1ſeem to be truly publick, as they are deſigned
for the Uſe of all the People in general, both
noble and vulgar: But there are ſtill ſome other
Works of a publick Nature, which are for the
Uſe only of the principal Citizens, and of the
Magiſtrates; as for Inſtance, the Senate-houſe
and Council-chambers, whereof we are now
to give ſome Account.
for the Uſe of all the People in general, both
noble and vulgar: But there are ſtill ſome other
Works of a publick Nature, which are for the
Uſe only of the principal Citizens, and of the
Magiſtrates; as for Inſtance, the Senate-houſe
and Council-chambers, whereof we are now
to give ſome Account.
*
CHAP. IX.
Of the proper Ornaments for the Senatc-houſe and Council-chambers, as alſo of
the adorning the City with Groves, Lakes for Swimming, Libraries, Schools,
publick Stables, Arſenals and Mathematical Inſtruments.
the adorning the City with Groves, Lakes for Swimming, Libraries, Schools,
publick Stables, Arſenals and Mathematical Inſtruments.
Plato appointed the Council to be held
in a Temple, and the Romans had a de
termined Place for that Purpoſe, which they
called their Comitium. At Ceraunia there
was a thick Grove, conſecrated to Jupi
ter, in which the Greeks uſed to meet to con
ſult about the Affairs of their State, and many
other Cities uſed to hold their Councils in the
Middle of the publick Forum. It was not
lawful for the Roman Senate to meet in any
Place that was not appointed by Augury, and
they commonly choſe ſome Temple. After
wards they erected Curiæ, or Courts for that
particular Purpoſe, and Varro tells us, that
theſe were of two Sorts: One in which the
Prieſts conſulted about religious Matters; the
other where the Senate regulated ſecular Affairs.
Of the peculiar Properties of each of theſe I can
find nothing certain; unleſs we may be allow
ed to conjecture, that the former had ſome Re
ſemblance to a Temple, the latter to a Baſili
que. The Prieſts Court therefore may have a
vaulted Roof, and that of the Senators a flat
one. In both, the Members of the Council are
to declare their Opinion, by ſpeaking; and
therefore Regard is to be had in theſe Edifices
to the Sound of the Voice. For this Reaſon
there ought to be ſomething to prevent the
Voice from aſcending too high and being loſt,
and eſpecially in vaulted Roofs to prevent it
from thundering in the Top of the Vault and
deafening the Hearers: Upon which Account,
as well for Beauty as for this neceſſary Uſe, the
Wall ought to be crowned with a Cornice. I
find from Obſervation of the Structures of this
Sort left by the Ancients, that they uſed to
make their Courts ſquare. The Height of their
vaulted Courts was ſix ſevenths of the Breadth
of the Front, and the Roof was a plain Arch.
Juſt oppoſite to the Door the Beholder's Eye
was ſtruck with the Tribunal, the Sagitta
whereof was the Third of its Chord: The
Breadth of the Aperture of the Door, was one
ſeventh of the whole Front. At half the
Height of the Wall, and one eighth Part of
that half, projected an Architrave, Freze and
Cornice upon an Order of Columns, either cloſe
or thin ſet, as the Architect liked beſt, accord
ing to the Rules of the Colonades and Porti
coes of a Temple. Over the Cornice on the
right and left Sides, in certain Niches opened
in the Wall, were Statues and other Figures
of religious Veneration, but in the Front at the
ſame Height with thoſe Niches, was a Window
twice as broad as high, with two little Columns
in the Middle of it, to ſupport the Tranſom.
This was the Structure of the Prieſts Court.
The Court for the Senators may be as follows:
The Breadth of the Platform muſt be two
thirds of its Length. The Height to the Rafters
of the Roof muſt be equal to the Breadth of
the Platform, with the Addition of one fourth
Part of that Breadth. The Wall muſt be crown
ed with a Cornice, according to the following
Rule. Having divided the whole clear Height
into nine Parts, one of thoſe Parts muſt be
given to the ſolid Baſement, or continued Pe
deſtal of the Columns, and againſt this Baſe
ment muſt be the Seats for the Senators. The
Remainder muſt afterwards be divided into
ſeven Parts, whereof four muſt be given to the
firſt Row of Columns, over which you muſt
raiſe another, both with their proper Baſes,
Capitals, Architraves, Frezes and Cornices, in
the Manner before preſcribed for a Baſilique.
The Intervals between the Columns on each
Side, muſt always be in an odd Number, and
all equal to each other; but in Front, thoſe
Intervals muſt be no more than three, the
Middlemoſt whereof muſt be one fourth Part
broader than the other two. In every Interval
in the upper Row of Columns muſt be a Win
dow, this Sort of Courts requiring as much
Light as poſſible, and under each Window muſt
in a Temple, and the Romans had a de
termined Place for that Purpoſe, which they
called their Comitium. At Ceraunia there
was a thick Grove, conſecrated to Jupi
ter, in which the Greeks uſed to meet to con
ſult about the Affairs of their State, and many
other Cities uſed to hold their Councils in the
Middle of the publick Forum. It was not
lawful for the Roman Senate to meet in any
Place that was not appointed by Augury, and
they commonly choſe ſome Temple. After
wards they erected Curiæ, or Courts for that
particular Purpoſe, and Varro tells us, that
theſe were of two Sorts: One in which the
Prieſts conſulted about religious Matters; the
other where the Senate regulated ſecular Affairs.
Of the peculiar Properties of each of theſe I can
find nothing certain; unleſs we may be allow
ed to conjecture, that the former had ſome Re
ſemblance to a Temple, the latter to a Baſili
que. The Prieſts Court therefore may have a
vaulted Roof, and that of the Senators a flat
one. In both, the Members of the Council are
to declare their Opinion, by ſpeaking; and
therefore Regard is to be had in theſe Edifices
to the Sound of the Voice. For this Reaſon
there ought to be ſomething to prevent the
Voice from aſcending too high and being loſt,
and eſpecially in vaulted Roofs to prevent it
from thundering in the Top of the Vault and
deafening the Hearers: Upon which Account,
as well for Beauty as for this neceſſary Uſe, the
Wall ought to be crowned with a Cornice. I
find from Obſervation of the Structures of this
Sort left by the Ancients, that they uſed to
make their Courts ſquare. The Height of their
vaulted Courts was ſix ſevenths of the Breadth
of the Front, and the Roof was a plain Arch.
Juſt oppoſite to the Door the Beholder's Eye
was ſtruck with the Tribunal, the Sagitta
whereof was the Third of its Chord: The
Breadth of the Aperture of the Door, was one
ſeventh of the whole Front. At half the
Height of the Wall, and one eighth Part of
that half, projected an Architrave, Freze and
Cornice upon an Order of Columns, either cloſe
or thin ſet, as the Architect liked beſt, accord
ing to the Rules of the Colonades and Porti
coes of a Temple. Over the Cornice on the
right and left Sides, in certain Niches opened
in the Wall, were Statues and other Figures
of religious Veneration, but in the Front at the
ſame Height with thoſe Niches, was a Window
twice as broad as high, with two little Columns
in the Middle of it, to ſupport the Tranſom.
This was the Structure of the Prieſts Court.
The Court for the Senators may be as follows:
The Breadth of the Platform muſt be two
thirds of its Length. The Height to the Rafters
of the Roof muſt be equal to the Breadth of
the Platform, with the Addition of one fourth
Part of that Breadth. The Wall muſt be crown
ed with a Cornice, according to the following
Rule. Having divided the whole clear Height
into nine Parts, one of thoſe Parts muſt be
given to the ſolid Baſement, or continued Pe
deſtal of the Columns, and againſt this Baſe
ment muſt be the Seats for the Senators. The
Remainder muſt afterwards be divided into
ſeven Parts, whereof four muſt be given to the
firſt Row of Columns, over which you muſt
raiſe another, both with their proper Baſes,
Capitals, Architraves, Frezes and Cornices, in
the Manner before preſcribed for a Baſilique.
The Intervals between the Columns on each
Side, muſt always be in an odd Number, and
all equal to each other; but in Front, thoſe
Intervals muſt be no more than three, the
Middlemoſt whereof muſt be one fourth Part
broader than the other two. In every Interval
in the upper Row of Columns muſt be a Win
dow, this Sort of Courts requiring as much
Light as poſſible, and under each Window muſt