Rudiments of ancient architecture, containing an historical account of the five orders, with their proportions, and examples of each from antiques also, extracts from Vitruvius, Pliny, &c. relative to the buildings of the ancients (London, 1810 (4. Aufl.))

PREFACE. XI

productions of scientific writers,
required an exertion of attention
mere amusement startled at; how-
ever, at last activity was roused by
the inconvenience of ignorance, and
fortunately meeting with Sir W.
Chambers's excellent Treatise, the
path was considerably smoothened,
and trod with greater pleasure than
at first I expected: from this and
other books I was afterwards in-
duced to examine, the following
sheets may be considered as notes
or minutes, of what is necessary to
be known by one, whose desire, as
mine was, is rather general infor-
mation, than of the minutiae of the

science.----In this view, I hope there

will be found sufficient to give a
tolerably precise idea of the five
orders and their several parts; the