Poetry, on the other hand, by its metre, the feet of itsverses, the elegant arrangement of the words, the dia-logue introduced into it, and the distinct pronunciation ofthe lines, delighting the sense of the hearer, leads him tothe close of the subject without fatigue. This cannot beaccomplished in Architectural works, because the terms,which are unavoidably technical, necessarily throw anobscurity over the subject. These terms, moreover,are not of themselves intelligible, nor in common use;hence if the precepts which are delivered by authorsextend to any length, and are otherwise explainedthan in few and perspicuous expressions, the mind of thereader is bewildered by the quantity and frequent re-currence of them. These reasons induce me to be briefin the explanation of unknown terms, and of thesymmetry of the parts of a work, because the mattermay thereby be more easily committed to and retainedby the memory. I am moreover inclined to be con-cise when I reflect on the constant occupation of thecitizens in public and private affairs, so that in theirfew leisure moments they may read and understand asmuch as possible. Pythagoras and his followers wrotethe precepts of their doctrines in cubical arrangement,the cube containing two hundred and sixteen verses, ofwhich they thought that not more than three should beallotted to any one precept. A cube is a solid, with sixequal square faces, which, however it falls, remainssteady and immoveable till removed by force : such arethe dice which are thrown on a table by gamesters. Fromthis circumstance they seem to have adopted the cube,since like the cube, this number of verses makes a morelasting impression on the memory. The Greek comic