Fréart, Roland; Evelyn, John; Alberti, Leon Battista; Wotton, Henry [Editor]: A parallel of the ancient architecture with the modern: in a collection of ten principal authors who have written upon the five orders viz. Palladio and Scamozzi, Serlio and Vignola, D. Barbaro and Cataneo, L. B. Alberti and Viola, Bullant and De Lorme, compared with one another ; the three Greek orders, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, comprise the first part of this treatise ; and the two Latin, Tuscan and Composita, the latter (London, 1733)

xxxvj The Elements os Architecture.
much in their Wing as in their Voice, may live long among fo g6dd
Provisions and Room, before they know that they are Prifoners h redu-
cing often to Memory that Conceit of the <j$oman Stoick, who in com-
parifon os his own sree Contemplations, did think divers great and splen-
dent Fortunes of his Time, little more than commodious Captivities.
Concerning (ponds of Tleafure near the Habitation, I wili reser my
sels to a grave Author of our own (though more illustrious by his other
* Work) namely, Sarisburknfis de siscind.
And here I will end a second Part, touching Ornaments both within
and without the Fabrick.
Now as almoft all those which have delivered the Elements os Lo-
gick, do usually conclude with a Chapter touching Method $ fo I am
here seized with a kind of critical Spirit, and desirous to fhut up thefe
building Elements with some methodical Diredtion how to censure Fa-
bricks already raifed. For indeed without fome Way to contract our
Judgment, which among fo many Particulars would be loft by Diffufi-
on, 1 fhould think it almoft harder to be a good Cenfurer than a good
Architect 5 becaufe the working Part may be helped with Deliberation,
but the judging muft flow from an extemporal Habit. Therefore (not
to leave this laft Piece without fome Light) I could wifli him that Com-
eth to examine any noble Work, firft of all to examine himfelf, whe-
ther perchance the fight of many brave Things before (which remain
like imprefsed Forms) have not made him apt to think nothing good
but that which is the beft, for this Humour were too fowre. Next,
besore he come to settle any imaginable Opinion, let him by all
means feek to inform himfelf precisely of the Age os the Work upon
which he muft pafs his Doom. And if he shall sind the apparent De-
cays to exceed the Proportion os Time, then let him conclude without
farther Inquifition, as an abfolute Decree, that either the Materials were
too flight, or the Seat is nought. Now after thefe Premises is theHoufe
be found to bear his Years well (which is always a Token os found Con-
ftitution) then let him fuddenly run backwards (sor the Method os Cen-
tring is contrary to the Method os Composing) srom the Ornaments
(which'sirft allure the Eye) to the more effential Members 5 'till at laft
he be able to sorm this Conclusion, that the Work is commodious,
firm and delightsul 5 which (as I said in the Beginning) are the three
capital Conditions required in good Buildings, by all Authors both an-
cient and modern. And this is, as I may term it, the mod scientifical
way of cenfuring. There are two other, which I muft not sorget: The
sirst in Georgio Vassarioa besore his laborious Work os the Lives os Ar-
chitects, which is to pals a running Examination over the whole Edifice,
according to the Properties os a well-flhapen'd Man : As whether the
Walls stand upright upon clean Footing and Foundation : Whether the
Fabrick be os a beautisul Stature : Whether for the Breadth it appear well
burnished : Whether the principal Entrance be on the middle Line of the
Front or Face, like our Mouths: Whether the Windows, as our Eyes, be
set
* De Nugis Curial, ore.