1Wood; let his Incruſtations or outward Coat
be adorned with plain Figures in Stuc, or with
ſome ſlight Painting, and his Cornices at moſt
of common Marble. Not that he muſt abſo
lutely reject the moſt precious Materials; but
he ſhould place them only in the moſt honour
able Parts, like Gems in a Crown. But to give
my Opinion of the whole Matter in one Word,
I think that a ſacred Edifice ſhould be adorned
in ſuch a Manner, that it ſhould be impoſſible
to add any Thing that can conduce either to
Majeſty, Beauty or Wonder: Whereas a pri
vate Structure ſhould be ſo contrived, that it
ſhall be impoſſible to take any Thing from it,
without leſſening its Dignity. Other Buildings,
that is to ſay, the Profane of a publick Nature,
ſhould obſerve the Medium between theſe two
Extremes. Buildings of a private Sort ſhould
keep ſtrictly to the Ornaments proper to them,
only they may be made uſe of here with ſome
what more Freedom. For Inſtance, if the Co
lumns be of rather a ſmaller Diameter, or elſe
more turgid, or if the Diminution of the Top
of the Shaft be greater than the exact Propor
tions for publick Structures, they ought not
here to be condemned, provided they do not
look deformed or unſightly. And whereas in
publick Works not the leaſt Deviation is allow
ed from the exacteſt Laws of Proportion, in
private Works ſuch a Deviation is often hand
ſome and commendable. Thus we may ob
ſerve with what a beautiful Effect ſome of the
more lively Architects uſed in the Doors of
Halls, inſtead of Jambs to place huge Statues
of Slaves, which ſupported the Lintel on their
Heads; and to make Columns, eſpecially in the
Porticoes of their Gardens, with Knots in the
Shafts, in Imitation of Trees that had their
Branches cut off, or girded round with a Cinc
ture of Boughs, or with their whole Shaft
wreathed and enriched with Leaves, Birds, and
Channels: or where they would make the
Work extremely ſtrong, we find them erect
ing ſquare Columns, fortified with a half Co
lumn on each Side; which inſtead of Capitals
had either Baskets full of Vine Branches laden
with Fruit, or the Head of a Palm-tree riſing
up and full of Leaves, or a Knot of Serpents
wreathed together, or an Eagle with its Wings
expanded in Token of Pleaſure, or a Meduſa's
Head with the Snakes hiſſing at each other, or
any other Fancy of the ſame Kind; to enu
merate all which, would be endleſs. But in all
theſe Liberties the Architect muſt be as care
ful as poſſible to keep the ſeveral Parts within
the Terms of the regular Lines and Angles, and
not ſuffer his Work to want a due Proportion
in its ſeveral Members: So that the Beholder
may immediately find, that his Deſign was to
be wanton in theſe Particulars, and to indulge a
Freedom of Invention. And as of the Parlours,
Paſſages and Apartments, ſome are more pub
lick, ſome more concealed, and as it were hid
den; the former may be allowed ſomewhat
more of the Splendor of a publick Structure,
but yet ſo as not to create Envy; and in the
latter we may allow ourſelves more Liberty in
departing out of the common Road, and con
triving ſomething new.
be adorned with plain Figures in Stuc, or with
ſome ſlight Painting, and his Cornices at moſt
of common Marble. Not that he muſt abſo
lutely reject the moſt precious Materials; but
he ſhould place them only in the moſt honour
able Parts, like Gems in a Crown. But to give
my Opinion of the whole Matter in one Word,
I think that a ſacred Edifice ſhould be adorned
in ſuch a Manner, that it ſhould be impoſſible
to add any Thing that can conduce either to
Majeſty, Beauty or Wonder: Whereas a pri
vate Structure ſhould be ſo contrived, that it
ſhall be impoſſible to take any Thing from it,
without leſſening its Dignity. Other Buildings,
that is to ſay, the Profane of a publick Nature,
ſhould obſerve the Medium between theſe two
Extremes. Buildings of a private Sort ſhould
keep ſtrictly to the Ornaments proper to them,
only they may be made uſe of here with ſome
what more Freedom. For Inſtance, if the Co
lumns be of rather a ſmaller Diameter, or elſe
more turgid, or if the Diminution of the Top
of the Shaft be greater than the exact Propor
tions for publick Structures, they ought not
here to be condemned, provided they do not
look deformed or unſightly. And whereas in
publick Works not the leaſt Deviation is allow
ed from the exacteſt Laws of Proportion, in
private Works ſuch a Deviation is often hand
ſome and commendable. Thus we may ob
ſerve with what a beautiful Effect ſome of the
more lively Architects uſed in the Doors of
Halls, inſtead of Jambs to place huge Statues
of Slaves, which ſupported the Lintel on their
Heads; and to make Columns, eſpecially in the
Porticoes of their Gardens, with Knots in the
Shafts, in Imitation of Trees that had their
Branches cut off, or girded round with a Cinc
ture of Boughs, or with their whole Shaft
wreathed and enriched with Leaves, Birds, and
Channels: or where they would make the
Work extremely ſtrong, we find them erect
ing ſquare Columns, fortified with a half Co
lumn on each Side; which inſtead of Capitals
had either Baskets full of Vine Branches laden
with Fruit, or the Head of a Palm-tree riſing
up and full of Leaves, or a Knot of Serpents
wreathed together, or an Eagle with its Wings
expanded in Token of Pleaſure, or a Meduſa's
Head with the Snakes hiſſing at each other, or
any other Fancy of the ſame Kind; to enu
merate all which, would be endleſs. But in all
theſe Liberties the Architect muſt be as care
ful as poſſible to keep the ſeveral Parts within
the Terms of the regular Lines and Angles, and
not ſuffer his Work to want a due Proportion
in its ſeveral Members: So that the Beholder
may immediately find, that his Deſign was to
be wanton in theſe Particulars, and to indulge a
Freedom of Invention. And as of the Parlours,
Paſſages and Apartments, ſome are more pub
lick, ſome more concealed, and as it were hid
den; the former may be allowed ſomewhat
more of the Splendor of a publick Structure,
but yet ſo as not to create Envy; and in the
latter we may allow ourſelves more Liberty in
departing out of the common Road, and con
triving ſomething new.
CHAP. II.
Of the Adorning of private Houſes, both in City and Country.
But as of the Houſes of private Perſons,
ſome are in the City, and ſome in the
Country, we muſt ſay ſomething of the Orna
ments proper to each of theſe. Between a
Houſe in Town and a Houſe in the Country,
there is this further Difference, beſides what we
took notice of in the laſt Book, that the Orna
ments, for that in Town ought to be much
more grave than thoſe for a Houſe in the Coun
try, where all the gayeſt and moſt licentious
Embelliſhments are allowable. There is an
other Difference too between them, which is,
that in Town you are obliged to moderate
yourſelves in ſeveral Reſpects according to the
Privileges of your Neighbour; whereas you have
much more Liberty in the Country. In Town
you muſt not raiſe your Platform or Baſement
too high above your Neighbours, nor let your
Portico project too far forwards from the Line
of the adjacent Buildings. The Thickneſs and
Height of the Walls at Rome anciently were
not ſuffered to be according to every Man's
particular Fancy, but by an old Law were all
to be made according to a certain Standard;
and Julius Cæſar, upon account of the Miſ
chiefs that might happen from bad Foundati
ſome are in the City, and ſome in the
Country, we muſt ſay ſomething of the Orna
ments proper to each of theſe. Between a
Houſe in Town and a Houſe in the Country,
there is this further Difference, beſides what we
took notice of in the laſt Book, that the Orna
ments, for that in Town ought to be much
more grave than thoſe for a Houſe in the Coun
try, where all the gayeſt and moſt licentious
Embelliſhments are allowable. There is an
other Difference too between them, which is,
that in Town you are obliged to moderate
yourſelves in ſeveral Reſpects according to the
Privileges of your Neighbour; whereas you have
much more Liberty in the Country. In Town
you muſt not raiſe your Platform or Baſement
too high above your Neighbours, nor let your
Portico project too far forwards from the Line
of the adjacent Buildings. The Thickneſs and
Height of the Walls at Rome anciently were
not ſuffered to be according to every Man's
particular Fancy, but by an old Law were all
to be made according to a certain Standard;
and Julius Cæſar, upon account of the Miſ
chiefs that might happen from bad Foundati