TREATISE

ON THE

DECORATIVE PART

CIV IL ARCH ITECTURE,

S IR WILL IAM CHAMBER S,K.P.S. F.R.S. P.S.A.

WITH

ILLUSTRATION S, NOTES,

AND

AN EX AMINATION

GRECIAN ARCH ITECTURE,

JOSEPH GWILT, ARCHITECT, F.S.A.

LONDON

PRIESTLEY AN D WEALE.

MDCCCX X V .

CONTENTS.

DEDICATION

Listof SubscribersPreface to thi s EditionLife of Sir William Chambers

Of the Elements of Beauty in ArchitectureOf the Origin of Grecian ArchitectureOf the Progress and Perfection of Grecian ArchitectureDedi cation to the Third EditionPreface to the Third EditionIntroductionOf the Origin and Progress of BuildingOf the Parts whi ch compose the Orders ofArchitecture, and of their

Properties, Application , and EnrichmentsOf the Orders of Architecture in generalOf the Tus can OrderOf the Doric OrderOf the Ioni c OrderOf the Composite Order

Of the Corinthian Order

Of PilastersOf Persian s and CaryatidesOf PedestalsOf the Appli cation of the Orders ofArchitectureOf Intercolumni ationsOfArcades and ArchesOf Orders above OrdersOf Basements and AtticsOf PedimentsOf BalustradesOf Gates, Doors, and PiersOfWindows

Of N iches and Statues.

iv CONTENTS .

Of Chimney-PiecesOf Profiles for Doors , Windows, N iches, Chimney-Pieces, &cOf Block Corni ces and Extraneous Entablatures .

Of the Proportions ofRooms

Designs for Cas ines, Temples, Gates, Doors, &c.

Explanation of the Principal Terms employed in Scien ce ofchitecture

Genera l IndexDirections to the BinderErrata .

TO THE KIN G .

SIRE,

THAT literary exce llence is

close ly allied to m ilitary glory, m ay be

proved no less from former Reign s, than

from the late Regency ; but to those

claim s on the gratitude of posterity, your

Majesty has added the architectural em

bellishm ent of the Metropolis, and the

foundation of a N ational Gallery of an

tient and modern art : in these respects

we are indebted to no other Of our Sove

viii DEDICATION .

A s an Englishman , therefore , I

most respectfully offer the expressions of

my gratitude to yourMajesty, while as an

Architect, I avail myself Of your gracious

permission to present this Work, and to

declare myself

YOUR MAJESTY ’

S

MOST FAITHFUL AND MOST OBLIGED

SUBJECT AND SERVANT,

JOSEPH GWILT.

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PREFACE

TO TH I S ED IT I O N .

I SHALL not n eed, says Sir Hen ry Wotton , in

h is elem en ts Of Arch ite ctu re , like the m ost part

of writers, to celeb rate the subje ct wh i ch I deliver.

In that poin t I am at ease , for Arch itecture can

wan t no comm endation , whe re there are N Oble -Men

or N oble -Miudes.” It is fortun ate form e that I now

in that re spe ct appear before the Reade r in the sam e

predi cam en t, as the ve ry worthy Provost Of Eton

College , or I fear my hum ble re comm endation of

the artwould butlittle avail, or be serv i ceable to its

profe ssors. A sufficien t proof Of Sir Henry ’ s as

sertion m ay be discovered in the increasing'

desire

for extending its cultivation , and a relish for it when

su ccessfully cultivated, not less on the part Of its

many distingu ished Patron s, than on that Of the

Publi c generally. It is unnecessary to enlarge in

th is place on the advan tage s wh i ch must accrue to

x iv PREFACE.

society from its due appreciation and encourage

m ent. They are suffi ciently indi cated by our author

in his work. I m ay however add, that Arch itecture

i s an artwh ich Monarchs and the ir N obles have not

con sidered it below the ir rank and dign ity to study

and practise ; and to the honour of th is coun try ‘

be

it said , that it would be diffi cult to po int in any

other age or n ation to a more d istingu ished Arch i

teet than Lord Burlington , a noblem an , who be s ide s

his celeb rity as an artist, was em inen t for his exten

sive patronage and protection Of many upon whose

profess ional e xe rtion s the ir prosper ity and life itself

depended.

The name and character Of Sir W. Chambers are

a suffi cien t recomm endation Of th is Work. Though

his designsm eetnotwith un ive rsalapprobation in the

presen t day, more than they d id in h is life -tiin e* ,

A shortperiod after his late Majesty ’ s accession to the throne, he

recei ved the royal orders to lay outand improve the gardens atc v. This,

under very great disadvantages of situation , he e ffected in a masterlymanner, and perhaps quite as happily as the nature of the loca le wouldallow. He was reproached for his fondness for and introduction of Turkishand Chinese architecture, butsurely if the indulgence of Such whims is

allowable on oc casions , no place could be more suitable for a display ofthem than that in question, where the accompaniments mightbe made ac

cordantwith the leading forms. Chambers observes that The gardens

xvi pnnra cr.

appeared worthy of b e ing placed in the hands of

the studen t. His Arch itectu ral style was ev idently

formed on that of the two greatest m odern m aste rs

differenttra vellers. A sketch of this work had appeared some time before,

and the appearan ce of the publi cation atthatparticularperiod, being immediately after the period of Mr. Mason

'

s English Garden, it was invidiously suggested thatthe author’ s design was to un derrate the talents of

the English gardeners, and thereby divert his sovere ign '

s intention of

making the improvements in Richmond gardens as they now appear.

The very strange devices des cribed in the dissertation were much ridi

culed, butthey were no m ore than had been published before by FatherAttiret, in hi s account of the gardens of the Emperor of China, near

Pekin , translated by Mr. Spen ce (under the assum ed literary name of

Sir Harry Beaumont) in 1753, and sin ce te-

published in Dodsley’

s Fugitive Pieces . The dissertation, however, produ ced very considerableamusement, by the appearan ce in the following year of a publi cation ,

genera lly attributed to Mr. Mason , in which the ca use of Engli sh gardeners an d garden ing was amply revenged . Itwas entitled An HeroicEpistle to S ir Wi lliam Cha mbers, Kn ight, Comptroller Genera l of his

Majesty'

s Works, a nd Author of a late D issertation on Orienta l Ga rdening. Enriched with expla natory Notes , chiefly extra ctedfrom thatela borate

performa nce. In the Preface to th is Poem, the author says— that it is Sir

W illiam ’

s profestaim ,in extolling the taste of the Chinese , to condemn

thatmean an d pa ltry manner which Kent introduced, which Southcote ,Ham ilton, and Brown followed, and whi ch, to our nationa l disgra ce, iscalled the English style of gardening. He shews the poverty of this tasteby aptly comparing it to a dinner, which consisted of three gross pieces,three times repeated ; an d proves to a demonstration , that nature herse lfis incapable ofpleasing , withoutthe ass istan ce ofart, and thattoo of themostluxuriantki nd . In short, such artas is displayed in the Emperor

'

s garden

of Yven-Ming, near Pekin ; where fine lizards, and fine women , human

giants, and giantbaboons, make but a small part of the superb scenery .To the Heroic Epistle was soon after added, An HeroicPostscriptto thePublic . The Heroi c Epistle and Postscriptwas answered by AFamiliar

PREFACE. xv i i

the world has seen , n am ely, Palladio and Samm i

chele . Unlike his cotemporary Sir Robert Taylor,who

‘

in most ofhis workspursued an Oppositem‘

ethod,

Epistle to the Author of the Heroic Epistle, and thus ended the wordywar.

In 1774 SirWilliam Chambers 'was appointed to the conduct of the

works atSomersetHouse, an appointmentof considerable emolument. He

did nothowever li ve to see this work fin ished, and it is to be feared thatitwill never be completed. For the re ception of thi s work itwas necessary toremove on e of the most elegant facades of which this or any other countrycould boast the water frontof old SomersetHouse by Inigo Jones. Itwasimprobable that SirW . Chambers would escape criticism . A Pamphletappeared from the masqued pen of an engraver of the name of William s,

under the name of Anthony Pasquin , from which the following is ex

tracted.

The an cientpalace, which was so presumptuously brush ed away forthis i llegitimate structure, was the metropolitan retreat of the Duke of

Somerset, un cle toEdward the Sixth. It is now the residence of a greater

and more puissantman — Henry Dundas.

The cun ning projector of this undefinable mass, has been occasionallyindebted to the pure designs which Inigo Jones intended as a continuation toWhitehall, butwhi ch were never carried into effect, as the ca lamities of the firstCharles tended to destroy that taste which he had firstintroduced. These superb bits appear among the other parts of the pilelike elegant indi viduals in abasing company .

Thi s surprising, stupendous, and extraordinary heapof stones was

called into order by the magic voice of thatpine apple of Kn ighthood S ir

William Chambers , atthe command of the great and sapient council ofthis realm in 1774. Itoccupies a space of 500 feet in depth, and 800 inwidth, and is altogether a most astoni shing assemblage of contradictoryobjects. The entran ce or atrium is so unappropriate, that it looks likethe narrow mouth of economy, through which we grope ourpassage to the

vast stomach of national ruin . The arcade is borrowed from the strada

della dora grossa, atTurin .

xv i i i PREFACE.

SirW. so subdivided h is masses, that h is detail,

elegantand well- arranged as it is invariably found,

almost ever in te rfe res with , and destroys the effect

At the termination of the vestibule is a large bronze statue of the

King, who seems placed there for no other purpose buttotake cognizanceof the exits and entran ces of the clerks and watchmen, as if he kepta daybook to check their time. Beneath the nose of the sovereign is aputredinous pool of stagnantrain -water. I presume this was meantby the questuary and accommodating arch itect, as emblematic of the swinish demo

cracy of the realm. I have no doubt but the efliuvium from the green

liquid is more pestilential than that imputed byVirgi l to the lakeAverno,whi ch is reported to have killed all the birds that flew over it; but as

few or none visitthis vi cin ity butbirds ofprey, the virtuouspartof societyare notmuch inclined to commiserate their delirium or their woe ! The

whole of thismonumentoffends my vision . Itmay be requisite for a primem inister to be bronzed, butnota monarch. There is another unfortunateallusion to royalty : the entablatures of this vestibule are covered withcyphers, emblematic and appertain ing to the King, Q ueen , and Prin ce of

Wales. Surely no true subject can approve of annexing the characters ofcyphers to such august personages ! If there is any novelty or geniusevident in this sportiveness of fan cy, it is so thoroughly republican and

indecent, that itshould immediately be effaced.

From what source of information (as nature is entirely out of the

question ) the gentle knighthas drawn his Caryatides, I know not. Theyare, generally speaki ng, piscatory monsters, more terrifi c and ungenial thanany Hora ce deprecated, or that ever entered into the perturbed imagina

tion of sleeping youth . The males have long flowing hair, with large crabsand lobsters creeping through their ragged locks. This is a very delightful thought, and perfectly original, as it conveys a lively idea of marine

pedic uli. The ladies have a peculiar sortof head- dress, made upof dead

salmon, lampreys, sea-weed, and other aquatic rarities, like so many di stracted mermaids . Some of the masks are so peculiarly conciliatory andsmiling, that I think Earl Camden should have borrowed one on his recent

PREFACE. x i x

of the whole . He however produced many Works

to wh i ch th is ob servation will n ot apply, and wh i ch

place h im in the first rank as an Arch ite ct.

embassy to Ireland. This measure could not be reasonably resisted, as

they mightall be removed without any injury to the basement.That partof this in consistent lapidific accumulation which is appro

priated to the polite arts,is adm itted to be unex ceptionable. The prin cipal

room, dedi cated to the purposes of lectureship and the ann ual exhibition ,

cannotbe approached butby a spiral stair- case as high as Jacob ’

s ladder ;whi ch (luckily for the lecturer and the exhibitors) turns the heads of thevisitors before they can either hear or examine. In S ir Joshua Reynolds

’

s

presiden cy, the floor gave way, and sunk many in ches, when Burke and a

few more of the illuminati were eagerly listening to a theme they couldnot comprehend. The company shrieked, Burke prayed, and the Godssuspended the mischief. Itis piteous that all these di sasters had notoc

curred more recently, as then the erratic Swede mighthave imputed themto a partial shock from Brothers

’

predi cted earthquake, and thus havecovered his honour by coming in for a slice of the alarming prophecy

The names of the sculptors who were employed in the decoration of

the exterior, are Carlini, Wilton, Gera cci, Nollelcens, and Ba con. I havechron icled them as sculptors, not statuaries, as neither appearto have cut

afigure in thi s business.On the topof the corps de log is, or central partof this heterogeneous

association of stones, we see a dirty bla ck lump, which he calls a dome, andwhi ch is apparently stolen from the worst’

embellishments of thatworstof

architects, Sir John Vanbrugh. Itfurni shes me with no other idea but

an inverted pun ch-bowl, and peradventure mighthe intended by S ir William as a durable symbol of sobriety, to operate on the senses of the clerks,to keepthem from tippling in the hours of duty .

It appears to me, from consequen ces, that any thing can make an

a rchitectas well as a taylor! yeta cock - sparrow in his nest would beatthem all, if security is eminently essential to the continuan ce ofthe structure. This splendid Knightof Poland, in hi s eagerness to have hi s build

X X PREFACE.

The wan t of a n ew Edition of the Work has ,

owing to the scarcity and cost of the Th ird Edition ,

been long and sen s ibly expe rien ced. From its

ings replete with taste, forgot that it was expedient they should havestrength also. The terra ce of this magnificentjumble, which was so nu

fee lingly cutoutof the muddy sides of the venerable Thames, was thepride of his heart but, alas as it is decreed thatpride shall have a fall,it should notcreate surprize thatthe proud em inence, l ike Burke’ s slippery Wh igs, seceded from the parental pile, and fell ingloriously in the

dirt! The subterraneous apartments, it must be acknowledged, haveevery recommendation but light. Itstrikes m e thatthey musthave beenperverted by accident or necessity, from the original design of S ir Wil

liam Chambers , who assuredly bui ltthem in im itation of some class ic coalholes In these damp, black, and comfortless recesses, the clerks of thenation grope aboutlike moles, immersed in Tartarean gloom , and stamp,

s ign, examine, indite, doze, and swear, as un conscious of the revolvingsun as so many miserable demons of romance, condemned to toil for agesin the centre. Methinks I hear the gen ius of the Isle of Portland mournfor thi s misapplication and prostitution of its entrails

The key- stones of the arches are wonderfully carved in alto- relievo,with colossal masks of the Ocean, and the rivers of Britain, among

which the Thames looks peculiarly sulky, as nothaving forgotor forgiventhe irruption s made upon his fi lthy domain s by this saucy edifi ce . There

was a tablet with the Lord Mayor and Courtof Aldermen in tears, uponthe same occasion, butthis was om itted .

Some of the ornaments are so obtrusive , that it is recommended to

obliterate the ocean , and send the billing swans to the Maids of Honourthe Lares to Buckingham House the cornucopias tothe poor, and all the

fish to Billingsgate.In each corner of the quadrangular court is so

happily and wonderfully contrived, as to form a charming co up d ’

aeil for

the female tenants of the establishment, What a gloriouscontrivance for the commun ication of ideas, and the dispatch of bus iness ?

PREFACE. xx i

hav ing been . improved and augm en ted by the

author, and its three'

additional plate s, that edition

has been so m uch in dem and, that, e xcept from the

m onopoly wh ich till lately ex isted in re spect of the

Itwas originally intended to introduce the Five Orders, in a fandango ;

butthe absurdity of the measure was timely exposed byMr. Boswell, who

proved to demonstration , thatthey had never been taughtto dan ce .

This confederacy of alien attributes is like so many enemies com

pelled to elbow each.other in a mob ; they seem to curse mutually in the

momentof embracing, like so many cats it is a racemation , or cluster of

antipathies, made of recrementitious parts— an untimely exposition of

bruised and battered stones, torn from the bowels of the peacefulquarryhere are pillars and pilasters unconnected with order, chambers and ave

n ues without usefulness, and men and wom en withoutgenders .

“As there is no sublun ary perfection , it may.

be n o dishonour to the

architect, to note, thatthe following alteration s have been suggested, and

willbe en ,forced viz. to carve a lame Phcebus over the Coach Ofii ce a

P lutus with one eye over the Pay Offi ce ; a Sailor ou_Stumps over the

N avy Offi ce ; and an encrusted Chamber Potover the Hall for the Anti

quarians.

At PVhitton P la ce, form erly the seatof the D uke of Argyle, butnow

of the felicitous Kn ighthimself, he has exerted his aston ishing ability ina pecul iarmanner, by erecting whathe denominates a Temple of Escula

pius, as a left-handed complimentto D r. Willis, to whose skill we are in

debted for the restoration of the Sovereign .1

As Esculapius was but the

journeyman to Hygeia, and did little more than carry her -

spatula and

drugs, I presume to aver, that justice as well'

as ga llantry should haveimpelled him to have given the lady the preferen ce ; but this collateralcriticism shall not induce m e to pass over the extraordinary merit at

tached to th is building,.

whi ch is contrived with su ch subtle a ddress, as

to be equa lly applicable and acceptable to any god or goddess, as we ll as

d

x xi i PREFACE.

publi cation of arch i tectural works, notless disadvan

tageous to the art, than injur ious to the artists per

m itting its e xi sten ce , who by the i r un ited exert ions

sensations whi ch justify such an extravagant tribute to the powers of the

Mad Doctor for, as the greatbard has phrased it

We lmow whatwe are, butwe lmow notwhatwe may be.’

Though itis palpable to me, thatthe knightalluded to has been benighted in some of his professional endeavours, itremains with the wiser

partof society, to appreciate him with correctness, and I sincerely hopethat truth will be establi shed, although my penetration might suffer inthe issue.

True architecture maybe resolved into the following idea, viz. to con

nect strength with beauty, and make both conducive to utility but our

builders disdain to be shackled with such antique obligations, while the

li beral hand of national fol ly fattens them into a careless independence.

Lord Thurlow slumbers as happily in his sugar-house, at Kn ight’

s Hill,afterthe fatigue of te lling money atthe Exchequer, as Augustus di d in hisproud and noble pavilion, such is the refined taste of the age of Georgethe Third— glorious aara ! and yetwe have the audacity, during the com

mission of such absurdities, to prate of the Goths and Vandals with an

unblushing scorn .

But itmay be ungenerous to form a judgment of whatarchitectureis by what itwas . I shall forbear to enlarge upon the beauties of V itruvius, Mustius, Brun eleschi , or the ascribed graces of the Tuscan school .This is a wonderful k ingdom, and perhaps the building should be wonderful to square with the genius of the land . The Co ill des N ations varieseven more than the clime ; hen ce arises an apology for the seeming errors

of our architectural professors. The sleek and corpulenthaberdasher re

gards his Gazebo as much as Cicero did his Tusculum, or Pliny his Lau

rentum then who should wrangle upon the point of right in either

dom inion , when all the parties are equally happy ? I will venture to

declare that Callima chus or Pa lladio never made a hundredth part so

much by their practice asMr. Holla nd and as n ine hundred and ninetv

PREFACE.

It is perhaps almost n eedless to state , that the

or iginal work of SirW. Cham be rs, has been ve ry

long before the publi c. The Fi rst Edition was pub

the prevailing love of slander, would recei ve his di ctum as authority, andthathe should, favoured by these combin ing circum stance s, remain securefrom enquiry, and escape with applause. The secretsatisfaction , however,arising from such su ccessful treachery, betrays a base ness of heart in the

ca lumniator, so entirely outof the common course of in iquity , that couldthe true motives of such pernicious scribblers be made man ifest to the

world, men of gen ius would be he ld in due reverence, and their unprin

cipled revi lers would be driven from the society of all who loved virtue,or had a becoming regard for truth .

How base , how unjust, in a man of penetration— ia one like Pasquin .

who could write with Wit and spirit, to make this sportof talent, when hemusthave acknowledged, had he notwa lked round this noble bu ilding forthe indulgen ce of his evi l propen sity, that in these piscatory mons lcrs ,whi ch he erroneously designates ca riatides , are displayed much eleganceand invention thatthe emblem s were designed mosttastefully accordantw ith the departments of the bu ilding to which they were appended, andthatthe masks of the river deities, which he has so wantonly made the

subject of his ridi cule, were works of the highestorder ofmerit. Theysti ll, however, remain on the keystones of the arches, monuments of the

superior abilities of Mr.W ilton , their ingenious sculptor, and wi ll longbe regarded by all judges of art, as legible memorials of the shame of this

unjustcriti c.We should have added our opin ions upon the general character of th is

noble building, had we not, whilstpreparingthis article, been favoured witha paper upon the subject, written con amorc, by an intelligent and highlyre spected professor of architecture , and expressly in aid of ourMiscellanv.

We therefore cheerfully suspend our notions, and substitute those of our

kind contributor, whose superior knowledge of the science wi ll render thatjustice to the fame and talents of Sir William Chambers, to which our

best efforts would have been in competent.SOMERSET HOUSE is a vastpile ofbuilding, comprising many publ ic

PREFACE.

“

X X V

lished as far back as the year 1759. So -m uch lwas

i t esteem ed by thepubli c and arch ite cts e spe cially ,

as to have proceeded to a Th i rd Edition '

in 1 7 9 1 .

ofliCes, the Royal Academy of ”

Arts, and the Royal and Antiquarian Societies. It was erected by order of the government, an d un der the direction of SirWilliam Chambers, from his own designs . The firststone w aslaid in 1776. Thi s ce lebrated architect was descended from an ancientScotch fami ly, whi ch had settled at Stockholm, where he was born, anno

1729. Butbeing broughtto England when only two years of age, wemay cons ider him, in hi s professional career, as of the English school .

SomersetHouse is bui lton thatpartof the Thames side named the

Strand, a spotremarkable for its steep declivity, and the variety of soi lon whi ch its foundation s w ere to be pla ced, no in considerable portion of

its site being actually taken from within the channel of the river, and

below its bed.

The situation seemed to be impracticable, both as related to its levelsand security of foundation, circumstan ces that required all the scien ce andsagacity of the archite ct to contend with andto overcome .

In bridge building, such di fficulties are always foun d to exist: in a

structure of this extentand magnitude they rarely occur ; but when theydo, the comparative mental powers necessary to execute such a work are

much beyond those required for the erection of even the greatest bridge

that is now known .

In the structure of a bridge, the points of contactwith the soi l arefew , and its levels only relate to the ground at its extrem ities ; but in a

buildi ng circumstan ced l ike Somerset House, the points of contact are

almost innumerable, and its levels di ffer at every point. Every pier, everywa ll, pillar, and partition , every arch and every vault, all have to be sup

ported in their respective stations, and each according to its need for, to

make the foun dations more ample than could be avoided, would have be enin curring a vast addition of expence. The architect, by obtain ing suflicient

security, with this attention to economy, justly acquired reputation from

his employers .

Itwas notthe leastarduouspartofthe duty whi ch he had to perform

PREFACE.

The impress ion s in the last nam ed edi t ion were

so worn as to prove that the original plate s were

completely exhausted, as m ay be seen by com

in the plan of the bui lding, when he undertook to arrange the variousoffi ces for so greatan establishment, to design them suitably to their multifarious purposes, and to combin e them w ith the gen eral cfi

'

ect. He had

to reconcile the confli cting desires, opin ions, and prerogatives of the ofii

cers greatand sma ll, who were to inhabitor occupy the manifold apart

ments.

All these diffi culties , however, he overcame, with such rare felicityand genera l satisfaction , thaton the question of accommodation among the

offi cers or households of the respe ctive departments, there appears to havebeen but one solitary in stance of discontent, and that came to kn owledgeat second hand, being the reported complain t of the cook at the Victualing Ofi ce, who thoughtherself limi ted in larder- room.

To effectthese numerous arrangements— to adjusttheproportionsanduses of so many apartments on somany floors, in appropriate and essential

portions of such an aggregate of offices, the architectjudi ciously se lectedthe Ita lian pra ctice of building, whi ch admits better than any other style,the beauties of Roman architecture, combined with that convenience forbusin ess and domestic comfort, which this useful national stru cture demanded.

The e lega nt s impli city of the building as a whole, the proportion of

its parts, and their relative accordan ce, may vie with the noblest publicstructures in the metropolis ; and in some respects may be pronoun cedsuperior to any. The exterior of SomersetHouse is considered to be theperfection of masonry, and the sculptures that decorate the various parts,are notequalled by the ornamental accessories of any of our greatnationalbuildings .

The decorations of the interior are no less entitled to applause ; indeed , to SirW. Chambers we owe the introduction of that chaste character of ornament in thi s country, which has sin ce been perfected by the

studies of Stuart and others, from the class ic stores obtained through theirinvaluable researches amidstthe remain s of Grecian art.

PREFACE. xxv i i

par ing those of the First and Th ird Edition s. They

were con s ider ing the period of the ir e xecution ex

ceedingly well gotup. Booker, Grign ion , Fourdri

n ie r, Mazell, and others, of the m ost em in en t arti sts

ofthe tim e were engaged on them . These have all

been carefully and accurately redu ced for th i s Edi

tion , an d now re- engraved in a style far surpassing

that in wh i ch the or igin als were e xecu ted. Lowry,Porte r, Moses, Arm strong, Rolfe , and the other

artists engaged, shew by the ir subjo in ed exe rtion s to

what an am az ing exten t the Arch itectu ral Engrav

ers of th i s coun try have carr ied the improvem en t of

the ir art s in ce Sir W illiam Cham be rs first pub

lished h is Treatise

Prev iou s to our b ette r and later acquain tan ce with

Gre cian Arch ite cture , no on e ven tu red to impugn

This, then, is SomersetPlace, the work of an architect, who has man ifested in its erection , a vast extentof intellect, as a mathematician , as anengineer, as an artist, and as a philosopher. He was moreover an uprightman ; one whose great abilities have done honour to himself, to his illustrions patron, to his employers, and the age in whi ch he lived.

J . B. P .

’

The plates were reduced underthe Editor’ s direction, with the exception of those to whi ch his name appears, by his pupils, Messrs. F .H.

Groves and Willi am Collins, and he considers it only an actof justice tothank them, in this place, for their great care and attention tothatwhichwas entrusted to theirexertions .

xxv i i i PREFACE.

the value ofourAutho r ’ s labours. They were in truth

a n ecessary appendage to the office of eve ry Arch i

teet, as the only work in the English language to

wh i ch refe ren ce could be m ade . A more intim ate

acquain tan ce with the rema in s ofthe art in Greece ,first subm i tted to the exam ination of the public

through the indefatigable zeal of our ingen ious

coun trym an Stuart, and latterly through the mun ifi

Cen ce of the D ilettanti Socie ty , has cons ide rably

added to the wan ts of the student. To supply those

wants has b een on e of the objects of th i s Edition .

The illustration of Chambers'

s text has been ano

ther , and the unpreceden ted patron age with wh ich i t

has been favored,has amply justified the unde rtaking.

The exam in ation of Gre cian Arch itecture wh ich

is prefixed to the m a in wo rk , i s compressed from

a Treati se on wh ich I have been many years engaged.

Th is to rende r its in troduction practicable , has

been reduced with in lim its prescr ibed by the n ature

o f th i s Publication , and con sequently ve ry con s ide r

ab ly ab ridged. The reade r is the refore requested to

con s ide r it m e rely as an outline , wh ich , if le isure and

health pe rm it, I hope to fill upon a future occas ion

in a m ore satisfacto ry m ann e r. The inform ation

obta ined in th is country, through the m ed ium of its

PREFACE.

many enlightened travelle rs as well as the presen t

prevailing taste for the employmen t of Grecian Architecture as distingu i shed from Rom an and Italian ,

m ade it ab solutely nece ssary to introduce som e ao

coun t of that style, in order to comple te the work asa

manual for the studen t and amateur. So fru itful i s

the subject, that Iwas ata loss in manyplace s, what

from mym ater ials to adopt and what reject.'

I there

fore cla im his indulgen ce form any omi ssion s, in the

hope of redeem ing m yself atno very d istan t period

by a more elaborate performan ce in that respect.If,

however, I have atall succeeded in conveying some

th ing like a b ird’ s eye V iew of the origin , progre ss,

a nd perfection of that style , wh ereofmuch that is

advan ced m us t be n ecessar ily conjectu ral,my object

Will have been obtain ed.

It is here proper to ob serve , that the knowledge

ofGrecian Arch ite cture , to wh i ch su ch rapid strides

have been made ,s1n ce ourAuthor’ s tim e , will by. no

mean s in validate the ex cellen t precepts wh i ch he

delivers in the page s of his Treati se . The se apply

equally to Grecian , Rom an , or'

Italian Arch itecture .

Rule s whose foundation s are la idon the solidgrounds

of taste and scien ce, are seldom inappli cable even in

XX X PREFACE.

d iffe rent arts, but in the self sam e art they apply to

a ll style s.

With the greate st subm iss ion to those who are

bette r informed on th is subject than myself, I cannot

help acknowledging my b ias towards what may

perhaps be properly called the Italian school ofAr

ch itecture , as it i s found in the works of Palladio ,Sanm ichele , and others, who formed the ir style from

the resource s wh i ch the remain ing an tiqu itie s of

Rome afforded My reason s for th is prefe ren ce

arise from an opin ion that i t i s more plastic, that i s,

more capable of be ing subm itted to the wan ts and

habits of th i s country. As an in stan ce ofwhat Im ean ,

among num be rless wh i ch I could immediately spei

cify, letthe arrangem ent of the diam eters, he ights,

and in tercolumn iation s of a Grecian Dori c Porti co

be taken in appli cation to an English ed ifice . The

in tercolumn iation s of the Parthenon are to the'

d iav

meters as to l ; and . I am willing to allow that

the un ity and s impli city of its parts, added to the

beauty of its general form and proportion s, mu st

have produced in itwhen en tire an almost m agical

The Tuscan school for grandeur and exhibition of the picturesque iswithoutparallel.

PREFACE.

almost to induce an Opin ion , that the inter iors of

the dwellings to wh i ch they are attached are scarcely

used butfor the purposes of shelter and rest. In

these the e xclus ion of the sun ’ s rays seem s the prin

cipal object, and the walls are the refore pierced with

few and small open ings. In the northern parts of

Europe , the in troduction of the greatest poss ible

quantity of ligh t and heat i s of the u tmost import

ance hen ce the ape rtures are many and large. It

m ightpe rhaps be safely affi rm ed, that the d iffe ren ce

between the enormou s volum e of light in troduced

in to our Goth i c cathedrals, and the dark cell of an

Egyptian temple, ari se s rather from the d ifference

of climate , than from that of the religion s for whose

purpose s they were e rected ”*

I am aware that, in the pre sen t day, I may lose

with some person s all character for taste by the above

candid declaration . I am also aware that there are

m any imperfe ction s in the work I have unde rtaken .

On these accoun ts I soli cit the corre ction of the Ar

ch itect, wh ilst I am qu ite indi fferen t to the obser

vations of the cr iti c by profess ion . In all parts of

knowledge , r ightly so termed,” says Hooker,“ th ings

The passage between the inverted commas is extracted from an articleWritten by me some years since, and published in a periodical work .

PREFACE. xxxi i i

most generall are most strong : Thus it must be ,

inasmuch as the ‘

certaintyof ourpersuas ion touching

particulars, dependeth altogether upon the Credit of

those gen eralitie s out of wh ich they grow. Albe it

the refore every cau se adm it not such infallible evi

dence ofproofe , as leaveth no possib ility of doubt

or scruple b eh ind it, yet they who claime the gen e

rall assen t of the whole world un to that wh i ch they

teach , and do notfeare to give ve ry hard and heavy

sen ten ce upon so m any as refuse to emb race the

sam e,mu st have special] regard that the i r fi rst foun

dation s and grounds be more than slender proba

bilities.

In th i s Edition will be found an in tere sting and

authen ti c Memo ir of the L ife of SirWilliam Cham

bers, for wh i ch I am indebted to Mr. Hardwick, one

of h is surv iv ing pupils, whose talen ts and h igh repu

tation do so mu ch honor to the n ame of the m aster,

and are sowell known as to be above any en com ium

from m e. I have added a con cise explanation of

the prin cipal term s used in the scien ce of Arch i

tecture , wh i ch it i s presum ed will be found u seful

to the amateur, and of sufficien t importan ce to thestuden t to ju stify its in troduction .

I have now only to ob se rve, that I engaged in

Sixxiv PREFACE.

the labours wh i ch follow, from azbelief that they

would be u seful, and not from anyva in motive of

appear ing before the publi c on th is o ccas ion ei the r as

Au thor or Editor ; butI do n ot scruple to acknow

ledge the satisfaction I have felt in preparing the

following sheets, con vinced as I am that the ori

g imal Work, atleast, ought to have a place in the

lib rary of every Arch itect.

-Abingdon Street, Westminster,

Feb. 1 , 1825 .

A MEMOIR

THE LIFE

SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS.

THAT b ran ch of the fam ily of Chambersthe subje ct of th i s Memo ir imm ediately de

scended,’

was possessed of a good e state atR ipponin Yorksh ire , whereon it re s ided, and when ce on e

of its m embers wen t ove r to settle at Stockholm , not

merely as a m erchan t, but also with a V iew of re

covering a large sum of m on ey advan ced byfan an

cestor to a form e r k ing of Sweden . The parti culars

ofth i s tran saction are

'

related by Chalmers in h is

B iograph ical D i ction ary. William Cham bers, whonow claim s our

'

atten tion , was by b irth a Swede , hav

ing been born atStockholm , and was sentover when

very young to Yorksh ire for his education . Early in

life he wen t in the capacity of a supercargo to the

xxxv i i i MEMOIR or THE LIFE or

East Indie s, and , ifwe have been r ightly informed,made two voyage s to that quarte r of the world in

on e of wh i ch he v is ited Can ton , and hav ing con

siderable taste for drawing, m ade sketche s of thebu ildings and costum e of the Ch ine se, wh i ch , on hisarrival in England som e years after he pub

lished, with the a ss istan ce of those e xcellen t en

gravers, Grign ion , Foudrin ier, and Booker.

Abandon ing, howeve r, the comm ercial pu rsu i ts

in wh i ch he was or iginally engaged with h is fam ily,and by wh ich his b rothe r John acqu ired a large for

tune in the East Indies, he followed the n atural ben t

ofhis gen iu s, and travelled in to Italy for the pu rpose

of studyingthe scien ce of arch i tectu re , not only by

m easur ing and drawing the invaluable rem ain s of an

tiqu ity, butlikewise those adm irable production s of

the rev ivers of the arts wh ich di stingu ished the fif

teenth and s ixteenth cen tur ies. He carefully exa

m ined and studi ed with unwearied appli cation the

works ofMi chael Angelo, Sangallo, Palladio, Seamoz z i , V ignola, Pe ruzz i , Samm i chele , Bern in i , andothe r Italian arch itects, whose de sign s we re in gene

ral gu ided by the rule s of the an cien ts, butwhose

extraord inary talen ts, e xalting them above the chap

racter of mere im itators, produced an originality in

the ir compos ition s that fully e stablished the i r fam e ,

and po inted them out as the fittest models for suc

ceeding artists. Mr. Chambers kn ew how to distin

In the year 1757.

xl MEMOIR or THE LIFE or

fore, that Mr. Chambers der ived from other sourceshis exten s ive kn owledge in the art, and th is he ef

fected , as we have seen , not only by searching into

the cau se s wh ich produced those delightful effects

apparen t in the rem ain s of Rom an grandeu r, by a

close and di scr im in at in g ob se rvation ofth e style and

m ann e r of the great revive rs of the arts , butby stor

ing h is m in d with the e xcellen t pre cepts la id down

by authors'

who had not only wr itten upon the art,

buthad likewise practised i t. Possessing, by the sem eans, all the theoreti c knowledge n e ce ssary to h is

profe ss ion , he ultimately fi xed his re s iden ce in Lon

don , an d in Ru ss ell Stree t, n ea r Coven t Garden , firsttook up h is abode . As he inhe rited but littlewealth , to his own m er it and th e casual in te rest of a

b rother archi tect he was indebted for that success

and'

celebrity he afte rwards so justly acqui red. Mr .

John Carr, of York , be ing asked by the Earl of Buteif he could recomm end him an arti st to in struct the

Pr in ce, afte rwards George the Th ird, in the study

of arch ite cture , Carr, who had just then become ac

quainted with Mr. Chambers, an d had seen and ad

m ired his drawings , told his lordsh ip that he kn ew

a young m an who would exactly an swe r h ispurpose ,and accordingly recommended Mr. Chambe rs. Lo rdBute in troduce d him to the Pr in ce , who becam e in

course of time so much atta ched to him that, when

he cam e to the crown , he appo inted him his ch ief

arch ite ct, and promoted h im wheneve r any oppor

SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS. xli

tun ity offered. Some property atKew hav ing been

purchased forthe re s iden ce of the Pr in cess Dowage r

ofWale s,Mr. Cham be rs was employed to lay outthegrounds, and to de sign a number of bu ildi ngs and

temple s in a variety“

of styles, both European and

As iatic, to em bellish the spot. Ken t had formerly

been employed for a s im ilarpurpose in the adjacen tgarden s of R i chmond. The bu ildings and v iews in

Kew Garden s we re published in 1763, the plate s

hav ing been engraved'

by the best artists of that

period, and the e xpen se of the publi cation borne ,as the author informs u s, by royal boun ty. Buth is

Treatise on the D ecorative Part of Civil Archi

tecture,” by far the m ost u seful work on that scien ce

wh i ch had eve r appeared in th is coun try, tended

most to establish h is reputation , both as an author

and arch ite ct of research , judgm en t, and refin edtaste. The truth s i t in culcates, and the proportion s

and form s i t re commends, the result of long expe

rien ce and repeated ob se rvation of structu re s wh i ch

have stood the test of cen tu r ie s, cannot fa il to im

pre ss upon every m ind, that there i s a criter ion of

taste in arch itecture as Well as in the other libe ral

arts, - that gen iu s is con s isten t with rules,— and that

novelty i s notn ece ssar ily an improvem en t.

The King was pleased to appoin t him his pr ivate

arch itect, and he was introdu ced in to the Office of

Works as Comptroller, and , upon the n ew modifica

tion of that Board, by Mr. Burke’ s Act, succeeded

xlii MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF

Wh itshed Keen e as Surveyor-General of his Ma

jesty’

s works.

Wh en the b r idge atBlackfr iars was in con templat ion , lVIr. Chambers, en couraged by the powerful interestof Mr. Pate rson , an Opulen t m erchan t in thecity

,gave design s for that structu re , in competition

with othe r arch itects but his drawings weredeem ed too magn ificen t and expen s ive for execution , and those OfMr. Mylne were adopted.

In th e year 1 7 68, was in stituted “THEROYALACADEMY OF ARTS, IN LON DON ,

”to the e stablishm en t Of

wh i ch Mr. Chambers was prin cipally in strum en tal,by possessing a great influen ce with the King, who

was graciously pleased to san ction the unde rtak ing,and appoin ted Mr. Chamb ers Treasurer to the Institution , and Mr. Reynolds (afte rwards Sir Joshua)to fill the chair Ofthe Pres iden t.In the year hav ing pre sen ted to the King

of Sweden som e h ighly fin ished drawings of Kew

Garden s, his maje sty confe rred on him the orde r of

the Polar Star ; and he wasperm itted byhis Br itann ic Maje sty to assum e the u sual style and title an

nexed to British kn ighthood.

About thi s pe riod he m ade a des ign for LordClive , for his v illa at Claremon t, n ear Esher, in

Surrey, but that ofMr. Brown , the celeb rated land

scape gardene r, be ing preferred by hi s lordsh ip,gave r ise to a diffe ren ce between these gen tlem en ,

wh ich was neve r en tirely recon ciled ; Mr. Chambers

SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS. xli i i

con s ide ring Mr. Brown an in trude r on an art in

wh i ch n e ithe r his talen ts nor his education could

entitle him to any respe ct. Upon th is, in 1 77 2, ourAu thor published his

“D issertation on Oriental Gar

dening and in the in trodu ction severely satirizedthe taste of Mr. Brown . Th is work gave occas ion

to the fam ou s Heroic Epistle to Sir WilliamChambers,

” wh i ch was atfirst supposed to be wr ittenby Mr. An stey, the au thor of The N ew Bath

Gu ide,”butwas afte rwards understood to be the pro

duction Of Mason the poet, whose poem upon gar

den ing i s ve ry gene rally known .

Mr. Chambe rs fortunately Obtained the patron

age and fr iendsh ipof the Earl Of Besborough , whose

super ior taste in the liberal arts was well known to

eve ry man of scien ce. For th is di stingu ished n oble

man he bu ilt a v illa atRoehampton , in Surrey ; of

wh ich , says Mr. Dallaway, the portico i s s ingularly

correct and elegan t and the sam e author adds,that he also designed a superb m an s ion for Lord

Abercorn at Duddingston , n ear Edinburgh.

Amongst others of his nOble employers were ranked

the Duke of Bedford, the Lord V i scoun t M iddleton, Earl Gower, and Lord M ilbou rn ; for the twolast he bu ilt man s ion s atWh itehall and in Pi ccadilly.

Goth i c arch itecture nothav ing been then rev ived

in th i s coun try, afforded but little occasion for the

exercise of his talen ts in the practice Of it, though he

xliv MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF

had always a great ven eration for that style of bu ild

ing. The only in stan ce of th i s k ind in wh i ch he ap

pears to have been concerned, was in som e add i

tion s and alte ration s to M ilton Abbey in Dorset

sh ire .

About th is per iod the par ish ioners of St. Mary

lapbonne hav ing it in con templation to erect a n ew

paroch ial chu rch , Mr. Chambers was inv ited tomake the des ign s, and accordingly produ ced several

for the approbation of the ve stry ; butthe on e most

adm ired was upon a circular plan , with a Dor i c por

tico, and surm oun ted by a dom e,— a des ign exqui

sitely beau tiful, but ill- adapted to the service of the

Church ofEngland. Iti s, notwith standing,much to

be regretted that, as a work Of art, it was n eve r car

r ied in to e xe cution . The Earl of Pemb roke , ju stlyappreciating his ab ilitie s, employed him at his

celeb rated seat at Wilton , near Salisbury, whereh is tr iumphal a rch , Palladian b r idge, and othe r

works, eve r comm and the adm iration Of all person s

of taste who vis it that delightful spot. At Blenhe im he so happily conform ed to the s ingular

style of the or iginal arch ite ct, that no d iscordancewas produced by the addition s he planned to that

m agn ificen t structure. We cannot here forbear

noticing the m arket- house atWoodstock, anothe r

work of th is m aste r, the s impli city Of wh i ch , andits appropriate character, cannot fa il to be ad

m ired.

SIR'

WILLIAM CHAMBERS.'

xlv

On the inv itation of Lord Clarem ont, with whomSirWilliam Chambe rs was on term s of str i ct in ti

macy, he wen t Ove r to Ireland, and de signed and bu ilt

a very beautiful cas ine for his Lordsh ip atMarino.

In the summer Of the year 17 7 he re- v is ited Par is,and on ce more enjoyed the Society Of those arti sts

with whom he had some years before cultivated a

friendsh ip, an d was m u ch gratified by the ir reception Of him , and the ir great atten tion to h im dur ing

his stay. He was, as he afte rwards e xpressed him

self, particularly struck with the great improvemen t

in the Fren ch Arch itecture wh i ch had taken placewith in a fevi7 years : a m ore chaste and classi cal tastehav ing succeeded to the he te rogeneous style in wh i ch

most of the bu ildings in Pari s had before been com

posed. That city indeed could then boast Of a num

ber Of very e xcellen t Arch itects, who were an ho

nour to the ir country, notwith standing the prejudi cewh i ch has always preva iled in Englan d aga in st the

ta ste of our Galli c n e ighbours, and the n am e s OfLe

Roy, Dewailly, Peyre , Le Dou x , Anto in e , PerrOnet,Soufilot, an d oth e rs, well known by the ir ingen iou s

works, will eve r reflect the greate st credit on the

state Of the art in Fran ce at that per iod.

In or about the year 17 75 , upon the res ignationordem ise OfMr. Rob in son , of the Office ofWorks,

who had prepared design s for the. public'

buildings

then in agitation'

at Som erset House, in a plain sub

g

xlv i MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF

stantial style , butwith little or no preten s ion s to

decorative Arch ite cture , SirWilliam Chambe rs wasselected by the Governm en t to m ake en tirely n ew

de s ign s ; these we re approved , and b e ing ordered

to be carried in to e xe cu tion , the first ston e was

la id in 17 76. How he succeeded in th is great un

dertaking the Publi c have long s in ce judged. As

the edifice however arose , i t did not fa il to at

tract the sever ity of cr iticism , and the publi c jour-enals, and othe r periodi cal publi cation s of the day,

teem ed with illiberal an imad vers ion s on a struc

ture nothalf completed. Ithas been well Ob se rved,that all m en have eye s, but few have judgem en t, and in th i s instan ce the remark was

strongly ver ified. Itmust, howeve r, be adm itted,that am idst an abundan ce of arch itectural beautie s

some faults and impropr ietie s are disce rn ible. The

dign ity and grandeur wh i ch ought to preva il in a

bu ild ing of th is character i s in some degree weak

en ed by the multipli city Of the parts, wh ich too

much in te rfe re with each othe r and the incongruou s

m i xture of rustics with the prin cipal orde r, wh i ch i s

Cor inth ian , tends to de stroy the effe ct its correct

and beautiful proportion would otherwise produce .

Still, after all that has been said upon the subjectone truth we m ay confiden tly asse rt, that by thi s,the most

’

magn ifi cen t Of our later publi c bu ildings,Sir William Chambers e stablished a reputation of

xlvi i i MEMOIR OF“

THE LIFE or

in We stm in ster Abb ey. His funeral was attended

by several person s ' of rank, and by those arti sts and

li te rary characte rs who had long known and appre

ciated h is m e r its, both as a m an and as an artist.

By the lady to whom he had been un ited early

in life he had fou r daughters and on e son . The

elde st Of his daughte rs was m arr ied to a son of

Sir Ralph Milbank, a gen tlem an Of a m ost respect

able fam ily in the north of England the se cond to

a Mr. Inn i s , a West India m erchan t ; the th ird was

un ited to a Captain Harward, an Officer in the

Guards, and the youngest to a Colonel Gottin ; andh is son m arr ied a daughter Of the late Adm iral

Lord Rodney.

Imm edi ately an te cedent to the per iod in wh i ch

our author made his debut, for it i s notn ecessary onth is occas ion to tou ch on the h istory of ourArch i

tecture , the ingen iou s Mr. Ken t, a Protege Of the

Earl Of Burlington , had given seve ral proofs of hisarch ite ctural sk ill. In h istor i cal pa in ting, forhe also

profe ssed that art, Ken t cannot however be said to

have approached to any great degree of e xcellen ce .

Colin Campbell, in his Wan stead House , wh ich

we regret i s from a con curren ce of unfo rtunatecircum stan ces no longe r in e x isten ce , and in m any

others Of his des ign s, ev in ced great correctness

and pur ity of taste ; and the sam e chaste , thoughfar super ior style , is ob se rvable in the works of Sir

Robert Taylor, who was originally in tended for a

SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERs; xlix

sculptor, and those also of Mr. James Paine , theelder. The two last men tion ed Arch itects nearlydiv ided the practi ce of the profe ss ion between

them , for they had few compe titors tillMr. Robe rtAdam ente red the lists, and distingu ished h im self

by the supe r ior ity of his taste in the n i cer and more

deli cate parts of decoration . Mr. Adam had been

a great travelle r, and had filled his portfolios withinnum e rable drawings and sketche s from the in ex

haustible m ines Of Italy and Gree ce. Wh ile the sesu ccessful Arch itects were in the ir full zen ith , Mr.Chambe rs was gradually mak ing his way unde r

the patron age Of royalty ; and the publi cation Of

h is in comparable Treati se decided his pre- em in en ce

in an art whe re in his prede ce ssors and con tempo

raries had run in to the extrem e s Of a s impli city

border ing upon tamen e ss, or a redundan cy of orna

men t, wh i ch de stroyed the effe ct it was in tended

to produce .

To Sir W illiam Chambers we are indebted for

many improvemen ts in the in terior de coration of

our bu ildings. He in troduced a m ore graceful out

lin e , an easy flowing foliage , and an elegan t im ita

tion of such flowe rs and plan ts, and othe r Objects innature as we re be st adapted to the purpose of ar

chitectural orn am en t ; and the pain s he took to instruct the de corative a rtists and artificers who were

employed by him in the e xecution Of his design s,

MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF

effected a change in th i s b ran ch of Arch itecture

equally remote from the unm ean ing form s of the

preceding age , and the perhaps too delicate and

lace- like de sign s of an ingen iou s con temporary

Arch itect.

The exter iors of h is bu ildings are marked and dis

tingu ished by a bold and m asculine style , n e ither

ponde rou s on the one hand, nor too m eagre on the

othe r. He happily un ited the grandeur and luxu

rian ce of the Rom an , Floren tine , and Genoeseschools, with th e seve re co rrectn ess of the Venetian

and V i cen tin e : th is was the natural re sult Ofhis early

studies, and the jud i ciou s di scr im ination of h is own

powerful m ind.

In on e circum stan ce he m ay be said to have been

peculiarly fortunate , and especially in h is great work'

at Som erse t Hou se : we allude to the e xcellen t and

supe rior man n er in wh ich his de sign s w ere carried

in to e xe cu tion . He had judgmen t to sele ct, and

good sen se to attach to him , by affability and cou r

tesy, such practi cal m en , as we re mainly to con tr i

bute to h is own fu ture reputation .

His ch ief pupils we re Mr. Jame s Gandon , latelydeceased, who re s ided many years in Ireland , where

the Cu stom House , and othe r publi c works atDublin,reflect the greatest credi t on his taste and ab ilitie s ;he was also the Editor ofthe fou rth and fifthVolumes

of the V itruv ius Br itann i cus : Mr. Edward Steven swho died at Rom e , about the year 17 76 : the late

SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS. li

Mr. John Yenn , who succeeded him asTreasurer Of

the Royal Academy : Mr. Thom as and

Mr. Robe rt Brown e, late of the Office Of his Map

jesty’

s Works, who was also on e of Sir WilliamChambers

’

s executors.

Refle cting upon the var iou s even ts we have ju strecorded, and the splendid m anner in wh i ch the

acqu irem en ts of th is great m aster were b rought in to

action , we perce ive that the n atural endowmen ts of

his m ind, accompan ied by indu stry and perseve r

an ce , and above all by in tegr ity and honorable con

duct through life , ra i sed him to the head of hispro

fession , and gain ed him the e steem and ven eration

of the scholar, the adm iration of the artist, and the

love and respect of those who looked up to him for

protection and support. It is alm ost needless to

press the example of su ch a character upon the in

genuou s and libe ral m ind. We confiden tly trust i twill have its due we ight upon the r ising gene ration ,

and that Arch itectu re m ay again flou rish uncon

tam inated by the basen ess of ignoran t pretenders,un influenced by the capr ice of power or the errone

ous notion s Of or iginality.

To whom we are indebted for this Memoir.

EXAMINATION

OF THE

ELEMENTS OF BEAUTY

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE ,

WITH

A BRIEF IN VESTIGATION

OF ITS

ORIGIN , PROGRESS, AND PERFECTION .

BY JOSEPH GW ILT.

Si quis unquam de nostris Hominibus a Genere isto, studio ac voluntate non

abhorrens fuit, me et esse arbitror, at magis etiam tum, cum erat plus Omfuisse.

”CIcsRo. ORAT. FRO L. FLAcco.

4 ON THE ELEMENTS OF

painter and sculptor : a successful imitation of these models, even without an advance on the part of the artist,towards those higher intellectual beauties which d istinguish the historicalpainter,

i

is capable of affecting us withvery agreeable sensations — nay, the low and still hfe Of

the Flemish school has its'

admirers and justly.— But the

architectcreates the beauty he produces. The other artists

easily address the senses and passions, whilst HE can onlyrely on his appeal to the understanding. HIS powers of

art are therefore lim ited to Operations on the cultivatedm ind — With the multitude, magn itude and richness aremore valued than the utmost elegance of form or the most

fascinating series of proportions.The Object of an artist’ s inquiry is not so much to

investigate metaphysically the cause of beauty in the

productions of his art, as to study the effects that flowfrom those which by the common consent of ages are esteemed beautiful‘, and thus shorten his road by an apriori

method. It is in this way that he willmore readily obtaininformation on those qualities which act on the understanding and exc ite our affection s by m eans of the beantiful resultthey exhibit’ . These qualities may be classedas follows 3

MAGN ITUDE AND STRENGTH, as qualities which affectthe eye.

The most certaine token of evidentgoodnesse, is if the genera ll perswasion of men doe so account it. Hooker’ s Ecclesiasticall Politic, B. 1 .

It is rather surprising thata recentnoble writer on the subjectshouldhave employed severa l pages in the consideration and refutation of Mr.

Burke '

s ingen ious butfalse specu lations as to the requisites of mna llness,

smoothness, de lica cy , See Lord Aberdeen’

s Enquiry intothe Principlesof Beauty in Grecian Architecture, 8vo. London, 1823.

3 See Art. Beau. Encyclop.Method.

BEAUTY IN“

ARCHITECTURE. 5

ORDER AND HAR M ONY, as quahties which affect theunderstanding.

RICHNESS AND SI M PLICITY, as qualitieswhich excite theaffections, — in which taste is the principal guide.These qualities answer to the three divisions which

those who have written on architecture have usuallyadopted, namelyCON STRUCTION , in which the chief requisites are Mag;

n itude and Strength.

DESIGN OR DISPOSITION , in which the principal requisites are Order and Harmony.

DECORATION , whose requisites are Richness or Sim

plicity, according to the nature of the composition .

Thatthere arehoweverm any othercircum stan ces whichtend to the produ ction of an agreeable and beautifulresult, is sufficiently obvious— one of them Should be

more particularly noticed because there can be no doubt ofits influence , in the excitement of our admiration of the

splendi d monuments of Grecian art; itis, an associationwith the times and countries which are mosthallowedin our imagination . It is difficult for us to see them,

even in their modern copies, withoutfeeling them operateupon our m inds, as relics of those polished nations wherethey first arose, and of that greater people by whomthey were afterwards

A

This is one of thosecauses which produce such an effect on our m inds whenwe contemplate the stupendous ecclesiastical structuresOf the middle ages, to which, must, atleastby evervman

of taste,'

be assigned a very extraordinary and exalteddegree of beauty. In these edifices, though to all appear

Alisonon Taste, Vol. II. p. 157.

6 ON THE ELEMENTS OF

ance design ed on principles e ssentially di fferent fromthose employed by the Greeks, the elements of beauty areidentically the same — but an analysis to prove su ch an

hypothesis is notwithin the range of the present inqu iry.Our cathedrals, itcannot be denied , are very much aided

in their effecton themind, by the recollectionswhich carryus back to those ages when religion was all splendour andsociety all chivalry. In short, ancient architecture of

whatsoever class, country orperiod cannot be separated, ina just estimation of its merits, from the history Of the

nation in which it flourished ; it is the influence and

character of the age and nation to which it belongs, bywhich itis sanctioned and modified.

MAGN ITUDE AND STREN GTH .— We are assured from

experience, that, beyond certain lim its ofsize and strength,the productions of architecture cease to be beautiful in

fact, beyond a given extent any mass of matter whichfatigues the eye in embracing its extraordinary dimensions, SO tha t the Organ must undergo great exertion inorder to understand and appreciate the parts, is by no

means an agreeable Object. In architecture , extraordinarymagn itude may be considered a vi cious excess for

instance— a gallery of such length that the eye cannot‘with distinctnesspenetrate to the end — a column too lofty

- a bu ilding whose site is such, that the visual angle can

n ever include its extent— a building too lofty under thesame circumstances.— In short, all excessive dimensions.— These are to the eye as distressing as a light which istoo strong and powerful

'.— Ou the contrary, there is a

repugnance to‘

those c bjects in architecture which are

See Encyc. Method. Art. Bea u.

BEAUTY IN ARCHITECTURE. 7

'

extremely dim inutive. Inthese the eye is limited and Con.

strained within such narrow bounds, that it experiences

almost the same sensations as are imparted by the flame

Of’

a dim feeble in efficient light.Writers on the principles Of taste, and especially Mr.

Alison , have made magn itude a quality necessary to the

existence of the sublime. That itis so in the works ofnature when associated with ideas of power and dangerand terror, is unden iable : butitwill scarcely be admitted

that these ideas can be said to find a place in the produc e

tions of architecture — Ou which accountmagnitude mayin them perhaps be more properly classed among the es

sentials of beauty.Itwould be difficult to conceive that any work in the

artunder our e xamination could be considered beautiful,if unaccompan ied by a requisite strength or stability, or

atleast such an appearance of either as would carry a

conviction to the mind that itpossessed sufficient for itsExistence and duration — Though magn itude, speakingwidely, is intimately associated with the idea of proportionable power or strength ; yetstability iswell known tobe independent ofmagnitude. The celebrated CampanileatPisa, cannot from its predicament, be denominated a

beautiful Object. The first idea which occurs to the mindin contemplating it, is its apparently dangerous state.However pleasing its abstract form, however elegant thearrangement and proportions Of its detail, still itcan neverexcite those agreeable sensations which would be mecessarily called into action, if its perpendicularity were restored. — Our amazement and terror would then indeedcease, and we might have some satisfaction

'

in making an

8 ON THE ELEMENTS OF

analysis of those deta ils which , exceptasmatter of h istoryor Speculative curiosity, is notnow considered worth thelabourfl

To apply the foregoing Observations at length to the

remain ing examples of Grecian architecture cannot ben ecessary — To the magn itude, strength and consequentstability of these structures we may however add one

important feature — It is that the sites of them are almostinvariably well chosen , and calculated to display theirbeauties to the greatest advantage.Strength and stability in architecture are almost syno

n imes with fitness or adequacy, atleast in appearance, Ofthe several parts of the structure to the performance of

their d ifferentoffices. Thus the strength and stability Ofan order depend on the fitness of the column to supportthe entablatu re , and on the otherhand, on the entablaturenotcontaining a greater quantity of matter than the co.

lumu is either really or apparently able to sustain‘

. To

the Greeks we are indebted for those canons of proportionin the orders, which age has approved, adopted and almosts

'

anctified.— In the Ioni c order of this people, advantage

All things thatare, have some operation notviolentorcasuall. N eyther doth any thing ever begin to exercise the same, without some foreoonceived end for which itworketh. And the end which itworketh foris not obtained, unlesse the worke be also fitto obtain it by. For untoevery end every Operation will not serve. That which doth assigne untoeach thing the kind, thatwhich doth moderate the force and power, thatwhich doth appointthe forme and measure of working, the same we termea law . So that no certaine end could be obtained, un less the actionswhereby it is attained were regular, that is to say , made suteable, fit, andcorrespondentto their end, by some canon rule or law. Hooker’ s EcclesPol itic, B. l .

See note on Arcades, Chambers's Civil Architecture, infi d.

BEAUTY IN“

ARCHITECTURE. 9

was taken of the happy medium between their early andclumsy Doric, and the lighter Roman examples whichclosed the scene of genuine art.

ORDER AND Hu mour — We will now proceed to theconsideration of Order and Harmony as Elements of

Beauty in Architecture. By the word order is meant, a

d isposing of the several parts of a building in their appro

priate places, as related to each other and to the whole.Whilstharmony is that which it would from its Greekderivation almost strictly import

'

, n amely a join ing together of the parts in a consistent and un iform m an ner, so

that all matter which is foreign or unsuitable to the

composition be rejected.There are no edifices in any style of architecture, in

wh ich harmony is more pre -eminent than in the Greciantemple. Perhaps, for harmony, the Gothic Style in thoseof its structures, which are entirely of one period , yieldsonly to the Grecian — the reason is evident— The origin

progress and perfection of both styles were the result of

the habits and characters, and wants of the people that

produced them.

Harmony may however be carried to such an extent asto generate a monotonous effect, as itmost evidently doesin the architecture of the Egyptian s,wherein , as well froman excess of simplicity, as from the absence of variety, itcloys without satisfying. Itmay be compared to a mu sicalcomposition , strictly conformable to the laws of counter

pointwhere in the author so con stantlydwells ou the samekey without making use of his privilege of modulating

I "

Q ; profi ts-“rat

a

s'

aatcrrovaigpovs'

a wW E‘

; pig/027ml ; 7690 5; Ewart, (Pausanias,Argol. c. in speaking of the walls ofTiryns.

10 ON THE ELEMENTS or

into others, that he fails to fix the hearer ’ s attention formore than a few seconds.— Harmony can never existin a

building whose subdivisions are contrived withoutsuch anattention to un iformity of character as to impress on the

mind an idea of unity, and if one may be permitted to use

the term, an expression of the structure ’ s destination .- It

is moreover particularly to be attended to, in regulatingand modifying the decorations that are employed — for

instance, delicacy, lightness and excess of ornament wouldi-ll suita building whose character and destination wereof a nature d iscordantw ith those qualities.R ICHNES S AND SIMPc rrx — are qualities in the discreet

use of which, the Greeks carried the art to the highestdegree of perfection, atleast in the works of the bestages.One ofthe most exquisite examples ofappropriate richnessthat can be cited, is the beautifulmonument of Lysicrates,whilst for the reverse of that quality none can be bettercited than the Parthenon .

— Each is dressed w ith an ap

propriate quantity of ornament ; the first captivates, thelast is imposing and majestic.Itis wellworthy of remark, that those mouldings of the

corona, which in the Ionic order, are frequently enrichedby a system of foliage carved in relief, were in the Parthenon painted in colours— so that a considerable degree ofrichness was thus obtained without distracting or leadingaway the eye from more important parts, or affecting thecontours of the mouldings when viewed in an obliquedirection.

As richness and simplicity belong exclusively to the

third division of building,viz. decoration itfollows, thatornaments are to be chosen or rejected according to the

associations which exist between their adoption and the

1 2 ON THE ELEMENTS or

.0 rigin, progress, and perfection , in the followingpages, as

they incidentally come into consideration.

Ifthe studentdesire to profit by the use and application.

~

of this style of architecture in his practice, any course he

can pursue will be better than the common expedient oftame]y copying the profiles of its examples into his designs,a s he finds them delineated in the authors to which he is'

usually referred — An artist can only make them properlysubservientto his purpose, by entering into the views andfeelings which actuated the inventors themselves. Itis a

singular proofof the invention of the antients, thatno twoexamples of the same order are precisely sim ilar.— Theirvariety seems equal to that which we observe in the

reverses of their coins.This short and compressed view of the Elements of

Beauty in Grecian architecture , cannot be more appro

priately concluded than in the words of Alison‘. The

life of man,”

says that author, “ is very inadequate tothe duration of such productions, and the present

period of the world , though old with respect to those artswhich are employed on perishable subj ects, is yetyoungin relation to an artwhich is employed upon so durablematerials as those of architecture : instead of a few years,therefore centuries mustprobably pass before suchproductions demand to be renewed, and long before that periodis elapsed, the sacredness of antiquity is acquired by thesubjectitself, and a newmotive given forthe preservationof similar forms. In every country accordingly, the same

effect has taken place and the same causes which have

Vol. 11. p. 166.

BEAUTY m ARCHITECTURE. 13

thus served toproduce among us, for so many years, an

uniformity of taste with regard to the style of Grecianarchitecture, have produced also among the nations of theEast, for a much longer course of time, a similar unifor

m ity of taste, with regard to their ornamental style of

architecture ; and have perpetuated among them , the same

forms which were in use among their forefathers beforethe Grecian orders were invented.

14 ON THE ORIGIN or

ON THE ORIGIN OF GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE.

Though Babylonia‘, Chaldea and Egypt, had attained'very considerable proficiency in their architectural worksat a very early peri od , as we must conclude from the

accounts in the Holy Scriptures, no less than from those ofancient authors, yetneither of these countries, can fromall that we collect, be said to have known or understood the principles of the artso as to have rendered itcapable of affecting the mind otherwise than by the

enormous magnitude of the works itproduced . Nimrodbuilt three cities in Chaldea“. Nineveh was founded byAshur3, and we read of the establishment of town s in Palestiac as early as the age of Jacob and Abraham“. Later,in Homer ’ s time, Egypt boasted her celebrated Thebes

s,

which had atthat period been long in existence. The age

Strabo speaks ofmany magnificentworks which he attributes to Semiram is, and says, thatbesides those in Babylon ia, there were monumentsof Babylonian industry all over Asia. He speaks of Aéeoi (high altars)and strong walls and battlements of various cities, together with subter

raucous passages of commun ication — Also aqueducts, for the con veyanceof water under ground ; and passages of great length upwards by stairs.

— Also bridges,— lib. xvi.

And the beginn ing of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and

Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Gen . x . 10.

3 Outof that land wentforth Ashur, and bui lded N ineveh, ‘ and thecity Rehoboth and Calah.

”Ibid. v. 1 1 .

Genesis, xix. 20.— xxviii. 19.

s Ou‘

d’

ou

a"

E;’

n opsydy reorws’

o'orra u, 063

'

ova a (9111305;

Alyum i'

atg dsi Wham-a. Evx'

rriyacra. xsi’

rau ,

A: S’

ixa rdpm koi sku Iliad.

Kw'

a'su 35

,

Oats-l f or) ; mpl

'e"

Omen W o

'

kiviv 7 5 OnCacfi‘

s 7 5m m"

Ai'

yum'ov

ixa ro’

p‘rrul ow— Biod. S ic. lib. i. fol. 18. Edit Wesseling— Herodotus

Euterpe.

GRECIAN‘

ARCHITECTURE. 15

of the architectural wonders and excavations of India isundecided. It seems likely that the Egyptians gainedtheir architecture from the East, or as Jacob Bryant‘ sup.

poses, that the buildings of both nations were erected bycolon ies of some greatoriginal nation . This supposition is

borne outamazingly by the singularities in common of the

Indian and Egyptian styles — In the ornaments applied toeach there is a striking similarity, and each delighted instructures of extraordinary dimensions. — Itwas in Greecehowever that true archi tecture was reared ; in that country she received all the elementary beauties of which she

was susceptible, as well as those in her general forms withwhich the habits and Character of the nation invested her.But it is notto be presumed that the Oriental and Egyp.

tian architecture were devoid of beauty ; on the contrary,much is to be admired in the detail of each.

- In that

of the latter the forms of its masses are peculiarly grand.

It has been noticed in a preceding page that the monotony of the ornaments which the Egyptians employed,renders them in some respect deficient in pointof beauty

’

,

butletu s always recollect itwas from the foliage used bytheEgyptian s,particularly thatoftheLotus and Palm tree

’,

Q uarto edit. V ol. III. S uprci—

page 9.

3 Denon , Voyage dans la Basse etla haute Egypte. Plates 44 and 45.

The use of the Palm leaf in the Capitals of the Egyptian columns mayhave had its origin in an early and popular notion , thatthe Palm tree rose

under any weightthatwas pla ced on it, and in proportion to the degree ofdepression o

’

ovrw rafiy svov Bragopgvr‘u .

”Plutarch. Symposiac. lib.vi .

c . 4Si, super palmre, inquiunt, arboris lignum magna pondera imponas, ac

tam graviter urgeas oneresque, utmagnitudo oneris sustineri non queat

non deorsum palma cedit, n ec intra flectitur, sed adversus pondus resurgitetsursum nititur recurvaturque. Aulus Gell. lib. iii. c. 6.

16 ON THE ORIGIN or

and even from their employment of Volutes, that theGrecians evolved the Corinthian capital. They had suffi

cient penetration to di scover the soundprinciples on whichthe Egyptian architecture was founded, and judgment to

select, improve and adopt what was worthy Of im itation .

Itwas of course by very slow steps that architecture

proceeded to thatperfection which itattained in Greece.

— The mechan ical arts must have made considerable progress before buildings of stone could have been constructed. Ifwe may believe Pliny

'

, their early houses were butsimple huts built of earth and clay, resembling the cavern sfrom which they had butjustemerged. The same author

says, that the Greeks attributed the honor of inventingbricks to Euryal‘us and Hyperbias, brothers and natives of

Attica — But the time in which these persons lived isunknown, and their introduction of the use of bricks intoGreece is the utmost that can be assigned to them, if

indeed the whole story be nota fable.The Athen ian s were amongst the earliest of the nations

of Greece, who became a body politic. From their

indisposition to move far away from the ir country, they re

ceived, as some conjecture, the appellation of Az’

zfnixSovsg’

,

though according to Plato’ , the import is more literal,

Laterarias, ac domos constitueruntprimi, Euryalus etHyperbias fratres Atheni s : antea specus erantpro domibus. Plin. lib. vii . s . 57. See

a lso Pausan ias, Attic. c . 28, and fEschylus, Prometh. vinet. 449.

Isocrat. in Panaeg. pa. 65 , fol. Basil. 1750.

AdsuntAthen ienses, unde human itas, doctrina, religio, fruges, jura,leges ortac, atque in omnes terras distributaa putantur : de quorum urbispossessione, propter pulchritudi nem etiam inter deos certamen fuisseproditum est: qua: vetustate ea est, ut ipsa ex sese suos cives genuissed icatur. Cicero. Orat. pro L. Flacco.

3 In Menexen . Fol. Francof. 1602, pa. 518.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 17

from a belief that their ancestors actually sprang fromthe earth. The earliest of their kings of whom we

have notice was Ogyges, butof him little more than hisname is known . His son Eleusinus, however, bu ilt thecity of Eleusis, so thatthe father who also governed Bocotia

'

musthave introduced some civilisation into these partsof Greece . The kingdom of Argos owed its foundation toInachus’ , whose son Egialeus is said to have founded thekingdom of Sicyon . Ithas been conjectured , and withevery appearan ce ofprobability, thatthe above two chiefsbelonged to some of those differentcolon ies which movedfrom Asia and Egypt, and firstcivilised the inhabitan ts ofGreece, teaching them to dwell in cities, and to lead a

less wandering life. These doubtless brought with themsome remembrance of the arts of their native countries. The step from the unwieldy Egyptian column to

the Grecian Doric was indeed wide, yetexperien ce showsus how very gradual is the advance of science, and

through what a number of stages itmust pass before iteven approaches perfection .

The earliest ed ifices of the Greeks were far fromexhibiting skill or elegance . The Temple at Delphi,celebrated by Homer3, and supposed by Bryant“ to havebeen originally founded by Egyptians was according to

Pausan ias‘, little better than a hut covered with laurelbranches. During the time of Vitruvius the ruin s of the

Pausan ias— Boeotic. cap. 5 .

“Ag

’

yo; 6" ’

Ivaxs iov— Strabo. Arcad . lib. viii .

3 Iliad. I. 404 et seq.

4 Analysis ofAn cientMythology, vol. 1 . pa. 378.

5 Homeijva i as 7 611 ya civmi A1ro'

AAww TO a

’

gxa io'

ra rovMow”paw-1,

xowo'Srjva i are f or) ; akdb

‘

ov; avro fri g (idem; ri g év7n Témram. xaAdfiq; S’

aiv

axrjpta guru) ; 7 5 07

3! 571) Tagsa'

xmuarwpéyo; 5m o'

s. Phocic. c . 5 .

D

1 8 ON THE ORIGIN or

building wherein the Areopagus assembled were still

visible : even this was , accord ing to thatarch itect buta

m iserable sortof structure . Cadmus“, about 1 5 19 B. C.

has the reputation Of having introduced to the Greeks theworship of the Egyptian and Phoen ician deities, and of

having instructed them to quarry and work the Stone of

the country 3 so as to make ituseful in building, and moreover of having taughtthem the artof fusing and workingmetals. From this period the Greeks rapidly advancedin Civilisation butthe precise state of the artatthatearly

period, cannotbe satisfactorily determined, and the ditficulties in the way of acquiring any certain knowledge 0 11

the subject render the task irksome perhaps impossible to

perform. The laws Of Draco in the 39th Olympiad are

the most ancientwriting, says Bryant, to which we can

securely appeal. When the Grecians began afterwards

Vitruvius, lib. II . c . 1 .

1 Jacob Bryanttreats Cadmus in the same manner as he does the otherGrecian heroes, denying altogether the exi sten ce Of such a person , and attri

buting the good works done by him to the Colony Of Cadm ians instead of

their leader. Thi s is however a matter Of little consequence to our presentpurpose. Herodotus tells us, thatw hen the Cadm ians came to Attica,they introduced a new system ofArchitecture and builtTemples in a stylequ ite differentfrom that, to which the natives had been used. And he

describes the buildings in question as erected at a di stan ce from those Of

the country . '

Evri ref s 37} Te? Aa odaiywa ylo; 7 5 pampxéovro;

s’

a s' éa la x Kady ei

’

oxv'

1r' '

Agys iwv, xal Tgéa'wla t re} ;

'

n s'

Asa g. oi 3k

I‘

eqbvei aot v'

mAetqDGévra ; Gregor 6776 Borwrdiv, a'

vaxwgéaa l E;’

Asn'

va g. xa l

o'

er {poi Ears Ev'

ASvjvpo'

I iffgvpéya , may é é‘

évpéra f orm Aom r'

AS nva fom'

i,

aiAXz'

re xsxwgso'

péva'ru

'

Jy 07).v igu'

iv, xa i 87} xa l'

Axa fy; Arjf'

mrgo; ipo'

v7 5

m i dpy ia . Herodotus, Tcrpsich. 61 .

3 P lin y, lib. vii . sect. 57. Euripides speaking of the Walls Of ancientMyce nae con siders them as the productions of the Cyclopeans after the

t nicia n ru le and m ethod .

03; rd xv w'

vrwvfid a ,

(Poiym; xawo'

w xai 76x01; fip‘uwuéva . Herc. Fur. 939.

20 ON THE ORIGIN or

have been constructed aboutthe same period. Goguet'

,

to whom I am much indebted, Observes that if theseedifices are so ancient, it is very singular that Homer,

Herodotus, D iodorus and Strabo should have never made

any remark on, nor even mention of the Treasury of

Minyas. Apollodorus and Strabo however speak of the

‘Valls Of Tiryns’

saying that they were built by workmen whom Proetus had broughtfrom Lycia, and Homer 3

records nva f ezxfoea'

a'

ocv. The lasting Walls ofTirynsstill exhibit, in the smallportion which remains, the workand arrangement of a very remote age .

Ithas been conjectured“thatthe Treasury of Minyasbore a resemblance to the Treasury ofAtreus atMycenm,

still in existence , in which the beds of the courses Of

stones are horizontally adj usted, and man ifestan advancedstage of the art. What has been called the vaulting of

this lastmentioned Treasury is notentitled to that appellation . Though the internal face of the work is in theform of a circular spindle generated by the revolution of

a segment of a circle about its Chord, and nota parabo

loid s as a noble author has stated, yet its constructionindicates no knowledge Of the principles of Arching or

Vaulting. The curve is obtained by each course corbelling over in horizontal beds and by afterwards working the

Asia Minor, and which came into Greece towork for him . See alsoHerodotus Terpsichore, c. 6.

Originc des Lois, 8vo. Paris 1809, V ol. 11 . pa. 182.

2See note supra.

Ili ad. B. 559.

4 In an Inquiry intothe Principles Of Beauty in Grecian Architecture,&c. by George, Earl OfAberdeen . l 2mo. London, 1822, pa. 92.

Ibid. It is presumed that the author may have meanta paraboli cspindle .

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 21

inverted Steps to the shape required. Now in respect OfthatOfMinyas, Pausan ias says thatitwas vaulted and con

structed of Marble , although there is no likelihood,even so late as the age of Homer, thatthis material was

employed in Grecian buildings. Had that been the

case, says Goguet, Homer would scarcely have omitted

the mention of it in his description of the Palace ofAlcinous

'

, and much less in the Palace of Men elaus, whichwas celebrated by him for the gold, silver, brass and

ivory which it conta in ed .

”

If the introduction among the Greeks of the instru

ments n ecessary for working materials be assigned to

Daedalus, which it would be if we might rely on the

authors of antiquity“, itwill be no easy task to reconcilethe accounts of Pausan ias and others with the truth,inasmuch as this person is allowed on all hands to haveexisted , if atall, long subsequ ent to the periods abovementioned. Goguethas therefore made him altogether afabulouspersonage taking the name AAIAAAOEto mean

nothing more than a skilful workman , a m ean ing whichhe says has not escaped the notice of Pausan ias. It is

indeed surprising, had so wonderful an artist existed, thathe should not have been celebrated by Homer, or thatHerodotus, who availed himself of every Opportunity forlaunching into anecdote, should , indescribing the Labyrinth of Egypt, have said nothing in relation to that of

Odyss. A. 72.

Diod. Sic. lib. iv.

Namque huic tradiderat, fatorum ignara, docendamProgeniem germana suam, natalibus actisBis puerum senis, anim i ad precepta capacis.

Ovid.Metam. lib. viii.241 .Pliny, lib. vu . sect. 57.

922 ON THE ORIGIN or

Crete, especially as itwould have been so much to thehonor of his own country'. Goguet is of Opin ion that

many of the instruments whose introduction were attri

buted to Dae dalus were not known to the Greeks, evenin the time of Homer, who does notspecify in his poemsany other than the hatchet with two edges, the plane, theauger and the rule“. Neither square , compasses, nor

saw are particularised. The Greek sign ification , wgfm ,

Of a saw or its equivalentis not found in any Of his works.The inform ation gained from the Homeric writings,

whose authenticity it is unnecessary to d iscuss in this

place, and from the Odyssey more particularly, which ifnotso ancient as the Iliad must, nevertheless, have soon

followed it, and is admitted on all hands to be of veryhigh antiqu ity, shews us that in the age of the poet,

the patriarchal was the form of government that prevailed ’ , and that the Chief buildings Of those days werethe palaces of the princes. At this period, the Altarappears to have been the only stru cture for sacred use :

itwas little more than a hearth on which the victim was

prepared for the meal. In earlier times the tops of

Athenagoras, Leg. pro Christ. X IV . says that before Homer and

Hesiod no sculptor’ s art appeared in Greece nor representations Of the

Gods . AI 8’

elxo'

vs ; péxpi wAaw axvj, xa l 7pa¢ imj, xa i dvé‘

piaw o

m urmur) fim v, o'

ub‘

é évoaigovro.

2l'

le'

Aexvvyéyav, xci Axeov, a'

pcpo'répwflsvdvaxpéyov. Odyss. E. 239

et seq. Forsyth in the usual caustic style of his N otes to the valuable“Remarks on the An tiquities, Arts, and Letters in Italy, second ed it.

8vo. Lond. 1816, p. 292, says “All Homer'

s cutlery is made Of 6257

xa gb'

, his xa kxeu‘

; is a jack -Of- all trades, and the metal itself is thusgeneralised by him .

"

xdkxevov(loci/Fake; M AME,Il o

'

p'

rra ; rs, yvaa'n'

rai; 3' EAixa g, xaiAvxa

'

; re, xa i o

'

paeg.

Iliad . E. 400.

Principles Of Design in Architecture, 8vo. London 1809 .

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 23

mountains‘ were selected notonly by the Greeks but byother nations for the worship of their Gods. Thus we

find Hector sacrificing on the top of Ida

0! a. s [9 ’ l

o; 7roM a w vem { met suney”1371; E1) noel/$370 : 7ro7w7r

'n ixou, a

’

iM o're d

’

a fwrs

El! 7 6e dugo'ré '

rp. Iliad. X . 1 70 .

Notuntil after Homer’

s time was a“

regular priesthoodestablished in Greece . AtSparta the Office ofpriestwas

vested in the Kings. In Egypt2

and in many other placesthe d ign ity was obtained by inheritance . When the prin ci

palperson was absent, itwas customary forthe n exthighestin rank present to offer the sacrifice. Thus was Eumaeus

engaged as we find by the Odyssey.— In this age we con

sequently find the altar in the King ’ s palace — the part

therefore in which it stood must occasionally have beenused as a temple .

-Hence itseems probable thatuntil theSacerdotal was separated from the kingly office , the

Grecian Temple, properly so called, had no existen ce .

Though itbe entirely conj ectural, itwill not be amiss

to consider in this place, as well as can be collected from

And he broughthim into the field of Z ophim , to the topof Pisgah,and bui lt seven Altars. — N umbers xx iii . 14.

Strabo inform s us thatthe Persians always performed theirworshipuponHills .

“ Ilépcm i roivvy aZyaZAjuara pfisy nodfiw‘ué ; s’

x’

idpu’

ovra r 8 158 0 : SEéy rid» ;Au? ro

'

mu révo’

upawivrjyov'

ueva tAfar. Lib. xv. See also Herodotus, Euterpe.

Virgil makes his hero choose a high situation for a Temple to VenusTum vicina astris Erycino in vertice sedes

Fundatur Veneri Idaliae : tumuloque sacerdos,Et lucus late sacer, additur Anchiseo. lEn . v. 760 .

Brady (is 7 1; aivroeoivp, rare 5ra l"

; a’

vrma rlaram i . Herod. Euterpe.

See a lso Virgil Rex Anius, rex idem Hom inum , Phoebique sa

cerdos.” JEneid. iii . 80. on which passage Servius Observes, Majorum

en im haac erat con suetudo, ut rex esset'

etiam, sacerdos etPontifex, unclehodi eque Imperatores Pontifices dicamus.

24 ON THE ORIGIN or

a junction of differentpassages in the Odyssey, the natureof the palaces described in it; but more especially thatOfUlysses forwhich we can collectmore materials than forthe others .— Our chief concern is with the ATAH. In the

Odyss. 2 . 286, 7 , as well as in other passages , we find a

d istinction made between itand the AOMOE.— From its

etymology"

Aw it should be, locus subdialis. Itis some

times, indeed, used forthe whole palace‘

, butthis is by nomeans its import in the Odyssey. In the ATAH Tele

macha s l w the female attendants of Penelope, tyingthem up by a rope over the OOAOE, cieling ’

. If

therefore the ATAH was open attop, where could theOOAO Z have been , if notbelonging to the AIOOTEA,

Cloister, which was 755150 0 77 0 ; (sonorous, echoing) 3 and

circumscribed the Open part of the ATAH. It, the

OOAOE, was supported by KIONEE, posts or columns.— In the centre ofthe ATAH stood the BQ MOE

, altar.The MEEOAMAI in this arrangementwill turn outto

be the space between the columns or posts, or in otherterms the intercolumn iations, which is the vulgar tran slation of the word. In this case, the passage in whichTelemachus is described as seeing the lighton the walls,ac. becomes quite intelligible.

"

Err/Tn; 7 02560 : “system , naxa i re y ea o’

dym ,

Eiaé 'n va f Ts daxoi, xa i m

’

oveg Exov'

rsg,

<I>a fvovr’

6¢9aAyn ._ Odyss. T. 1 70 .

It is clear that the word AIOOTEA , whose root isAi

'

Sw (lucco) will bear the interpretation above given ,

whether the other conjectures advanced be or be notwell

2Odvss . X . 466.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. Q 5

founded, — and from such an arrangement the transitionto the hypaethral temple is by no mean s violent or ex

traord inary.— Itis moreover coincidentwith the disposi

tion of the Egyptian temple and therefore notperhaps

altogether conjectural.Whilst on this subjectperhaps a few words might serve

to illustrate the cond ition ofthe artatthe period ofwh ichwe are speaking— for thispurpose we willtake the House

of Alcinous, which is described as follows1

Ulysses wentto the celebrated house of Alcinous andstood considering many matters, before he approached thebrazen threshold, OTA0 2 .

-A Splendour like that of

the'

sun appeared throughout the lofty roofed "

house,

TWEPECDHE, of Alcinous. Brazen walls were to be

seen3on every side from the threshold to the innermost

part. On these was a capping, OPII‘

KOE, of a blue

colour. Golden doors in the interior enclosed the wellsecured house .

— ~ Silver jambs, ETAOMOI, stood on the

brazen threshold. The lintel, THEPOTPION , was of

silver, the cornice, KOPQ NH, of gold. On each side

of the door were gold and silver dogs which were byVulcan

'

so ingen iously contrived, that they would neverexperience the infirmities of age — these guarded the house

of the magnan imou s Alcinou s.

Within , seats were attached to the wall, in different

places, from the entrance to the inner part of the house ,

See Denon, P late 34, which represents the interior Of the Temple OfApollinopoli s atEdfou.

Odyss . H. 81 .

3 I am aware that ii i/Sat xalE’

ySa , does not perhaps exactlybear. the interpretation given — but as there is some doubtof the precisemeaning of the passage, which is by no means particularly importanthere,— the translation wil l sufficiently answer the purpose.

26 ON THE ORIGIN or

and on them were covers of a light texture wrought bythe women .

- These seats were occupied by the chiefs ofthe Phaeacians who sate eating and drinking — They werecontinually feasting.

Golden youths with blazing torches in their hands,stood on the well builtaltars, to light the house for theguests atn ight,

”&c. &c.

Returning to the construction and arrangement of theATAH, ithas been surm ised in a preceding page, thatitm ightunder all the circumstan ces, have furn ished a hint

for the rectangular and columnar disposition ofthe templeitself — We are un able to trace the degrees which intervened between the sole use Of the altar and the establishmentof the Greek temple, or when the latter became a

n ecessary appendage to the religion Ofthe country'. We

are equally un informed how the revolution happenedwhichabolished the civil judicial and m ilitary Offices of Kings,leavi ng the sacerdotal. Butthough the King ’ s palaceseems to have had no part appropriated to religious ceremony, yet being the depositary of whatever furnitureand utensils, the rite of sacrifice required, a substitutewould he wanted when this Palace was no more — TO

supply this wantthe cell seems to have been added to the

Greek Temple.

”It is supposed by Eu sebius and others“

thattemples owe the ir origin to the reverence which ‘

the

ancients had for their deceased friends and relation s andbenefactors, and thatthey were nothing more than statelymonuments erected in honor Of the early heroes who hadconferred whilstliving some public benefiton mankind.

The temple of Pallas for instance at Larissa, was the

Prin ciples Of Design in Architecture, page 26.

Potter'

s Archazolog. Graec. Chap. ii i . Vol. I.

28 ON THE ORIGIN or

Homer. Terraces on the tomof the Eastern houses were

also general, for the Jewi sh law enacted that persons

should surround them with a protecting railing In some

Of the Egyptian remain s there are di stincttraces of even

more than two stories, and it is not therefore too much

to contend forthe existence of one in the time of the poet.

The word KAIMA'

E. frequently occurs in the Odysseyin connection with the verbs ANABAINEIN or KATA

BAINEIN and the word dwegw’

ov above mentioned.

Whether itsign ify a ladder or a staircase is of no importance , though the usual progress of invention would seem

to indicate the priority of the latter. Neither is itof consequenceto our presentpurpose to fix with precision the

exact situation of the a gw'

ovor caenaculum whether

atthe back partof the house or over the Bo'

uog itself, it is

sufficiently clear that it was necessary to reach it bymeans Of a staircase‘.Stone and brick were the materialsmostcommonly em

ployed in the works of the Egyptians, from whom if

Greece gained her knowledge in the arts, one can hardlysee the necessity of the intermediate stepof those woodenstructures which are said to have been the original typeOf the Doric Temple . It is indeed true thatthe forestsof the Country would have supplied timber in abundance,and the little labour requisite to work itwould have beenan add itional inducementfor its employment.

Deut. xxn . 8. When thou bui ldesta new house, then thou shaltmake a battlementfor thy roof, thatthou bring notblood upon thine houseif any man fall from thence . Through the wantof this species of fen

cing or ra iling atthe palace of Circe, Elpenor one of the compan ions of

Ulysses had the m isfortune of breaking his neck. Odyss. K. 552. etseq.

Odyss. P . 8: seq. 49. 2 . 205 . 6. &c.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 29

The deducement Oftheparts ofthe Doric Order entirely:from wooden buildings is not without some anomalies

which will be afterwards noticed in speaking ofthatorder.The idea seems to have been currentin the time of V itru

vius‘, but upon his authority in matters of historicalresearch notmuch reliance is to be placed. It cannot,however, be denied that upto a comparatively late periodtimber was very extensively used in the construction of

the Greek Temple. In the time of X enophon.

it was a

material not considered toomean to be employed in forming the statues of Deities i n the smaller temples, whereneither a greatrevenu e appropriated to religiouspurposes,nor extensive public favor, afforded m eans for large

If the wooden temples had altogether escaped the

flames which consumed so many of them, itis notto be

expected that they would from the nature Of the materialhave escaped the all devouring hand of time .

-As the

principles of construction mustbear some relation to thenature of thematerials : the proportions of the woodentemple would in all probability have been d ifferent from

those in which stone was employed. The epistylium or

beam laid on the top of the supports in the former, probably ran through each side of the building in one piece,buta block of stone Could it have been procured sufli

ciently long and deepforthepurpose, would nothave beenraised to its place and deposited on the heads of the

columns withoutsuch assistance from the complication of

the mechan ical powers as would in those days, if evenknown, have proved so unwieldy and expensive as to haverendered their application inexpedient.— Here then is the

Lib. iv; e. 1 .

Principles Of Design in Architecture, p. 31 .

80 ON THE ORIGIN or

first steptowards a reduction of the space between the

columns which is denominated an intercolumn iation .

For itis to be remembered that atthe period of which weare Speaking, the arch was to all appearance unknown .

Some general notion may be formed of the comparativeantiquity of the d ifferent examples Of the Grecian Doricby measuring their heights in terms of the lower part ofthe d iameter of their shafts, ofwhich more notice will betaken in a subsequent page — in this place, it is only necessary to state, that the massive proportions of the earlyDoric, such for instance as those used in the Temple at

Selinuns in Sicily, where the columns are only five d iameters ia height, ata laterperiod assumed a much greaterappearance Of delicacy and elegance , and that the intercolumn iations of this order gradually increased as the art

progressed towards perfection .

The account of the Origin of the Orders of Architecture as given byVitruvius seems too absurd a fableto needmuch discussion.

— It will not escape the notice of any

one, thatthe time which he assigns for their origin, islong previous to the time of Homer, who does notin any

partof his poems give the slightesthintwhich could leadus to a belief that there was what is understood by theword ORDER to be found in any part of the buildings hedescribes, which had itex isted, itseems atleast probable,he would have m entioned — He speaks ofTemples cousecrated to Neptune and Minerva without describing them,

it is likely therefore that they were only altars to those

deities‘

.— We will however give the account from V itru

vins, which is as follows’

Dorus, son of Hellen and the Nymph Orseis reignedOdyss. Z . 266. Iliad. Z . 297. See also s apru, page 22.

Lib. iv. c. 1 .

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 31

'

Over Achaia and PeloppOnnesus. He built a temple of

this (the Doric) order on a spotsacred to Juno atArgos,an ancient city. Many temples Similar to itwere afterwards raised in the other parts of Achaia, though atthattime its proportions were notprecisely established .

When the Athen ian s in a general assembly of the

states of Greece, sent over into Asia, by the advice Of theDelphic oracle, thirteen colonies at the same time , theyappointed a Governor over each, reserving the chief command for Ion , the son of X uthu s and Creusa whomthe Delphic Apollo had acknowledged as son .

— He led

them over into Asia, where they occupied the borders OfCaria, and builtthe great cities ofEphesus, Miletus, Mya safterwards destroyed by inundation and its sacred rites andsufii ages transferred by the Ionian s to the inhabitants ofMiletus, Priene, Samos, Teos, Colophon, Chios, Erythrze ,PhoczEa, Clazomene, Lebedos and Melite. This last as a

punishment for the arrogance of its citizens, was detachedfrom the other states in the course of a war levied on it,

in a general council, and in its place, as a m ark of favortowards King Attalus and Arsinoe, the city of Smyrnawas received into the number of Ion ian States — These

received the appellation of Ionian, after the Carians andand Lelegae had been driven out, from the name Ion, of

the leader. - In this country, allotting different Sites to

sacred purposes, they erected Temples — the firstof whichwas dedicated to Apollo Panionia s

‘. It resembled that

which they had seen in Achaia, and from the specieshaving been first used in the cities of Doria ; they gave it

The BipontEdition as well as Rode’ s, Berlin, l800— has itN eptune.— S chneider however restores ittoApollo, quoting Hesychius and Wesse

1ing’

s Herodotus. Clio, 147. where Apollo is called I'

Iawaivscg.

32 ON THE ORIGIN or

the name‘

of Doric . As they wished to erect this Templewith columns, and were notacquainted with theirpropertions, northe_mode in which they should be adjusted, so

as to be both adapted to the reception of the superin

cumbent weight, and to have a beautiful effect : theymeasured a man

’

s height by the length of the foot whichthey found to be a sixth part thereof— and thence deducedthe proportion of their columns. Thus the Dorie orderborrowed its proportion strength and beauty from the

human figure'. On similar principles they afterwards

builtthe Temple of D iana ; but in this from a desire ofvarying the proportions they used the female figure as a

standard, making the height of the column eighttimes itsthickness for the purpose Of giving it a more lofty effect.

-Under this new order they placed a base as a shoe to

the foot.— They also added volutes to the capital resembling the graceful curls Of the hair, hanging therefrom to

the right and left certain mouldings and foli age. On

the Shaft, channels were sunk, bearing a resemblance to

the folds of a matronal garment.— Thus were two orders

invented, one Of a masculine character withoutornament,the other Of a characterapproaching the delicacy, decorations and proportion of a female. The successors of these

people improving in taste and preferring a more slender

proportion assigned seven diameters to the heightof the

The tradition con cerning Antazus might have furn ished Vitruviushad he been in the rightcue atthe time with an origin of the introductionof ox and other skulls into friezes . This chara cter covered the roof Of a

temple Of N eptune with the skulls of Foreigners, whom he slew in

engagements with him .

’

Idivg 7 3V’

Awa i’

o’

vOno ; rdivEENQ N «Evaw wpivm

TOD: KPAN IOIZ ige’

Om 'ni

v7 05 I'

loa'

udfivo; Muir. SO that skulls were usedearly as ornaments in bui lding. Pindari Carm . Edit. Heyn. Scholia,Tom . 3, fol. 826.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 33

Doric column, and eight and a half to the Ionic. Thatspecies of which the Ion ians were the inventors has received the appellation Of Ionic. The third species which iscalled Corinthian resembles, in its character, the gracefulelegantappearance of a virgin , whose limbs are of a moredelicate form and whose ornaments should be unobtrusive .

The invention Of the Capital of this order arose from the

following circumstance. A Corinthian virgin, whowas ofm arriageable age, fell a victim to a Violentdisorder : afterher interment, her nurse collecting in a basket thosea rticles, to which she had shewn a partiality when alive,carried them to her tomb, and placed a tile on the basket,for the longer preservation of its contents. The basketwas accidentally placed on the root of an acanthus plant,which pressed by the weight, shotforth, towards spring,its stems and large foliage , and in the course of its growthreached the angles of the tile, and thus formed volutes atthe extremities.— Callimachus, who for his great ingenu ity and taste in sculpture was called by the Atheniansuawa

’

wexvog, happen ing atth is time to pass by the tomb,observed the basket and the delicacy of the foliage whichsurrounded it. Pleased with the form and novelty of thecombination , he took the hintfor inventing these '

columns,

using them in the country about Corinth,” 8cc.

Whoever reads the above accountcan give itbutlittlecredit.— The testimony Of Vitruvius on matters whichoccurred so long before his time, unless authenticated byearlier writers, cannot be received in an investigationsimilar to that in which we are engaged — We will now

proceed to a consideration of the Progress and Perfectionof Grecian Architecture .

34 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION or

ON THE PROGRESS AN D PERFECTION OF GRECIAN

ARCHITECTURE.

HISTORY furn ishes us with few means of ascertainingthe progress and condition of the fine arts among the

Greeks, between the period commonly assigned to the

Siege ofTroy, and that of the time of Solon and Pisistra

tus, 5 90 years A. C.

‘

In Greece Proper, it is probablethatthe advancementwas slow , wh ilst its colon ies esta

blished on the coast of Asia Minor, were making rapidstrides towards perfection . GoguetSpeaks of Asia Minoras the cradle in which architecture was rocked, and thesoil on which itgrew and flourished ; and thinks thatwemustlook to this country, for the origin of the Dome

and Ionic orders. This will be presently examined . The

Corinthian order, from what we can learn, did notappeartill some time afterwards, and is generally allowed to

have been the invention of the mother country itself. OneOf the earliesttemples of the Greeks, thatof Jupiter atOlympia, must, according to Pausan ias have been builtabout630 years before the Christian tEra. ThatofDianaat Ephesus was begun at a period little less remote, ifLivy 3 be right in his assertion that itwas reared atthe

The Egyptians in the time of Solon were advanced in science. Solonwas told by one Of the irpriests , thatthe Grecian swere children in sciencethatthey were utterly ignorantOf the mythology of other nations ; and

did riot understand their own . Plato in Timaeo. Clemens. Strom . Lib. 1 .

Ts’

xrwv82Eyévs'ro a u

’

ré Aifiwvs’

mxw'

plog, and the intention in erectingthe temple is afterwardsmentioned . Pausan. Eliac. Pr. c. 10.

Jam tum erat inclitum Diana: Eph esiaa fanum : id communiter a

civitatibus Asias factum fama ferebat.” Liv. Hist.Lib. l . c.45 .

86 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION or

resorted ' to for ascertain ing the import Or origin Of thethings which bear them .

The detail of the Doric Order is said by a hostof

writers, with Vitruvius at the ir head, to have been borrowed from the assemblage of timber framing in a com

mon but, and that it was the resultOf Copying in stone

the form and parts of a wooden building. This, itmust

he confessed, seems contrary to the ordinary progress of

the arts and sciences. Stone buildings would scarcely bethe immediate followers of those con structed in timber,where bricks were known however, if thatwere the ease ,

the latter must have been carried to greatperfection in theirforms, arrangement, and proportions, and have attained

a certain Style and character before they could havebeen deemed objects worthy of imitation . The Observaé

tion in the Encyclopédie Methodique'on this Subject

is‘

so sensible, that the writer shall speak for himself“Tout nous indique qu

’une telle metamorphose He put

s’effectuer que par une suite non iriterrompue, mais treslente d ’ operations subordonnées a beaucoup de causes,dontles u nes peuvent encore se saisir ou se deviner, etdont les autres ont é chappé a l

’attention mem e des con :

temporains, etdoiventencore se soustraire aux recherchescurieuses de la posterité .

”In short, says the same writer,

if the Doric order could be attributed to an inventor,that inventor was a people among whom Similar wantsexisted for a long period, and among whom a style of

building was retained suitable to the climate and the

habits oftheirlife, and one which time slowly and gradually

Art. Doriq'

ue.

37

modified and broughttoperfection, on principles renderedsacred by custom.

The system of imitation in the Doric order has the ap

pearance of having been founded on the elementary formsof the hut; but itwas guided, if that really be the case,by the same principles Which Nature herself adopts inher works , without the aid Of which no bounds couldhave been set to the imagination and caprice of its

improvers. In the Copy no part can be said to be pre

cisely similar'

to the“

model ; the former displays senti

ment, not calculation . The triglyphs and metopes, whichare said to representwhat in the original were the ends

of beams and the Spaces between them , are gen erallyfound only in the exterior of the ‘

bu‘

ildIng. The inclination of the mutules, originating, as itis said, in the Slope

ofthe rafters, is stillpreserved, though the frontin whichthey appear,

'

be of a nature to require an horizontal

arrangementof them. These things shew that the artists

atleast adopted a free and not a servile imitation of the

primitive types. One cannothowever refrain from Observ

ing, thaton an inspection of D enon’s plate of the Portico

of the Temple of Tentyris in the‘entablature whereof

are to be found proj ection s and intervals in its upper division , bearing a striking '

resemblance to the arrangementof the Doric frieze, a su spicion is induced that the

u sual hypothesis wants stronger ' confirmation than ithasgenerally seemed to require "

. It is.

'

true’ thatthe projec

Voyage de l’Egypte, plate 14.

I am indebted to a very worthy friend, Mr. Charles Barry, for thefollowing interesting and valuable note, which I shall give in his own

words, expressing my regretthathe has not hitherto favored the Publicwith some portion at least, of the information he has acquired in the

course of those extended travels and researches in Greece, Egypt, and Pa

88 ON THE PROGRESS AND'

Ps nrncrrou or

tions in question are in the form of reeds, butthe general

effect, especially when we observe the way in which theintervals are ornamented, cannot fail to bring to mindthe arrangemen t of the Doric Frieze and Corn ice, nottomention the reeding at the external angles, which cor

responds with the angular triglyphs of the Doric order.The introduction of the angular triglyph seems to havebeen an anomaly which could not have arisen , had the

lestine, whi ch he takes so much pleasure in libera lly communi cating to

hi s friends.

“ The tombs of Benihassan are excavated in a rock a short distan cefrom the N ile on its rightbank, about48 Fren ch leagues south of Ca iro.

Two of them have architectural fronts, cons isting of tw o fluted column s inantis, similar to the accompanying Sketch No. 1 . The columns are about

6§ diameters in height. The flutes are shallow and 20 in number, and

the capital consists of an abacus only . T here are no indications of a

base or plinth. Above the architrave, which is plain, is a proje cting ledgeof the rock, in the form of a corn ice, the soifitof which is sculptured ap

parently in imitation of a series of reeds laid transversely and horizonta llyfor its support. This was probably the system originally adopted for thesupport of the flat mud roof of the primitive Egyptian hut, and marperhaps have given rise to the dentils and mutules of Greek and Roman

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE . 39»

primitive type been what we have just seen. What couldbe more absurd than to give the end

“

. of the same beamtwo faces at right angles with its longitudinal direction .

architecture. In the interior of several of the tombs aresome very remarkable columns supporting the rock above,which forms the ceiling. One of them is represented in

Sketch N o. 2. They seem very satisfactorily to explainthe origin of a column of like form peculiar toEgyptianArchitecture, and employed in many of the EgyptianTemples. The prototype would appear to have con sistedof four large reeds of the N ile, placed upon an angularblock, and tied together by cords n ear the top, formingthereby the capital . Small sticks are introduced betweenthe reeds at the place of ligature, to render the figure ofa more circular form , and afford the m ean s of firmly tyingthe whole together. The top i s crowned by a squareabacus, and the reeds being there confined, the effect ofany in cumbentweight upon them would be to producethe form represented in the Sketch . A slight deflectionof the shaft would also take place, and may not this

accountfor the origin of the entasis of Columns.

Another remarkable instan ce of fluted Egyptian columns occurs in an

excavated temple at Kalaptchic on the left bank of the N ile, about 25Fren ch leagues above the first cataracts. The

temple consists of two‘

chambers, the largest ofwhich has its roof or in cumbent rock, sup

ported by two of the column s alluded to, as inSketch N o. 3. The abacus is square, and 1 1

in ches thick ; the shaft, which has a tri flingdim inution , is 7 feet8 inches high, and 3 feet2inches diameter. The circumferen ce is in 24di vi sions, whereof 4, which are at

“

right angleswith each other, are flatfaces, covered with hieroglyphics, and the other interven ing ones are

sunk into flat eliptical flutes inch deep. On

the topand bottom of the shaft is a plain horizontal band. The plinth is circular, itprojectsconsiderably beyond the shaft, and is chamferedon the top edge.

There are several instances of polygonalshafts in the Egyptian Temples. A remark

40 on THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION or

On the supposition of the type being the but, and of the

detail of the order being derived from the component

parts of a but, the Romans, and afterwards the restorers ofartin Italy, were justified in altering this defect, whichwasthe father of many more, in the arrangementof the intercolumniations. Itis almost n eedless to observe that thematerials of Egyptian Architecture, from the great scarcity of wood in the country, must have generally beenstone or brick. The large blocks of the former material

precluded the necessity ofmaking timber roofs, and it istherefore hardly reasonable to seek the origin of the pro

jections of the entablature atTentyris, and of other moreancientexamples, in the ends of beams.Proportions, and the rules necessary to be observed for

the purpose of giving them elegance and effect, are onlynecessary to preserve uniformity in theprinciples on whichwe proceed, and forpreventing too great a latitude of ima

gination in the productions of art. We may be assuredthat whenever these become so fixed in any country,that its artists feel fettered by the restrictions which toorigid an adherence to antient rules imposes, invention

l

and taste are extinguished . The extraordinary differencewhich we find in the proportions and parts of the same

order, plainly shews thatthe artists of Greece considered

able one is in a temple atEluthias, on the rightbank of the N ile, a few

miles south ofEsneh, where, in the interior of a large vestibule, the wholeof the roof is supported upon polygonal columns of sixteen sides.

There is every reason to suppose from the nature of the sculpture andthe hieroglyphics, thatthe tombs and temples a lluded to are of very remoteantiquity, or during the most flourishing period of the Arts in Egypt.The genera l resemblan ce of the fluted columns to those of the GrecianDoric Order is man ifest, and, in addition tomany other remarkable indications ia the Egyptian Temple , clearly pointto Egyptas the source of

both Greek and Roman Architecture.

C. BARRY.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 4 1

themselves only restricted in the general proportions.This cannot be more clearly shewn than by a reference tothe following table of seventeen examples of the Doricorder. In the firstcolumn are

‘

the names of the edifices ;the second

,

column contains the height of the columnsin English feet ; the third the height of the columnsin terms of their lower diameter ; and the fourth, theheightof the capital in sim ilar terms. The fifth columngives the diameter of the column taken atthe top of the

shaft, also in terms of the lower diameter.

D iametersN A M E OF EDIFICE.

Temple atCorinthHypaethral Temple at PaestumEnneastyle ditto

Greater Hexastyle Temple atSelinuns

Temple ofMinerva, SyracuseOctastyl 'eH'ypaethral Temple, SelinunsTemple of JunoLucina atAgrigentumTemple of Con cord, AgrigentumHexastyle Temple atPmstumTemple of Jupiter Panhellen iusParthenon .

Temple of Theseus, AthensTemple ofMinerva, Sun iumTemple of Apollo, Island of De losDoric Portico ofAugustus, AthensTemple of Jupiter, N emeusPortico of Philip of Macedon

The above view of the order exhibits some remarkablepeculiarities on which itwill be necessary to remark , aftersubmitting another

’

Table shewing the proportion of. the

Entablature and its parts, to the height of the Column,in terms of the Diameter.

49 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF

NA M E OF EDIFICE.

Temple atCorinth .8107 wanting wanting

Hypaethra l Temple atPazstum .6934 .6761 .3714

Eimeastyle Temple at Paestum .7922 .6926 wanting

Temple of Juno Lucina ,Agrigentum .9195 .7440 wanting

Temple of Concord, ditto .7787 .771 1 .4174

Hexastyle Temple at Paestum .7583 .7461 .4123

Temple of Jupiter, Panhellenius .8562 .8578 wanting

Parthenon .7195 .7188 .5392

Temple of Theseus .8296 .8209 .3180

Temple ofMinerva, Sun ium . .8072 .8072 .3134

Portico ofAugustus .6647 .705 1 .3544

Portico of PhilipofMacedon .6394 .8107 .4169

From an inspection of the above Table it appears thatthe heightof the Doric column , speaking in round num

bers, varies from four diameters in he ightto six and a half,and its upper diameter from seven to e ighttenths of the

inferior d iameter. The heights of the capitals in terms ofthe lower diameter, vary from thirty- seven to fifty

- six

hundredths.It has been said that the height of the capital in

terms of the upper d iameter of the shaftwill afford some

indication of the comparative antiqu ity of an example.

Butafter the very singular and concurring proportions ofthe entablatures just exhibited in the fourth column of

the second table, wherein We find only so slight a differ

ence as a quarter of a diameter among e ightexamples,there cannotre main a doubtthatthe ancients consideredthe relation to the lower more than to the superior diameter of the column .

The bestmethod , however, ofascertain ing the antiquityof an example is by a View of the progress which would

Lord Aberdeen’

s Inquiry, pag e 152.

44 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF

column, and they are nearly the same atthe Parthenon .

AttheTemple OfTheseus they exceed that width by about

a quarter Of a diameter, and in an example at Syracuse

they are somewhat less than a diameter.Two or three smaller matters remain to be noticed.

These are the varieties in the forms of the echinus Of

the capital and in those of the flutes — The echinus issometimes inclined atonce inward by a straight line, or bya slight curve without any double fiexure.

— It is some

times verymuch extended in its projection from the shaftwhilst in other examples we find it nearly approachingthe quarter round of the Romans. When curved , thecontour will be found composed of segments of curvesformed by the section Of a cone . The form ofthe flutes onthe plan is variable ; we sometimes find them segments ofcircles, and atother times they are of a curvilinear form,

partaking somewhatof the ellipsis.— Their number also

varies .- Tn the e xamples atAthens, the number is twenty

whilstatPaestum the e xterior order of the greatTemplehas twenty- four, the lower interior order twenty, and theupper interior only sixteen .

Those who from a passage in the Odyssey‘ have d iscovered that the fluting of columns was made forthe purposeof receiving and hold ing the spears of the person s whoseduties led them to the Temple, and that this want gaverise to the invention , do great injustice to the ingenuityof the Grecians. Itis here unnecessary to argue in re

futation of so strange a conj ecture — We will only in

I 0 11 I 1E'

yxog pswp ( O'

TflO'

Ecpsem mom [s a xgmI w I

o godoxng sw agger ivfoa ,Odyss. A. 127.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 45

passing observe, that a more inconven ient place for theAOTPOAOKH could notpossibly be assigned than sucha situation , nor one where Obstruction would have beenmore unnecessarily created than in the comparativelynarrow intercolumn iations of the Grecian Temple ; nor

one, if the spears were to stand in contactwith the recessof the channel, in which they would have been more

liable to be constantly displaced by accident— It is pro

bable thatthe fluting is nothing more than an improve

mentwhich Grecian refinementwould make on the polygonal column Of Egypt.Until after the defeatof X erxes, when the active spirit

of the Athenian s langu ished for an object, we do notfind

thatsingular elegan ce in theirworks in the fine arts, whichthrough the exertions and fostering hand of Pericles appeared about 430 years before Christ. The Peloponne a

sians and their colonies had erected the temples atCorinth,Nemea, Paestum , Syracuse, and other places in SicilyFrom the introduction of architecture into Greece, a

period of little m ore than three centuries elapsed , before itburst forth with aston ishing lu stre, and was raised to the

summitof perfection .

In the country that gave birth to the Doric Order,speaking of itas applied to Greece generally, it is not

difficultto imagin e, thatthe art was not destined to be

restrained within the limits of a single order ; it was intruth impossible that itshould have remained within suchnarrow bounds. Itis more than probable that the ordersadvanced almost, pari passu, and itwould be difficultto

prove that the Ion ic Order is of much less antiquity thanthatwhich hasjustbeen exam ined — Except in the capitals

ofthe Ion ic and Corinthian Orders, one can scarcely say in

46 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF

which of the three, the greatestdegree of richness is mani

fest, more especially when we con sider how exquisitely themetopes were sometimes decorated . On a glance atthe

capitals in question , and a comparison of them with manyexamples of the corresponding member in Egyptian

Architecture, one would suppose there can be no doubtOII their origin .

Itmay be and is indeed true, thatthe Ion ian colon iesgave a preference to the Ionic Order : so did the Romans

to the Corinthian , and yetwho ever said thatthe Romansinvented the Corinthian Order — The writer in the Ency

clopédie Methodiquel

seems to think that Persia comes

in for some share of the invention of the Ionic capital.Toutefois les dessins que nous possedons des Monumens

d e l’

Inde , nous font voir entre les diverses couronnementsde colonnes, imagines par la fantaisie dan s cette contree,certains Chapiteaux a oreilles retombantes en forme devolutes, que peut etre quelques critiques prendroientpourdes imitations du chapiteau Ion ique . Cette forme de cha

piteau n’auroitelle pas été plutOten Grece, un e deriva

tion du gout Asiatique .

The same species of variety which has been noticed inthe differentexamples exhibited of the Doric, is notless

observable in those of the Ionic order, as may be seen bya comparison of the Ion ic edifices of Athens with those

on the coastof Asia Minor ; butitis notnecessary to enterinto the subjectso much at length as we have done inrespectof the Doric Order.Aware that the angular Ionic capital has its adm irers,

itmay be proper to state thatmany men of taste are Of a

Art. Ionique.

48 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF

respects, treat itas Hermogenes is said to have treated hisDoric materials .

Proceeding to a more m inute investigation of the threeAthenian examples, the little Temple on the Ilyssus, the

Temple of Minerva Polias, and the Portico of that ofErectheus : the following table will shew the he ightof thecolumns in English feet. The third column contains theheight of the shaftand capital in terms of the lower diameter. -The fourth the height of the capitals in similarterms, the fifth the diameter atthe topOf the shaft.

EDIFICE.

Temple on the Ilyss

Temple ofMinerva PoliasTemple Of Erectheus

In the Table subjoined we shall have a view of the

heightof the Entablatures.

Temple on the IlyssusTemple of Minerva PoliasTemple of Erectheus

The height of the Ionic column varies in the threeexamples quoted, from eight diameters and a quarter tonearly n ine and a half in he ight, and the upper diameterof the shaftfrom full eight- tenths to seventeen-twentieths.The want of sim ilarity in the capitals renders them unfitfor comparison with each other.— The mean heightof theentablature is abouta fourth of the height of the whole

order. — The corn ice of the Grecian Ionic may be generally considered as bearing a constant ratio to the wholehe ightof the en tablature as two to n ine. The architrave

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 49

is found,in most examples, divided into fascia} , below thecymatium .

The Base, a figure which has notyet been considered,requ ires a little of our a ttention — In the «examples at

Athens we find itconsisting of two tori, with a scotia or

trochilus between them . A fillet above and'

below thescotia separates itfrom the tori. The form er fillet is ingeneral coinciden t with a vertical line let fall from the

extreme projection of the superior torus. The lower filletin the Temple on the Ilyssus projects about half waybetween the

'

incavation of the scotia and the extreme

projection of the lower torus.— The heightof the $0 0 .

tia and two tori are n early equal.— In the Temple justnamed, a bead and fillet are set on the upper torus toreceive the shaftof th e column .

- Itwill notescape Obser.

vation , that in the temple of Erectheus as well as that onthe Ilyssus, the lower torus is un cut whilstthe other isfluted horizontally, — and that in the bases of the Templeof Minerva Polias, the upper torus is sculptured with a

Guilloche . The form of the scotia is a portion of a

curve formed by one of the con ic section s. The basethus described has been usually denominated ATTIC. It

was however used in the colon ies, as in the Temple of

Bacchus atTeos, though in that the upper torus is not

sculptured — The bases of the Temple ofMinerva PoliasatPriene, and thatof Apollo Didymaeus near Miletus, areof very differentand singular form .

-The upper torus ofthe former is to the heightof the base as .427 n early to

and its contour is notparabolic . — The lower half is

divided horizontally into fou r flutes, below this are-

two

scotias separated from each other by two astra gals and

fillets atthe top and bottom of each, exceptwhere theyjoin the upper torus above, and the plinth below.

50 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERPECTION or

The volute , which so distinguishes this order from the

others, is found with considerable varieties. In the edifices

of the Ilyssus and theTemple of Minerva Polias atPriene,also of Apollo D idymaeus, this member contains only onechannel between the revolutions Of the Spiral, whereas in

those of Erectheus and Minerva Polias at Athens, eachvolute has two distinct Spirals with channels between them.

-Ih the former of these two the column terminates with

an astragal and filletj ust below the level of the eye of the

volute ; in that of Minerva Polias, with a single fillet

In each of them the neck of the capital is ornamentedwith honeysuckles.The flutes of the columns are usually Of an elliptical

form and their number twenty- four. — In the Temples of

Minerva Polias and Erectheus atAthens, those ofBacchusatTeos, and Minerva Polias atPriene, they descend intothe apophyge Ofthe shaftof the column.

— They are moreover distinguished from the Doric flutes, by fillets sepa

rating them from each other.N o notice has been thought necessary respecting the

Tomb of Theron at Agrigentum, which is a singularinstance of the m ixture Of the Ionic column with a Doricentablature — Some antiquariansmay perhaps admit the

antiquity of this monument, or the truth of the appella

tion ithas received,”butsurely no architect who has phi~

IOSOphically investigated the principles of his art, will beinclined to concur in any such Opinion .

In the Corinthian Order, as in the Ionic, the chief distingu ishing feature is the capital.— Long previous to the

age in which Callimachus, its reputed inventor, existed,perhaps even before capitals or columns themselves wereknown to the Greeks, — leaves of the Palm tree, flowers ofthe Lotus, and even volutes, were applied as ornaments

59,ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF

rinthian we shall therefore be obliged to confine our‘

observations to the latter, as the only example beforeGreece was subdued by the Romans.

In the Choragic Monument,

Th; heightOf the colum ns in English feet is

The height of the column in terms of the diameterThe heightof the capital in term s of the diameter

The di ameter Of the'shaftattopin terms of the lower diam .

Heightofthe architrave

corni ce

Total heightof the entablature

The heightofthe entablature here becomes somewhatlessthan a fifth of the total height of the order. The basevaries little in its form from that of the Ion ic order, butthere is no horizontal fluting in the upper torus.The celebrated bas relief of the Villa Alban i,~ is a proof

that the Corinthian capital was known before the time ofCallimachus. Its style and execution stamp itas a veryearly work, and I cannot atall agree with a noble writerthatthe execution of the Corinthian temple is atall outof keeping with the other parts of the work . These

capitals, which are withoutfoliage, immediately remind us

of the Egyptian capital“. On the capitals of the Athen ian

edifices we cannot conclude more properly than in thewords of a writer in the Encyclopédie Methodique

3.

Le feu illage qui decore les Chapiteaux des deux edi«hees d

’Athénes, estevidemmentle feuille de l’Olive . On

ne s’etonnera pas que l

’arbre consacrée a la déesse tute

laire d ’Athénes aitprété sa feuille aux premiers chapi

Lord Aberdeen’

s Inquiry, page 175 .

1 The Reader may refer to a Representation of this has Relief in the

Monumenti inediti”of“’ inckelmann .

3 Art. Corint/u'

cn .

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 53 ~

teaux Corinthes de l’Attique cette feu ille eSt encore ‘

aujourd ’ hui consacrée'

a l’

Ordre Corinthien , etles architectes méme en preferent la forme a celle de I’Acanthe .

”

Besides the orders which have been’

enumerated, the

Greeks occasionally used the figures denominated Carya-i

tides, for the support of the entablature . The followingaccount Of their origin is notwithout interest.Vitruvius ‘, Book I, c. 1 , on the introduction of statues

for supporting an entablature, observes that “Carya, a cityof Peloponnesus, took part with the Persian s against theGrecian states. When the country was freed from its in‘

vaders, the Greeks turned their arms against the Caryans,and upon the capture Of their city, putthe males to the

sword, and led the women into captivity. The architectsof thattime, forthe purpose of perpetuating the ignom inyof this people, instead of columns in the porticos of theirbuildings, substituted statues of these women faithfullycopying their ornaments, and the drapery with whichthey were attired, the mode of which they were notperm itted to change.

Vitruvius is not, however, supported in the above ac

count by any writer:

on the affairs '

of Greece , and itisclear that the origin ofthese statues for architectural pur

poses is Of much higher antiquity than the invasion Of

Greece by the Persians. Herodotus“, indeed, says that

This accountis reprinted from an unpublishedpamphletby the author,written in 1820 andprinted in the year 1821, entitled Cursory Remarkson the Origin Of Caryatides,” addressed to John Britton, Esquire, F .S .A.

‘

&c.

2See his Polymnia, fol. 421 . Edit. Gronovn . They were n ine in

number. The Thessalians, Dolopians, Eni an s, Peraebi, Locri, Magnetes,

the Melians, Achaeans of Phthi otis, Tbehans, and the restof the people ofBoeotia, exceptthe Thespians and Platwans.

54 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION or

some of the states sent to X erxes the required offering of

earth and water ; butno mention is made of Carya, nor,consequently, of the ignominious treatment itmetwith,which must have been too notorious, if true, to have beenunknown , and as a matter Of history too curious to havebeen passed over in silence. Whether the use of statuesto perform the Office of columns travelled into Greecefrom Egypt or India, may be left for the d iscussion of

those who respectively support the claims of one or the

other of those countries to a priority of skill in architec

ture both will, however, furn ish examples of their application . In the latter country we have the authority of

Diodorus Siculus, for two immense specimens. SpeakingOf the tomb of King Osymandyas, Diodorus says thatit was ten stadia in circumference ; its entrance of

variegated stone ; two hundred feet long, and forty-five

cubits high. Hence you proceed to a stone Peristylium ,

four hundred feet square , supported by an imals, sixteencubits high, each in one stone, instead of columns, and

carved after the ancient fashion Again speak ing ofPsammeticus, he says, Having now obtained the wholek ingdom, he builta propylaeum on the east side Of the

temple , to the god at Memphis ; which temple he encir

cled with a wall, and in this propylaeum , instead of co

lumns, substituted colossal statues, zohorrobg dron in g,

twelve cubits in he ight.”

Tom. I. f. 56. VVesseling. Edit. Aixa n a diwvOaw ir fivr aigfm Bota n ic ;

winter. 7 0 17 wgoo'

ayoesvgiwo; Oa'vya ydéou . 7 067 0 11 31 xat'ric pit

'rcl

vzi'

a'

odovtin i e'

xw

Wuh an N'Qou a osxixou, 7 5pivMixes Sin-Mew , 7 53

.

Targé xovra. xa l r im m ix? »

di ixgo'

vfl 31 rim s N'

Qn ova egio'

rq r trgaiyow v, ixéwrn; 0 17ml; 7 31-raznI Q t I n. Q I I

m gzi ogou 35 a w l 1'

k xterm gu itar. 1”)v exxa idsxac Fe tch ed , 7 0 7 Terror 1m

dexa iovrefiner i igyw ju e'

m .

Ibid.

56 ON THE .PROGREss AND PERFECTION OF

watching too Closely the intercourse of their sister with

the lover. Diana, who is supposed to have made the La

cedaamon ians acquainted with this story, as well perhapsas with the excellence of the fruitof the tree, was therefore worshipped by thatpeople under the name of DianaCaryatisThere is, however, another accoun t of the ori gi n Of

the name of Diana Caryatis, which does notat all affectour hypothesis. It is to be found in one of the Old

commentators on Statius and is to the following effect.Some virgins being threatened with danger, whilstcelebrating the rites of the goddess, took refuge under thebranches of a nut tree, Kagéa in honour and per

petuation of the memory of which event, a temple wasraised to Diana Caryatis. If this, however, allude to the

See the note of Servius, Virg. Ec. 8. Edit. Burman . Vol. I f. 128

it is on the passage, Sparge marite nuces, and as followsSane fabula de nucis origine talis est: Dion Rex Lacon iaz fuit, qui

habuituxorem Iphiteam Prognai filiam quas cum Apollinem summo cultu

et reverentia hosPitio recepisset, i lle remunerari volens circa se hospitum

cultum , tribus fili abus corum , quas Orphe, Lyco etCarya appellatm sunt,

divinationem concess it, adjecto ne prod itrices num inum esse vellent nevequtererent quod esset nefas scire . Post Liber Pater adven iens, a Dionevel aj a s uxore receptus hospitio est, qu i cum amata a se Carya coitum m is

cuit sed cum inde mgre Liber profectus esset, cogente amoris impatientiadenuo ad hospites red it, causam praetendens dedicandi fan i, quod ci Rex

voverat sed Lyco et Orphe, intellecto circa sororem Caryan Liberi

amore, eam custodire caeperunt, na cum Libero ci esset Copia coéundi

quas cum Liber Pater moneret, terreretque, ut saltem przecepta Apollini scustodi entes, pertinacem diligentiam compescerent, videretqne ab his et

sororem aerias custodi ri, et suum secretum studiosius inquiri, Orphen et

Lyco, imm isso furore, ad Taygetam montem raptas in saxa convertit.Carvan vero quam amaverat, in eodem monte in arborem sui nomin is vertit,

qua: Latinc nux dicitur quod postea Diana ita factum Laconas docuit.Unde templum Caryatidi Bianeza Lacon ibus consecratum.

Barthius, lib. iv. v. 225.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 57

famous interposition of Aristomenes, to protect some

Spartan virgins, who were taken by his soldiers, itis notperhaps, quite borne out by the words of Diodorus.

It is hardly n ecessary to observe thatAristomenes lived67 1 years before Christ, and consequently 1 50 yearsbefore Darius, the first invader of Greece.

Salmasius says Diana was worshipped in that place ,Carya near Sparta, under the name of Diana Caryatis,and that ather temple and statue the Lacedaemon ian virgins had an annual festival, and danced according to thecustom of the country Hence , he continues, arose

the name given to those statues, which according to

Pliny2

, were made by Diogenes OfAthens, for decoratingthe Pantheon atRome.

Returning, however, to the subject, it is to be Oh

served, that there was a temple to the goddess at Carya,of which Pausan ias gives the following account in hisLaconics. The third turning on the right leads to

Carya, and the sanctuary of Diana, for the neighbourhood Of Carya is sacred to that goddess and her nymphs.

The statue of Diana Caryatis is in the Open air, and in

this place the Lacedeemon ian virgins celebrate an annualfestival with the Old custom of the dance 3 The note

Exercitationes Plinianae, in Sol. Polyhist. 603 etseq.

Lib. 36, c. 57 “Agrippae Pantheum decoravitDiogenes Atheniensis ;etCaryatides in column is templi ejus probantur inter pauca Operum

sicutin fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci m inus celebrata.

There seems to be some doubt as to the precise situation in the buildingwhich these statues occupied. I confess I am fully satisfied with the

place assign ed to them by Fontana De Pantkeo a liisque consPicuis ve

leribus Fan is . Romae, 1694, viz. in the second or upper order of the in

tarior, now occupied by pilasters.3 Lacorric. c. 10. Tgf

'rn 3‘s in 330 17 7 5; evflsfoog ita/n} ra

l355501 E;

Ka gri

ocg 527 55, xa i 3; TOiegivT3} ; TOwring xwgfov'Ag

‘re'

ju dog xa l N UHQJV

58 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION or

of Kuhn ius, on this passage, after a reference to Hesy

chius, contains the following notice Caryatides etiamd icuntur Lacaenm saltantes, sin istra ausatas, uti solebantCaryatides puellae in honorem Dianae.

”

Some persons have supposed that the assemblage of

peasants on the celebration of these dances, gave rise tothe pastoral poems termed Bucoli cs, from their singing on

those occasionsBovzoAm-

ja br

, pastoral poems, from Bovxéxog,a neatherd ; — such was the Opin ion of Probus and Hoff

man to whom I am much indebted for my informationon this subject, quotes the following passage from Statiusin corroboration of it.

Hujus Apolli neae currum comitanturAmyclae.Q uos Pylos, etdubiisMalea vitata carini s,

Plaudentique habiles Caryae resonare Disum.

Thebaid. Lib. 4. v. 223.

Plutarch, in his life Of Artaxerxes, relates that afterClearchus had fallen , through treachery, into the hands ofTissaphernes, he gave Ctesias a ring, engraven with therepresentation Of a dancing Caryatid 3

.

From the foregoing Observations, itmay be reasonablyinferred, that the statues called Caryatides were originally applied to or used about, the Temples of Diana ;and instead Of representing captives or persons in a state

of ignominy, were in fact nothing more than figures of

the Virgins who celebrated the worship of that goddess.It is most probable that after their first introduction,other figures in buildings sacred to other divin ities, gra

zm a i Kaigua u.'

Agfaeog a. Ka gvain dog‘

xogoa.a

w as. sci Aa x sdmpoviw w e. ”g ram m e

mm ogxnm g.

VitaV irgili i. Lexicon , in loco.

3Elm s 317 7w¢i wsv7 3 a ¢ga 7 f3r Kaeva

'rida c égxovpn a c'

60 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF

which we find the inclination of the roofs admirablyadapted to the climate in which they are erectedThis point has been exceedingly well treated in the

Encyclopédie Method ique where the reader will find a

table shewing the inclination which should be assignedto roofs

.

in the principal cities of Europe . The tableis adjusted with reference to their different climates, and

the length of the longestday ateach place. The resultscorrespond in a singular manner with the practice of the

antients, as will be seen by the following extracts.The inclination of a roof for the latitude of Athens,

should be 16§ degrees ; comparing this with

The Temple of Erectheus, whi ch is 151iThe Temple of Theseus 15

The Parthenon 16

we may see how closely the proper practice of the art

follows the exigencies of Nature herself. Though it

is rather fore ign to this investigation, it is impossible torefrain from subjoin ing a few Roman examples, whereinthe climate requ ired, accord ing to the Table, an inclination of twenty-two degrees.

Degrees

Thatof the Pediment of Septimius Severus is actually 22Temple of Con cord, and also ofMars UltorTemple Of Fortuna Virilis 24

Pantheon 24

Temple ofAntoninus and Faustina 24

Capitolii fastigium illud, et caeterarum aadium, non venustas, sed

necessitas ipsa fabricata est. N am cum essethabita ratio, quemadmodum

ex utraque tecti parte aqua delaberetur ; utilitatem templi, fastigii dignitasconsecute est: ut, etiam si in caelo Capitolium statueretur, ubi imber

non posset, nullam sine fastigio dignitatem habitaram fuisse videatur.

Cic. de Oratore, Lib. 3. c. 46.

Art. Comblc.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. 61

The most important discovery in architecture, in respectof its results, thatwas ever made, was the invention of the

arch. When orwhere itwas invented is quite uncertain.

This is a subjectwhich has occasioned much discussion ,and perhaps will, atthis remote period, n ever be satisfac

torily settled . It is, however, nowpretty generally agreedthat it did not appear till after the age of Alexander.Visconti, nevertheless on the authority of a passagein Plutarch z

assigns the period of the invention to the ageitself of Alexander. The perfectarch,

”says a writer

who has been often quoted 3, appears to have been com

paratively of late birth. The want of a name for it, pro

perly Greek, in so copious a language, and so ready forall occasions, would suffice to Show how little the thingwas known in early times among the Grecian people . Bysome ithas been supposed much earlier known , ormuchearlier in known use among the Romans. That extraordinary structure, magn ificent in its way, the CloacaMaxima at Rome, has been attributed to Tarquinius

Priscus ; butTarqu inius Priscus, though a Roman king,was a Grecian man . A sewer, however, or a drain of

some kind, in the bottom between the Palatine and Ca

pitohne Hills atRome, would, in almost the earliestageofthe city, be obviously necessary towards any convenientunion of those two hills in one town .

” The present sewer,however, bears evident marks of having been much morerecently constructed than the time in question .

Mémoire sur les Ouvrages de Sculpture dans la Collection de MilordComte Elgin . London , 1816, p. 127.

I nd i a ; 32wi g 6m) vii-a a

’

wm’

h l e aflets. x. r . a. Plut. Agis etCleoman .

3 Prin ciples of Design in Architecture.

62 ON THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION , ETC.

Till after the reign of Alexander, there are no authors

who use the words OOAOE'

, and TAAIEI,

in a sense which can lead us to consider them as sign ifying an arch, nor isthere any description extant in whichwe can trace the figure of an arch constructed on scien

tific principles. If its origin be Eastern, there is a strong

probability that its appearance was nottill after the age

of Alexander. Dutens, an advocate for the early use Of

the arch among the Grecians, was long since answered bya noble lord of great classical acqu irements, from whom ,

in the foregoing pages, it has been my misfortunesometimes to differ on subjects more immediately perhaps within my vocation. During that time,” the age

of Alexander, says that author, the greatest changetook place in the arts and sciences of Greece. They hadarrived at a degree of improvement, which, though perhaps in some measure exaggerated, was certainly farbeyond whatformer ages had witnessed. The use of the

arch was probably commun icated to the Romans by theGreeks, at the time that they bestowed on their con

querors every other species of art and refined taste. In

Sicily and Magna Grecia, itmight have been introducedsomewhat

OOAOZ . oixog Fig 621) a’

n rowi'youa'avE'

v Ti nw e'

ym xac

'

low xwaapfvog. Hesych.

in loco. See page 24.

7”7 d. min or. 7 5» Teoxa

'

iv. a ft m grOs’

gssa s ii xxlaocgou . Hesych.

3 ‘i ’AAIE. TOéepsvov. xa l nan/4 0231 . xoci Taxsi'

ar. x ivno‘

cg. Ibid.

Edinburgh Review, Jan . 1806. Review of Dutens’ Work, Re

cherches sur la Tems le plus reculé de I’Usage des Voutes,” 4to Lond .

1805, said to be written byLord Aberdeen .

64 OBSERVATION S ON THE PLATES.

tota ls. The measures on the plate are founded on the d iameter of

the column taken at6 feet in ches, which d iv ided by 60 givesin ches m inute.

PLATE 11.

GREAT HExASTYLE TE M PLE AT PE STUM.— The temple from

which th is example is sele cted is Peripteral -Hypaethral. Its lengthon the upper step202 feet7 in ches and its breadth 82 feet2 in ches.The age of this temple has not been ascertained with pre cision .

There are fourteen col umn s on each flank. The ir d iameter is 6

feet8 in ches 1—26. consequently 1 m inute : 1 .3366 in ches .

PLATE III.

TE M PLE OF APOLLO AN D PORTICO OF PH ILIP IN THE ISLAN D

OF DELos : AN D TE M PLE AT CORINTH .— In the Island ofDelos,

says Stuart, are two examples ofthe Doric order, both ex cellentin their kind, one ofwh ich belongs to whatI imagine to have beenthe Temple ofApol lo ; the other to the Portico of Ph il ip. The

latter on ac countof the lightness Of its proportion s differs from all

the examples we have given , and is more su itable for common use.

Itwas found impossible to make outthe extentorplan s Of e ither ofthe above bu ild ings. The $11a ofthe two columns of the TempleofApollo are fluted at their upper and lower extrem ities, butthe

intermed iate part is plain . The diameter is 3 feet 1 in ch a

m inute is therefore : .6185 in ch. The d iameter of the column s ofthe Portico of Phil ipis 2 feet 1 1 in ches 355 ; a m inute consequently

5616 in ch. Rather more than a third Of the lower partof the

shafts are polygon al above wh ich they are fluted in the ordinary way.

Stuart conje ctures the Temple at Corinth to have been Pcripteral Hexastyle. The col umns have twenty flutings which terminate under the l istels of the capita l and are segments Of c ircles.The guttae are round and detached from the architrave . The

materia l a rough porous stone, the Shafts of the column s are eachof one block on ly, and the whole has been covered with stu c co.

The architraves are of one stone each from c entre to centre of

co lumns. The drops under the Triglyphs were all broken Off and

OBSERVATION S ON THE PLATES. 65

could nottherefore be measured . The columns are 5 feet 1 0

inches diameterw a m inute consequently : inches.

PLATES IV . AN D V.

'

ION IC TE M PLE ON THE ILYssus .— This Temple stood on the

southern bank Of the Ilyssa s. Its length, measured on the upper

step, is 4 1 feet7 inches, and its breadth 19 feet 6 inches. Itwas

Amphiprostylos Tetrastyle. The Cymatium in the original isd estroyed. Stuart conjectures the frieze was ornamented with

Bassi Re lievi. The echin us Of the capita l continues under the

volutes which are diagonal on the externa l angles, and m itered on

the internal angles, by the junction of two sem i- volutes . The flutesare twenty

- four in number. Diameter of the columns 1 foot 9

inches 343 ; a m inute therefore ! .3596 inch .

PLATES V I. V II. AN D VIII.

TE M PLES orMi NERVA PoLrAs, AN D ERECTHEUS, ATHENS.— The

reason for my adoption of these n ames, in accordance with Stuart,cannot be entered into here. I am incl ined to think Stuart right

notwithstanding the passage in Pausan ias, Attic. c. 26. quoted byMr. W ilkins,* from whom I differ with considerable hesitation .

The Temples OfMinerva Polias, Erectheus and Pandrosus, whichtogether compose one building, stand abouton e hundred and fiftyfeetto the north Of the Parthenon . Thattowards the westwas the

Temple of Minerva Polias, thattowards the east, the Temple of

Erectheus, and thaton the south s ide was the Pandroseum whose

Entablature and Roofwere supported by Caryatides.The first n amed has a Portico Testrastyle proje cting two intercolumn iations ; its d imension s are about33 feet6 inches by 1 7 feet

6 in ches. D iameter of the columns 2 feet9 in ches 155 ; so that a

m in ute : .5572 inch.

The Erectheum has an Hexastyle Portico projecting on ly one

intercolumn iation ; it extends in frontabout37 feet. The Diameter

Of the columns is 2 feet 3 inches 387 ; a m inute therefore : .4633

in ch. The upper member of the corn ice , in the profile Of the

Temple OfMinerva Pol ias, is a restoration .

Athen iensia, p. 142.

66 OBSERVATIONS ON THE PLATES.

PLATE IX .

CHORAG IC MONU M ENT or LYS ICRATES, CO M M ONLY CALLED THE

LANTERN OP DE M OSTHENES. This bea utiful example, stands on

the eastern end Ofthe Acropolis OfAthens. “Itis composed ofthree

d istin ct parts , says Stuart. “First, a quadrangular Basement;se condly, a circular Colonnade, the intercolumn iations of whichwere entirely closed up ; and thirdly , a Tholus or Cupola, withthe ornamentwhich is pla ced on it. The d iameter Of this build ingtaken on the lower stepis 10 feet8 in ches . The columns are 1 foot1 inch $3 d iameter; a m inute consequently : .22 in ch .

PLATE X .

TE M PLE or JUPITER OLYMP IUS .— Thls is one Of the most cousiderable remain s OfAthen ian magn ificen ce . Ithas been erroneouslycalled by the name here given . Stuart considers the ruin s rather

the rema ins Of a stoa or portico, than of e ither a palace, as some

have supposed it, or Of a temple . The external walls en c lose a largequadrangular space Of 376 feetby 252. In the m iddle Of itare the

remains of a gate or entran ce. The whole extentof the front is

ornamented with Corinth ian columns and terminated ateach extre

m ity by a Pteroma, or proje cting wall, fa ced with a Corinthian

pilaste r. The original n umber Of the column s was e ighteen . Fourofthem , fluted, were in the centre Of the fronton the upper step

carry ing an Entablature and Pediment, and forming a Porticobefore the Gate. On each side were seven columns, notfluted, onpedesta ls level with the upper stepOf the Portico . The abacus ofthe capita l in th is Example has a cute angles, s imilar to those of theTemple of Vesta atRome . The lower part Of the shafts Of the

fluted columns are cabled . The ir d iameter is 2 feet 1 1 in ches 745so thata min ute : .5883 in ch.

PLATE X I.

A W indow from the Temple of Minerva Polias with the deta ilof the Mouldings in profile. Also two Examples of Caryatides,No. 1, from the Pandroseum. No. 2, from the Town ley Collection .

TREATISE

O N THE DEC O RATIVE PART

CIV IL ARCHITECTURE.

70 DEDICATION .

so powerful is the example, such the influence of RoyalPatronage, thatthe same spiritof encouragementhas ra

pidly been diffused, through all classes of YOUR M AJESTY ’ Ssubjects ; even men Of inferior rank now aspire to taste

in the fine arts ; and by a liberality of sentiment, formerlyunknown, excite the artists to emulate and excel eachother circumstances notonlymuch to their own honour,butcontributing greatly to augment the splendor of thenation ; to improve its taste, and stamp additional valueon its manufactures to extend its commerce, and

increase the profits arising therefrom.

That YOUR M AJESTY may long reign over happy nations,and continue with equal ardour a Patronage,which alreadyhas produced such beneficial effects ; is the earnestwish of

YOUR MAJESTY’

S

MOST DUTIFUL SUBJECT,

AND EVER FAITHFUL SERVANT,

W ILLIAM CHAMBERS.

PREFACE.

A M ONGST the various arts cultivated in society, some

are useful only ; being adapted to supply our naturalwants, or assistour natural infirmities ; others again , areinstruments of luxury merely, and calculated to flatter the

pride , or gratify the desires of man ; whilst others thereare, contrived to answer many purposes tending atonceto preserve, to secure, to accommodate, delight, and giveconsequen ce to the human species.Architecture, the subj ectOf ourpresentenqu iry, IS of

this latter kind ; and when viewed in its full extent, may

truly be said to have a very considerable part, in almostevery comfort, or luxury of life . The advantages derivedfrom houses only, are great, they being the first steps

towards civilization, and having certainly great influenceboth on the body and m ind . Secluded from each other,inhabitants of woods, of caves, or wretched huts ; exposedto the inclementvicissitudes Of seasons, and the distressingun certainty of weather ; men are generally indolent, dulland abject, with faculties benumbed, and views limited tothe gratification of their most pressing . n ecessities ; butwherever societies are

.

formed, and commodious dwellingsare found ; in which , well sheltered, they may breathe atemperate air, amid the summer

’

s heat or winter ’ s cold ;sleep, when nature calls, at ease and in security ; studyunmolested converse, and taste the sweets of social en

joyments'

; there they are Spirited, active , ingen ious and

72 PREFACE.

enterprising ; vigorous in body, speculative in mind

agriculture and arts improve, they flourish among them

the necessaries, the conveniences, and soon even the luxuries Of life, become there abundant.Mere strength however, even the steadiestpersever

ance, Obtains with difliculty the desired produce ; but

inventions facilitate and shorten labour, multiplying pro

ductions so, as not only to supply domestic wants, butlikewise to treasure up stores for foreign markets'.Architecture then smooths the way for commerce she

forms cornmodious roads through marshes or other groundsnaturally impracti cable, fills up valleys, un ites or levelsmountains ; throws bridges over deep or rapid waters,turns aside or deadens the fury Of torrents ; constructscanals Of navigation , builds ships, and contrives ports fortheir secure reception in the hour of danger ; facilitatingthus, the intercourse of nations, the conveyance of mer

chandize from people to people.A well regulated commerce is ever the source Of

wealth ; and luxury has ever been attendant on riches.As the powers of gratification increase, fancy multiplies

wants ; till at length, indolence or pleasure, vanity and

superstition, fears and resentments, give birth to a thou

sand superfluous, a thousand artificial cravings ; thegreater

partof which could notbe gratified, without the assist

The author in the third Edition has much obscured his meaning. In

the se cond Edition the Passage is much clearer Invention facilitates labour ; and whatmere strength and perseveran ce Obta ins w ith di ffi culty , ingen ious contrivances produce with ease, and in abundance . Hence domastic wants are constantly supplied, an d stores Supplied for foreign markets . Itappears probable thatthe author neglected to correctthe pressw ith his usual di ligence and care in this passage, and thatthe words pro

duce and productions m ightnot inconven iently change places . [Em]

174 PREFACE.

to every country celebrated for stately structures ; who

extend your fame, adopt your fashions, give reputation ,and create a demand for your productions ; are considerations Of the highestconsequence in Short, the advan

tages Of building extend to the remotest ages, and atthisday, the ruins Of AN CIENT RO M E, in a greatmeasure supportthe splendour ofthe present by the number Of travellers who flock from all nations, to visit the ancientremains and modern magn ificence of that famous city ;and who, in the course of a few centuries, have thereexpended incredible sums of money, by long residence ;and in the purchase of Old pictures, antique statues, busts,basreliefs, urns, and other curious productions of art: of

which, by some extraord inary good management, there isa treasure never to be exhausted the waste of four hundred years is scarcely perceivable .

N or is architecture less useful in defending, than pros

perons in adorning and enriching countries ; she guardstheir coasts with Ships of war, secures their boundaries,fortifies their cities, and by a variety Of artful construetion s, controls the ambition , and frustrates the attempts Offoreign powers ; curbs the insolence, and averts the

danger, the horror Of internal commotions.Thus architecture, by supplying men with commodious

habitations ; procures thathealth of body and vigour of

mind, which facilitate the invention Of arts ; and whenby the exertion of their sk ill or industry, productionsmultiply beyond domestic wants ; she furn ishes the meansof transporting them to other markets and whenever bycommerce they acquire wealth, she points the way to

employ their riches rationally, nobly, benevolently ; inmethods honourable and useful to themselves and their

PREFACE“

; 75

descendants ; which add splendor to the state and 'yieldbenefitboth to their cotemporaries and toposterity ; She

farther teaches them to defend'

theirpossessions ;‘

to securetheir liberty and lives, from the attempts of lawless vio:lence, or unrestrained ambition .

An art so variously conducive to the happiness of man,to the wealth, lustre, and safety Ofnations ; naturally commandsprotection and encouragement : in effect, itappears,that in all civilized times, and wellregulated governments,

ithas been much attended to, and promoted with unre.

m itting assidu ity ; and the perfection ing Of other arts, hasever been a certain consequen ce : for where building isencouraged ; painting, sculpture, and all the inferiorbranches Of decorative workmanship, must flourish of

course and these have an influence on manufactures,eVen to the m inutestmechan ic productions ; fordesign isof universal benefit, and stamps addi tional value on the

most trifling performances, the importance of which, to a

commercialpeople , is Obvious ; itrequires no illustration’.

Let it nothowever be imagined, that building, merelyconsidered as heaping stone upon stone, can be of greatconse qu ence ; or reflecthonor, e ither on nations or individuals materials in architecture , are like words in phraseology having separately butlittle power ; and they maybe so arranged, as to excite ridicule, d isgust, or even contempt ; yet‘ when combined with Skill, expressed withenergy, they actuate the mind with unbounded sway. An

The in fluen ce of the arts of Design, if eviden ce were necessary to cor

roborate the author’ s assertion , is sufficiently man ifest forexample, in one

branch of ourmanufactures, thatof Pottery. Letthe fictile vesse ls in use a

century back be compared in respectof form with those of thepresentday.

The comparison is calculated to surprise and astonish us. [En ]

76 PREFACE.

able writer can move even in rustic language, and the

masterly d ispositions Of a skilful artist, will d ign ify themeanestmaterials ; while the weak efforts of the ignorantrender the most costly enrichments despicable

'

. To such,the complimentOf Apelles may justly be applied ; who,

on seeing the picture of a Venus magnificently attired ,said to the Operator, Friend, though thou hastnotbeenable to make her fair, thou hastcertainly made herfine.

”

Hitherto architecture has been considered in a generallight; under its different divisions of naval, m ilitary, andcivil. I purpose, however, in the present work, to confinemyself to the last of these branches, as being Of moregeneral u se , and that, to which my 0w study and praetice have been more immediately directed .

Itis notto be supposed, thatso difficultan artas architecture , afler havi ng lain many centuries absorbed in thegeneral cloud of barbarism, Should atonce emerge in full

perfection or that the first restorers of the ancientmanner Of bu ilding, could atonce bring itto a degree of

purity, incapable of farther improvement. With very littleassistance from books upon the subject, and that, Oftenobscure, unintelligible , or erroneous ; while they were

Some of Palladio’

s finest examples are of Brick. The cortile of theCarita atVeni ce, is an instance . The Interiors of the Redentore and St.

Giorgio, in the same city, have buta coatof plaisteron them. The beautiful Palazzo Thiene atVicenza, at least that partwhich was executed, isleftwith its rockworked basementin brickwork chipped out.— Form alonefastens on the mind in works of art. The rest is meretricious if used as asubstitute to supersede this grand desideratum . Laugier says, Les Pro

portions sont si essentie lles en Architecture, qu ’

un Batimenthien propor

tionné , n’

efitil d'

ailleurs d’ autre merite que le bel appareil desMateriaux,

fera toujours de l' efl'et, tandis que 1’ ornementprodigue anu edi fi ce san s proportions ne scauroit reussir.

”— Observations sur L

’

Architecture. La

Hays, 1765. [RD ]

78 PREFACE.

what lay dispersed in many hundreds, much the greater

partof them written in foreign languages and tO select,from mountains ofpromiscuousmaterials, a series Of sound

precepts, and perfectdesigns.Whoever has applied to the study of

,

architecture, willreadily grantthatthere are fewpursuitsmore perplexingthe vague foundation on which the more refined parts oftheartare built, has given rise to such a multiplicity ofjarringopin ions, all supported by, atleast, plausible arguments ;that it is exceed ingly difficult to discriminate, or di stin

guish what is real, from that which is merely specious

Freart, Roland sieur de Chambray, parallel Of the antientArchitecturewith the modern . Translated by Evelyn , fol. Lend . 1733.

Gerbier, SirBalthazar’ s, Counse l and Advice to all Builders for the

Choice of theirSurveyours, Clerks of theirWorks, Bricklayers,Masons,

Carpenters and otherWorkmen therei n concerned, 18mo.Lend. 1663.

Second Edition, 18me, Lond. 1664.

Gwyn ’

s, J Essay on Design , 8ve . Lond. 1749.

Q ua li fications of a Surveyor, 8vo. Lond. 1752.

Essay upon Harmony as it relates chiefly to Situation and

Building.

Le Clerc’ s, Schast., Treatise of Architecture, 2 vols. 8vo. Translated byChambers, Lend. 1733, another edition, 1732.

Morris’

s Lectures on Architecture, 8vo.Lond. 1734.

N utshells (OIKIAIA) being Ichnographic distributions for small villas,&c. by Jose MacPacke (James Peacocke) , 8ve . Lond. 1785 .

Palladio'

s FirstBook of Architecture, translated by Godfrey Richards,4to. Lond. 1663.

Arch itecture, byGiac.Leoni , with N otes and Remarks by In igoJones, fol. Lond. 1742.

There is another edition of this Book which purports by the title-page to contain

the N otes of Inigo Jones, butthey are nevertheless omitted.byWare , fol. Lend. s ine an .

Price's British Carpenter, 4to. Lend. (4th edit.) 1759.

Ware’

s, I Complete Body of Architecture, fol. Lond. 1756.

Wetten’

s, S ir Henry, Elements of Architecture, 4te. Lond. 1624.

VVilsferd'

s, Thomas, Art of Building, or an Introduction to all YoungSurveyors in common Structures, 8ve . Lond. 1659. [ED ]

PREFACE. 79

the connexions which constitute truth or fallacy, beingoften far distant, beyond the Sightof superficial Observers.Whence , the merit of performances is too Often measured

by the fame Of the performer ; by the taste of the age in

which they were produced ; by vulgar report ; party opi

n ion or some other standard equally inadequate and not

seldom by precepts delivered some centuries ago, calcu

lated for other climates, other men, and other customs.TO obviate these inconven iencies, the author ventured,

soon after his return from Italy, upwards of thirty yearsago, to attemptsuch a compilation as is above mentioned ;

by a publication of the first edition Of the present work.He flattered himself, that if well conducted, it wouldgreatly shorten the labours of the student, and lead him

to truth, by easy and more inviting paths ; that it mightrender the study Of architecture, and its attendant arts,

more frequent; serve to promote true taste, and to d iffusethe love of Virtd, among person s of high rank, and largefortune the fitencouragers of elegance .

His design was, without bias from national, or other

prejudices ; candi dly to consider whathad been producedupon the subject; and to collectfrom the works or writings of others, or from his own Observations, in all partsOf EurOpe, famed for taste ; such particulars, as seemed

mostinteresting, orproperest to give a just idea Of SO veryuseful and truly noble an art.

Sensible that all ages had produced bad, or indifferentartists and that all men , however excellent, mu stsome

times have erred it'was his intention , neitherto be influenced by particular times, nor by the general reputation

Ofparticularpersons : where reason ordemonstration could

80 PREFACE.

be used , he purposed to employ them ; and where they

could not, to substitute in theirplaces, generally adm ittedOpin ions. Abstruse or fruitless arguments he wished carefully to avoid ; nor was it his inten tion to perplex theunskilful, with a number of indiscrimin ate exampleshaving judged itmuch more eligible to Offer a few ; cal

culated to serve at once as standards for imitation, or

guides to judge by, in Similar productions. Precision , per

spicuity, and brevi ty, were to be attempted in the style ;and in the designs, simplicity, order, Character, and beautyof form.

The d ifficulty and extent Of such a task, undertakenearly in life, rendered success very uncertain ; and filledthe writer’ s mind with many apprehensions butthe indul

gent encouragement, SO liberally extended to the two

former publi cations of this work and the frequent callsfor a third ; are pleasing testimonies thathis endeavourshave notbeen wholly in vain . He ventures tO considerthe sale of two numerous editions written upon a subjectrather instructive than entertaining ; and in a languagegenerally unknown to foreign Artists ; as a proof Of theutility of his undertaking ; atleast, in the Country wherehe mostwished to have ituseful. And stimulated by a

desire of rendering it still more deserving public notice,he has carefully revised, and considerably augmented this

third edition ; he does notpresume to say improved it;butflatters himself the experience gained by thirty yearsvery extensive practice, Since the original publication ;has enabled him to judge with some degree of certainty,atleast, Of whatmightbe leftout, be added, or altered toadvantage .

82 PREFACE.

stant, have been theWriter’

s avocations thatin the coarse

of thirty years, it has never been in his power, properly

to setaboutso extensive an undertaking : and a variety Ofconcurring Circumstances, render itless SO now, than ever

Loose materials have , indeed, been abundantly collected ;and many designs have from time to time, been made ;with an eye to the general intention : but there are so

many more to make ; SO much to correctand methodize ;thathe must, however reluctantly , relinqu ish the task, andconsign the remainder to the execution of some future

pen .

In the mean time, from the method throughout ob

served, in treating the‘

present subject, it is presumed,thatthis partmay now be, as it has hitherto been, cen sidered as a distinctwork in all respects unconnected withany thing that m ight, or may follow : which form was

originally fixed upon for the advantage of the subscribers,as well as for the security of the publisher ; and has now

been continued, partly from necessity, and in part, forthebenefitof purchasers ; many Of whom , have little or no

occasion to study any more of the art, than whatthe presentpublication contains ; the remain ing branches, thoughvery importantto builders, being of little service to con

noisseurs, or m en of taste, who aspire to be judges of thebeauties, or deformities Of a structure, without caringmuch aboutthe rest, or having the fatigue , Of enteringinto particulars ; either concerning its value , its disposition, or construction .

INTRODUCTION .

CIV IL ARCHITECTURE is that branch of the builder ’ s art,which has for its Objects all structures, either sacred or

prephane, calculated to supply the wants and comforts ;or topromote, extend, and diversify, the pleasures

'

of life

either contrived to facilitate the business ; give lustre to

the duties or display the state and distinction s of society.Its purpose is to erectedifices, in which strength and de

ration , Shall un ite with beauty, conven ience, and salubrity ;to ascertain their value

l

; and‘ tob uild them with every at

tention to safety, ease , and economy.

Many, and singularly opposite, must be the qualitiesand attainments of him, who aspires to excel, in an art se

variously directed. Architecture ,”says father Laugier

‘

,

“ is Of all useful arts, thatwhich requires the most d is

tingu ished talents there isperhaps as much gen ius, goodsense, and taste requisite , to con stitute a greatarchitect;as to form a painter or poetofthe firstclass. Itwould bea strange errorto suppose itmerely mechanical ; and confined tO d igging foundations, or building walls, by rules Ofwhich the practice, supposes nothing more than eyes ac

customed to judge of a perpendicular, and hands expert

Introduction to Essai sur l’

Architecture, 8ve. Paris, 1755 .

Laugier, Marc Antoine, was born in Proven ce, 1713 died 1769. He

quitted the order of Jesuits of which he was early in life a m ember. His

book entitled, Observation s sur l’

Architecture, 12mo. La Have, 1765,is worthy a place in every architectural library . [ED ]

84 INTRODUCTION .

in the management of a trowel. In contemplating the

builder ’ s art, all indeed that strikes a vulgar imagin ation ,

are, confused mounds Of incommodious ruin s ; formlessheaps Of collected materials ; dangerous scafl

‘

oldings ; a

frightful clatter of hammers, tools, and working mach inery an army Of slovenly bespattered labourers and workmen : butthese are only as itwere , the rough bark of an

art, the ingenious mysteries of which, though only discoverable to few Observers, excite the admiration Of all whocomprehend them. They perceive inventions of whi chthe boldness, implies a genius, atonce fertile and comprehensive ; proportions Of which the justness, announces a

severe and systematic precision ; ornaments ofwhich theexcellence , discovers exquisite and delicate feelings : and

whoever is qualified to taste so many real beauties, wi ll, Iam certain, far from attempting to confound architecturewith the inferior arts, be strongly inclined to rank itamongstthose thatare mostexalted .

”

Vitruvius ' requ ires thatthe architectshould have bothingenuity and application , Observing, thatwitwithout labour, or labour withoutwit, n ever arrived atperfection .

He should,”

says he, be a writer and draughtsman ,

understand geometry, Optics , and arithm etic ; be a goodhistorian and philosopher, well Skilled in music, and not

ignorant in either physic, law, or astrology. The same

author farther requires thathe should be possessed of a

greatand enterpriz ing mind be equitable, trusty, and totally free from avarice ; withoutwhich, it would be im

possible to d ischarge the duties Of his station with due

propriety : ever disinterested, he Should be less soli citous

Vitruvius , Lib. I. c. i .

86 INTRODUCTION ;

stances Of such prodigies as Michael Angelo Buenaroti ,who was atonce the firstarchitect, painter, geometrician ,anatomist, and sculptor, of his time.

Vitruvius farthermore observes, that an art enrichedwith such variety of knowledge, is only to be learned bylong and con stantapplication and advises h is cotemporaries never to assume the title of architects, till they are

perfectmasters of the ir own profession , and of the artsand sciences, with which it is connected a caution , thateven in thepresenttimes, may perhaps notbe unn ecessary.

Itwill notread ily occur, why a man should be e itherhistorian , orphilosopher ; musician , or physician lawyer,or astrologer ; before he ventures to commence architect.Our author, however, assign s h is reasons ; which, for thesake of brevity, are here omitted. The curious reader

will find them in the ori ginal book ; to which he is referred, for farther information

'

Some partof all this knowledge, though itm ighthavebeen necessary to an artistOf the Augustan ag e , is notah

solutely so now ; some part Of ittoo, seems rather ostentatiously introduced ; more to enumerate the learn ed writer ’ s own qualification s than such as were indispensablynecessary, to every man Of his profession : the remaining

The author hardly takes the meani n g of Vitruvius, who certa inlyintended to say no more, than that an architect should be a man of verygeneral inform ation , whi ch it is presumed nobody will deny. Vitruviuswho inflated every thing whereof be treated, has doubtless made a vastShowon the subject, i n his first chapter, but he has nevertheless greatly qualified the extentto which the di fferent scien ces are required to be carried .

Thus towards the end of the first chapter, he says, speaking of the architeet Ergo satis abunde is videtur fecissc, qui ex singulis doctrinispar

tes et rationes es rum mediocriter habet notas , casque qua: necessaries suntad architecturam , uti si quid de his rebus et artibus judi care et probare

opus fuerit ne destituatur vel deficiat. V itruv. Lib. I. c . i . [ED ]

INTRODUCTION . 87

partShall be mentioned in its place ; while I'

venture togive an Opin ion , concern ing the requisite qualifications ofan architect: differing in some particulars, from those abovegiven ; butmore adapted, I flatter myself, to the wants,customs, and modes of life Of our cotemporaries, as wellas to the duties and avocation s of a modern architect.Architecture being an active as well as speculative art,

in which exertions of the body, the organ s of sense, and

of utterance , are equally n ecessary with efforts Of the

m ind itnaturally follows, thatsuch as intend to make ittheir profession , Should enter the lists with a good stockof health, vigor and agility ; they should n either be lame

nor unwieldy ; n either awkward, Slow, nor helpless ; n ei

their purblind nor deaf ; nor have any thing ridiculousabout them , e ither natural or acquired . Their under

standing should be sound ; the Sight and apprehension

quick ; the reason ing faculties clear, an d unwarped by

prejudices ; the temper enterprising, steady, resolute, andthough benevolent, rather spirited than passive, meek, oreffeminate.

The n ecessity of these qualities, in one destined to di

rectand manage greatworks, to govern and control nu

merens bands Of clerks, inspectors, artists, artificers, workm en , and labourers, mustbe sufficiently obvious . And as

atthe present time, few engage in any profession , till qua

lified for the world by a proper school education atleast;

itmustbe supposed, thatto a competent proficiency inthe learned languages, the studentadds a thorough knowledge of his own ; so as to speak an d write itcorrectly atleast, if n otelegantly ; thathe is a good penman ; versed

in accounts ; a ready practitioner in arithmetic ; and has

received and profited by such other instructions, as tend

88 INTRODUCTION .

tO fix the moral Character ; to in culcate integrity ; to po

lish the minds, and improve the manners of youth ‘.

Proficiency in the French and Italian languages is also

requisite to him notonly that he may be enabled to travel

with advantage, and converse withoutdi fficulty, in coun

tries where the chief partof his knowledge is to be col

lected, butalso to understand the many, and almostonlyvaluable books treating of his profession ; the greater partof which have never been translated. And as among sea

men , there is a technical language , of which no admiralcould be ignorant, withoutappearing rid iculous ; so in ar

chitecture, and the professions connected therewith, thereare peculiar modes of expression , and terms Of art, of

which an architectmustby no mean s be ignorant ; as thatkn owledge, impresses upon the minds of the workmen, arespectable idea Of his abilities, consequently, a deferencefor his Opinion s, and farthermore enables him to explain .

to them intelligi bly what he intends er wishes to be performed .

To these qualifications, mental and corporeal, mustbeunited genius, or a strong inclination and bias of m indtowards the pursuitin question withoutwhich little success can be expected . This quality, whether it bez the

If success were a proof of talent, one m ight be in clined to questionthe necessity of good education and learn ing in any profession . The most

ignorantoften blun der through and make the largest fortunes . Corin

thian cheeks are ever the mostvaluablepossession . As the apothecary endshis career in the capacity ofphysician , so the carpenter, bricklayer, mason ,cl a lii de gregc, usually ri se up an d finally revolve in an architecturalorbit. [ED ]

2The Lord hath ca lled Bezalee l, and hath filled him w ith the spiritof

God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all mann er

of workmanship, an d to devise curious works.

And he hath put it in his heart, thathe may teach, both he and Aho

90 INTRODUCTION .

lime or extraordinary compositions and atthe same time ,

with the industry, patience, and penetration , necessary toinvestigate mathematical truths, d iscuss difiicult, some

times irksome subj ects, and enter into details of varioussorts, Often as tiresome , as they are necessary ; a ge

n ius equally capable of expanding to the noblestand mostelevated conceptions, or Of shrinking to the level of themeanestand m inutest enquiries ; as Doctor Johnson ex

presses it, a mind , that atonce comprehends the vast, andattends to the minute .

Disposition s of this nature are seldom found , their constituentqualities are in some degree incompatible, and

hence, perhaps, chiefly arises the rarity Of complete mas

ters in the profession . The lively studentnaturally strikesinto the paths which afford most scope for his fancy ; heexercises himself in the arts of composition , and in the

d ifferentbranches of design improves his knowledge of

painting, sculpture , books, and structures forms his taste ,and turns his whole attention towards the sublimerpartsof the art, neglecting all the while, the inferior knowledge , so useful, so absolutely necessary, ia practice, andof which a perfectmaster can never be ignorant. Amb itious to excel, he mustnotneglectattainments, withoutwhich he cannotOperate , while they may be purchased at

the expence Of industry and steady perseverance

The Architectura l Studentw ill do well to keep in m ind whatS ir Joshua Reynolds says on another art, and which is qu ite appl icable in our

own . In this art, as in others, there are many teachers, who profess toshew the nearest way to excellen ce ; and many expedients have been invented by whi ch the toil Of study m ightbe saved . But let no man be se

duced to idleness by specious prom ises. EX CELLEN CE 1s N EVER GRAN T

ED TO MAN , BUT a s TH E REWARD OI LABOUR. It argues indeed no smal lstrength Ofm ind to persevere in habits Of industry , w ithoutthe plea sure Ofperceiving those advan ces, wh ich, like the hand of a clock, whilst they

INTRODUCTION. 91

A celebrated Italian Artist whose taste and luxurianceof fancy were unusually great, and the effectof whose

make hourly approaches to the ir point, yetproceed so slowly as to escapeObservation . Second Discourse on Painting. [En ]Giov. Battista Piranesi, the celebrated engraver, is here alluded to.

He was a Venetian , and was born in 1720. His death happened in the

y ear 1788 a li st of his works may not be unacceptable and is thereforesubjoined1 .

©

31

t

His earliest work, the dedication to which is dated 1748— thoughpubli shed in 1743— is entitled, AntichitaRomane de ’ Tempi dellaRepubblica e de

’

prim i Imperatori .”2 Parts, 28 plates, Roma 1748 .

Architetture varie, 27 plates, Roma 1750 .

Carceri d ’

Invenzione, 16 plates, no date, but supposed 1750.

Trofe i d’

AugustO, &c. 10 plates, Roma 1753.

Archi trion fali , Tempjed Anfiteatri, 31 plates, Roma, circa 1753.

AntichitaRomane . This embraces the fragments Of the antientplanofRome in theMuseum Of the Capitol, 224 plates, 4 Vols. Roma 1756.

To these there is a Supplementby the son , F . Piranesi, 2 Vols. 1785 .

Rovin e del Castello dell ’acqua Giuli a, 20 plates, Roma 1761 .

Antichita d ’

Albano e di Caste l Gandolfo, 55 plates, Roma 1761 - 2.

De Romanorum magn ificentia etArchitectura, 44 plates, Homes 1761 .

Campus Martin s antiquee urbis, 54 plates, Rom ae 1762.

Lapides Capitolin i sive Fasti Consulares, 12 plates, Romm 1762.

With this usually occurs the Antichitadi Cora, 1 4 plates.Diverse man iere d

’

adornare i Camm in i, 69 plates, Roma 1769.

Colonna Trajan a, largefol. 21 plates, Roma 1770.

Vasi, Candelabri, &c. 1 14 plates, Roma 1778.

Vedute di Roma, about 137 plates. Besides these there is also a

small Work of this author now very scarce, in whi ch, extremely irritated again stLord Charlemont, he assign s his reasons for not dedicat

ing to him his AntichitaRomane . For this work he etched, in quarto,exact copies Of the four original Frontispieces which were to haveimmortalised the name Of his patron , with views Of the in scription sre - ingTaved as they now stand, as though the first Inscription s hadbeen cut outof the stones, and the new ones inserted on small piecesletinto them . There are also head and tai l pieces alluding to the mat

ters and persons in volved in the di spute. This work is dated 1757.

A representation of Lord Charlemont’

s (the nobleman above mentioned) casino wi ll be foun d among SirW. O.

’

s plates . [En ]

92 INTRODUCTION .

compositions, on paper, has seldom been equalled , knewlittle of construction or calculation , yet less of the con

trivance of habitable structures, or the modes of carryingreal works into execution ; though styling himself an ar

chitect. And when some pensioners of the French aca

demy atRome, in the Author ’ s hearing, charged him withignorance of plans, he composed a very complicated one,

since published in his work, which sufficiently proves,that the charge was notaltogether groundless. Indeed,

it is notunfrequent in some countries of the continent, tofind ingen ious composers and able draughtsmen , with no

other reading than V ignola’

s rules, and withoutany skillwhatever in the executive parts ; or knowledge of the

sciences belonging thereto.

On the other hand, the student of a more saturninecast, unable, or fearful, perhaps, Of soaring so high, ap

plies his powers to the Operative and economical branchesOf the art, resting sati sfied in the parts Of design and com

position, to imitate or copy others ; content, if by borrow.

ing whatever falls in his way, he avoids any striking ah

surdities ; and reaches that state of m ed iocrity, whichthough itmay escape censure , commands no praise.In countries where mechan ics assume the profession ,

and arrogate the title of architects, men of this sortabound ; they are by foreigners stiled portfolio artistsand their productions, collected without judgment, fromd ifferent stores, mustever be d iscordant without determ ined stile, marked character , or forcible effect alwayswithout novelty, and having seldom either grandeur orbeauty to recommend them. They are pasticcios in building, generally more imperfectthan those of the stage .

94« INTRODUCTION .

carry greatand indeterminate burthens, to stand the shockof heavy laden carriages, and to resistthe utmostfury of

the elements.

By Optics, particularly that part which is called perspective , the artist is enabled to judge with precision, Of

the effects of his compositionswhen carried into execution ,

and also to representthem more pleasingly in design , as

well for his own satisfaction , as to give his employers amore perfect idea of his intentions than could be collectedfrom geometrical drawings. And an acquaintan ce with theotherbranches will be u seful on many occasions, in the distribution of light, to produce particular striking effects, andin the disposal of mirrors, to create deceptions, multiplyObj ects, and raise ideas Of fargreater than the real magn itude or extentof thatwhich is exhibited to view.

As to a painter, or sculptor, so to an architect, a

thorough mastery in design is indispensably necessary ;it is the sine quzi non , and the ma i a bastanza of CarloMaratta is full as applicable in one artas in the others ;

for if the architect’ s mind he not copiously stored withcorrect ideas of forms, and habituated by long practice tovary and combine them as the fancy operates : or if his

hand has not the power Of representing with precisionand force , whatthe imagination suggests, his compositionswill ever be feeble, formal, and ungraceful, and he will

Carlo Maratta , a pa inter Of-

the Roman S chool, born 1625, died 1713.

He was n icknamed Ca rluccio della IWa donna by Salvator Rosa, from hisfondness for paintingMadonnas. The allusion of the author relates to hisnever being satisfied with his forms and drapery, which he always employedhimself in correcting to the lastmomentof fin ishing a picture. Fuselivery justly Observes thathis talent se ldom rose above m ediocrity. He was

nevertheless extrem ely popular in his time in Rome, as the churches andpalaces there amply testify. [En ]

INTRODUCTION : 95

stand unqualified to discharge the principal part of hisduty, which is, to invent and dispose all thatenters intohis design , and to guide the painter, sculptor, and everyother artist or artificer, by advice and precise d irections,as far atleast, as relates to the outline and effectof their

performances, that allmay be the effortof one m ind, mas

ter Of its Object, and all the parts be calculated to produce a general uniformly supported whole which nevercan be the case where artists and artificers are leftto them ~

selves, as each, naturally en ough , con siders the perfec

tion Of his own part, sometimes without comprehending,and always without attention to, the whole composition .

Even Bernini ‘, though an able architect, could seldom

refrain from sacrificing architecture to the graces of sculpture and painting, the ill consequences of which, are sufficiently conspicuous in s everal of his works, butparti calarly in his piazza Of St. Peter ’ s, where the statues placed

upon the colonnades, instead Of standing uprightas theyshould do, in all such situations, are so whimsically con

totted , that ata little distan ce they seem to be perform inga dance, and very considerably injure the effectof thatmagnificentapproach to the firstbuilding in the Christianworld.

Giovanni Lorenzo Bern ini , born atN aples in 1589, died 1680. His

residence was chiefly atRome, where with great reputation he practisedas an Architect and Sculptor. He was under Urban VIII, one of the

Architects OfSt. Peter’ s, towhich, besides otherparts, he added those of the

greatcolonnades in frontof theChurch and theBaldachino underthe Cupola .

He was in general requestthroughout Europe . AtParis he made designs

for completing the Louvre (see a subsequent note on Chambray) , and forEngland he executed three busts of Charles the First from a picture byVandyke . Bern in i was also a painter several Of his pictures are in the

F lorentine Gallery be received the honour of Kn ighthood from Gre

gory V. [ED ]

96 INTRODUCTION .

To the knowledge, practice, and facility of hand just

mentioned, composers in architecture must unite a per

feetacquaintance with all kinds of proportions, havingrelation either to the grandeur, beauty, strength, or convenience of structures, their variations as occasions require, and the d ifferenteffects which situation, distance,light, or other circumstances have upon them which is ascience of very considerable d ifficulty, and only to be at

tained bymuch experien ce and close Observation .

He furthermore m u st be we ll versed in the customs,ceremon ies, and modes of life Of all degrees of men hiscotemporaries, their occupations and amusements, the

number and employments of the ir domestics, equipagesand appurtenances, in whatmanner the business allottedto each is performed, and what is requisite or proper tofacilitate the service, with many other particulars which,though seemingly trifl ing, must not be unknown to himwho is to provide for the wants, and gratify the expectations Of all.

Ne ither must he be ignorant Of ancient history fableand mythology, nor of antiquities, as far as relates to thestructures, sculpture, ornaments, and utensils Of the

Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Etrurians ; as the es

tablished stile of decoration collects its forms, combinations, symbols, and allusions, from these abundant sources,which time, and the concurring approbation Ofmany ages,have rendered venerable .

The painter’s canvas, and the sculptor

’s block, are their

ultimate Objects ; but the architect’ s attention must at

The author somewhat contradicts himself : atpage 86 he seems ratherd isinclined to adm itVitruvius ’ s qualifications. See note on the passa

g e .

EED-J

98 INTRODUCTION .

termining exactly, the goodness of the differentmaterials

used, with the degree of perfection and consequentvalueatall times, Of every kind Of work, from the stately splen

did productions Of the pencil and chissel, to the most

trifling Objects employed in a fabric : together with allthecircumstances constituting their value as upon these, its

occasional fluctuation mustdepend.

Considerable as this detail may seem, it is yet insufli

cient. A builder, like a chemist, mustanalyze his substances be so much master of the constituentparts,

of his

composition , their necessary forms and dimensions, that,as those of the profession term it, he may be able to takethe whole build ing to pieces, and estimate from his de

signs, the total amountof the structure, before a singlestone is prepared.

TO ignora nce, or inattention in this particular, Ofwhichfor serious reasons, no architect should ever be ignora nt,or careless, must be ascribed the distressful, often the ruinous, uncertainty of common estimates ; for some, who condescend to estimate their own productions, knowperhaps,butimperfectly, how their designs are to be carried intoexecution , and consequently omit in the valuation , muchthatmustbe done . And some, who being too greatforsuch minute investigations, employ others to estimate,

withoutdescribing thoroughly the manner in which theyintend to proceed, leave them so much in the dark, thateven if capable, they can do little more than guess at

the value, and are seldom or ever right in their conjeetures

The following ironi ca l account of the close Of the labours Of some

who assumed the name of architect, was a few years ago, not very farfrom the truth. It is extracted from an excellent little book, entitled

INTRODUCTION . 99

Others there are, who being either unqualified, or too

idle to calculate themselves, and perhaps too parsimo

OIKIAIA, or Nutshells, 8vo. Lond. 1785, by the late James Peacock,of Guildhall , whose virtues and moral exce llence will be honoured as longas the memory Of his surviving friends remains sound, under the fi ctitiousanagrammatic name Of JOSE MAC PACKE, a bricklayer’ s labourer Atthe end of this book he says, It wi ll not be improper, perhaps, toclose thi s little work with another intimation, respecting an operation tobe performed when the building 18 fin ished, and the artisthas all the workmen

’

s accounts under hi s hand ; this is called doc/ring, and is performedtwo ways, the Old mann er proceeds cautiously, by analysis and detail , andbeing very generally known , requires nothi ng particular to be said Of it

here.

The new method stands recommended, on account of the ease and ex

pedition wherewith it is effected, and the greatand respectable airthe ope

rator derives from it (the general and happy con comitantOf ambiguity andmystery) ; it is certain ly a grand Objection to the Old method, that it

requires so greatan in sight into the nature, qualities and values of all sortsof materials, and workmanship; an inferior and intricate kind of knowledge, by far toomean and troublesome for gentlemen of exalted views toattend to. There is, however, one very capital objection to a general useOf the new manner, whi ch is thatnow and then a workman is turbulentandrefractory, and pays no more regard to the fiator dignity Of an architect,than he would to those of an Old apple woman and would sooner squam‘

der his mon ey away among those rogues the lawyers, than forego a single

gui nea Of his property, to add to, or uphold the fame Of any architectwhatsoever ; so that if the artist does not know his man , the old manner

is abundantly to be preferred or atleast, such a degree of relaxation fromthe n ew mode, as after mature deliberation , pruden ce will naturally di ctate. This may be veryw ell done, without losing sightof that valuablequality or di sposition , everArgus like, awake to, and alert in seizing all

kinds of advantages (very often maliciously ca lled low cunn ing) , and

which may be exercised in its ful lestextent, wh ere the workman is knownto be a poor ignorantand timorouswretch, foolishly afraid, that law is nota lwaysjustice, andwhose maxim is, thatthe firstloss is genera lly the least.Then follows an anecdote of a gentleman who had employed his archi

teetto exam ine som e bills, among them one of a sm ith whose bill hadbeen docked, who had been un der very particular Obligatioi i s to the gentleman , and from whose bill, apparently of 30l. stood a deduction of

The gentleman , after expostulating with him for his vi llanous ingratiftude, as well as dishonesty, in attempting such an imposition upon him,

100 INTRODUCTION .

n ions to employ any other person , for itis a work of time,and considerable expense , value by the square an ope

ration , both easy and expeditious, butOf all, the mostfal

lacions, excepting in common buildings, of similar forms

and dimensions, builtand finished in the same manner ;where , the amountOf whathas been done, may be a guide

to value by. But in extraordinary works, these rapid es

timators never hitthe mark, and are generally so farwideof it, as to draw shame and reproaches on themselves ; re

gret, difficulties, sometimes ruin, both on the employer

and the tradesmen employed.

As one, in whose honour and judgment the employerconfides, and to whom the employed look upforprotectionand justice as mediator and judge between them, on sub

jects generally important: the architect’ s sk ill, vigilance,and activity, should equal the consequence Of his station,and studious to sustain his character, attentive to justifythe confidence reposed in him, he must neither inadvertently, nor otherwise, bring on unexpected ruinous ex

penses ; neither countenance, nor suffer, imposition on the

one hand ; oppressive parsimony, or ill d irected liberality,on the other.Let itnot however be inferred, from any thing here

said, thaterrors in estimation proceed on every occasion,

assured him he should have no future Opportun ity of exercising a similarconductw ith respectto him . The sm ith humbly begged to know the

reason . Reason S ir, why Mr informs me here, you haveovercharged me 61. in this bill . Why then , Sir,

”replies Vulcan , 1 am

31. in your honour's debt: this is the firsttime I ever made a charge Of

this strange nature. The truth is, Vulcan was buta lame scribe, and hadinadvertently made the amountof his bil l, which was 31. appear so muchl ike 301. thatany person looking no further than atthe total, mighthavemade exactly the same m istake the surveyor did .

109 INTRODUCTION .

other countries of the European continent, constitutes a

partof the architect’ s profession ; is here in other handsand , with a few exceptions, in very improper ones. Shouldthatpleasing artbe ever practised by men, who have made

composition in general, a study ; who by having seen

much, have stored the fancy with copious imagery ; and

by proficiency in the arts Of design , formed a correct andelegant taste ; we m ight expectto find much more varietyand far higher perfection in works of that sort, than can

now be expected , or is yetto be boasted of.

Itseems almost superfluous to observe, that an architectcannot aspire to superiority in his profession , withouthaving travelled ; for it must be Obvious, that an art

founded upon reason ing and much Observation , is notto

be learnt without it; books cannot avail ; description s,even drawings or prints, are butweak substitutes ofTealities : and an artist who constantly inhabits the same

place, converses with the same people, and has the same

Objects always Obtruding on his view, must necessarilyhave very confined notions, few ideas, and many prejudices. Travelling rouses the imagination ; the sight of

great, new, or uncommon objects, elevates the m ind to

sublime conception ; enriches the fancy with numerousideas ; sets the reason ing faculties in motion : he who has

beheld with attentive consideration , the venerable remainsof ancient magnificence or studiously examined the

splendor of modern times, in the productions Of the sub

lime Buonarroti, Bramante , Vignola, Palladio, Raffaello,Polidoro, Peruzzi, San sovino, Sanm icheli, Ammanati,

Famil iarEpistle to the Author Of the Heroic Epistle. The bitterness

however of the Heroic was adequately retorted in the Fam iliarEpistle.

"

INTRODUCTION . 103

Bernini, Pietro da Cortona, and many other original mas

ters ; whose works are the ornament and pride Of the

European continent ; must have acquired notions, far

more extensive, and superior to him, whose informationhas been gleaned from the copiers, or feeble imitators, ofthese great men , and their stupendous works : he must

be in composition more animated, varied, and luxuriant;in design , more learned, correct, and gracefu l : ever go:

verned by a taste formed atthe fountain ’s head, upon the

purestmodels ; and impressed with the effect of those

greatObjects, which some time or other in life, have beenthe admiration Of most who either claim distinction , or

aspire to elegance ; he must always labour with greatercertainty of success.By travelling, a thorough knowledge of di fferent coun

tries, their language and manners, are alone to be attainedin perfection : and by conversing with men of differentnations, we learn their Opin ions, hear their reasons in

supportof them , and are n aturally led to reason in our

turn : to set aside our national prejudices, reject our illfounded maxims, and allow for granted, thatonly whichis clearly proved ; or is founded on reason , long expe

ricuce, and careful observation .

Thus habituated to consider with the rigour Of criticalaccuracy, we learn to see objects in their true light ;withoutattention , e ither to casual approbation or disliketo distinguish truth through the veil Of obscurity, and

detectpretence however speciously sustained. Travellingto an artist, is, as the university to a man Of letters, thelast stage of a regular education ; which Opens the mind

to a more liberal and extensive train of thinking, diffusesan air of importance over the whole man, and stamps

104 INTRODUCTION .

value upon his opinions : itaffords him Opportunities offorming connections with the great, the learned, or the

rich ; and the friendships he makes while abroad, are

frequently the first causes Of his reputation , and successathome

'.

R-idolfi (Part i . c. 20) justly observes, La Cognizione di quest’ artenon e conceduta ad ognuno, ma riservata a coloro, che con lungo studiohanno di cosi diffi cile e laboriosa materia gli ultimi termini appresi.”

106 or THE ORIGIN AND

differentregions : where frequent rain, storms and piereing cold, forced the inhabitants to seek for better shelterthan trees.

Atfirstthey most likely retired to caverns, formed bynature in rocks ;

'

to hollow trunks of trees ; or to holes,

dug by themselves in the earth butsoon di sgusted with

the dampand darkness of these habitations, they began tosearch after more Wholesome and comfortable dwellingsThe animal creation pointed out both materials,

“

and

manners of construction ; swallows, rooks, bees, storks ;were the first bu ilders : man Observed their instinctiveOperations, be admired ; he imitated ; and being endued

with reasoning faculties, and Of a structure suited to

mechanical purposes, he soon outdid his masters in the

builder ’ s art.Rude and unseemly, no doubt, were the first attempts ;

without experience or tools, the builder collected a few

boughs of trees, spread them in a conic shape, and covering them with rushes, or leaves and clay ; formed his butsuflicient to shelter its hardy inhabitants at n ight, or in

seasons of bad weather“. But in the course of time,

men naturally grew more expert ; they invented tools toshorten and improve labour ; fell upon neater, more durable modes of construction ; and forms, better adapted

than the cone , to the purposes for which their huts wereintended. They felt the want of convenienthabitations,wherein to taste the comforts of privacy, to rest securely,and be effectually screened from troublesome excesses of

D iodorus Sic. lib. i . sect. 8. Vitruvius, lib. i . c. 2. Pausan ias ,Phocic. c . 17. [ED.]

Biod. S iculus,lib. l . sect. 43. Ka i rain; obvio u s ix Ti w xaMiyw xa la

c x iuééwgzs. [Ep.]

108 or THE ORIGIN AND

sides , these trees were raised above the dirt and humidity

on stones ; were covered at the top with other stones ;and firmly bound round at both ends with ozier or cords

,

to secure them from splitting. The spaces between thejoists of the roof, were closed up with clay or wax, andthe ends of them either smoothed, or covered with boards."

The different beds of material s that composed the covering, were cut straight at the eaves, and distinguishedfrom each other by different proj ections. The form of

the roof too, was altered ; for being, on account of itsflatness, unfit to throw off the rains which sometimes fel lin great abundance ; itwas raised in the middle, on treesdisposed like rafters ; after the form of a gable roof.This construction , simple as it appears, probably gave

birth to most of the parts that now adorn our buildings ;particularly to the orders, wh ich may be considered asthe basis of the whole decorative part of architecturefor

i

when structures of wood were set aside, and menbegan to erect solid . stately edifices of stone, havingn oth ing nearer to imitate, they naturally copied the partswhich necessity introduced in the primitive hut '; insomuch that the upright trees , with the stones and cordageat each end of them, were the origin of columns, bases ,and capital s the beams and joists gave rise to architraves

See the scriptures“, Homer ", Herodotus ‘, Strabo4, Diodorus Siculus‘,Pausanias‘, P liny 8, Justin ", Q ui ntus Curtius‘.

See preceding notes p. 1 05 , and Daniel, iv. 80. Gen. x. 1 1 . Jonah i i i. 8, 4. and iv. 1 1 .on N ineveh — whose size was such thatthere were in itmore than six score thousand personswho could notdiscern between their righthand and their lefthand, and also much cattle.

b Iliad I. 381 . Herodotus, lib. i.d Strabo, l ib. xvi also Arrian. de Exped. Alex. lib. vi i. Diodorus, lib. i . u.

’ Pausanias, lib. vi ii. 83. zPlin. lib. xxxvi. Sect. xvu.h Justin, lib. i. Cap. 2.

‘Q uintus Curtius, li b. v. c . l .

PROGRESS or BU ILD ING. 109

and frizes, with their triglyphs and metopes and thegable roof was the origin of pediments, as the beds ofmaterial s forming the covering, and the rafters supporting them, were of corn i ces, with their corona, their mu

tules, modillion s, and dentil s.That trees were the original s of columns seems evident

,

from some very ancient Egyptian ruins stil l exi sting ; inwhich are seen columns composed of many small trees tiedtogether with bandages, to form one strong pillar ; which,before stone was. in use, became a necessary

'

operation ina country, where no large timber was to be had ; and inwhich, the stupendous Size of their structures, constitutedthe principal merit. Herodotus describes a stately stonebuilding, which stood in the court of th e temple of Mi

nerva at Sais, the columns of which were made to imitatepalm trees.The form of the bundle pillar above mentioned, though

Stone as a material in bui lding, was not likely to su cceed to the woodof the huts mentioned by the author. The cutting and dressing it must

have taken considerable time to conquer. Bricks dr ied in the sun, most

probably followed timber as a mater ial for en closures. These indeedwere employed in bui ldi ng the tower of Babel. And they said one

to another, go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And

they had brick for stone, and Slime had they for mortar. Gen . xi . 3.

Br i ck was much used ata remote period among the Egyptians. Exod. i .M. v. 7. [Ep .]It is an inference by no means clear or necessary, that the basis of de

corative architecture is indebted to the earlier timber framework for itsor igin— inasmuch as the step between the hut and the Grecian Temple is,if the Greeks ga ined any knowledge of the art from the Egyptians, whichit is presumed cannotbe denied, the flatroofed Temple of Egypt, in whoselarge hollowed crown moulding, mutules or blocks are not readi ly traced.It is notmeantto m i slead the student by denying the Hypothesis ; he isonly cautioned against an admission of it entirely, without mu ch moreresearch than can be entered into here of the current story on this point

1 10 OF THE ORIG IN AND

deriving its existence from necessity, is far from di sagreeable. Itwas evidently a beauty in the eyes of the ancientEgyptians, Since itwas imitated by them in stone. And itseems more natural to suppose, that fluted columns owetheir origin to the intermediate hollows, between the treescomposing these pillars, than to the folds of a woman ’ sgarment ; to which they have but very little resemblance.Vitruvius, the only remaining ancient writer upon the

decorative part of arch itecture, ascribes almost every invention in that art to the Greeks, - as if til l the time ofDorus, it had remained in its infant state, and nothinghad till then appeared worth notice : and most, if not al lthe modern authors, have echoed the same doctrine. Yet,if ancient history be credited, the Egyptians, Assyrians,Babylonians, and other nations of remote antiquity, hadexhibited wonders in the art of building, even before

'

the

Grecians were a peopl e'.It must indeed he confessed, that though the works of

th e Asiatic nations were astonishing in point of Size andextent, yet in other respects they were of a nature calculated rather to give a h igh idea of the power and wealth

which has been SO generally adopted. It is doubtless from the covering ofroofs w ith timber, thatthe ped imenthas its origin , butthis was probablyat a late per iod and at a time when the art was considerably advanced.The studentw i ll do well to read carefully the chapters on Architecture inGoguet

’

s Or igi ne des Loi s." [Ep.]The favourite system of reducing each component partof an order to

its correspond ing type in an assemblage of timbers, is one which, at thisdi stant period from the orig in of the art, is, to say the leastof it, not l ikelyto prove satisfactory . The timber system has had its adm irers in these laterdays, even in Gothic architecture, whose invention is so much nearer ourown tim e, see the wood and wicker churches in S ir James Ha ll 's Essayon the Or ig in , H i story and Princ iples Of Gothi c Arch itecture ,” 4to, Loud.1813. Butthe resulthas notbeen attended with conviction . [Ep.]

1 12 or THE ORIG IN AND

IOSOpherS of Greece, travell ed anciently into Egypt tocollect their knowledge, but al so their architects andsculptors ; and that every thing in wh ich the Grecians excelled, and for which they were famous, was originallycarried from Egypt into Greece.

ThePhoenicians however were very early celebrated fortheir proficiency in the arts of design ' ; and there is nodoubt, but the Greeks availed themselves of their in

ventiOnS.

We are told that Hiram” made two capital s for thepil larsJachin and BOaz, in Solomon

’ s temple ; which, asfar as can be collected , from the accounts given of them

inseveral parts of scripture, very much resembled theCorinthian capital s, both in form and proportions ; thoughexecuted some centuries before Callimachus, is reportedby Vitruvius , to have invented itat Corinth . The cherubim of Hiram tOo, and the colossal figures of men andan imals, in the structures of the Egyptians, were prior in

1 Kings, v . 6.

HS s'

appliquérent a cultiver les arts, etbientOt ils y firent les plusgrands progres.

"

Goguet, Origine des Lois, l re Epoque, liv. iv. The

Tyr ian dye is suffi ciently celebrated. See on this point, Bochart, Phaleg.

lib. iv. 35 . [Ep .]11 K ings,vu . 13. l4. And King Solomon sentand fetched Hiram out

of Tyre . He was a widow ’

s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father wasaman ofTyre , a worker in brass : and he was filled with Wisdom and understandi ng, and cunning to work allworks in brass. -And he cameto K ing Solomon , and wroughtall his work. For be ca sttwop i llars of brass, of e ighteen cubits high a piece : and a line of

twelve cubits did compass e ither of them about,"

et seq. Bythe diagram in the margin constructed on the text, itis evidentthat the proportions were s im ilar to those of the Egyptiancolumn . The li ly work mentioned as decorating the chap iterswill no less bring to the reader ’ s mind, the lotus leaves foundin almostall the Egyptian capitals. “zigzag

PROGRESS OF BU ILD ING.

ventions ; and undoubtedly suggested to the Greeks, theirideas of Persians and Caryatides.And though architecture is certainly indebted to the

Grecians, for considerable improvements, yet, it maywith confidence be averred, that they never brought theart to its utmost degree of excellence., The art of building, says Leon Baptista Alberti

‘

, Sprung up, and Spentits adolescent state in Asia after a certain time, itflowered in Greece ; and finally acquired perfect maturity inItaly, among the Romans And whether we call tom ind the descriptions gi ven by ancient writers of Nineveh ,

Leoni s Baptista: Alberti, Florentini, Libri de re aedificatori a decem,

Lib. vi. 0 . 3.

Alberti, an eminent Italian architect, and one of the earliest scholarsthatappeared on the revival of letters, was born atV eni ce in the end of

the fourteenth or beginn ing of the fifteenth century . Mili zia gives theyear 1398 as thatof his birth . He di ed about 1472. In 1447 he became a

canon of SantaMaria del F iore atFloren ce — ia the condu ctof the works ofwhich fabr i c he su cceeded Brunellesch i . He was one of the restorers ofpurearchitecture in Italy, which abounds w ith his works — The Church of San

Fran cesco atRim in i is cons idered his best. The works ofAlberti , wr ittenin Latin , are-_His di alogue, entitled, Momus de Pr in c ipe,” Rome, 1520Triv ia, sive de cansis senatoriis, 4to. Bas i l, 1538. — He composed

106 Fables” or Apologues, and a poem , entitled Hecatomphile,"

on

the artof Love, wh ich was translated by Bartol i into Ital ian 1568, and

into Fren ch in 1534 and 1584. Many treatises on Ph i losophy, Mathematies, and Antiquity. One on Sculpture, and another De Pictura,

prazstantissima et nuriquam satis laudata arte.

”His treatise De re

aadificatoria,”was firstpubli shed by his brother Bernard after his death,

Fol. Florence, 1485 . It is addressed by Pol itian to Loren zo de Medi c i ,by whom it was patroni sed. Another Edition in 4to. was printed inParis, 1512. Itwas translated into Italian by Peter Lauro, small 4to.

Ven ice, 1546, Chalmer ’ s - B iog. Diet. says 1549 ; by Cosimo Bartoli , Fol.F loren ce, 1550, and into Engl i sh by James Leon i, from the Italian of

Bartoli, 3 Vols. Fol. London , 1726 ; in 1 V ol. 1755. The last Editionwas pr inted atBologna, Vasari attributes to Alberti the in ventionof the camera obscura . [Em]

Q

1 1 4 or rm : 0mm AS D

mon ume nts : “ conte mplate , among the Boman works ;

Gred am hn e been fhr excefled by othermfim notonly

in the magnimde and gm deur of their strum - but

How distzntthe Gred m s were fiu n pa fection in pro

pa fi ons in the art of profiling, an d other parts of the

who mmpmes the pnhfimfim s d h m m Revert,

and orher ingenimi s lzvanfine travellers'

; r lth the anti

It is bn fniru g n thc m d'

l h .WW W , ta sk-cmwhi ch fi fi n tfin gi fl n é xu m ke a m m ' fi a

m m , h d z l a da , agfim a beli ef M E RLE“. (1 m.

m m m a m m a m m w m

“M l m fl m u fi w m i m m n

” W m m s hn i ngm dd fi e pmhfim in d fi c

pu ma -ru t, m u m -M ir a n d a fl c m tw m e

ha s : W y gim u fi e ‘u fi by fi rw. w m n d ais

o'

mu 'rmim “ M a m m h mfl h fl s c i‘ jfl ma m dm n gzm ly fim lds -uigh n dm s n m h t, u l

M a fi d md rfl m w m m ' m fi m lk a m

lin o m m d m m o m m m

M l fi e m fim d g n fi a i fi c a fi n ? Th in“

:

M m m m ym u m den fl ne fi c m w dofl pm ;

a m f m , m i n im , “ M a dm en-n“

1 16 or THE ORIG IN AND

the fairest monuments of Greece and Rome ; wh ich isrecommended to the inspection and perusal of those whohave not yet seen it.Indeed, none of the few things now existing in Greece,

though so pompously described, and neatly representedin various publications of our time, seem to deserve greatnotice, either for dimension, grandeur of style, rich fancy,or elegant taste of design ; nor do they seem calculatedto throw new light upon the art, or to contribute towardsits advancement : not even those erected by Pericles orAlexander ; while th e Grecian arts flourished most ; nei

ther the famous lantern of Demosthenes, nor the morefamous' Parthenon ; which , though not so considerable asthe church Of St . Martin , in St. Martin

’ s Lane, exclusiveof its elegant spire ; had for its architects, Phidias, Cal li ~

crates, and Ictinus ; was the boast of Athens ; exc itedthe envy and murmurs of all Greece. We find indeed,in Pl iny, and other ancient writers, very pompous descriptions of temples, such as, that of Apollo at Miletus ; of

Ceres and Proserpine at Eleusis ; of the Olympian Jupiter

im itation of the Greek Prostyle temple, and will not enter into the

slightest degree of comparison with the chaste grandeur, the dignified simplicity, and sublime effectof the Parthenon .

This note has already extended to such length, thatthe reader must referto the pages of Mr. Reveley’ s preface for the remainder of the contestthey are too long to extract: it is therefore closed by observing, that theadvocates of whatmay be truly called the sublime architecture of Greeceseem to forgetthe lines ofVirg i l

Fraxinus in sy lvi s pulcherrima, pinus in hortiS,Populus in fluviis, abies in montibus altis;

and thatthe deposit of a Greek temple in the streets of London cannotbe.cons idered a mark of good taste ; or if itbe, thatthe Banqueting HouseatWh iteha ll oughtto be held upin derision . [ED -JPluta rch in Pericl. [w ]

PROGRESS OF BU ILD ING. 1 17

at Athens ;‘and above all, of Diana at Ephesus ; on e of

the. seven wonders of the world. But if the G recianarchitecture was defective in the time of Alexander

, it

must have been more so some centuries earlier : and concerning temples built in bogs‘, and founded upon wool

"

,

to resist earthquakes, and of which, the stones were set

with sand bags, some doubts may be indulged : as wellas of those made of wax“, yet resisting the ardor of aGrecian sun ; or those of brass, yet catching fire andmelting down .

At first sight, itmay appear extraordinary, that a people so renowned in arms ; so celebrated for poetry, rhetoric, and every sort of polite learning ; and who carriedsculpture farther than any of the ancient nations ; shouldbe so deficient in architecture : yet upon farther consideration , many reason s. will occur why it necessarilyShould be so.

— Greece, a country small in itself, was

divided into a number of little states none of them verypowerful

,populou s, or rich so that they could attempt,

no very considerable work s in architecture ; having neia

th er the space, the hands, nor the treasures that wouldhave been necessary . It must be owned,” says Mon

sieur D ’

Ablancourt3, that Greece, even in the zenith ofher greatness, had more ambition than power : we findAthens flattering herself with the conquest of the uni

verse, yet unabl e to defend her own territories, against

Pliny, lib. xxxvi. c. 14. [ED ]2 Pausan ias Phocid . e . 6. [ED ]

3 N icholas Perrot, s ieur D ’

Ablancourt, a man , says Bayle, more celebrated for his Tran slations than his original produ ctions, was born in 1606and d ied 1664. He publi shed Version s of many an cient authors, amongwhich were theWorks of Tac itus, Lucian , Caesar, Thu cydides and Arriam.

See his Thucyd ides for the quotation of the author . And for a l istof his‘Yorks, Moreri

’

s Diet. [En ]

1 18 or THE ORIG IN AND

the incursions of her neighbours : and who can refrainfrom laughter at the Lacedemon ians ; rivals in fame withthe Athenians; yet, in despair, and reduced to sue forpeace ; by the loss of four hundred men .

”— The lake of

Moeri s would have deluged all Peloponnesus, and ruined

all Greece ; Babylon would have covered Attica, andmore men had been employed to build that city, thanthere were inhabitants in all the G recian states. TheEgyptian labyrinth, was a hundred times larger than that

of Crete ; and more material s have been employed in one

of th e Egyptian pyramids, than were used in all the public structures of Athens.If, at the same time it be recollected, that Greece,whil e divided into many governments, was constantlyharassed with domestic wars, and from its union , alwaysin an unsettled Situation . That, an uncommon Simplicityof manners prevailed among the Grecian states ; and thestrictest maxims of equal ity, were zealously adhered toin most of them ; itwil l be easy to account for the smallprogress made by the G reek s in architecture. Demosthenes‘ observes, that the houses of Aristides, Miltiades,or any other of the great men of th eir time ; were nofiner than those of their neighbours : such was their moderation , and so steadily d id they adhere to the ancientmanners of their country. One of the laws of Lycurgusordained, that the ceilings Of houses should only bewrought by an axe ; and their gates and doors be l eft

Demosthenes merely mentions the great frugality of Aristides, sayingnothing respecting his private dwelling. The houses of Themistocles andMiltiades are alluded to, in the Oratio adv.Aristocratem . The words areTsxpigsov32O spiw oxxs

'

ovg pivwig olm’

av, xa i f in MM’

n aidou, xx i 7 5» fi re kara t-

gab ,

v v I a I I 7

rin g a gar. Old" Br own 77 0 1” mm ,tiger.

'ruv7: 0 }.7wvédeva'

s‘uvolsga waud

'

a y. [En ]

1 20 or THE ORIG IN AND

compared with those of the Romans ; the naumach iae andamphitheatres, unknown amongst them as were also the

thermm, in which the Romans affected SO much Splendor.In latter times indeed the Greeks, particularly the

Athenians ; abated of their original severity ; the oratorabovementioned observes, that in his time, there weresome private houses more magnificent than publ ic edi

fices : but this does not appear to have been very common, and consequently could not be productive of muchadditional splendor ; even Alcibiades, the most luxuriousGreek Of his time , for he was accused of wearing a purple cloak

,and of sleeping upon a bed with a canvas

bottom , doth not seem to have been better lodged, thanother Athenians ; excepting, that his house was painted.

S ince therefore the Grecian structures are neither themost considerable, most varied, nor most perfect ;

'

itfollows that our knowledge ought not to be collected fromthem but from some purer, more abundant source ;which , in whatever relates to the ornamental part of theart, can be no other than the Roman antiquity yet remain ~

ing in Italy, France, or elsewhere : vestiges of buildingserected in the politest ages, by the wealthiest, most Splendid , and powerful people of the world. Who, after havingremoved to Rome, from Carthage, Sicily, Egypt, andG reece, the rarest productions of the arts of design ; asalso the ablest artists of the times were constantly employed, during many centuries, in th e construction of al lkinds of edifices that either use, conven ience, luxury, orSplendor required. Pliny‘ informs us, that the works of

Pl iny in his 36th book, to which the reader must refer for a moreextended account, d i lates on the magn ificen ce of the city. Speaking of the palace of Lep idus, which at the time of its construction

PROGRESS OF BU ILD ING. 121

the : Romans were much more considerable than those ofany other people ; that in the course of thirty-five years,more than a hundred sumptuous palaces had been erectedin Rome, the most inconsiderable of which was fit for theresidence of a king : and that in his own time, the timeof Vespasian ; there were a great number, much moresplendid, than any of the hundred abovementioned. Thepalaces of Caligula and Nero, were in extent like town s ;and enriched with every thing that the most exquisite taste,and the most unbounded liberality, could suggest.The Romans began early to cultivate architecture.

Several considerable works were erected by their kings,and many more, during the magistracy of their consul s.Julius Caesar was passionately fond of that “ art ; and besides the buildings erected by him in Rome ‘ he embellished with considerable structures, says Suetonius, theprincipal cities of Italy, France, Spain , Asia, and Greece

“.

Augustus,boasted on his death bed ; that he had con

verted Rome into a city of marble 3 : he not only built

was con s idered in the first rank, he says “Athercule intra annos xxxveadem centesimum Locum non obtinuit. Plin . H ist. N at. 4to. Delph.

1685 . Tom . v . pa . 31 1 . [ED .}N am de ornanda instruendaque u rbe, item de tuendo ampliando

’

que

imperio, plura ac majora in d ies destinabat. In pr im i s Martis Templum ,

quantum nu squam esset, exstruere, repleto et eomplanato lacu in quo nau

maehiae Spectaculum ediderat; theatrumque summae magnitudin is Tarpeiomonti adcubans. Sueton ius in V itaJul. Caesaris sect. 44, see also sect. 36.

Die Cass ius, lib. xl i i i. cap. 22, 25. Plin . xxxvi . 15, &c. [ED ]Superque Italiae, Galli arumque et H ispaniarum , Asia: quoque et

Graecise potentissimas u rbes praecipui s operibus exornans. Sueton ius inV ita Jul . Caesaris, sect. 28. [ED ]

3 Urbem neque pro majestate imperu ornatam , et inundation ibus incen

di isque obnox iam, excoluitadeo, utjure sitgloriatus, marmoream se relin

quere, quam latericiam accepisset. Sueton ius, Caesar Octav ian . sect. 28.

Bio Cassius, lib. li . c. 22 : liii. c. 27 : liv. c . 25, 26 : IV . c. 8, 12 : lvi . c .25, 27. [ED ]

R

122 or THE ORIG IN AND

much himself, butexcited his friends to follow the example ; and Mecaenas, his favorite and minister, was thepatron of arts, as well as Of letters.Caligul a' and Nero“, were to the utmost, splendid in

their buildings. The latter, carried his passion for architecture, as it is sai d, even to the extravagant excess ofburning Rome, that he might have the pleasure of rebuil ding it with greater regularity, and magnificence ;which he afterwards did.

During the reign s of Claudius3, Vespasian“, Titus ’ ,Domitian“ and Nerva, many very considerable publicworks were erected both at Rome, and in other parts ofthe Roman dominions ; and Vespas ian , not only re-edifiedthe capitol with greater magn ificence than before ; butal so all the other publi c buildings of Rome ; which hadsuffered by the outrages of the V itellians. He obligedthe proprietors of ruined houses to rebuild them ; andcaused to be erected, several new edifices of great costand magnificence ; such as the temple Of Peace ; thelargest covered building of antiquity : another, dedicatedto Minerva, Of the richest and most exquisite workman

Sueton ius, Caes. Calig. lib. iv. sect. 21, 22, 37. Dio Cassius, l ib .7.

Formam azdificiorum urbis novam excogitavit: etutante insulas acdomos porticus essent, de quarum solariis incendia arcerentur : easque

sumtu suo exstruxit. Suetonius, Nero, sect. 16, 31 also, wherein is anaccountof the Domus Aurea , 38. Suetonius, Vita Neronis . Dio Cassius ,l ib. lxii. c. 16, 18.

3 Dio Cassius , lib. lvi . c . 10. c. 13.

Ibid. lib. lxvi. c . 15 . Suetonius, lib. viii . c . 8, 9, 18.

Suetonius, lib. viii. c . 8.

Ibid. Vita Domitiani , c . 5, “ Plurima et amplissima Opera incendioabsumta restituit,

”but be deprived the Founders of all share of praise,

Omnia sub titulo tantum suo, ac sine ulla pristini auctoris memoria.

”

124 or THE ORIG IN AND

wh ich had been almost totally destroyed by an earthquake ; and al so repaired many other towns in Syria, thatsuffered at the same time, by_the same calamity

‘

.

Adrian‘, whose skill in different branches of pol iteknowledge is well known ; particularly in the arts ofdesign ; embellished various parts of the Roman empireth Splendid and beautiful structures ; such as his bridge,and mausoleum at Rome ; his vill a near Tivoli ; his wallin Britain, which extended from the river Eden in Cumberland to the Tyne in Northumberland : many templesand other public buil dings in Gaul, in Greece , and inAfrica : where he re -edified a con siderable part of Carthage . He also rebuil t Jerusalem , wh ich Titus haddemoli shed about sixty years before ; and erected in

Egypt, a stately pillar to the memory of Pompey.Antoni nus PiuS ’ re -ed ified a great part of Rome, Nar

Dio Cassius, Lib. lxv i i i . c . 13, where the reader will find an s e

count of this extraordinary Br idge. See also the same book, c . 15 and

16, for other works by him . His architect, Apollodoru s, is mentioned ina subsequentnote. [ED ]

Dio Cassius, Lib. lxix . c. 16. JEliuS Spartianus, in v ita Adrian iCmsaris. H ist.Aug. Scriptores, Lug. Bat. 1671, pa. 179 et seq. [ED ]

3 Opera ejus haze extant Romae, Templum Adr ian i lionori patri s d icatum , Gr ie co- stadium post in cendium restitutum, instauratum amphithea

trum, Sepulchrum Adrian i , Templum Agrippaz, Pons Sublicius, Pharirestitutio, Cajeta‘

: portus, Tarracinens is portus restitutio, Lavacrum Ostiense, Antiatum aquazductus, Templa

'

Lanuviana . Multas etiam civitatesadjuvitpecun ia, utopera vel nova facerent, vel vetera restituerent. JuliusCapitolinus, VitaAntonin i Pii . [ED ]

In less than a century, Constantinople di sputed with Rome itselfthe pre

- em inence of riches and numbers, A.D. 334, Gibbon '

s Decl ineand Fall, Vol. I I I . 8vo. edit. Buttaste and ski ll were on the wane. In

another part he states, that “The magistrates of the most distant provinces were therefore di rected to institute schools, to appointprofessors ,and by the hopes of rewards and privi leges to engage in the study an dpractice of Architecture a sufficientnumber of ingenious youths, who had

PROGRES S OF BU ILD ING. 125

bonne, Antioch , and Carthage : all which cities hadsuffered considerably by fire. And it was his custom ,

whenever any damage happened to a city by an earthquake, a fire, an inundation, or other calamitous accidents ; to repair itwith money taken out of the publictreasury . He greatly improved the ports of Terracinaand Gaeta : built considerable baths at Ostia ; aqueducts at Antium ; temples at Lavin ium : and all must besensible, how powerfully the example of princes, Operatesupon the minds of their subj ects ; inspires the same passions, and excites to the same pursuits.In short, architecture continued to flourish among theRomans, though with abated lustre ; till Constantineremoved the seat of empire to Byzantium : and the number of stately structures, with wh ich Rome, and theRoman dominions abounded, is almost incredible. Theirvery remains, excite at this day, the astonishment andadmiration , of every judicious beholder in spite of al lthat l ength Of time, wars, party rage , barbarism , casualevents

,superstition , and avarice have done to destroy

them .

In these remains, there wi ll be found abundant materials to work upon , and form a compleat system of

decorative architecture. The labours of the celebratedmasters of the fifteenth, Sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, may, perhaps, be added to enrich the stock ; andwe may avail ourselves of their l abours, to facilitate, or

received a liberal edu cation . The buildings of the n ew c ity were executedby such artificers as the re ign Of Constantine could afford . “To rev ivethe gen ius of Phid ias and Lysippus surpassed i ndeed the power of a

Roman emperor.” Ib id. Ata later period, namely in the time of Justin ian ,the church Of St. Sophia shewed an accession of Sk ill, which howeverwanted art to captivate . [ED ]

126 or THE ORIG IN AND

shorten our own but, it should always bezremembered,that though the stream may swell in its course, by theintervention of other supplies : yet it is purest at thefountain ’ s head. And whoever aims at being superiorlyeminent in any profession , must not receive his information at second hand, from others ; but mount himselfto the origin and reason of th ings. The man

,says Michael

Angelo, who foll ows another, always is behind ; but hewho boldly strikes into a different path, may climb ashigh as his competitor : and though the road be somewhat more rugged , yet, if his efforts are crowned withsuccess, the reward w il l amply compensate, for the risqueand labour of the enterprize.An anonymous Italian writer observes, that the Supe

riority of Raphael, may perhaps be owing, to his havingbeen so universally admired and copied ; that the modernsculptors n ever equalled the ancient, because they havedone nothing but imitate them ; and if, says he, all theancient paintings hitherto discovered, are inferior to themodern ; itis, perhaps owing, to our painters nothavinghad the works of an Apelles to Copy.Nature is the supreme and true model of the imitativearts

,upon which every great artist must form his idea of

the profession, in which he means to excel ; and the an

tique is to the arch itect, what nature is to the painter orsculptor ; the source from wh ich his ch ief knowledgemust be collected ; the model upon which his taste mustbe formed.But as in nature few things are faultless, so neither

must it be imagi ned that every ancient production inarch itecture, even among the Romans, was perfect, or afit model for imitation ; as bl ind adorers of antiquity are

128 OF THE ORIG IN AND '

do not seem to have been great proficients. I am in

clined to believe, that many of the deformities observable

in the Grecian bu ildings, must be ascribed to their defi

ciency in that particular : such as their gouty columns ;their narrow intercolumniations ; their diSpTOportionatearchitraves ; their hypmthral temples, which they knew nothow to cover ; and their temples with a range of columnsrunning in the center, to support the roof ; contrary toevery rule, either of beauty or convenience .Neither were the Romans much more skilful ; the pre

cepts of Vitruvius and Pliny on that subj ect are imperfect, sometimes erroneous ; and the strength or durationof their structures, is more owing to the quantity andgoodness of their material s, than to any great art in putting them together. It is not therefore from any of theancient works, that much information can be obtained inthat branch of the art.To those usually called Gothic architects, we are in

debted for the first considerabl e improvements in construction ; there is a l ightness in their works, an art andboldness of execution ; to which the ancients never arrived : and which the moderns comprehend and imitatewith difficulty. England contains many magnificent examples of th is Species of architecture, equally admirablefor the art with which they are buil t the taste and ingenuity wi th which they are composed

There is more constructive skill shewn in Salisbury and other of ourCathedrals, than in all the works of the ancients put together. The

balance of the thrusts of the di fferent arches — the adjustmentof thi ckness in the vaultings and the ex

'ceeding small ratio of the points of supportin these bu i ld ings to their whole superficieS

— and added to these the con

sequent lightness and elegan ce of form wh ich they exhibit, leave us nothingto desire in this respect. [ED ]

PROGRESS OF BU ILD ING . 1 29

One cannot refrain from wishing, that the Gothicstructures were more considered, better understood, andin higher estimation , than they . hithertO

'

Seem to havebeen . Would our di l ettanti instead of importing thegleanings of Greece ; or our antiquaries , instead of publishing loose incoherent prints ; encourage persons dulyqualified, to undertake a correct elegant

'

publication of

Our own cathedrals, and other buildings called Gothic ,before they total ly fal l to ruin itwould be of real serviceto the arts of design ; preserve the remembrance of an

extraordinary stile of building now sinking fast into Oblivion ; and at the same time publish to the world the riches

i '

of Britain, in the splendor of her ancient structures'.Michael Angelo,

'

who skilled as he was in mathema

tical . knowledge, could have no very h igh Opinion of theancient construction boasted that he would suspend thel argest temple of antiquity, meaning the Pantheon , inthe air which he afterwards performed, in the cupola ofSt. Peter ’ s at Rome. And Sir Christopher Wren, hasconducted all parts of St. Paul ’ s, and many others, hisnumerous admirable works, with so much art ; that theyare

,and ever will be, studied and admired by all intelli

gent observers. To him, and to several ingenious artistsand artifice '

rs Since his time, we owe many great improve

Since the author’ s time, this desideratum has been, in a greatmeas ure,accompli shed by the greatand valuable labors of the author of the Architectural Antiqu ities of Great Br itain . The indefatigable exertion s of

John Br itton, ’

Esq. F. S . A. and the care w ith wh i ch he has perpetuatedthe rema ins of our an cient arch itecture, entitle him to the gratitude ofall lovers of the fine arts. The descr iptions and delineations of the Cathedrals now in course of publi cation are of the h ighest class. That whi chin another nation would have been done at the expence Of the Govem a

ment, th is enterprising and able antiquarian has nearly completed athisown risk, in the most judi cious and elegant manner. [ED ]

8

130 or THE ORIG IN AND

ments in carpentry which the Engli sh have establishedupon better prin ciples, and carried to higher perfection,than any other nation .Some of the French architects have likewi se been verysk ilful in construction . The mason ’ s art in particular,has been considerably improved by that nation . Andwe are indebted to the French, to the Italians, and to afew of our own countrymen, for many valuable book s

'

;

in which the manner of conducting great works is taught ;the necessary machines, tools, carriages, and other appa

Architettura di Andrea Pa lladio‘. Arch itettura Universale di V incenzo Scamozzi". Archi . di Sebastiano Serlio°. Leo. Bap. Albertide re Edificaton a“. Architecture de Philibe rt de Lorme

‘. Secretd ’

Ar

chitecture and l'

Artde Charpente deMatheinen Jousse'. Felibien princ ipes

Palladio (Andrea) . I Q uattro Libri dell ' Architettura, l stEdit. Venetia, fol. 1575.2nd Edit. ibid. - 1581 .

3rd Edit. ibid. 160 1 .

There is a modem spurious Edition which itwill be sufficiently easy upon inspection to detect.The principa l Translations into Engl ish are byWare and Leoni, both in fol. The latter hasInigo Jones's Notes on the author— of th is there are twoEditions one ofwhich does notcarrythe Notes in question, though the title-page states the contrary. The proper Edition of the

latter is in fol. Lond. 1 742. The portraitof Palladio is an imposition in both. The buildings of Palladio by Ottavio Bertotti Scamoz z i in 4 vols . fol. V icen za, 17 76 — 83 , with a 5thvol. conta ining Lord Burl ington's publication of the Roman baths, Lond. 1730 , should bein the li brary of every architect. [an ]b Scamoz z i (V incenzo) Idea dell' Architetture, 2 vols. fol. Venez ia, 1615 a reprintof

this Edition appeared, fol. Piaz zola, 1687 . Scamozzi'

s Works have been trans lated intoFrench by D ’

Aviler and Dury, fol. La Haye, 1786 : the edition of 17 13, Leyden, whichprofesses to be the work of Scamozz i has no relation to the above work . [Em]Serlio (Sebasn'ano) L’

Architettura di, 4to. V icenza, 1584 ; V enetia, 1619 ; both goodeditions. [m ]Alberti (Leo. Bapt.) Libri de Re aedificatoria decem, l stEdit. Florence, 1485 , fol. : reb

printed in 4to. Paris, 15 12. Translated into Ita lian by Peter Lauro, small 4to.Venice, 15 46 ;by Cosimo Bartoli, fol. Florence, 1550 : and into English by Leoni, fol. Loud. 1 726- 1756 ,and Bologna, 1782. [an ]Lorme (Phi libertde) (Euvres d'Architecture, fol. 2 vols. in 1. Paris, 1626, orRouen,

1618. The firstEdition, the Treatise on Architecture, in 9 books, was published in Paris1567. The loth book, on Carpentry, entitled Nouvelles Inventions pour hien batir eta

pe litfrais" was published in fol. Paris, 1568, 1576. [mm]Jousse (Math ) Secrets d'Architecture , fol. 1642. The Art ofCarpentry, by this

author, was corrected and augmented by De la Hire, fol. Paris, 175 1 . [I n ]

182 or THE ORIG IN AND

soils, and the manner of laying foundations, of raisingsuperstructures, and of every other particular, havingrelation to the mechanic arts , connected wi th building.

These books the structures abovementioned, and

many others to be found in England or el sewhere, are theschools from which the architect must collect the rudiments of construction but practice, experience, and attentive observation are requisite to render him consum

mately skil led in this important part of his profession‘.The arch itect ’ s aim being, as has been observed, to

erect handsome, strong, convenient, salubrious, and comfortable edifices ; to ascertain thei r value ; and to buildthem wi th safety, ease, and frugality : the principles of

Pierres“ (with the translations in Engl i sh , French, or Italian , of those

that are translated) and many others of less note.

See note page 130.

The number of works on Architecture wh ich have issued from the

presses of the Continent, leave the studentno reason to complain of the

wantof theoreti cal or pra ctical Treatises on his art.A few may be named as worthy a place in the Architect’ s L ibraryArticle Arch itecture” of the Encyclopedic Méthodique, by Q uat. de

Q uin cy, 4 Parts, already published, 4to. Paris, 1788 — 1820.

Traité theor ique etpratique de l ’ artde bati r,” par M . Rondelet, ar

chitecte, 8vo. 4 Vols . Paris .Tra ité de la construction des ponts, suivi de diversMemoires concer

nantles canaux deNavigation,”par Gauthey, 3Vols . 4to. Par is, l809— l6.

Memoires sur les objets les plus Important d’ Architecture, par M .

Patte, 4to Par is, 1769.

“Architecture considérée sous le rapport de l ’art, des mazurs, etde lalegislation, par C . N.Ledoux, fol. Pari s, 1804.

Plans, Coupes, Elevations de diverses Productions de 1’ art de la

Charpente,” par Krafl’t, Pari s, 1805 .

And many others .

Prez ier (Amedee Fr.) Tra ité de Stereotomie, en la Theorie et la pratique de la coupedes pierres et des bois, Strasburg, 1738, or3 V ols. 4to. Paris, 1754.— An abridgment of

this work under the title of Elemens de Stereotomic," was published 1759. [m ]

PROGRESS or BU ILDING. 183

his art may be ranged under four distinct heads, whichare distribution ; construction ; decoration and ecO

nowy.Of construction and decoration, it has been shownwhence his knowledge should be collected ; and of distribution, which comprehends all particulars relative tohealth, convenience, comfort, pleasure and profit ; theartist may collect his general idea, from books or observations, made upon buildings erected forvarious purposes,in different climates and ages but it is only by practicethat he can become expert, in di scovering the advantages,or defects of situation ; the nature of cl imates, or exposi

tions ; the qualities of air, water, soil, and many otherthings necessary to be known : and it is only by a thorough acquaintance with the customs, and modes of livingof his own times and with the di spositions, amusements,occupations, and duties, of his cotemporaries ; that he caneffectually learn , how to supply their wants, or gratifytheir wishes.In countries where general custom governs most things,

and where all persons of th e same rank think, act andlive, nearly after the same manner ; the distributive partof architecture has not so many difficulties : but whereverthat is not the case, every new employer opens a freshfield for investigation ; and the artist

’ s task is never atan end .The economy of architecture is of so complicated, so

extensive a nature, that it is almost impossible for anyman to know itperfectly ; much more foran architect,whose mind must be loaded with a great variety of otherknowledge. When therefore an artist has fixed his abode

in any particular country, or great city ; itwill be best, to

184 OF THE ORIG IN AND

limi t his researches at first, to that place alone : informinghimself of the different quarries , woods, kilns, sea ports orother markets from whence it is supplied with material sfor building as also of the different natures and degreesof goodness of these materials, the properest times forproviding them, the best means of transporting them tothe places of their destination ; their value ; and uponwhat circumstances that value depends : to the end thathe may be enabled at all times, to account for the fluctuation of price, and to ascertain what they are j ustlyworth .The prin cipal difficulty of this enquiry arises, not only

from the many causes upon which the value of things andtheir rise or fall depends, but from the caution wi th whichdealers and tradesmen of almost all denominations, con

ceal the secrets of their trade ; and the real profits theyhave thereon.His next step must be to find outall the able artists and

artificers of the place, and its environs ; to form an ac

quaintance with them , and examine carefully, in whatbranches they particularly excel ; how far their skillextends what their di spositions, circumstances, andtempers are ; with their characters and connections : thatby combining these particulars, he may employ their abilities upon every occasion, to most advantage, as well forthem, as for himself.He must then make diligent enquiry into the usual

prices all owed for every sort of labour, orworkmanshipaccording to its degree of perfection : how much timeand what materials are requi site to produce given quantities thereof ; what profits, according to the usage of theplace, are allowed thereon to the mas ter workmen ; and

186 or THE ORIG IN, ETC.

observations, intended for the second edition of this work,were then suppressed. But latterly, the Gusto Greco,has again ventured to peep forth , and once more, threaten an invasion '. What therefore was omitted in thesecond edition, ithas been judged necessary to insert inthis, as a caution to stragglers.

N o one can be insensible to the exqui site beauties of Greek art, norunmoved by the elegant and captivating arrangement of the GreekTemple . It is in the application of the severer Greek architecture to

Engli sh religious ceremon ies and English habits, without that modifica

tion which c ircum stan ces and the clim ate itself seem to requi re, thattheobjections arise. Letthe reader survey the metropoli s, and compare the

new churches and other publi c bui ldin gs with the works of Jones, Wren ,Burlin gton, Sir RobertTaylor, and those of our Author, and he will besatisfied thatour better acqua intance with Grecian architecture has not

generally improved the style of our public edifices. [an ]

or THE PARTS WHICH COMPO SE, ETC. 137

OF THE PARTS WHICH COMPOSE THE ORDERS OFARCHITECTURE AND OF THEIR PROPERTIES, APPLICATION, AND ENRICHMENTS.

As in'

many other arts, so in architecture, there arecertain elementary forms,which, though simple 111 theirnature

,and few in number, are the principal

'

con stituent

obj ects of every composition ; however complicated orextensive itmay be.Of these there are in our art, two di stinct sorts ; the

first consisting of such parts, as represent those that wereessentially necessary, in the construction of the primitivehuts

,as the shaft of the column, With the plinth of its

base,and the abacus of its capital ; representing the

upright trees, with the stones used to raise, and to coverthem. Likewise the architrave and triglyph, representingthe beams and joists ; the mutules, modillions, and dentil s, either representing the rafters, or some other piecesof timber, employed to support the covering : and thecorona

,representing the beds of material s, which com

posed the covering itself. All these are properly distin

guished by the appellation of essential parts ; and formthe first class. The subservient members, contrived forthe use and ornament of these ; and intended either tosupport

,to shelter, or to un ite them gracefully together,

Which are usually called mouldings, constitute the secondclass.The essential parts were, most probably, the only onesemployed, even in the first stone buildings ; as may be

188 or THE PART S WHICH COMPOSE

collected from some ancient structures, yet remaining forthe architects of those early times, had certain ly veryimperfect ideas of beauty in the productions of art, andtherefore contented themselves, with barely imitating therude model before them but coming in time to comparethe works of their own hands, with an imal and vegetableproductions, each species of which, is composed of agreat diversity of forms, affording an inexhaustible fundof amusement to the m ind, they could not but conceivea disgust, at the frequent repetition of square figures intheir buildings, and therefore thought of introducingcertain intermediate parts, which m ight seem to be of

some use, and at the same time be so formed, as to givea more varied, pleasing appearance, to the whole composition : and this, in all probability, was the origin of

mouldings.Of regular mouldings, there are eight ' which are, the

Ovolo the Talon 3, the Cyma 4 , the Cavetto 5, theTorus 6 , the Astragal 7 , the Scotia 3, and the Fillet 9 .

See plate of regular mouldings.Ovolo, or Echinus, or quarter round

3 Talon or Ogee, or reversed Cyma".

Echinus It is indee d a quarter round, and sometimes more, swell ing above the Cinctures, and commonly nextto the Abacus, carved with Ovals and Darts (by our workmen

called Eggs and Ankers as little po litely,) which is frequently shut up with a smaller Ovoloof Beads and Chaplets , or like ornament; but so adorned, itcommonly runs under the Ion icVoluta , and thatof the Composita, and nextthe Doric Abacus ; as in thatsingular exampleof the Trajan Column it creeps under the Plinth of the Capital. Such as pretend to Etymologies for every thing they hear, will have itfixin g, « area

‘

s c-i fxm , or tw ixtn lav , hex

cause of a kind of self contraction others more rationally from the res emblan ce and roughness in the carving, fix in g «rye

-

( Ju g s, as bristling with darts like a Hedge-Hog, or rather

the thorny husk of a Chest- nut, which be ing opened di scovers a k ind of oval figured kernel,which dented a little atthe top th e Latins cal l Decacumi nata Ova .

"

In the Corinthia n an

Ech inus frequently comes in between the Corona and Dcntilli. An Account of Architectsand Architecture, &c. by John Evelyn, Esq. Fellow of the Royal Society, Fol. 1696,page 2 l . [em]

5 Q/matium inverted , which is no more than a wroughtor plain O‘gee as our workmen

THE ORDERS or ARCHITECTURE, ETC. 189

The names of these are allusive to their forms ; and

their forms are adapted to the u ses, which they are intended to serve. The Ovolo and Talon, being strong attheir extremities, are fit for supports . The Cym a andCavetto, though imprbper for that purpose, as they areweak in the extreme parts, and term inate in a point, arewell contrived for coverings, to shelter other membersthe tendency of their outline being very opposite, to thedirection of falling water , which for that reason, cannotglide along their surface, but must necessarily drop . The

4 Cym a, cyma recta, Cym atium Cavetto, or mouth, or hollow.

6 Torus or Tore“. 7 Astragal, Bead, or Baguette f.8 Scotia or Trochilos “ 9 Fillet, Listel, Annuletbarbarously name it. The term is atom

i

c-row, undula , and signifies a rolling Wave, to the re

semblance whereof itis moulded. By some itis called the Throat, as from the Italian and

F rench, Gola, Cetde, orD oucine , and of these there are two k inds, the firstand principalhath always its cavity above, and doth constantly jettover the Corona orDrip like a Waveready to fall, and then is properly called Sima

” “the other has its hollow below, and is

named Inversa ; the one Convex, the other Con cave . The letters thus placed do rea sonably well express these k ind of Moulding s. An Account of Architects and Architecture,&c. by John Evelyn , Esq. Fellow of the Royal Society, Fol. 1696, page 30. [Ep.]

CCyma— see preceding Note. [ED.]

0 Torus, from Tbeog, denoting the roundness and smoothness of it. Torus em'

m qu icqu idrotundum ; or rather as Scaliger, quod art

‘

i/ict'

a liter elaboratur tornetur, because artificiallymade so ; butwhy not from its Swelling and Brawn iness ? Itmuch resembles the shape of a

round cushion,” &c. Ib id . page 18. [ED.]e “Astragal, which besides divers other things, as the Sq item Spina Vertee near the Neck,

has here its analogy fromthatbone 3. little above the Heel, &c. Ibid . page 18. [En.]“Trochile , from f eixw or a Bundle or Pully-whee l, which itmuch resembles, and

is thatcavity appearing nextto the Torus The Italians name itB astone , ormore properlyCavetto, and Cortice, tanguam baculi cortex, the hollow rind of a tree, as Barbara. Our

workmen retain the ancientScotia , from Exec-la , its obscuri ty proceeding from the shade of

the Hollowness, but more vulgarly they call itthe Casement, &c. Ibid. page 18.It is singular thatSirWilliam should have om itted to notice the situations which the several mouldings Should and should notoccupy .For instance— The Ovolo should be used only above the level of the eye of the spectator.

The Cavetto mustnotbe seen in bases or capitals.The Cyma recta only to be used in crown ing members, though in Palladio’ s

Doric, and otherexamples, itisfound occasionally in the bed mouldingsunder the corona.

The Scotia always below the eye, and always between the fillets attachedto Tori.

The Fillet at all heights, and in mostsituations.

1 40 or THE PARTS WHICH COMPO SE

Torus and Astragal, shaped l ike ropes , are intended tob ind and strengthen the parts on wh ich they are employed ;and the use of the Fillet and Scotia, is only to separate,contrast, and strengthen the effect of other

'

mouldings, to

give a graceful turn to the profil e, and to prevent thatconfusion , which would be occasioned by joining severalconvex members together.That the inventors of these forms, meant to express

someth ing by their different figures, will scarcely bedenied ; and that the abovementioned were their destinations, may be deduced , n ot only from their figu res, butfrom the practice of the anc ients in their most esteemedworks for if we examine the Pantheon, the three columnsin the Campo Vaccino, the temple of Jupiter Tonans, thefragments of the frontispiece of Nero, the basil ica ofAnton inus, the forum of Nerva, the arches of Titus and Septimius Severus, the theatre of Marcellus ; and indeed,almost every ancient building, either at Rome, or in otherparts of Italy and France , itwill be found, that in al l theirprofiles, the Cyma and the Cavetto are constantly used asfinishings, and never applied where strength is requ iredthat the Ovolo and Talon , are always employed as supporters to the essential members of the composition , suchas the modillions, dentils, and corona : that the ch ief useof the Torus and Astragal, is to fortify the tops andbottoms of columns, and sometimes of pedestal s, wherethey are frequently cut in th e form of ropes : as on theTrajan column ', in th e temple ofConcord, and on severalfragments which I have seen both at Rome, and at Nismes

The author seems to have forgotten that the Torus of the Trajancolumn is decorated with laure l leaves bound with bands at certain intervals, and by no means bearing any resemblan ce to a rope. [rm]

1 49 or THE PARTS J VH ICH COMPOSE

Scotia to one third, and those of the curved parts of theTorus and Astragal, to one half thereof.On particular occasions, however, itmay be necessary

sometimes to increase, and at other times to diminishthese proj ections, according to the Situation , or otherc ircumstances attending the profile, as wil l hereafterappear. And whenever itso happens ; the Ovolo, Talon ,Cyma, and Cavetto, may either be described from thesummits of equil ateral triangles, or be composed of quadrants of the Ellipsis ; of which the latter, should bepreferred, as itproduces a stronger opposition of lightand shade, and by that means, marks the forms more distinctly. The Scotia may likewise be framed of el lipticalportions, or quadrants of the circl e , differing more or

l ess from each other, than in the annexed designs ‘; bywhich means, its proj ection may either be increased ordiminished ; but the curved part of the Torus and Astragal , must always be semi- circular, and the increase intheir projection , be made by straight l ines.In some antiques , and likewise in various modern build

ings, where the parts are far removed from the eye, or

where, from the extraordinary size of the structure, ithasnot been practicable to give to every member its dueprojection, recourse has been had to artifice, in order toproduce the desired effect. At St. Peter ’ s of the Vatican ,this practice is very frequent and I have given a sectionof the Cornice‘, terminating the pendentives of the dome,which may serve as a guide, in cases where the like isnecessary.It will however be proper to observe, that a frequent

Pl. Mouldin gs. Pl. Mouldings, Fig. l .

THE ORDERS or ARCHITECTURE, EN . 1 43

use of this expedient is to be avoided ; as the artificenever succeeds, but where, by reason of the great di stance, itis undi scoverable : for the incisions and contora

tions made in the mouldings, entirely destroy the naturalbeauty of their form.

Certain of the modern Italians, and likewise some ofour own l earned Virtuosi, who eagerly grasp at everyinnovation, having observed these forms in the works ofMichael Angelo, and in some of the temples of antiquity,without sufficiently consid ering why they were there introduced, have very injudiciously made use of them

, in

all their own works ; by which practice, their compositions, though having in other respects, a certain degreeof merit ; are , in this particular, highly censurable.An assemblage of essential parts and mouldings

, is

termed a profile ; and on the choice, disposition , andproportions of these, depend the beauty or-deformity ofthe composition. The most perfect profiles, are such asconsist of few mouldings ; varied, both in form and size ;fitly

- applied, with regard to their uses ; and so distributed

,that the straight and curved ones, succeed each

other alternately. In every profile, there should be apredominant member, to which al l the others ought toseem subservient, and made, either to support, to fortify,or to shelter it, from injuries of weather : and wheneverthe profile is considerable, or much Complicated, thepredominant, should always be accompan ied with one or

more other principal members ; in form and dimension ,calculated to attract the eye create momentary pausesand assist the perception of the beholder. These predominant and principal members, ought always to be of theessential class, and generally rectangular. Thus in a

144 OF THE PARTS WHICH COMPOSE

Cornice , the Corona predominates ; the Modillions andDentils are principal s in the composition ; the Cyma andCavetto, cover them the Ovolo and Talon, support them.

When Ornaments are employed to decorate a profile,some Of the mouldings Should always be left plain, inorder to form a proper repose : for when all are enriched,the figure of the profile is lost in confusion. In an Entablature, the corona should not be ornamented, nor themodillion band, nor the different fascias of the architrave : neither should the pl inth s of columns, fillets, norscarcely any square members be carved. For generallyspeaking, they are either principal in the composition, orused as boundaries to other parts ; in both which cases,their figures should be simple, distinct and unembarrassed .The Dentil Band should remain uncut, where the Ovoloand Talon immediately above and below itare enriched ;as in the Pantheon atRome, and at St. Paul

’ s in London .For when the Dentil s are marked ; particularly if they besmall, according to Palladio

’s Corinthian design ; the three

members are confounded together, and being coveredwith ornaments, become fartoo rich , for the remainder ofthe composition which are defects at al l times, studiouslyto be avoided : as a di stinct outline, and an equal distribution of enrichments, must on every occasion, strictlybe attended to.Scamozzi observes‘, that ornaments should neither be

Parte Seconda, Libro vi . c . 3, “ Inoltre gli ornamenti non si deono

porre, ne profus i , no troppo abbondanti, n é meno scarsamente, n é con

a lcuna avar itia : percio allhora saranno lodati , quando si metteranno con

giud ic io, e temperatamente, e sopra tutto di bellissime forme, e con esa

tissime proportioni , cosi nelle loro parti, ‘

come nelle membra particolari :es sendo gli ornamenti , che Si pongono nelle parti de gli edifici a puntocome le g ioie, con le quali si sogliono adornare i Prcncipi, e le Pr inc ipesse,i gran S ig nori, e Dame ; poi che quelle non si lodano a ragione, che sono

146 OF THE PARTS WHICH COMPOSE

the profil e wil l be better apprehended, and the artist willavoid the imputation of a puerile minuteness, neither muchto his own credit, nor of any advantage to his works.It must be observed, that al l ornaments of mouldings,

are to be regularly disposed, answering perpendicularlyabove each other, as at the three columns in the CampoVaccino, where the middles of the modil lions, dentil s,eggs, and other ornaments, are all in one perpendicularline. For, nothing is more careless, confused and nu

seemly, than to distribute them W ithout any order, asthey are in many of the antiques, and in most of thebuildi ngs of this metropolis the m iddle of an egg answersin some places to the edge of a dentil, in some to itsmiddle, and in others to the interval ; al l the rest of theornaments being distributed in the same slovenly, artlessmanner. The larger parts must regulate the smaller ; allthe ornaments in the entablature are to be governed bythe modillions, or mutules ; and the distribution of these,must depend on the interval s of the columns ; and be sodisposed, that one of them may come directly over theaxis of each column . It is farther to be observed, thatthe ornaments must partake of the character of the orderthey enrich. Those used in the Doric and Ionic orders,are to be of simpler forms, and of larger bulk, than thoseemployed in the Composite or Corinth ian .When Frizes or other large members are to be enriched ,the ornaments may be significan t, and serve to indicatethe destination or use of the building ; the rank, qualities,profession and achievements of th e owner : but it is afoolish practice to crowd every part with arms, crests,cyphers, and mottos ; for the figures of these things aregenerally bad, or vulgar, and their introduction betrays

THE ORDERS or ARCHITECTURE, ETC. 147

an unbecoming vanity, in th e master of the fabric .Hogarth has humorously ridiculed this practice, by decorating a nobleman ’ s crutch, with a coronet.In sacred places al l obscene, grotesque, and heathenish

representations ought to be avoided : for indecent fables,extravagant conceits, or instruments and symbols of

Pagan worship , are very improper ornaments in structuresconsecrated to christian devotion .With regard to the manner of executing ornaments, it

is to be remembered, that as in sculpture a drapery is notestimable, unless its folds are contrived to grace and indicate the parts and articulations of the body it covers so

in architecture the most exquisite ornaments lose al l theirvalue, if they load, alter, or confuse the form they aredesigned to enrich and adorn .All ornaments of mouldings must therefore be cut into

the solid ', and never be applied on their surface, as Daviler erroneously teaches : because it alters both theirfigure and proportion . The profil e must first be finishedplain, and afterwards be adorned ; the most prominentparts of th e ornaments, being made equal with the surfaceof the mouldings they enrich : and great care must betaken that the angles, or breaks, be kept perfect anduntouched with sculpture for which reason it is customary at the angles of most mouldings, to place waterl eaves

, or other plain leaves, the m iddle filament of whichforms the angle, and keeps its outline entire.The method of the ancient sculptors, in the execution

One of the most delightful examples in verification of this sound principle, is the Capital of the order u sed in the circu lar Temple at Tivoli ,in which the leaves, in stead of being applique

’

es to the hell of the capital,are absolutely cutoutof it.— The effect is wonderfu l as well as pleasing.

[ED-J

148 or THE PARTS WHICH COMPOSE

of architectonic ornaments, was, to aim at a perfect representation of the obj ect they chose to imitate so that thechestnuts, acorn s, or eggs, with which the ovolo is com

mouly enriched, are in the antiques, cut round, and almostentirely detached ; as are likewi se the berries, or beads onthe astragal : which are generally as much hollowed intothe solid of the body, as the moulding proj ects beyond it:but the leaves, Shells, and flowers, that adorn the Cavetto,Cyma, Talon, and Torus , are kept flat, like the thingsthey represent.In the application of their ornaments, they observed to

use such as required a considerable rel ief, on mouldingsthat in themselves are clumsy, as the Ovolo and Astragal ;which by means of the deep incisions made in them toform these en richments acquired an extraordinary lightness but on more elegant parts, as the Cavetto, andCyma, they employed thin bodies, which could be

'

repre

sented wi thout entering too far into the solid. The ornaments of their cornices were boldly marked, that theym ight be distinguished from afar but those of the basesof Columns , or of Pedestal s being nearer the eye, weremore sl ightly expressed ; as well on that account, asbecause it would have been improper to weaken theseparts, and impossible to keep them clean, had there beenany deep cavities in them , to harbour dust and fil th.When Obj ects are near, and l iable to close inspection,every part of the ornament Should be expressed, and wellfinished : but when they are much exalted, the detail maybe slightly touched, or entirely neglected ; for it is suffi

cient if the general form be distinct, and the principalmasses strongly marked. A few rough strokes from thehand of a skilful master, are much more effectual, than

1 50 OF THE ORDERS or

OF THE ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL.

THE orders of Architecture, as has been Observed, arethe basis upon which the whole decorative part of the art

is chiefly built, and towards wh ich the attention of theartist must ever be directed, even where no orders areintroduced. In them, originate most of the forms usedin decoration ; they regulate most of the p roortions ; an dto their combination multipl ied, varied, and arranged in athousand different ways, architecture is indebted, for itsmost Splendid productions .These orders, are different modes of bu ilding, said , ori

ginally to have been imitated from the primitive huts ;being composed of such parts as were essential in theirconstruction , and afterwards also in th e temples of anti

quity wh ich, though at first Simple and rude, were in thecourse of time , and by the ingenuity of succeeding architeets, wrought up and improved, to such a p itch of perfection, that they were by way of excellence di stinguishedby the name of orders .Of these there are five ‘ three said to be of Grec ianorigin, are called Grecian orders ; being distinguished bythe names of Doric, Ion ic, and Corinth ian : they exh ibitthree distinct characters of composition supposed tohave been suggested, by the diversity of character in thehuman frame . The remaining two being of Italian origin,are called Latin orders ; they are distingu ished by thenames of Tuscan and Roman, and were probably invented

Pl . Orders .

152 or THE ORDERS or

country Ionia ; in honour of Ion their l eader and erectedtemples, of which the first dedicated to Apollo Panionius,was built after the manner of those they had seen inAchaia

,which they called Doric ; because temples of the

same sort, had been erected in the cities of the Dorians.But some time after, building a temple to Diana,

different from these, and of a more delicate structure ;being formed upon the proportion s of a female body, asthe Doric had been on those of a robust man ; and adorning the capital s of their columns with volutes, to represen tthe curl s of a woman ’ s hair and the shafi s with flutings,to express the folds of her garment : they gave to thi ssecond manner of building the name of Ioni c ; becauseitwas invented and first used by the Ionians.The th ird sort of columns , wh ich are called Corin

thian and represent the delicate figure of a young’

girl,

owe their b irth to the following accident.A young woman of Corinth being dead her nurse

placed on her tomb a basket, containing certain trinketsin wh ich She del ighted when al ive ; covering it with atil e , to shelter them from the weather. The basket happened accidentally to be seton a root of the acanthus,which pushing forth its l eaves and sprigs in the Spring,covered the sides of it; and some of them, longer thanthe rest, being obstructed by the angles of the til e, wereforced downwards ; and by degrees, curled into the formof volutes .Callimachus, a celebrated sculptor, passing near the

tomb, observed the basket, and in how graceful a mannerthe leaves of the acanthus had surrounded it: the formpleased him exceedingly, he imitated it on the tops of

Pl. Prim itive Buildings .

ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL . 153

some columns, which he afterwards executed at Corinthestablishing and regulating, by this model, the mannerand proportions of the Corinthian order.”

Of the two Latin orders, the Tuscan is said to havebeen invented by the inhabitants of Tuscany, before theRomans had intercourse with the Greeks

, or were ac

quainted with their arts, whence, it is called Tuscan .

Probably however, these people, originally a colony of

Greeks, only imitated in the best mariner they could, whatthey remembered in their own country : simplifying theDoric, either to expedite their work, or perhaps to adaptitto the abilities of their workmen .The second Latin order, though of Roman production,

is but of modern adoption ; the ancients never havingconsidered itas a distinct order. It is a mixture of th eIonic and Corinthian, and is now distinguished by thenames of Roman, or Composite.The ingenu ity — of man“ has, hitherto, not been able to

produce a sixth order, though large premiums have beenoffered, and numerous attempts been made, by men of firstrate talents, to accomplish it. Such is the fettered humanimagination, such the scanty store of its ideas, thatDoric, Ionic, and Corinth ian, have ever floated uppermost ; and all that has ever been produced, amounts tonothing more, than different arrangements and combin ations of their parts, with some trifling deviations,scarcely deservmg notice ; the whole generally tending

The cap itals of many of the Egyptiancolumns furn i sh a much moreprobable or igin of the Corinthian cap ital, even to the invention of the

volute . See plates 32. 34. 44. and 45. in Denon’

s work — The story is sovery pretty, that one regrets to have the charge of undermining it. See

also introductory Essay on Grecian Architecture page 15 . [ED .]

154 OF THE ow n s or

more to diminish , than to increas e th e beauty of th e anc ient orders.The substitution of cocks ', owls, or lions

’ heads, See. forroses ; of trophies, cornucopias, lilies, sph inxes, or evenmen

,women , and children , for volutes ; the introduction

of feathers, lyres , flower de luces, or coronets, for leaves ;are more alterations, than improvements ; and the suspension of festoons Of flowers, or collars of knighthood, overthe other enrichments of a capital , like lace on embroi

dery : rather tends to complicate and confuse the form ,

than to augment its grace, or contribute to its excellence.The suppression of parts of the ancient orders, with aview to produce novelty, has of l ate years, been praetised among us, with full as littl e success. And thoughit is not wished to restrain sallies Of imagination, nor todiscourage genius from attempting to invent yet it' is apprehended, that attempts to alter the primary forms invented by the ancients, and established by the concurring approbation of many ages, must ever be attendedwith dangerous consequences, must always be difficult,and seldom , if ever, successful. It is l ike coining words,which , whatever may be their value, are at first but ill rece ived, and must have the sanction Of time, to securethem a current reception .An order is composed of two principal members ’

,the

column and the entablature, each Of which is dividedinto three principal parts 3. Those of the column are thebase, the shaft, and the capital ; those of the entablatureare the architrave, the frize, and the corn ice . All the seare again subdi vided into many smaller parts, the disposi

Pl. Compos ite Entablatures and Cap itals .

Pl. ofPr im iti ve Bu i ldi ngs .

3 Ib id .

156 OF THE ORDERS or

an c ient works, executed without a base, in imitation ofthe trees used in the first buildings , wi thout any plinthsto raise them above the ground. Freart de Chambrai ',speaking of this order, Observes, that delicate ornamentsare repugnant to its characteristic solidity, and that itsucceeds best in the simple regularity of its proportionsNosegays and garlands of flowers, says he, grace nota Hercules, who always appears more becom ingly with arough club and lion ’ s skin ; for there are beauties ofvarious sorts, and Often so dissimilar in their natures, thatthose wh ich may be highly proper on one occasion maybe qu ite the reverse, even ridiculously absurd, on others.”

The Ionic being the second of the Grecian orders,

Roland Freart, sieur de Chambra i , native of Chambray, a learned Architectofthe seventeenth century, d ied in 1676 About 1640, he was employed by Lou i s the Th irteenth in a m i ss ion to the Pope, to collectantiqu ities, and engage the ablest artists to res ide in France. Am ong thelatter he brought Poussin to Par i s. H is works are, a French translationOf Da V inc i on Pa inti ng, fol. Par i s, 165 1, and one of Palladio

’

s Architec

ture , Par is, 1650. Of this, a fine edition was pr inted by Nieolas du Bois,at the Hague, in 1726, who has di vided the translator into two persons,asserting thatFreart publ i shed one ed ition of Palladio, and the S ieur deChambra i another. Freart

'

s most valuable work was the Para lle le del’

Architecture antique avec la moderne, Paris, 1650, fol., repr inted byErard in 1702. This was translated by S ir John Evelyn , and enriched byhim w ith much additional matter. Bernini was associated with Chambrai inthe works atthe Louvre, and the following anecdote from Miliz ia (Me

morie degl i Architetti antich i e modern i) , is as creditable to one as to the

other of those arch itects . Q uando fu in Franc ia il Bernin i il Re incaricoM . de Chambray di lavorar d i con certo eon quell ’ Architetto, il quale riconobbe sub ito le cogni z ion i super iori del Francese, ed ebbe il coraggio diconfessarlo alRe stesso, dicendogli, che sua Maesta avrebbe potuto dispensarsi di farlo ven ire si da lontano, poiche egli avea

'

trovato in M . de Chambray un Maestro ch'

ei si farebbe onore di segu itare, e ch'

ei non era si teme

rar io da cambiar n iente al suo progetto del Louvre. — Vita di RolandoFreartde Chambray . [En ]

PI. of Orders.

ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. 157

holds a m iddle station between the other two, and standsin equ ipoise between the grave solidity Of the Doric

,and

the elegant delicacy of the Corinthian . Among the antiques, however, we find it in different dresses ; sometimes plentifully adorned, and inclining most towards theCorinthian sometimes more simple, and bordering onDoric plainness , all according to the fancy of the architeet, or nature of the structure where employed . It isthroughout of a more slender construction than either Ofthe afore- described orders its appearance, though simple,is graceful and maj estic ; its ornaments should be few

‘

,

rather neat than luxuriant, and as there ought to b enothing exaggerated, or affectedly strik ing in any of its

parts,' it is, not unaptly, compared to a sedate matron,

rather in decent than magn ificent attire '.The Corinthian says Sir Henry Wotton , “ is a

column lasciviously decked, like a wanton courtezan 3.Its proportions are elegant i n the extreme, every part ofthe order is divided into a great variety of members, andabundantly enriched with a diversity of ornaments.The ancients,

” says De Chambrai, “ aiming at the re.

presentation of a feminine beauty, omitted nothing eithercalculated to embellish, or capable of perfecting theirwork .” And he Observes, that in the many examples

The Ionique order doth representa kinde of fem inine slendernesseyet, s aith Vitruvius , not l ike a light housewife, but in a decent dress ing,hath mu ch oftheMatrone.

” Bestknowne by his tr imm ings, for the bodieof th is Columne is perpetually chaneled, like a th ickepleighted gowne . The

Capita ll dressed on each s ide, notmu ch unlike womensWires, in a spirall

wreath ing, wh i ch they call the Ionian Voluta .

”

[ED.]2 PI. of Orders.3 S ir Hen ry adds, and therein mu ch parti c ipating, as all invention s do,

of the place where they were first born ; Corinthe having been withoutcontroversie one of the wantonesttownes in the world.” [En ]

15 8 OF THE ORDERS or

l eftof this order, such a profusion of different ornaments

is introduced, that they seem to have exhausted imaginat ion in the contrivance Of decoration s for this masterpiece of the art. Scamozzi call s it the Virginal ', and itcertainly has all the delicacy in its form, with al l thegaiety, gaudiness, and affectation in its dress, peculiar toyoung women .

”

The Composite order being, properly speaking, onlya different species of the Corinth ian , distinguished fromit merely by some peculiarities in the capital, or othertrifling deviations, retains, in a great measure, the samecharacter

,and requires no particular description 3.

To give a striking idea of these different properties,and to render the comparison between the orders moreeasy, I have represented “ them all of the same height,by which means the gradual increase of delicacy andrichness is easily perceivable, as are likewise the relationsbetween the intercolumniations of the different orders

,

and the proportions which their pedesta l s, imposts, arch ivolts, and other parts, with which they are on various oecasions accompanied, bear to .each other.

Parte seconda , lib. vi. cap. 10, Graeile e Virginale . [ED.]Pl . Orders.

3 The last is the Cmnponnded Order, his name be ing a briefe of his

N ature forthis Pillar is noth ing in effectbutaMedlie, oran Ama sse ofall

the precedentOrnaments, making a new kinde by stealth, and though themostrichly tricked, yetthe poorest in this, thathe is a borrower of all hisBeautie .

— S i r HenryWotton’

s Elements of Architecture. There is muchqua intness in the descr iption of the orders by the mostworthy and exce llent Provostof Eton College, butthere is more than an equal quantity oftruth , feel ing, and arti st- l ike di scrim ination in his writing on the subject.He was a man worthy such an amiable, s imple-minded, and pious biographer as honest Izaak Walton . [nix]Pl . Orders .

160 or THE ORDERS or

could not be their intention to make a Corinthian column,which, as Vitruvius observes, is to represent the delicacy

more antientorders, forgetting thatits columns are, or oughtto be, alwaysplaced nearer to each other .

i

It is aston i sh ing thatthe author, a man of sound understanding, shou ldplace in the passage any reliance on the dream s of V itruvius, in respect ofthe orders of architecture hav ing been formed on the proportions of the

human body . It is as absurd a propos ition as one more recently broached(O . B. Scamozzi

’

s Pallad io) , wherein an analogy is pretended to be di scovered between the musical con cords and the proper proportions of bui ldings . These doctr ines w ill notdo for the presentage . The laws of statics,though notperhaps in the earl iestper iods so well understood as now, werenevertheless so intuitively feltas to gu ide the firstarch itects in their proportions, rather than those laws deducible from things which were hetero-S

geneous, if indeed at all known .

When the pr in c iple of we ight for we ight is abandoned, the work can

only be stable from the appl i cation of sc ien ce to counteractthe tendencyto ru in by some m eans of re- action . This is particularly observable inthe Gothic structures, where in we always find an equ ipoi se for the thrustsof the i r stone vau lting, by the most obvious and sc ienti ficmeans.

T0 return, however, more strictly to the subject, we have taken fiveexamples of ce lebrated bu i ld ings , where in , as a m ethod of ascertaini ng thetruth of the pr in c iple just adverted to, the superficies of the column s, cut

through the i r axes verti ca lly by a plane parallel to the front of the bui lding, are compared w ith the area of the entablature and pediment of ea chrespectively . The we ights of each being as the cubes of the square rootsof the areas , these areas wi ll equally represent the supports and we ightsin e ither of the term s.

IN THE PARTHENON, the supports are to the 1

we ights as 1546 : 1843 or 1

But i f the steps be reckoned the ratio wi ll be as 2183 1843 or 1

IN THE DORIC PORT ICO, the supports are to the

we ights as 4070 3990 or 1

IN THE PSEUDO - D IPTERAL TEMPLE AT PE STUM,

the supports are to the we ights as 1090 : 1103 or 1

IN THE TEMPLE OF ERECTHEUS, as 2640 2800 or IIN THE PANTHEON AT ROME, as 1566 : 1723 or 1 :

So thatthere is every appearance Of th is theory being far from fanc i ful .The reader mavconsult w ith advantage Lebrun ’

s Theorie de l'Archi

ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. 161

of a young girl, as thick and much taller than a Doricone, which is designed to represent the bulk and vigourof a muscular full -grown man . Columns so formed coul dnotbe applied to accompany each other

,without violating

the laws both of real and apparent solidi ty ; as , in such case,the Doric dwarf must be crushed under the strappingIonic , or gigantic Corinthian V irago, triumphantly ridinguppermost , and reversing the natural, the necessary predominance in the composition .

Nevertheless Vignola ‘, Palladio Scamozzi ’ , Blondel 4 ,

tecture Grecque et Roma ine, deduites de l’Anali se des Monumens An

tiques, fol. Paris, 1807, a work which first induced the Ed itor to turnhis attention to the subject.In the progress of the orders from Tuscan to Compos ite, that is from

seven to eleven diameters in he ight, ifthe entablature be a constant quantity equal to one quarter the he ight of the column, its bulk in creases asthe intercolumn iation s decrease, and is in an in verse ratio to the width of

the intercolumn iations.

For in the Tu scan of 1% in terms of the diameter.Doric i of 1} 2 do.

Ion i c 21;of -

‘i 2% do.

Cor inthian % of LP 2% do.

Compos ite 7} of If 2 22; do. [Ep.]

Giacomo Barozzi of V ignola, in the territory of Modena, accord ing toChalmers, of Bologna, when ce he takes his name, was born in 1507, anddied 1573, though Chalmers says 1575 . In his early days be del ighted inpa inting, buthis success was not equa l to his love for that bran ch of the

arts. He afterwards appl ied h imself to arch itecture, and the study ofperspective, in which his gen ius led to better results. He succeededMichael Angelo as arch itect of St. Peter ’ s, and his fame as an architec

tural author is not less than his reputation as a practical artist. His worksare, Regole dei c inque ordini d ’Arehitettura, fol. no date, 32 plates .

The best, according to Chalmers, is thatprinted atAm sterdam in 1631

or 1642, fol. The French edition s are not valuable. [ED .]2 Andrea Palladio, born in the terr itory of Vicenza, in the year 1518,died in 1580. To his birth and existen ce this country is espec ially indebted for its progress in architecture, and for the formation of a school wh ichhas done ithonor, and given ita character of the first cla ss, in the opinion

Y

162 or THE ORDERS or

Perrault‘,and many others, if not al l the great modern

artists, have considered them in this light ; that is, they

of its continental neighbours . Among the names wh i ch that school enrols '

are those of Inigo Jones, S ir Christopher Wren , N i cholas Hawksmoor,James Gibbs , Lord Bur l ington , Carr of York, S i r RobertTaylor, our author himself, and a long listwhose works reflecta lu stre on the name of

Pa lladio, whi ch all the new churches and Grec ian profiles of this age willnoteclipse .

The celebrated Gian-Giorgio Trissino was h isMze cenas . Athis chargehe visited Rome three several times, where he applied h im se lf to the studyand restoration of the remains of the magn ificent structures of the antientcity . The resultwas a happy modi fication of the orders and their proportions todomestic hab itations, unknown , and hence unpractised, till his time.

Of his numerous and captivating bui ldings, th i s note does notafford thespace for a li st. Every one, however, has heard of the Church of the Re

deemer atVenice, and of the Vi lla Capra atVicen za. These,"

if the

language may be used without profanation, are the work of his hands.What an age mustthat have been for our artwhere in two such masterspir its as Sanmiche li and Palladi owere cotemporar ies, forthe former l ivedti ll 1559.

Pa lladio, atthe age of s ixty-two years, was snatched away from this

world . His funeral was attended by all the Olymp i c academ icians of V icenza, and his rema ins deposited in Santa Corona, a church of the Dom inicans in thatc ity. His figu re was rather small, hi s countenan ce remarkably m ild and ben ign , and the he ightof hi s forehead involuntar i ly rem indsus of our immortal Shakspeare

’

s face . His demeanour and conductweremodestand obliging, and the esteem in which he was held, on these accounts, by all persons w ith whom he had bus iness, is a strong proof ofthe truth of the accounts of his biographers . Mil izia says of his works,Le Na z ion i piu colte d ’

Europa studiano i suoi libri, e gl’ Inglesi spezial

mente lo stimano il loro Newton dell' Arch itettura .

" Pa lladio furn ishedD . Barbaro with the plates for h is tran slation of V itruvius .The edition , 4 vols. fol., ofth i s arch itect’ s buildin gswas publ ished under

the following curious circumstan ces. Vincenzo Scamozzi, of whom see in

a preced ing note, pag e 145, lefthis property to any one of his countrymen ,V icentines, who should become the bestarchitectof his day, unde r the obl igation however of assum ing his name . Ottavio Bertotti, born 1726, inthe judgmentof the fam ily of Capra, was that

.person tohim was adjudgedthe patr imon y, and, having taken the name of Scamozz i , be celebratedh imself by the publ i cation in question . Thi s Ottavio Bertotti was not

w ithoutemployment in h is profession in the ne ighbourhood of his nativeplace. For the ed ition of his works see a preceding note, page 130 . [ED ]

164 or THE ORDERS or

the three columns in the Campo Vac cino, both which areesteemed most excell ent models of the Corinth ian order.The height of the entabla ture, in all th e orders, I have

made one quarter of the height of the column , which wasthe common prac tice of the ancients, who, in all sorts ofentabla tures, seldom exceeded, or fell much short of, thatmeasure.Neverth eless Palladio, Scam ozzi, Alberti, Barbaro

Cataneo Delorme 3, and others Of the modern archi

Dan iel Bar-bare, born in 1513, died in 1570 , was a man ofvery cons i

derable lea rni ng, and was ambassador from Ven ice to England, which hequitte d in 155 1 His architectural works are Prati ca de lla Prospettivaf

'

fol. Venice, 1568, an d an Itali an translation of Vitruvius, with cop iousnote s, and plates furnished bvPalladio, 4to, Venice, 1 584. This tran slation has passed throu g h man y edition s. [Ep.]P ietro Catunco, an Italian architect, who wrote a commentary on V

'

truvius in his own language , fol. Venice, 155 4— 67. [Ep .]3 Phi li bertDelorm e, a native of Lyons, was born in the beginning of the

16th century. He may be fairly ranked among the restorers of architec

ture in Fran ce ; but as the father of constructi ve skill, more especia lly inca rpentry, he has the hi ghest claims on our gratitude . Hi s employmentin Paris and its vi cin ity, was very extended in th e former the Palace of

the Tailleries in its original state was from his design s, Jean Bullant

being said to have been associated with him , for the purpose of carryingthem into exe cution . Both these architects have been hon ored by Chambray, who thou g htthem not unworthy to stand by the side of the gre ate stmasters in his celebrated Parallele.

"

The taste of the age decoyed Del orme into the customary division of

his faeades into“ pavillons,” as the Fren ch term the n , with towers whose

quoins are heavily rusticate d, a practi ce destructi ve of all effect, as wel l asun ity of des ign, and ca lculated tomake thatappear petitewhich its volume

alone would otherwise have rendered Imposing.Delorme was the author of two works on architecture, viz. a completeTre atise, in 9 books, fol. Paris, 1567, and the other on carpentry, entitled“Nou velles In venti ons pour hien batir et a petite fmis, fol. Par is, 1561.The latter contains an entirelvnew system of mrpentry, in which the chie ffa ture is a substituti on of comparative ly thin curviform ribs for th e hea vyc ussed rw fg then in geneml use. These ribs are formed of planks in

ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL . 165

teets, have made their entablatures much lower in th e “

Ionic, Composite, and Corinthian orders, than in the Tuscan or Doric . This, on some occasions, may not onlybe excusable, but highly proper ; particularly where theintercolumniations are wide, as in a second or third order,in private houses,_or inside decorations, where lightnessshould be preferred to dignity, and where expense, withevery impediment to the conven iency of the fabric, arecarefully to be avoided ; but to set entirely aside a proportion which seems to have had the general approbationof the ancient artists, is surely presuming too far.The reason alledged, in favor of this practice, is the

weakness of the columns in the delicate orders, whichrenders them unfit for supporting heavy burdens ; andwhere the intervals are fixed, as in a second order, or inother places , where wide intercolumniations are eithernecessary or not to be avoided, the reason is certainly sufficient, but, if the artist is at liberty to dispose his columns

thicknesses rarely more than three or four feet long, abouta footwide, andone in ch thick the i r forms, of cou rse, depend ing on those of the plan and

section . They are secured at their feetby a strong wall plate, laid horizontally. The jointof each plank is broken in the m iddle of the contiguousplank. As the whole security of the system depends on the perpendicu

larity of the r ibs, they are kept in the ir verti cal di rection by keys whi chp ierce them , pinned or wedged on each s ide of the r ib. The mostmagnifi

centspec imen of th is species of carpentry, was in the dome of the Ha lleaux Bleds atPar is”, designed by Legrand and Mol inos, now replaced, inconsequen ce of its destruction by fire, with a cast i ron r ibbed dome .

N otthe leastmer it of Delorme ’ s invention is, that of its requ ir ing butsma ll timbers for very extended spans, independent of its consequentl ightness. Spec imens of th i s sortof constru ction w i ll be found in Kraaft

’

s

L’

Art de Charpente, fol. Paris .

Q uatremere de Q u in cy, under the art. Delorme, En cyc. Methodique,

says of th is arch itect’ s works, thatthey assurenta son nom une gloi repeutetre plus réelle, mais a coup sur plus durable, que celle qu ’

il doita sea

edi fices en partie detrn its on denatures.” [En ]

166 or THE ORDER S or

atpleasure, the s implest and most natural way of conquering the difficulty, i s to employ more columns, byplacing them nearer to each other, as was the custom of

the ancients. And it must be remembered thatthough

the heightof the entablature in a deli cate order i s madethe same as in a massive one , yet itwill not, either inreal ity or in appearance, be equally heavy for the

quantity of matter in the Corinthian cornice A, is conderably l ess than in the Tuscan cornice B, and the increased number of parts composing the former of these,will , of course, make itappear far l ighter than the latterWith regard to the parts of the entablature, I have fol

lowed the method of Serl io 3, in his Ionic and Corinthianorders, and of Perrault, who, in all his orders, exceptingthe Doric, divides the whole height of the entablatureinto ten equal parts, three of which he gives to the ar

chitrave, three to the frize, four to the cornice ; and inthe Doric order, he divides the whole heightof the entablature into eightparts, ofwhich two are given to the architrave , three to the frize, and three to the cornice.These measures deviate very l ittl e from those observed

in the greatestnumber of antiques now extantatRome,where they have stood the test of many ages and theirsimplicity renders them singularly usefu l in composition , asthey are eas ily remembered and easily applied .

Fig. 2, Plate of Mouldings.2 See note atpage s 160 - 1 .

3 Sebastian Serlio a Bolognese, who died in 1552, was a scholar of Baldassare Perruzzi, and was the firstarchitectwho measured, and publishedrepresentations of, the pr incipal remains ofRoman architecture. Hi s deathoccurred at Fontainebleau, whi lst in the serv ice of Francis I . The firsted ition of his work is 4to, Vi cenza, 1584 one also atVeni ce, same s ize,1619 .

168 or THE ORDERS or

dimensions. If the general proportions be known, itis allthat i s requisite in composing , and when a design is tobe executed, it i s easy to have recourse to figured drawings, or to prints. The use of the module is universalthroughoutthe order and all its appurtenances itmarkstheir relations to each other, and being susceptible of theminutestdivisions, the dimensions may be speedily determined with the utmost accuracy, while the trouble,confusion, uncertainty, and l oss of time, i n measuring byequal parts, are very considerable, seeing it i s necessaryto form almostas many different scales as there are differentparts to be divided.Columns

,in imitation of trees from which they drew

their origin, are tapered in their shafts. In the antiques,the diminution is variously performed sometimes beginn ing from the footof the shaft, at others from one quarter, or one third of its height, the lower part being leftperfectly cyli ndrical . The former of these methods wasmost in use amongst the ancients, and being the mostnatural , seems to claim the preference, though the latterhas been almost universally practised by modern artists,from a supposition, perhaps, of its being more graceful,as iti s more marked and strikingly perceptibl e.The first architects, says Mons. Auzoult, probably

made their columns in straight l ines, in imitation of trees,so thattheir shaft was a frustrum of the cone ; butfinding this form abrupt and disagreeabl e, they made use ofsome curve, which , springing from the extremities of thesuperior and inferior di ameters of the column , swelledbeyond the sides of the cone, and, by thatmeans, gave amore pleasing figure to the outline. Vitruvius ', in the

L ib. ii i. cap. 2.“ De adjectione, quae adjicitur in medi is Columnis ;

ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL . 169

second chapter of his third book , mentions this practice ;butin so obscure and cursory a manner, thathis meaninghas not been understood ; and several of the modernarchitects, intending to conform themselves to his doc ~

trine, have made the diameters of their columns greaterin the middle, than atthe footof the shaft. Leon BaptistaAlberti with others of the Florentine and Roman arch i~teets, carried this practice to a very absurd excess

,for

which they have been justly blamed : as it i s neithernatural, reasonable, nor beautiful .Monsieur Auzoultfurther observes, thata column , sup

posing its shaftto be the frustrum of a cone, may have anadditional th ickness in the middle, withoutbeing swell edthere, beyond the bulk of its inferior parts ; and sup

poses the addition mentioned by Vitruvius, to signifynothing more than the increase towards the middle ofthe column , occasioned by changing the straight l ine,Which atfirstwas in u se, into a curve.This supposition , i s exceedingly just, and founded on

whatis observable in the works of antiqu ity, where thereis no single instance of a column thicker in the middle,than atthe bottom, though all, or mostof them , have theswelling hinted atby Vitruvius , all of them being termi t

qua: apud Graecos’

e’w am ; appellatur, in extremo l ibro etit formatio ejus .

-Wotton in his Elements of Arch itecture says, And here I musttakelea ve to blam e a practi ce growne (I know nothow ) in certaine places toofam il iar, of mak ing P illars swell in the m iddle, as if they were s i cke ofsome Tympang/ or D rops ie, w ithout any authenti que Paterne or Rule, to

my knowledge, and un seemely to the very judgment of sight. [Ep .]Th is learned author d ivides the height of the colum n into seven parts,

and places the greatestswellin g atthe he ightof the th ird divis ion of theseparts from the base, so that, as he takes V itruv ius in the str i ct letter, it isnearer the middle of the he ightof the column . [Ep .]

Z

1 70 or THE ORDERS or

nated by curves ; some few granite columns excepted,which are bounded by straight lines : a proof, perhaps, oftheir antiquity, or of their having been wrought in thequarries of Egypt, by unskilful workmen .Blondel in his . book , entitl ed Resolution des quatre

principaux Proble’

mes d’

Architecture, teaches variou smanners of diminishing columns ; the best and simplestofwhich, i s by means of the in strumentinvented by Nicomedes

, to describe the firstconchoid for this, being ap

plied atthe bottom of the shaft, performs atone sweep,both the swelling and the diminution ; giving such a

gracefu l form to the column , thatiti s universal ly al lowedto be the mostperfectpractice h itherto discovered . Thecolumns in the Pantheon, accounted the most beautifulamong the antiques, are traced in this manner, as appearsby the exact meas ures of one of them , to be found inDesgodetz

’s

‘

antiquities of Rome.To gi ve an accurate idea of the operation, it will be

necessary first to describe V ignola’

s method of dimination, on which it i s grounded. As to this secondmethod, says Vignola

“

, it i s a discovery of my own and

although it be less known than the former, it will beeasily comprehended by the figure. Having thereforedetermined the measures of your column (that i s to say,

the heightof the shaft, and its inferior and superior dia

Desgodetz (A.) Edifices de Rome dessinés etmeasures tres exactement, Fol. Par is, 1682. The student is cautioned aga inst Marshall ’ stranslation of thi s book, wh i ch i s as inaccurate as it i s ill- executed — it

was publi shed in two Vols. Fol. 1771 , Load. The work on the Antiquitiesof Rome, lately published by G .L . Tay lor and Edward Gresy, Architects,may be consulted by the student with great advantage, and reflects thehighest cred iton the exertions of those gentlemen . [Ep .]

De' cinque ordi n i D ’ Architettura, cap. 7, page 51 . Stampam 5

Ed. Fol. Rome, 1770 . [Ep .]

172 OF THE ORDERS or

groove in F G, i s the same as that of the pointof intersection from the axis Of the column) , fix a pin ; then on

the ruler A H setOff the distance A B, equal to C D the

inferior semi- diameter of the column , and atthe point Bfix a button , whose head mu st be exactly fitted to the

groove made inF G, in which it i s to sl ide and, atthe

other extremity of the ruler A H , cuta sl it or channelfrom H to K, whose length must not be less than thedifference of l ength between E B and E D, and whosebreadth mustbe sufiicientto admit the pin fixed atE,

which mustpass through the slit, thatthe ruler may sl idethereon .

The instrumentbeing thus completed ; if the middleof the groove, in the ruler F G , be placed exactly overthe axis of the column , it i s evidentthatthe rul er A H ,

in moving al ong the groove, will with its extremity A,

describe the curve A a a C ; which curve is the same asthat produced by V ignola

’

s method of diminution , sup

posing itdone with the utmostaccuracy : for the intervalA, B, a, b , i s always the same, and the pointE, i s theorigin of an infinity of l ines

,of which the parts B A,

b a, b 3, extending from the axis to the circumference,are equal to each other, and to D C . And if the rul ersbe of an indefinite size, and the pins atE and B be madeto move along their respective ruler, so thatthe interval sA B and D

'

E may be augmented or diminished atpleasure, it i s l ikewise evident, thatthe same instrumentmaybe thus applied to columns of any size.In the remain s Of antiquity, the quantity ofthe dimi

nution is various ; but seldom l ess than one eighth of theinferior diameter Of the column , nor more than one sixthof it. The last Of these is by Vitruvius, esteemed the

ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL . 173

most perfect, and Vignola has employed itin four of hisorders , as I have done in all of them : there being noreason for diminishing the Tuscan column more, in proportion to its diameter, than any of the rest; though itbe the doctrine of Vitruviu s, and the practice Of Palladio, Vignola, Scamozzi, and almostall the modern archieteets. On the contrary, as Monsieur Perrault‘ j ustly

The follow ing Table i s extracted and amp lified from Perrault’

s Or

donnance des cinq Especes de Colonnes,” Partie l ere, cap. 8.

— The heightsare in term s of the French foot, wh i ch i s to the English, as

He ig htof Shaft. Diameter. D im inution. Ratio of

Feet. Inches. Feet. Inches. Min utes. Diminution.

Theatre of Mar

DORIC cellus 21 O

Coli seum 22 10 }Temple Of Concord 36 0

Temple of FortunaV ir ili s 22 10

Coli seum 23 0

Temple of Peace 49 3

Porti co Of Pantheon 36 7Altars of Pantheon 10 10Temple of Vesta 27 5

Temple of Sybil atTivoli 19 0

Temple of Fau stina 36 0

Colum ns of Campol

V accino 37Basi l ica of Anton inu s 37Arch of Constantine 21I nterior of Pantheon 27Portico of Septimius 37Bath s of Diocletian 35Temple of Bacchus 10

COMPOSITE Arch of Titus 16

Arch of SeptimiusSeverus 21

ION IC

CORIN TH IAN

C":

6;

c

oc

o

o

moo

c

CO

174 OF THE ORDERS or

Observes, its diminution ought rather to be less than

more as itactually is in the Trajan column , being thereonly one ninth of the diameter. For even when the sameproportion is Observed through allthe orders ; the absolutequantity Of the diminution in the Tuscan order, supposingthe columns of the same height, exceeds that in the Corinthian , in the ratio of ten to seven ; and if, accordingto the common practice, the Tuscan column be less byone quarter atthe top, than at its foot; the differencebetween the diminution in the Tu scan and in the Corinthian columns, will be as fifteen to seven ; and in theTuscan and Doric nearly as fifteen to nine so that notwithstanding there is a very considerable d ifferencebetween the lower diameters of a Tuscan and of a Doriccolumn , both being Ofthe same height, yetthe diametersat their topwill b e nearly equal , and consequently theTuscan column will in real ity be no stronger than theDoric one , which is contrary to the character of the

order.Vitruvius ' allots different degrees Of diminution , to

columns of different heights ; giving to those of fifteenfoot, one sixth of their diameter ; to such as

'

are fromtwenty to thirty foot, one seventh ; and when they are

from forty to fifty foothigh , one eighth only observing,

that as the eye i s easily deceived in considering distantobj ects, which always seem less than they real ly are ; itis necessary to remedy the deception, by an increase Of

their dimensions : otherwise the work wil l appear il l- constructed and disagreeable to the eye.Most of the modern architects have ta ught the same

doctrine : butPerraultin his notes, both on this passage,

L ib. i i i . cap. 2. [ED ]

176 OF THE ORDERS or

occasioned by that situation, i s too trifling to deservenotice.When therefore a certa in degree of diminution , which

by experience is found pleas ing, has been fixed upon,there will be no necessity for Changing it, whatever be theheightof the column ; provided, the pointOf view is notl imited : but in close places, where the spectator is not

at l iberty to choose a proper distance for his point Of

Sight, the architect, if he inclines to be scrupulously accurate, may vary. Though it i s in reality, a matter of noimportance ; as the nearness Of the obj ect, wil l render theimage thereof indistinct and consequently, any smallalteration imperceptibleScamozzi “, who esteems itan essential property of the

delicate orders, to exceed the massive ones in height; hasapplied the above C ited preceptOf Vitruvius, to the differentorders : having d iminished the Tuscan column onequarter Of its diameter ; the Doric one fifth ; the Ionicone sixth the Roman one seventh and the Corinthianone eighth . In the foregoing partof this Chapter, I haveshewn the fallacy of his notion , with respectto the heightsof h is orders, and l ikewise endeavoured to prove theerror of diminishing the Tuscan column, more than anyof the others so that itwill be needless to say any thingfarther 0 11 these subj ects now for as the case is similar,the same arguments may be employed in confutationthereof.My intention being to give an exact idea of the orders

It is by an attentive cons ideration of all these circumstances, and ofthe aspect of a bu ild ing, that the intelligent architect is enabled tosnatch a grace beyond the reach of art. [ED-JParte Seconda, L ib. n

'

. c . 6.

ARCH ITECTURE IN GENERAL. 177

of the ancients , I have represented them under suchfigures and proportions, as appear to have been most inuse in the esteemed work s Of the Romans, who, inthe Opinion Of Leon Bap. Alberti, and other eminentwriters, carried architecture to its perfection . Itmustnothowever be imagined that the same general proportionswill on all occasion s succeed . They are chiefly collectedfrom the temples, and other public structures of anti

quity, and may by us be employed'

in churches, palaces,and other buildings of magnificence, where maj esty and

grandeur of manner, shou ld be extended to their utmostl imits and where the whole composition being generallylarge, the parts require an extraordinary degree of boldness, to make them distinctly perceptibl e, from the propergeneral points Of vi ew. But in less considerable edifices,and under variou s circumstances Of which I shall here ,

after give a detail , more elegantproportions may often bepreferable.

178 OF THE TUSCAN ORDER .

OF THE TUSCAN ORDER.

AMONG the antiques, there are no rem-ain s..of a regularTuscan order ; the doctrine Of Vitruvius upon that sub

ject is obscure ; and the profiles of Palladi o, Scamozzi,Serl io, Delorme, and Vignola, are

“

all, mqge or l essimperfect.Of the two designs left us by Palladio, thattaken from

the descri ption Of Vitruvius, is unpleasingly rustic . Theother again is too rich ‘

, and inj udiciou sly composed .

Thatof Scamozzi is yet richer, and much too like theDoric. Serlio ’ s is heavy ; and V ignola

’

s, though superiorto the others, is defective in the cornice, which is clumsy,compared with the restOf the order, il l proportioned inits parts, and incorrectly profiled, as it finishes with a

supporting moulding, which has nothingto support, andconsequently mu st excite the idea of a mutilation ; themore striking, as the general outl in e of the composition,resembles exactly the bed moulds Of the Ionic cornice ;supposing the dentil band leftuncut, as IS often the case.In the design here annexed, I have chiefly imitated

V ignola’s, who in this order has been almost universally

followed. Even Inigo Jones, who was so Close an ad herer

Itcannotbe properly called r ick. The only di fferences between Palladio

'

s profi le and the author ’ s are, that in the former there is one moremember, viz. in the arch itrave wh ich has two fasciaz, and that in the bedmouldings, Palladio has a cyma recta, fi llet, and cavetto. S irW illiam haschanged these for “

an ovolo filletand cyma reversa, and the projection ofhis cap ital i s greater than that in Palladio's profile.

— The greatest faultof the author's profi le l ies in the relative proportions of the frieze and

architrave, and has been indu ced by his des ire to get r id of Palladio's lowerfascia. [ED].

OF THE TUSCAN ORDER . 179

to Palladio, has employed V ignola’

s profile in his YorkSta irs, and others, his buildings. Butas the cornice appears to me far inferior to the rest of the composition, Ihave not scrupled to rej ect. it, and . to substitute in itsplace thatof Scamozzi, with such alterations as were evidently necessary to render it perfect. Conformable tothe doctrine of Vitruvius ‘, and to the almostgeneral praetice of the moderns, I h ave given to the height Of the

col umn fou rteen modules, or seven diameters, and to thatof the whole entablature, three and a half modules ; whichbeing divided into ten equal parts, three of them are for

the height of the architrave, three for thatof the frize,and the remaining four for the corn ice. The capital i sin heightone module, the base, including the lower cincture of the shaft, i s al so one module, and the shaft, withits upper cincture and astragal, twelve modules. Theseare the general measures Of the order.With respectto the particu lar dimensions of the mi

nuter parts, they may be collected from the design,whereon the heights and proj ections of each member are

figured, the latter of these being counted from perpendiculars ra ised atthe extremities Of the inferior and superior diameters of the shaft, — a method preferable to thatof De Chambra i and Desgodetz, who countfrom the axis

of the column, because the relations between the heightsand projections Of the parts are more readily di scoverable,and whenever a cornice or entablature is to be executedwithouta column , which frequently happens, it requiresno additional time or labour, as the trouble Of deducting

De Tuscani s rationibus aedium sacrarum. Lib. iv. 0 . 7.

180 OF THE TUSCAN ORDER.

from each dimension , the semi-diameter Of the column issaved.

Scamozzi, that his bases mightbe Of the same heightin all the orders, has given to the Tuscan one , exclusiveof the cincture, half a diameter butI have rather chosento imitate Vignola and Palladio, who in this order havedeviated from the general rule, for as the Tuscan base iscomposed Oftwo members only, in stead of Six, which constitute the other bases, itbecomes much too clumsy whenthe same general proportion i s Observed .

The Tuscan order admits of no ornaments of any kindon the contrary, it i s sometimes customary to represent,on the shaftof its column , rustic cinctures, as atthe PalacePitti in Florence, thatof the Luxembourg in Paris, YorkStairs in London , and many other buildings of note . Thispractice, though frequent, and to be found in the worksOf many celebrated architects, is not always excusable,and should be indulged with caution , as ithides the na

tural figure of the column , alters its proportions, and

affects the simplicity of the whole composition . There arefew examples of these bandages in the remain s of anti

qu ity, and in general itwill be advisable to avoid them inall large designs, reserving the ru stic work for the intercolumniations, where itmay be employed with greatpro

priety, to produce an Opposition which will help to renderthe aspectof the whole composition distinctand striking.But in small er works, Of which the parts, being few,

are easily comprehended, they may be sometimes tolerated, sometimes even recommended, as they serve to diversify the forms, are productive of strong contrasts , and

contribute very considerably to the masculine bold aspect

ISQ OF THE TUSCAN ORDER .

the figures should represent his arms, his crest, motto,cypher

, and so forth, as if worms were draughtsmen andunderstood heraldry.

In the plates of designs for gates, doors, and windows,and l ikewise in those of differentcompositions, atthe end

of the book , are given several designs of rustic columns,and other rustic work ; all collected from buildings ofnote in differentparts of Europe and for the manner ofexecuting them, as it cannotwell be described, the stu

dent i s referred to various parts of SomersetPlace, to theHorse Guards, the Treasury, the Doric entrance of theKing ’ s Mews, the gate Of Burlington House , &c in allwhich

, the differentkinds Of rustication are managed withtaste and command Of the chissel.De Chambrai, in the introduction to his parall el Of ancientand modern architecture, treats the Tuscan Orderwith great contempt, and banishes it to the country, as

unworthy a place, either in temples or palaces butin thesecond part of the same work , he is more indulgent, forthough he rej ects the entablature, the column is takeninto favor, and compared to a queen seated on a throne,surrounded w ith all the treasures of fame, and distributing honors to her minions, while other columns only seemto be servants and slaves of the buildings they support.”

The remainder of this passage , too long to be here inserted atfull length, is calculated to degrade and totallyto exclude from bu ildings, the Tuscan order, but by a

d ifferentmode of employing and dressing’

the column,to exalt its consequence, increase its majesty and beauty,so as to stand an advantageou s comparison with any of

the rest. He therefore wishes, in imitation of the ancient

architects, to consecrate the Tuscan column to the com

OF THE TUSCAN ORDER. 1 83

memoration Of great men and their glorious actions, instancing Trajan

’ s column , one of the proudest monuments of Roman splendor, which is of that order, — was

erected by the senate and people of Rome, in acknowledgement of his services, a nd has contributed more toimmortal ize that

'

emperor than the united pens of all historians. He farther in stances the Antonine column ,l ikewi se erected atRome, on a similar occasion, in honorOf Antoninu s Pius, and another of the same sortatConstantinOple, raised to the emperor Theodosius, after hisvictory over the Scythians both which prove , by theirresemblance to the Trajan column, thatthis sortof appro

priation , recommended by him, had passed into a ruleamong the ancientmasters of the art.

I shall noth ere dispute the justness of Mr. De Chambrai ’s remarks, but may ventu re to affirm thatnotonlythe Tuscan column , butthe whole order, as representedin the annexed design , which being in factthe productionof Vignola and Scamozzi, I may praise withoutthe imputation of vanity, i s extremely beautifu l, — a useful, evennecessary gradation in the art, and for its purposes, inferior to none of the rest.The Tu scan order, as it conveys ideas Of strength and

rustic simplicity, is very proper for rural purposes, and may

be employed in farm-hou ses, in barns, and sheds for im

plements of husbandry, in stables , maneges, and dogkennel s

, in greenhou ses, grottos, and fountainIS, in gatesof parks and gardens, and general ly wherever magnifi

cence i s not required and expense i s to be avoided. Serliorecommends the use thereof in prisons, arsenal s, treasaries

, sea-ports and gates of fortified places ; and Le Clerc

OF THE TUSCAN ORDER.

observes thatthough the Tuscan order as treated by Vi

truvius, by Pal ladio, and some others, oughtto be entirelyrej ected, yet according to the composition of Vignola,there is a beauty in its simplicity which recommends ittonotice , and entitles it to a place both in private and publ ic buildings, as in colonades and porticos surroundingsquares or markets, in granaries or storehouses, and evenin royal palaces , to adorn the lower apartments , offices,stables, and other places, where strength and simplicityare requ ired, and where richer, or more delicate orderswould be improper.In conformity to the doctrine and practice before-men

tioned , seven diameters, or fourteen modu les, have beengiven to the height Of the Tuscan column , a proportionvery proper for rural or mil itary works, where an appearance of extraordinary sol idity is required ; but in townbuildings, intended for C ivil purposes, or in interior

'

deco

rations, the heightof the column may be fourteen and a

half, or even fifteen modules , as Scamozzi makes it; whichaugmentation may be entirely in the shaft, withoutChanging any measures either Of the base or capita l. Norneedthe entablature be altered, for as it is composed Of fewparts, it wil l be sufficiently bold, although its heightbesomewhat less than one quarter Of the heightof the co

l umu .

Traité d'

Architecture, Art. v. Ed it. La Haye, 1714, p . 10. [ED ]

OF THE DORIC ORDER. 185

OF THE DOR IC ORDER.

IN the parallel are given three profiles Ofthe Doric orderone of which is taken from . the theatre of Marcellus, andthe other two are copied by Pirro Ligorio, frOm variousfragments of antiquity in and near Rome. Vignola

’s se

cond Doric profile bears a near resemblance to the mostbeautifu l of these, andWas not improbably collected fromthe same antique which Ligorio Copied, though itmustbe owned thatVignola has, in his composition , far exceeded the original , having omitted the many trivial insignificantmouldi ngs with which that i s overloaded, andin various other respects improved both its form and pro

portions.This profil e of V ignola

’s, being composed in a greater

style, and in a manner more characteristic of the order,than any other, I have chosen for my model, having, inthe general form and proportions, strictly adhered to theoriginal, though In particular members I have notscrupledto vary, when Observation taught me they mightbe 1mproved .

‘

Vignola , as appears by the preface to his rul es, supposed thatthe graceful and pleasing aspect Of Architec

tonie Objects, was occasioned by the harmony and simplicity Of the relations existing between their parts, and incomposing his profiles he constantly regulates his mea

sures by these simple aflinities, imagining the deviations

The chief alteration is in the cornice. See subsequentnote. [Em]B B

186 OF THE DORIC ORDER.

from them in his antique model s, to proceed rather from

the inaccurate execution of the workmen , than from any

premeditated design in the contriver. TO this notion may

be ascribed many l ittl e defects in the proportions Of hismouldings and minuter members, which, though triflingin themselves, are yet, from the smallness Of the partswhere they happen to be, Of consequence, and easilyperceivable by a judiciou s eye. These I have thereforeendeavoured to correct, not only in this, but in others ofhi s orders, which from their conformity to the bestantiques, I have in the course of this work chosen to imitateIt has already been Observed that the real relation ssubsisting between dissimilar figures have no connectionwith the apparent, the form and Situation Of the objectviewed

,ever altering the affinity, and iti s a truth too evi

dentto requ ire demonstration . No one wil l deny,for in

stance, that the ovolo in the annexed Doric cornice

The author on general principles differs here, not only from Vignola,but from a very large portion of later architects, amongst whom “i ll befound perhaps as intelligentan arch itect, and one as ali ve to proportion, asthe world ever saw, viz. S ir Chr istopher Wren, under whose banners,though he in some matters was deficient in good taste, I am not fearful ofappearing. See note at page 36. Messer Jacopo Barozzi ’ s preface i s toolong for insertion here, butthe v iew with wh i ch he determ ined to ascertai nthe relative proportions of the orders, for his own pr ivate use, wi ll expla inthe whole of his system , and shew that be well knew his mes liere. Perpoterm i appoggiare con ferm ezza mag giore, mi son proposto innanzi que ll iornamenti anti ch i delli cinque ordin i , quali ne lle anti caglie d i Roma s i vedono, e questi tutti ins ieme cons iderandoli, e con diligenti m isure esam inandoli, ho trovato quelli , che al giudizio commune appajono piube ll i, econ piugrazia s i appresentano agl

’

occhi nostr i questi ancora avere certacorrispondenza,

‘ e proporzioue di numeri insieme meno intrigata , anzi ciascun m in imo membro, m i surare li maggiori in tante lor parti appunto, "

[ED ]1 Pl. Dori c Order.

1 88 or THE DORIC ORDER.

to the least, according to their degrees Of importance in

the composition , and impress their images on the mind,before it is affected by any Of the subservientmembers

yet, thatthese Should be so conditioned as notto be eutirely absorbed , but be capable Of rai sing distinct ideasl ikewise, and such as may be adequate to the purposes forwhich these parts are designed.The differentfigures and situations of the parts may,in some degree, contribute toward this effect for Simpleforms will op erate more speedi ly than those thatare com

plicated, and such as proj ectwil l be sooner perceived thansuch as are more retired ; but dimension seems to be thepredominant qual ity, or thatwhich acts mostpowerfullyon the sense, and this, it i s apprehended, can only be discovered by experience, atl eastto any degree of accuracy.When therefore a number Of parts, arranged in a partienlar manner, and under particular dimensions, excites, inthe general ity Of judicious spectators, a pleasing sensation ,it will be prudent on every occasion , where the samecircumstances subsist, to observe exactly the same ar

rangementand proportions, notwithstanding they may inthemselves a ppear irregular and unconnected.

In composing the orders and other decorations whichare contained in the presentpublication,this method hasconstantly been Observed, the author having himself, withthatview, measured with the utmost accuracy, and not

withoutsome danger, many ancientand modern celebratedbuildings, both atRome and in other parts of Europe,strictly copying such things as appeared to be perfect,and carefully correcting others which seemed in anydegreefaulty relying therein notalone on his own j udgment indoubtful cases, butmuch on the opinion and advice of se

OF THE DORIC O RDER. 189

veral l earned ingenious artists Of differentnations,with

whom he had the advantage of being intimately connected when abroad.Sen sible he i s thatthe extraordinary degree of accuracy

which has been a imed at in these compositions is of littl econsequence to the general ity of spectators, who see inthe gross and feel by the lump. Nevertheless, as in poesy,music, painting, and indeed in all arts, there are delicacieswhich, though they escape the vulgar notice, afford uncommon pleasure to persons of enlightened conception ;so in architecture this kind of perfection is the source ofsecondary pleasures, l ess - forcible perhaps, butnotalwaysless delightful, than the first. These may be compared tothose excited by the energy or graces of language inpoetry ; by the shakes, swells, inflections, and other artifices Of the instrumentor voice, in music, which give sentimentand expression to the performance ; or in painting,by a j udicious Choice and artfu l disposition of the objects,a nice discrimination of the passions, an eleganttaste ofdesign, and a spirited masterly touch Of the pencil. Toall but local colour and general resemblance, the unskil

ful are commonly bl ind butthe correcteye and ripenedjudgmentderive their chief pleasure from thatwhich theignorantrarely perceive, and seldom or ever ta ste.It may perhaps be objected that the proportions hereestablished, though proper and good on one occasion,may on many others be defective butthis Objection will,I flatter myself, have l ittl e weight, when it i s rememberedthatthe situation of capital s and entablatures with respectto the order Of which they are parts, i s constantly thesame, and,

the points ofview more or l ess distant, accordmg to the size or elevation Of the order ; and that, couse

190 OF THE DORIC ORDER.

quently, the apparentmagnitudes of all their parts, willalways have very nearly the same proportion to eachother, even though they should be exalted to a second or

third story.

With regard to bases indeed, their being placed on pedestals, or immediately on the ground, will occasion somel ittle difference in their appearance ; and when they are

raised to a second story, their figure and apparentproportions will be considerably altered . Nevertheless itdothnot seem necessary, in either Of these cases, to vary theirdimensions ; for in the former Of the two, the alterationwould be trifling, and in the latter, the Obj ectbeing farremoved from the eye, the spectator will rather be occupied in considering the general mass, than in examiningits parts, which, on account Of their distance, cannot bedistinctly perceptible.The heightof the Doric column, including its capital

and base, i s sixteen modules, and the heightof the entablature, four modules the latter of which being dividedinto eightparts, two of them are given to the architrave,three to the frize, and the remaining three to the cornice.In mostOf the antiques, the Doric column is executed

without a base. Vitruvius likewise makes it withoutone the base, according to that author, having beenfirstemployed in the Ionic order, to imitate the sandal orcovering of a woman ’ s foot. Scamozzi blames this practice and mostof the moderns have been of his Opinion,the greatestpartof them having employed the Attic base

L ib. v i . c. 6. Oltre che ad alcune Colonn e, ne egli , (V itruvio) n é altri,non fanno le Bas i alla Dor ica , e cosi le Colonne r imangono spedate tuttecose, che contravengono alla ragione, che lo vuole, e all ’ opere c‘hanno fattogli antich i piulodati .

”

[Ep .]

192 OF THE DORIC ORDER.

cannotconsider a column withouta base in comparing itto a man, but I am, atthe same time, struck with the ideaOf a person withoutfeetrather than without shoes ; forwhich reason I am inclinable to bel ieve either thatthe ar

chitects of antiquity had notyet thought of employingbases to their columns, or thatthey omitted them in orderto l eave the pavementclear ; the angles and proj ection Ofbases being stumbling-blocks to passengers, and so muchthe more troublesome as the architects Of those times frequently placed their columns very near each other, sothathad they been made with bases, the passages betweenthem would have been extremely narrow and inconve

nient. And itwas doubtless for the same reason thatVitruvius made the pl inth of his Tuscan column round,thatorder, according to his construction , being particularly adapted to servile and commercial purposes, whereconveniency is preferabl e to beauty. However this be,persons of good ta ste will grant that a base not onlygives a gracefu l turn to the column , but is l ikewise of realuse, serving to keep itfirm on its plan , and thatif columnswithoutbases are now setaside, iti s a mark of the wisdomOf our arch itects, rather than an indication of their beinggoverned by prejudice, as some adorers of antiquitywou ld insinuateIn imitation Of Pal ladio and all the modern architects,

exceptVignola, I have made use of the Attic base in thi sorder

, and itcertainly is the mostbeautiful Of any, though

for variety’ s sake, when the Doric and Ionic orders are

employed together, the base invented by Vignola, Ofwhich

Le Clerc,Traité d'

Architecture, Art. v. p. 12.

OF THE DORIC ORDER. 193

a profil e is annexed , may sometimes be used . Bernin i hasmployed it in the colonades of St. Peter ’ s, and ithasbeen successfully applied in many other bu ildings.The ancients sometimes made the shaft of the Doriccolumn prismatic, as appears by a passage in the fourthbook of Vitruvius ; and at other times they adorned itwith a particular kind of shal low flutings, described fromthe centre of a square, no interval or filletbeing left between them . Of this sort, there are now some columnsto be see n in the temples of Paestum, near Naples, indifferentparts Of S icily, and in the church of St. Peterin Caten is, at Rome. The first of these manners hasnot, I believe, been imitated by any Of the modernmasters nor i s the second very frequent Scamozziblames itfor its wantof solidity the proj ecting anglesbetween the flutings being easily broken, and, if the ma

terial be soft, very subjectto moulder.Vitruvi us gi ves to the heightof the Doric capital onemodule and all the moderns, exceptAlberti

3, have fol

lowed his example. Nevertheless, as it is of the samekind with the Tuscan , they shou ld both bear nearly thesame proportion to the heights of their respective columns,and consequently, the Doric capital ought to be morethan one module , which it accordingly is

,both at the

Coliseum, and in the theatre Of Marcellu s : being in theformer ofthese bu ildings, upwards Ofthirty- eightminutes,and in the latter thirty-three minutes high.In the design here offered, I have made the heightof

the whole capital thirty-two minutes, and in the form and

Parte Seconda, L ib. v i . c . 1 1 .

De Ratione Dori ca, L ib. iv . c . 3.

3 De Re JEdificatoria, L ib. vu . c. 8.

194« or THE DORIC ORDER.

dimensions Of the particu lar members, I have deviatedbut l ittle, from the profil e of the theatre Of Marcellu s .The frize, or neck, is enriched with husks and roses, as

in Palladio’ s design , and as ithas been executed by Sangallo atthe Farnese Palace in Rome, and by Cigol i “

,

in the Cortile Of the Strozzi at Florence, as well as inseveral bu ildings of note in this metropolis. The projection Of these husks and flowers, mustnot exceed thatofthe upper cincture of the column .The architrave is one module in height, and composed

only Of one fascia and a fillet, as at the theatre of Mar

cellus : the drops are conical , as they are in all the an

tiques ; notpyramida l, as they are improperly made bymost of our English workmen : they are supposed torepresentdrops of water draining from the triglyph , and

consequently they should be cones, or parts of cones, notpyramids.The frize and the cornic e, are each of them one

modul e and a half inheight: the metope is square, and

enriched with a bull ’ s skull, adorned with garlands ofbeads, in imitation of those on the temple of Jupiter

Anton io Sangallo, born in the Florentine terr itory, di ed 1546. The

Farnese Palace, as h igh as the great corn i ce, is a noble m onumentof hissplendi d talents. When the bu ilding was '

so far complete, CardinalFarnese was ra ised to the holy cha ir, and be ing des irous of crown ing itwith the grandest corn i ce whi ch cou ld be des i gned by the architects ofthe ag e, he inv ited them to a competition — M ichel Angelo bore off the

laurels, and the corn i ce remains a surprising effortof his more than won

derful gen ius . Sangallo was in his day one of the architects of the fabri cof St. Peter 's, and in that S ituation had the honor of be ing a colleague ofRafaelle d ’

Urbino. [B IL]Lu igi Cigol i a Florentine architect, born 1559, di ed 1613. Thi s

artist des igned the pedesta l for the statue of Henry IV . as it formerlystood, on the PontNeuf atParis. [ED ]

1 96 OF THE DORIC ORDER .

position Of these, care mustbe taken to place them withsymmetry ; those on the right, i n correspondence withthose on the l eft. Wherefore, when a triglyph happensto be in the middle of a front, it becomes necessary tocouple the middle ones, by filling the two metopes, oneach side of the central triglyph , with the same sort of

ornaments ; as i s done atthe gate of Burlington Housein Piccadilly ; distributing the restalternately, throughoutthe composition, as usual . It i s l ikewise to be Observed ,thatornaments in metopes, are notto proj ectso much asthey do at'Bow Church, or atGeneral Wade ’ s house inBurl ington -gardens where, from their greatrel ief, theyare far more striking than the triglyphs which oughttopredominate , as being essential, and principal parts in thecomposition . Pa lladio in his Basilica of Vicenza, hasgiven to the mostelevated parts Of the ox- skulls and pateras, with which the metopes are fil l ed, very l ittle moreproj ection , than thatOf the triglyph and in this, he hascopied the ancients, who seldom or never, gave moreproj ection to any ornament, than that of the frame orborder, in which itwas inclosed as appears by those inimitable fragments in the Villa Medici, and many othersin differentparts Of Rome, and elsewhere . The channelsof the triglyph on their plan, commonly form a rightangle ; but, to give them more effect, a narrow squaregroove may be cut in the inner angle, from topto bottom ;and qu ite into the solid of the frize.In the cornice, I have deviated very l ittl e from my ori

ginal'

. Le Clerc, who in his Doric profile has imitated

Palladi o, Scamozzi, Alberti, Vignola and V iola, have each placed twofasciae in the Dor ic arch itrave — wh i lstSerlio, Barbaro, Cataneo, and our

author, have only one .— Alberti seems to have been the firstof themodem s

198 OF THE DORIC ORDER .

sufficiently conspicuous, to hold their due place in thecomposition .

Atthe theatre ofMarcellus, the ornaments Of the 50tare not in a horizontal position , buthang down towards

the front of the corona ; which, as it appears by V itruvins

, was a common practic e among the ancients ; and

done to imitate the inclination of the rafters . Palladio ,and Vignola, have both adopted this particularity ; which ,Daviler supposes to have been first u sed, in order tomake the proj ection of the entablature, appear more considerable To me ithas an exceeding disagreeable appearance ; the whole soffit seems in a falling state : and

so far i s it from producing the effectwhich Daviler supposes, that it actually makes, as it evidently must, theproj ection seem less than in real ity it i s .Vignola

’s two Doric entablatures, says Daviler,

‘

are

both of them so el egantly composed, that it i s scarcelypossible to determine, which Of them oughtto have thepreference The first, which is entirely antique, i s thel ightest, and consequently properestfor interior decorations, or Objects intended for near inspection ; the other,composed by Vignola himself, from various fragments Ofantiqu ity, being bolder, and consisting of larger parts,seems better cal culated for outside works, and placeswhere the point of view i s either distant or unlimited .

On polygonal plans, however, the mutule cornice mustbeavoided because the soffits ofthe angular mutules, wouldform irregular and very disagreeable figures neither

De l'ordre Dor ique, Vol. i . p . 34. Ce qu i augmente l’

apparence dela Sa i ll ie , etcc qu i avec la mouchette pendante et le Canal refoii illé sousle devant da Larmi er rend le profil plus gigantesque etplus noble. [ED ]

2 Ibid . Vol . i . p . 32. [ED -1

OF THE DORIC ORDER. 199

should itbe employed in concaves Of small dimensions,for the same reason ; nor in places where frequentbreaksare requisite ; it being extremely difficult, Often impossible, to preventthe mutules from penetrating, and mutilating each other, in variou s unsightly manners. Andwherever this cornice is u sed on a convex surface, thesides of the mutules mustbe made parallel for itwouldbe both disagreeable and unnatu ral , to see them broader,and consequently heavier in front, than where they springout of the mutu l e band.Pallad io

’

s Doric entablature, is l ikewise very beautifu lI mean as it is executed in the Basilica of Vicenza, whereitdiffers widely from the profile in h is book and i s farpreferable thereto In the same plate with V ignola

’

s

PI. Dori c Entablatures .The author ’ s plate referred to in the preced ing note, wil l be found to

differ w idely from the profi le which i s here inserted. The Ed itor ’ s first

900 OF THE DORIC ORDER .

dentil entablature, there is a design Of it, accurately copiedfrom thatbuilding ; which may serve as one instance ofmany, to show how l ittle the measures of his book are tobe relied upon .Of all the entablatures, the Doric is most difficult to

distribute, on accountof the large interval s 'between thecentres of the triglyphs, which neither admitof increase,or diminution , without injuring the symmetry and regular beauty Of the composition . These constantly confinethe composer to intercolumniations, divisible by two modules and a half ; entirely exclude coupled columns ; andproduce spaces, which, in general , are either too wide ortoo narrow for his purposes.To obviate these difficulties, the triglyphs have often

been omitted, and the entablature made plain ; as at the

Coliseum in Rome, the col onnades Of St. Peter ’ s, of the

intention was to have corrected the plate, butas he professes to give theplates of S ir W . C . precisely Sim ilar to those of the three firstEditions ofthe work , he preferred the insertion in th is note of a correct representationof the entablature wh i ch he made on his exam ination of the bui ldingwhi le at V i cenza. The Dori c profile whi ch Pa lladi o exh ibits in his firstbook, i s that artist’ s general idea of whatthe order should be — Of course,in execution he var ied itas taste and circum stances induced him . But inrespect of the example before us, if the reader turn to his th ird book,and compare the plate there in w ith the profile in the preceding page,he w i ll see no great cause for compla int on the part of our author.On the contrary , a llow ing for the block engraving of thatage notbe ingqu ite so wel l managed as now, he wi ll find the profiles s ingularly correspondent. Itmust be manifestto every one the leastacquainted with thesubject, thatS ir W.

'

S guttae in the external angle of the soffitofthe coronaare misplaced, and an abuse of whi ch our great master Palladi o nevercould have been gu ilty . The substitution, too, of the patera for the ox

skull in the metope adjoin ing the angle, i s also absurd— as in that case itwould be necessa ry to milcr iton the quoin of the frieze. The profile attheChierieato palace i s nearly the same as the above . [ED-J

902 or THE DORIC ORDER .

be somewhatmore slender. Thus, Vitruvius‘ makes the

Dori c column in porticos, higher by half a di ameter, thanin temples ; and most of the modern architects, have onsome occasions, followed his example. In private housestherefore, itmay be 16s, or 16§ modules high ; ininterior decoration s, even seventeen modules, and Sometimes perhaps a trifle more : which increase in the height,may be added entirely to the shaft, as in the Tuscanorder, without Changi ng either the base or capita l. Theentablature too, may remain unaltered in all the aforesaidcases for itwill be sufficiently bold , withoutalteration .

L ib. ii i. c. 2.

THE [ON ] C

O R D ER .

J r l m’ l JfiJLc-h lr/

fill /U h”, firf nu /ln ' ll’

m /r Jin n“[Ji mmy /wr it

204 OF THE IONIC ORDER.

and in variou s Others of his buildings in the Vicentine, or

atVenice.In the firstplate Of the Ionic order, there is a design

Of the antique profile, collected by me, from di fferentantiquities atRome. The heightof the column is eighteenmodules

, and thatof the entablature, four modules and a

half, or one quarter Of the height of the column, as inthe other orders , which is a trifle less than in any Of the

regular antique Ionics. The base i s Attic , as in all the

antiques and the shaftof the column may either be plainor fluted, with twenty-four, or with twenty flutings only,as atthe temple Of Fortune, Of which, the plan shouldbe a l ittl e more than semi- circular, as it i s atthe templeof Jupiter Tonan s, and atthe forum of Nerva, becausethen they are more distinctly marked. The fill et, or interval between the flutes, should notbe broader than onethird of their width , nor narrower than one quarterthereof. The ornaments of the capital, are to correspondwith the flutes of the shaft‘

, and there must be an ove

or a dartabove the middl e Of each flute. The volutes areto be traced according to Goldman ’ s method ’ , which is thebest. I have given a design of it, with an exactdescription upon the plate. Perraultprefers Delorme

’s method

Of describing it3 ; yet certainly it is not so perfect; for

See page 30. [ED.]Nicholas Goldman, a native of Brcslaw in S i lesia, born 1623, died

1665 , was a mathemati cian of some reputation. His ch ief works areElementa Architecture: M ilitaris,” 8vo. 1643l De usu Proportion

ari i Circul i,” De Stylometricis, 1662 and a Treatise on Civ il Arch itecture, published by Sturm in 1696, with many Engravi ngs . [Ep .]

Architecture de PhilibertDelorme, Tom . I . L iv. v. c. 27. Des

mesures du chap itea u I oni que, et la facon comme l'on doit faire ses

volutes .”

Fi g 1 . Draw The F C whore la y/ (h " 1q he hulr'

a flhwlalmuul rn 'm r/n.

‘

[mutt C tlu rn l'c‘ the Eye of flu

ruluf r' AEBD ,(rr

'

whzk'li flu; D ial /war (if to hc 32

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206 or THE I ON IC ORDER.

G ibbs has in some measure amended it, yet his l ikewiseis faulty in the breadth of the fillet, which is equal

through the greatestpartof the firstrevolution.Vignola and Scamozzi, Serlio , Alberti, and others have,

in their arch itraves, imitated those of the theatre OfMar

cellus, and of the Col i seum ; having composed them Of

three fascias di stinguished from each other, only by smallproj ections. This, has butan indifferenteffect; the separations so faintly marked, are not sufficiently striking ;and the architrave i s l efttoo destitute Of ornaments, for

the restof the profil e : a defectmost strik ing, wheneverthe mouldings of the profile are enriched.

On the other hand, Palladio’

s and Delorme’s archi

traves appear too rich ; being l ik ewise composed of threefascias, separated by mouldings. I have therefore in thisparticular, chosen to imitate the profile of the temple ofAntoninus and Faustina, where there are only two fascias, separated from each other by a moulding.

The three parts of the entablature, bear the same proportion to each other in this, as in the Tuscan order : thefrize i s plain , as being most suitable to the simplicity of

the restof the composition ; and the corn ice is almostanexact copy from V ignola

’

s design , in whi ch there is apurity Of form , a grandeur Of stil e, and close conformityto the mostapproved antiques, notto be found in the profil es of his competitors.If it be required to reduce this entablature , to two

ninths Of the heightOf the column , (which , on mostoccasions, is a proportion preferable to that Of one quarter ;particularly, where the eye has been habituated to con

template diminutive obj ects) it may easily be done ; by

208 OF THE IONIC ORDER.

Of Capra ‘ its height i s likewise one fifth of the column .The frize, as in the former design, i s low and swelledbutitwill be better to raise itto the same heightwith thearchitrave, and keep ituprightas before directed ; fortheswel l gives ita clumsy form , and appearing a continu ityof the same undu lations which compose the architraveand cornice, serves to render the outline of the wholeentablature con fused and much too abundant in curves.The frize when so formed, conveys the idea of a piece oftimber, used withoutbeing hewn as was the practice ofruder times among the Greeks, and cannotwith proprietybe introduced in a finished work .

In the antique, there are few examples of these swelledfrizes. Palladio probably took his hint, from the templeof Bacchus, near Rome, where the swelled frize has beenused in a Composite order : or perhaps, from the Basil icaof Antoninus, where it has been employed in a Corinthian : with l ittle success atthe last, and with much lessatthe first Of these places for as the columns are thereinsulated , and the profile is marked atthe four angles, thedeformity becomes so much the more conspicuous ; and,

notwithstanding Palladio ’ s partial ity to this form Of frize,which so frequently recurs in mostof his works ; itseldomor never can be introduced with success, buton doors orwindows, where the profile of the architrave is notmarkedunder it: there indeed, the swell forms a good contrastwith the uprightjambs, and has the farther advantage ofcontracting the spread Of the cornice, which , in narrowintercolumniations, i s very convenient and in mostcases,

V illa del Marchese Capra above mentioned . Th isvi lla, atV i cenza, isfamiliarlvcalled La Rotonda . [Eu .]

OF THE IONIC ORDER. 209

m ay preventthe l icentious practice, of making the frizeand cornice no wider than the aperture of the door orw indow, and supporting them on each side with a sortofscroll, as

°

atthe Sorbonne in Paris, and at the MansionHouse in this city.Palladio, in both these profiles, has enriched the soffit

of the corona with roses, which are here omitted, as inmostcases they oughtto be. However, when the columnis fluted, and the restof the composition much adorned ,

they may, and shou ld be, introduced ; care being taken toproporti on the pannels, and other parts surrounding them,

in the same manner as if the order were Corinthian orComposite .The antique Ionic capital differs from any Of the

others ; its frontand side faces are notalike. This particularity, occasion s great difficulty, wherever there are

breaks in the entablature ; or where the decoration iscontinued in flank, as well as in front: for either, all thecapitals in the flank musthave the baluster side outward,or the angular capital s wi ll have a different appearancefrom the rest; neither of which is admissible. The architeet Of the temple Of Fortune atRome has fallen uponan expedient, which in some degree, remedies the defect.In thatbu ilding, the corner capital s have their angularvolutes in an oblique position , inclining equally to the

front and side, and Offering volute faces both ways.Wherever persons are violently attached to the antique,or furiously benton rejecting all modern inventions, however excellent, this is the only mean to gratify them ;butwhen such is notthe case, the angular capital invented

This is however far from a pure example

2 10 OF THE IONIC ORDER.

by Scamozzi ', or imitated and improved by him, from

the templ e of Concord, or borrowed from some moderncompositions extant in his time, ought to be employed ;for the distorted figure of the antique capital , with one

volute straightand the other twisted, i s very perceptibl e,and far from being pleasing to the eye.Annexed is a design of Scamozzi ’ s capital , and another

of a very beautiful one, executed in St. Peter ’ s , Of the

Vatican ; probably composed by Michael Angelo. Similar capitals may al so be seen in the church Of the Romancollege, and in variou s other buildings atRome.In this order, I have employed the Attic base. Of the

antique base described by Vitruviu s, and used by Vignolaand Phil ibert Delorme, in their Ionic orders, and bySir Christopher Wren , in some parts of St. Paul

’ s, Ithink there is no example among the antiques ; and beinguniversal ly esteemed a very imperfectproduction , I havenot even given a design Of it.AS the Doric order is particularly affected in churches

or temples, dedicated to mal e saints ; so the Ionic is princ ipally used in such as are consecrated to femal es, Of thematronal state . It is likewise employed in courts ofjustice, in l ibraries, colleges, seminaries, and other structureshaving relation to arts or letters in private houses, andin palaces ; to adorn the women 5 apartments ; and , saysLe Clerc in all places dedicated to peace and tranqu illity. The ancients employed it in temples sacred to

Thi s is no invention of Scamozzi— See Stuart’ s Athens, Temple onthe I lissus, and of M inerva Polias . [ED ]

Art. v. p . l l — Des differens Ordres de Colonnes . [ED]

212 or THE COMPOS ITE ORDER.

OF THE COMPOS ITE ORDER.

STRICTLY speaking, the ancients had butfour ordersthe Composite was notconsidered by as a distinctproduction . V itruv1us expressly tells Ok IV . chap.1 , thaton Corinthian variouskinds were employed, which nev O'ught not to

change the names of the columns, because their proportions remained stil l the same

On wh ich passage Perrault, in his Trans lation of V itru v ius, adds thefollowing note Cecy s

’

entend amon avis du Chapiteau de l'Ordre Composite qu i estfa itde l

’

assemblage des parties des autres Chap iteaux, commede celle de 1’ I onique dont il emprunte 1’Echine et les volutes, et de cellesdu Cor inth ien dontil a les feu illages . Ceux qui pretendentavec Philanderque V itruve n

'

a pointparl é de l’Ordre Compos ite, se fondentsur cc qu ’ i l aditque la di versité des ornemens du chap iteau, ne change pointl

’

espece dela colonne, comme si la difference specifique des colonnes consistoitdansla proportion de leur hauteur, a comparaison de leur grosseur : mai s cettera ison ne doit po intempescher qu

’ i l ne soitvray de dire que V itruve a

tra ité de l’Ordre Composite aussi- bien que du Corinthien, pui sque selonVitruve l

’

Ordre Corinthien n ’ estdi fferent de l’ Ionique que par le chap iteau , et qu ’ il estvray que le seul changementdes ornemens du chapiteaupeut faire nu Ordre d ifferent, hien que la proportion de toute la colonnene soit en r ien changée : car les Ordres Composites qui nous restent desAnciens, tels que sont ceux de l

’

Arc de Titus etde celuy de Veronne, n’

ont

r ien dans leurs colonnes qui so it d ifferent de l'

Ordre Corinthien que lesornemens du chap iteau . CependantPh ilander ditque l

’

Ordre Compos iten

'

a esté introdu itque long temps apres V itruve bien que l’ on tienne que

le Baptistere de Constantin qui est'

d’ Ordre Compos ite, a esté hasty des

ruines d ’

Edifices trQS- anciens, et que le Temple de la Concorde dont on

voit encore des restes 9. Rome, a esté fa it par Camillus qui vivoit longtemps avantV itruve : Or les colonnes de cc Temple tienn entdc l’ lon iqueetdu Dorique, cc qu i les peut fa ire passer pour Compos ites : Si ce n ’ estque Philander entende par Ordre Compos ite nu certain Ordre rcglé , qui esteelay qu ’ on appelle autrement Ital ique, etnon pas tout cc qui participede p lus ieurs autres Ordres : cc qui fait que quelques-nus nomment ces

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2 14 OF THE COMPO SITE ORDER.

and mistaken the columns Of the fourth order of the Coliseum,

which are Corinthian, for Composite.Pal ladio, in h is profile, has imitated the cornice Of the

frontispiece of Nero, and corrected its defects with muchjudgment. His architrave is l ikewise taken from the samebuilding, buthe has omitted its beautiful friz e, and substituted in its place a swelled one, Similar to thatOf theBasilica OfAntoninus . His whole entablature is too low,

being only one fifth of the column, and itis remarkablethatthough he has made the column more delicate thanin the Corinthian order, yet his entablature i s made farmore massive, being composed of fewer and much largerparts . In the design given on the second plate of the

Composite order, Palladio’s measures have been closely

observed ; but if the frize were augmented, so as to raisethe entablature to two ninths of the column , made upright, and enriched with ornaments , it would be moreperfect, and mightbe employed with success in works oflarge dimensions, which require to be seen from a consi

derable distance butfor interior decorations, or in placeswhere much deli cacy is required, the composition is somewhattoo massive .Palladio

’s capital and base, are imitations from the arch

of Titus. The latter of them is designed without a

plinth , as itis executed in the temple of Vesta atTivoli,and j oined to the cornice Of the pedestal by a Slope, whichnotonly has a bad effect, but i s in itself defective, because the base is thus divested Of its principal member,and rendered disprOportionate

Where the colum n rises from a deep pla in pedestal without cornice orbase, the practi ce whi ch our author condemns, is very far from being Offens ive or di sagreeable. [ED‘J

OF THE COMPOSITE ORDER. 215

V ignola’s Composite has nothing in itremarkable. The

architrave differs butl ittle from thatOf the frontispiece ofNero, and the cornice is nearly the same withthatof hisIonic order, the principal difference consisting in the

transposition of some mouldings, and enlargement of thedentil s both which seem rather alterations for the worsethan improvementsScamozzi

’

s entablature being, like Palladio’ s, only onefifth of the column and much divided, has a trifling ap

pearance. The cornice however is, upon the whole, wellcomposed, and in a greatmeasure imitated from thatofthe third order of the Coliseum the capital is much likePalladio

’s, and the base is Attic, enriched with astragals,

as atthe Basilica of Antoninus.The design which I have given in the firstplate of the

Composite order, i s an invention of my own ; in which Ihave attempted to avoid the faults, and unite the '

perfec

tions, of those abovementioned : how far with success isleft to the reader ’ s determinati on , and at any rate, recourse may still be had to Palladio, Scamozzi, or Vignola,as heretofore. The heightof the column is twenty modu les, thatofthe entablature five the base is Attic, andits measures are the same as in the Doric or Ionic orders,butas the module is l ess , all its parts are of course proportionably more delicate.

’ The shaft i s enriched with flutings, which may either be to the number of twenty or of

twenty-four, as on the Ionic column ; for there is no rea.

I

I nevertheless prefer V ignola’

s as well as Scamozzi s cap itals to the

profile whi ch our author has given ; thatof the formerjs far more elegantin its form aswell as in the details. ButV ignola’ s entablature is not in tonewith his cap ital the wantofmodilli ons renders its aspecttoo meagre andplain. [ED ']

216 OF THE COMPO S ITE ORDER .

son why, in different orders, their number Should eitherbe augmented or diminished the module being less, theflutes will likewise be less, and correspond exactly withthe Character of the restof the composition .The capital is

'

of the kind which all the moderns haveemployed in this order, being enriched with leaves Of theacanthus, as all the antique capital s of this sortare. Withregard to the method Of tracing it, few direction s will suffice, for the designs are exactly drawn and figured. Thecurvatures of the abacus are described from the summitsofequ ilateral triangles the proj ection of the volutes is determined by a l ine drawn from the extremity of the astra

gal to the extremity of a horn of the abacus ; and the pro

jection Of the leaves is determined by another line drawnparal lel to thatfrom the fillet, under the astragal .The manner of executing both these and all other euriched capitals in this city, is, generally speaking, bad. I

do not, however, mean to accuse our Engli sh workmen ofincapacity many of them are excellent,and in neatnessof execution, out-do , perhaps, those of any

'

OthEr country,— but, sometimes from the parsimony of their employers,and in some degree, perhaps, for wantof thorough skilland facil ity in design , their performances are Often insipid,w ithout intention or effect, and by no means expressiveeither of the taste or intell igence of the performer .Many even Of our greatest architects have

'

too muchneglected the detail having employed . their attentionwholly on the general disposition of their compositions.This neglect, though authorised by greatexamples, oughtby no means to be imitated. It i s the business of the ar

chitectto attend to the minutestObj ects, as well as to themostconsiderable. If the entire execution of the fabric

OF THE COMPOS ITE ORDER. 217

be leftto his direction , the faults thatare committed will,Of course, be stated to his account, and therefore itwillb e prudentin him to selectthe ablestworkmen , and tofurnish them with proper models and precise instructions,in which he will shew the extentof his capacity, and distinguish himself from the common herd of those who,withoutdue qual ifications, assume the title of arch itects.The most masterly disposition, incorrectly executed, canonly be considered as a Sketch in pa inting, or as an excellent piece of mu sic miserably murdered by village fiddlers, equally destitute of taste and powers of execution .Care must be taken in Composite, as well as in Corin

thian capital s, that the feet of the l ower leaves do not

proj ect beyond the upper part of the shaft of the co

lumn , as at St. Carlo in the Corso atRome, and atthe

Banqueting-House in London ; for nothing can beuglier. Neither are these leaves as they mount, to bendforwards, as in many of the antiques, and in some modernbuildings, because they then hide a considerable part ofthe upper row Of leaves, and . give a stunted disagreeableform to the whole capital. The differentdivisions Of theacanthus leaf, and bunches Of olive or parsl ey whichcompose the total of each leaf, must be firmly marked,and massed in a very distinctmanner ; the stems thatSpring from between the upper leaves are to be kept lowupon the vase of the capital, while rising between thel eaves, then spring gradual ly forwards, to form the dif

ferentvolutes ; and the ornaments, which sometimes are

St. Carlo in the Corso was builtatthe expense of the people of Lombardy about 1612, on the design s of Onor io Lunghi and P ietro da Cortona.

The chapel in the western transept, by Paolo Pos i, is one ofthe mostm ag

nificentin Rome. [Ep .]

2 18 OF THE COMPOS ITE ORDER.

used to adorn the Sides of the angular volutes, are neverto proj ectbeyond the fillets between which they are confined. These are all the d irecti on s that well can begiven in writing, but those who would excel in ornamental works Of this kind or any other, must consult thefoliages and flowers of nature, the buildings, ancientormodern , in which they have been executed with care andjudgment. The Ionic, Composite, and Corinthian capital s to be seen in various parts of Somerset Place, werecopied from models executed under my direction at

Rome, and imitated, both in pointOf forms and manner ofworkmanship, from the choicestantiqu e original s. Theymay serve as guides to such as have had no opportunityOf examining the buildings from which these models werecoll ected.

The parts of the entablature bear the same proportionto each other as in the Ionic and Tuscan orders. Thearchitrave is nearly of the same form with those of Pa lladio and Vignola, and that of the Basilica of Antoninus.The frize i s enriched with foliages, in imitation of thoseon the frize of Nero ’ s frontispiece, of which the mostprominentparts Should never proj ectmore than doth theuppermostmoulding Ofthe architrave under them .

The cornice is imitated from Scamozzi, and differs fromthe Corinthian only in the modill ions, which are Square,and composed of two fascias. The soffitof the interval sbetween the dentil s mustbe hollowed upwards behind thel ittle fill et in front, as they are in most of the antiques,which occasions a dark shade thatmarks the dentil moredi stinctly and the same method mustbe Observed in theIonic and Corinthian orders, for the same reason . Theroses in the SOffitof the corona are not to proj ectbeyond

220 OF THE COMPOSITE ORDER.

vered w ith laurel leaves, — a variety absurd as unpleas ing,wh ich total ly destroys the general effectOf the composition , and conveys no idea butthatof a structure made upof discordantfragments, as they happened to come in thebuilder ’ s wayThe Romans used the Composite order more frequently

in their triumphal arches than in any other buildi ngs ;meaning

, as Serl io supposes to express their dominionover those nations that invented the orders of which thisis composed. Itmay, says Le Clerc

3, be used with pro

priety wherever elegance and magn ificence are to be united, butit i s more particularly adapted to buildings designed to commemorate signal events, or celebrate thevirtues and achievements of conquerors and legislators,becau se the capital s and other ornaments may be composed Of emblems and of allusive representations , agreeable to the custom of the ancients, as appears by verymany fragments of capita l s and other members of architecture, scattered about in different parts of Rome andelsewhere. Some Of these are represented in the secondplate Of the Composite order, and more may be found inthe works of Montano 4 , Le Clerc, Piranesi, and others,

This i s the small temple atTrev i, between Folign o and Spoleto. Pallad io thus apologizes for its bizarrerie. Gli Antich i in sim i l sorte di edihe ij , e massime ne i p iccioli, posero grandissima di ligenza nel polire ciascuna parte, e far loro tutti quegli ornamenti, che fossero poss ibi li, e che stessero bene ma ne lle fabriche grandi come Anfitheatri, e s im i li , pol irono solamente alcune parti celle, lasciando il rimanente rozo per sch ifare 1a spesa,"&c. L ib. iv. c. 25 . [Ep.]L ibro ii i. page 88, Venice Edit. of 1619. [En ]Tra ité d'

Architecture. Art. v . page 14. [ED .]Montano (G iov. “ L i cinque L ibri d i Architettura. Fol. Roma,

1691 . There was an edit. of this book in 1684. [ED.]

OF THE COMPOS ITE ORDER. 221

of whose works the reader wil l find a catalogue in theABECEDARIO pittorico

The Composite entablature may be redu ced to two

ninths of the column, which , to avoid fractions, I Shal lcall four modules and a half, by making the modu le onlynine-tenths of the semi-diameter, and Observing the samemeasures as are figured in the design , and there then willbe a dentil in the outward angle, as in the Ionic order. Itmay l ikewise, if required, be reduced to one -fifth, by mak

ing the modu lefour-fifths of the semi-diameter : though,in cases where itmay be necessary to diminish SO much, itw ill always be better to employ the Ionic cornice, which ,being composed Of fewer parts, will still retain an air Of

grandeur, notwithstanding the smal lness of the generalmass.Most authors give to the Composite order the last

place, as being last invented, and a compound, which, ofcourse

,oughtto be preceded by all the simples. I have,

however, followed Scamozzi’s arrangement, his appearing

to me the most natural ; for his orders succeed eachother accordi ng to their degree Of strength, and in theprogression thatmu st absolutely be Observed, wheneverthey are to be employed together.

Orlandi ni (Fr. Pellegr. Abecedar io p ittor i co, nel quale SOnodescr itte le v ite degli anti ch issim i p ittori, scultor i ed Architetti, &c. 4to.

Venezia, 1753. [Ep.]

222 OF THE CORINTHIAN ORDER .

OF THE COR INTH IAN ORDER .

THE three columns in th'

e

'

CampO Vaccin‘

o ‘

, supposedremain s Of the temple of Jupiter‘ Stator, are generally all owed to be the mostperfectmodels Of the Corinthianorder amongst the antiques at Rome. Palladio, in hi sfourth hook, where he gives the whole profil e at large,acknowledges thathe never had seen any work better executed, or more del icately finished ; that its parts are beautifully formed, well -proportioned, and skilfully combined ;all which lastqual ities are certa inly sign ified by his Benissimo intesi.

With these favorable sentiments , it i s extraordinarythat, in his design of the Corinthian order, he should sovery considerably deviate from this excellentoriginal asscarcely toleave the smal lest shadow of resemblance.Vignola, in hi s Corinthian profile, has chiefly imitated

the abovementioned fragment, and the interior order of

the Pantheon , another very perfectmodel . His composition is uncommonly beautiful, and, withoutdispute, superior to that Of any other master ; be having artfullycol lected all the perfections of his original s, and formed awhole far preferabl e to either of them.The design which I have given differs but l ittl e from

that of Vignola The column is twenty modules high ,

AS th is order has rece ived the adm iration of ages, the Editor hasthoughtproper to give an additional plate of it. Itw i ll be useful to compareits profi le w ith that of our author, whose exemplification of the Corinthianis certa inly inferior to those of his other orders. [ED.]

2 However small the difference wh ich our author has made, I think he

224 OF THE CORINTHIAN ORDER.

manner ; one of them by Jean Gougeon s own hand,and the restunder his immediate inspection.It i s however, far better to reserve such niceties for

interior decorations. In exterior compositions, whateverdoth not contribute to the forcible effect of the wholestructure, i s in a great meas ure useless, sometimes evendetrimental ; and an expense, which might more judiciously be employed, where itwould be more attentivelyconsidered. In general , itmay be laid down as a maxim ,

that excessive ornaments, though they may, and Often do,increase the magnificence Of a building, almost alwaysdestroy, more or less, the grandeur of its effect. Parts inthemselves large, formed and disposed to receive broadmasses, or strong oppositions of light and shade, mustnecessarily.excite great ideas ; but when these parts arebroken into a number of small divisions, and their surfaces so varied, as to catch a thousand spotty impression sof light, demi-tints, and darkness, the whole will, of

course, form a confused appearance of trifl ing Objects,which divide the attention , and are utterly incapable of

exciting any powerful emotion s whatever.The capital i s enriched with olive leaves, as are almost

all the antiques at Rome, of this order ; the acanthusbeing seldom employed, but in the Composite De Cor

Jean Gougeon, a French sculptor and architect in the re ign of Francis I.

, was an artist of very super ior talents, and occasionally employedh im sel f in modell ing. Be ing a Protestant, he was one of the unfortunatesufferers in the horr id massacre on St. Bartholomew 's day, 1572. [ED ]

The Acanthus, Brancors ina, Bear's paw,

'

Axa vgog, a creep ing flexible plant, whose leaves are w ider than those of the common lettuce, and

of cons iderable length. Its root bears some resemblance to a bear's forepaw ; hence, in Itali an, it has rece ived the name of Brancors ina. Its

habitat i s in damp s ituations, but it may be raised in any garden.There are two species — one, wh ich is prickly and jagged, resembling a

or THE CORINTHIAN ORDER. 225

demoy, however , prefers the acanthus ; and observes.

thatthe flexible sprigs, which accompany the l eaves of thatplant, may more natural ly be supposed to form the con

tour of the volutes, than the stiff branches of a laurel, oran olive '

tree . Strange it is, says he, thatwe soon ceaseto esteem whati s natural ; nature and reason mustalwaysbe violated, and thus a confused j umble of l ittl e pointedleaves of an olive, or a laurel, is preferred to the simpleand graceful outline of the acanthu s.”

De Cordemoy’s observation is, strictly speaking, ju st;

yetto variety, something mu st be sacrificed, some liberties taken and both the ancient as well as modernsculptors, have, by un iting several ol ive, laurel, or parsleyleaves together, to form distinct bunches, separated byfilaments between which they seem to grow, contrived tocompose leaves, different in appearance from the acanthus indeed, yet, neither more confu sed nor l ess gracefulthan that.

thistle— this i s the shorter species, and from its thorny appearance, is properly the Acanthus from c

’

Z xa oc, a thorn . The other sort i s cultivated,

and has a smooth leaf, and is the plantof wh i ch Virgil speaksautflexi tacu issem v imen acanth i .”

Georg. L ib. iv. 123.

Itwas u sed for med icinal purposes . — See P liny, L ib. i i . c. 22. And isthe species wh i ch was adapted by the early architects to the decorationof the Corinth ian cap ital — and in other ornamental foliage, as we find inV irg. EC. i n . 44. Edit. Heyn.

Et'

nobi s idem Alcimedon duo poeula fecit,Etmolli circum estansas amplexus Acantho.

Propertiu s, 1. i i i . eleg. ~7. v. l 4— and Virgil again, JEn . i . 649, &c.

Et circumtextum croceo velam en Acantho.

There was a tree also whi ch bore the name of Acanthus — found chieflyin Egypt. [En ]

G G

2926 or THE CORINTHIAN ORDER .

With respect to the manner of tracing and working

this capital, the design s, with whathas been said on thesame subject in the Composite order, will serve as a sufhcient explanation .The divi sions of the entablature bear the same propor

tion to each other, as in the Tuscan, Ionic, and Com

posite orders. The frize is enriched with a has relief,composed from various fragments in the Villa Medi ci atRome The parts and ornaments of the cornice , are all

regularly disposed , and perpendicularly over each otherthe cofl

'

ers in the soflit of the corona are square, and theborders round them equal on all sides, as they are in thearch of Titus, and as Palladio has made them ; a precaution neglected by Vignola, notwithstanding his usualregularity.The ancients frequently employed the Ionic entabla

ture in the Corinthian order, as appears by many Of

their bu ildings ; and sometimes, according to Vitruvius,even the Doric ; though Of the latter practi ce, there i snot now , that I know of, any example extant. Thesame author Observes, that the G reeks in their works,never employed the dentil s under the modillion s, becausethe rafters, which are represented by the dentil s, couldnever in reality be placed under the beams or joists, whichare represented by the modillion s. However this may be,we are certa in thatthe Romans were not so very scru

pulous ; for in their most esteemed works, such as the

The basso relievo which the author has selected to decorate his frieze,i s very i ll chosen for the purpose. It is so overloaded and insubordinateto the whole, that a glance is suffi cientto condemn it. The greattalentsof Messrs. Lowry and Moses have, however, in the plate to thi s, made itmuch more supportable than it is in the original ed itions. [Ep.]

£298 or THE CORINTHIAN ORDER.

atFlorence, has, for the sake of variety, placed the capital s atthe feetOf his columns but selectthese facts, as

absurd instances, among others, of the l ength to whichinnovators may carry any system unrestrained by rules,and subj ectto no other laws than the crude momentaryeffusions

”

of a vitiated fancy. Things evidently absurd,no time nor authority can sanctify.When the modill ion cornice i s employed on large con

cave surfaces, the sides Of the modil lions and coffers Ofthe soflit, should tend towards the centre of the curve,as in the Pantheon : but when the concave is small, itwil l be better to directthem towards the Opposite pointin the circumference, that the contraction may be lessperceptible, and the parts dependent thereon suffer lessdeviation from their natural form. The same rules mustbe Observed with regard to dentil s, to the abacus and basesOf columns or pilasters, and l ikewise to the flanks of thepilaster itself. Buton a convex surface, the sides of all

these shou ld be parallel to each other, for it wou ld beunnatural, and very disagreeable to see them narrowestwhere they spring outof the cornice, diverging as theyadvance forwards, forming sharp angles, and a sort of

mutilated triangular plan , with enlarged solids and dimin ished intervals : all cal cu lated to destroy the usual proportions and beauty of the composition .The Corinthian entablature may be reduced to two

ninths, or one fifth of the heightOf the column , by thesame rul es as are given in the Ionic and Composite ordersbutwhere itbecomes necessary, or is j udged expedient,to make the entablature so smal l as one fifth , itwill , I apprehend, be bestto substitute the Ionic

'

entablature , as

Palladio has done in the Peristyle Of his Olympic Theatre

OF THE CORINTHIAN ORDER. 229

atVicenza, and in many others of his buildings or elseto retrench the dentils ofthe cornice, as in one of Serlio ’ s,and in Scamozzi ’ s profiles the partof the cornice underthe modill ion band, remaining then composed of only theovolo and ogee, separated by a fillet, as in the templesOf Trevi and Scisi in Umbria, mentioned in Palladio

’

s

fourth book.The Corinthian order is proper for all bu ildings, whereelegance, ga iety, and magnificence are requ ired. Theancients employed it in temples dedi cated to Venu s, toFlora, Proserpine, and the nymphs of fountains ; becau sethe flowers, foliage, and volutes, with which iti s adorned,seemed well adapted to the del icacy and elegance Of suchdeities Being the most splendid of all the orders, it i sextremely proper for the decoration of palaces, publicsquares, or galleries and arcades surrounding them ; forchurches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, or to other virginsaints : and on accountof its rich, gay, and graceful appearance, itmaywith propriety be u sed in theatres, in ballor banqueting rooms, and in all places consecrated to festive mirth, or convivial recreation .

Veneri,Florze , Proserpinae, fontium N ymphis, Corinthio genere con

stitutae, aptas videbuntur habere proprietates, quod his Diis propter teneritatem ,

'

graciliora etflorida, foli isque et-volutis ornata opera facta, augerevidebuntur justum decorem . V itruvius, L ib. i . c. 2.

230 or PILAS'

I‘

BRS.

OF P ILASTERS .

PILA STERS are, I bel ieve, a Roman invention, and certainly an improvement. The Greek s employed antm intheir templ es, to receive the architraves where they emtered upon the wall s of the cel l. These, though they werein one direction of equal diameter with the columns ofthe front, were in flank extravagantly thin in proportionto their height, and neither their bases nor capital s boreany resemblance to those Of the columns they accompa

nied. The Roman artists disgusted, probably, with themeagre aspect Of these antae , and the want Of accord intheir bases and capital s, substituted pilasters in theirplaces, which being proportioned and decorated in thesame manner with the columns, are certainly more seemly,and preserve the unity Of the composition much better.Pilasters differ from columns in their plan only, which

is square, as thatOf the column is round. Their bases,capital s, and entablatures have the same parts, with all thesame heights and proj ections as those Of columns, and

they are distinguished in the same manner, by the namesof Tuscan , Doric, Ionic, Composite, and Corinthian .

Of the two, the column is, doubtless, mostperfect.Nevertheless, there are occasion s in which pilasters may

One of the most objectionable practi ces ’ of the day, i s the servi leim itation of the Greek antaa. It is quite inconsistent w ith any regard tothe pr im itive types from which the Grecian arch itecture is supposed tohave originated. Added to th is, the ir appli cation in such very th in lam inaeaga inst the walls as cou ld be pointed to in some Pseudo-Grecian bui ldings about the metropol is, produces a remarkably silly and sheep ishcfl

'

cct. [Ep.]

OF P ILASTERS. 281

be employed with greatpropriety and some,where they

are, on various accounts, even preferable to columns .I am not ignorantthatseveral authors are Of a differentopinion a certain French Jesuit in particular, whosome th irty years ago, firstpublished an essay on architecture, which from its plausibil ity, force, and elegance Ofdiction , wentthrough several editions, and Operated verypowerfully ou -the superficial part of European connois

seurs. H e inveighs vehemently again stpilasters, as againstalmost every other architectonic form but such as wereimitated by the firstbuilders in stone, from the primitivewooden huts ; as if, in the whole catalogue of arts,arch itecture should be the only on e confine d to its pristinesimplicity, and secluded from any deviation or improvementwhatever.To pilasters the essayist Objects, because they are, i n

his Opinion, nothing better than bad representations ofcolumns. Their angles, says he , indicate the formalstiffness Of art, and are a striking deviation from the sim

plicity of nature ; their proj ections, sharp and inconve

nient, Offend and confine the eye , and their surfaces without roundness, give to the whole order a flat air : theyare not susceptible of diminution, one Of the mostpleasing properties of columns they are n ever necessary, and

to sum up the whole, he hates them : his aversion wasfirst innate, buthas since been confirmed by the study of

architecture.Concerning the reverend father ’ s inborn aversion, much

need notbe said, and several others Of his obj ections, as

they consistmore of words than meaning, seem not to

The Abbe Laugier .

282 or P ILASTERS.

require any refutation butto assertthatpilasters are notsusceptibl e of diminution, shews very l ittle acquaintanceeither with books of architecture or with buildings. Thereare many instances, in the remains Of antiquity, Of theirbeing diminished, particularly when accompanying co

lumns ; they are so, in the temple of Mars the avenger,in the frontispiece of Nero, in the portico of Septimius Severus, and in the arch of Constantine, all atRome. Scanmozzi ‘ always gave to his pilasters the same diminutionas to his columns Palladio has d imin ished them in thechurch of the Redentore atVenice, and in many othersof his buildings ; as Inigo Jones “ has l ikewise done in

He say s, Parte Seconda L ib . sesto, Cap. 11 . I Pilastr i ancor essitengono una certa s im iglianza con le Colonne, ma pero sono quadr ilateri, adim itazione de gli alber i squadrati .” [ED.]This justly celebrated Engli sh arch itectwas the son of Ignatius Jones,

a clothworker, and was born in the vi cinity of St. Pau l ’ s, about‘

l 572. Heis said to have been apprenticed to a joiner, butthathe remained long insuch fetters is not probable, from the circumstance of hi s early skill inlandscape pa inting, of whi ch a specimen is, I be lieve, still to be seen inCh iswi ck House . It i s notsettled who had the honor of being his patronsome place it to the account of the Earl Of Arundel, others to thatOfWilliam , Earl of Pembroke. Atthe expens e, however, of one of these, he vis ited Italy , in whi ch country he spentmuch of his tim e atVeni ce . FromVen ice he passed into Denmark, on the inv itation of Christian IV. I n1606 he returned to his native country, in the su ite of the king of Denmark , whose s ister James I . had marr ied. Mr. Seward Observes thatthefirstOf his works in England was the interior of the church of St. Catherine Cree in Leadenhall Street. Soon after his arrival, he was appo inted architectto the queen, and was also in the servi ce of Prince Henry to thesehe gave so much satisfaction, thatthe ki ng granted him the revers ion ofSurvevor- General. On the death of Prince Henry in 1612, Jones vi s itedItaly a second time, where he remained unti l the Offi ce justmentioned fellto him . His l ibera lity and dis interestedness on this occas ion deserve tobe recorded. Finding the offi ce greatly in debt, he notonly served w ithoutpay till the embarrassments were removed, but prevailed upon his fellowoffi cers to do the like, — bvwhi ch expedientthe debtwas soon cleared. He

234 OF PILASTERS .

the angular support having a greater weightto bear thanany of the rest, ought to be so much the stronger ; so

that its diameter musteither be increa sed, or its plan altered from a circle to a square. The latter of which iscertainly the most reasonable expedient on several accounts, but chi efly as it obviates a very striking defect,occas ioned by employing columns atthe angles Of a building, whi ch is that the angle of the entablature is left

others were also published by Mr. Ware. The Water Frontof Old SomersetHouse, here inserted, has lately been indifi'

erentlvcop ied

metropoli s . Inigo Jones left a copy of Palladio, the Veni ce Edit. of

1601, with note s on the margin, in his own hand writi ng. He seems tohave carried thi s copy aboutwith him on his travels, from the notes be ingdated . The book, which has been badly preserved , is in the L ibrary at

Worcester College ; from itwas traced a copy of the autograph of Jones, afacsimile ofwhi ch is subjoined. See Note, page 24.

or P ILASTER S. 235

hangi ng in the air withoutany support; a sight very di sc

agreeable in some Oblique views, an d in itself very unsolid.It is indeed customary in porches and other detachedcompositions to employ columns atthe angles, and it i sjudicious so to do, for of two defects the least i s to bepreferred. And although father Laugier, the writerwhose Objections I have justnow cited, could see no reason for rej ecting detached pilasters when engaged on eswere suffered, yet there is a very substantial reason,whi ch is, thata detached pilaster, in some Oblique vi ews,appears thicker than itdoes in front, nearly in the rati oof seven to five, and consequently if, when seen in front,it appears well proportioned in itself, and w ith regard tothe columns itaccompani es, itnever can appear so whenviewed upon the angle as may be Observed in the colonades of the great courtatBu rlington-House in Piccadilly,an d atthe porch Of St. George’ s Church, near HanoverSquare.Engaged pilasters are employed in churches, gall eri es

“

,

halls, an d other interior decorations, to save room , for as

they seldom projectbeyond the soli d Of the walls more

than one quarter of their di ameter, they do not occupynear so much space even as engag ed columns. They are

li kewise employed in exterior decorations ; sometimesalone, in stead of columns, on account of their being lessexpensive

, as atthe Duke Of Q ueen sbury’s Hou se in Bur

lington Gardens, General Wade ’ s House in the sameplace, and in many other bui ldi ngs here in London ; at

other times, they accompany columns, being placed behind them to supportthe springing of the architraves, as

in the Pantheon atRome, and in the porch of St. Martin

236 or PILAS'

I‘

ERS.

in the Fields, Westminster ; or on the same l ine with

them, to fortify the angles , as in the portico of SeptimiusSeverus atRome, and in the church of St. Laurence Of

the Jewry in London . Blondel says ', they may likewisebe employed instead of columns, detached, to form peristyles and porticos, butthere is no instance

‘

of this, that Iremember

,in all the remains Of antiquity ; neither has

any modern arch itect, I bel ieve, been so destitute Of tasteas to putit in practice.When pilasters are used alone, as principal in the composition, they should proj ectone quarter oftheir diameterbeyond the walls, as Scamozzi

z

teaches, and as they do atthe Banqueting-House, Wh itehal l, which gives them a

sufficientboldness, and, in the Corinthian and Compositeorders

,i s likewise most regular, because the stems of

the volutes, and the smal l leaves in flank of the capital,are then cut exactly through their middles. But if the

cornice Of the windows should be continued in the interpilaster, as is sometimes usual, or if there should be a corn ice to mark the separation between the principal and se

cond story, as atthe Mansion-House of London, or largeimposts of arches, the proj ection must, in such cases, beincreased

,provided it i s not otherwi se sufficientto stop

the mostprominent parts Of these decorations ; itbeing

On peut les mettre au lieu des rondes dans les portiques, dans lesperistyles,” &c. Blondel, Cours d ’

Architecture, L iv. vi i i. chap. i .°r [liv.]I p i lastr i per regola generale quando saranno da se soli appoggiati

alle mura deono uscire la quarta parte della loro larghezza, perche cos ifan no hello aspetto, e capiscono anco gli aggetti de gl i ornamenti dellePorte, e F in estre, e Nicchi, OTabe rnacoli, che fussero traess i le quali nondeono mai sopra avanzare al d ir itto d i fuori d ’ ess i P ilastri e di questo vitio si hann o m olto schifl

'

ato gli Antich i .” Scamozzi, Parte Seconda,L ib. v i . c . 1 1 . [Hn.j

288 or P ILA STERS.

thereof, as well as of the contrary practice, and Pal ladio,Vignola, Inigo Jones, and many ofthe greatestarchitects ,have frequently done so. Nevertheless, it is certain thatdiminished pilasters are , on many accounts, much preferable. Their i s more variety in their form their capital sare better proportioned , both in the whole and in theirparts, particularly in the Composite and Corinthian or

ders ; and the irregularities occasioned by the passageof the arch itraves, from diminished columns to undimi

n ished pilasters, are thereby avoided as are likewise thedifficultie s of regu larly distributing the modillion s and

other parts of the entablature, either when the pilastersare alone, or accompanied with columns.Another disagreeable effectof undiminished pilasters isl ik ewi se obviated by rej ecting them . Indeed I am at a

l oss to accountfor it, and, as it i s diametrical ly Oppositeto a received law in Optics, I imagined itmightbe the re

sultOf some defect in my own sight, till by enquiry, Ifound others were affected in the same manner. Iti s this ;the top of the shaft always appears broader than thebottom as any one may Observe by casting a glance on thepilasters of St. Paul ’ s, of St. George ’ s, Hanover Square,or any others that are not diminished. The author ofl’

EsPrz'

t(les Beaux Arts accounts for a similar effect in amanner more subtle , I believe, than true. He makes itto be the result Of a nice compari son between the realand the apparent distance, which , to me, seems to havel ittl e, or rather no share atall in it. An ingenious wri terof our own country Observes, thatthe senses strongly affected in some one manner, cannot quickly change their

See Burke ’ s Enquiry into the O rigin of our I deas of the Sublime andBeautiful.

or PILASTERS. 239

tenor, or adapt themselves to: other things, but continue

in their old channel until the strength of the firstmoverdecays. This being admitted, it i s not improbable thatthe capital , which is immediately above the shaft, beingconsiderably broader and certainly the firstattractive Oh

ject, may have an i nfluence on the apparentupper breadthof the shaft, and occasion the effectabovementioned. Perhaps, too, the l ightmay in some measure contribute thereto, itbeing stronger atthe footof the shaftthan towardsits top.

The shafts of pilasters are sometimes adorned with flutings in the same manner as those of columns,the plan ofwhich may be a trifle above a semi - circle, and they mustbe to the number of seven on each face, which makesthem nearly of the same size with those of the columns.The interval between them must be either one-third orone -fourth of the flute in breadth, and when the pilasteri s placed on the pavement, or liable to be broken by thetouch of passengers, the angle may be rounded off, in theform of an astragal ; between which and the adjoiningflute, there mustbe a fil let or interval of the same sizewith the rest, as in the porch of the Pantheon atRome.The flutes may, like those of columns, be filled with

cablings to one -third Of their height, either plain , andshaped like an astragal, orenriched, according as the restof the composition is simple or much adorned. Scamozzi ‘

i s of opinion thatthere should be no flutings on the sidesof engaged pilasters, butonly in front, and, whenever cornices or imposts are continu ed home to the pilaster, thisshould particu larly be attended to, that the different

N emai s i deono cannellare i Pilastr i ne’ loro fianchi, che escono fuoridelle mura.” Scamozzi, Parte Seconda, L ib. v i. c.

-1 1 . [ED ]

240 OF

mould ings of these members by entering into the cavities

Of the flutes, may not be cut Off in irregular and disagreeable forms. But if the flanks of the pilaster are eu

tirely free, itmay be as well to enrich them in the samemanner as the front, provided the flutes can be so distributed as to have a filletor interval adjoining to the wall ;which is always necessary to mark the true shape Of thep ilaster distinctly.The capital s of Tuscan or Doric pilasters are profiled in

the same manner as those Of the respective columns ; butin the capitals of the other orders, there are some trifl ingdifferences to be Observed. In the antique Ionic capital ,the extraordinary proj ection of the ovolo makes itnecessary, either to bend it inwards considerably towards theextremities, that it may pas s behind the volutes, or instead Of keeping the volutes flat in front, as they commouly are in the antique, to twi stthem outwards till theygive room for the passage Of the ovolo. Le Clerc thinksthe latter Of these expedients, the best, and thatthe ar

tifice may notbe too striking, the proj ection Of.the ovolomay be considerably diminished, as in the annexed design which , as the moulding can be seen in front only,will occasion no disagreeable effect.The same difli culty subsists with regard to the passage

of the ovolo behind the angular Ionic volutes. Le Clerc 3,therefore, advises to open or spread the volutes sufliciently to leave room for the Ovolo to pas s behind them,

as in the design 4annexed ; which may easily be done, if

Tra ité d’Architecture, Section troisi eme.PI. of Pilastersrfig. 2.

3 Tra ité d ’

Architecture, Section troisieme .PI. ofPila sters, fig. 1 .

242 or PILASTERS.

the same manner as those Of the columns are, the onlydifference being thatthey will be somewhatbroader.The employing half, or other parts of pilasters thatmeet, and, as itwere, penetrate each other in inward or

outward angles, should, as much as possibl e, be avoided,because itgenerally occasions several irregularities in theentablatures, and sometimes in the capital s a lso. Parti cularcare must be taken never to introduce more than one ofthese breaks in the same place, for more can never be necessary. In many of the churches atRome, we see halfa dozen of them together, which produces a long seriesof undulated capital s and bases and a number ofmutilat

ed parts i n the entablature, than which nothing can bemore confused or disagreeable.Instead of pilasters, it i s sometimes customary to em

ploy columns that penetrate each other in the inwardangle. There are several instances of this atParis, particularly aboutthe Louvre, but it is a practice universallycondemned

, and the bad effect thereof may be seen onthe front Of the Royal Exchange towards Cornhill , andwithin

'

the Banqueting-House atWhitehal l.

244 OF PERS IAN S AND CARYAT IDES.

a gallery, which they called Persian wherein statues, inthe form of captive Persians, with their usual dresses, supported the arches, i ntending thereby to punish thatnationin such a manner, as its pride had merited, and to leaveposterity a monumentOf the val our and victories of theLacedaemonians.The introduction Of figures Of men and animal s to sup

portburthens in buildings or otherwise, had certainly an

earlier origin than that ascribed to it by Vitruvius . It

seems to have been a very early and favourite idea amongseveral people Ofthe remotestantiqu ity. Homer mention sthe practice in the seventh book of the Odyssey and Ithink, in one or more other places of his poems. Hiram ’ smolten sea was supported by twelve bulls, and on the

wall s of the oracle he placed alternate cherubim and palmtrees, supporting wreaths of flowers, and probably thecieling. In the sepulchre Of King Osymandyas, which ,as Diodorus Siculus relates, was ten furl ongs in circuit;there was a stone hal l, forming a space Of four hundredfeet every way, of which the roof instead of pillars wassupported by animals, each of a single stone, and twentyfour feet high , being carved in the ancient Egyptianmanner. The roof was al so entirely of stone, composed

ni

trnm 30

560 xggm iudf ui'rm En l firs-pa?»

"

Ea-reco n , a lSopE’

va ; 304331 ; Hereinxsga'lvi

'

xovrrg

Oa ivovr sg ni

x‘

ra g nam‘

r. Saig on-atda rrvpévwm .

Odyss . H . v. 100. [Ep.]And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other

itwas round all about, and his he ightwas five cubits, and a line of thirtycubits did compass it round about. It stood upon twelve oxen, threelook ing towards the north, and three looking towards the west, and threelooking towards the south, and three looking towards the east: and the

sea was set above upon them, and all the ir h inder parts were inward.1 Kings , vii . 23, 25 .

or PERS IANS AND CARYATIDES . 245

of stones twelve feet square ; the whole being coloured torepresentan azure sky, bespangled w ith stars. Of the

number or natures of these animal s, nothing is said but

if the whole space was covered, more than one thousandwould h ave been requ isite to support the roof, and morethan a thou sand stones to form it. In several Indianbuildings too, supposed to be Of great antiquity, may beObserved figures Of men and animal s supporting the roofs,after the manner described in the sepulchre of Osyman

dyas particu larly in that cut in the solid rock nearBombay, usually cal led the Elephanta

'

.

Among the antiquities atRome, there are various fragments of mal e figures, which, from their attitudes, and

some ornaments aboutthem, may be conj ectured to haveserved as supports to the entablatures of bu ildings but

there are no remain s of any female statues of thatkind,excepting the three Graces supporting an urn, in the VillaBorghese. Pliny z makes mention of some by the hand

Of Praxiteles, which in his time, were in the l ibrary of

Asinius Pollio atRome ; and of other femal e figures in

the Pantheon, where, although the structure was enrichedwith several works of Diogenes the Athenian , they wereheld in much esteem : they seem to have been cut in

Foran accountofthe origin of the use of Caryatides, see the Exami

nation of the Elem ents of Beauty in Grecian Arch itecture, with a brief Investigation of its Origin, Progress, and Perfection, prefixed to thi s editionpage 53. [ED .]

9 Romae Praxitelis opera sunt, Flora, Tr iptolemus, Ceres in hortisServilii : Bon i Eventus, etBonae Fortunae simulachra in Cap itoli o : itemetMaenades, etquasThyadasvocant, etCa ryatidas etS ileni, in PollionisAsinii monumentis, etApollo et N eptunus.

- Plin . L ib. xxxv i. cap. 4.

Our author has made, therefore, a m istake in the ownership of the Caryatides herementioned by Pl iny. [Ep.]

246 or PERS IAN S AND CARYATIDES .

basso or alto relievo , to have been placed over the co

lumns, and were probably, as Fontana conjectures,employed to adorn the Attic, and supportits cornice.Among the antiquities ofAthens , published by Mr. Le

Roy'

, there are five Caryatides supporting an entabla

ture, contiguous to the temple ofErectheus. They beara considerable resemblance to those celebrated ones of

Jean Gougeon 2

,in the Swiss Guard Room of the Louvre

atParis ; of one ofwhich, there is a representation, fig. 8,plate of Caryatides. Speaking of these figures, MonsieurLe Roy expresses h imself in the following manner. Thehistory of the Caryatic order, says he, i s so curious,thatalmostall authors have quoted it; butthough we arewell informed of its origin , yetwe have hitherto learntnothing of the proportion s Observed therein by the an

cients. Vitruvius is silentupon the subj ect, there is nomonumentOf thatorder atRome, and the only ancientexample perhaps, existing in Europe, which is that heregiven, has hitherto remained unnoticed. The four figuresstanding in front, resemble each other entirely, excepting,thatthe two to the righthave the rightl eg foremost, andthe two to the l eft, the left l eg ; in order to symmetrisemore perfectly. They are crowned with capital s, uponwhich i s placed the entablature, remarkable by a suppression of the frize, a pecul iarity which the ancients, perhaps, u sually practised to characterize this order.The general mass of the entablature is very high it

exceeds a third of the heightof the figures, and itwould

Of course the reader would notrefer to Le Roy ’ s book if he wished tosee an approximation to a likeness . Fortunately for this country, one of

these statues is atthe British Museum . Representations of them are to befound in the antiqu ities of Athens, by Stuartand Bey ett. [Ep .]See note supra, page 224. [ED.]

248 or PERS IANS AND CARYATIDES.

bases one sixth Of thatheight; on their heads are capital sOf the Doric order, of which the shape and proportionserve to decorate , butnotto overload the head ; the capital s support a tribune , forming the entablature, whichconsists Of architrave, frize, and cornice. It i s richly decorated of the Ionic order, and

.measures one quarter ofthe heightof the figures, including the bases on whichthey stand. By introducing these bases, the sculptorhas artfully contrived to d imini sh the height, and cou sequently the bulk Of his figures ; and by a regular division of his entablature, he has rendered it light, and at

the same time that it i s truly proportioned to the figuresby which it is supported.It i s not customary now, as formerly, says Le Clerc', torepresentCaryatides, with attributes of slavery and servitude. Such characters are too injurious to the Fair . Onthe contrary, they are atpresentconsidered as the richest,most valued ornaments Of buildings, and representedunder the figures of Prudence , Wisdom, Justice, Temperance , 8m.Freart de Chambrai ’ blames this practice, which heconsiders as the effectof inadvertency in the architects whofirst introduced it; observing, thatifthey had sufficientlyreflected on the textOf Vitruvius, with regard to the ori ~

gin of Caryatides, they would have perceived the impro

priety of employing the representations of saints and

angels, loaded like slaves, with cornices and other heavyburdens ; and likewise, that of employing the Caryaticorder promiscuously, in all sorts of buildings, particularly

Tra ité de l'Architecture, sect. 4.

Parallele .

OF PERS IANS AND CARYATIDEs. 249

in sacr‘

ed structures , which are the houses of God, and

asylums of mercy, where'

vengeance and slavery oughtnever to appear.On the other hand Blondel Observes thatthough this

remark'

be j ust, if the origi n of these ornaments be rigorously attended to yet‘

to serve in any'

shape in the houseOf God, and in particular atthe altar, has always appearedin the minds of the prophets and sa ints soglorious andgreat, thatnotonly men , butangels oughtto esteemitahappiness and that con sequ ently itcan be no indicationOf disrespect, to employ their repre sentations, in Offic esWhich they themselves would execute with plea sure.The ancients, says the same author, made frequentuse

of Caryatic and Persian figures, and delighted in diversifying them in a thou sand manners. Themodern artistshave followed their example, and there is a great varietyOf compositions of this kind to be m et with in differentparts ofEurope Of some Ofwhich, designs are exhibitedin the annexed plate, and others may he invented and

adapted to different purposes with great propriety, provided the figures introduced be analogous to the subj ect,as Mr. Ware “ Observes ; and seem at least a necessarypart in the composition . Thus, says Le Clerc 3, if they

Cours D ’

Architecture, L ivre vi i i . c. 7, Seconde Partie. Latterly thedaughters Of Pandrosus have been cop ied w ith great accuracy, and em

ployed moreover as appliqué es to a Christian Church in the Metropol is .They have found adm irers, even so exhibited. [Ep .]

7" I saac Ware, Esqui re, of his Majesty ’ s Board ofWorks, the author ofa book entitled A Complete Body of Architecture,” fol. London, 1756,a work of sterling mer it, wh i ch, strange to say, seem s little sought after inthe presentday. Itrelates to the practical, as well as the theoretical anddecorative, part of the art, and there is no doubt, was of infin ite servi ceto our author in his comp ilation of the work now before the reader . Mr .Ware translated the Works of Palladio. Folio, London, 3. a . [Bu.j

3 Traité de l’Architecture . [ED ]

250 or PERSIANS AND CARYA’

I‘

IDES.

are employed to support the covering of a throne, theymay be represented under the figures and symbols of heroicvirtues ; if to adorn a sacred bui lding, they musthave anaffi nity to rel igion , and when they are placed in banqueting rooms, ball rooms, or other apartments of recreation ,they mustbe of kinds proper to inspire mirth and promotefestivity.In composing them, particular care mustbe taken to

avoid indecentattitudes, distorted features, and all kindsOf monstrous or horrid productions, of

,which there are

such frequent instan ces in the works of our northern predecessors. On the contrary, the attitudes mustbe simpl eand graceful ; the countenances, though varied, alwayspleasing, and strongly marked with the expression peculiar to the occasion , or the Obj ect represented. There mustbe no variety in the general form or outl ine, of the differentfigures employed in the same composition, and but

l ittl e flutter in the draperies, which ought to sitclose tothe bodie s of the figures, with folds contrived to expressdi stinctly, both their action and shape. Le Clerc oh

serves, that they should always have their legs closetogether, and the arms close to the body or head, thatsothey may have, as much as possible, the shape of columns,whose Office they are to perform and itmay be added,that for the same reason , their attitudes should be as

nearly perpendicular as can conveniently be, w ithoutgiving a stiff constrained air to the figures.The same author observes, thatCaryatides oughtaiways

to be of a moderate size ; lest, being too large, they shouldappear hideous in the eyes of the fair sex ; and indeed,as these figures are generally represented in endearing

Tra ité de l’Architecture. Ware also gives the same adv ice .

252 or PERSIANS AND CARYATIDES .

to supportthe same entablature with columns ; for figuresof men or women , as high as columns, are considerablymore bu lky ; and when they are Of an uncommon size,convey an idea of greatness, that entirely destroys theeffectof the columns, by making them appear very trifl ing.Neither should they be placed upon columns, as they are

in the court Of the Old Louvre at Paris, for the samereasons .Palladi o, sensible of this inconvenience, yetwilling to

introduce a specimen of Persian figures, has in the V almarana Palace atVicenza , divided the large Compositepilasters which decorate the front, into five parts ; threeOf which he has given to a diminutive Corinthian order,squeezed into the inter-pilasters, and feebly sustaining theextremities of the fabric, wh il e the remaining two partsare atthe angles, occupied by figures on pedestal s, as dim in utive as the aforesaid Corinthian order, and introducedwith as l ittl e propriety, more especially as they are madeto support the ends of an enormous bulky Compositeentablature, of which the height surpasses two-thirds Ofthatof the figures themselves .It i s sometimes cu stomary to employ Terms, instead ofCaryatides or Persians, to support the entablatures ofgates, monuments, chimney-pieces, and such like compositions. These figures owe their origin to the stones usedby the ancients to mark the l imits of each particular person ’ s possessions. Numa Pompilius, to render these inviolable, and prevent encroachments, erected the Terminusinto a deity, instituted festival s and sacrifices to his honour,and builta temple on the Tarpeian Mount, which he dedicated to him, and in which he was represented underthe figure of a stone.

or PERS IANS AND CARYATIDEs. 253

In process oftime , however, the .God Terminus was represented with a human head, placed on a post or stone,shaped like an inverted Obelisk which being on particular sol emnities adorned with garlands, composed altogethera very pleasing form to the imitation ofwhich, may withgreatprobability be attributed the introduction of these

’

ornaments into building, where they have been varied into

a great diversity of shapes. I have occasionally, in thecourse of this work , given some designs of them ; and

many others may he invented, and adapted to the particular purpose s for wh ich they shall be intended.In con sideration of their origin, the Termini are proper.

ornaments in gardens and in fields, where the upper partof, them may represent Jupiter, who , in the remoter agesof antiqu ity, was protector of boundaries ; or some of therural deities

,as Pan , Flora, Pomona, Vertumnus, Ceres,

Priapus, Faunu s, Sylvanu s, Nymphs and Satyrs. Mr.Ware ‘ recommends the use Of them as boundaries tocounties, where they may be enriched with ornamentsallusive to the produce, manufacture, and commerce ofeach respective county.The three firstfigures in the annexed plate of Persians

and Caryatides, are Copied from Candelabra, in St. Pe

,ter ’ s of the Vatican . They are cast from model s of

Michael Angelo Buonaroti, and repaired either by himself Or doubtless under his direction , for the workmanship is very perfect. Figure 2 may be employed inbuildings, butthe others are more proper for the anglesof covered ceil ings, or other such ornamental works, beingnotunlike some introduced by the Caracci, in the Farne

I n his Complete Body of Architecture, page 250. [ED ]

254 or PERS IAN S AND CARrAe Es.

sian ceilings atRome. NO. 4 i s a copy of one of the

figures that surround the choir in the cathedral OfM ilan ,which are the work Of Andrea Bifli , a celebrated Milanese sculptor. NO. 5 i s executed in the Judgment-Hal lof the Stadt~House of Amsterdam, by Artus Q uellinus.NO. 6 i s an admired work OfMichael Angelo, now in theVilla Ludovisi at Rome. No. 7 i s in part by the samehand, and executed from the waistupwards, in the monumentof Pope Julius theSecond, in the church of St.Peter ad Vincula '

, at Rome. No. 8 i s one of those executed by Jean Gougeon , in the Swiss Guard-Room ofthe Old-Louvre, at Paris, as has before been mentioned.NO. 9 and 10 are taken from paintings Of Daniel da Volterra, in the church of the Trin ita dei Monti, at Rome.No. 1 1 i s a figure in basso relievo, on the Goldsmith s ’

arch atRome ; and No. 1 2 i s copied from an original design Of Pol idoro da Caravaggio, now in my possession .

Origi nally builtby Baccio Pintelli, by order of Jul ius I I . butalteredto its present state by Francesco Fontana, in 1705 . [ED ]