Principles of Design in Architecture Traced in Observations on Buildings; Primeval, Egyptian, Phenician or Syrian, Grecian, Roman, Gothic or Corrupt Roman, Arabian or Saracenic, Old English Ecclesiastical, Old English Military ad Domestic, Revived Roman, Revived Grecian, Chinese, Indian, Modern Anglo-Gothic, and Modern English Domestic: in a Series of Letters to a Friend

vi, [2], 293, [5] pages. Errata. The front board is completely separated but present. Rear board is also completely separated. Part of spine missing. Decorative endpapers. There is noticeable page foxing. Marks in the margin noted in several places. Rare in any condition. This first edition was published anonymously. The second edition, published in 1824, listed William Mitford (1744-1827) as the author. This work, now in the public domain, has been reprinted. When catalogues, no copies of this first edition or the second edition were identified as available on the Internet. Among the topics addressed are Architecture, Exterior Design, Jacob's Pillars, Temple of Dagon, Stonehenge, Rectilinear, Triumphial Arch, Theaters, Aqueducts, Interior Design, Circular Building, Colonnade, Areade, Pointed Arch, Salisbury Cathedral, Plantagenet, Inigo Jones, Christopher Wren, St. Paul's Cathedral, Vanbrugh, Anglo-Gothic, Country Houses, Furniture, Cottages,and Villages. William Mitford offers a comprehensive examination of the principles of design in architecture, tracing the development of styles from ancient times to the modern era. Utilizing detailed descriptions and illustrations, Mitford provides valuable insight into the evolution of architectural practices. This book is an essential resource for anyone with an interest in art, design, or history. William Mitford was born in London on 10 February 1744. The Mitfords were of Anglo-Saxon origin in Northumberland; the Doomsday Book states that Mitford Castle belonged to Sir John Mitford in 1066. A hundred years later, the surname appears as Bertram of Mitford Castle as the main branch; but by the 17th century Bertram disappeared as a surname within the family. The Mitfords of Exbury, to which the author belongs, were a branch of the Northumberland family, who by the 18th century were engaged in trade and independent professions. First-born son of a wealthy London lawyer who amassed a substantial fortune. In 1766, he married Frances ("Fanny") Molloy, the daughter of James Molloy, a wealthy merchant, and Anne Pye. His father and brother were Barristers of the Inner Temple, the highest dignities of the bar in the United Kingdom, with the power to litigate and advise at The Bar, in cases of higher amounts. He was heir to an entailed estate in Gloucester belonging to Sir Thomas Freeman, and to the fortune of his maternal aunt, and was married to Frances Perceval, daughter of the Earl of Egmont and sister of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. William was the sole heir to the family fortune. Although he belonged to the lower nobility and held no titles, his life nevertheless revolved around the highest echelons of British politics and justice. In 1771 he was appointed Captain in the South Hampshire Militia, recently commanded by Edward Gibbon, with whom he became close friends. According to his biography, Gibbon persuaded him to write his work, based on his own experience as an author, and suggested the structure his book should take. During this period they both received, in effect, the military experience that every classical historian was said to need. Mitford was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1779. he never saw combat he was a senior member of the regiment in home defense during the American War of Independence, the Gordon Riots and the French Revolutionary War. After the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars he resigned in May 1804 at the age of 60, but the following year he was persuaded to return on the death of the regimental colonel and take the command himself. The first volume of his The History of Greece was published in 1784, barely a year after the end of the American War of Independence, and was very well received, prompting him to continue with nine more volumes, the structure of which he modified according to the political changes of the time. The rest of his works were very varied, ranging from philological studies such as Essay on the Harmony of Language (1774), legal regulations.…