PART Til. ARCHITECTURE. OD 



placed upon a base, either a simple plinth or square piece of 

 no great thickness, or one composed of several pieces, having 

 convex, concave, or angular edges. These columns terminated 

 in a capital, which is a small part of the column near the top, 

 swelled out either in forms somewhat like those of the base, or 

 in leaves, volutes, and other ornaments. These columns al- 

 ways supported, first, a horizontal piece of a height somewhat 

 more than the diameter of the column, and divided into two 

 parts, called the architrave and frieze ; and, secondly, a large 

 projection often shewing a number of angular and circular 

 mouldings, called the cornice. From the outer edge of this 

 cornice, rises the roof with a gradual ascent; the ridge of 

 which forms one horizontal straight line, that reaches from one 

 end of the edifice to the other. Imagine an oblong building 

 one story high, having a colonnade on each of the two sides, 

 and at the two ends having porticoes and pediments ; the 

 whole supporting a plain unconcealed roof ; and you have an 

 ancient Grecian temple. It is only to be further remarked, 

 that the square mass inclosed by these columns contained open- 

 ings, which were generally, if not always, parallelograms placed 

 on their narrow ends, or, in common language, plain square 

 doors and windows. 



This kind of temple served every purpose of their religion, 

 and was therefore complete as to utility. It is easy to conceive, 



