An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius Part 13

The _Organs_ played by help of two Suckets, which were pulled up or let down in the Bodies of the Pump. The Suckets pushed the Air with violence into a Funnel reversed in a Copper Coffer half full of VVater, and pressed the Water, and constrained it to ascend round about within the Coffer, which made that its weight in making it re-enter into the Funnel, pushed the Air into the Pipes, and made them Play, producing the same Effects that the Bellows did.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 14._]

They measured the way that the Ships make by the help of a little Mill, which was fastned to the Ship, and which turned by the resistance that its VVings found in the VVater when the Ship went forward and the Axle-tree of this Mill had a little Rong or Tooth, which every round pushed forwards one of the Teeth of the great VVheel, which turned another, and that another which turned a Pin or Handle, which marked the number of turnings, that the Mill made, by which means it was easie to take an account of the Perches, and Leagues that the Ship sailed.

They made use of the same _Machine_ on the Land, fixing to the Nave of the VVheel of a Coach, a Tooth which made many VVheels be turned as in the above-mentioned _Machine_, at the last of which, was fastned a Pin or Handle, which marked the number of Perches and Leagues. This _Machine_ had likewise a sort of a Counting VVheel, which at every Mile that the Coach went, let a Pibble fall into a Vessel of Bra.s.s, to give notice that they had gone a Mile.

ART. VII.

_Of Machines of War_.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 15._]

The _Machines_ of VVar of the Ancients were of three Sorts, for they were made either to Lance, Arrows, such as were the _Scorpions_ or _Javelins_, such as were the _Catapulta's_, or Stones, such as were _Ballista's_ or fiery Darts, such as were the _Pyroboli_, or they were made to beat down the VValls, such as were the battering Rams, and the _Terebra_, or to come covered to the VValls, and so safely Mount the Ramparts, such as were the _Tortoises_ or _Testudo's_, and the Towers of VVood.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 18._]

The _Scorpions_ were a sort of great Crossbows, which were made use of to defend the VValls, and which likewise the a.s.sailants made use of in the wooden Towers, to annoy those that defended the VValls.

The _Catapulta_, lanced Javelins or Javelots, from 12 to 15 Foot in length, they were made of two Trees, set one against another, like the Masts of a Ship, which were bended in drawing them with a Hand-Mill.

These Trees being on a suddain unbent, furiously struck together, and forced violently the Javelin. They were bent the one after the other by the same Cord, which was made of Guts, to the end, that the Master who managed the Engine, might be a.s.sured, that the two Trees or Beams were equally bent. He knew it by sounding the Cord when both the Beams were bent, and when the End above was drawn even to the Capital of the _Machine_, where they were stayed by a Pin of Iron, which was driven out by a quick stroke of a Hammer when they unbent it. There was a Cylinder which traversed an excentrical piece, by the help of which they heightned, or let down the End of one of the Beams below, according as the Master of the _Machine_ judged it necessary, for the augmenting or diminishing their bent, which was known by the sound of the Cord, which was alike in both, when they were equally bent. See Table XI.

The _Ballista's_ were bended and strung as the _Catapulta's_, but instead of Javelins, they cast great Stones.

[Sidenote: _Lib._ 10. _Chap._ 22.]

The _Pyroboli_ were _Machines_, which lanced or cast Darts, to vvhich vvas fixed combustible Matter, vvhich vvas kindled vvhen they darted it against _Machines_ of VVar or Shipping.

The Ram vvas to beat dovvn Walls and make breaches. It vvas a great Beam headed with Iron; it vvas hung by the middle, and pushed by the Soldiery vvith great violence against the Walls.

The _Terebra_ vvas something like the Ram, being a strong Beam pointed vvith Iron, but it vvas sharp pointed, and it made vvay for the Ram, splitting the Stones.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 20._]

The _Testudo_ or _Tortoise_, vvere great large and low Towers of Wood, which were rowled upon six or eight Wheels, they were covered with raw Hides to defend them from fire. Their use was to cover them that approached the Walls to undermine them, or beat them with the battering Ram.

The Towers of Wood were made to raise the a.s.sailants as high as the Walls, to chace the Besieged away with Arrows and Scorpions, and to lay Bridges from the Towers to the Wall; they were sometimes Thirty Fathoms high, having Twenty Stages. They were covered, as the _Tortoises_ with raw Hides; they had each of them a Hundred Men, which were employed as well to move them, as to annoy the Besieged.

_FINIS._

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT.

_The Figures inserted here are those only which are chiefly necessary to the understanding of_ Vitruvius, _that is to say, those which serve for the comprehending the Rules that Architecture gives for Buildings, now in use. The Figures of other things, of which_ Vitruvius _treats, are omitted, it being enough to give One only, to serve as an Example of each kind_, viz. _one for all Temples, one for all Theatres, and one for all Machines._

THE EXPLICATION Of the FIRST TABLE.

This Table contains the seven several sorts of Masonry; A is the first, which was called _Reticulatum_, because it was like the Mashes of Nets; BB is the second, it's called _Insertum_, that is to say, _bound Masonry_, because the Stones are one bound within another, every one being bound with four, two below, and two above: CC is the third sort, which was particular to the _Greeks_; it may be called double binding, for it's not only of Stones of the same course, but of two courses III.

D is the fourth, called _Isodomum_, because the Beds or Lays are equal in height. E is the fifth, called _Pseudisodomum_, because they are of an equal heighth. FF, GG, H is the sixth, called _Emplecton_, because it was filled up any way in the middle. FF are the Stones which make the Courses. K is the seventh, which may be called _Compound_, because its Courses are of hewn Stone, and the middle filled up with Rubbish; and these Courses are fasten'd together with Cramp-irons.

This Table refers to _pag._ 47.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Plate I._]

THE EXPLICATION Of the SECOND TABLE.

This Table contains the five sorts of Edifices: AA is the _Pycnostyle_; that is to say, where the Pillars are very close, the Intercolumniation being but of one Diameter, and a half of the Column: BB is the _Systyle_, _viz._ where the Pillars have two Diameters of Intercolumniation: CC is the _Diastyle_, _viz._ where the Pillars are at that distance, that they have for the Intercolumniation three Diameters: DD is the _Areostyle_, where the Pillars are far asunder. There is no certain Proportion; we have given in this Figure four Diameters of Intercolumniation, it may have more: The fifth sort called _Eustyle_, is in the third Table.

This Table refers to _pag._ 80.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Plate. II._]

THE EXPLICATION Of the THIRD TABLE.

This Table contains the Plan and Elevation of the fifth sort of Edifices, called _Eustyle_, _viz._ where the Pillars are distant one from another by more convenient Proportion: Its Intercolumniations have all two Diameters and a quarter, except the Intercolumniations in the middle of the _Face_ before and behind, which have three Diameters.

This plan shews the different parts of the ancient Temples: AA, AA, are the Isles or Wings which are _Portico's_, having a rang of Pillars on the one side, and the Wall of the Temple on the other. B is the part called the _p.r.o.naos_ or Porch. C is the part called _Postic.u.m_, _viz._ the hinder part of the Temple. D is that Part called _Cella_, or the Nave or Body of the Temple.

This Table relates to _p._ 81, & 117.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Plate III_]

THE EXPLICATION Of the FOURTH TABLE.

This Table contains the Plan and perspective Elevation of a Temple, called _Hexastyle_ and _Pseudodyptere_, _viz._ Which has six Columns in the _Faces_, before and behind, and which has simple _Portico's_, but which are as large as the two _Portico's_ of the Temples which have them double. This Plan and this Elevation may serve for other Temples, which as to what concerns the essential parts explained in the precedent Table, are like to this here, as are the _Periptere_, the _Diptere_, and the _Hypethre_, which only differ in the number of Columns, or such-like circ.u.mstances.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Plate IV._]

THE EXPLICATION Of the FIFTH TABLE.

This contains the Proportions of the _Tuscan_ Order. AA is the Base of the Column, which has for its height the first Semidiameter of the Column: It's divided into two equal parts; that below is for the Plinth, marked I; that above, marked K, is for the _Thorus_, and for the _Conge_ or _Apophygis_. BB is the Capital, which height is equal to its Base: It's divided into three; the first marked L, is for the Gorge, with the Conge and the Astragal; the second, marked M, is for the _Echinus_ or _quarter-round_; the third, marked N, is for the _Plinthus_ or _Abacus_, called by the French _Tallor_. C is one of the _Faces_ of the _Sabliers_ which serve instead of an Architrave. EE is the under part of the _Sabliers_, which answers to the Diameter on the top of the Column, marked D. F is a Tenon shaped like a Swallows Tayl, which joyns the two _Sabliers_ together. G is the little Wall which serves for a Frize. H is the Cornice.

This Table relates to _pag._ 93.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Plate V._]

THE EXPLICATION Of the SIXTH TABLE.

This contains the Proportion of the _Dorick_ Order; AB is the top of the Shaft of the Column; this top shews the Plan of the two sorts of Channelling or Fluting, which are particular to the _Dorick_ Order. The one half has Channelling or Fluting that is not hollowed, and make only _Flat Faces_ or _Pans_. B is the other half, which has Channelings a little hollowed, _viz._ one quarter of the Circle: They are formed by the help of a Square C, whose sides are equal to every one of the Pans.

D E F is the Capital divided into three equal parts. D is for the Gorge; E is for the Echinus, and for the Anulets or Rings; F is for the Abacus; G is the Architrave; H is the Triglyph; I is the Metop; K is the Demi-metop; L is the Cornice; M are the six pendant Drops which are under the Triglyph; N, O are the Pendant Drops which are in the Platfond of the Cornice.

This relates to _pag._ 96.