CHAP. IV.
With what Paintings, Plants, and Statues, it is proper to adorn the Pave
ments, Porticoes, Apartments and Gardens of a private Houſe.
ments, Porticoes, Apartments and Gardens of a private Houſe.
There are ſome other Ornaments ex
tremely proper for a private Houſe, by
no means to be omitted in this Place. The
Ancients ſtained the Pavements of their Porti
coes with Labyrinths, both ſquare and circular,
in which the Boys uſed to exerciſe themſelves.
I have myſelf ſeen Pavements ſtained in Imita
tion of the Bell-flower-weed, with its Branches
twining about very beautifully. Other have
paved their Chambers with a Sort of Moſaic
Work of Marble, in Imitation of Carpets, others
in Imitation of Garlands and Branches of Trees.
It was a very ingenious Invention of Oſis, who
ſtrewed the Pavement at Pergamus with inlaid
Work, in Imitation of the Fragments that lie
ſcattered about after Meals; an Ornament not
ill ſuited to a Parlour. Agrippa was very right
in making his Floors of common baked Earth.
I, for my Part, hate every Thing that ſavours
of Luxury or Profuſion, and am beſt pleaſed
with thoſe Ornaments which ariſe principally
from the Ingenuity and Beauty of the Contri
vance. Upon ſide Walls no Sort of Painting
ſhews handſomer than the Repreſentation of
Columns in Architecture. Titius Cæſar adorn
ed the Walls of the Portico in which he uſed
to walk, with a Sort of Phœnician Stone ſo fine
ly poliſhed, that it returned the Reflection of
all the Objects like a Looking-glaſs. Antoninus
Caracalla, the Emperor, painted his Portico
with the memorable Exploits and Triumphs of
his Father. Severus did the ſame; but Aga
thocles painted not his Father's Actions, but his
own. Among the Perſians, according to their
ancient Laws, it was not permitted to paint or
carve any other Story, but of the wild Beaſts
ſlain by their Kings. It is certain, the brave
and memorable Actions of one's Countrymen,
and their Effigics, are Ornaments extremely
ſuitable both to Porticoes and Halls. Caius
Cæſar embelliſhed his Portico with the Statues
of all thoſe that had enlarged the Confines of
the Republick, and he gained a general Ap
probation by ſo doing. I am as much pleaſed
as any body with this Kind of Ornaments; but
yet I would not have the Wall too much
crowded with Statues or Hiſtory Pieces. We
may find by Gems, and eſpecially by Pearls,
that if they are ſet too thick together, they loſe
their Beauty. For this Reaſon, in ſome of the
moſt convenient and moſt conſpicuous Parts of
the Wall, I am for making handſome Pannels
of Stone, in which we may place either Sta
tues, or Pictures; ſuch as Pompey had carried
along in his Triumph; Repreſenting his Ex
ploits both by Sea and Land in Picture. Or
rather, I am for having Pictures of ſuch Ficti
ons of the Poets, as tend to the Promotion of
good Manners; ſuch as that of Dædalus, who
painted the Gates of Cumæ with the Repre
ſentation of Icarus flying. And as the Sub
jects both of Poetry and Painting are various,
ſome expreſſing the memorable Actions of great
Men; others Repreſenting the Manners of pri
vate Perſons; others deſcribing the Life of
Ruſticks: The former, as the moſt Majeſtick,
ſhould be applied to publick Works, and the
Buildings of Princes; and the latter, as the
more chearful, ſhould be ſet apart for Pleaſure
houſes and Gardens. Our Minds are delight
ed in a particular Manner with the Pictures of
pleaſant Landskips, of Havens, of Fiſhing,
Hunting, Swimming, Country Sports, of flowery
Fields and thick Groves. Neither is it foreign
to our preſent Purpoſe juſt to mention, that
Octavianus, the Emperor, adorned his Palace
with the huge Bones of ſome extraordinary
Animals. The Ancients uſed to dreſs the
Walls of their Grottoes and Caverns with all
Manner of rough Work, with little Chips of
Pumice, or ſoft Tyburtine Stone, which Ovid
calls the living Pumice; and ſome I have known
dawb them over with green Wax, in Imitati
on of the moſſy Slime which we always ſee in
moiſt Grottoes. I was extremely pleaſed with
an artificial Grotto which I have ſeen of this
Sort, with a clear Spring of Water falling from
it; the Walls were compoſed of various Sorts of
Sea-ſhells, lying roughly together, ſome reverſ
ed, ſome with their Mouths outwards, their
Colours being ſo artfully blended as to form a
very beautiful Variety. In that Apartment
which is peculiar to the Maſter of the Family
and his Wife, we ſhould take Care that nothing
tremely proper for a private Houſe, by
no means to be omitted in this Place. The
Ancients ſtained the Pavements of their Porti
coes with Labyrinths, both ſquare and circular,
in which the Boys uſed to exerciſe themſelves.
I have myſelf ſeen Pavements ſtained in Imita
tion of the Bell-flower-weed, with its Branches
twining about very beautifully. Other have
paved their Chambers with a Sort of Moſaic
Work of Marble, in Imitation of Carpets, others
in Imitation of Garlands and Branches of Trees.
It was a very ingenious Invention of Oſis, who
ſtrewed the Pavement at Pergamus with inlaid
Work, in Imitation of the Fragments that lie
ſcattered about after Meals; an Ornament not
ill ſuited to a Parlour. Agrippa was very right
in making his Floors of common baked Earth.
I, for my Part, hate every Thing that ſavours
of Luxury or Profuſion, and am beſt pleaſed
with thoſe Ornaments which ariſe principally
from the Ingenuity and Beauty of the Contri
vance. Upon ſide Walls no Sort of Painting
ſhews handſomer than the Repreſentation of
Columns in Architecture. Titius Cæſar adorn
ed the Walls of the Portico in which he uſed
to walk, with a Sort of Phœnician Stone ſo fine
ly poliſhed, that it returned the Reflection of
all the Objects like a Looking-glaſs. Antoninus
Caracalla, the Emperor, painted his Portico
with the memorable Exploits and Triumphs of
his Father. Severus did the ſame; but Aga
thocles painted not his Father's Actions, but his
own. Among the Perſians, according to their
ancient Laws, it was not permitted to paint or
carve any other Story, but of the wild Beaſts
ſlain by their Kings. It is certain, the brave
and memorable Actions of one's Countrymen,
and their Effigics, are Ornaments extremely
ſuitable both to Porticoes and Halls. Caius
Cæſar embelliſhed his Portico with the Statues
of all thoſe that had enlarged the Confines of
the Republick, and he gained a general Ap
probation by ſo doing. I am as much pleaſed
as any body with this Kind of Ornaments; but
yet I would not have the Wall too much
crowded with Statues or Hiſtory Pieces. We
may find by Gems, and eſpecially by Pearls,
that if they are ſet too thick together, they loſe
their Beauty. For this Reaſon, in ſome of the
moſt convenient and moſt conſpicuous Parts of
the Wall, I am for making handſome Pannels
of Stone, in which we may place either Sta
tues, or Pictures; ſuch as Pompey had carried
along in his Triumph; Repreſenting his Ex
ploits both by Sea and Land in Picture. Or
rather, I am for having Pictures of ſuch Ficti
ons of the Poets, as tend to the Promotion of
good Manners; ſuch as that of Dædalus, who
painted the Gates of Cumæ with the Repre
ſentation of Icarus flying. And as the Sub
jects both of Poetry and Painting are various,
ſome expreſſing the memorable Actions of great
Men; others Repreſenting the Manners of pri
vate Perſons; others deſcribing the Life of
Ruſticks: The former, as the moſt Majeſtick,
ſhould be applied to publick Works, and the
Buildings of Princes; and the latter, as the
more chearful, ſhould be ſet apart for Pleaſure
houſes and Gardens. Our Minds are delight
ed in a particular Manner with the Pictures of
pleaſant Landskips, of Havens, of Fiſhing,
Hunting, Swimming, Country Sports, of flowery
Fields and thick Groves. Neither is it foreign
to our preſent Purpoſe juſt to mention, that
Octavianus, the Emperor, adorned his Palace
with the huge Bones of ſome extraordinary
Animals. The Ancients uſed to dreſs the
Walls of their Grottoes and Caverns with all
Manner of rough Work, with little Chips of
Pumice, or ſoft Tyburtine Stone, which Ovid
calls the living Pumice; and ſome I have known
dawb them over with green Wax, in Imitati
on of the moſſy Slime which we always ſee in
moiſt Grottoes. I was extremely pleaſed with
an artificial Grotto which I have ſeen of this
Sort, with a clear Spring of Water falling from
it; the Walls were compoſed of various Sorts of
Sea-ſhells, lying roughly together, ſome reverſ
ed, ſome with their Mouths outwards, their
Colours being ſo artfully blended as to form a
very beautiful Variety. In that Apartment
which is peculiar to the Maſter of the Family
and his Wife, we ſhould take Care that nothing