Contemplation of Sciences, understood little
of the Arts of the Court, or the Crafty Slights of pushing on his
Fortune and making himself considerable; for though he was bestowed
upon, and recommended to _Augustus_, by the Princess _Octavia_ his
Sister, we cannot find that he was employed in any Works of great
Importance. The Noblest Edifice that we can learn that _Augustus_ caused
to be built, was, the Theatre of _Marcellus_; and this was done by
another Architect: And the only Fabrick we can find he was employed in
was not at _Rome_, but at _Fano_, a very little City; insomuch, that the
greatest part of the Architects of that Age, who had gained the general
Vogue, being so ignorant, that they did not know even (as himself is
forced to declare) the first Principles of their Art: The Quality of a
mere Architect was become so Contemptible, that if his Books had not
carried all the Marks of an extraordinary Knowledge, and rare abilities,
and undeceived the World by taking away the prejudice that his small
employ created him, the Precepts he has left us would have wanted that
Authority that was necessary to support them.

For Architecture being an Art that has scarce any other Rule to walk by,
in performing all those Excellencies her Works are capable of, than what
we call a Good Fancy, which truly distinguishes that which is Beautiful
and Good from that which is not so; it's absolutely necessary that one
be perswaded that the Fancy he follows is better than any other; to the
end, that this Perswasion insinuating it self into them that study this
Art, it may form in them a Correct and Regular Idea, which without this
Perswasion, would be always floating and uncertain; so that to establish
this Good Fancy, it's necessary to have one to whom we give great
deference, and who has merited great Credit by the Learning that is
found in his Writings; and is believed to have had sufficient abilities
of chusing well among all Antiquity, that which is most solid and
capable of founding the Precepts of Architecture.

The Veneration we have for the first Inventers of Arts, is not only
Natural, but it's founded upon Reason; which makes us judge, that he
that had the first Thought, and first invented any Thing, must needs
have had a fitter Genius, and a better Capacity for it, than all those
that afterwards laboured to bring it to its utmost Perfection. The
_Greeks_, who were the Inventers of Architecture, as well as of other
Sciences,