An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius

The Piedement is composed of a Tympan and Cornices; to have the true height of the Tympan, we must divide the breadth which is between the two ends of the Cymatium of the Larmier, or Drip which supports the Piedement, into 9 parts, and give one to the Tympan.

The thickness of the Cornice being added to this 9th part, makes up the height of the whole Piedement or Fronton.

The Tympan ought to be Perpendicular upon the Gorge of the Pillar, the things that are common to all Cornices are, that the Cornice of the Piedement must be equal to that below, excepting the last great Cymatium, which ought not to be upon the Cornice below the Piedement, but it ought to go over the Cornices which are sloping upon the Piedement or Fronton.

This great Cymatium ought to have of height an 8th part more than the Crown, or Drip, or Larmier.

In places where there are no Piedements, in the great Cymatiums of the Cornices, must be cut the Heads of Lions, at such a distance, that there must be one directly upon every Pillar, and that the other answer directly upon the great Dalles, that cover the House. These Heads of Lions are pierced through to convey the Water which falls from the Roof upon the Cornice: The Heads of the Lions which are not directly upon the Pillars, ought not to be pierced, to the end the Water may flow with the greater impetuosity through those which are directly upon the Pillars, and that it may not fall between the Pillars upon those who are to go into the Portico’s.

The Greeks in their great Buildings never put any Dentels under the Modillons, because the Rafters could not be under the Forces, or Sheers, and it is a great fault that That, which according to the true Rules of Building ought to be placed above, should be placed under in the Representation.

For this Reason, the Ancients never approved of Modillons in the Piedements, nor of Dentels, but only simple Cornices; for neither the Forces, Sheers, nor the Rafters can be represented in the Piedements, out of which they cannot jet but only directly out of the Eaves of the House upon which they lie sloping.

The Acroteres are three Pedestals, which are upon the Corners and Middle of the Piedement to support Statues; those of the Corner ought to be as high as the Middle of the Tympan; but the Acrotere in the middle ought to be higher by an 8th part than the other.

All the Members or Parts which shall be placed upon the Capitals of Pillars, viz. Architraves, Frises, Cornices, Tympans, and Acroteres, should encline forward the 12th part of their height.

There is likewise another General Rule; which is, that all the parts that jet out, should have their Projecture equal to their Height.

ART. V.

Of the Thuscan Order

IT hath been said that all Buildings have three Parts, which may be different according to the divers Order, viz. The Pillars, the Piedements, and the Chambranles, or Door-Cases; and that the Pillars had three Parts, which are the Pedestal, the Shaft, and its Ornaments, viz. The Architrave, the Frise and the Cornice.

Neither the Proportion of the Pedestals, nor of the Gates and Chambranles of the Thuscan Order are to be found in Vitruvius.

Lib. 4.

Chap. 7. The Proportion of the Pillar is this, that its thickness below is the 7th part of its height, it’s Diminution is the 4th part of the Diameter of the Pillar, its Base has half of the Diameter of the Pillar for its height, the Plinthus being round, makes one half of the Base; the other half is for the Thorus, and for the Conge or Apophygis, Vid. Conge explained.

The height of the Capital is half the Diameter of the Pillar, the breadth of the Abacus is equal to the whole Diameter of the Pillar at the bottom, the height of the Capital is divided into three Parts; one of them is allowed the Plinthus, which serves instead of an Abacus; the Echine hath another; and a third Part is for the Gorge of the Capital comprehending the Astragal, the Conge, or Apophygis, which are immediately under the Echine.

Upon the Pillars must be laid the Sabliers, or Wooden Architrave, joyned together by Tenons, in the form of a Swallows Tail.

These Sabliers ought to be distant one from another about an Inch; for if they should touch one another, the Timber would heat and corrupt.

Upon these Sabliers which serve for an Architrave, must be built a little Wall, which will serve instead of a Frise.

The Cornice which is laid upon this little Wall or Frise, has Mutal’s which jet out.

All the Crowning should have the 4th part of the height of the Pillar. The little Walls that are built between the ends of the Beams which rest upon the Pillars, must be garnished and covered with Boards, which must be nailed upon the ends of the Beams.

The Piedement, which may be either of Stone or Wood, and which must support the Faistag or Top, the Forces, and the Pans, has a particular Proportion; for it must be much raised to give it a sufficient sloping for the running of the Water. See Tab. V.

ART. VI.

Of the Dorick Order

THE Dorick Pillar has had in divers times, and in different Buildings, different Proportions; for at first it had only for its height 6 times its Diameter; this Proportion imitating that of Humane Bodies, in Lib. 4.

Chap. 1. which the length of the Foot is the 6th part of all the Body, afterwards they allowed 7 times its Diameter.

But this Proportion that the Pillars of the Temples had at the Beginning, was afterwards changed in that of the Theaters, where they were higher by half a Diameter; for they made them 15 Modules high, for in the Dorick Lib. 5.

Chap. 9. Order the Semi-Diameter of the Pillar at the bottom is the Module, which in other Orders is a whole Diameter.

The Dorick Pillar is composed as well as the rest of a Shaft, Base and Capital, though Vitruvius makes no mention of the Base; and it’s easie to conclude, that in the Ancient Buildings this Order had none; for it is said, That when they would make the Ionick Order more Beautiful than the Dorick, they added a Base to it; Lib. 4.

Chap. 1. and there is yet to be seen in Ancient Buildings of this Order, Pillars without a Base; but when a Base is added to it, it must be Attick Base, whose Proportion is as follows.

The whole Base ought to have a Module for its height; that is to say, half the Diameter of the Pillar; this Module being divided into three parts; one is for the Plinthus; the other two parts are divided into four, of which one is allowed for the upper Torus, the three which remain, are divided into two: The half below is for the lower Torus, the other is for the Scotiæ, comprising the two little Squares or Filets. The breadth of the Basis in General is a 4th of the Diameter of the Pillar at the bottom, added on every side; but this jetting is excessive, and without any Example, and Vitruvius himself makes it lesser in the Ionick Base.

The height of the Capital as well as the Base is one Module, the breadth is two Modules and an half, the height of the Capital being divided into three parts, one must be allowed for the Plinthus or Abacus, with its Cymatium; Lib. 4.

Chap. 3. the other is for the Echine, with its Anulets; the third appertains to the Gorge of the Capital.

The Architrave which comprehends its Platte-Band with the Gouttes or Pendant Drops, which are under the Triglyphs, is as well as the Capital of one only Module; the Gouttes or Drops with their little Tringle, ought to have the 6th part of a Module, the breadth under the Architrave ought to be equal to that above the Pillar.

Upon the Architrave in the Friese ought to be the Triglyphs and the Metops. The Triglyphs have a Module and a half for their height, and a Module for their breadth; the Metops are as high as broad; One Triglyph must be placed directly upon every Pillar, and the Intercolumniation ought to have three; towards the Corners must be placed the Demi-Metops.

The breadth of the Triglyph being divided into six parts, five of them must be left in the middle, and the two halfs which remain on the right and the left, must be for Demi-Graveurs; The part in the middle, and the two last of the five, must be for the three Feet, and the two which are betwixt the three Feet, must be for the Graveurs or Channels, which must be hollowed, following the Corner of the Mason’s Rule. The Capital of the Triglyph ought to have the 6th. part of a Module.

Upon the Capital of the Triglyph is placed the great Cornice, its Jetting or Projecture, is half a Module and the 6th. part of a Module, its height is half a Module, comprising the Dorick Cymatium, which is under it.

On the Plat Fonds of the Cornice, must be hollowed little strait ways, which must answer perpendicularly to the sides of the Triglyphs, and the middle of the Metops.

Streight upon the Triglyphs must be cut 9 Goutes or Drops, which must be so distributed, that there may be six length-wise, and three broad-wise; in the Spaces which are betwixt the Metops, because they are greater than those between the Triglyphs: nothing must be cut unless it be Foudres. Moreover towards the border of the Crown must be Carved a Scotia.

Some advance perpendicularly above the Triglyphs, the Ends of the Forces or Principals to frame the Mutils which support the Cornices; so that as the Disposition of Beams hath caused the Invention of Triglyphs, so the jetting of the Forces hath caused the Disposition of the Mutils, which support the Cornices. See Tab. VI.

ART. VII.

Of the Ionick Order

THe Proportion of the Pillars of the Ionick Order in the beginning had Eight Modules or Diameters for their height, but the Ancients quickly added half a Diameter, when to make this Pillar more Beautiful than the Dorick, not only for its height, but Lib. 4.

Chap. 1. also for its Ornaments, they added a Base to it, which was not used in the Dorick Order.

The Pillars must be set upon their Bases two ways; for sometimes they were perpendicularly set, and sometimes not, viz. The outward rows of Pillars; when there were more Ranks than one; for that part of the Pillar which is towards the Wall of the Fabrick must necessarily be perpendicular, and the outward part must have all the Diminution, and must lean towards the Wall.

Lib. 3.

Chap. 3. The Pillars that are within the porch, and are betwixt the Wall and the outward Pillar must stand perpendicularly.

The breadth of the Ionick Base is the Diameter of the Pillar, to which is added a 4th. and an 8th. part; its height is half the Diameter; its height being divided into three parts, one is allowed for the Plinthus, the rest being divided into seven parts, three are allowed to the Torus above, after equally dividing the four which remain, the two above are for the upper Scotia, with its Astragal: The two below are for the lower Scotia, which will appear greater than the upper, because it extends to the edge of the Plinthus, the Astragals must have the 8th. part of the Scotia, whose Jetting or Projecture must be the 8th. part of the whole Base joyned to the 6th. part of the Diameter of the Pillar. See Tab. VII.

As to the Capital, the Abacus must have in its Square the Diameter of the bottom of the Pillar, adding to it an 18th. part; half of the Abacus ought to be the height of the Capital, comprizing the Round of the Volute or Scroll, but there must be substracted from the corner of the Abacus a 12th. part and an half of the height of the Capital, and after the whole thickness of the Capital must be divided into nine parts and an half, and one and an half must be left for the thickness of the Abacus, that the Volutes or Scrolls may be made of the eight which remain; then having left under the Abacus four parts and an half of these eight, a Line must be drawn in the place which cuts the two a-cross and the Points of the Section shall be Eyes, which shall have eight parts for their Diameter; in half the space of the Eye shall be placed the Centers through which shall be drawn with a Compass the Spiral-Line of the Volute, beginning the height under the Abacus, and going into the four Quarters of the Division, diminishing till we come directly to the first Quarter, and giving to every Quarter a particular Center.