1the City flouriſhed, was covered with Straw
and Reeds, the Romans ſtill adhering to the an
cient Parſimony of their Forefathers. But when
the great Wealth of their Kings and of many
of their Citizens brought them to think of ho
nouring themſelves and their City by the State
lineſs of their Edifices, they looked upon it to
be a Shame that the Habitations of the Gods
ſhould not be made handſomer than the Houſes
of Men; and this Humour in a ſhort Time
made ſo great a Progreſs, that only in the
Foundation of one ſingle Temple, while the
City was yet extremely frugal, King Numa
laid out four thouſand Pounds Weight of Sil
ver: And I highly commend that Prince for
this Act of Generoſity, as it was done out of
Regard to the Dignity of the City, and to the
Reverence which is due to the Gods, to whom
we owe all Things: Though it has been the
Opinion of ſome, who have had the Reputati
on of Wiſdom, that it is very improper to de
dicate or build any Temples at all to the Gods,
and we are told, that it was in this Perſuaſion
that Xerxes burnt down the Temples in Greece,
thinking it an impious Thing to ſhut up the
Gods between Walls, to whom all Things
ought to be open, and to whom the whole
World ought to ſerve as a Temple. But let
us return to our Subject.
and Reeds, the Romans ſtill adhering to the an
cient Parſimony of their Forefathers. But when
the great Wealth of their Kings and of many
of their Citizens brought them to think of ho
nouring themſelves and their City by the State
lineſs of their Edifices, they looked upon it to
be a Shame that the Habitations of the Gods
ſhould not be made handſomer than the Houſes
of Men; and this Humour in a ſhort Time
made ſo great a Progreſs, that only in the
Foundation of one ſingle Temple, while the
City was yet extremely frugal, King Numa
laid out four thouſand Pounds Weight of Sil
ver: And I highly commend that Prince for
this Act of Generoſity, as it was done out of
Regard to the Dignity of the City, and to the
Reverence which is due to the Gods, to whom
we owe all Things: Though it has been the
Opinion of ſome, who have had the Reputati
on of Wiſdom, that it is very improper to de
dicate or build any Temples at all to the Gods,
and we are told, that it was in this Perſuaſion
that Xerxes burnt down the Temples in Greece,
thinking it an impious Thing to ſhut up the
Gods between Walls, to whom all Things
ought to be open, and to whom the whole
World ought to ſerve as a Temple. But let
us return to our Subject.
CHAP. III.
With how much Thought, Care and Diligence we ought to lay out and adorn
our Temples; to what Gods and in what Places we ſhould build them, and
of the various Kinds of Sacrifices.
our Temples; to what Gods and in what Places we ſhould build them, and
of the various Kinds of Sacrifices.
In the whole Compaſs of the Art of Build
ing, there is nothing in which we ought to
employ more Thought, Care and Diligence
than in the laying out and adorning a Tem
ple; becauſe, not to mention that a Temple
well built and handſomely adorned is the great
eſt and nobleſt Ornament a City can have; it
is moreover the Habitation of the Gods: And
if we adorn and beautify the Houſe where a
King or any great Man is to dwell, with all the
Art we are Maſters of, what ought we to do
to thoſe of the immortal Gods? Whom we
expect, when invoked, to be preſent at our Sa
crifices, and to give Ear to our Prayers. And
though the Gods may deſpiſe thoſe periſhable
Things which we moſt highly value; yet Men
are moved by the Purity of beautiful Materials,
and raiſed by them to Reverence and Devoti
on for the Deity to which they are ſacred. It
is certain that Temples may be of great Uſe
for ſtirring up Men to Piety, by filling their
Minds with Delight, and Entertaining them
with Admiration of their Beauty. The An
cients were wont to ſay, that Piety was ho
noured when the Temples were frequented.
For this Reaſon I would have the Temple
made ſo beautiful, that the Imagination ſhould
not be able to form an Idea of any Place more
ſo; and I would have every Part ſo contrived
and adorned, as to fill the Beholders with Awe
and Amazement, at the Conſideration of ſo
many noble and excellent Things, and almoſt
force them to cry out with Aſtoniſhment:
This Place is certainly worthy of God! Strabo
ſays, that the Mileſians built their Temple ſo
large, that they were not able to make a Roof
to cover it; which I do not approve. The
Samians boaſted of having the biggeſt Temple
in the World. I am not againſt building them
ſuch, that it ſhould be very hard to make any
Addition to them. Ornaments are in a Man
ner infinite, and even in ſmall Temples there is
always ſomething which we imagine might
and ought to be added. I would have the
Temple as large as the Bigneſs of the City re
quires, but not unmeaſurably huge. What I
ſhould chiefly deſire in a Temple, would be
this, that every Thing which you behold ſhould
be ſuch; that you ſhould be at a Stand which
moſt to commend, the Genius and Skill of the
Workmen, or the Zeal and Generoſity of the
Citizens in procuring and dedicating ſuch rare
and beautiful Materials to this Service; and
be doubtful whether thoſe very Materials con
duce moſt to Beauty and Statelineſs, or to Du
ration, which, as in all other Buildings both
publick and private, ſo chiefly in the Structure
of Temples, ought to be very carefully con
ſulted; in as much as it is in the higheſt De
gree reaſonable that ſuch a great Expence
ſhould be well ſecured from being loſt by means
of any Accidents, beſides that Antiquity gives
ing, there is nothing in which we ought to
employ more Thought, Care and Diligence
than in the laying out and adorning a Tem
ple; becauſe, not to mention that a Temple
well built and handſomely adorned is the great
eſt and nobleſt Ornament a City can have; it
is moreover the Habitation of the Gods: And
if we adorn and beautify the Houſe where a
King or any great Man is to dwell, with all the
Art we are Maſters of, what ought we to do
to thoſe of the immortal Gods? Whom we
expect, when invoked, to be preſent at our Sa
crifices, and to give Ear to our Prayers. And
though the Gods may deſpiſe thoſe periſhable
Things which we moſt highly value; yet Men
are moved by the Purity of beautiful Materials,
and raiſed by them to Reverence and Devoti
on for the Deity to which they are ſacred. It
is certain that Temples may be of great Uſe
for ſtirring up Men to Piety, by filling their
Minds with Delight, and Entertaining them
with Admiration of their Beauty. The An
cients were wont to ſay, that Piety was ho
noured when the Temples were frequented.
For this Reaſon I would have the Temple
made ſo beautiful, that the Imagination ſhould
not be able to form an Idea of any Place more
ſo; and I would have every Part ſo contrived
and adorned, as to fill the Beholders with Awe
and Amazement, at the Conſideration of ſo
many noble and excellent Things, and almoſt
force them to cry out with Aſtoniſhment:
This Place is certainly worthy of God! Strabo
ſays, that the Mileſians built their Temple ſo
large, that they were not able to make a Roof
to cover it; which I do not approve. The
Samians boaſted of having the biggeſt Temple
in the World. I am not againſt building them
ſuch, that it ſhould be very hard to make any
Addition to them. Ornaments are in a Man
ner infinite, and even in ſmall Temples there is
always ſomething which we imagine might
and ought to be added. I would have the
Temple as large as the Bigneſs of the City re
quires, but not unmeaſurably huge. What I
ſhould chiefly deſire in a Temple, would be
this, that every Thing which you behold ſhould
be ſuch; that you ſhould be at a Stand which
moſt to commend, the Genius and Skill of the
Workmen, or the Zeal and Generoſity of the
Citizens in procuring and dedicating ſuch rare
and beautiful Materials to this Service; and
be doubtful whether thoſe very Materials con
duce moſt to Beauty and Statelineſs, or to Du
ration, which, as in all other Buildings both
publick and private, ſo chiefly in the Structure
of Temples, ought to be very carefully con
ſulted; in as much as it is in the higheſt De
gree reaſonable that ſuch a great Expence
ſhould be well ſecured from being loſt by means
of any Accidents, beſides that Antiquity gives