General Rules of Architecture

...cellency, I have wished—to honor you and for the common benefit, and with your help—to reprint them once more. I have done so regardless of the fact that some, moved by a greed for profit, have sought to reprint them in a smaller format without any respect for either the proportions or the measurements of my illustrations. These figures require this size, or even larger, so that they may be understood by those who must put them into practice; and because of this importance, the size of the figures in the other books will be larger.

With this new printing, besides many corrections, I have included several additions in many places, such as in the Doric frieze on page 21; in the Doric door according to Vitruvius Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (c. 80–15 BC), the Roman author of the only major ancient Greek/Roman treatise on architecture to survive, which became the "bible" for Renaissance architects. on page 24; in the treatise on the Ionic base on page 18; and in the volute of the Ionic capital on page 37, which is of great importance. I have also made additions to the Corinthian base on page 47 and the Corinthian capital in the same place. Furthermore, in the Composite order, the fluting Strie: the vertical grooves or channels carved into the shaft of a column or, in this case, a decorative element. has been added beneath the capital featuring the Horse monsters Serlio is likely referring to "hippocampus" or "centaur" motifs used in the highly decorative Composite style., which were previously missing.

Therefore, those who henceforth benefit from these labors of mine—whatever they may be—will be indebted to your Excellency, and not to me. Thus the World shall know where noble courtesy holds its primary seat—with due honor to all other princes. May your Excellency deign to accept this good will of mine; to whom I humbly offer my reverence, praying to the most high God that He may always preserve you in long and prosperous happiness.