1Cornice, ſo allowing the Open a greater Width;
but this is a Delicacy much more ſuitable to
the Houſe of a private Perſon, and eſpecially
about Windows, than to the Door of a Tem
ple. In very large Temples, and eſpecially in
ſuch as have no other Apertures but the Door,
the Height of the Open of that Door is divided
into three Parts, the uppermoſt of which is left
by Way of Window, and grated, the Remain
der ſerves for the Door. The Door itſelf too,
or Valve, conſiſts of different Members and
Proportions. Of theſe Members the Chief is
the Hinge, which is contrived after two Man
ners; either by an iron Staple fixed in the
Door-caſe; or elſe by Pins coming out from
the Top and Bottom of the Door itſelf, upon
which it balances and turns, and ſo ſhuts and
opens. The Doors of Temples, which for the
Sake of Duration, are generally made of Braſs,
and conſequently muſt be very heavy, are bet
ter truſted to Axles, in the later Manner, than
to hang upon any Staples. I ſhall not here
ſpend Time in giving an Account of thoſe
Doors which we read of in Hiſtorians and Poets,
enriched with Gold, Ivory, and Statues, and
ſo heavy that they could never be opened with
out a Multitude of Hands, and ſuch a Noiſe as
terriſied the Hearers, I own Facility in open
ing and ſhutting them is more to my Mind.
Under the Bottom therefore of the lower Pin
or Axle, make a Box of Braſs mixed with Tin,
and in this Box ſink a deep hollow Concave at
the Bottom; let the Bottom of the Axle have alſo
a Concavity in it, ſo that the Box and the Axle
may contain between them a round Ball of
Steel, perfectly ſmooth and well poliſhed. The
upper Pin or Axle muſt alſo be let into a braſs
Box made in the Lintel, and beſides muſt turn
in a moveable iron Circle as ſmooth as it can
be made; and by this Means the Door will
never make the leaſt Reſiſtance in turning, but
ſwing which Way you pleaſe with all the Eaſe
imaginable. Every Door ſhould have two Val
ves or Leaves, one opening to one Side, and the
other to the other. The Thickneſs of theſe
Leaves ſhould be one twelfth Part of their
Breadth. Their Ornament are Pannels or
ſquare Mouldings applied lengthways down the
Leaf, and you may have as many of them as
you will, either two or three, one above the
other, or only one. If you have two, they muſt
lie like the Steps of a Stair, one above the other,
and both muſt take up no more of the Breadth
of the Leaf than a fourth, nor leſs than a ſixth
Part; and let the laſt, which lies above the
other, be one fifth Part broader than the un
der one. If you have three of theſe Mould
ings, obſerve the ſame Proportions in them as
in the Faces of the Ionic Architrave: But if
you have only one Moulding, let it be not
more than a fifth, nor leſs than a ſeventh Part
of the Breadth of the Leaf. Theſe Mouldings
muſt all fall inward to the Leaf with a Cima
recta. The Length of the Leaf ſhould alſo be
divided by other Mouldings croſsways, giving
the upper Pannel two fifth Parts of the whole
Height of the Door. In Temples the Win
dows muſt be adorned in the ſame Manner as
the Doors; but their Apertures, being near the
higheſt Part of the Wall, and their Angles ter
minating near the Vault of the Roof, they are
therefore made with an Arch, contrary to the
Practice in Doors. Their Breadth is twice their
Height; and this Breadth is divided by two
little Columns, placed according to the ſame
Rules as in a Portico; only that theſe Columns
are generally ſquare. The Deſigns for Niches,
Statues or other Repreſentations, are borrowed
from thoſe of Doors; and their Height muſt
take up one third Part of their Wall. The
Ancients in the Windows of their Temples,
inſtead of Panes of Glaſs, made uſe of thin
tranſparent Scantlings of Alabaſter, to keep out
Wind and Weather; or elſe made a Grate of
Braſs or Marble, and filled up the Interſpaces
of this Grate not with brittle Glaſs, but with
a tranſparent Sort of Stone brought from Se
govia, a Town in Spain, or from Boulogne in
Picardy. The Scantlings are ſeldom above a
Foot broad, and are of a bright tranſparent
Sort of Plaiſter or Talk, endued by Nature
with a particular Property, namely, that it
never decays.
but this is a Delicacy much more ſuitable to
the Houſe of a private Perſon, and eſpecially
about Windows, than to the Door of a Tem
ple. In very large Temples, and eſpecially in
ſuch as have no other Apertures but the Door,
the Height of the Open of that Door is divided
into three Parts, the uppermoſt of which is left
by Way of Window, and grated, the Remain
der ſerves for the Door. The Door itſelf too,
or Valve, conſiſts of different Members and
Proportions. Of theſe Members the Chief is
the Hinge, which is contrived after two Man
ners; either by an iron Staple fixed in the
Door-caſe; or elſe by Pins coming out from
the Top and Bottom of the Door itſelf, upon
which it balances and turns, and ſo ſhuts and
opens. The Doors of Temples, which for the
Sake of Duration, are generally made of Braſs,
and conſequently muſt be very heavy, are bet
ter truſted to Axles, in the later Manner, than
to hang upon any Staples. I ſhall not here
ſpend Time in giving an Account of thoſe
Doors which we read of in Hiſtorians and Poets,
enriched with Gold, Ivory, and Statues, and
ſo heavy that they could never be opened with
out a Multitude of Hands, and ſuch a Noiſe as
terriſied the Hearers, I own Facility in open
ing and ſhutting them is more to my Mind.
Under the Bottom therefore of the lower Pin
or Axle, make a Box of Braſs mixed with Tin,
and in this Box ſink a deep hollow Concave at
the Bottom; let the Bottom of the Axle have alſo
a Concavity in it, ſo that the Box and the Axle
may contain between them a round Ball of
Steel, perfectly ſmooth and well poliſhed. The
upper Pin or Axle muſt alſo be let into a braſs
Box made in the Lintel, and beſides muſt turn
in a moveable iron Circle as ſmooth as it can
be made; and by this Means the Door will
never make the leaſt Reſiſtance in turning, but
ſwing which Way you pleaſe with all the Eaſe
imaginable. Every Door ſhould have two Val
ves or Leaves, one opening to one Side, and the
other to the other. The Thickneſs of theſe
Leaves ſhould be one twelfth Part of their
Breadth. Their Ornament are Pannels or
ſquare Mouldings applied lengthways down the
Leaf, and you may have as many of them as
you will, either two or three, one above the
other, or only one. If you have two, they muſt
lie like the Steps of a Stair, one above the other,
and both muſt take up no more of the Breadth
of the Leaf than a fourth, nor leſs than a ſixth
Part; and let the laſt, which lies above the
other, be one fifth Part broader than the un
der one. If you have three of theſe Mould
ings, obſerve the ſame Proportions in them as
in the Faces of the Ionic Architrave: But if
you have only one Moulding, let it be not
more than a fifth, nor leſs than a ſeventh Part
of the Breadth of the Leaf. Theſe Mouldings
muſt all fall inward to the Leaf with a Cima
recta. The Length of the Leaf ſhould alſo be
divided by other Mouldings croſsways, giving
the upper Pannel two fifth Parts of the whole
Height of the Door. In Temples the Win
dows muſt be adorned in the ſame Manner as
the Doors; but their Apertures, being near the
higheſt Part of the Wall, and their Angles ter
minating near the Vault of the Roof, they are
therefore made with an Arch, contrary to the
Practice in Doors. Their Breadth is twice their
Height; and this Breadth is divided by two
little Columns, placed according to the ſame
Rules as in a Portico; only that theſe Columns
are generally ſquare. The Deſigns for Niches,
Statues or other Repreſentations, are borrowed
from thoſe of Doors; and their Height muſt
take up one third Part of their Wall. The
Ancients in the Windows of their Temples,
inſtead of Panes of Glaſs, made uſe of thin
tranſparent Scantlings of Alabaſter, to keep out
Wind and Weather; or elſe made a Grate of
Braſs or Marble, and filled up the Interſpaces
of this Grate not with brittle Glaſs, but with
a tranſparent Sort of Stone brought from Se
govia, a Town in Spain, or from Boulogne in
Picardy. The Scantlings are ſeldom above a
Foot broad, and are of a bright tranſparent
Sort of Plaiſter or Talk, endued by Nature
with a particular Property, namely, that it
never decays.
CHAP. XIII.