100 
is bewildered by the quantity and frequent recurrence of 
them. These reasons induce me to be brief in the ex- 
planation of unknown terms, and of the symmetry of the 
parts of a work, because the matter may thereby be more 
easily committed to and retained by the memory. I am 
moreover inclined to be concise when 1 reflect on the 
constant occupation of the citizens in public and private 
affairs, so that in their few leisure moments they may 
read and understand as much as possible. Pythagoras 
and his followers wrote the precepts of their doctrines in 
cubical arrangement, the cube containing two hundred 
and sixteen verses, of which they thought that not more 
than three should be allotted to any one precept. A cube is 
a solid, with six equal square faces, which, however it falls, 
remains steady and immoveable till removed by force: 
such are the dice which are thrown on a table by game- 
sters. From this circumstance they seem to have adopted 
the cube, since like the cube, this number of verses makes 
a more lasting impression on the memory. The Greek 
comic poets have also divided the action of their stories. 
by the interposition of the chorus to ease the principal 
actors so that a cubical proportion is observed. Since 
the ancients therefore used these methods, founded on 
the observance of natural effects, seeing that the subject 
Ttreat of will be new and obscure to many, I thought it 
would be preferable to divide it into small portions, that 
it might more easily strike the understanding of the 
reader. The subjects also are so arranged, that those of 
the same nature are classed together. Thus, O Cæsar. I 
explained the proportions of temples in the third and 
fourth books; in this I intend to describe the arrange 
ment of public buildings; and that of the forum first. 
because therein public no less than private affairs are 
regulated by the magistrates.