ixS A R C H I T 
one fide than another. As the openings in a wall are all 
weakenings, and as the corners require to be the Itrongelt 
parts, there fhould never be a window very near a corner. 
Properly, there fhould always be the breadth of the open¬ 
ing firm to the corner. In the mod perfeft way of forming 
the diminution of walls, the middle of the thinned part 
being dire&Ly over the middle of the thicked, the whole 
is of a pyramidal form; but, where one fide of the wall 
mud be perpendicular and plain, it ought to be the inner, 
for the fake of the floors and crofs walls. The diminidted 
fide, in this cafe, may be covered with a fafcia or cornice, 
which will at once be a ftrength and ornament. 
In the conftnnStion of walls, that of the chimneys mud 
alfo be confidered ; for errors in thefe will render the mod 
elegant building extremely difagreeable. The common 
caufes of fmoking are either that the wdnd is too much let 
in above at the mouth of the fhaft, or the fmoke is billed 
below ; and fometimes a higher building, or a great eleva¬ 
tion of the ground, behind, is the fource of the mifchief; 
or ladly, the room in which the chimney is may be fo fmall 
or clofe, that there is not a fufficient current of air to drive 
up the fmoke. Almod all that can be done, while the 
walls are condrufling, to prevent fmoke, is, to twid the 
flue, and make the chimney-vent narrower at bottom than 
at top : yet this mud not be carried to an extreme; be- 
caufe the fmoke will then linger in the upper part, and all 
the force of the draught will not be able to fend it up. 
After the walls are finifiled, the next objeft is the roof, 
the weight of which mud be proportioned to the drength 
of the walls. It mud alfo be fo contrived as to prefs 
equally upon the building; and the inner walls mud bear 
their {hare of the load as well as the outer ones. A roof 
ought neither to be too mafly, nor too light; as being ne- 
celfary for keeping the walls together by its preflure, which 
it is incapable of doing while too light; and, if too heavy, 
it is in danger of throwing them down. Of thefe two ex¬ 
tremes the lad error is to be accounted the word. 
With regard to the floors, they are mod commonly made 
of wood ; in which cafe, it will be neceflary that it diould 
be well feafoned, by being kept a confiderable time before 
it is ufed. The floors of the fame dory fliould be all per¬ 
fectly on a level, not even a thrediold riling above the red ; 
and, if in any part there is a room or clofet whofe floor is 
not perfectly level, it ought not to be left fo, but raifed 
to an equality with the red; what is wanting of the true 
floor being fupplied by a falfe one. 
In mean houles, the ground floors may be made of clay, 
ox-blood, and a moderate portion of lharp fund. Thefe 
three ingredients, beaten thoroughly together and well 
fpread, make a firm good floor, and of a beautiful colour. 
In elegant houfes, the floors of this kind are made of 
plafler of Paris, beaten and fifted, and mixed with other 
ingredients. This may be coloured to any hue by the ad¬ 
dition of proper fubdances ; and, when well worked and 
laid, makes a very beautiful floor. Befides thefe, halls, 
and fome other ground-rooms, are paved or floored with 
marble or done ; and this either plain or dotted, or of a 
variety of colours: but the tiniverfal practice of carpeting 
has, in a great meafure, fet afide the bedowing any orna¬ 
mental workmandiip upon floors. 
Mandon-houfes being generally ereCted to give flability 
to the comforts and conveniences of thofe who are at the 
expence of building them, the diflribution of the apart¬ 
ments, and the dedination of the offices and inferior parts, 
together with the ornaments and dyle of finiffiing, mud of 
courfe differ in a variety of refpeCts, inafmuch as they are 
neceflarily adapted to the fortune, fancy, engagements, and 
way of life, of the proprietor. For this reafon, as well 
as from the different opinions of builders, and the infinite 
variety of the fubordinate parts in architecture, almod 
every new drufture is marked with its own peculiarities, 
which are objections to its becoming a model for other per- 
fons to follow. Hence the difficulty of fuggeding plans 
and elevations of buildings, which may be fuitable to the 
different views and purpofes of individuals. We Ihall, 
E C T U R E. 
however, by way of illudration, annex the plan, eleva* 
tion, and fection, of a manfion-houfe, in an elegant dyle 
of modern conflruCtion ; ffiewing how the fame may be 
reduced to a more plain and fimple edifice, or enlarged, ta> 
fuit the magnificence and fplendour of any nobleman. 
The annexed Plate of Architecture, is the plan of the 
principal dory of a manfion-houfe; from which the bafe- 
ment and attic dories might ealily be conceived and added, 
according to the fancy of the architect, or the convenien¬ 
ces required by thole who have occalion to build. The 
prefent druCture is fuppofed to have two principal fronts, 
the one to the north, by which it is to be approached, the 
other to the fotuh, overlooking the beautiful lawns and 
pleafure grounds. The common entrance is intended to 
be in the bafement dory, by an arcade, which leads to all 
the dontedic offices of the family. The entrance into the 
principal dory is fupported by the arcade, and is afcended 
by a double flight of fleps, marked MM, leading to an 
hexadyle portico of the Corinthian order, marked A ; from 
thence we enter by a dately hall, decorated with fourteen 
whole, and four three-quarter, columns, which fupport a 
coved ceiling highly enriched. From hence we approach 
the grand daircafe, marked C, which receives its light 
from above, and is enriched with a coved ceiling and do¬ 
mical fky-light, with fuitable ornaments; and from this 
daircafe we have immediate communication with all the 
principal apartments in the houfe. Paffing on, we enter a 
circular withdrawing-room in the center of the fouth front, 
forty-two feet in diameter, marked D, which is crowned, 
with a dome, highly finifhed and beautifully enriched. 
Returning from hence, on the right hand, we enter an 
apartment in the fouth-ead corner, marked E, thirty-fix 
feet by twenty-five, intended for the date bed-room. In 
the center of the ead wing is the faloon, marked F, forty- 
four feet by thirty, fuitably ornamented and enriched. In 
the north-ead corner is the library, marked G, thirty-fix 
feet by twenty-five, in which niches for btids and globes 
are intended between the compartments and book-cafes. 
From the library we crofs the hall to the north-wed angle, 
where we enter the great dining-parlour, marked H, thirty- 
fix feet by twenty-five, with the addition of a circular re- 
cefs for a fideboard, ornamented with two columns of the 
Compofite order. The fide room marked I, is calculated 
to ferve the purpofe of conveniently placing the remove of 
the courfes, deferts, &c. The room next adjoining, marked 
K, is intended fora breakfad or common dining parlour; 
and that marked L, in the fouth-wed angle, might be ufed 
as an inferior withdrawing-room, or common fitting par¬ 
lour for the family, being thirty-fix feet by twenty-five. 
A common daircafe for fervants, &c. is placed nearly in 
the center of each wing, on the external fides of the great 
hall. The attic dory of this delign is calculated for fix 
bed bed-chambers, exclufive of as many inferior ones. 
The other Plate exhibits the elevation of the fouth front* 
of this noble manlion, with a fection through the center of 
the great hall, the daircafe, and the withdrawing-room ; 
whereby the coved ceiling, and manner of framing the 
roof over the fame ; together with the condrudtion of the 
domical (ky-light, and the dome, are all brought into 
view. The manner of compofing doors and windows, with 
fuitable enrichments for the internal and external finiffiings 
of a fuperb edifice, might here likewife be feen ; with the 
method of arranging and difpofing the feveral apartments. 
And let it here be noticed, that, in all buildings of this 
magnitude, the interior difpofition of the doors of commu¬ 
nication from one room to another fhould be (ituated in a 
right line from one angle to another on all fides of the 
houfe. The advantages are thefe ; that it contributes to¬ 
wards the regularity of the decoration, facilitates and Ihort- 
ens the paflage through the apartments, and in fummer, or 
on public occafions, when the doors are fet open, it produces 
a more falubrious circulation of air, and likewife gives a 
much more fplendid appearance to the apartments, by ex- 
pofing at once to view the whole feries of rooms ; which 
is more particularly linking when the apartments are illu- 
minatedj . 
