The first booke of architecture : entreating of geometrie. Translated ...

iThe fecond Booke,A Treatife of Perfpe&iues ,touching the Sup erficics.The fecond. Chapter.Lthoughthefubrilland ingenious Arte of Perfpec'tiueis very difficult andtroublefomctofetdownein writing, and Specially the body,ormodell of things, which are driwen out of theground for : it is an Arte which cannot be fo well exprjfledby figures or wiitings>asby anvndcrfhewing, which is doae fcuerally ; Notwithftanding, feeing that in my tuft Eookel hauefpokenof Geometry, without the which Pcrfptctiue Artcisnothing? ] will labour in the briefeftmanner that I can in this my fecond Booke, to fhewe the wotketnanfo much thereof, that hce (hall beeable to aide and htlpe himfclfe therewith, ry - ?->*In this worke I will not troublemy klfe^c^dijpUit^pbHoXojphicaHx whafPerrpecliuc is , or from whenceit hath the originall : for learned Eucftda writeth' darkeiy of trie fpeefllatiorrrhereof.But to proceede to the matter, touching that the workeman (hall haue caufe to vfe, you muftvndcrftandfthat1 i erfpcaiue'isihat>1teh"f r //r*«w^dingorof anySuperhacsotbodks. i i v all things haue their beginning, The fecorid]ineistha^,whichgc*thor reachethto the point, which fomeI'llcall light, others, the horifon: But the horifon is the tight name thereof, for the horifon is in euery placewherclocuer fight endcth. The thirdlinCjiS the liheof the diftances, which ought alwayes to ftandfo high 4asthehoulon is farre orneerejaccordingtothefituation.aswhcntimcferueth.I willdeelaire.This Horifon is to be vnderftood to (fond at the coiners of our fight , as it the workeman would fhewa piece of woikc againft a flatwall, taking his begtnnfeig from the gnuuud, where the feetc of the beholdersfhould ftand. In fuchicileit is requifite,thatthe Horifon fhould. bee as highas our eye, and the diftanCcto (ee or b:hold that worke, fhalloe frt or placed in the fitted pfaee thereabouts, as if it Were in a Hall, or a;Chamber, then the^ifhnce fhall be taken at.the entry thereof : butif it bee with in, on at the end ofaGallcsyorCourt^henjthcdiftanceihallbe let at the entry of the fameplace, andif itbcemiStrecteagafnft'awajIlBut if in (nth a '^afc trieor an houic, then you mud fet your distance on the other fide, tight ouer againft it.ftreete is very harrow; then it were good to imagine a bread diftance,lcft the fhorteningfall out tobeisuertedipusosvnpleafant vntoyou: for the longer or the wyder thedifhmccis, the worke will fhew fo muchtl.ebct'erandpleafarcter.But it you Will begin a pieceofwetke offiue-pr fixe footc high from thegroufrd whereon you ftand,thenii is ftquifite that the Horifon fliould ftand eucn with your eyes (as I fayd bcforep^it if; a man fhould fee boground vt the work .whereon the vppermoft part doeth ftand (and a man would vvbrlce Very high) it wouldnot be coirtfpOTident with the eyes ; In luch a cafe a man rouft wke vpon him to place the Honfon fomewhathigher by the aduijee of fome fkilfullwotkman,whichm3kethhiftotics or other things vpon Houfcs,thitticor fome fooie high aboue a mans fight, which is vnfittingly. But cunning woi kmen fallinto no fuch errors;— for where they hauie made any thing aboue our fight, thae you could fee no ground of the fjme.workc J .forthat the notabkPerfpecliue Art hath bridled them: and therefore (as I fayd befc*e> PerfpeftiueArtis very.nccfffitybraworkctian.- AndnoPerfpedme workrnaa can make any woikefWith©ut Architecture, h$r ;the A rchitedufe without Petfpecliuc...y- To prouethis> it ajppearcth by the Architectures in outMayes, wherein godMr^hireaure'b'afh begunto appear; and (hew itielfe : For, was pot Bramant an excellent Architcclor, an