THE
ARCHITECTURE OF
HUMANISM
INTRODUCTION
'
Well-building
hath three conditions: Com-
modity, Firmness,and Delight.' From this phrase
of an English humanist
^
a
theory of architecture
mighttakeitsstart. Architectureisafocus where
threeseparatepurposes haveconverged. Theyare
blendedin
asinglemethod
;
theyare
fulfilledin
a
singleresult
;
yetin theirownnaturetheyaredis-
tinguished
fromeachotherby
adeepand
permanent
disparity. The criticism of architecture
has
been
confused in its process
;
it has built up strangely
diversetheories oftheart, and the
verdicts
it has
pronouncedhavebeencontradictoryintheextreme.
Ofthecauseswhich
have contributedtoitsfailure,
this is the chief: that it has
sought
to
forceon
^
architecturean
unreal unityofaim.
'
Commodity,
firmness, and delight
'
;
between these threevalues
thecriticismof
architecturehasinsecurelywavered,
notalwaysdistinguishing
veryclearlybetweenthem,
1
Sir Henry
Wotton, Elements
of
Architecture.
Heis adapting
Vitruvius,
Bk.i.chap,iii,
A
