1they agreed, from an Imitation of Nature,
namely, that the Tops of the Shafts of all Co
lumns ought to be thinner than they were at
Bottom. Some laid it down as a Rule, that
they ſhould be a fourth Part thicker at Bottom
than at the Top. Others conſidering that
Things always ſeem to loſe of their Bigneſs in
Proportion to the Diſtance from which they
are viewed, very prudently adviſe that ſuch
Columns as were to be of a great Length,
ſhould be made ſomewhat thicker at the Top
than thoſe that were ſhorter; and for this Pur
poſe they gave the following Directions. The
Diameter of the Bottom of a Column of fifteen
Foot high, ſhould be divided into ſix Parts,
whereof five ſhould be given to the Diameter
at the Top. Of all Columns from fifteen to
twenty Foot high, the lower Diameter ſhould
be divided into thirteen Parts, eleven whereof
are to be allowed to the Thickneſs at the Top;
all Columns from twenty to thirty Foot high,
muſt have ſeven Parts at the Bottom, and ſix
at the Top; thoſe from thirty to forty Foot,
muſt have fifteen Parts Thickneſs below and
thirteen above: Laſtly, thoſe amounting to
fifty Foot height, muſt have eight Parts at the
Bottom, and ſeven at the Top. According to
the ſame Rule and Proportion, as the Column
grows ſtill longer, the larger Diameter we muſt
allow to the Top of its Shaft: So that in theſe
Points all Columns agree. Not that I can
ſay, upon thoſe Meaſurements which I have
taken of ancient Structures, that theſe Rules
were always ſtrictly obſerved among the Ro
mans.
namely, that the Tops of the Shafts of all Co
lumns ought to be thinner than they were at
Bottom. Some laid it down as a Rule, that
they ſhould be a fourth Part thicker at Bottom
than at the Top. Others conſidering that
Things always ſeem to loſe of their Bigneſs in
Proportion to the Diſtance from which they
are viewed, very prudently adviſe that ſuch
Columns as were to be of a great Length,
ſhould be made ſomewhat thicker at the Top
than thoſe that were ſhorter; and for this Pur
poſe they gave the following Directions. The
Diameter of the Bottom of a Column of fifteen
Foot high, ſhould be divided into ſix Parts,
whereof five ſhould be given to the Diameter
at the Top. Of all Columns from fifteen to
twenty Foot high, the lower Diameter ſhould
be divided into thirteen Parts, eleven whereof
are to be allowed to the Thickneſs at the Top;
all Columns from twenty to thirty Foot high,
muſt have ſeven Parts at the Bottom, and ſix
at the Top; thoſe from thirty to forty Foot,
muſt have fifteen Parts Thickneſs below and
thirteen above: Laſtly, thoſe amounting to
fifty Foot height, muſt have eight Parts at the
Bottom, and ſeven at the Top. According to
the ſame Rule and Proportion, as the Column
grows ſtill longer, the larger Diameter we muſt
allow to the Top of its Shaft: So that in theſe
Points all Columns agree. Not that I can
ſay, upon thoſe Meaſurements which I have
taken of ancient Structures, that theſe Rules
were always ſtrictly obſerved among the Ro
mans.
CHAP. VII.
A neceſſary Rehearſal of the ſeveral Members of Columns, the Baſe, Torus,
Scotia, Liſts, Die, and of the ſmaller Parts of thoſe Members, the Plat
band, Corona, Ovolo, ſmall Ogee, Cima-inverſa, and Cymatium, both up
right and reverſed.
Scotia, Liſts, Die, and of the ſmaller Parts of thoſe Members, the Plat
band, Corona, Ovolo, ſmall Ogee, Cima-inverſa, and Cymatium, both up
right and reverſed.
We ſhall here take a ſecond Review of
the ſame Things relating to Columns,
which we conſidered in the laſt Book; not in
deed in the ſame Method, but in another no
leſs uſeful. For this Purpoſe, out of thoſe Co
lumns which the Ancients made uſe of in their
publick Buildings, I ſhall take one of a middle
Proportion between the Biggeſt and the Leaſt,
which I ſuppoſe to be of about thirty Foot.
The biggeſt Diameter of the Shaft of this Co
lumn, I ſhall divide into nine equal Parts,
eight of which I ſhall aſſign to the biggeſt Di
ameter of its Cincture at the Top: Thus its
Proportion will be as eight to nine, which the
Latins call a Seſquioctave. In the ſame Pro
portion I ſhall make the Diameter of the Di
minution at Bottom, to the largeſt Diameter
of the Shaſt, making the latter nine and the
ſormer eight. Again I ſhall make the Dia
meter of the Cincture at the Top to that of
the upper Diminution, as ſeven to eight, or in
the Proportion which the Latins call Seſqui
ſeptimal. I now proceed to the Deſcription
of thoſe Members wherein they differ. Baſes
conſiſt of theſe following; the Die, the Torus
and the Scotia. The Die is that ſquare Mem
ber which is at the Bottom of all, and I call it
by this Name, becauſe it is ſquare on every Side,
like a flat Die; the Toruſſes are thoſe Cuſhi
ons, upon one of which the Column reſts, and
the other ſtands upon the Die; the Scotia is
that circular Hollow which lies between two
Toruſſes, like the Hollow in the Wheel of a
Pully. All the Meaſures of theſe Members are
taken from the Diameter of the Bottom of the
Shaft; and firſt the Dorians gave the following
Proportions for them. They made the Height
of the Baſe to be half the Diameter of the Bot
tom of the Shaft, and the Plinth or Die, as
broad at moſt every Way as one Diameter and
a Half of the Column, and as one Diameter
and a Third at leaſt. They then divided the
Height of the whole Baſe into three Parts, one
of which they aſſigned to the Height of the
Die. Thus the Height of the whole Baſe was
three Times that of the Die, and the Breadth
of the Die was three times the Height of the
Baſe. Then excluſive of the Die they divided
the Reſt of the Height of the Baſe into four
Parts, the uppermoſt of which they gave to the
upper Torus. Again, what remained between
the upper Torus and the Die at Bottom, they
divided into two Parts, one of which they al
lowed to the lower Torus, and the other they
the ſame Things relating to Columns,
which we conſidered in the laſt Book; not in
deed in the ſame Method, but in another no
leſs uſeful. For this Purpoſe, out of thoſe Co
lumns which the Ancients made uſe of in their
publick Buildings, I ſhall take one of a middle
Proportion between the Biggeſt and the Leaſt,
which I ſuppoſe to be of about thirty Foot.
The biggeſt Diameter of the Shaft of this Co
lumn, I ſhall divide into nine equal Parts,
eight of which I ſhall aſſign to the biggeſt Di
ameter of its Cincture at the Top: Thus its
Proportion will be as eight to nine, which the
Latins call a Seſquioctave. In the ſame Pro
portion I ſhall make the Diameter of the Di
minution at Bottom, to the largeſt Diameter
of the Shaſt, making the latter nine and the
ſormer eight. Again I ſhall make the Dia
meter of the Cincture at the Top to that of
the upper Diminution, as ſeven to eight, or in
the Proportion which the Latins call Seſqui
ſeptimal. I now proceed to the Deſcription
of thoſe Members wherein they differ. Baſes
conſiſt of theſe following; the Die, the Torus
and the Scotia. The Die is that ſquare Mem
ber which is at the Bottom of all, and I call it
by this Name, becauſe it is ſquare on every Side,
like a flat Die; the Toruſſes are thoſe Cuſhi
ons, upon one of which the Column reſts, and
the other ſtands upon the Die; the Scotia is
that circular Hollow which lies between two
Toruſſes, like the Hollow in the Wheel of a
Pully. All the Meaſures of theſe Members are
taken from the Diameter of the Bottom of the
Shaft; and firſt the Dorians gave the following
Proportions for them. They made the Height
of the Baſe to be half the Diameter of the Bot
tom of the Shaft, and the Plinth or Die, as
broad at moſt every Way as one Diameter and
a Half of the Column, and as one Diameter
and a Third at leaſt. They then divided the
Height of the whole Baſe into three Parts, one
of which they aſſigned to the Height of the
Die. Thus the Height of the whole Baſe was
three Times that of the Die, and the Breadth
of the Die was three times the Height of the
Baſe. Then excluſive of the Die they divided
the Reſt of the Height of the Baſe into four
Parts, the uppermoſt of which they gave to the
upper Torus. Again, what remained between
the upper Torus and the Die at Bottom, they
divided into two Parts, one of which they al
lowed to the lower Torus, and the other they