1to have made a Monſter with Limbs diſpro
portionable: Variety is without Diſpute a very
great Beauty in every Thing, when it joins and
brings together, in a regular manner, Things
different, but proportionable to each other;
but it is rather ſhocking, if they are unſuitable
and incoherent. For as in Muſick, when the
Baſe anſwers the Treble, and the Tenor agrees
with both, there ariſes from that Variety of
Sounds an harmonious and wonderful Union
of Proportions which delights and enchants
our Senſes; ſo the like happens in every thing
elſe that ſtrikes and pleaſes our Fancy. Laſtly,
theſe Things muſt be ſo executed, as Uſe or
Conveniency requires, or according to the
approved Practice of Men of Skill; becauſe
deviating from eſtabliſhed Cuſtom, generally
robs a Thing of its whole Beauty, as conform
ing to it, is applauded and attended with Suc
ceſs. Nevertheleſs, tho' other famous Archi
tects ſeem, by their Practice, to have deter
mined this or that Compartition, whether
Doric, or Ionic, or Corinthian, or Tuſcan, to
be the moſt convenient of any; yet they do
not thereby tie us down to follow them ſo
cloſely, as to tranſcribe their very Deſigns into
this Work of ours; but only ſtir us up by
their Inſtructions to produce ſomething of
our own Invention, and to endeavour to ac
quire equal or greater Praiſe than they did.
But of theſe Things we ſhall ſpeak more di
ſtinctly in their proper Places, when we come
to conſider in what manner a City and its
Members ought to be diſpoſed, and every
thing neceſſary for the Convenience of
each.
portionable: Variety is without Diſpute a very
great Beauty in every Thing, when it joins and
brings together, in a regular manner, Things
different, but proportionable to each other;
but it is rather ſhocking, if they are unſuitable
and incoherent. For as in Muſick, when the
Baſe anſwers the Treble, and the Tenor agrees
with both, there ariſes from that Variety of
Sounds an harmonious and wonderful Union
of Proportions which delights and enchants
our Senſes; ſo the like happens in every thing
elſe that ſtrikes and pleaſes our Fancy. Laſtly,
theſe Things muſt be ſo executed, as Uſe or
Conveniency requires, or according to the
approved Practice of Men of Skill; becauſe
deviating from eſtabliſhed Cuſtom, generally
robs a Thing of its whole Beauty, as conform
ing to it, is applauded and attended with Suc
ceſs. Nevertheleſs, tho' other famous Archi
tects ſeem, by their Practice, to have deter
mined this or that Compartition, whether
Doric, or Ionic, or Corinthian, or Tuſcan, to
be the moſt convenient of any; yet they do
not thereby tie us down to follow them ſo
cloſely, as to tranſcribe their very Deſigns into
this Work of ours; but only ſtir us up by
their Inſtructions to produce ſomething of
our own Invention, and to endeavour to ac
quire equal or greater Praiſe than they did.
But of theſe Things we ſhall ſpeak more di
ſtinctly in their proper Places, when we come
to conſider in what manner a City and its
Members ought to be diſpoſed, and every
thing neceſſary for the Convenience of
each.
CHAP. X.
Of the Columns and Walls, and ſome Obſervations relating to the Columns.
We are now to treat ſummarily of the
Diſpoſition of the Wall. But here I
muſt not omit what I have obſerved among
the Ancients; namely, that they conſtantly
avoided drawing any of the outer Lines of the
Platform quite ſtrait, ſo as to let any great
Length go on without being interrupted by
the Concavity of ſome curve Line, or the In
terſection of ſome Angle; and the Reaſon
why thoſe wiſe Men did this is plain, that the
Wall, having, as it were, Props joined to it to
reſt againſt, might be ſo much the ſtronger.
In treating of the Walling, we ſhould begin
with the moſt noble Parts of it. This Place
thereſore naturally leads us to ſpeak of the Co
lumns, and of the Things belonging to them;
a Row of Columns being indeed nothing elſe
but a Wall open and diſcontinued in ſeveral
Places. And having occaſion to define a Co
lumn, it would not be at all improper to ſay,
that it is a certain ſtrong continued Part of
the Wall, carried up perpendicular from the
Foundation to the Top, for ſupporting the
Covering. In the whole Compaſs of the Art
of Building, you will find nothing, that either
for Workmanſhip, Expence or Beauty, de
ſerves to be preferred before the Columns.
But theſe Columns having ſome Particulars in
which they differ from one another; in this
Place we ſhall ſpeak only of their Agreement;
becauſe that regards the Genus of them; but
as to their Difference, which relates to their
Species, we ſhall handle it in its proper Place.
To begin therefore as we may ſay from the
Root, every Column has its Foundation; this
Foundation being brought up to a Level with
the Plane of the Area, it was uſual to raiſe
thereupon a kind of little Wall, which we
ſhall call the Plinth, others perhaps may call
it the Dye; upon the Plinth ſtood the Baſe,
on the Baſe, the Column; and over the Co
lumn the Capital; their Proportion was, that
from the middle downwards, they were ſome
what bigger, and from thence upwards grew
more and more taper, and that the Foot was
ſomething larger than the Top of all. I make
no doubt, that at firſt the Column was in
vented to ſupport the Covering. Afterwards
Men's Thoughts being ſtirred up to worthy
Attempts, they ſtudied, tho' themſelves were
mortal, to make their Buildings in a Manner
immortal and eternal; and for this Reaſon
they made Columns, Architraves, Intabla
tures, and Coverings all of Marble. And in
doing theſe Things, the ancient Architects al
ways kept ſo cloſe to Nature, as to ſeem, if
poſſible, never to have conſulted any Thing
but mere Convenience in Building, and at the
ſame Time made it their Care, that their
Works ſhould be not only ſtrong and uſeful,
Diſpoſition of the Wall. But here I
muſt not omit what I have obſerved among
the Ancients; namely, that they conſtantly
avoided drawing any of the outer Lines of the
Platform quite ſtrait, ſo as to let any great
Length go on without being interrupted by
the Concavity of ſome curve Line, or the In
terſection of ſome Angle; and the Reaſon
why thoſe wiſe Men did this is plain, that the
Wall, having, as it were, Props joined to it to
reſt againſt, might be ſo much the ſtronger.
In treating of the Walling, we ſhould begin
with the moſt noble Parts of it. This Place
thereſore naturally leads us to ſpeak of the Co
lumns, and of the Things belonging to them;
a Row of Columns being indeed nothing elſe
but a Wall open and diſcontinued in ſeveral
Places. And having occaſion to define a Co
lumn, it would not be at all improper to ſay,
that it is a certain ſtrong continued Part of
the Wall, carried up perpendicular from the
Foundation to the Top, for ſupporting the
Covering. In the whole Compaſs of the Art
of Building, you will find nothing, that either
for Workmanſhip, Expence or Beauty, de
ſerves to be preferred before the Columns.
But theſe Columns having ſome Particulars in
which they differ from one another; in this
Place we ſhall ſpeak only of their Agreement;
becauſe that regards the Genus of them; but
as to their Difference, which relates to their
Species, we ſhall handle it in its proper Place.
To begin therefore as we may ſay from the
Root, every Column has its Foundation; this
Foundation being brought up to a Level with
the Plane of the Area, it was uſual to raiſe
thereupon a kind of little Wall, which we
ſhall call the Plinth, others perhaps may call
it the Dye; upon the Plinth ſtood the Baſe,
on the Baſe, the Column; and over the Co
lumn the Capital; their Proportion was, that
from the middle downwards, they were ſome
what bigger, and from thence upwards grew
more and more taper, and that the Foot was
ſomething larger than the Top of all. I make
no doubt, that at firſt the Column was in
vented to ſupport the Covering. Afterwards
Men's Thoughts being ſtirred up to worthy
Attempts, they ſtudied, tho' themſelves were
mortal, to make their Buildings in a Manner
immortal and eternal; and for this Reaſon
they made Columns, Architraves, Intabla
tures, and Coverings all of Marble. And in
doing theſe Things, the ancient Architects al
ways kept ſo cloſe to Nature, as to ſeem, if
poſſible, never to have conſulted any Thing
but mere Convenience in Building, and at the
ſame Time made it their Care, that their
Works ſhould be not only ſtrong and uſeful,
zoom in
zoom out
zoom area
full page
page width
set mark
remove mark
get reference
digilib