1moves upon an odd Number of Feet. On
the contrary, they made their Apertures al
ways in uneven Numbers, as Nature herſelf
has done in ſome Inſtances, for tho' in Ani
mals ſhe has placed an Ear, an Eye, and a
Noſtril on each Side, yet the great Aperture,
the Mouth, ſhe has ſet ſingly in the Middle.
But among theſe Numbers, whether even or
uneven, there are ſome which ſeem to be
greater Favourites with Nature than others,
and more celebrated among learned Men;
which Architects have borrowed for the Com
poſition of the Members of their Edifices,
upon Account of their being endued with
ſome Qualities which make them more valu
able than any others.
the contrary, they made their Apertures al
ways in uneven Numbers, as Nature herſelf
has done in ſome Inſtances, for tho' in Ani
mals ſhe has placed an Ear, an Eye, and a
Noſtril on each Side, yet the great Aperture,
the Mouth, ſhe has ſet ſingly in the Middle.
But among theſe Numbers, whether even or
uneven, there are ſome which ſeem to be
greater Favourites with Nature than others,
and more celebrated among learned Men;
which Architects have borrowed for the Com
poſition of the Members of their Edifices,
upon Account of their being endued with
ſome Qualities which make them more valu
able than any others.
THUS all the Philoſophers affirm, that Na
ture herſelf conſiſts in a ternary Principle;
and ſo the Number five, when we conſider
the many Things, and thoſe ſo admirable and
various, which either follow this Number in
themſelves, or are derived from thoſe Things
which do, muſt be allowed to be divine in its
Nature, and worthily dedicated to the Gods
of the Arts, and particularly to Mercury. It is
certain, that Almighty God himſelf, the Crea
tor of all Things, takes particular Delight in
the Number Seven, having placed ſeven Pla
nets in the Skies, and having been pleaſed to
ordain with Regard to Man, the Glory of his
Creation, that Conception, Growth, Maturity
and the like, ſhould all be reduceable to this
Number Seven. Ariſtotle ſays, that the An
cients never uſed to give a Child a Name, till
it was ſeven Days old, as not thinking it was
deſtined to Life before; becauſe both the Seed
in the Womb, and the Child after its Birth, is
liable to very dangerous Accidents till the ſe
venth Day is over. Among odd Numbers,
that of Nine is highly celebrated, in which
Number that great Artiſt, Nature, made the
Spheres of Heaven; and the Philoſophers ſay,
that Nature in many, and thoſe the greateſt
Things, is contented with making uſe of the
ninth Part of a Whole. Thus forty is about
the Ninth Part of all the Days of the Year,
according to the Revolution of the Sun, and
Hippocrates tells us, that in forty Days the
Foetus is formed in the Womb. Moreover we
find, that in the Generality of acute Diſtem
pers, the Patient recovers at the End of forty
Days. At the End of the ſame Time Wo
men that are with Child of a Male, ceaſe their
Purgations, which, if they are delivered of a
Boy, after the ſame Term of forty Days, begin
afreſh. They ſay further, that the Child itſelf
for forty Days is never ſeen either to laugh or
ſhed Tears while it is awake; tho' in its Sleep
it will do both. And thus much of odd
Numbers.
ture herſelf conſiſts in a ternary Principle;
and ſo the Number five, when we conſider
the many Things, and thoſe ſo admirable and
various, which either follow this Number in
themſelves, or are derived from thoſe Things
which do, muſt be allowed to be divine in its
Nature, and worthily dedicated to the Gods
of the Arts, and particularly to Mercury. It is
certain, that Almighty God himſelf, the Crea
tor of all Things, takes particular Delight in
the Number Seven, having placed ſeven Pla
nets in the Skies, and having been pleaſed to
ordain with Regard to Man, the Glory of his
Creation, that Conception, Growth, Maturity
and the like, ſhould all be reduceable to this
Number Seven. Ariſtotle ſays, that the An
cients never uſed to give a Child a Name, till
it was ſeven Days old, as not thinking it was
deſtined to Life before; becauſe both the Seed
in the Womb, and the Child after its Birth, is
liable to very dangerous Accidents till the ſe
venth Day is over. Among odd Numbers,
that of Nine is highly celebrated, in which
Number that great Artiſt, Nature, made the
Spheres of Heaven; and the Philoſophers ſay,
that Nature in many, and thoſe the greateſt
Things, is contented with making uſe of the
ninth Part of a Whole. Thus forty is about
the Ninth Part of all the Days of the Year,
according to the Revolution of the Sun, and
Hippocrates tells us, that in forty Days the
Foetus is formed in the Womb. Moreover we
find, that in the Generality of acute Diſtem
pers, the Patient recovers at the End of forty
Days. At the End of the ſame Time Wo
men that are with Child of a Male, ceaſe their
Purgations, which, if they are delivered of a
Boy, after the ſame Term of forty Days, begin
afreſh. They ſay further, that the Child itſelf
for forty Days is never ſeen either to laugh or
ſhed Tears while it is awake; tho' in its Sleep
it will do both. And thus much of odd
Numbers.
As to even Numbers, ſome Philoſophers
teach, that the Number four is dedicated to
the Deity, and for this Reaſon it was uſed in
the Taking the moſt ſolemn Oaths, which
were repeated four Times; and they tell us,
that even among the moſt excellent Numbers,
that of ſix is the moſt perfect, or conſiſting of
all its own entire Parts, for Example:
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.3.1.5.2.2.2.6.6.6.6.2.4.3.3.6.6.teach, that the Number four is dedicated to
the Deity, and for this Reaſon it was uſed in
the Taking the moſt ſolemn Oaths, which
were repeated four Times; and they tell us,
that even among the moſt excellent Numbers,
that of ſix is the moſt perfect, or conſiſting of
all its own entire Parts, for Example:
And it is certain, that the Number eight has
an extraordinary Power in the Nature of
Things. Except in Ægypt, we never find,
that any Child born in the eighth Month, lives
long; nay, and even the Mother herſelf who
is is ſo delivered in the eighth Month, when
the Child is dead, will certainly, we are told,
die ſoon afterwards. If the Father touches
his Wife in the eighth Month, the Child will
be full of foul Humours, and its Skin will be
leprous and Scurfy, and nauſeous to the Sight.
Ariſtotle was of Opinion, that the Number
ten was the moſt perfect of all, which was
probably becauſe its ſquare is compoſed of four
continued Cubes put together. Upon theſe
Accounts the Architects have moſt frequently
made uſe of the foregoing Numbers; but in
their Apertures they ſeldom have exceeded
that of ten for an even, or nine for an odd
Number, eſpecially in Temples. We are now
to treat of the Finiſhing.
an extraordinary Power in the Nature of
Things. Except in Ægypt, we never find,
that any Child born in the eighth Month, lives
long; nay, and even the Mother herſelf who
is is ſo delivered in the eighth Month, when
the Child is dead, will certainly, we are told,
die ſoon afterwards. If the Father touches
his Wife in the eighth Month, the Child will
be full of foul Humours, and its Skin will be
leprous and Scurfy, and nauſeous to the Sight.
Ariſtotle was of Opinion, that the Number
ten was the moſt perfect of all, which was
probably becauſe its ſquare is compoſed of four
continued Cubes put together. Upon theſe
Accounts the Architects have moſt frequently
made uſe of the foregoing Numbers; but in
their Apertures they ſeldom have exceeded
that of ten for an even, or nine for an odd
Number, eſpecially in Temples. We are now
to treat of the Finiſhing.
BY the Finiſhing I underſtand a certain
mutual Correſpondence of thoſe ſeveral Lines,
by which the Proportions are meaſured, where
of one is the Length, the other the Breadth,
and the other the Height.
mutual Correſpondence of thoſe ſeveral Lines,
by which the Proportions are meaſured, where
of one is the Length, the other the Breadth,
and the other the Height.
THE Rule of theſe Proportions is beſt ga
thered from thoſe Things in which we find
Nature herfelf to be moſt compleat and ad
mirable; and indeed I am every Day more
and more convinced of the Truth of Pytha
goras's Saying, that Nature is ſure to act con
ſiſtently, and with a conſtant Analogy in all
her Operations: From whence I conclude,
thered from thoſe Things in which we find
Nature herfelf to be moſt compleat and ad
mirable; and indeed I am every Day more
and more convinced of the Truth of Pytha
goras's Saying, that Nature is ſure to act con
ſiſtently, and with a conſtant Analogy in all
her Operations: From whence I conclude,
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