Archimedes Texts

14
to have made a Monster with Limbs dispro
portionable: Variety is without Dispute a very
great Beauty in every Thing, when it joins and
brings together, in a regular manner, Things
different, but proportionable to each other;
but it is rather shocking, if they are unsuitable
and incoherent. For as in Musick, when the
Base answers the Treble, and the Tenor agrees
with both, there arises from that Variety of
Sounds an harmonious and wonderful Union
of Proportions which delights and enchants
our Senses; so the like happens in every thing
else that strikes and pleases our Fancy. Lastly,
these Things must be so executed, as Use or
Conveniency requires, or according to the
approved Practice of Men of Skill; because
deviating from established Custom, generally
robs a Thing of its whole Beauty, as conform
ing to it, is applauded and attended with Suc
cess. Nevertheless, tho' other famous Archi
tects seem, by their Practice, to have deter
mined this or that Compartition, whether
Doric, or Ionic, or Corinthian, or Tuscan, to
be the most convenient of any; yet they do
not thereby tie us down to follow them so
closely, as to transcribe their very Designs into
this Work of ours; but only stir us up by
their Instructions to produce something of
our own Invention, and to endeavour to ac
quire equal or greater Praise than they did.
But of these Things we shall speak more di
stinctly in their proper Places, when we come
to consider in what manner a City and its
Members ought to be disposed, and every
thing necessary for the Convenience of
each.

We are now to treat summarily of the
Disposition of the Wall. But here I
must not omit what I have observed among
the Ancients; namely, that they constantly
avoided drawing any of the outer Lines of the
Platform quite strait, so as to let any great
Length go on without being interrupted by
the Concavity of some curve Line, or the In
tersection of some Angle; and the Reason
why those wise Men did this is plain, that the
Wall, having, as it were, Props joined to it to
rest against, might be so much the stronger.
In treating of the Walling, we should begin
with the most noble Parts of it. This Place
theresore naturally leads us to speak of the Co
lumns, and of the Things belonging to them;
a Row of Columns being indeed nothing else
but a Wall open and discontinued in several
Places. And having occasion to define a Co
lumn, it would not be at all improper to say,
that it is a certain strong continued Part of
the Wall, carried up perpendicular from the
Foundation to the Top, for supporting the
Covering. In the whole Compass of the Art
of Building, you will find nothing, that either
for Workmanship, Expence or Beauty, de
serves to be preferred before the Columns.
But these Columns having some Particulars in
which they differ from one another; in this
Place we shall speak only of their Agreement;
because that regards the Genus of them; but
as to their Difference, which relates to their
Species, we shall handle it in its proper Place.
To begin therefore as we may say from the
Root, every Column has its Foundation; this
Foundation being brought up to a Level with
the Plane of the Area, it was usual to raise
thereupon a kind of little Wall, which we
shall call the Plinth, others perhaps may call
it the Dye; upon the Plinth stood the Base,
on the Base, the Column; and over the Co
lumn the Capital; their Proportion was, that
from the middle downwards, they were some
what bigger, and from thence upwards grew
more and more taper, and that the Foot was
something larger than the Top of all. I make
no doubt, that at first the Column was in
vented to support the Covering. Afterwards
Men's Thoughts being stirred up to worthy
Attempts, they studied, tho' themselves were
mortal, to make their Buildings in a Manner
immortal and eternal; and for this Reason
they made Columns, Architraves, Intabla
tures, and Coverings all of Marble. And in
doing these Things, the ancient Architects al
ways kept so close to Nature, as to seem, if
possible, never to have consulted any Thing
but mere Convenience in Building, and at the
same Time made it their Care, that their
Works should be not only strong and useful,