

■l.^^^^^ 



.')'1C 



ARCniTKCTUUE. 



"Although it is probable that the first buildings were of wood, and that rude trees 

 SHjjfjested the proportions of the Doric order, yet, the origin of Grecian architecture 

 was, doubtless, derived from one stone laid flat upon another, and the aperture, or 

 void, between two upright stones, was covered by a third placed across them : thus 

 the width of the opening was limited by the length of the cross-stone; consequently, 

 this mode of structure ro(|uired large blocks of stone, when that material was used 

 [see fig. 3]. 



'' The difficulty of procuring such large blocks as were required for this mode of 



construction, suggested the idea of producing 

 wide apertures by a different expedient; and 

 this introduced the arch. 



"Of Gothic Construction. — In every 

 arch, whether a segment of a circle, an ellipsis, 

 or in the pointed arches, called Gothic, there 

 is a great lateral pressure. This constitutes 

 the leading principle of construction in Gothic 

 architecture, which depends on its abuttals 

 [see fig. 2]. An arch may sometimes abut 

 against a rock, as in bridges ; or against a pier 

 of masonry, as in castles, &c. ; but, in light 

 Gothic structures, the abuttals consist of but- 

 tresses to counteract the lateral pressure ; and 

 C'^''^-^"'^'''*t>^T>lL''f^ where such buttresses are not sufficiently 

 ''^jp^"^ heavy, additional weight is used under the 



Fig. 4. Sketch exhibiting the principle of forming VarioUS formS of pinnaclcS, Or fiuials, which 



abutments for Gothic arches, as generally aUoi.t- lij^ye often been mistaken for mere ornaments, 



ed in ecclesiastical buildings. , . , 



of no use in the construction ; and these are 

 sometimes placed at a distance, when they are connected by what are called flying 

 buttresses, like those at Henry the Seventh's chapel [see fig. 4]. 



"Of Indian Construction. — Under the name of Indian Architecture, maybe 

 included Hindtlstan, Gentoo, Chinese, or Turkish ; which latter is a mixture of the 

 other three. But this construction is distinct from the Gothic, in having little or no 

 lateral pressure; and from the Grecian, in having a dift'erent mode of applying the 

 perpendicular pressure ; for although, at the first sight, we might be led to suppose 

 the arches constructed on a center, like those of Europe, yet, on a closer examination, 

 they will be found to consist of horizontal strata, supported by what is technically 

 called '■corbelling out,'' or placing the materials in such a position that the aperture 

 may be larger at the bottom than the top, by each stratum of stone over hanging the 

 other [see fig. 2]. From the specimens discovered in the Indian excavations, there 

 is no doubt but the original idea was taken from those subterraneous caves or grottos. 



"The people who formed these awful wonders of antiquity, instead of erecting 

 buildings on the surface of the ground, began their operations by cutting away the 

 foundation of a rock, to obtain room below, without endangering the superstructure 



VX^. 



