An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius Part 8

Upon the _Architrave_ in the _Friese_ ought to be the _Triglyphs_ and the _Metops_. The _Triglyphs_ have a _Module_ and a half for their height, and a _Module_ for their breadth; the _Metops_ are as high as broad; One _Triglyph_ must be placed directly upon every Pillar, and the Intercolumniation ought to have three; towards the Corners must be placed the _Demi-Metops_.

The breadth of the _Triglyph_ being divided into six parts, five of them must be left in the middle, and the two halfs which remain on the right and the left, must be for _Demi-Graveurs_; The part in the middle, and the two last of the five, must be for the three Feet, and the two which are betwixt the three Feet, must be for the _Graveurs_ or _Channels_, which must be hollowed, following the Corner of the _Mason_'s Rule. The _Capital_ of the _Triglyph_ ought to have the 6th. part of a _Module_.

Upon the _Capital_ of the _Triglyph_ is placed the great _Cornice_, its Jetting or Projecture, is half a _Module_ and the 6th. part of a _Module_, its height is half a _Module_, comprising the _Dorick Cymatium_, which is under it.

On the _Plat Fonds_ of the _Cornice_, must be hollowed little strait ways, which must answer perpendicularly to the sides of the _Triglyphs_, and the middle of the _Metops_.

Streight upon the _Triglyphs_ must be cut 9 _Goutes_ or _Drops_, which must be so distributed, that there may be six length-wise, and three broad-wise; in the s.p.a.ces which are betwixt the _Metops_, because they are greater than those between the _Triglyphs_: nothing must be cut unless it be _Foudres_. Moreover towards the border of the Crown must be Carved a _Scotia_.

Some advance perpendicularly above the _Triglyphs_, the Ends of the _Forces_ or _Princ.i.p.als_ to frame the _Mutils_ which support the _Cornices_; so that as the Disposition of _Beams_ hath caused the Invention of _Triglyphs_, so the jetting of the _Forces_ hath caused the Disposition of the _Mutils_, which support the _Cornices_. See Tab. VI.

ART. VII.

_Of the_ Ionick _Order_.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 4. Chap. 1._]

The Proportion of the Pillars of the _Ionick Order_ in the beginning had Eight _Modules_ or Diameters for their height, but the Ancients quickly added half a Diameter, when to make this Pillar more Beautiful than the _Dorick_, not only for its height, but also for its Ornaments, they added a _Base_ to it, which was not used in the _Dorick Order_.

The Pillars must be set upon their _Bases_ two ways; for sometimes they were perpendicularly set, and sometimes not, _viz._ The outward rows of Pillars; when there were more Ranks than one; for that part of the Pillar which is towards the Wall of the Fabrick must necessarily be perpendicular, and the outward part must have all the Diminution, and must lean towards the Wall.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 3. Chap. 3._]

The Pillars that are within the porch, and are betwixt the Wall and the outward Pillar must stand perpendicularly.

The breadth of the _Ionick Base_ is the Diameter of the Pillar, to which is added a 4th. and an 8th. part; its height is half the Diameter; its height being divided into three parts, one is allowed for the _Plinthus_, the rest being divided into seven parts, three are allowed to the _Torus_ above, after equally dividing the four which remain, the two above are for the upper _Scotia_, with its _Astragal_: The two below are for the lower _Scotia_, which will appear greater than the upper, because it extends to the edge of the _Plinthus_, the _Astragals_ must have the 8th. part of the _Scotia_, whose Jetting or Projecture must be the 8th. part of the whole _Base_ joyned to the 6th. part of the Diameter of the Pillar. See Tab. VII.

As to the _Capital_, the _Abacus_ must have in its Square the Diameter of the bottom of the Pillar, adding to it an 18th. part; half of the _Abacus_ ought to be the height of the _Capital_, comprizing the Round of the _Volute_ or _Scroll_, but there must be substracted from the corner of the _Abacus_ a 12th. part and an half of the height of the _Capital_, and after the whole thickness of the _Capital_ must be divided into nine parts and an half, and one and an half must be left for the thickness of the _Abacus_, that the _Volutes_ or _Scrolls_ may be made of the eight which remain; then having left under the _Abacus_ four parts and an half of these eight, a Line must be drawn in the place which cuts the two a-cross and the Points of the Section shall be _Eyes_, which shall have eight parts for their Diameter; in half the s.p.a.ce of the _Eye_ shall be placed the Centers through which shall be drawn with a Compa.s.s the Spiral-Line of the _Volute_, beginning the height under the _Abacus_, and going into the four Quarters of the Division, diminishing till we come directly to the first Quarter, and giving to every Quarter a particular Center.

Then the thickness of the whole _Capital_ must be so divided that of nine parts which it contains, the _Volute_ has the breadth of three under the _Astragal_, on the top of the Pillar, which must be directly upon the _Eye_ of the _Volute_, that which remains above the _Astragal_, must be allowed for the _Abacus_, _Channel_, and the _Echine_ or _Egge_, whose jetting beyond the Square of the _Abacus_ must be of the same bigness of the _Echine_ or _Egge_.

The _Channel_ must be hollowed the 12th. part of its breadth.

The _Girdle_ or _Cincture_, or the lateral part of the _Capital_, ought to advance out of the _Tailhoir Abacus_, as much as it is from the Center of the _Eye_ to the height of the _Echine_.

The thickness of the _Axis_ of the _Volutes_, which is the thickness of the _Volute_, seen sideway, and which makes up the extreme parts of that which is called commonly _Balisters_, ought not to exceed the magnitude of the _Eye_. See Tab. VIII.

These Proportions of the _Ionick Capital_, are only for Pillars of 15 Foot, those that are greater require other, and generally the greater Proportions are required for the Pillars that are greater; and for this reason we have said, that the higher the Pillars are, the less Diminution they must have; so when the Pillars are above 15 Foot, we must add a 9th. part to the Diameter of the Pillar for to give the breadth to the _Abacus_; to which is never added more than an 18th. part to Pillars of 15 Foot.

The _Architraves_ shall be laid upon the Pillars with Jettings equal to the _Pedestals_, in case they be not all of one size, but in form of Joint-Stools, to the end Symmetry may be observ'd.

The height ought to be different, according to the proportion of the height of the Pillar; for if the Pillar be from 12 to 15 Foot, we must allow the _Architrave_ the height of half a Diameter of the bottom of the Pillar, if it be from 15 to 20, we must divide the height of the Pillar into 15 parts, to the end we may allow one to the _Architrave_; so if it be from 20 to 25, the height must be divided into 12 parts and an half, that the _Architrave_ may have one; and so proportionably.

The _Architrave_ ought to have at the bottom which lies upon the _Capital_, the same breadth that the top of the Pillar hath under the _Capital_.

The Jetting of the _Cymatium_ of the _Architrave_ ought to answer the bottom of the Pillar, the height of the _Cymatium_ ought to be the 7th.

part of the whole _Architrave_.

The rest being divided into 12 parts; three must be allowed to the first _Face_, four to the second, and five to that above, upon which is the _Cymatium_.

The _Frise_ ought not to be so high as the _Architrave_ by a 4th. part, unless something be carved there, for then that the Carving may be more graceful, the _Frise_ ought to be bigger than the _Architrave_ by a 4th.

part.

Upon the _Frise_ must be made a _Cymatium_ of height the 7th. part of the _Frise_, with a Jetting equal to its height.

The _Dentil_ which is upon the _Cymatium_, shall have the height of the _Face_ of the middle of the _Architrave_, with a Jetting or Projecture equal to its height; the cutting of the _Dentils_ ought to be so made, that the breadth of every _Dentil_ may be the half of its height, and the Cavity of the cut which is between every _Dentil_ may have two parts of three, which maketh the breadth of the _Dentil_.

The _Cymatium_ which is upon the _Dentil_, must have the 3d. part of the height of the _Dentil_.

The Crown with its little _Cymatium_ must have the same height with the _Face_ of the middle of the _Architrave_.

The great _Cymatium_ ought to have the height of an 8th. part more than the _Crown_ or _Drip_.

The Jetting or Projecture of the whole _Cornice_ comprehending the _Dentil_ ought to be equal to the s.p.a.ce that there is from the _Frise_, just to the top of the great _Cymatium_, and generally speaking all the Jettings or Projectures shall have the better grace when they are equal to the height of the Jetting Members. See Table VII.

ART. VIII.

_Of the_ Corinthian _Order_.

[Sidenote: _Lib. 4. Chap. 2._]

The Pillars of the _Corinthian Order_ have no other Proportions than the _Ionick_, except in the _Capital_, whose height make them appear slenderer and higher. The other parts or Members, as the _Architrave_, _Frise_, and _Cornice_, borrow their Proportions from the _Dorick_ and _Ionick Order_, having nothing particular, for the _Corinthian Modillons_ are imitated by the _Mutils_ of the _Dorick Order_, and the _Dentils_ are the same with the _Ionick_; this being so, we have nothing to do but to give the Proportions of the _Capital_, which are these; The _Capital_ comprizing the _Abacus_, hath for its height, the breadth of the bottom of the Pillar.

To have the true breadth of the _Abacus_, we must have a care that its _Diagonal_ be double the height of the _Capital_, the bending that the sides of the _Abacus_ have inward, is a 9th. part of a side, the bottom of the _Capital_ is equal to the Neck of the Pillar. The thickness of the _Abacus_ is a 7th. part of the whole _Capital_.

Two of these seven parts must be taken for the height of every Leaf, of which there are two Ranks, each of which has four Leaves.

The Stalks or little Branches are likewise composed of other Leaves, and which grow between the Leaves of the Rank above, ought to have two of these seven parts comprising the _Volutes_.

These _Volutes_ begin within the Stalks, of which, those that are the greatest extend to the Extreme parts of the _Angles_ of the _Abacus_; the other are below the _Roses_.

These _Roses_ which are in the middle of every _Face_ of the _Abacus_, ought to be as great as the _Abacus_ is thick.

The _Ornaments_ of the _Corinthian Order_, viz. The _Architrave_, the _Frise_, and the _Cornice_, do not in the least differ from those of the _Ionick Order_. See Tab. IX.

ART. IX.

_Of the_ Compound _Order._

[Sidenote: _Lib._ 4. _Chap._ 1.]

_Vitruvius_ hath not spoke of the _Compound Order_, as of an _Order_ distinct from the _Corinthian_, the _Ionick_ and the _Dorick_; He only tells us, that sometimes upon the _Corinthian Pillar_ was placed a _Capital_ composed of several parts, which were taken from the _Corinthian_, the _Ionick_ and _Dorick Orders_.

But a Consequence may be drawn from thence, that the _Order_ at present called the _Compound_, might have been in use in the time of _Vitruvius_, although they then did not make a distinct _Order_ of it; Since that, our _Compound Order_ is not essentially different from the _Corinthian_, but by its _Capital_; and so one may say, that this sole difference of the _Capital_ ought to make it a distinct _Order_ from the _Corinthian_, since according to _Vitruvius_, the _Corinthian Capital_ alone, made the _Corinthian Order_.

The parts that our _Compound Order_ borrow from the _Corinthian Order_, are the _Abacus_, and the two Ranks of the Leaves of _Branch-Ursin_, which it has retained, although the _Corinthian_ have quitted them for the Leaves of the _Olive_.