1 80 Si ate of ArchtteElure to the end of 



that would interpofe by obferving how pro- 

 bable it is that the neceflaries of life were 

 equally difcovered in every region, cannot 

 be heard ; a hammer could only be invent- 

 ed by the Phoenicians, the firft polifhed 

 people of whom we are totally ignorant. 

 Whoever has thrown away his time on the 

 firfl chapters of general hiftories, or of hif- 

 tories of arts, muft be fenfible that thefe re- 

 fieflions are but too well grounded. I de- 

 fign them as an apology for not going very 

 far back into the hiftory of our architedlure. 

 Vertue and feveral other curious perfons 

 have taken great pains to enlighten the ob- 

 fcure ages of that fcience ; they find no 

 names of architedls, nay little more, than 

 what they might have known without in- 

 quiring ; that our anceflors had buildings. 

 Indeed Tom Hearne, Brown Willis, and 

 fuch illuftrators did fometimes go upon 

 more pofitive ground : They did now and 

 then flumble upon an arch, a tower, nay a 

 whole church, fo dark, fo ugly, fo uncouth, 

 that they were fure it could not have been 

 built fince any idea of grace had been tranf- 

 ported into the ifland. Yet with this in- 

 conteflable fccurity on their fide, they ftill 



had 



