Note 76 — Chapter V · HOUSES, FURNITURE, ETC.

From such deep Rudiments as these, VAN is become by due Degrees, For Building Fam'd, and justly Reckon'd At Court, Vitruvius the Second;[76] No wonder, since wise Authors show, That Best Foundations must be Low; And now the Duke has wisely ta'en him To be his Architect at Blenheim: But Railery for once apart, If this Rule holds in ev'ry Art; Or, if his Grace was no more Skill'd in The Art of Batt'ring Walls, than Building, We might expect to find next Year A Mouse trap Man, Chief Engineer.