VOL. X.] PHILOSOPHICAL TBANSACTIONS. 275 



In this first part of architecture are explained the origin and principles of it, 

 and the practice of the five orders, according to the doctrine of Vitruvius and 

 his principal followers, with the doctrine of the three most renowned architects 

 that have written among the moderns, viz. Vignole, Palladio, and Scamozzi. 



For the improvement of this art the king of France has instituted an aca- 

 demy at Paris, which meets weekly to confer about the improvement of that 

 subject; teaching the most correct rules of architecture, and so to form a se- 

 minary of young architects, to be encouraged by certain prizes for such as shall 

 excel, who are to be sent afterwards, at his majesty's expence, into Italy, to 

 perfect their knowledge and skill, and so to be made capable to serve him in the 

 survey of his buildings all over his kingdom. And because the knowledge of 

 the precepts of architecture is not sufficient by itself alone to make an architect, 

 this skill supposing many other accomplishments, the king has appointed, that 

 in the academy should be taught the other sciences that are absolutely neces- 

 sary to architects, such as geometry, arithmetic, the mechanics, hydraulics, 

 gnomonics, fortification, perspective, &c. 



This first part being merely practical as to the five orders, the author has al- 

 together applied himself to show, with great plainness, which are the most 

 correct practices to be used, beginning with that of Vitruvius, and explaining 

 him by the practice of his best interpreters or imitators, such as Philander, 

 Daniel Barbaro, Serlio, Alberti, &c. 



In the second part the author intends more fully to explain what has been but 

 touched on in this first part, and to compare the sentiments which architects have 

 entertained among themselves concerning the best examples of the ancients. 



II. Remarks upon two late ingenious Treatises: the one, an Essay touching 

 the Gravitation and Non-gravitation of Fluid Bodies ; the other. Observations 

 touching the Torricellian Experiment, so far as they may concern any passages 

 in the Enchiridium Metaphysicum ; by Dr. Henry More, London, 1676, in 

 octavo. 



Instead of giving an account of this tract, the reader may compare with it 

 what has been not long since published by those two eminent philosophers, Mr. 

 Boyle and Dr. Wallis; the former in an hydrostatical discourse, occasioned by 



ported his character with dignity and applause. He was also well versed in the belles lettres, as ap- 

 pears by the comparison he published between Pindar and Horace. Blondel died at Paris in 1686, 

 being tlie 69th. year of his age. His chief mathematical works were: 1. Cours d' Architecture, in 

 16755 2. Resolution des Quatre Principaux Problemes d'Architecture, 1676; 3. Histoire du Calen- 

 drier Romain, 16823 4., Cours de Mathematiques, l683j 5. L'Art de Jetter des Borabes, l685j be- 

 sides a new method of fortifying places 3 also some other separate works, and many ingenious pieces 

 inserted in the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences, particularly in the year 1666. 



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