21 i
string-at may be made to answer shafts of any dimensions, bymaking the respective grooves capable of extension by the useof sliders and moveable centres. The proportions of the heightsand projections of the several members are determined or mea-sured by the diameter at the lower part of the shaft, the diameteris divided into (50 parts, called minutes; half a diameter or 30minutes, is called a module.
This order, as its name evinces, originated in Tuscany . It isthe most solid and simple of all the orders, being composed offew parts, devoid of ornament;, ami so massy, that it seemscapable of supporting the heaviest burden. There are no remainsof a regular Tuscan order among'the antiques: the doctrine ofVitruvius concerning it is obscure ; and the profiles of I’alladio,Scamozzi, Serlio , de l’Orme, and Vignola, are all imperfect.Yicnoia’s is however preferred by most architects; and accord-ingly, a profile nearly approaching to it is given in Plate XII.fig. 2. The Tuscan order, on account of its strong and massyproportions, has obtained the name of the rustic orik-r ; in con-formity to which character, it is generally employed in farm-houses, stables, and the like edifices. It is however sometimesused in superior buildings, where ornaments are not required,but where strength is the principal object. Its proportions are,fourteen modules or seven diameters for the height of thecolumn ; three modules and a half for the whole entablature,which being divided into ten equal parts, three are for the heightof the architrave, three for the frieze, and four for the cornice:the capital is in height one module. The base, including (as ispeculiar to the measurement of this order) the lower cincture ofthe shaft, is one module; and the shaft with its upper cinctureand astragal is twelve modules.
Of the Istercolumniation of the Orders.
Columns are either engaged or insulated ; and when insulatedor detached from the wall, they are cither very near, or at a con-'siderable distance from it. When they are placed at a consider-able distance from the wall, they are destined to support the en-tablature ; and their distance from each other should be consistentboth with their real and apparent solidity. Engaged columns areattached to the wall, and are not limited in their intercolumnia-tions, as they depend ou the breadth of the arches, doors, win-dows, niches, or other decorations placed in them. The ancientsused five different species of iulercolumniations, which, accordingto Vitruvius and Palladio, are as follows: 1. The Pvcnostyle, ofwhich the interval or space is one and a half of the inferior dia-meter of the column. 2. The Systyle, whose interval is twodiameters. 3. The Eustyle, two diameters and a quarter. 4. TheDiastvle, three diameters—and 5. The Arseostyle, four diameters.The three first of these were used by the Grecians, in the Doric ,Ionic , and Corinthian orders ; but the distances of the triglyphsof the Doric determined the iulercolumniations of that order.
Of Arches and their Ornaments .
Arches are not so magnificent as colonadtr-; but they are moresolid and less expensive. They are proper tor triumphal entrances,gates of cities, of palaces, of gardens, and of parks, and, ingeneral, for all openings that require ail extraordinary breadth.There are various manners of adorning arches. Sometimes theirpiers are rusticated; sometimes they are adorned with pilasters,termini, or caryatides ; and sometimes they are made sufficientlybroad to admit niches or windows. The circular pert ef the arc'llis either surrounded with rustic key-stones, or w ith an archivoltenriched with mouldings; which, in the middle, is sometimes in-terrupted by a console, or mask, serving at the same time as akey to the arch, and as a support to the architrave of the order.The archivolt is sometimes supported by an impost, at the headof the pier; and at others by columns placed cm each side ofit, w : tli a regular entablature, < r architrave and cornice. Thereare bkewi.e instances of arcades without piers, the archest beingturned on ingle column-, as m the temple of Faunus at Home,A’c. Put this practice ought not to be imitated, as it is neithersolid nor handsome. When ar. ades, however, are employed toornament domestic apartments, the breadth of the pier neednot exceed one quarter of the opening of the arch. Whenarches are closed up. to receive doors, windows, rr niches, therecess should be sufficient to contain ail the projections of what
is placed therein, otherwise their appearance is clumsy, and willbecome too principal, which produces a bad effect in the com-position. When arches are large, the key-stone should never beomitted, but cut in the form of a console, and carried close underthe soffit of the architrave, which, on account of its extraordinarylength, requires a support in the middle. The imposts of archesshould never be omitted ; at least, if they be, a platform oughtto supply their place. If columns are employed without pedestals in arcades, they should always be raised on a plinth. Theproportions peculiar to the Tuscan arch, without pedestals, areas follows ; In height, their aperture is seven diameters and aquarter, in width tour, and from centre to centre of the columns,six diameters. The archivolt and imposts are half a diameter,and from the top of the archivolt to the underside of the archi-trave should not be less than 15 minutes. The breadth of thekev-stone at the bottom is equal to its archivolt; and its spreadingsides are determined by lines drawn from the centre of the arch,as is shewn in the plate. The plinth is one diameter in height,and the proportions of the column and entablature are the samewith the Tuscan profile. For the proportions of the moulding ofthe archivolt and imposts, see Plate XIII. The Tuscan archwith pedestals is in width four and a half, and in heigh,t eight dia-meters, and a quarter; and from centre to centre of each pieris six and three-quarters. In ever) other particular they are sub-ject to the preceding rules.
The Doric Order, which derived its name from the Dorians, .,a nation of ancient Achaia, as to its character, is'by architects con-sidered grave, robust, and of masculine aspect: hence it is figura-tively termed the Herculean order. The ancients accordinglyused it in their temples dedicated to Juno, Minerva, Mars , anilHercules. This order may be properly used in colonnades, por-ticoes, halls, gates of cities,.and public buildings erected in me-mory of heroes, or famous personages. In most of the antiques,the Doric column is executed without a base. Vitruvius makesit without one ; the base, according to him, having been first em-ployed in the Ionic order, in imitation of the sandals worn on wo-men’s feet, Scamozzi blames this practice, and most of the mo-derns are of his way of thinking. Agreeably to the practice of Palla-dio and of our modern architects, we have introduced an atticbase to this order; yet, in ornamental temples, for gardens, &c.-we are decidedly ot opinion, that the Grecian style should he co-pied, strictly ami preserved chaste, according to the remains of an-tiquity, as discovered by both ancient and modern architects, who-have with great diligence and expence explored their ruinous,piles, to obtain accurate measurements of the several parts; parti-cularly our countryman James Stuart , Esq. who, in three folio vo-lumes, has presented to public view the antiquities of Athens,' inwhich we have a clear display of pure Grecian architecture. Inthese we sec, as well as in other works, that the Doric column waswithout a base, but its shaft decorated w ith a number o:' channel-lings or Hidings peculiar to itself: for in the other orders, an in-terval or fillet is introduced between each (luting, but in this it isotherwise. The other members which mark the peculiar featureot this order are the trig!;, ph and mutule. The mutules are con-sidered as a memorial or imitation of the primitive huts, whosebeams are seen to project outwardly under the roof; but the tri-glyph.is thought by some to be emblematical of the use of the firsttemple erected according to this order, which was dedicated to.Apollo, 1 o whose harp the triglyph bears some sort of resemblance.The metope, or spaces between the triglyphs, have been variouslyenriched. Palladio introduced ox’s sends, with lighted torcheshanging from each horn, and placed alternately with pateras ex-pressive of the sacrificial offerings performed to the heathen deities.Various other ornaments may, however, be introduced with pro-priety, both in public and private buildings. In the latter, crestsand badges of dignity, head-, vases, or "pateras, encircled withgarlands of oak or laurel, are very .suitable; in military structures;heads of Mars, Medusa , or the Furies, may be admitted. Whenthis order is employed in churches and other religious edifices,the metope may have cherubs chalice.-, doves, garlands of palmand olive, &c. The following are the proportions of the principalparts of this order,, as appear in it- pro.de, in Plate XII. tig. 3.The whole height ot the order, including its pedestal, is 12 dia-meters and a half. 1 he pedestal is two and a half; the base, shaft;
and.