Buildings; their Magnitude, Beauty, &c. which have been handed down to us by undoubted Records, and by which he may regulate and difpofe the Apartments in publick Buildings for the Convenience, &c. which they require.

A LITTLE Philofophy will not be amifs, to inform the Architect of the Nature of Materials; the Qualities of Wood, Stones, Earth, Minerals, &c. Even in the Choice of Situation, the Temperature of the Air, the Nature of Waters, Plants, Vegetables, &c. which Nature produceth in different Situations.

4

THESE are the Ingredients of Learning, which are to be blended together for the Ufe of an Architect. It is not requir'd that he be a compleat Master of each, but only to know as much of them as he can explain for the foregoing Purpofes. There are few who have a Genius to take in more than these Branches for any Science, therefore a skilful Defigner must confequently have taken much Pains to become Mafter of Architecture, including thofe Divifions of Learning which are to be by him thus understood.

As

As to a Knowledge of the Five Orders of Architecture, indeed they are commendable, but it is only the Entrance, the first Branches of the Art; the great and valuable Parts of it confift in Designing well, to appropriate the feveral Parts to Ufe, and make them have an Affinity with the whole: But this only is the Gift of Nature, no Art can teach a Man the way to attain it, unleís Nature has laid the Foundation; and thofe which I have mention'd, may be faid to be only Affiftants in cultivating and improving the natural Genius.

- BEFORE I proceed to the Application of Buildings, to different Situations, or the Ufes of the Orders themselves, I fhall trace Architecture to its Fountain, and confider it in its infant State, and by what Steps it has been handed to different Countries, and its Arrival to Perfection: But as that will take up too much of your prefent Time, I fhall make it the Subject of another Lecture.

I SHALL only add, that I could wish to fee Emulation rife among us, ftriving who fhould excell in doing good Offices

to

to each other; to be inftructed by, and affiftant to each other, in every Science, as far as your Abilities will extend; to fee the Mathematicks and Architecture, and the several dependent Branches of Literature, become the Pleasure of your Discourse, the Delight of your Studies. This, in the End, would be useful and entertaining to yourselves, and an Example worthy of Imitation to others; and in this we fhould raise a Monument which neither Time nor Envy could deface; and, perhaps, in future Years, it may be faid, you laid the Foundation to a Society chiefly inftituted for propagating Knowledge without felf-interested Views. The Memory of fuch an Undertaking, to be tranfmitted to diftant Time, will redound much to your Praise, and is the fincere Wishes of

Tour Humble Servant.

Read to the Society October 29, 1730.

LECTURE

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LECTURE III.

N my laft Lecture, I propos'd to give you a Defcription of the Rife, Progrefs, and Extent

of Architecture, which I intend the Subject of this Difcourfe, having for that Purpose perus'd thofe Authors who have transmitted to Pofterity the Labours of the Antients. Building, in its Minority, was, doubtlefs, not only plain, but irregular, Men ftudying the Ufes of the feveral Parts of the Fabrick, more than Beauty, till Societies began to increafe in Wealth and Number, by Traffick and Commerce, then they rofe in their Idea to the Knowledge of fome fort of Regularity and Proportion in the disposing the feveral Parts of their Building; but even this Proportion may be supposed to be known long before the Orders were instituted.

WHEN

WHEN Arts and Learning became famous in Egypt, we may fuppofe with them Architecture flourish'd; for we find Works very Elaborate mention'd even among the great Defigners Contemporary with Noah. In the Year of the World 2038, the Walls of Babylon are reported to be built by Semiramis very magnificent, and efteem'd one of the Seven Wonders of the World; and the Tower of Babel is a remarkable Instance of the early Knowledge of Building: those two famous Pillars, the one of Brick, the other Stone, erected foon after the Flood by the Sons of Noah, on which were recorded the remarkable Paffages from the Creation down to the Flood I fay thefe are Teftimonies of an carly Progrefs in the Mathematical and Architectural Arts.

BUT the cultivating and improvement of Architecture is reported to be owing to the Egyptians, from their famous Labyrinth adorn'd with Columns of Porphyry. The Grecians rais'd an everlasting Monument to their Genius's in the La byrinth at Crete built by Dedalus. To Egypt the firft Grecian Architects were

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