ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE.

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their superior vigour of genius; and whatremained was, with the spoils of theircities carried to Rome : wherefore fromthis period, the Romans must be consi-dered as the encouragers and patronisers ofArchitecture. From this period also, itsprogress was great and rapid, though littlewas done of new invention; but the rulesof the Greeks were applied to structuresso numerous, and of such wonderful ex-tent, that we douht which most to admire,the original inventors of these sublimerules, or those who applied them to suchstupendous buildings.

There are some authors well read inancient history who wish to prove thatfrom the Etruscans , and not from theEgyptians, the Greeks imbibed their firstideas of Architecture. The Etruscans (orTuscans) certainly were well skilled inbuilding, and from these the Romans intheir early state sought help in all theirlarge works: the remains of the temple ofJupiter Capitolinus, the Cloaca Maxima ,&c. the work of Tuscan artists, shew themto have well understood the science andthe practice of useful Architecture. How-