xvi

The PREFACE.

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guide them in the 'Determination of those things, the Pr easiness of whicfywas of no Importance .

I know Very well, that, notwithstanding all 1 can fay , this Propositionwill hardly go down, hut will pass for a Paradox that may probably meet- with much Opposition, and that even from some well-meaning Persons, whosincerely believe that the Glory of Antiquity lies at Stake, which they arefond of having reputed infallible, and inimitable, possibly because they haveneVer sufficiently sludied the Point, and many others may thinly themselvesconcern d, who know Very well what they do, when they make use of thisblind PefpeB for the Works of Antiquity, to conceal the Desire they have,that the Things of their Profession should seem to have Mysteries, of which,they themselves are the only Expositors.

Put as my Intention is not, even though I should prove and demonstratethis Paradox, to make any other Advantage of it, than to get leave to changesome Proportions, which differ from the Antique in Things only inconside-rable, and of small Importance ; I hope it will not be taken amiss, especiallyhaving declard that I admire and refpeEi the Works of the Antique Archi-tecture, as they really deserve, and if I speak °f them differently from others,my Design is only to obviate some ObjeBions, which the too scrupulous Ad-mirers of past Ages may make to me, upon the Inconvenience they find in notfollowing, in every thing, the Examples of these great Masters, and uponthe Danger I expose my self to, of not being credited in what I proposenew.

For those that do mt intend to wrangle, nor make an ill Use of the Au-thority of Antiquity, will not employ its Power in things needless, as the(Bigness of an Astragal, the Height of a Corona, or the exaB Dimensionsof a Dentel ; the Pr easiness of these Proportions not being that which makesthe (Beauty of the Antique, nor the Change of them, of an Importancecomparable to that of having the Proportions truly adjusted, m all the Mem-bers, of which the Orders are composed, for th establishing an eafie and con-venient Method.

As to the Success of my Design, if it does mt take, I shall not he muchconcern d at the Misfortune, being the fame that has befallen the most illu-strious

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