Excerpt from Lectures on Architecture, Comprising the History of the Art From the Earliest Times to the Present Day: Delivered at the Surrey and Russell Institutions, London, and the Philosophical Institution at Birmingham<br><br>The difficulties which surround the acquire ment of aknowledge of the elements of civil architecture are less formidable than appear at first sight. These become easier of access as we advance, and more pleasing of aspect as we become intimate with them. The dense medium of technical formalities which obscures their attractions, like a thick and yellow fog, vanishes before the heat of determined ardour, and leaves nothing but their beauties to allure and to reward.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.