Archimedes Texts

With what Paintings, Plants, and Statues, it is proper to adorn the Pave
ments, Porticoes, Apartments and Gardens of a private House.

There are some other Ornaments ex
tremely proper for a private House, by
no means to be omitted in this Place. The
Ancients stained the Pavements of their Porti
coes with Labyrinths, both square and circular,
in which the Boys used to exercise themselves.
I have myself seen Pavements stained in Imita
tion of the Bell-flower-weed, with its Branches
twining about very beautifully. Other have
paved their Chambers with a Sort of Mosaic
Work of Marble, in Imitation of Carpets, others
in Imitation of Garlands and Branches of Trees.
It was a very ingenious Invention of Osis, who
strewed the Pavement at Pergamus with inlaid
Work, in Imitation of the Fragments that lie
scattered about after Meals; an Ornament not
ill suited to a Parlour. Agrippa was very right
in making his Floors of common baked Earth.
I, for my Part, hate every Thing that savours
of Luxury or Profusion, and am best pleased
with those Ornaments which arise principally
from the Ingenuity and Beauty of the Contri
vance. Upon side Walls no Sort of Painting
shews handsomer than the Representation of
Columns in Architecture. Titius Cæsar adorn
ed the Walls of the Portico in which he used
to walk, with a Sort of Phœnician Stone so fine
ly polished, that it returned the Reflection of
all the Objects like a Looking-glass. Antoninus
Caracalla, the Emperor, painted his Portico
with the memorable Exploits and Triumphs of
his Father. Severus did the same; but Aga
thocles painted not his Father's Actions, but his
own. Among the Persians, according to their
ancient Laws, it was not permitted to paint or
carve any other Story, but of the wild Beasts
slain by their Kings. It is certain, the brave
and memorable Actions of one's Countrymen,
and their Effigics, are Ornaments extremely
suitable both to Porticoes and Halls. Caius
Cæsar embellished his Portico with the Statues
of all those that had enlarged the Confines of
the Republick, and he gained a general Ap
probation by so doing. I am as much pleased
as any body with this Kind of Ornaments; but
yet I would not have the Wall too much
crowded with Statues or History Pieces. We
may find by Gems, and especially by Pearls,
that if they are set too thick together, they lose
their Beauty. For this Reason, in some of the
most convenient and most conspicuous Parts of
the Wall, I am for making handsome Pannels
of Stone, in which we may place either Sta
tues, or Pictures; such as Pompey had carried
along in his Triumph; Representing his Ex
ploits both by Sea and Land in Picture. Or
rather, I am for having Pictures of such Ficti
ons of the Poets, as tend to the Promotion of
good Manners; such as that of Dædalus, who
painted the Gates of Cumæ with the Repre
sentation of Icarus flying. And as the Sub
jects both of Poetry and Painting are various,
some expressing the memorable Actions of great
Men; others Representing the Manners of pri
vate Persons; others describing the Life of
Rusticks: The former, as the most Majestick,
should be applied to publick Works, and the
Buildings of Princes; and the latter, as the
more chearful, should be set apart for Pleasure
houses and Gardens. Our Minds are delight
ed in a particular Manner with the Pictures of
pleasant Landskips, of Havens, of Fishing,
Hunting, Swimming, Country Sports, of flowery
Fields and thick Groves. Neither is it foreign
to our present Purpose just to mention, that
Octavianus, the Emperor, adorned his Palace
with the huge Bones of some extraordinary
Animals. The Ancients used to dress the
Walls of their Grottoes and Caverns with all
Manner of rough Work, with little Chips of
Pumice, or soft Tyburtine Stone, which Ovid
calls the living Pumice; and some I have known
dawb them over with green Wax, in Imitati
on of the mossy Slime which we always see in
moist Grottoes. I was extremely pleased with
an artificial Grotto which I have seen of this
Sort, with a clear Spring of Water falling from
it; the Walls were composed of various Sorts of
Sea-shells, lying roughly together, some revers
ed, some with their Mouths outwards, their
Colours being so artfully blended as to form a
very beautiful Variety. In that Apartment
which is peculiar to the Master of the Family
and his Wife, we should take Care that nothing