having left many Works behind them as well in Building as in
Books, which were looked upon in the time of _Vitruvius_, as the Models
of what was perfect and accomplished in this Art, _Vitruvius_ chiefly
followed and imitated them; and in the Composition of his Book, gathered
from them all that was to be found Excellent and Rare in all their
Works; which makes us believe, that he has omitted nothing that was
necessary, to form the General Idea of Good and Beautiful, since there
is not the least probability that any thing could escape so Rare a Wit,
Illuminated with so many different Lights.

But because at present the Reputation of _Vitruvius_ is so generally
established, that all Ages have placed him in the first Rank of great
Wits, and that there is nothing necessary to recommend the Precepts of
Architecture, but to prove they were drawn out of his Works: We having
here designed to make only an Abridgment of his Works, we thought it
would be necessary to cut off many things that this Famous Author has
drawn out of an infinity of Writers, whose Works are now lost, and only
gives a short Account of the Contents of every Book, in the beginning of
this Abridgment; handling only in this Book, those Things that directly
belong to Architecture; disposing the Matter in a different Method from
that of _Vitruvius_, who often leaves off the Matter he is treating of,
and takes it up again in another place.

The Order we have proposed to our selves in this Abstract, is, That
after having given an Account in few words of what is contained in the
whole Book; we Explain more particularly what we judge may be
serviceable to those that study Architecture. This Treatise is divided
into Two Parts; The First contains the Maxims and Precepts that may be
accommodated to _Modern_ Architecture; the Second contains all that
appertains to the _Ancient_ and _Antique_ Architectures; which, though
often affected, have little that's now made use of, may yet nevertheless
serve to form the Judgment, and regulate the Fancy, and serve for
Examples of things that may be useful.

I make a Distinction between the _Ancient_ Architecture, and the
_Antique_ Architecture, and the _Modern_; for we call that Architecture
_Ancient_ of which _Vitruvius_ has writ, and of which we may as yet see
many Examples in the Fabricks that remain in _Greece_. The Architecture
which we call _Antique_, is that which may be found in the Famous
Edifices, which, since the Time o