CHAP. IX.
Of the Compartition, and of the Origin of Building.
The whole Force of the Invention and
all our Skill and Knowledge in the Art
of Building, is required in the Compartition:
Becauſe the diſtinct Parts of the entire Building,
and, to uſe ſuch a Word, the Entireneſs of each
of thoſe Parts, and the Union and Agreement of
all the Lines and Angles in the Work, duly
ordered for Convenience, Pleaſure and Beauty,
are diſpoſed and meaſured out by the Com
partition alone: for if a City, according to
the Opinion of Philoſophers, be no more than
a great Houſe, and, on the other Hand, a
Houſe be a little City; why may it not be
ſaid, that the Members of that Houſe are ſo
many little Houſes; ſuch as the Court-yard,
the Hall, the Parlour, the Portico, and the
like? And what is there in any of theſe,
which, if omitted by Careleſſneſs or Negli
gence, will not greatly take from the Praiſe
and Dignity of the Work. Great Care and
Diligence therefore is to be uſed in well con
ſidering theſe Things, which ſo much con
cern the whole Building; and in ſo ordering
it, that even the moſt inconſiderable Parts
may not be uncomformable to the Rules of
Art, and good Contrivance. What has been
already ſaid above of the Region and Platform,
may be of no ſmall uſe in doing of this aptly
and conveniently; and as the Members of the
Body are correſpondent to each other, ſo it is
fit that one Part ſhould anſwer to another in
a Building; whence we ſay, that great Edi
fices require great Members. Which indeed
was ſo well obſerved by the Ancients, that
they uſed much larger Bricks, as well as other
Materials, about publick and large Buildings,
than in private ones. To every Member there
fore ought to be allotted its fit Place and pro
per Situation; not leſs than Dignity requires,
not greater than Conveniency demands; not
in an impertinent or indecent Place, but in a
Situation ſo proper to itſelf, that it could be
ſet no where elſe more fitly. Nor ſhould the
Part of the Structure, that is to be of the
greateſt Honour, be thrown into a remote
Corner; nor that which ought to be the moſt
publick, into a private Hole; nor that which
ſhould be moſt private, be ſet in too conſpi
cuous a Place. We ſhould beſides have re
gard to the Seaſons of the Year, and make a
great deal of Difference between hot Places
and cold, both in Proportions and Situation.
If Rooms for Summer are large and ſpacious,
and thoſe for Winter more compact, it will
not be at all amiſs; the Summer ones ſhady and
open to the Air, and the Winter ones to the
Sun. And here we ſhould provide, that the
Inhabitants may not be obliged to paſs out of
a cold Place into a hot one, without a Medium
of temperate Air; or out of a warm one into
one expoſed to Cold and Winds; becauſe no
thing is ſo prejudicial to human Bodies. And
theſe ought to agree one Member with ano
ther to perfect and compoſe the main Deſign
and Beauty of the whole; that we may not
ſo lay out our whole Study in adorning one
Part, as to leave the reſt neglected and
homely in Compariſon of it; but let them
bear that Proportion among themſelves, that
they may appear to be an entire and perfect
Body, and not disjointed and unfiniſhed
Members. Moreover in the forming of theſe
Members too, we ought to imitate the Modeſty
of Nature; becauſe in this, as well as in other
Caſes, the World never commends a Modera
tion, ſo much as it blames an extravagant In
temperance in Building. Let the Members
therefore be modeſtly proportioned, and ne
ceſſary for your Uſes. For all Building in
general, if you conſider it well, owes it's
Birth to Neceſſity, was nurſed by Convenience,
and embelliſhed by Uſe; Pleaſure was the
laſt Thing conſulted in it, which is never
truly obtained by Things that are immode
rate. Let your Building therefore be ſuch,
that it may not want any Members which it
has not, and that thoſe which it has, may
not in any Reſpect deſerve to be condemned.
Nor would I have the Edifice terminated all
the Way with even continued Lines void of
all manner of Variety; for ſome pleaſe us by
their Largeneſs, others with being little, and
others moderate. One Part therefore ſhould
be terminated with ſtrait Lines, another with
curve, and another again with ſtrait and curve
mixed together; provided you obſerve the
Caution I have ſo often given you, to avoid
falling into the Error of Exceſs, ſo as to ſeem
all our Skill and Knowledge in the Art
of Building, is required in the Compartition:
Becauſe the diſtinct Parts of the entire Building,
and, to uſe ſuch a Word, the Entireneſs of each
of thoſe Parts, and the Union and Agreement of
all the Lines and Angles in the Work, duly
ordered for Convenience, Pleaſure and Beauty,
are diſpoſed and meaſured out by the Com
partition alone: for if a City, according to
the Opinion of Philoſophers, be no more than
a great Houſe, and, on the other Hand, a
Houſe be a little City; why may it not be
ſaid, that the Members of that Houſe are ſo
many little Houſes; ſuch as the Court-yard,
the Hall, the Parlour, the Portico, and the
like? And what is there in any of theſe,
which, if omitted by Careleſſneſs or Negli
gence, will not greatly take from the Praiſe
and Dignity of the Work. Great Care and
Diligence therefore is to be uſed in well con
ſidering theſe Things, which ſo much con
cern the whole Building; and in ſo ordering
it, that even the moſt inconſiderable Parts
may not be uncomformable to the Rules of
Art, and good Contrivance. What has been
already ſaid above of the Region and Platform,
may be of no ſmall uſe in doing of this aptly
and conveniently; and as the Members of the
Body are correſpondent to each other, ſo it is
fit that one Part ſhould anſwer to another in
a Building; whence we ſay, that great Edi
fices require great Members. Which indeed
was ſo well obſerved by the Ancients, that
they uſed much larger Bricks, as well as other
Materials, about publick and large Buildings,
than in private ones. To every Member there
fore ought to be allotted its fit Place and pro
per Situation; not leſs than Dignity requires,
not greater than Conveniency demands; not
in an impertinent or indecent Place, but in a
Situation ſo proper to itſelf, that it could be
ſet no where elſe more fitly. Nor ſhould the
Part of the Structure, that is to be of the
greateſt Honour, be thrown into a remote
Corner; nor that which ought to be the moſt
publick, into a private Hole; nor that which
ſhould be moſt private, be ſet in too conſpi
cuous a Place. We ſhould beſides have re
gard to the Seaſons of the Year, and make a
great deal of Difference between hot Places
and cold, both in Proportions and Situation.
If Rooms for Summer are large and ſpacious,
and thoſe for Winter more compact, it will
not be at all amiſs; the Summer ones ſhady and
open to the Air, and the Winter ones to the
Sun. And here we ſhould provide, that the
Inhabitants may not be obliged to paſs out of
a cold Place into a hot one, without a Medium
of temperate Air; or out of a warm one into
one expoſed to Cold and Winds; becauſe no
thing is ſo prejudicial to human Bodies. And
theſe ought to agree one Member with ano
ther to perfect and compoſe the main Deſign
and Beauty of the whole; that we may not
ſo lay out our whole Study in adorning one
Part, as to leave the reſt neglected and
homely in Compariſon of it; but let them
bear that Proportion among themſelves, that
they may appear to be an entire and perfect
Body, and not disjointed and unfiniſhed
Members. Moreover in the forming of theſe
Members too, we ought to imitate the Modeſty
of Nature; becauſe in this, as well as in other
Caſes, the World never commends a Modera
tion, ſo much as it blames an extravagant In
temperance in Building. Let the Members
therefore be modeſtly proportioned, and ne
ceſſary for your Uſes. For all Building in
general, if you conſider it well, owes it's
Birth to Neceſſity, was nurſed by Convenience,
and embelliſhed by Uſe; Pleaſure was the
laſt Thing conſulted in it, which is never
truly obtained by Things that are immode
rate. Let your Building therefore be ſuch,
that it may not want any Members which it
has not, and that thoſe which it has, may
not in any Reſpect deſerve to be condemned.
Nor would I have the Edifice terminated all
the Way with even continued Lines void of
all manner of Variety; for ſome pleaſe us by
their Largeneſs, others with being little, and
others moderate. One Part therefore ſhould
be terminated with ſtrait Lines, another with
curve, and another again with ſtrait and curve
mixed together; provided you obſerve the
Caution I have ſo often given you, to avoid
falling into the Error of Exceſs, ſo as to ſeem