532 



passion for lightness and elegance, by a friend, who 

 is himself of all others the most capable in every 

 way of illustrating the whole subject. "This 

 fourth temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (the three 

 former having perished by fire) was completed, 

 and dedicated by Domitian. The columns were 

 cut out of Pentelic marble, having their thickness 

 most beautifully proportioned to their length ; for 

 we saw them at Athens : but being cut over again, 

 and polished at Rome, they did not gain so much 

 in elegance, as they lost in symmetry ; they ap- 

 pear too slender, and are void of beauty." 



Plutarch in the Life Poplicola. 



P. 215. last. I do not know whether Vanbrugh ever was 

 in Italy, or whether there ever was a print of the 

 house of Nicolo di Rienzi before that by Pira- 

 nesi, in his Views of Rome ;* but supposing him 

 to have seen either the fiouse itself, or a print of 

 it, I should not be surprised if it had suggested to 

 him the idea of the open arches on the top ©f Blen- 

 heim. The house of Rienzi (by Piranesi's account) 

 was built out of the ruins of some ancient edifices, 

 from which the entablature was probably taken : 

 immediately over that entablature (as at Blenheim) 

 are raised some open arches, which terminate the 

 whole ; a mode of finishing the summit, which I 

 have seldom observed in other buildings. These 

 arches, however, are quite simple, like those of an 



* Tom. 1. Tavola SI. 



