31 
and sickness has impaired my constitution. Deprived 
of these natural accomplishments, I hope, however, 
to gain some commendation through the aid of my 
scientific acquirements, and the precepts I shall de¬ 
liver. In the first book I have treated of architecture, 
and the parts into which it is divided ; of the 
walls of a city, and the division of the space within 
the walls. The directions for the construction of 
sacred buildings, their proportions and symmetry, will 
follow and be explained: but I think they will be out of 
place, unless I previously give an account of the mate¬ 
rials and workmanship used in their erection, together 
with an investigation of their several properties and ap- 
plication in different cases. Even this I must préface 
with an inquiry into the origin and various species of 
the earliest buildings, and their gradual advance to per- 
fection. In this Ishall follow the steps of Nature herselt, 
and those who have written on the progress from savage 
to civilized life, and the inventions consequent on the 
latter state of society. Thus guided, I will proceed. 
CHAPTER I. 
OF THE ORIGIN OF BUILDING. 
MANKIND originally brought forth like the beasts of the 
field, in woods, dens, and groves, passed their lives in 
a savage manner, eating the simple food which nature 
afforded. A tempest, on a certain occasion, having ex¬ 
ceedingly agitated the trees in a particular spot, the fric¬ 
tion between some of the branches caused them to take 
fire ; this so alarmed those in the neighbourhood of the 
occurrence, that they betook themselves to flight. Return- 
ing to the spot after the tempest had subsided, and find- 
ing the warmth which had thus been created extremely 
comfortable, they added fuel to the fire excited, in order