PREFACE

THE FIRST EDITION.

An Encyclopaedia of any of the Fine Arts has, from its nature, considerable
advantage over one which relates to the sciences generally. In the latter, the
continual additions made to the common stock of knowledge frequently effect
such a complete revolution in their bases and superstructure, that the esta-
blished doctrines of centuries may be swept away by the discoveries of a
single day. The arts, on the other hand, are founded upon principles unsus-
ceptible of change. Fashion may, indeed

nay, often doeschange the

prevailing taste of the day, but first principles remain the same
;
and as, in a
cycle, the planets, after a period of wandering in the heavens, return to the
places wiiich they occupied ages before, so, in the arts, after seasons ol
extravaganza and bizzareria, a recurrence to sound taste is equally certain.
It is unfortunate for the productions of the arts that the majority of those
who are constituted their judges are little qualified for the task, either by
education or habits
;
but on this, as it has been the complaint of every age,
it is perhaps useless to dwell. This much may be said, that before any one
can with propriety assume the name of architect, he must proceed regularly
through some such course as is prescribed in this work. The main object of
its author has been to impart to the student all the knoAvledge indispensable
for the exercise of his profession
;
but should the perusal of this encyclopjedia
serve to form, guide, or correct the taste even of the mere amateur, the
author will not consider that he has laboured in vain.
An encyclopaedia is necessarily a limited arena for the exhibition of an
author's power ; for although every subject in the department of which it
treats must be noticed, none can be discussed so extensively as in a separate
work. An attempt to produce a Complete Body
of
Aj'chitecture the author
believes to be entirely original. In his celebrated work, 1!Art de Bdtir,
llondelet has embodied all that relates to the construction of buildings.
Durand, too (^Leqons et Precis d'Architecture^, has published some admirable
rules on composition and on the graphic portion of the art. Lebrun {Theone
d'Architecture') has trea+^ed on the philosophy of the eauilibriiun, if it may be