PREFACE.

The following translation was commenced many yearssince, under a conviction of the benefit I should derivefrom it in my architectural studies ; but at the time ofundertaking it, its publication was not contemplated.During the progress of my labours I found it useful torefer to the different versions of the author, and moreespecially to that of Newton, the only Englishman whohas hitherto translated and published the whole of thetext of Vitruvius. That translation I found so unsatis-factory and incorrect, that my resolution was earlyformed of making an endeavour, at some period, togive the English student, not only a more convenientvolume for reference, but, as I presume to think, atruer interpretation of the text of the author. WhetherI have succeeded, must be submitted to the Reader’sjudgment. I have, perhaps, adhered more closely tothe text than the idiom of our language may allow,but I trust that this will be far from a serious chargeagainst me. The editions chiefly used have been those ofPhilander, Elzevir, the Bipont, and that of Schneider,which is a most valuable book: not, however, withoutfrequent recurrence to the translations of Barbaro andPerrault, and the excellent one of Galiani. The platessubjoined to the work are not so numerous as mighthave been desired. My reason for limiting them totheir present number has been more from a desire to