CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



569 



pies, pleasing just as they answer to this demand ; and where 

 " "V~ ' the parts are few, and experiments easy, it seems not dif- 

 ficult at last to arrive at that perfect proportion which 

 satisfies the eye as sufficient for the purposes of sup- 

 port and stability. If we leave, therefore, every thing 

 else out of consideration, the consideration of fitness 

 alone seems sufficient to account both for the origin of 

 such proportions in architecture, and for the pleasure 

 which attends the observation of them." 



But granting that the doctrine of the original beauty 

 of proportion be abandoned as inconsistent with expe- 

 rience, and that of the influence of the expression of fit- 

 ness adopted, yet it may still be doubted if this is suf- 

 ficient to account for the delight felt from the orders of 

 architecture, or the uniform adherence to the established 

 proportions. 



Mere fit. " It is acknowledged, that the mere consideration of 

 ne*insuf. fitness is insufficient to account for the pleasure derived 

 ficient. f rom t j, e established orders. But it is observed, that 

 this pleasure arises from very different causes than from 

 their proportions ; and that, in fact, when these propor- 

 tions only are considered, the pleasure which is generally 

 felt is not greater than that which we experience, when 

 we perceive in any great work the proper relation of 

 means to an end. 



" Tlie proportions of these orders, it is to be remem- 

 bered, are distinct subjects of beauty, from the orna- 

 ments with which they are embellished, from the mag- 

 nificence with which they are executed, from th pur- 

 poses of elegance they are intended to serve, or the 

 " Icenes of grandeur they are destined to adorn. It is in 

 such scenes, however, and with such additions, that we 

 are accustomed to observe them ; and while we feel the 

 effects of all these accidental association*, we are seldom 

 willing to examine what are the causes of the complex 

 emotion we feel, and readily attribute to the nature of 

 architecture itself the whole pleasure which we enjoy. 

 But besides these, there are other associations we have 

 with these forms, that still more powerfully serve to 

 command our admiration, for they are the Grecian or- 

 ders ; they derive their origin from those times, and 

 were the ornament of those countries which are most 

 hallowed in our imaginations ; and it is difficult for us to 

 ee them, even in our modern copies, without feeling 

 them to operate upon our minds as relict of those po- 

 lished nations where they first arose, and of that greater 

 people by whom they were borrowed. While this spe- 

 cies of architecture is attended with so many and so 

 pleasing associations, it is difficult for even a man of re- 

 flection to distinguish between the different sources of 

 this emotion ; or in the moments when this delight is 

 felt, to ascertain what is the exact proportion of his plea- 

 sure, which is to be attributed to these proportion* 

 alone ; and two different causes combine to lead us to 

 attribute to the style of architecture itself, the beauty 

 which arises from many other associations." 



Material ^ n l ^ e ^ rst P^ ace ' while this architecture is under our 

 sign of af- eye, it is the central object of all those associations, it is 

 fccting the material sign of all the affecting qualities, and disposes 

 Dualities. U8 t;> attribute to the sign the effects which are pro- 

 duced by the qualities signified. And even these very 

 proportions are the cause of our pleasure, because they 

 are the only qualities of the object which are accurately 

 ascertained ; they have long been the acknowledged ob- 

 jects of beauty, and having got possession of one un- 



TOL. VI. PART II. 



Accidental 



if-.uci*- 



tlOQI. 



doubted principle, we are easily induced to ascribe the Principles- 

 whole effect to this principle alone. "%"" 



That this is really the case, will appear evident, by Common 

 considering that the common people feel a very inferior people- 

 emotion of beauty from such objects to that which Men of let- 

 is felt by men of liberal education j the man of letters tcrs. 

 feels also a weaker emotion than a well-educated archi- 

 tect, because he has none of the associations which be- 

 long to the art, and never considers them in relation Artists. 

 to the skill or invention they display. Deprive these 

 orders of the customary ornaments, or change only, in 

 the slightest degree, their forms, without altering their 

 proportions, and their beauty will be in a great measure 

 destroyed ; or preserve the ornaments, forms, and pro- oimen. 

 portions, but diminish them to a small scale, and their sions. 

 effect will be much inferior to what they produce, when 

 executed on the magnificent scale of the antient temples; 

 or destroy the associations of elegance, magnificence, 

 costliness, but, above all, of antiquity ; and it must 

 appear evident, that the pleasure which these propor- 

 tions would afford, would not be greater than that which 

 we feel in other cases, when means are properly adapted 

 to their end. 



In regard to the observation, that the universal ad- 

 herence of mankind to these proportions is a sufficient 

 proof of their absolute beauty, it is necessary to remark, 

 that the associations of antiquity alone, have a powerful Antiquity, 

 effect in producing uniformity of opinion ; also, that in 

 the productions of human labour, the influence of va- 

 riety is limited by the costliness and durability of the Costliness, 

 materials upon which that labour is employed ; where 

 they are very costly, the objects have great intrinsic va- 

 lue, independent of any particular form ; and the same 

 form is therefore adhered to wkh little variation. Even 

 in dress, it is in the parts the least costly that the most 

 frequent change i take place. Architecture is of all 

 the fine arts the most costly ; the revenue of nations is 

 scarcely sufficient to defray the expence of frequnnt pro- 

 duction!* of its most magnificent forms ; and the art it- 

 self, after it has arrived at a certain necessary degree of 

 perfection, remains in a great measure stationary, both 

 from the infrequency of cases in which invention can be 

 employed, and from the little demand there is for the 

 exercise of this invention. 



The objects upon which this art is employed, besides Durations, 

 being costly, are also very durable. Centuries must pro- 

 bably pass before they are renewed, and during that 

 time, the sacredness of antiquity is acquired by the sub- 

 ject itself, and likewise a strong motive for the preserva- 

 tion of similar forms. 



The foregoing observations relate wholly to the ex- 

 ternal parts of architecture. It is therefore necessary to 

 consider, whether the Internal Proportions are guided by 

 the same principles. 



Internal proportions arise from the disposition of Internal 

 length, breadth, and height, so as to render an apart- proper, 

 ment pleasing in its forms ; and certain proportions of t ' OD " - 

 these dimensions have been held as beautiful in them- 

 selves, from the original constitution of our nature, and 

 independent of any expression ; but, agreeably to the 

 principles established in this Essay, the beauty of their 

 proportion arises from the expression of fitness. 



A plain wall is only capable of that proportion of 

 height which is necessary for the expression of strength 

 and stability. This is all we desire j it is also, of course, 

 4c 



