THE MEASURE OF 'PROGRESS 1 157 



had the new meaning. Consider, for example, what astrology meant 

 to Eoger Bacon and what it means to ns. He had no difficulty in 

 reconciling the fateful influence of the stars with a scheme of salva- 

 tion for men possessed of free-will. Words had different meanings to 

 him and to us. His mind was conscious of no conflict between his 

 religion and his science. His religion — that of the thirteenth cen- 

 tury — is in absolute conflict with our science — that of the twentieth. 

 This one example may stand as a type of many that might be brought 

 forward. 



The Greek architects long ago discovered that a cylindrical column 

 looked at from a distance would not appear to have its two sides 

 parallel, but that on the contrary these two sides would be hollowed 

 in, convex towards each other. A long colonnade of cylindrical 

 columns would exaggerate the unbeautiful effect. The Greeks felt the 

 lack of beauty and afterwards proceeded to discover a rule for making 

 the outer surface of a column convex, so that a colonnade of convex 

 columns would appear to the spectator to be comprised of cylindrical, 

 or conical, surfaces, beautiful to the eye. This increase of the middle 

 diameter of columns was called entasis. 



In the early part of the nineteenth century, an English architect, 

 Mr. Penrose, visited the Parthenon, for the purpose of making accurate 

 measurements of its principal dimensions. What was his astonish- 

 ment to find that something of the nature of entasis had been given by 

 the Greeks to the architraves, cornices and other members of the build- 

 ing. The long horizontal lines of the friezes were convexed outwards 

 in order that they should not appear hollow to the eye. Other hori- 

 zontal members were also convexed in order that they should not ap- 

 pear to tilt upwards. Similar measurements made on the Maison 

 Carree, at Nnnes, demonstrated that like rules were employed by the 

 subtle architect for similar purposes. Measurements made on the 

 temples of Egypt have shown that their floors are convexed in order 

 that they may appear flat. 



The Egyptians, the Greeks and even the Eomans were possessed of 

 eyes and senses so subtle that certain architectural devices were de- 

 manded by them in all edifices designed to give high pleasure. The 

 entire western world was ignorant of these devices until a couple of 

 generations ago. With the destruction of Eome, even the traditions of 

 these changes were lost, so that all the Gothic cathedrals of Europe 

 and every great building erected between the end of the fifth century 

 and the middle of the nineteenth were constructed on geometrical lines, 

 so to say, and not to satisfy the eye. 



Mr. Penrose's discoveries were made with a foot-rule, not by a sensi- 

 tive eye. They have borne fruit in our own time and in our own great 

 city. The beautiful library of Columbia University is built on Greek 

 principles. Let any one glance along the edge of one of the steps of 



