1pal Angles I cannot be pleaſed with thoſe
who make Towers and Battlements to a pri
vate Houſe, which belong of right entirely to
a Fortification, or to the Caſtle of a Tyrant,
and are altogether inconſiſtent with the peace
able Aſpect of a well-governed City or Com
monwealth, as they ſhew either a Diſtruſt of
our Countrymen, or a Deſign to uſe Violence
againſt them. Balconies in the Front of a
Houſe are beautiful enough, provided they are
not too large, heavy, and out of Proportion.
who make Towers and Battlements to a pri
vate Houſe, which belong of right entirely to
a Fortification, or to the Caſtle of a Tyrant,
and are altogether inconſiſtent with the peace
able Aſpect of a well-governed City or Com
monwealth, as they ſhew either a Diſtruſt of
our Countrymen, or a Deſign to uſe Violence
againſt them. Balconies in the Front of a
Houſe are beautiful enough, provided they are
not too large, heavy, and out of Proportion.
CHAP. V.
That the Beauty of all Edifices ariſes principally from three Things, namely,
the Number, Figure and Collocation of the ſeveral Members.
the Number, Figure and Collocation of the ſeveral Members.
I now come once more to thoſe Points which
I before promiſed to enquire into, namely,
wherein it is that Beauty and Ornament, uni
verſally conſidered, conſiſt, or rather whence
they ariſe. An Enquiry of the utmoſt Diffi
culty; for whatever that Property be which is
ſo gathered and collected from the whole
Number and Nature of the ſeveral Parts, or to
be imparted to each of them according to a
certain and regular Order, or which muſt be
contrived in ſuch a Manner as to join and unite
a certain Number of Parts into one Body or
Whole, by an orderly and ſure Coherence and
Agreement of all thoſe Parts: Which Proper
ty is what we are here to diſcover; it is cer
tain, ſuch a Property muſt have in itſelf ſome
thing of the Force and Spirit of all the Parts
with which it is either united or mixed, other
wiſe they muſt jar and diſagree with each other,
and by ſuch Diſcord deſtroy the Uniformity or
Beauty of the Whole: The Diſcovery of which,
as it is far from being eaſy or obvious in any
other Caſe, ſo it is particularly difficult and un
certain here; the Art of Architecture conſiſt
ing of ſo many various Parts, and each of thoſe
Parts requiring ſo many various Ornaments as
you have already ſeen. However, as it is neceſ
ſary in the Proſecution of our Deſign, we ſhall
uſe the utmoſt of our Abilities in clearing this
obſcure Point, not going ſo far about as to ſhew
how a compleat Knowledge of a Whole is to
be gained by examining the ſeveral Parts diſ
tinct; but beginning immediately upon what
is to our preſent Purpoſe, by enquiring what
that Property is which in its Nature makes a
Thing beautiful. The moſt expert Artiſts
among the Ancients, as we have obſerved elſe
where, were of Opinion, that an Edifice was
like an Animal, ſo that in the Formation of it
we ought to imitate Nature. Let us therefore
enquire how it happens that in the Bodies pro
duced by Nature herſelf ſome are accounted
more, others leſs beautiful, or even deformed.
It is manifeſt, that in thoſe which are eſteemed
beautiful, the Parts or Members are not con
ſtantly all the ſame, ſo as not to differ in any
Reſpect: But we find, that even in thoſe Parts
wherein they vary moſt, there is ſomething in
herent and implanted which though they dif
fer extremely from each other, makes each of
them beautiful. I will make uſe of an Ex
ample to illuſtrate my Meaning. Some admire
a Woman for being extremely ſlender and fine
ſhaped; the young Gentleman in Terence pre
fered a Girl that was plump and fleſhy: You
perhaps are for a Medium between theſe two
Extremes, and would neither have her ſo thin as
to ſeem waſted with Sickneſs, nor ſo ſtrong and
robuſt as if ſhe were a Ploughman in Diſguiſe,
and were fit for Boxing: In ſhort, you would
have her ſuch a Beauty as might be formed by
taking from the firſt what the ſecond might
ſpare. But then becauſe, one of theſe pleaſes
you more than the other, would you therefore
affirm the other to be not at all handſome or
graceful? By no means; but there may be ſome
hidden Cauſe why one ſhould plcaſe you more
than the other, into which I will not now pre
tend to enquire. But the Judgment which you
make that a Thing is beautiful, does not proceed
from mere Opinion, but from a ſecret Argu
ment and Diſcourſe implanted in the Mind it
ſelf; which plainly appears to be ſo from this,
that no Man beholds any Thing ugly or de
formed, without an immediate Hatred and
Abhorrence. Whence this Senſation of the
Mind ariſes, and how it is formed, would be a
Queſtion too ſubtle for this Place: However,
let us conſider and examine it from thoſe
Things which are obvious, and make more
immediately to the Subject in Hand: For with
out Queſtion there is a certain Excellence and
I before promiſed to enquire into, namely,
wherein it is that Beauty and Ornament, uni
verſally conſidered, conſiſt, or rather whence
they ariſe. An Enquiry of the utmoſt Diffi
culty; for whatever that Property be which is
ſo gathered and collected from the whole
Number and Nature of the ſeveral Parts, or to
be imparted to each of them according to a
certain and regular Order, or which muſt be
contrived in ſuch a Manner as to join and unite
a certain Number of Parts into one Body or
Whole, by an orderly and ſure Coherence and
Agreement of all thoſe Parts: Which Proper
ty is what we are here to diſcover; it is cer
tain, ſuch a Property muſt have in itſelf ſome
thing of the Force and Spirit of all the Parts
with which it is either united or mixed, other
wiſe they muſt jar and diſagree with each other,
and by ſuch Diſcord deſtroy the Uniformity or
Beauty of the Whole: The Diſcovery of which,
as it is far from being eaſy or obvious in any
other Caſe, ſo it is particularly difficult and un
certain here; the Art of Architecture conſiſt
ing of ſo many various Parts, and each of thoſe
Parts requiring ſo many various Ornaments as
you have already ſeen. However, as it is neceſ
ſary in the Proſecution of our Deſign, we ſhall
uſe the utmoſt of our Abilities in clearing this
obſcure Point, not going ſo far about as to ſhew
how a compleat Knowledge of a Whole is to
be gained by examining the ſeveral Parts diſ
tinct; but beginning immediately upon what
is to our preſent Purpoſe, by enquiring what
that Property is which in its Nature makes a
Thing beautiful. The moſt expert Artiſts
among the Ancients, as we have obſerved elſe
where, were of Opinion, that an Edifice was
like an Animal, ſo that in the Formation of it
we ought to imitate Nature. Let us therefore
enquire how it happens that in the Bodies pro
duced by Nature herſelf ſome are accounted
more, others leſs beautiful, or even deformed.
It is manifeſt, that in thoſe which are eſteemed
beautiful, the Parts or Members are not con
ſtantly all the ſame, ſo as not to differ in any
Reſpect: But we find, that even in thoſe Parts
wherein they vary moſt, there is ſomething in
herent and implanted which though they dif
fer extremely from each other, makes each of
them beautiful. I will make uſe of an Ex
ample to illuſtrate my Meaning. Some admire
a Woman for being extremely ſlender and fine
ſhaped; the young Gentleman in Terence pre
fered a Girl that was plump and fleſhy: You
perhaps are for a Medium between theſe two
Extremes, and would neither have her ſo thin as
to ſeem waſted with Sickneſs, nor ſo ſtrong and
robuſt as if ſhe were a Ploughman in Diſguiſe,
and were fit for Boxing: In ſhort, you would
have her ſuch a Beauty as might be formed by
taking from the firſt what the ſecond might
ſpare. But then becauſe, one of theſe pleaſes
you more than the other, would you therefore
affirm the other to be not at all handſome or
graceful? By no means; but there may be ſome
hidden Cauſe why one ſhould plcaſe you more
than the other, into which I will not now pre
tend to enquire. But the Judgment which you
make that a Thing is beautiful, does not proceed
from mere Opinion, but from a ſecret Argu
ment and Diſcourſe implanted in the Mind it
ſelf; which plainly appears to be ſo from this,
that no Man beholds any Thing ugly or de
formed, without an immediate Hatred and
Abhorrence. Whence this Senſation of the
Mind ariſes, and how it is formed, would be a
Queſtion too ſubtle for this Place: However,
let us conſider and examine it from thoſe
Things which are obvious, and make more
immediately to the Subject in Hand: For with
out Queſtion there is a certain Excellence and