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useful in making fac-similes, but for reducing or enlargingdrawings in any proportion; but of all instruments employedin copying rectilinear or regular curved-lined drawings, ormixed of the two, the proportional compass is the most accu-rate, the most expeditious and convenient instrument ever yetinvented ; and if the parts of the drawing stand at differentoblique angles, a pair of triangular compasses will be neces-sary to assist in taking the angles. Although the penta-graph will of itself enlarge or reduce, or make equal, andfind the quantity of the angle, it requires much room, andfor drawing straight lines and curves, the tracer to be drawnalong a straight-edge. In retrograding or retracing a linein the same path, towards the contrary extremity to which itwas drawn, the representative line is liable to be doubled.The pentagraph is therefore a cumbersome and inaccurateinstrument for such purposes, and should only be used inreducing for rough or sketch-maps, &c., where great accu-racy may not be absolutely necessary.

Counterforts, projections of masonry or brickwork froma wall, built at regular intervals, in order to strengthen thewall, or to resist a pressure of earth behind it, the counterfortsincreasing the breadth of its base, and thereby aiding theresistance against the power which tends to overturn it.

Counter Gauge, in carpentry, a method used to measurethe joints by transferring, e.g. the breadth of a mortise to theplace of the other timber where the tenon is to be made, inorder to adapt them to each other.

Counter Latii, in tiling, a lath placed between every twogauged ones, so as to divide every interval, as near as can bejudged by the eye, into two equal intervals.

Counter Light, a window opposite to anything whichmakes it appear to a disadvantage: a single counter light issufficient to take away all the beauty of a fine painting.

Counter Parts, of a building, are the similar and equalparts of the design on each side of the middle of theedifice ; they are absolutely necessary to the characterof a Grecian or Roman edifice, but in Gothic buildingsa duplicature of parts is not requisite.

COUNTRY-HOUSE, as its name implies, one erected inthe country. In the erection of these, under a liberal .em-ployer, the architect has the greatest scope for his fancy,ingenuity, and skill in contrivance. He is not confined tospace, as in town-houses, and therefore has it in his powerto extend in any direction consistent with the nature of hisdesign. For farther information, see Villa, and House.

COUPLE-CLOSE, a pair of spars of a roof.

COUPLED COLUMNS, those which are disposed inpairs, making a narrow and wide interval succeed eachother alternately. Of this disposition of columns, ancientarchitecture affords no instance ; for, although in the templeof Bacchus at Rome, the columns are coupled, or stand inpairs, still the intervals between are all equal. The only useof coupled columns is in low colonnades, or porticos of edi-fices which have large piers, where the employment of singlecolumns would have a meagre appearance. The ancient dis-position of columns in the same range was always beautiful,on account of the proportion of the intercolumn being alwaysnarrow. In the application of columns to modern architec-ture, the intercolumniations must be regulated by the aper-tures of our domestic edifices, but the ancients were under nosufh restrictions. The perspective succession or gradation ofcoupled columns, is not so harmonious as when columns standsingle. If a design be well suggested, there will be little occa-sion for their employment. See Column, Colonnade .

COUPLES, rafters framed together in pairs, with a tie,which is generally fixed above the feet of the rafters. Thismode of framing is used in the ordinary houses of Scotland , j

without either principals or purlins. The raftersare most commonly notched, and the tie which rrV**is also notched with a dovetail. In a building about ^wide, the spars may be 7 inches at bottom, 6 inches21 inches thick, and about 2 feet 2 inches apart, for bo

covered with slate.

Couples, Main , or Main Couples, the same as terB ifor roofs, which support the roof in different bays : 111, is also used in the north. . .. jn a

COURSE, a continued level range of stones or h rlC p g n9,wall, as far as the solid part runs. It sometimes ® {J* gjidthat a course of masonry is only laid to a certain leng ’ jnthe other part or complement divided into two cou t0the same height as the single course ; but this ougn tr je9be admissible, and should be specified against, in c e jnwhere the contractors are ready to take every adva °^o-order to save the expense of larger stones, or to a ■date themselves with those already at hand. wb° se

Course of the Face of an Arch, the arch-stones, •st on®.joints radiate to the centre. In stone work, the arare called voussoirs or ring-stones, in the face of th e ® jjj-ick'each radiating part consists of one stone only- .escon 9 ’^work, each part, of one thickness of brick, sometime. g^l

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or

of several bricks in length : but whether one 1 j 0llbricks be contained between two adjacent radiating

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the quantity thus disposed is called a course.

Course, in slating and tiling, a row of slates or jin®posed with their lower ends in the same level, ^

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may either be a straight line or a circle.

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Course of Plinths, the continuity of a plinth in 1 co<of a wall, to mark the separation of the stones. /• - jS pio^of plinths is otherwise called string course, which vf ;thfrequently executed with stone, but sometimes aplaster, to save expense.

Course, Barge. See Barge-Course.

Course, Blocking. See Blocking-Course. , j D toCourse, Bonding, that which is farther inserte gg 0wall than either of the adjacent courses, for the p uppingbinding the wall together. Two bonding-courses^^ t ieupon each other, one from the face, and the oi ^ e f pla° eback, make excellent work : these courses shouldso as to leave regular intervals for stretching-coursthem, on each side of the wall. __

Course, heading, the same as Bonding-CouRthe last article.

Course, Springing. See Spring ing-Course-Course, Stretching. See Stretching-Course- j-uB iCoursed Masonry, that in which the stoncourses. {

Coursing Joint, the joint between two course^ i° ^°%COURT, an hypsethral, or uncovered area, ei ^ itof a house, or surrounded entirely by the JntS S SU rr 0 °i>'impossible on the same floor to light apartment ^. 0 ct>with other apartments on all sides, and these j^poS 9 ’pletely covered with other apartments, it will b ^ or0 tto execute an extensive building, which may * ia , 0 ne .three rooms in length and breadth, and more t enttt t hein height, without the intermediate rooms b® 1 ^® fyon* ydark, or receiving their light by secondary win o ^exterior rooms ; hence the necessity of i nt ? ,d ^ u jldinS’ ^ \intermediate courts as the extension of the b r ® a .p- I

regard to the number of rooms, both in length ,jt , Jmay require, will be obvious. Mr. Barry ba® q’ra' r f .^g |tageous use of a court of this description ,n . ft b 11 * 1 -yClub-house. See Club-House. It is true, c 0 nt a,,1 9 jo [ |can be executed without courts, and that * t . nia ^ 0 t° oa>number of rooms; but it must have only 1 \\

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