1Shaſt. But from that natural Inſtinct or Senſe
in the Mind by which, as we have already ob
ſerved, we judge of Beauty and Gracefulneſs,
they found, that one of theſe was too thick and
the other too ſlight; for which Reaſon they
altered them both, rightly ſuppoſing that the
Truth muſt lie in ſome Medium between theſe
two vitious Extremes. Accordingly, with the
Help of the Rules of the Arithmeticians, they
joined their two Numbers together, and divid
ed the Total in half, and then they found that
the mean Number between ſix and ten was
eight: Whereupon they made the Height of
their Column eight Times the Diameter of the
Bottom of the Shaft; and this they called the
Ionic. They alſo formed their Doric Column,
which is proper for Buildings of greater Solidi
ty, by the ſame Rules. For Example, they
joined the ſmaller Number before-mentioned,
which was ſix, with the Ionic mean, which was
eight, whereof the Total was fourteen; this
Total they divided into two equal Parts, and
this gave them the Number ſeven, which they
took for their Doric Column, making its Length
ſeven Times the Diameter of the Bottom of the
Shaft. Laſtly, they made their thinneſt Order,
which they called the Corinthian, from the Ionic
mean Number joined to the greateſt of the for
mer Numbers, and ſo taking the Half as
before; for the Ionic mean Number was eight,
and the greateſt Number was ten, which add
ed together made eighteen, the Half whereof
was nine, whence they made the Height of
their Corinthian Column nine Times the Dia
meter of the Bottom of its Shaft, as they did
the Ionic eight, and the Doric ſeven: Of which
we need ſay no more in this Place. We are
now to ſay ſomething of the Collocation, which
relates to the Situation of the ſeveral Parts;
and this is much eaſier to conceive where it is
ill done, than it is to lay down exact Rules for
the doing it: Becauſe indeed it is chiefly to be
referred to the natural Judgment which we
have formerly obſerved to be innate in the
Mind of Man, though it may in ſome Mea
ſure be derived from the foregoing Rules for
the Finiſhing. However, we ſhall juſt men
tion a few general Remarks upon this Head.
The very ſmalleſt Parts or Members of the
Work, if they are ſet in their right Places, add
to the Beauty of the whole; if they are placed
in mean or improper Situations, though excel
lent in themſelves, they become mean. We
ſee the very ſame Thing in the Works of Na
ture: As for Inſtance, if a Dog had one Ear
like that of an Aſs, or if a Man had one Foot
bigger than the other, or one Hand very large,
and the other very ſmall, we ſhould immedi
ately pronounce ſuch a one deformed; or to
ſee even an Horſe with one Eye grey, and the
other black, is very offenſive: So agreeable it
is to Nature, that the Members on the right
Side ſhould exactly anſwer the left: Wherefore
the very firſt Thing we are to take Care of
muſt be, that every Part, even the moſt Incon
ſiderable, lie duly to the Level and Plum-line,
and be diſpoſed with an exact Correſpondence
as to the Number, Form and Appearance; ſo
that the Right may anſwer to the Left, the
High to the Low, the Similar to the Similar, ſo
as to form a correſpondent Ornament in that
Body whereof they are Parts. Even Statues,
Pictures, or any other Ornaments of that Sort
with which we embelliſh our Work, muſt be ſo
diſpoſed as to ſeem to have ſprung up naturally
in their propereſt Places, and to be Twins. The
Ancients were ſo punctual in this mutual Cor
reſpondence of the Parts, that even in fixing
up their Scantlings of Marble, they uſed to
make them anſwer each other exactly to a
Size, Quality, Angles, Situation and Colour:
And eſpecially in thoſe moſt beautiful Orna
ments, Statues, wherein the Ancients were ſuch
great Maſters, and in which I ſo much admire
the Excellence of Art, they were careful in fix
ing them up, as well on Pediments of their
Temples, as elſewhere, that thoſe on one Side
ſhould not differ from thoſe on the other, in
the ſmalleſt Particular either of Deſign or Ma
terial. We ſee Statues of two or four Horſes,
and of their Drivers and Lookers on ſo exact
ly like to each other, that Art in them may be
ſaid to have exceeded Nature, in whoſe Works
we hardly ever ſee one Feature ſo exactly like
the other. Thus we have ſhewn what is Beauty,
and wherein it conſiſts, and with what Num
bers and Finiſhing the Ancients uſed to erect
their Structures.
in the Mind by which, as we have already ob
ſerved, we judge of Beauty and Gracefulneſs,
they found, that one of theſe was too thick and
the other too ſlight; for which Reaſon they
altered them both, rightly ſuppoſing that the
Truth muſt lie in ſome Medium between theſe
two vitious Extremes. Accordingly, with the
Help of the Rules of the Arithmeticians, they
joined their two Numbers together, and divid
ed the Total in half, and then they found that
the mean Number between ſix and ten was
eight: Whereupon they made the Height of
their Column eight Times the Diameter of the
Bottom of the Shaft; and this they called the
Ionic. They alſo formed their Doric Column,
which is proper for Buildings of greater Solidi
ty, by the ſame Rules. For Example, they
joined the ſmaller Number before-mentioned,
which was ſix, with the Ionic mean, which was
eight, whereof the Total was fourteen; this
Total they divided into two equal Parts, and
this gave them the Number ſeven, which they
took for their Doric Column, making its Length
ſeven Times the Diameter of the Bottom of the
Shaft. Laſtly, they made their thinneſt Order,
which they called the Corinthian, from the Ionic
mean Number joined to the greateſt of the for
mer Numbers, and ſo taking the Half as
before; for the Ionic mean Number was eight,
and the greateſt Number was ten, which add
ed together made eighteen, the Half whereof
was nine, whence they made the Height of
their Corinthian Column nine Times the Dia
meter of the Bottom of its Shaft, as they did
the Ionic eight, and the Doric ſeven: Of which
we need ſay no more in this Place. We are
now to ſay ſomething of the Collocation, which
relates to the Situation of the ſeveral Parts;
and this is much eaſier to conceive where it is
ill done, than it is to lay down exact Rules for
the doing it: Becauſe indeed it is chiefly to be
referred to the natural Judgment which we
have formerly obſerved to be innate in the
Mind of Man, though it may in ſome Mea
ſure be derived from the foregoing Rules for
the Finiſhing. However, we ſhall juſt men
tion a few general Remarks upon this Head.
The very ſmalleſt Parts or Members of the
Work, if they are ſet in their right Places, add
to the Beauty of the whole; if they are placed
in mean or improper Situations, though excel
lent in themſelves, they become mean. We
ſee the very ſame Thing in the Works of Na
ture: As for Inſtance, if a Dog had one Ear
like that of an Aſs, or if a Man had one Foot
bigger than the other, or one Hand very large,
and the other very ſmall, we ſhould immedi
ately pronounce ſuch a one deformed; or to
ſee even an Horſe with one Eye grey, and the
other black, is very offenſive: So agreeable it
is to Nature, that the Members on the right
Side ſhould exactly anſwer the left: Wherefore
the very firſt Thing we are to take Care of
muſt be, that every Part, even the moſt Incon
ſiderable, lie duly to the Level and Plum-line,
and be diſpoſed with an exact Correſpondence
as to the Number, Form and Appearance; ſo
that the Right may anſwer to the Left, the
High to the Low, the Similar to the Similar, ſo
as to form a correſpondent Ornament in that
Body whereof they are Parts. Even Statues,
Pictures, or any other Ornaments of that Sort
with which we embelliſh our Work, muſt be ſo
diſpoſed as to ſeem to have ſprung up naturally
in their propereſt Places, and to be Twins. The
Ancients were ſo punctual in this mutual Cor
reſpondence of the Parts, that even in fixing
up their Scantlings of Marble, they uſed to
make them anſwer each other exactly to a
Size, Quality, Angles, Situation and Colour:
And eſpecially in thoſe moſt beautiful Orna
ments, Statues, wherein the Ancients were ſuch
great Maſters, and in which I ſo much admire
the Excellence of Art, they were careful in fix
ing them up, as well on Pediments of their
Temples, as elſewhere, that thoſe on one Side
ſhould not differ from thoſe on the other, in
the ſmalleſt Particular either of Deſign or Ma
terial. We ſee Statues of two or four Horſes,
and of their Drivers and Lookers on ſo exact
ly like to each other, that Art in them may be
ſaid to have exceeded Nature, in whoſe Works
we hardly ever ſee one Feature ſo exactly like
the other. Thus we have ſhewn what is Beauty,
and wherein it conſiſts, and with what Num
bers and Finiſhing the Ancients uſed to erect
their Structures.
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