ARCHITECTURE OF THE SKULL 21 



cult piece of architecture, since the first dome 

 erected appears to have been at Rome, in the reign 

 of Augustus the Pantheon, which is still entire. 



O ' 



The dome of St. Sophia, in Constantinople, built 

 in the time of the Emperor Justinian, fell three 

 times during its erection : and the dome of the 

 Cathedral of Florence stood unfinished 120 years 

 for want of an architect. Yet we may, in one 

 sense, say that every builder who tried it, as well 

 as every laborer employed, had the most perfect 

 model in his own head. It is obvious enough 

 that the weight of the upper part of the dome 

 must disengage the stones from each other which 

 form the lower circle, and tend to break up their 

 joinings, and consequently to press or thrust 

 outwards the circular wall on which it rests. No 

 walls can support the weight, or rather, the lateral 

 thrust, unless each stone of the dome be soldered 

 to another, or the whole hooped together and 

 girded. The dome of St. Paul's has a very strong 

 double iron chain, linked together, at the bot- 

 tom of the cone ; and several other lesser chains 

 between that and the cupola, which may be 

 seen in the section of St. Paul's engraved by 

 Hooker. 



The bones of the head are securely bound to- 

 gether, so that the anatomist finds, when every- 

 thing is gone, save the bone itself, and there is 

 neither muscle, ligament, nor membrane of any 



