ARCHITECTURE. 



ancient edifices this was not ;tlu ays regu- 

 lated by tin- columns, but perhaps de- 

 pended on the taste of the architects, or 



destination of the edifice. The columns 

 sire plain- on tin- portico of the 1'anthcon, 

 while tin- ])ilasti:rs an- fluted; und the 

 contrary , on lie portico of Se-ptin 

 vcnis. \\ lii-ii pilastt i-s an.- fluted, the 

 angles or quoins an- frequently beaded, 

 sncli as those of the pantheon, in order 

 to strengthen the angles, and the flutes 

 are generally of a semicircular section. 

 The faces of pilastt rs are sometime.s sunk 

 within a margin, andtlu- paimels charged 

 with foliage, arabesque or grotesque or- 

 naments, or instruments of music and 

 war, or somL-timesthese compounded, ac- 

 cording to the destined purpose of the 

 place iu which they are employed. 



The paimels of the pilasters, in the 

 Arcb of the Goldsmiths at Rome, are 

 chafged with winding 1 foliage and trophies 

 of \var. Pilasters, when placed on the 

 front or outside of a building-, should pro- 

 ject one quarter of their breadth at the 

 bottom; but when placed behind a range 

 of columns, or in the interior of a build- 

 ing, should not project more than the 

 eighth part of the same breadth. 



Ina large recess, when two or any even 

 number of insulated columns support an 

 entablature, which terminates at each end 

 upon a wall or pier, a pilaster is most 

 commonly placed against each wall or 

 pier, to support the extremities of the 

 architrave. When the entablature over 

 the columns is recessed within the sur- 

 face of the wall or pier at each end, the 

 pilaster projects towards the column, its 

 thickness is shewn on the front, and its 

 breadth faces the void or adjacent co- 

 lumn : in this case the architrave may 

 either profile against the sides of tin- aper- 

 ture or recess, or it mav ivcirn I 

 interior angle, and then a_;-ain at the ev- 

 terior angU-s, and proceed along each 

 wall or pier. 



If the intermediate columns and ex- 

 treme pilasters are so ranged as to pro- 

 ji el a small distance bevond the ! 

 the wall at each end, the pilasters shew 

 the same breadth towards the front :ts to- 

 wards the void, and the entaMa'.ure may 

 be con inued unbroken, as in the chapels 

 of the I'antheon ; and if it breaks, it must 

 be at the extreme or most distant angles, 

 rs are of great strength to a wall, 

 as well as ornamental to the building ; 

 they are less expensiv e than columns, and 

 in situations where they are either placed 

 behind a r.uige of columns, or support tin- 

 extremes if an entablature acv 



opening, they are mo: uuuii 



the walls to \vh,ch th, 



Clustered plla.si ,, have 



both exterior and interior angles, 

 planes of th< 



pendicular to the from, may 

 with good effect, when the order is plain, 

 a.s m the Tuscan : but m the tin 

 cian and Composite orders, this j>, 

 should be avoided as much 



-the triglyplisand cap.tals" 

 orders always in^et imperfectly in the in- 

 tenor angles. The same i; 

 said of Ionic and Corinthian cap 

 half pilasters, meeting each other in the 

 interior angles of rooms. In the Ionic 

 order it becomes necessary to make a dif- 



llie capitals of p 

 and those of columns; for n 

 of the cilumns the projection of the o\o- 

 lo is greater than that of' the volutes ; but 

 as the hon/.ontal section of the ovolo is 

 circular, the ovolo itself is bent behind 

 the hem or border of the volutes: now, 

 supposing a vertical section through the 



: the column to be perpeiuLcularto 

 the face, ami another through the middle 

 of the breadth of the pilaster, and that 

 the corresponding- mouldings are equal 

 and similar in both section; then, be- 

 In- hori/.ontal section, through 

 the ovolo, is rectangular, as in the trunk, 

 the ovolo would, if continued, p:i- 

 the volutes, or must terminate abruptly, 

 and shew the profile of the moulding, 

 which is a palpable defect. This there- 

 fore renders it necessary to give the ovolo 

 so much convexity on the from, 

 make its extremes retire, and p.* 

 hind the back of the bonier of the vo- 

 lutes ; or to make the ovolo of small pro- 

 jee'ioti; or to tuist the volutes from a 

 plain surface, which the ancient Ionic ^ as, 

 and make every part of the spirals pro- 

 ject more and more tov. 

 laU\ , to project the w h 

 the volutes, beyend the projection of thr 



ovolo. The same thin 



served vyith regard to the Corinthi 



Composite capitals, where the up|. 



of the vase p u- middle ul 



the abacus, and would, in the ! 



capitals, pass D\< r the face of the spirals 



or volutes. 



J'emuin* und Cunmtitl'-.i Instead of 

 columns, or pilav 



tomarv to support the entablature by hu- 

 man figures: the males of which a- 

 ed I'ers.ans. I ,|- 

 and the fen 

 The liistorv of ih< 

 follow - lopoiUMMMb 



