BOOK ONE

the center of all things, whose omnipotent virtue penetrates from one cold celestial pole to the other, searching out for our delight all things that are interposed within them, and which are fit for us to take. Regarding these things, Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, says in the first book of the Metaphysics: "All men naturally desire to know," etc. This already does not happen to many brute animals: hence this knowledge is so that we may know Nature, for the sense is visible—that is, the true spirit of the soul, corporeally and intellectually—to know the different species of that nature, which it has demonstrated in many things, and similarly demonstrates it so that we may teach these doctrines to others with its instructions. But seeing as the human generation lives with reason and art, and this art is generated due to many impediments to supplement a natural lack, it has been necessary to have the cognition of various doctrines, and the material and instrumental things, or rather organic ones, for the purpose of that which is to be given form. And although art is weaker than nature, there is no man who can achieve the good instinct of nature with art, even if he exerts himself greatly. Nevertheless, this is done so that one may arrive at the end and the true demonstration of those things: as is written in the second book of the Poetics, art must follow nature so that all the things it makes, it makes according to a purpose and an end. And thus in all principles, order must be kept so that one may demonstrate the things that are to the purpose of that which is to be given form for each and every thing that they intend to operate. Therefore, it is also necessary for us that the imagination of our thoughts be demonstrated by order for the success, event, or effect, which, through a discourse of reason with experience, demonstrates the art to us, and how things are formed. We must know all the things that are demonstrated to us, whether they are made by nature, by chance, or by a better will. But since we see great difficulty in finding the principles of any art—which, after they are found, seem like an easy thing to the intelligent to add to, and to further adorn, and then to produce them with certain terms of true measures, as is the art of printing books compared to writers, etc.—and therefore, since experience is the cognition of singular things, and art is of the universal, we can say that those men can be called wise who operate like true physicians who find remedies for infirmities in generalities, and not only for those who operate in particular, who are like charlatans compared to learned physicians. Since, therefore, learned Architects who have acquired praise and honors honorably through the study of exquisite doctrines, as well as through manual practice, should be believed—and all the more so when they make the causes of the subjects distinguishable through words and deeds for their universal benefit—it is written in the tenth book of the Ethics: "In human actions, one believes words less than deeds," because when words discord with deeds visibly, they are then despised. Nevertheless, to deny experience by demonstrated reason is a weakness of the intellect, as is also held by Aristotle. Therefore, those Architects who cause diligent effects to be produced appear like Demigods, because they seek that art may resemble and supplement nature. And through these excellent Sciences and operations, they make it so that the unlearned, the idiots, always remain subject to the learned and practical ones, etc.

But as for those who have relied solely on discourse of reason and letters, etc.—that is, those are named false Architects because, trusting in some favorable temerity, as many have done and do (not only as the first commentator of Vitruvius has said, to be in the great and abundant metropolitan City of Milan, but also in many other Cities, just as there are in our Italy), who, scarcely knowing how to perform a small, trifling calculation of buildings or surfaces without any measured figure of geometry, provided they show themselves to assemble walls or measure some terrestrial surface, they have themselves written to the office of the republic by the grace of some unknown and false praise with the help of gifts or tributes. If these were examined by the wise according to this Vitruvian institution, they would certainly be seen to speak in the shadow of the proposed thing, and to achieve that and not the true thing. Therefore, this proceeds from not having the terms of this instituted science. Hence, it is not to be marveled at, but the case is to be lamented, as grave errors follow in buildings due to the given inconvenience, with damage of heavy expenses for the bad situations and immaturely calculated discourses of the buildings, and other needs of the art, not observing the law that Vitruvius says in the tenth preface: which not only causes damage, but disturbs the ornaments that would delight our soul seeing the excellent beauties and ornaments of the Cities: then the other evils follow, caused by this, as Vitruvius has described in the said preface. Therefore, this happens due to the false profession of the idiots. Therefore, our Temporal and Ecclesiastical Lords, since this Science is imitated by the divine operation which has created, formed, and adorned with various shapes all the things of the universal world as is seen, besides that which all the Wise writers have exerted themselves to want to under-