407 



lliosc oljjccts might suggest — I know not: but I 

 am coiitiduit that it would be of infinite sei-vice 

 to an architect, whose employer wished his house 

 lo appear like an ancient caslle or fortitication, or 

 an irregular picturesque building of any icind." 



P. 29G. I. last. I have already stated the principle on 

 which tw isted colunnis may be objected to ; but 

 in this instance, Raphael would be justified in 

 having introduced them, even supposing him to 

 have disapproved of such a style of architecture 

 on other occasions. There are two antique co- 

 lumns at Rome, of the same form with those he 

 has painted, which tradition has ascribed to the 

 Temple of Solomon: they were in old St. Pe- 

 ter's, and are now in some part of the present 

 church. I believe there is no reason to suppose, 

 that they ever did belong to the Temple of 

 Jerusalem -• nn the contrary, the style of them 

 is of a much lower age than that of the destruc- 

 tion of the Temple ; but having been long objects 

 of a .sort of veneration, it was natural for Raphael 

 to introduce them. Perhaps Bernini was influ- 

 enced in some degree by this consideration (though 

 he was always very fond of twisting) in applying 

 that form of colunm to the Baldaquin of the high 

 altar of St. Peter's, where, however, it has a very 

 good effect: for as the chief objection to twisted 

 columns is their seeming untitness lo support a 

 yeai weight, and as their merit is a look of orna- 

 ment, they are certainly most proper in things of 

 mere decoration, where there is little apix^arance 

 of pressure from above. 



