Archimedes Texts

207
deficient 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.

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,