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assistance . l in mii-try will be usefully employed in examiningthe nature of the varfeus substances which are introduced, and thefitness of cerium of time tor particular positions, and for unionwith other subsume**. Mechanics is of very extensive use, aswell for collecting, raising, and tixing the materials, as for settlingthe points of bearings, places of support, or of props, the situationand equilibrium ot the several parts, with their direction in respectto the horizon, Sec. Pneumatics and hydrostatics will be appliedwith considerable advantage in many cases of architecture: hencea good architect ought to he well acquainted with these sciences,to which several others may be added. See Architect. Theproportions of the different parts are determined chiefly by theuse to which they are destined. Thus, the doorjofa dwelling-house,which ought to correspond to the human size, is confined to sevenor eight feel in height, and three or four in breadth. The pro-portions assigned lo a stable or coach-house, are different. Thedoor of a church ought to be wide to afford an easy passage to amultitude ; and its height should therefore be in proportion, that itsappearance may please the eye. Thesize of windows ought always tobe in proportion to the dimensions of the room they are intended toilluminate. The proportion of rooms is either intrinsic or relative,though in most ca-es'both are included. The intrinsic proportion ofaroom is its length, breadth, and height; which being properly adjust-ed, we pronounce it of a beautiful proportion, without regard to anyother part of the building. But the relative beauty of proportionis as the whole area of the room is, to the magnitude of the houseof which it composes a part. A room may be well proportionedas to itself, but may, at the same time, be either too. large or toosmall for the whole edifice. With regard to the proportion theheight of a room should bear to the length and breadth, it mustbe rather uncertain in some eases, arising from that deception towhich the eye is subject, when its height exceeds 16 or 17 feet;yet if a proper optical allowance be made, we do not think theattainment of a beautiful proportion, so hazardous or arbitrary atask, as some architects would insinuate. A room 48 feet' inlength, and 24 in breadth and height, is well proportioned; butit is well known, that were we to reduce those to 12 and 24, aroom woultl approach too near the appearance of a gallery. Yetit is evident that, if the proportion be so adjusted as to be in themedium between these two, a room cannot produce a bad effect asto its size. For instance, if the height and breadth be 18 feeteach, and the length 36 feet, this proportion of a room is by archi-tects termed harmonic, or agreeable to the eye, answering todiapente, one of the chords in music, which includes the intervalfrom one to five, and is agreeable to the ear. Upon this princi-ple there are seven proportions assigned to rooms, which aretermed harmonies or agreeahles. The cube, cube and half,double cube, the subduple or 4, 3, and 2—ditto of 5, 4, and 3—ditto of 6, 4, and 3—and lastly', of 3, 2, and 1. Upon this scale,if the height of the room be 18 feet, as before, it is of the cubeform when its width and length are the same, or more properlywhen the floor, ceiling, and side-walls are all of one dimension.The 2d, or cube and half proportion, will be 27 feet long, and 18broad: the 3d, or double cube proportion, 36 feet by 18 broad ;the subduple of 4, 3, at>d 2, produces 36 feet in length, and 27 inbreadth ; ditto of 5, 4, and 3, produces 30 by 24 broad ; dittoof 6, 4, and 3, produces 36 by 24 broad, ditto of 3, 2, and 1,produces 54 by 36 broad. The double and single cube aretwo extreme proportions for rooms, and each of them requiresa certain scale of magnitude to render them beautiful anduseful: the former being applicable to a large room, the latter toa small one. It is evident, that the doctrine of harmonic propor-tions of rooms is not quite perfect, otherwise there could be noexceptions taken in any case. It is not so in the proportion ofsounds; every chord is alike pleasing upon any scale ; and thoughsome of the chords tire less perfect than others, yet all of themproduce harmony to every ear capable of the sweet sensation ofmusic. We therefore conclude, that though there exists a con-siderable agreement between the doctrine of sounds and the di-mensions of a room, yet they are not strictly analogous: conse-quently the judicious architect will make Ins own exceptions.Fneie is indeed no strict resemblance between the objects of dif-ferent senses. What pleases the ear in harmony is not tire pro-portion of the strings of the instrument, hut of the sounds whichthese strings produce. In architecture, on the contrary, it is theProportion of different quantities that pleases the eye, without theleast relation to sound. With regard to houses, we may observevol. l. —no. 13.
that in the country where gentlemen’s houses are detached, andare easily viewed m front and depth by an approaching traveller,a strict regard to proportion becomes necessary; for if the cubeform be adopted in very' large houses, it will appear uncouth andheavy ; whilst, on the other hand, it is equally disagreeable tosee a dwelling-house approach to the appearance of a lofty tower.Very high dwelling-houses prove exceedingly inconvenient; andtherefore, where beauty' of proportion is connected with utility,they ought rather to assume the figure ofa parallelopipedon rest-ing on its larger base. Hence that form of building which ratherspreads upon the ground than rises in height, is always preferred,hi towns the houses being generally attached to each other, theyunitedly compose a regular street or square; in which case, theproportions of an individual front are less obvious, and theirdepth in this respect immaterial. The great object of concern isthe uniformity of the whole, when completed; or of one indi-vidual house with the whole. In these situations, the proportionsof houses, and the length and extent of streets^ are rather subjectto acts of parliament than to architectural law’s. There are fourdifferent rates into which the proportions of houses in town aredivided or classed by the legislature. The first rate or houses ofthe largest size, are such as exceed nine squares of building;those ot the second rate are from five to nine squares: those of the 3dfrom three and a half to five squares: and of the fourth not ex-ceeding three squares and an half. Their height is regulated inlike manner, and the thickness of their walls and chimneys.Under such restrictions the architect must often proceed undergreat disadvantages, and must occasionally call iorlh the goodquality of docility recommended by Vitruvius . A proper situ-ation for building, where a choice can be had, is highly worlliyof the attention of an architect. It must be obvious that a risingground is much better suited for a magnificient palace than a con-cealed valley : and tliat it would be incongruous and absurd toerect a sumptuons building on a wild, uncultivated, and barrenground, destitute of water, woods, hills, or other natural beauties,which nature has assigned to various and even extensive por-tions of the earth. The chief objects of human concern beinghealth, pleasure, and convenience, whatever contribute to thesemust be studied with attention. Hence the necessity of a situationbest adapted for good air, a sufficient supply of wholesome waterat a convenient distance for family use and fertile grounds, whoseproduce in summer may render salubrious the element in whichwe breathe. For the same reasons, marshy, low, and barrenlands, (where even brutes will scarcely thrive) and more especiallystagnant waters, should be avoided. Some writers on architecturehave doubted whether a building can admit of any' ornaments butsuch as are useful, or at least have the appearance of being so. Butconsidering architecture no less as a fine than an useful art, bothkinds may be properly introduced. Of all the ornaments ingreat buildings, pillars are the chief. The destination of a pillaris to support, either in appearance or reality, the entablature.The most considerable ornaments used in architecture are the fiveorders of columns, pediments, arches, balusters, &c. The orna-ments of these ought to he suited to the purposes for which theyare intended. Plain and rustic ornaments would not a little dis-cord with the elegance of the Corinthian order, and sweet anddelicate ornaments no less with the strength of the Doric . There,are two general rules with respect to buildings of every kind.Oue rule, dictated by utility, is, that they be firm and' stable.Another dictated by beauty, is, that they also appear so to theeye: for every thing that appears tottering, and in hazard oftumbling down, produces in the spectator the painful emotion offear, instead of the pleasing emotion of beauty ; and accordinglyit should be the great care of the artist, that every part of hisedifice not only be well supported, but likewise appear to be so.Some have introduced a conceit in architecture, by giving partsof buildings the appearance, of falling; of this kind is the churchof St. Sophia in Constantinople : the round towers in the upper-mo,t stories of Gothic buildings are in the same false taste.
Of THE FIVE ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE , AND OTHERORNAMENTS.
The principal parts of an entire order are three ; the pedestal C,shaft B, and entablature A ; Plate XII. Fig. 1. each of these isagain subdivided into three smaller parts: The pedestal containstin: plinth i, the dado/i, and the cornice g. The column includesthe base f, the shaft c, and the capital d. The entablature consists3 H of