1was once burnt by Phlegyas, about the Time
that Phœnice invented ſome Characters for the
Uſe of his Citizens. It was alſo conſumed by
Fire in the Reign of Cyrus, a few Years before
the Death of Servius Tallus, the King of Rome;
and it is certain, that it was again burnt about
the Time of the Birth of thoſe three great Lu
minaries of Learning, Catullus, Sallus and Var
ro. The Temple of Epheſus was burnt by the
Amazons, in the Reign of Sylvius Poſthumus,
as it was alſo about the Time that Socrates
was condemned to drink Poiſon at Athens:
and the Temple of the Argives was deſtroyed
by Fire the ſame Year that Plato was born at
Athens, at which Time Tarquin reigned at Rome.
Why ſhould I mention the ſacred Porticoes of
Jeruſalem? Or the Temple of Minerva at
Miletus? Or that of Serapis at Alexandria?
Or at Rome, the Pantheon? And the Temple
of the Goddeſs Veſta? And that of Apollo?
In which laſt we are told the Sibyls Verſes
were deſtroyed. We indeed find, that ſcarce
any Temple eſcaped the ſame Calamity. Dia
dorus writes, that there was none beſides that
dedicated to Venus, in the City of Eryx in Si
cily, that had eſcaped to his Time unhurt by
the Flames. Cæſar owned that Alexandria
eſcaped being burnt, when he himſelf took it,
becauſe its Roofs were vaulted. Nor are vault
ed Roofs deſtituted of their Ornaments. The
Ancients transferred all the ſame Ornaments to
their Cupolas, as the Goldſmiths uſed about
the Pateras or Cups for the Sacrifices; and the
ſame Sort of Work as was uſed in the Quilts
of their Beds, they imitated in their vaulted
Roofs, whether plain or camerated. Thus we
ſee them divided into four, eight, or more Pan
nels, or croſſed different Ways with equal
Angles and with Circles, in the moſt beautiful
Manner that can be imagined. And here it
may be proper to obſerve, that the Ornaments
of vaulted Roofs, which conſiſt in the Forms
of their Pannels or Excavations, are in many
Places exceeding handſome, and particularly
at the Rotonda at Rome; yet we have no where
any Inſtruction left us in Writing how to make
them. My Method of doing it, which is very
eaſy and cheap, is as follows: I deſcribe the
Lineaments of the future Pannels or Excavati
ons upon the Boards of the Scaffolding itſelf,
whether they are to be Quadrangular, Sexan
gular, or Octangular. Then thoſe Parts which
I intended to excavate in my Roof, I raiſe to
the ſtated Height with unbaked Bricks ſet in
Clay inſtead of Mortar. Upon this Kind of
Mount thus raiſed on the Back of the Scaffold
ing, I build my vaulted Roof of Brick and Mor
tar, taking great Care that the thinner Parts
cohere firmly with the Thicker and Stronger.
When the Vault is compleated and ſettled and
the Scaffolding is taken away from under it, I
clear the ſolid Building from thoſe Mounts of
Clay which I had raiſed at firſt; and thus the
Shape of my Evcavations or Pannels are formed
according to my original Deſign. But to re
turn to our Subject. I am extremely delighted
with an Ornament mentioned by Varro, who
tells us of a Roof on which was painted a Sky
with a moving Star in it, which by a Kind of
Hand ſhewed at once the Hour of the Day and
what Wind blew abroad. I ſhould be wonder
fully pleaſed with ſuch a Contrivance. The
Ancients were of Opinion that raiſing the Roof
high and ending it with a Pedient gave ſuch an
Air of Greatneſs to a Building, that they uſed
to ſay the Houſe of Jove himſelf, though they
never ſuppoſed it rained in Heaven, could
not look handſome without it. The Rule for
theſe Pediments is as follows. Take not more
than the Fourth nor leſs than the Fifth of the
Breadth of your Front along the Cornice, and
let this be the Summit or upper Angle of your
Pediment. Upon this Summit, as alſo at each
End, you ſet Acroteria, or little Pedeſtals for
Statues. The Height of the Acroteria or Pe
deſtals at the Ends ſhould be equal to that of
the Freze and Cornice; but that which ſtands
on the Summit, ſhould be an eighth Part higher
than the others. We are told that Buccides
was the firſt that adorned his Pediments with
Statues, which he made of Earth coloured red;
but afterwards they came to be made of Mar
ble, and the whole Covering too.
that Phœnice invented ſome Characters for the
Uſe of his Citizens. It was alſo conſumed by
Fire in the Reign of Cyrus, a few Years before
the Death of Servius Tallus, the King of Rome;
and it is certain, that it was again burnt about
the Time of the Birth of thoſe three great Lu
minaries of Learning, Catullus, Sallus and Var
ro. The Temple of Epheſus was burnt by the
Amazons, in the Reign of Sylvius Poſthumus,
as it was alſo about the Time that Socrates
was condemned to drink Poiſon at Athens:
and the Temple of the Argives was deſtroyed
by Fire the ſame Year that Plato was born at
Athens, at which Time Tarquin reigned at Rome.
Why ſhould I mention the ſacred Porticoes of
Jeruſalem? Or the Temple of Minerva at
Miletus? Or that of Serapis at Alexandria?
Or at Rome, the Pantheon? And the Temple
of the Goddeſs Veſta? And that of Apollo?
In which laſt we are told the Sibyls Verſes
were deſtroyed. We indeed find, that ſcarce
any Temple eſcaped the ſame Calamity. Dia
dorus writes, that there was none beſides that
dedicated to Venus, in the City of Eryx in Si
cily, that had eſcaped to his Time unhurt by
the Flames. Cæſar owned that Alexandria
eſcaped being burnt, when he himſelf took it,
becauſe its Roofs were vaulted. Nor are vault
ed Roofs deſtituted of their Ornaments. The
Ancients transferred all the ſame Ornaments to
their Cupolas, as the Goldſmiths uſed about
the Pateras or Cups for the Sacrifices; and the
ſame Sort of Work as was uſed in the Quilts
of their Beds, they imitated in their vaulted
Roofs, whether plain or camerated. Thus we
ſee them divided into four, eight, or more Pan
nels, or croſſed different Ways with equal
Angles and with Circles, in the moſt beautiful
Manner that can be imagined. And here it
may be proper to obſerve, that the Ornaments
of vaulted Roofs, which conſiſt in the Forms
of their Pannels or Excavations, are in many
Places exceeding handſome, and particularly
at the Rotonda at Rome; yet we have no where
any Inſtruction left us in Writing how to make
them. My Method of doing it, which is very
eaſy and cheap, is as follows: I deſcribe the
Lineaments of the future Pannels or Excavati
ons upon the Boards of the Scaffolding itſelf,
whether they are to be Quadrangular, Sexan
gular, or Octangular. Then thoſe Parts which
I intended to excavate in my Roof, I raiſe to
the ſtated Height with unbaked Bricks ſet in
Clay inſtead of Mortar. Upon this Kind of
Mount thus raiſed on the Back of the Scaffold
ing, I build my vaulted Roof of Brick and Mor
tar, taking great Care that the thinner Parts
cohere firmly with the Thicker and Stronger.
When the Vault is compleated and ſettled and
the Scaffolding is taken away from under it, I
clear the ſolid Building from thoſe Mounts of
Clay which I had raiſed at firſt; and thus the
Shape of my Evcavations or Pannels are formed
according to my original Deſign. But to re
turn to our Subject. I am extremely delighted
with an Ornament mentioned by Varro, who
tells us of a Roof on which was painted a Sky
with a moving Star in it, which by a Kind of
Hand ſhewed at once the Hour of the Day and
what Wind blew abroad. I ſhould be wonder
fully pleaſed with ſuch a Contrivance. The
Ancients were of Opinion that raiſing the Roof
high and ending it with a Pedient gave ſuch an
Air of Greatneſs to a Building, that they uſed
to ſay the Houſe of Jove himſelf, though they
never ſuppoſed it rained in Heaven, could
not look handſome without it. The Rule for
theſe Pediments is as follows. Take not more
than the Fourth nor leſs than the Fifth of the
Breadth of your Front along the Cornice, and
let this be the Summit or upper Angle of your
Pediment. Upon this Summit, as alſo at each
End, you ſet Acroteria, or little Pedeſtals for
Statues. The Height of the Acroteria or Pe
deſtals at the Ends ſhould be equal to that of
the Freze and Cornice; but that which ſtands
on the Summit, ſhould be an eighth Part higher
than the others. We are told that Buccides
was the firſt that adorned his Pediments with
Statues, which he made of Earth coloured red;
but afterwards they came to be made of Mar
ble, and the whole Covering too.
CHAP. XII.
Of the Apertures proper to Temples, namely, the Windows, Doors, and Valves;
together with their Members, Proportions and Ornaments.
together with their Members, Proportions and Ornaments.
The Windows in the Temple ought to
be ſmall and high, ſo that nothing but
the Sky may be ſeen through them; to the
Intent that both the Prieſts that are employed
in the Performance of divine Offices, and thoſe
that aſſiſt upon Account of Devotion, may
be ſmall and high, ſo that nothing but
the Sky may be ſeen through them; to the
Intent that both the Prieſts that are employed
in the Performance of divine Offices, and thoſe
that aſſiſt upon Account of Devotion, may
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