ARCM i ECTURE, if considered in the utmost extent of the word, as the art of building, comprehends every thing where artificial construction is required, from the most insignificant utensils to the most magnificent and most complicated work of man ; but as, for the conve nience of investigation, it is necessary to arrange all science and practice into separate classes, we shall, for the same reason, restrict the term architecture to those operations to which mankind have been in the habit of applying it.
In what regards the protection and accommodation of civil life, connected with religion, legislation, science, commerce, and domestic purposes, the exercise of architecture is so completely influenced by the state of knowledge, power, climate, &c. that it has always been found one of the most distinctive features of that people from among whom the specimens were selected.
In tracing its origin and progress, therefore, not only the various genius, but the leading outlines of the his tory of each people will be delineated.—In their public works, we have their history, not drawn by speculative strangers at distant periods of time, but in characters produced by native hands, guided by the united disposi tion of a whole people, arising out of the combination of all the knowledge, power, and prevalent ideas of the times when they were constructed. By a comparison,
therefore, of the different works in architecture, we are not only made acquainted with the different characters of the several portions of mankind, under various climates, hut we also see distinctly the effects of political changes on each separate people.
These observations arc not confined to buildings adapted to the purposes of civil life alone ; but are equally conspicuous in all that are constructed for the operations of war ; whether the increasing rivalship of nations have rendered it necessary that they should be carried on by land or sea.
We shall, therefore, arrange architecture into Crvm, MILITARY, and NAVAL ; and as the works of each arc of great importance in the concerns of mankind, they shall, under these separate heads, be treated as fully as the nature of this work will admit. Their history, prin ciples, and practicer will there be fully investigated and illustrated ; the most approved specimens, from the remotest to the present times, will he given, with au thorities and inferences which will enable the reader to compare their merits and form his own conclusions from this general exhibition of these great efforts of man kind. (v)