CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



655 



Prcti. 



General 

 diuribu- 



Osar Cx- 



tuianus. 



CuXV. 



uiet ex- 



nplifud 

 in the 



-ill at 

 Mil in. 



deration. 



1. The Gothic style having been employed almost ex- 

 clusively in edifices appropriated to the purposes of the 

 Christian religion, the outlines of the ground plan have 

 almost uniformly been a cross. In the Greek and Ro- 

 man oblong temples, the ratio of the length and breadth 

 was determined by the number of columns placed at near- 

 ly equal distances along the ends and sides, while that of 

 the height was regulated by the diameter of the column ; 

 but in the Gothic, where seldom any columns have been 

 placed on the outside of the edifice, and the use of arches 

 proving a relief from constraint within it, it is alleged, 

 that the proportion of the length to the breadth has been 

 determined by triangles and squares. Of this, Mr Haw- 

 kins, in his History of the Origin and Establishment of 

 Gothic Architecture, (chap, x.) has produced an early in- 

 stance from Caesar Czsarianug, a celebrated architect of 

 Milan, who, in an elaborate commentary annexed to his 

 translation ofVitravius, (printed in 1521,acopy of which 

 we have seen in the hands of Mr Taylor of Holborn,) 

 has explained the principle! of Gothic architecture. For a 

 full dissertation upon this part of the subject, we must 

 refer to Mr Hawkiu's excellent book, and shall here on- 

 ly give two diagrams from Cxsar Caesarianus, drawn 

 upon the plan and elevation of the church of Milan, with 

 his description of them, which, though not very distinct, 

 will serve to convey an idea of the principles he means 

 to inculcate. In Plate CLXV. Fig. 1. "the letters ABC, 

 BCD, EFG. and FGH, are four equilateral triangles. 

 UK are the boundaries at the east end. JKL form an 

 equilateral triangle, which touches the line that passes 

 through the two eastern middle columns. These last, 

 by their correspondence with the other columns, not on- 

 ly divide the body of the church from the aisles, but set- 

 tle the foundation for the square tower in the middle, 

 and show how it is constructed, the centre of which tower 

 it the letter M. In like manner, the letters INO form 

 the other equidistant line which passes through the two 

 western middle columns, the measure of which line, from 

 the south to (he north door, is 128 cubits, (of 25 inches 

 each.) The letters PQR are an equilateral triangle of 

 the measure of 64 cubits, as are also, and of the like 

 quantity, the letters STM. The letters UVW are an 

 equilateral triangle, from the centre of one to that of 

 another of the columns, which form the range extend- 

 ing towards the west, the distance of which columns 

 is 32 cubits. Where the letters XUW are found, are 

 the different indications for the smaller intercolumnia- 

 tioiH, which are of the measure of 16 cubits, from the 

 centre of one to that of the other pillar ; and the letters 

 ZA shew the intercclumniation of the columns, between 

 which they stand. They ascertain also the outside ex- 

 trtme width of the door of the vestibule in the front of 

 the nave, and regulate the vaultings of the arches over 

 that part, in the centre of which is placed the letter B." 

 With regard to the orthography or elevation, (Fig .2.) 

 " the triangle is here marked at the base with the let- 

 ters ABCDEF, and the point of it is to be found at B ; 

 a perpendicular from which is dropped upon the base 

 line. at:d there distinguished by the letter H. But in or. 

 der," says he, " to show the method by which the colos- 

 sal figure at the top was rrgulated, and those mark* to 

 have the rules for the largest triangle, I shall extend the 

 before mentioned triangle on one side from A to I, being 

 a space of 16 cubits ; and from F to J on the other side. 

 Drawing a line from I to .1, I shall gain the length for 

 raising two other line*, which form the equilateral tri- 

 angle on the before mentioned perpendicular GH, at the 

 point K, the extremity of the arch called in the third 

 acute or pointed. This triangle, if placed upon the 



range of capitals of the smaller columns, marked L and Practice. 

 M, will touch, at its extremity, the letter K. In Lko ^~*~\ r ~~ / 

 manner, if I place over the former a triangle on perpcc- 

 dicular lines, raised from A ar.d F, the bn : -e of which 

 will be NO, and its point P in the perpendicular PH, 

 which forms the largest triangle QRP, I shall then have 

 the base NO, resting upon the arch of the nave ; which 

 base, by touching the extreme line of the building, as- 

 certains, with the letters ST, the place where the top 

 of the border is to be ; so do also the letters U V, a little 

 distant from them, as to the border a little above. The 

 letters XY give the base of a triangle on the capitals 

 and upper vaulting ; which upper vaulting is compacted 

 together with an iron chain. Every vaulting of the ar- 

 ches is constructed by the compasses placed on an acute 

 triangle, the strength of which, for supporting a weight, 

 is always greatest at the top ; but if the weight be pla- 

 ced a little on one side or other of the centre, the arch 

 is easily broken. The method of placing an octagon tower 

 on a square raised from the solid, is shewn by the letters 

 UVW ; and within the spaces LZ and MA is the range 

 of lowest windows." 



The dimensions of this magnificent edifice are stated, Dimen- 

 on the authority of Carlo Torre, to be, from the mo- sions. 

 dern front to the wall of the choir, more than 260 cu- 

 bits, (of 25 inches), the length of the choir 60 cubitf, 

 and its width 28 ; the middle nave 32 cubits wide, and 

 85 high to the vaulting ; the two side aisles next this 

 nave are each 16 cubits wide and 60 high ; and the two 

 outermost aisles are each 16 cubits wide and 50 high. 

 The vaulting of the Louvre is 130 cubits. It is sup- 

 ported by four columns larger than the others ; upon 

 these arches the cupola, which is octagonal, rests. This 

 cupola is 202 cubits high from the ground. The co- 

 lumns or pillars are 52 in number, and, including the 

 base and capital, each 46 cubits high, of which the base 

 is 2 and the capital 10 cubits. These columns are each 

 in girt 13 cubits, and the four columns under the cupo- 

 la are 15 cubits girt at the capital and 22 at the base ; 

 they are clustered eight shafts in each. 



Mr Hawkins, in the same chapter, (x.) likewise re- Dome of 

 lates, upon the authority of Delia Valle, his letters Sen- Sienua. 

 si, vol. ii. that, in 1321, during the erection of the dome 

 of Sienna, six architects were appointed to examine the 

 work, who reported, as their opinion, that the new 

 work should not proceed ar.y farther, because, if com- 

 pleted as it had been begun, it would not have that 

 measure in length, breadth, and height, which the rules Rn!cm-<r- 

 of a church require; and, they farther added, that the fcrrml t. 

 old structure was so justly proportioned, and its mem- 

 bers so well agreed with each other in breadth, length, 

 and height, that if, in any part, an addition were made 

 to it, under the pretence of reducing to the right mea- 

 sure of a church, the whole would be destroyed. Here 

 the rule* Jot a church are distinctly and repeatedly refer, 

 red to, and must therefore have existed. 



Browne Willis, in the preface to his History of Ab- .-i 



I t I Vt II' IS IW 



beys, vol. 11. states, that in the most stately abbeye, Al>bej--. 

 the height was equal to the breadth of the body and 

 side aisles; that the steeple and towers were frequently 

 in height equal to the length of the whole 'fabric, or 

 sometimes to the cross aisles from north to south, as in 

 Bristol, Chester, St David's ; that the cross aisles often 

 extended half the length of the whole fabric, as did the 

 nave or western part, that is, from the great door at 

 the west end, to the lower great pillars which support- 

 ed the steeple j that the side aisles are half the breadth and 

 height of the nave. But the following dimensions of 

 cathedral and conventual churches will better enable the' 



