Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/138

 110 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [August, Perhaps, to the uninformed, it may appear unaccountable, that a man should be able to retain in his memory such a variety of learning ; but the close alli- ance with each other of the different branches of science will explain the difficulty. For, as a body is composed of various concordant members, so does the whole circle of learning consist in one harmonious system. Wherefore, those, who, from an early age, are initi- ated in the different branches of learning, have a facility in acquiring some knowl- edge of all, from their common connec- tion with each other. On this account, Pythius, one of the ancients, architect of the noble temple of Minerva, at Priene, says, in his com- mentaries, that an architect should have that perfect knowledge of each art and science which is not even acquired by the professors of any one in particular, who have had every opportunity of im- proving themselves in it. This, however, cannot be necessary ; for how can it be expected that an archi- tect should equal Aristarchus as a gram- marian, yet should he not be ignorant of grammar. In music, though it be evident he need not equal Aristoxenus, yet he should know something of it. Though he need not excel as Apelles in painting, nor as Myron or Polycletus in sculpture, yet he should have attained some proficiency in these arts. So in the science of medicine, it is not required that he should equal Hippocrates. Thus also, in other sciences, it is not impor- tant, that pre-eminence in each be gained ; but he must not, however, be ignorant of the general principles of each. For, in such a variety of matters, it cannot be supposed that the same person can arrive at excellence, in each, since to be aware of their several niceties and bearings cannot fall within his power. We see how few of those, who profess a particular art, arrive at per- fection in it, so as to distinguish them- selves : hence, if but few of those prac- tising an individual art obtain lasting fame, how should the architect, who is required to have a knowledge of so many, be deficient in none of them, and even excel those who have professed any one exclusively. Wherefore, Pythius seems to have been in error, forgetting that art consists in practice and theory. Theory is common to, and may be known by all, but the result of practice occurs to the artist in his own art only. The plrysician and musician are each obliged to have some regard to the beating of the pulse, and the motion of the feet; but who would apply to the latter to heal a wound or cure a malady ? So, without the aid of the former, the musician affects the ears of his audience, by modulations upon his instrument. The astronomer and musician delight in similar proportions, for the positions of the stars, which are qnartile and trine, answer to a fourth and fifth in har- mony The same analogy holds in that branch of geometry which the Greeks call *<sy°s oKTiKdg (logos optikos) : indeed, throughout the whole range of art, there are many incidents common to all. Practice, alone, can lead to excellence in any one. That architect, therefore, is sufficiently educated, whose general knowledge enables him to give his opinion on any branch, when required to do so. Those to whom nature has been so bountiful, that they are, at once, geomet- ricians, astronomers, musicians, and skilled in many other arts, go beyond what is required of the architect, and may properly be called mathematicians, in the extended sense of that word. Men so gifted discriminate acutely, and are rarely met with. Such, however, was Aristarchus of Samos, Philolaus and Archytus of Tarentum, Apollonius of Perga, Eratosthenes of Cyrene, Archimedes and Scopinas of Syracuse : each of whom wrote on all the sciences. Since, therefore, few men are thus gifted ; and yet it is required of the architect to be generally well informed ; and, it is manifest, he cannot hope to excel in