ARCHITECTURE. 



ft>r sameness of character and proportion. 

 Temples generally peripteral, that is, sur- 

 rounded on all sides by columns at some 

 distance from the cell, decorated with the 

 Lotus, Hawk, and Ibis, being favourite 

 emblems, and purely their own. Upon 

 the whole, we may conclude that the 

 Egyptians borrowed no ideas, nor copied 

 the style or practice of any other nation. 

 A perfect uniformity in their sculpture 

 and facade is seen every where, from the 

 most ancient down to the destructive in- 

 road of Cambyses. 



Before we proceed to point out the cha- 

 racterand sublimity of Greek architec- 

 ture, it will be necessary to give a few 

 general ideas as to the principles of the 

 science, and upon what. Order is founded. 



All the variety of objects that present 

 themselves to our view in the material 

 world, are considered beautiful or deform- 

 ed in relation to their shape and size, 

 corresponding with the fitness of the parts 

 to the end designed. Proportion and 

 symmetry always convey pleasureble 

 ideas ; and their adaptation to the ex- 

 pression of design should always coincide 

 with the uses of the object in view. Skill 

 and dexterity may be expressed, without 

 accommodation or correspondence to the 

 nature of the character, and must bead- 

 mired as a part, without any reference to 

 the whole : thus a building may be 

 crowded with highly decorated mould- 

 ings and pannel-work, where the nature 

 of the subject is not consulted, and by 

 many unaquainted with the science be 

 pronounced beautiful) receiving the appel- 

 Jation from a close examination of a par- 

 ticular part, when the fitness or proper 

 correspondence of the minutiae ought to 

 be judged of with reference to the nature 

 of the subject. 



Therefore the sensations of pleasure 

 that are felt, from the observance of an 

 object well proportioned, must owe their 

 existence to the proper distribution of all 

 the parts combined in unison, to the ex- 

 pression of a decided character. Objects 

 that are destitute of natural beauty are 

 made so when regarded in the light of 

 their uses. 



The orders of architecture, in which 

 all the variety of genius and art has 

 evolved itself, and which is regulated by 

 settled proportion, with such certainty as 

 to defy and mock all attempts at innova- 

 tion, receive theirsanction from the above 

 remarks on the observance of design ac- 

 commodating itself to uses; whereby 

 beauty and harmony ^established. 



There are five orders in architecture., 



viz. the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, 

 and Composite. These are, properly 

 speaking, but three, the Doric, Ionic, and 

 Corinthian, being originally invented by 

 the Greeks. Proportion constitutes an 

 Order, and consists of three grand divi- 

 sions, viz. the base, column, and entabla- 

 ture. These are governing principles ; 

 and the proportions of the base and shaft 

 are such, according to the character of 

 the order, as appear, and are absolutely 

 adequate to the support of the entabla- 

 ture which rests upon them. The great 

 object derived from the difference or va- 

 riety of the orders is, the fitness of their 

 respective parts to the support of the 

 crowning weight, which must appear evi- 

 dent to all who have paid the least atten- 

 tion to the subject. 



It is rather astonishing from what cause 

 we feel pleasant sensations upon viewing 

 the Gr~ek structures, whether it is the 

 nature in the architecture itself that im- 

 parts pleasurable ideas, or the associations 

 connected with them, that calls forth our 

 admiration, knowing them to be reared 

 upon classic ground, and the relics of a 

 brave and enlightened people ; but cer- 

 tain it is, their science, skill, and taste, in 

 the arts, far surpassed all other nations 

 before and since their time. 



This singular and industrious people, 

 untrammelled with tyranny, situated in a 

 rugged country, of fine climate, and 

 abounding with forests, gave full scope 

 to their imagination in the construction of 

 wooden edifices ; in the prosecution of 

 which the rude forest tree covered with 

 a block or tile, suggested the idea of the 

 Doric order ; the beams laid horizontally 

 on the top and projecting over the trunk 

 of the tree, and rafters rising to a point in 

 the centre, composed the leading fea- 

 tures of a primitive Greek edifice. 



It has been supposed that the Greeks 

 were originally colonies of Egypt and 

 Persia at the time when those empires 

 existed in great splendour, and construct- 

 ed edifices of great magnificence; being 

 also the countries from whence their 

 sages drew their earliest information, ren- 

 dered it more than probable that they 

 borrowed their first ideas of building from 

 those places ; they unquestionably were 

 acquainted with the state of architecture 

 in those countries ; but that they adopted 

 or applied this information is very doubt- 

 ful, from the circumstance of their mate- 

 rials, in the first instance, being altoge- 

 ther wood, and consequently requiring 

 different principles and practice in its ex- 

 ecution and arrangement. Stone edifices 



