1round this little Chapel was a Grove of all Sorts
of Fruit-trees, and a large green Meadow, full of
Roſes and other Flowers and Herbs of grateful
Scent, and of every Thing that could make the
Place delightful and agreeable. The Epitaph
was adapted to the Structure:
of Fruit-trees, and a large green Meadow, full of
Roſes and other Flowers and Herbs of grateful
Scent, and of every Thing that could make the
Place delightful and agreeable. The Epitaph
was adapted to the Structure:
BUT to return to Pyramids. Some few per
haps may have built their Pyramids with three
Sides, but they have generally been made with
four, and their Height has moſt commonly
been made equal to their Breadth. Some have
been particularly commended for making the
Joints of the Stones in their Pyramids ſo cloſe,
that the Shadow which they caſt was perfectly
ſtraight without the leaſt Interruption. Pyra
mids have for the moſt Part been made of
ſquare Stone, but ſome few have been built
with Brick. As for theſe Columns which have
been erected as Monuments; ſome have been
ſuch as are uſed in other Structures; others have
been ſo large as to be fit for no Edifice; but
merely to ſerve as a Monument to Poſterity.
haps may have built their Pyramids with three
Sides, but they have generally been made with
four, and their Height has moſt commonly
been made equal to their Breadth. Some have
been particularly commended for making the
Joints of the Stones in their Pyramids ſo cloſe,
that the Shadow which they caſt was perfectly
ſtraight without the leaſt Interruption. Pyra
mids have for the moſt Part been made of
ſquare Stone, but ſome few have been built
with Brick. As for theſe Columns which have
been erected as Monuments; ſome have been
ſuch as are uſed in other Structures; others have
been ſo large as to be fit for no Edifice; but
merely to ſerve as a Monument to Poſterity.
*
OF this laſt Sort we are now to treat, and its
Members are as follows: Inſtead of a Baſement
there are ſeveral Steps riſing above the Level
of the Platform, over theſe a ſquare Plinth, and
above that another not leſs than the firſt. In
the third Place came the Baſe of the Column,
then the Column with its Capital, and laſt of
all the Statue ſtanding upon a Plinth. Some
between the firſt and ſecond Plinths under the
Baſe placed a Sort of Die to raiſe the Work
higher, and give it the greater Air of Majeſty.
The Proportions of all theſe Members are taken
from the Diameter of the Bottom of the Shaft,
as we obſerved with Relation to the Columns
of the Temples; but the Baſe, in this Caſe
where the Superſtructure is to be ſo very large,
muſt have but one Torus, and not ſeveral like
common Columns. The whole Thickneſs of
the Baſe therefore muſt be divided into five
Parts, two of which muſt be given to the To
rus, and three to the Plinth. The Meaſure of
the Plinth every Way muſt be one Diameter
and a Quarter of the Shaft of the Column. The
Pedeſtal on which this Baſe lies muſt have the
following Parts. The uppermoſt Member in
this, and indeed all other Ornaments, muſt be
a Cymatium, and the lowermoſt a Plinth, which,
whether it be in the Nature of Steps, or of a
Cyma either upright or reverſed, is properly the
Baſe of each Member. But we have ſome few
Things relating to Pedeſtals to take Notice of,
which we purpoſely omitted in the laſt Book,
in order to conſider them here. We obſerved
that it was uſual to run up a continued low
Wall under all the Columns, in order to ſup
port them; but then to make the Paſſage more
clear and open, it was common to remove that
Part of this Wall which lay between the Co
lumns, and to leave only that Part which was
really neceſſary to the Support of the Column.
This Part of the Wall thus left I call the Pede
ſtal. The Ornament of this Pedeſtal at the
Top was a Cymatium, either upright or reverſ
ed, or ſomething of the ſame Nature, which
was anſwerd at the Bottom by a Plinth. Theſe
two Ornaments went clear round the Pedeſtal.
The Cymatium was the fifth Part of the
Height of the whole Pedeſtal, or elſe the ſixth;
and the Body of the Pedeſtal was never leſs in
Thickneſs than the Diameter of the Bottom of
the Shaft, that the Plinth of the Baſe might not
lie upon a Void. Some, in order to ſtrengthen
the Work yet more, made the Pedeſtal broader
than the Plinth of the Baſe, by an eighth Part of
that Plinth. Laſtly, the Height of the Pede
ſtal, beſides its Cymatium and Plinth, was either
equal to its Breadth, or a fifth Part more: And
this I find to have been the Ordonnance of the
Pedeſtal under the Columns uſed by the moſt
excellent Workmen. But to return to the Co
lumn. Under the Baſe of the Column we are
to place the Pedeſtal, anſwering duly to the
Proportions of the Baſe in the Manner juſt now
mentioned. This Pedeſtal muſt be crowned
with an entire Cornice, which is moſt uſually
of the Ionic Order; the Members of which you
may remember to be as follows: The firſt and
loweſt Member is a Cymatium, then a Denticle,
next an Ovolo, with a ſmall Baguette and a
Fillet. Under this Pedeſtal is placed another
anſwerable to the former in every Member, and
of ſuch a Proportion that no Part of the Super
ſtructure may lie over a Void; but to this Pe
deſtal we muſt aſcend from the Level of the
Ground by three or five Steps, unequal both in
their Height and Breadth; and theſe Stepts all
together muſt not be higher than a fourth, nor
lower than a ſixth Part of the Height of the
Pedeſtal which ſtands upon them. In this lower
Pedeſtal we make a Door dreſſed after the Man
ner of the Doric or Ionic Order, according to
the Rules already laid down for the Doors of
Temples. In the upper Pedeſtal we place our
Inſcriptions or carve Trophies. If we make
Members are as follows: Inſtead of a Baſement
there are ſeveral Steps riſing above the Level
of the Platform, over theſe a ſquare Plinth, and
above that another not leſs than the firſt. In
the third Place came the Baſe of the Column,
then the Column with its Capital, and laſt of
all the Statue ſtanding upon a Plinth. Some
between the firſt and ſecond Plinths under the
Baſe placed a Sort of Die to raiſe the Work
higher, and give it the greater Air of Majeſty.
The Proportions of all theſe Members are taken
from the Diameter of the Bottom of the Shaft,
as we obſerved with Relation to the Columns
of the Temples; but the Baſe, in this Caſe
where the Superſtructure is to be ſo very large,
muſt have but one Torus, and not ſeveral like
common Columns. The whole Thickneſs of
the Baſe therefore muſt be divided into five
Parts, two of which muſt be given to the To
rus, and three to the Plinth. The Meaſure of
the Plinth every Way muſt be one Diameter
and a Quarter of the Shaft of the Column. The
Pedeſtal on which this Baſe lies muſt have the
following Parts. The uppermoſt Member in
this, and indeed all other Ornaments, muſt be
a Cymatium, and the lowermoſt a Plinth, which,
whether it be in the Nature of Steps, or of a
Cyma either upright or reverſed, is properly the
Baſe of each Member. But we have ſome few
Things relating to Pedeſtals to take Notice of,
which we purpoſely omitted in the laſt Book,
in order to conſider them here. We obſerved
that it was uſual to run up a continued low
Wall under all the Columns, in order to ſup
port them; but then to make the Paſſage more
clear and open, it was common to remove that
Part of this Wall which lay between the Co
lumns, and to leave only that Part which was
really neceſſary to the Support of the Column.
This Part of the Wall thus left I call the Pede
ſtal. The Ornament of this Pedeſtal at the
Top was a Cymatium, either upright or reverſ
ed, or ſomething of the ſame Nature, which
was anſwerd at the Bottom by a Plinth. Theſe
two Ornaments went clear round the Pedeſtal.
The Cymatium was the fifth Part of the
Height of the whole Pedeſtal, or elſe the ſixth;
and the Body of the Pedeſtal was never leſs in
Thickneſs than the Diameter of the Bottom of
the Shaft, that the Plinth of the Baſe might not
lie upon a Void. Some, in order to ſtrengthen
the Work yet more, made the Pedeſtal broader
than the Plinth of the Baſe, by an eighth Part of
that Plinth. Laſtly, the Height of the Pede
ſtal, beſides its Cymatium and Plinth, was either
equal to its Breadth, or a fifth Part more: And
this I find to have been the Ordonnance of the
Pedeſtal under the Columns uſed by the moſt
excellent Workmen. But to return to the Co
lumn. Under the Baſe of the Column we are
to place the Pedeſtal, anſwering duly to the
Proportions of the Baſe in the Manner juſt now
mentioned. This Pedeſtal muſt be crowned
with an entire Cornice, which is moſt uſually
of the Ionic Order; the Members of which you
may remember to be as follows: The firſt and
loweſt Member is a Cymatium, then a Denticle,
next an Ovolo, with a ſmall Baguette and a
Fillet. Under this Pedeſtal is placed another
anſwerable to the former in every Member, and
of ſuch a Proportion that no Part of the Super
ſtructure may lie over a Void; but to this Pe
deſtal we muſt aſcend from the Level of the
Ground by three or five Steps, unequal both in
their Height and Breadth; and theſe Stepts all
together muſt not be higher than a fourth, nor
lower than a ſixth Part of the Height of the
Pedeſtal which ſtands upon them. In this lower
Pedeſtal we make a Door dreſſed after the Man
ner of the Doric or Ionic Order, according to
the Rules already laid down for the Doors of
Temples. In the upper Pedeſtal we place our
Inſcriptions or carve Trophies. If we make