Page:Vitruvius the Ten Books on Architecture.djvu/59

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
37
37

natural properties, I will prefix the motives which originally gave rise to buildings and the development of inventions in this field, following in the steps of early nature and of those writers who have devoted treatises to the origins of civilization and the inves­tigation of inventions. My exposition will, therefore, follow the instruction which I have received from them.