Architettura con il suo commento et figure Vetruvio in volgar lingua raportato

A decorative initial C.

CThe starting letter of the Latin phrase "Causas positae..." The causes have been laid out for the legal experts. Vitruvius has provided responses and not merely sentences, because it is better to rely on the judgment of good men than on a single sentence. For we know that to speak the truth often brings hatred. Therefore, Achilles, in speaking the truth, offended Agamemnon, etc. And those, therefore, who will honestly know what pertains to deciding the controversies that may arise in these matters of the architect's office, will be the best at assisting and helping both the litigants and also those ignorant of the laws. Because even though laws are given so that we may live in peace, nevertheless one law is better than another, yet they have all been alleged through various opinions and imaginations by some Doctors. It will happen that one will sometimes judge based on things alleged, but because of another opinion, he who knows how to produce it will be better and will remove the others, which will sometimes be granted and given for favor, or indeed for the satisfaction of some evil Arbiter or commissioner, for some things illicitly occupied and usurped. Let it be known that nothing in the world should be possessed without reason, in which case it is not forbidden that one may litigate. But it is certain that these various sentences in law do not happen except through fraud or through ignorance of the interpreter, because in the body of the digests that were corrected and collected at the time of Justinian, there is no contradiction nor anything similar, though they are well explained. For which things Aristotle says in the second book of the Politics, that it is a lawful thing to cancel and take away dishonest laws, even if they are greatly in use. Nevertheless, I say it is also better to judge according to the laws and according to the letters than according to one's own knowledge, nor is it said also on page 12, letter M, that he should have Astrology and know the reasons of the heaven. You must know, reader, that Vitruvius has treated all these sciences necessary for the Architect undoubtedly. This science also helps good Architects a great deal regarding the benefits and necessities. But Vitruvius will expressly say this in this first book on page 12, and also for the others following, specifically and diffusely in the ninth book. But at present, Vitruvius manifests and says with reasons the causes why it is appropriate that the Architect should have the aforementioned doctrines.

The Architect must know letters so that, with the collections of many writings, he can make his memory more firm. Then, he must have the science of Graphida drawing/drafting, so that he can more easily give form to each thing he wishes with painted examples. But Geometry offers many aids to Architecture. And primarily, from the Euthygrammate rectilinear construction of the compass, he has taken the exercise, from which the designs of buildings are made in the areas with much greater ease: the straightening of the lines, the norms, and the arches. Similarly, for perspective in buildings, the lights are conducted rightly from certain regions of the Sky.

C The Architect must know letters, etc. We have explained this sufficiently above, and here the reading makes it very manifest. C So that with the collections of many writings, or if we wish to say commentaries, that is, annotations made in short chapters of things of which written memory is kept, for which, even though it is like an abbreviation of public notaries, these memories can be extended largely by commemorating what was understood as intricate, and as the grammatical expositors have noted, or indeed what we will say in the seventh proem. C After having the science of GRAPHIDA, that is, drawing, as we said on page 5, letter C, just as the first commentator of Vitruvius says that in his homeland one draws with an instrument they call Graphio stylus, and by us and many others it is called a style. This is used on thin boxwood tablets with the powder of burnt bone on them, with spit to make it adhere, where we then work upon it. Thus, with such a style, whether of Silver, or of Copper, or of Lead, we draw either on common paper, or on parchment, or indeed on other things, just as lime mixed with ground coal or burnt straw was used, plastered, or one might say enameled, while it is humid, with iron to make figures and flowers as if they were works of Damask cloth, and this we name sgraphiare sgraffito/scratch-work. But if the smoothed lime is no more than the wall well-evened in its surface by the contained powder in superficial whiteness, which surpasses the scratched decoration like leather, especially the furs that the satyrs and young peasants use in the winter time, but these things are soon taken away from beauty by time. And so you see how γραφω grapho means to write, and GRAPHO to draw and paint. C But Geometry offers many aids to Architecture. GEOMETRY, we have explained this on page 5, letter D, as to what its importance is. C And first, from the good measuring and turning of the compass. The compass is an instrument called Circinus by the Latins; by some and us it is called a sesto six-part divider, because this craftsman's instrument makes it so that its circle, of whatever quantity it may be, always measuring it, composes its circumference in six times its opening. Having found it for the use of the art, every circle is surrounded. This sesto or, as we wish to say, compass, having found it for the use of the art, is said to have been Daedalus. Read Pliny in the seventh book, chapter 56, for he makes mention of this, and thus he says: "The construction of wood, Daedalus, and in that, the saw, the ax, the plumb line, the auger, the glue. Glue for stones and the square; but the bow, the level for placing on a perfect plane, and the lathe, and the key, Theodorus of Samos, the measures and weights, Phidon of Argos or indeed Palamedes, as Gellio believes more readily." Now, be the Sesto found by whoever it may be, it has been more necessary to the measurements of geometry and perspective than to any other instrument, because with it are measured all the linear demonstrations and the