Sepulcher, modeſt,
but extremely durable. And though it be
true that private Monuments require Modeſty
and publick ones Magnificence; yet publick
ones too are ſometimes praiſed for being as
modeſt as the others. We admire Pompey's
Theatre for the ſurprizing Greatneſs and Dig
nity of the Work: A Work truly worthy of
Pompey and of Rome in the Midſt of her
Victories: but Nero's unadviſedly Fondneſs for
Building, and mad Paſſion for Undertaking im
menſe Deſigns, is commended by nobody.
And beſides, who would not rather have
wiſh'd, that he who employ'd ſo many thou
ſand Men to bore through the Hill near Poz
zuolo, had taken the ſame Pains, and beſtowed
the ſame Expence upon ſome Work of greater
Uſe? Who will not deteſt the monſtrous Folly
and Vanity of Heliogabalus? who had Thoughts
of erecting a huge Column with Stairs on the
Inſide of it to mount to the Top, whereon
Heliogabalus himſelf was to be ſet as a God,
which he pretended to make himſelf. But not
being able to find a Stone of that Bigneſs, tho'
he ſought for it quite to Thebais, he deſiſted
from his wild Deſign. Hereunto we may add,
that we ought not to begin a Thing, which
though in ſome Reſpects worthy and uſeful,
and not altogether ſo difficult of Execution,
ſome particular Opportunity or Means ſavouring
it at that Time, that yet is of a Nature to ſall
ſoon to decay, either thro' the Neglience of
Succeſſors, or Diſlike of the Inhabitants. I
therefore find Fault with the Canal which Nero
made navigable for Callies with five Rows of
Oars from Avernus to Oſtia, as well as
other Accounts, as becauſe the Maintaining of
it ſeem'd to require perpetual and eternal
Felicity of the Empire, and a Succeſſion of
Princes all inclined to the ſame Works. Theſe
Conſiderations being granted, we ought to re
flect duly upon all the Particulars before
mention'd, that is to ſay, what Work we un
dertake, the Place we are to build in, and
what the Perſon is that is to build; and to con
trive every Thing according to his Dignity and
Neceſſities, is the Part of a diſcreet and pru
dent Architect.
I think Modeſty is beſt. Horace blamed
Mæcenas for having too furious a Paſſion for
Building. I commend him, who according to
Cornelius Tacitus, built Otho's Sepulcher, modeſt,
but extremely durable. And though it be
true that private Monuments require Modeſty
and publick ones Magnificence; yet publick
ones too are ſometimes praiſed for being as
modeſt as the others. We admire Pompey's
Theatre for the ſurprizing Greatneſs and Dig
nity of the Work: A Work truly worthy of
Pompey and of Rome in the Midſt of her
Victories: but Nero's unadviſedly Fondneſs for
Building, and mad Paſſion for Undertaking im
menſe Deſigns, is commended by nobody.
And beſides, who would not rather have
wiſh'd, that he who employ'd ſo many thou
ſand Men to bore through the Hill near Poz
zuolo, had taken the ſame Pains, and beſtowed
the ſame Expence upon ſome Work of greater
Uſe? Who will not deteſt the monſtrous Folly
and Vanity of Heliogabalus? who had Thoughts
of erecting a huge Column with Stairs on the
Inſide of it to mount to the Top, whereon
Heliogabalus himſelf was to be ſet as a God,
which he pretended to make himſelf. But not
being able to find a Stone of that Bigneſs, tho'
he ſought for it quite to Thebais, he deſiſted
from his wild Deſign. Hereunto we may add,
that we ought not to begin a Thing, which
though in ſome Reſpects worthy and uſeful,
and not altogether ſo difficult of Execution,
ſome particular Opportunity or Means ſavouring
it at that Time, that yet is of a Nature to ſall
ſoon to decay, either thro' the Neglience of
Succeſſors, or Diſlike of the Inhabitants. I
therefore find Fault with the Canal which Nero
made navigable for Callies with five Rows of
Oars from Avernus to Oſtia, as well as
other Accounts, as becauſe the Maintaining of
it ſeem'd to require perpetual and eternal
Felicity of the Empire, and a Succeſſion of
Princes all inclined to the ſame Works. Theſe
Conſiderations being granted, we ought to re
flect duly upon all the Particulars before
mention'd, that is to ſay, what Work we un
dertake, the Place we are to build in, and
what the Perſon is that is to build; and to con
trive every Thing according to his Dignity and
Neceſſities, is the Part of a diſcreet and pru
dent Architect.
CHAP. XII.
That having conſider'd the whole Diſpoſition of the Building in all the Parts
of the Model, we ought to take the Advice of prudent and underſtanding Men,
and before we begin our Work, it will not only be proper to know how to
raiſe Money for the Expence, but alſo long before hand to provide all the
Materials for compleating ſuch an Undertaking.
of the Model, we ought to take the Advice of prudent and underſtanding Men,
and before we begin our Work, it will not only be proper to know how to
raiſe Money for the Expence, but alſo long before hand to provide all the
Materials for compleating ſuch an Undertaking.
Having weigh'd and conſider'd theſe
Things you muſt proceed to the Ex
amination of the Reſt, whether each of them
be perfectly contrived and conveniently diſ
poſed in its proper Place. And to do this ef
fectually, it is neceſſary you ſhould be full of
this Perſuaſion, all the while you are medita
ting upon theſe Things, that it will be a Scandal
to you, if as far as in you lies, you ſuffer any
other Building with the ſame Expence or Ad
vantages to gain more Praiſe and Approbation
than your own. Nor is it ſufficient in theſe
Caſes to be only not deſpiſed, unleſs you are
highly and principally commended, and then
imitated. Therefore we ought to be as ſevere
and diligent as poſſible in our Scrutiny of every
Particular, as well to ſuffer nothing but what
is excellent and elegant, as to have all Things
mutually concur to make the whole Handſome
and Beautiful, inſomuch that whatever you at
tempted to add, or retrench, or alter, ſhould
be for the Worſe and make a Defect. But
herein, I repeat my Advice, let your Mode
rator be the Prudence and Counſel of the moſt
experienced Judges, whoſe Approbation is
founded upon Knowledge and Sincerity: Be
cauſe by their Skill and Directions you will be
much more likely, than by your own private
Will and Opinion, to attain to Perfection or
Something very near it. And beſides, the
Praiſe of good Judges is the higheſt Satisfaction;
and as for others they praiſe you ſufficiently, and
indeed too much in not doing Something bet
ter themſelves. So that you will be ſure of
Things you muſt proceed to the Ex
amination of the Reſt, whether each of them
be perfectly contrived and conveniently diſ
poſed in its proper Place. And to do this ef
fectually, it is neceſſary you ſhould be full of
this Perſuaſion, all the while you are medita
ting upon theſe Things, that it will be a Scandal
to you, if as far as in you lies, you ſuffer any
other Building with the ſame Expence or Ad
vantages to gain more Praiſe and Approbation
than your own. Nor is it ſufficient in theſe
Caſes to be only not deſpiſed, unleſs you are
highly and principally commended, and then
imitated. Therefore we ought to be as ſevere
and diligent as poſſible in our Scrutiny of every
Particular, as well to ſuffer nothing but what
is excellent and elegant, as to have all Things
mutually concur to make the whole Handſome
and Beautiful, inſomuch that whatever you at
tempted to add, or retrench, or alter, ſhould
be for the Worſe and make a Defect. But
herein, I repeat my Advice, let your Mode
rator be the Prudence and Counſel of the moſt
experienced Judges, whoſe Approbation is
founded upon Knowledge and Sincerity: Be
cauſe by their Skill and Directions you will be
much more likely, than by your own private
Will and Opinion, to attain to Perfection or
Something very near it. And beſides, the
Praiſe of good Judges is the higheſt Satisfaction;
and as for others they praiſe you ſufficiently, and
indeed too much in not doing Something bet
ter themſelves. So that you will be ſure of