ARCHITECTURE. 



fronting each side of the abacus, and the 

 stalk of each leaf springing 1 between each 

 two lower leaves. The height of the aba- 

 cus is one seventh, the upper and lower 

 tiers of leaves each two sevenths, and 

 the branches and volutes, which spring 

 from the stalks between every two leaves 

 in the upper row, the remaining two se- 

 venths of the diameter. The breadth of 

 the capital al the bottom is one, and each 

 diagonal of the abacus two, diameters of 

 the column. Vitruvius makes no men- 

 tion of obtunding the corners of the aba- 

 cus, as is generally practised by the an- 

 cients as well as the moderns; \ve are, 

 therefore, led to suppose, that each pair 

 of the four faces of the abacus were con- 

 tinued till they met in an acute angle, at 

 each corner, as in the temple of Vesta at 

 Rome, and the Stoa or portico at Athens ; 

 the division of the capital is the same as 

 is frequently used by the moderns, but 

 the entire height thereof is generally 

 made one sixth more than the diameter of 

 the column, and that of the entire column 

 ten diameters. The best ancient speci- 

 mens of the Corinthian order are to be 

 collected from the Stoa, the arch of Adri- 

 an, and that most exquisite and singular 

 specimen, the monument of Lysicrates at 

 Athens ; also in the Pantheon of Agrippa, 

 and in the three columns of the Campo 

 Vaccino at Rome ; these two, and parti- 

 cularly the last, are allowed to be the 

 most complete existing examples that are 

 to be found in all the remains of antiquity. 

 The taste of the foliage of the Attic Co- 

 rinthian differs considerably from that of 

 the Roman : the small divisions of the 

 leaves are more pointed, approaching 

 nearer to the acanthus than those at Rome, 

 which are for the most part olive ; how- 

 ever, in other respects, thecapials them- 

 selves are very similar, except in the 

 monument of Lysicrates. 



The Corinthian capital exhibits the ut- 

 most degree of elegance, beauty, richness, 

 and delicacy, that has ever been attained 

 in architectural composition, though ma- 

 ny attempts have been made to exceed it. 

 The columns of this order do not appear 

 to have had any appropriate entablature 

 in the time of Vitruvius ; for, in B. IV. 

 chap. i. he informs us, that both Doric 

 and Ionic entablatures were supported by 

 Corinthian columns, and that it was the 

 columns alone which constituted this or- 

 der, and not the entablatures ; however, 

 in the remains of Grecian and Roman an- 

 tiquity we find, almost constantly, Corin- 

 thian columns supporting an entablature 

 with a peculiar species of cornice ; acom- 



VOL. I. 



position which seems to be borrowed from 

 those of the Doric and Ionic orders. In 

 this entablature the figure of the mutules 

 supporting the corona is changed into the 

 form of a console, and highly decorated ; 

 and the denticulated Ionic band, with its 

 cymatium, and also that of the frize, are 

 introduced below the consoles, which, 

 in this application, are called modillio?is. 

 This disposition is inverting the order of 

 the original hut, and also the description 

 given by Vitruvius. The only example, 

 where dentils are placed above modillions, 

 is in the second cornice of the tower of 

 the Winds at Athens. As to the archi- 

 trave and base of this order, they may be 

 the same as those used in the Ionic; in- 

 deed, the Ionic entablature itself would, 

 on many occasionSj be a very appropriate 

 one for the Corinthian. When the co- 

 lumns are fluted, the number of the flutes 

 and fillets is generally 24, as in the Ionic 

 order. 



If the entablature be enriched,the shaft 

 should be fluted, unless composed of va- 

 riegated marble ; for a diversity of cor 

 lours confuses even a smooth surface, and 

 if decorated, the ornament increases the 

 confusion to a much greater degree. 

 When the columns are within reach, so 

 as to be liable to be damaged, the lower 

 part of the flutes, to about one third of 

 their height, is sometimes filled with ca- 

 bles, as that of the interior order of the 

 Pantheon, with a view to strengthen the 

 edges. 



In rich work of some modern buildings, 

 the cables are composed of reeds, husks, 

 spiral twisted ribbands, flowers, and vari- 

 ous other ornaments ; but these niceties 

 should only be employed in the decora- 

 tions of the interior, and even then very 

 sparingly, as their cost would be much 

 better employed in giving majesty and 

 grandeur to other parts of the fabric. As 

 the cornice which has obtained the name 

 of Corinthian consists of so many mem- 

 bers, it will be necessary on this account 

 to increase the whole height of the en- 

 tablature more than two diameters, so as 

 to make the members distinct, and at the 

 same time to preserve a just, proportion 

 between the cornice, frize, and archi- 

 trave ; making the height of the entabla- 

 ture two-ninths of that of the column ; but 

 if the Ionic cornice is to be employed, or 

 the dentils and their cymatium omitted, 

 two diameters, or a fifth of the height of 

 the column will be sufficient. From hence 

 the absurdity of giving too many mem- 

 bers to the cornice will appear, as 

 these slight columns aye incapable of 



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