ARCHITECTURE. 
7 ° 
of every trace of this order, in the place of its nativity and 
nurture. Although Rome would not fuffer Corinth to 
ex id; as a rival city, there is no doubt but the deigned to 
follow the rules and laws of art eftabhfhed by her van- 
quiflied enemy, especially in architecture. The elegance 
and purity of ftyle in many of her buildings clearly evince 
Grecian ingenuity and refinement. 
The profile we have given, is according to Palladio’s 
meafurements of the Corinthian pillars to the portico of 
the Rotunda at Rome : the univerlal celebrity of this 
ftruCture pointed it out as a proper example. The mo¬ 
derns have adapted the following proportions : the column 
is twenty modules in height; the entablature five modules ; 
the bafe one module, and may be either Attic or Co¬ 
rinthian : the capital has feventy minutes in height; the 
proportion of the members of the entablature is the fame 
as in the Tufcan and Ionic orders. If the entablature is 
enriched, the fnaft of the column may be fluted, and the 
flutings may be filled to one-third part of their height with 
cabling, which will ftrengthen the lower part of the co¬ 
lumn,"and make it lefs liable to injury. In very rich in¬ 
terior decorations, the cabling may be compofed of reeds, 
ribbands, hulks, flowers, &c. The capital is enriched 
■with olive-kaves, as almoft all the antiques at Rome of 
this order are ; the acanthus is feldom employed but in the 
Compofite order : the entablature may be reduced to two- 
ninths, or one-fifth of the height of the column; in which 
cafe it is bed to ule the Ionic entablature, or reduce the 
denteles of the cornice. 
COMPOSITE ORDER. 
The Compofite, or Roman order, feems to owe its ori¬ 
gin to that conftant folicitude after novelty, which ever 
renders the mind of man relllefs in enlightened and highly- 
cultivated ages. The delire of variety and novelty, either 
of new invention, or combination, probably engaged the 
Roman architects to unite with the proportions and en¬ 
richments of the Corinthian order, the angular volute of 
the Ionic, and by this union to compofe a new order. The 
introduction of the angular Ionic volute, and the omiflion 
of the upper row of leaves in the capital, certainly give it 
a more bold and noble afpeCt than that of the Corinthian 
capital, yet different from any of the other orders, pof- 
feffing an elegance and projection very pleafing, and may 
be tiled with very agreeable and happy effects. There 
are many examples remaining at Rome, which fhew the 
general eftimation of this order, in the height of its fplen- 
dour and profperity. In their triumphal arches, it was 
ufed with good efteCt, where it produced an agreeable 
boldnef's, uniting elegance and ornament. 
The example given in the annexed plate, is that execu¬ 
ted in the triumphal arch ereCted to the honour of Vefpa- 
fian and Titus at Rome ; the juftnefs of the proportions, 
with the elegance of the ornaments, mark it as a proper 
flandard for the Compofite order. The proportions adap¬ 
ted to it by the moderns are as follow : the height of the 
column is twenty modules, and that of the entablature 
five modules; the capital has feventy minutes in height; 
the bafe meafures the fame as in the Doric and Ionic or¬ 
ders ; and, as the module is lefs, all its parts will of'courfe 
be more delicate ; the fliaft may be enriched with flutings, 
to the number of twenty or twenty-four, as in the Ionic 
order; there is no reafon why they fhould be augmented. 
The principal members of the entablature may have the 
fame proportions as the two former orders, viz. being di¬ 
vided into ten equal parts, three are for the height of the 
architrave, three for the frize, and four for the cornice. 
We may add here, more to complete the hiftory than to 
recommend their ufe, that there are ancient examples of 
oval columns; where the circle of the column is elongated 
by a broad plain fpace on the two oppofite fides of the 
fliaft. Of this kind were lome fragments found in the 
ifland of Delos, by M. le Roy. There are two others at 
La Trinite du Mont, at Rome : alfo in the tomb near 
My!alia, in Greece, according to M. de Choifeul; this 
elegant ftriufluve is very perfect; is of a fquare form, on 
a bafement; the pillars are infulated, and fupport a vault¬ 
ed cieling highly enriched; each front has two oval fluted 
columns with the narrow face outwards; at the angles are 
pilafters having the fame enrichments as the columns; 
the capitals are Compofite, and the volutes are omitted. 
This elegant little morfcau is of white marble, and about 
nineteen feet fquare. 
It has often been contended, that, ftriCtly fpeaking, there 
are are only three orders in architecture, namely, the Do¬ 
ric, Ionic, and Corinthian ; the other two, viz. the Tufcan 
and Compofite, being only varieties. And perhaps it would 
Amplify and facilitate the ftudy of architecture, were this 
reflriCtion univerfally to take place. The only circtim- 
ftances that can ferve to diftinguilh one order from another, 
are the form of the column, and its deftination. To make 
the firft a diftinguifhing mark, without regard to the other, 
would be to multiply orders without end. Deftination is 
more limited, and it leads us to diftinguilh three kinds of 
orders; one plain and ftrong, for the purpofe of fupport- 
ing plain and mafly buildings; one delicate and graceful, 
for fuftaining buildings of that character; and between 
thefe a third, for fupporting buildings of a mixed nature. 
v c o that, if deftination alone were to be regarded, the Tuf¬ 
can is of the fame order with the Doric, and the Compo- 
lite with the Corinthian. 
An order may be divided into two parts, the column, 
including the plinth of its bafe, with the abacus of the ca¬ 
pital; and the entablature, which includes all above the 
capital, and may be divided, in the large, into the ar¬ 
chitrave, the frize, and the cornice. 
By .examining the antiques, it,will be found, that, in all 
their profiles, the cyma and the cavetto are conftantly ufed 
as finiftiings, and never applied where ftrength is required ; 
that the ovolo and talon are always employed as fupport- 
ers to the eft’ential members of the compofition, fuch as the 
modillions, denteles, and corona; that the chief ufe of the 
torus and aftragal, is to fortify the tops and bottoms of 
columns, and fometimes pedeftals, where they are fre¬ 
quently cut in the form of ropes; and that the fcotia is 
employed only to feparate the members of bafes, for which 
purpofe the fillet is alfo ufed, not only in bafes, but in all 
kinds of profiles. An aflemblage of effential parts and 
mouldings, is termed a profile ; on the choice, difpolition, 
and proportion, of thefe, depends the beauty or deformity 
of tlie profile. The moft perfeCt are, fuch as are com¬ 
pofed of few mouldings, varied both in form and fize, 
fitly applied with regard to their ufes, and fo difpofed, 
that the ftraight and curved ones fucceed each other al¬ 
ternately. In every profile there fhould be a predominant 
member, to which all the others ought to be fnbfervient, 
and feem made either to fupport, to fortify, or to (belter 
it from the injury of the weather, as in a cornice where 
the corona is principal, the cyma or cavetto cover it, and 
the modillions, denteles, ovolo, and talon, fupport it. 
When ornaments are employed to adorn the mouldings, 
fome of them (hould be left plain, in order to form a pro¬ 
per repofe ; for, when all are enriched, the figure of the 
profile is loft. In a cornice the corona fhould not be orna¬ 
mented, nor the modillion band ; neither fhould the dif¬ 
ferent facias of architraves, the plinths of columns, fillets, 
nor fcarcely any fquare member, be carved ; for they are, 
generally fpeaking, either principal in the compofition, or 
ufed as boundaries to other parts; in either of which 
cafes, their figures (hould be diftinct and unembarrafled. 
The dentele band (hould remain uncut, where the ovolo 
and talon immediately above and below it are enriched ; 
for, when the denteles are marked, particularly if they be 
fmall, the three members are confounded together, and, 
being covered with ornament, are much too rich for the 
reft of the compofition; a fault carefully to be avoided, 
as the juft and equal diftribution of enrichments is on all 
occafions to be attended to. 1'or, in effect, the ornaments 
of fculpture in architecture, are like diamonds in a lady’s 
drefs, with which it would be abfurd to c-ovcr her face, 
and 
