158 



sure, the other on lateral pressure. By the laws of gravitation, 



all matter at rest keeps its place by its own weight, or tendency 



to press downwards; and 



nly to 



remo\ 



by superior 



force acting in a different direction 



perpendicul 



rock 



d 



solid wall built upright, will preser 



th 



eir position so 



e com 



long as the substance or the materials of which they a] 

 posed retain their power of cohesion ; and on this principl 

 all Grecian Architecture is founded. Hence have arisen thos 



relative proportions 



th 



different orders, from the heaviest 



Doric to the most graceful Corinthian, which, after th 



of 



^* 



w 



deemed fixed 



eyon 



? expe 

 the power of im 



provement ; and by these proportions the distances of interco- 

 lumniation are regulated according to the strength of the parts 

 supporting and supported. 



The Arch was rathe 



wh 



r of Roman than Grecian 



en composed of a semicircle 



its construction 



rather to perpendicula 



oth 



than to lateral pi 



mention 

 belong 



y 



S 



but 



in 



er arch (except the Elliptical 



every 



there 



great lateral pressu 



? 



the Catanarean i\rch) 

 d this constitutes the basis 



first principle of Gothic Architecture; to which pinnacles and 

 h and other parts were added for the purpose of strength 

 to the abuttals, although frequently mistaken, an 



finial 



copied 



if merely ornamental 



ignorantly 







