ARCHITECTURE. 
«ach leaf springing between each two lower 
leaves. The height of the abacus is one 
seventh, the upper and lower tier of leaves 
each two sevenths, and the branches and 
volutes which spring from the stalks be- 
tween every two leaves in the upper row, 
the remaining two sevenths of the diameter. 
The breadth of the capital at the bottom is 
one, and each diagonal of the abacus two 
diameters of the column. Vitruvius makes 
no mention of obtunding the corners of the 
abacus, as is generally practised by the 
ancients as well as the moderns ; we are, 
therefore, led to suppose that each pair of 
the four faces of the abacus were continued 
till they met in an acute angle, at each cor- 
ner, 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 hy 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 specimens ot the Corinthian 
order are to be collected from the Stoa, the 
arch of Adrian, and that most exquisite and 
singular specimen the monument of Lysi- 
eratus at Athens ; also in the Pantheon ot 
Agrippa, and in the three columns of the 
Campo Vaccino at Rome; these two, and 
particularly the last, are allow ed to be the 
most complete existing examples that are 
to be found in all the remains ot antiquity. 
The taste of the foliage of the Attic Corin- 
thian differs considerably from that ot the 
Roman : the small divisions of the leaves 
are more pointed, approaching nearer to 
the acanthus than those at Rome, which 
are for tiie most part olive; however, in 
other respects, the capitals themselves are 
very similar, except in the monument of 
Lysicrates. 
The Corinthian capital exhibits the utmost 
degree of elegance, beauty, richness, and 
delicacy, that has ever been attained in 
architectural composition, though many at- 
tempts 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 in- 
forms us that both Doric and Ionic entabla- 
tures were supported by Corinthian co- 
lumns, and that it was the columns alone 
which constituted this order, and not the 
entablatures; however, in the remains of 
Grecian and Roman antiquity, we find 
almost constantly Corinthian columns sup- 
porting an entablature with a peculiar 
species of cornice : a composition 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 con- 
soles ; which in this application are called 
modillions. This disposition is inverting the 
order of the original hut, and also the de- 
scription given by Vitruvius. The only ex- 
ample where dentils are placed above itto- 
dillions, is in the second cornice of the 
tower of the Winds at Athens. As to the 
architrave 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 occasions, be a very appropriate one 
for the Corinthian. When the columns 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 varie- 
gated marble ; for a diversity of colours con- 
fuses even a smooth surface, and if decorat- 
ed, 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 
tilled with cables, 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 various 
other ornaments ; but these niceties should 
only be employed in the decorations of the 
interior, and even tiien very sparingly, as 
their cost w'ould 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 con- 
sists of so many members, it will be neces- 
sary on this account to increase the whole 
height of the entablature more than two 
diameters, so as to make the members dis- 
tinct, and at the same time to preserve a 
just proportion between the cornice, frize, 
and architrave; making the height of the 
entablature 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 members to 
the cornice will appear; as these slight 
columns are incapable of bearing an entab- 
lature of the same part of their height as 
