1but alſo pleaſant to the Sight. Nature at firſt
certainly gave us Columns made of Wood,
and of a round Figure, afterwards by Uſe they
came in ſome Places to be cut ſquare. There
upon, if I judge right, ſeeing in theſe wooden
Columns certain Rings of Circles of Braſs or
Iron, faſten'd about the Top and Bottom, that
the continual Weight which they are made to
bear, might not ſplit them; the Architects too
left at the Foot of their Columns of Marble, a
little Ring like a ſort of Binding; whereby
they are defended from any Drops of Rain that
might daſh up again upon them. And at the
Top too they left another little Band, and over
that an Aſtragal or Collar; with which helps
they obſerv'd the Columns of Wood to be
fortified. In the Baſes of their Columns it
was their Rule, that the under Part ſhould
conſiſt of ſtrait Lines and right Angles, but
that their upper Superficies ſhould terminate
circularly to anſwer to the Round of the Pil
lar; and they made this Baſe on every Side
broader than high, and wider than the Column
by a determinate Part of itſelf; and the under
Superficies of the Baſe they made broader than
the upper; the Plinth too they would have a
certain Proportion broader than the Baſe, and
the Foundation again a determinate Part wider
than the Plinth. And all theſe Parts thus
placed one upon the other, they erected per
pendicular from the Center of the Foundation.
On the other hand, the Capitals all agree in
this, that their under Parts imitate their
Columns, but their upper End in a Square;
and conſequently the upper Part of the Capital
muſt always be ſomewhat broader than the
under. This may ſuffice here as to the
Columns. The Wall ought to be raiſed with
the ſame Proportions as the Columns; ſo that
if it is to be as high as the Column and its Ca
pital, its Thickneſs ought to be the ſame with
that of the bottom of the Column. And they
alſo obſerved this Rule, that there ſhou'd be
neither Pillar, nor Baſe, nor Capital, nor Wall,
but what ſhould in all reſpects correſpond with
every thing elſe of the ſame Order, in Heighth,
Thickneſs, Form and Dimenſion. But tho' both
are Faults, either to make the Wall too thin
or too thick, higher or lower than the Rule
and Proportion requires; yet of the two I
wou'd chuſe to offend on that Side, where we
ſhou'd have occaſion to take away rather than
to add. And here I think it will not be amiſs
to take notice of ſome Errors in Buildings,
that we our ſelves may be the more circum
ſpect: in as much as the chief Praiſe is to be
exempt from Blame. I have obſerved there
fore in St. Peter's Church at Rome what indeed
the thing itſelf demonſtrates, that it was ill ad
viſed to draw a very long and thick Wall over
ſo many frequent and continued Apertures,
without ſtrength'ning it with any curve Lines
or any other Fortification whatſoever. And
what more deſerves our Notice, all this Wing
of Wall, under which are too frequent and
continued Apertures, and which is raiſed to a
great Heighth, is expoſed as a Butt to the im
petuous Blaſts of the North-Eaſt: by which
means already thro' the continual Violence of
the Winds it is ſwerved from its Direction
above two Yards: and I doubt not that in a
ſhort time, ſome little accidental ſhock will
throw it down into Ruins; and if it were not
kept in by the Timber Frame of the Roof, it
muſt infallibly have fallen down before now.
But the Architect may not be ſo much in
Fault, becauſe conſulting only the Neceſſity of
his Situation, he might perhaps imagine that
the Neighbourhood of the Mountain, which
overlooks the Church, might be a ſufficient
Shelter againſt the Winds. Nevertheleſs it is
certain, thoſe Wings ought to have been more
ſtrengthned on both Sides.
certainly gave us Columns made of Wood,
and of a round Figure, afterwards by Uſe they
came in ſome Places to be cut ſquare. There
upon, if I judge right, ſeeing in theſe wooden
Columns certain Rings of Circles of Braſs or
Iron, faſten'd about the Top and Bottom, that
the continual Weight which they are made to
bear, might not ſplit them; the Architects too
left at the Foot of their Columns of Marble, a
little Ring like a ſort of Binding; whereby
they are defended from any Drops of Rain that
might daſh up again upon them. And at the
Top too they left another little Band, and over
that an Aſtragal or Collar; with which helps
they obſerv'd the Columns of Wood to be
fortified. In the Baſes of their Columns it
was their Rule, that the under Part ſhould
conſiſt of ſtrait Lines and right Angles, but
that their upper Superficies ſhould terminate
circularly to anſwer to the Round of the Pil
lar; and they made this Baſe on every Side
broader than high, and wider than the Column
by a determinate Part of itſelf; and the under
Superficies of the Baſe they made broader than
the upper; the Plinth too they would have a
certain Proportion broader than the Baſe, and
the Foundation again a determinate Part wider
than the Plinth. And all theſe Parts thus
placed one upon the other, they erected per
pendicular from the Center of the Foundation.
On the other hand, the Capitals all agree in
this, that their under Parts imitate their
Columns, but their upper End in a Square;
and conſequently the upper Part of the Capital
muſt always be ſomewhat broader than the
under. This may ſuffice here as to the
Columns. The Wall ought to be raiſed with
the ſame Proportions as the Columns; ſo that
if it is to be as high as the Column and its Ca
pital, its Thickneſs ought to be the ſame with
that of the bottom of the Column. And they
alſo obſerved this Rule, that there ſhou'd be
neither Pillar, nor Baſe, nor Capital, nor Wall,
but what ſhould in all reſpects correſpond with
every thing elſe of the ſame Order, in Heighth,
Thickneſs, Form and Dimenſion. But tho' both
are Faults, either to make the Wall too thin
or too thick, higher or lower than the Rule
and Proportion requires; yet of the two I
wou'd chuſe to offend on that Side, where we
ſhou'd have occaſion to take away rather than
to add. And here I think it will not be amiſs
to take notice of ſome Errors in Buildings,
that we our ſelves may be the more circum
ſpect: in as much as the chief Praiſe is to be
exempt from Blame. I have obſerved there
fore in St. Peter's Church at Rome what indeed
the thing itſelf demonſtrates, that it was ill ad
viſed to draw a very long and thick Wall over
ſo many frequent and continued Apertures,
without ſtrength'ning it with any curve Lines
or any other Fortification whatſoever. And
what more deſerves our Notice, all this Wing
of Wall, under which are too frequent and
continued Apertures, and which is raiſed to a
great Heighth, is expoſed as a Butt to the im
petuous Blaſts of the North-Eaſt: by which
means already thro' the continual Violence of
the Winds it is ſwerved from its Direction
above two Yards: and I doubt not that in a
ſhort time, ſome little accidental ſhock will
throw it down into Ruins; and if it were not
kept in by the Timber Frame of the Roof, it
muſt infallibly have fallen down before now.
But the Architect may not be ſo much in
Fault, becauſe conſulting only the Neceſſity of
his Situation, he might perhaps imagine that
the Neighbourhood of the Mountain, which
overlooks the Church, might be a ſufficient
Shelter againſt the Winds. Nevertheleſs it is
certain, thoſe Wings ought to have been more
ſtrengthned on both Sides.
CHAP. XI.
Of the great Uſefulneſs of the Coverings both to the Inhabitants and the other
Parts of the Building, and that being various in their Natures, they muſt be
made of various Sorts.
Parts of the Building, and that being various in their Natures, they muſt be
made of various Sorts.
The Covering for Uſefulneſs far exceeds
any other Part of the Building. It
not only ſecures the Health of the Inhabitants
by defending them from the Night, from the
Rain, and eſpecially from the burning Rays of
the Sun; but it alſo preſerves all the reſt of the
Edifice. Take away the Covering and the
Materials rot, the Wall moulders and ſplits,
any other Part of the Building. It
not only ſecures the Health of the Inhabitants
by defending them from the Night, from the
Rain, and eſpecially from the burning Rays of
the Sun; but it alſo preſerves all the reſt of the
Edifice. Take away the Covering and the
Materials rot, the Wall moulders and ſplits,