06 The Ordonance of the Partis,

h. VII. there is nothing ought to hinder us from making some Change inthe establistfd Proportions, and finding out others that would ap-pear as beautiful. And I assert here, that these Proportions, onceregulated, ought^ioe to be alter d, and made different, in differentBuildings, for anyjKeafons of the Optics, or Difference of Aspects,they may have. But I foresee much more Contradiction in thissecond Paradox, than I found in the first, where I was only to en-counter the Opinion of Architects, who being govern d by the Ideathey have orlwhat is beautiful, do not consider this Idea as a thingthat they themselves have form’d, by Study, and by observing ap-proved Buildings; but take it for a natural Principle. For the restof the World, who are free from the Prepossession of Rules andCustom, and on that account, do not perceive whether an Astragal,on a Torus, have too much, or too little Height, or Projecture,will easily conclude, with me, that had the Proportions of Archi-tecture, Beauties that are natural, we should naturally know them,without any need of Instruction, by Use and Study. But, as tothe second Paradox, I am affur'd there is no one but thinks theChange of Proportions a thing very just and reasonable, and whois not confirm’d therein by that famous Story of the two Statues ofMinerva, made to be set on a very high place, of which, they pre-tend, one succeeded ill, because the Sculptor had not changed theProportions : and I doubt not but those who shall hear the Argu-ments on that Subject, may yeild to them as being specious, andbe very loth to quit an Opinion, which, they think, is sounded up-on Reasons so good as those drawn from the Optics, and the de-ceitfulnefs of our Senses, which they think it very reasonable thatArt should remedy.

For upon account, that the Images of things painted, in theEye, are smaller, and less distant, when the Objects are more re-mote, than when they are near, and that a foreright View makesthe Objects appear otherwise than an oblique one, they imagine weought to supply that Defect, and remedy it by Art: therefore theyfay, that Columns, which are usually really festersd towards thetop, should have a less Diminution, when they are very great,than when they are very small 5 because their Length makes themappear to be leffen’d upwards, as a Gallery seems narrower at thefurther End. They would likewise have the Entablatures upongreat Columns, larger than the regular Proportion, because theirHeight makes them appear small; and the Faces of the Members,"which are generally plum in moderate Situations, they would havelean forward, when plac'd very high, lest they should appear toonarrow; and lastly, they require that the Soffites, or under Parts ofthe Members, which are commonly level, should rife up before,

when