ABSTRACT
Medicine is a science truly salutary, praiseworthy and, in its origins, divine, and more ancient that any other, a marvellous natural magic, imitator of nature and her minister, joined by a common good not only for mankind but also for lowly animals, plants and minerals; one of the things it does is to study poisons: not because poison is its aim, that is taken for granted, but in order to conserve health and consequently longevity of life. Nor is it for use since it is so opposed to life, and the enemy of nature and all living things. It is because from its knowledge it is possible to block its effects and to prolong life. So with Architecture, principal minister to the glory of Princes, Republics, imitator of the works of nature, guarantor of human comforts, of public and private ornaments, of the defence of all states, in peace as well as in war, and in their conservation. This expertise, or art is envied by Princes and glorious noble people because it is like imitating the supreme Architect of the marvellous and immense structure of the Universe (from whence it arises that there is not one man who if he not be deprived of invention or of the use of his intellect and does not derive pleasure from construction). The Kings, Emperors, Monarchs of the world and Popes, owe their power in great part to the way in which it represents their heroic virtue, and their magnificence. Architecture is like a goodness, a political ornament, extremely noble in appearance, however diverse the buildings of the City or State. In Architecture, I say, knowledge of all the errors, that occur all the time, is one of the things (although for its natural condition it would be damaging) to warn against if one wishes to please. In so doing, our aim is not to teach architects to commit errors. Because, just as in all contemplative science one finds the truth of things and not lies. And in every moral science it is necessary to find the good, the just, the honest and the appropriate. Thus the aim of every art is nor to make errors in acting, nor to ever depart from the straight reason of their discipline. Because among the human arts there is not one that teaches how to sin – of which the only master is misuse. The aim here is to introduce knowledge of the errors of a misused Architecture, so that a member of the profession is able to avoid them, and to become excellent.
