9 'i'v .. V- — - — . 1 1 1 1 ul r r E OKWES-DIKSTHII faffr JATON.t884i. A ; r - ^V £ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Research Library, The Getty Research Institute http://www.archive.org/details/musicofeyeoressaOOIegh *'/ Ficrjxv D D Q D D ui Hh //V.V.V17 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE; OR, ESSAYS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BEAUTY AND PERFECTION OF &rd)ttecture, AS FOUNDED ON AND DEDUCED FROM REASON AND ANALOGY, AND ADAPTED TO WHAT MAY BE TRACED OF THE ANCIENT THEORIES OF TASTE, IN THE THREE FIRST CHAPTERS OF VITRUVIUS. WRITTEN WITH A VIEW TO RESTORE ARCHITECTURE TO THE DIGNITY IT HAD IN ANCIENT GREECE. BY PETER LEGH, ESQ. M.A. " Sunt certi denique fines " Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum." Hor. Lib. I. Sat. i. v. 106. LONDON. PRINTED FOR WILLIAM WALKER, STRAND; JAMES CARPENTER AND SON, OLD BOND-STREET ; AND PRIESTLEY & WEALE, HIGH-STREET, BLOOMSBURY. 1881. NOTE. It is intended that the profits of this edition shall go towards a fund for building a Church at, or near Torkington, in the parish of Stockport, Cheshire. ADDRESS. The Music of the Ear is the art which treats of the harmony of sounds ; why may not, therefore, the art which treats of the harmony of visible objects, be called the " Music of the Eye ?" The resemblance of Music to Architecture is traced in these essays, in essay i. sect. 3, and in essay iii. sect. 28 : there is, however, a better reason for calling Architecture the Music of the Eye. We learn from Hesychius and other lexicographers, that psaitcr) and rtyj"?, music and art, were among the Athenians synonymous words ; Architecture, therefore, as the most noble art, more particularly deserves this appellation. Notwithstanding, however, the importance and dignity of Architecture, and many of its respectable and noble professors and authors, it is unquestionably not an art held in the esteem it ought to be : nor is VIII ADDRESS. this .surprising- : the science, as it is now studied, is mostly confined to copying from antiquity, while the reasons of its beauty are scarcely reflected on, or at least very little further than the mere uses of some of the smaller parts. That a system of servile co- pying- should not be a favourite study, cannot appear wonderful, and particularly among- Englishmen, and in these enlightened days, when we pride ourselves in some, I may say many arts, as having even sur- passed the ancients. It is the object of these essays to investigate the principles of architectural beauty, and to form them into a system worthy of the man of penetration, thought, judgment, and taste. It is the object of these essays to show that Architecture is not within the reach of every illiterate mechanic, but that it opens a field to enlarged intellect, and deep re- search, and that it is full of unlimited novelty and invention. Such is Architecture : but that the humble efforts of my pen should make this appear, that these un- favourite lucubrations should accomplish what was intended by them, I am not so confident as to antici- pate, nor am I so vain as to imagine, they will serve any more than as an outline to be completed by the finger of time and experience, claiming to myself only ADDRESS. IX some title to originality and system, and thoroughly feeling, that it was system alone, that raised Archi- tecture, as well as the other arts of ancient Greece, to the excellence, they had there attained, that it is by system alone we can hope to rival them, and that it is by system alone, that Architecture can keep its triumphant pre-eminence over the other fine arts, or that it can deserve to be considered an art, that en- larges the intellect, assists the judgment, directs the taste, and, to adopt the appropriate language of Vi- truvius, an art, by whose principles the merits of the works in other arts may be tried, and examined. If system then be all, that an art requires to bring it to perfection, how lamentable it is, that so noble an art as Architecture should, in modern days, be with- out system, an art which as the chief of those arts, which are emphatically called the " peaceful arts," is highly calculated to lead the human mind, (which from its nature must be active on something,) from war and bloodshed, to the contemplation of what will afford unlimited, pleasing, and useful occupation for the mind ; nor it seems to me, can we sufficiently despise those, who, while speaking of the late im- provements in London, declared Architecture an art only calculated to fan the vanity of the world, not considering that the defects of all arts, innocent ADDRESS. and peaceful in themselves, must depend on a wrong- use of them. For my own part, I cannot help thinking, that the encouragement of an art, of so elegant and funda- mental a nature, and so full of endless variety, may be productive of the greatest benefit to society ; it may be laying the corner-stone for a multitude of other arts of a peaceful nature, and perhaps, if I may allude to Scripture in a secular work, for the com- mencement of that period, when they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks ; when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more, (Isaiah ii. 4 ;) and they shall build houses and inhabit them ; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them ; they shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat, (Isa. lxv. v. 21, 22:) or, as Pope poetically expresses it, No move shall nation against nation rise, Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes, Nor fields with gleaming steel be eovered o'er, The brazen trumpets kindle rage no more: But useless lances into scythes shall bend, And the broad falchion in a ploughshare end ; Then palaces shall rise ; the joyful son Shall finish what bis short-lived sire begun. Their vines a shadow t<> their race shall yield, And the same band that ploughed, shall nap the field. ADDKESS. \1 Whatever may be said of the opinions of those mo- dern philosopers, who make the period for the com- pletion of those prophesies above alluded to, near at hand, I do not pretend to discuss : but at all events, in whatever age we live, it must be the duty of every man to do all in his power, however little that may be, to promote universal civilization ; and from the time I have bestowed upon it, conceiving mvself capable of throwing at leant a glimmering light on the noblest of the peaceful arts, I should feel it wrong to conceal these attempts from the public, though they should be pursued by all the virulence, which .sometimes accompanies modern criticisms, or though they should be found finally unworthy of attention. Norbury Booths Hall, 1829. CONTENTS. ESSAY I. OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. Sect. (1.) The dignity of Architecture ; (2.) the most nohle, use- ful, and ancient, and the queen and mother of the arts ; (3.) not an imitative art ; in this respect analogous to music. (4.) A Doric temple. (5.) Universality of Architecture ; national character; Gothic, Moorish, Grecian. The Greeks, their taste, and inde- pendent spirit. (6.) Roman Architecture. (7.) Modern Archi- tecture. (8.) Chinese, Egyptian, Russian. (9.) Architecture a universal art : associated impressions : Sir Joshua Reynolds : Earl of Arundel. (10.) Addison: Vitruvius. (11.) Architecture im- portant to the man of taste, the scholar, the patriot. (12.) These essays treat of the philosophy of the art. (13.) The science of an Architect : V T itruvius recommends general knowledge to the Architect: the fahrica. (14.) Situation; peculiarities; the work itself: materials; machinery. (15.) Difficulties must he sur- mounted. ..... page 1 ESSAY II. THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. Sect. (1.) A reverence for antiquity very useful. (2.) Antiquarians in various arts ; in Architecture : advantages of an Architect ; necessity for extended knowledge. (3.) Fixed principles neces- XIV CONTENTS. sary to all sciences, but cannot embrace every contingency. (1.) Aristotle : principles of the drama, &c. Greeks had, perhaps, prin- ciples in Architecture : its variety an argument : (5.) its perfec- tion another argument ; perfection cannot arise from chance. The man of taste is the man of principle. (6.) The universal excel- lence of Grecian Architecture a proof of their having principles, though they borrowed ideas from other nations. (7.) We must look to reason and common sense : we cannot even copy without. principles ; but even if we could, copying is unworthy this noble art. (8.) Ancient theories. (9.) Modern theories. Orthodox Grecian. (10.) Periodists. No anachronisms in Architecture improperly so ; Architecture arises from anachronisms which are useful to the art. (11.) Superiority of the Greeks in composition. (12.) Innovators. (13.) Compounders. (14.) The best Archi- tects systemizers. (15.) The mutual dependance of the princi- ples, (16.) particularly in Architecture. Individual styles. (17.) Principles would perfect individual tastes. (IB.) Recapitulation. page 15. ESSAY III. THE V1TRUVIAN ANALYSIS. Sect. (1.) Beauty undefineable. (2.) Burke. (3.) Character different kinds of beauty in the same art. (4.) A variety of tilings to consider. (5.) Difficulties of the task. (G.) Vitruvius seems to give three divisions of the subject: Vitruvius obscure : a compiler of what perhaps he did not know : (7.) his analysis important among the Greeks. (8.) 1st Chapter of Vitruvius ; fabrica and ratiocinatio. (9.) 2nd Chapter of Vitruvius ; the ratiocinatio ana- lysed. (10.) 3rd Chapter of Vitruvius; the fabrica analysed: CEdincatio, or the work itself and the materials. Gnomonice, or the situation and peculiar science : machinatio, or the tools and machinery. (11.) Of ratiocinatio : imitation. (12) Architecture not imitative like poetry, painting, and sculpture. (13.) A\ e should not be led away by fancy, or indolence. (14.) Two modes of imitation: (15.) imitation of utility ; (16.) imitation of natural form. (17.) Utility. (18.) Proportion: eurithimia and symme- tria. (10.) Disposition, or diathesis. (20.) Distribution. (21.) Decor of Vitruvius : character. (22.) Importance of these beads, (23.) and in this order. (24.) Of modern writers on the theories of CONTENTS. XV taste. Pleasure derived from the association of ideas; a prevalent system, but absurd. (25.) Fixed principles. (25*.) Of the smell. (26.) The taste. (27.) The bearing ; music. (28.) The eye. Admiration is not love, (29.) nor esteem. (30.) Love a mystery. (31.) Those who suppose love and admiration the same, have argued themselves into an absurdity. (32.) Admiration of the beautiful arises from a combination of principles. . /'".'/'' 28 ESSAY IV. UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. Sect. (1.) Importance of the second chapter of Vitruvius. (2.) Vitruvius a diligent compiler of learning, then known by tradition. Tafrc is latinized by ofheium, not ordinatio. (3.) Vitruvius's confusion partly arises from the nature of the subject, as the ex- cellencies theoretically separated, are in application blended. (4.) Utility important in other arts. (5.) Burke's objection to fitness considered. (6.) Fitness alone not beauty. (7.) Utility in Architecture, what. (8.) Foundation, support, shelter. (9.) Variety of styles. ( 10. ) Of forms ; (11.) abstractedly. ( 12. ) The line, superficies, and solid. (13.) Lines. (14.) Hogarth's line of beauty : ease in lines. (15.) Conveniency and strength. (16.) Six kinds of building. (17.) Arrectarial scheme : the pilastre, the parastata, the pillar, the pier, the pannel. (18.) The pillar. (19.) Doric order. (20.) Examples in figures. (21.) Various specimens : Aiken on the Doric. (22.) Taxis of the Doric. (23.) The Ionic. (24) Of specimens. (25. J Taxis of the Ionic. (26.) Solomon's temple. (27.) Corinthian order : Sir C. Wren : taxis of the capital : Sir J. Hall: Dr. Clarke: Earl of Aberdeen. (28.) English spe- cimens too diffuse. (29.) Taxis of the architrave: St. Stephen's, Walhroke, is archi-columnal, not trabe- columnal. (30.) Sir C. Wren had well conceived the order. (31.) Corinthian order in perfection about B. C. 404 : period of Alexander the Great : Cariatides. (32.) Fulcimental scheme ; (33.) very unimproved; (34.) some defects: (35.) no good specimens ; we must illustrate by inferior ones. (36.) Three kinds of buttress, flying, finial, im- mediate. Of the use of curves. (37.) Of the taxis of the buttress. (38.) Archi-columnal scheme defined. (39.) Two kinds: trabca- tion between arch and column : (40.) without intervening tra- beation (41.) Pointed arch: its taxis externally: (42.) inter- xvi CONTENTS. nally: origin of the Norman style from twigs. (43.) Sir J. Hall. (44.) Horse-shoe arch: the Alarabra. (45.) Monotrabeal scheme defined : (46.) its varieties. (47.) Chinese and Egyptian trabea- tions. (48.) Observations on modern practice. (49.) Pariefe- nestral scheme defined : (50.) this style naturally defective in taxis. (51.) Simplicity and truer taxis recommended in Gothic windows. (52.) Sectional scheme : (53.) its varieties. (54.) Timber houses. The reticulated style of Vitruvius. {55.) The Coliseum, and other specimens, (56.) incapable of grandeur. (57.) Examples. (58.) Mixed styles cannot be traced. (59.) The use of mouldings; (60.) confusion of their names: (61.) names of mouldings: (62.) the use of mouldings: in the Doric, few curved mouldings : (63.) small curved mouldings nearly useless. (64.) In Asia large curves used: large curves in other cases. (65.) Efficiency and relation- ship. {^-) Ornament distinct from Architecture. (67.) Orna- ment useful, and useless. (68.) Nature our guide. (69.) Doric, the most perfect order, and most like nature. (70.) Ornament not in pure specimens. (71.) Ornament scarcely belongs to this essay : its variety. (72.) Ornament should be agreeable: four kinds: (73.) formal ornament: (74.) diffuse ornament: (75.) simple or- nament: (76.) mixed ornament: (77.) taxis in ornament. page 43 ESSAY V. PROPORTION, OR THE SYMMETRY AND EURITID1 OF VITRUVIUS. Sect. (1.) Vitruvius's analysis of eurithm and symmetry not suffi- ciently esteemed : (2.) an important subject, though Burke thought proportion no part of beauty : a false argument. (3.) This essay should be before that on diathesis. (4.) Vitruvius on eurithm and symmetry. (5.) Eurithm defined: (6.) explained. (7.) Deriva- tion of symmetria. (8.) Symmetry defined: (9.) explained. (10.) Our present object, what. (11.) Vitruvius gives no sum- mary guide to proportions. Beau ideal. (12.) Proportions sup- posed to be involved in mystery. (13.) The Greek ava\oyui : (the grand secret) merely means proportion. (14.) Modem know- ledge. (15.) No mystery in proportion; it requires simplicity. (16.) Michael Angelo advises simplicity. (17.) A module. (1^.) CONTENTS. XV11 Vitruvius on the module. (19.) Modern module : (20.) its divi- sions. (21.) A module denned. (22.) Simple proportions. (23.) (23.) The application of proportion. (24.) Contrast and character hereafter considered: eurithm alone incapable of eflect : (25.) many instances of this : (26.) St. Peter's at Rome : Duppa's observation. (27.) The principles of greatness not now understood : the Gothic Architects understood it better than we do. (28.) Pro- portion applied in eurithm : proportion applied in symmetry. (29.) Of the point of measurement. (30.) Light and lightness: inter- columnation of the Parthenon. (31.) Doric proportions: of the architrave being equal to the upper diameter of the shaft. (32.) Another mode. (33.) Further argument. (34.) Sunium. (35.) Proportion of rooms. (36.) Vitruvius. (37.) Styles alter propor- tion. (38.) Artifices in proportion. (39.) Square room. (40.) Nature, (41.) remote from art, therefore of little use to it. (42.) Architects fond of resemblances to nature : M. Angelo. (43.) Vitruvius. (44.) Nature may give us the spirit, though not the practice of good proportion in Architecture. (45.) Corinthian order. (46.) Doric order. (47.) Roman style of Doric. (48.) A new arrangement of proportion in the Doric. (49.) Noah's ark. (50.) Complication of curves. (51.) Recapitulation and conclusion. page 87 ESSAY VI. DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. Sect. (1.) Desirable to form a useful scheme. (2.) Diathesis not be confused with distributio : diathesis is the effective arrangement of forms in a style, distributio that of styles in a design. (3.) Vitru- vius's definition: diathesis not to be confused with decor, (4.) nor with practical engines, (5) however necessary in themselves. (6.) The precedency of diathesis. (7.) The necessity of adopting the word diathesis in our own language. (8.) Diathesis defined. (9.) Re- gularity and variety, parents of uniformity, contrast, relief, and repose. (10.) Diathesis of position, form, proportion, and projec- tion. (11.) Uniformity, though opposed to, should not be detri- mental to diathesis. (12.) Diathesis springs from variety: contrast and variety. (13.) Relief: repose. (14.) Useful variety, (15.) the landmark of the art. ( 16.) Infancy of the art. (17.) Neither b XVlll CONTENTS. gaiuliness nor simplicity, a proof" of antiquity. (18.) Simplicity not always a sign of correct taste, (19.) though always found in perfect works. (20.) Simplicity not a principle of composition. (21.) Simplicity of ornament dignifies it : the variety of ornament triumphs over Architecture. (22. ) Variety most injurious to Ar- chitecture. (23.) Distinctness. (24.) Case of indistinctness. (25.) Another case of indistinctness : proposed explanation of the scamilli im pares : other discussions on it unsatisfactory. (26.) Vitruvius referred to. (27.) Scamilli what. (28.) Vitruvius again. (29.) Impares explained hy Vitruvius : three steps have a good effect. (30.) Diathesis. (31.) Diathesis of position. (32.) Diathesis of form and proportion blended. (33.) Separate idea of them neces- sary. (34.) Diathesis of projection. (35.) Hogarth's Analysis of Beauty, (36.) near the truth. (37.) Ornament (38.) difficult to apply. (39.) Nugatory contrasts. (40.) More parts require more contrast. (41.) Vivid contrast generally desirable within limits. (42.) Further distinction. (43.) Eurithmic diathesis. (44.) Sym- metric diathesis. (45.) Qualifications in the above. (46.) Reca- pitulation. (47) Limits in diathesis. (48.) Gradation in dia- thesis (49.) useful to the student in practice. (50.) Application of diathesis. (51.) A specimen of the Corinthian order examined : the corona : diathesis of projection in it ; and of symmetry ; and of ornament. (52 ) The frieze. (53.) The architrave. (54.) The capital. (55.) The shaft. (50.) The base. 57. Symmetric dia- thesis between adjacent and conspicuous parts. (58.) Ornamental diathesis. (59.) Doric order, and Roman specimens of a triglyph order, compared. (60.) Taxis and diathesis. (61.) Nature. (62.) Diathesis of position. (63.) Eurithmic diathesis. (64.) Sym- metric diathesis. (65.) Diathesis of form. (66.) Diathesis of pro- jection. (67.) Motion and colour. (68.) Diathesis of colour. (69.) In Architecture. (70 ) In carved and curved parts. page 111. ESSAY VII. \ DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. Sect. (1.) Of the order, in which the terms occur in the analysis of Vitruvius. (2.) The sense here assigned to distributio and diathesis necessary to the art. (3.) Distributio denned. (4.) The "loci dispensalio" of Vitruvius. (5.) Tlie " loci dispensatio" guides us CONTENTS. \1\ to distribution. (6.) Tactic difference between diatbesis and distri- bute. (7.) Simple distribution on tbe ground plan. (8.) The elevation. (9.) Simple distribution most chaste. (10.) Of mixed style in simple distribution : antis of Vitruvius : prostyle, and am- phiprostyle : peripteral and hypoethral : dipteral, and pseudodip- teral. (11.) Complex distribution ; seven kinds. (12.) Facade appendages with straight parts : a portico. (13.) Projecting parts should be striking. (14.) Symmetric contrast in the elevation. (15.) Other contrasts in the elevation. (16 1 .) Of complex styles in complex distributions ; sometimes excusable, perhaps appro- priate. (16.) Two lateral parts. (17.) Three lateral parts. (18.) Very difficult to preserve contrast and character. (19.) Of the figures. (20.) Other cases. (21.) Adjustment of exterior to in- terior proportion: (22.) the more complex, the more difficult: (23.) impossible to follow every variety. (24.) Further gradation in distribution. {'25.) Facade lateral appendages with curved parts. (26.) Of the figures. (27.) Straight and curved appendages liable to the same rules. (28.) Of straight wings : (29.) difficult to harmonize : (30.) difference of opinion about wings : (31.) of connecting wings : (32.) figures: (33) wings where best : (34.) a simple mode of using wings : (35.) liberties. (36.) Fundamental appendages, their superiority. (37.) Basements. (38.) Detached appendages. (39.) Curved wings, (40.) rather more varied. (41.) Straight elevated appendages. (42.) St. Peter's at Rome : Michael Angelo: St. Paul's. (43.) Beauty of spires, &c. ; (44.) their taxis. (45.) Spires and turrets. (46.) Curved elevated append- ages. (47.) Oriental domes. (48.) Nature of domes. (49.) Dis- tribution may be carried further. (50J Modern cities often want variety: a street should not be in a simple distribution, (51.) though economical. (52.) No further rules are necessary for de- signing a street : High Street, Oxford. (53.) Harmony and con- trast. (54.) The great secret in composition. (55.) Proportion of a street. (56.) Leith Walk, Edinburgh : Regent Street, London. (57.) Grounds round a house. (58.) Nature: uniformity not the beauty of minute objects only. (59.) Great and small relative terms : nor is uniformity the beauty of great objects. (60.) Uni- formity and variety both desirable. (61.) Of the connexion and use of parts : different uses require different forms : the same uses the same forms. (62.) Imperfect contrast. (63.) Where contrast is a beauty. (64.) Accompaniment to a mansion. (6o.) Modes of affinity. A castle. (66.) A Grecian design. (67.) Other modes. (68.) Conflicting opinions accounted for. (69.) The Analysis of XX CONTENTS. Taste. (70.) We must not decide one style to be bad, because another is good. (71.) The beauties of nature inferior to art. (72.) Landscape gardening. (73.) Furniture. (74.) Entrance: (75.) its features. (76.) Modes of access should be apparent. (77.) Statues. (78.) Coup-d'ceil of the entrance. (79.) Aspect. (80.) External statues. (81.) Warmth. (82.) Proportion of rooms. (83.) Different kinds of contrast. (84.) Contrast of simple form : (85.) contrast of ornamental form. (&6.) Eurithmic contrast: (87.) symmetric contrast: (88.) contrast of projection. (89.) Nature. (90.) Distributio of diathesis the same in nature. (91.) Superiority of nature. (92.) Nature not similar in principle always to art . . . . . page 146 ESSAY VIII. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. Sect. (1.) Effect of the art on the mind by character. (2.) Con- sistency and harmony. (3.) Character almost instinctive, (4.) al- lowed by others. The decor of Vitruvius. (5.) His practical explanation; statio, consuetudo, natura. (6.) That decor means character in particular. (7.) Oefxantrpoc. (8.) Origin of architec- tural character, (9.) difficult to study and to conceive: (10.) diffi- cult to treat of. Avoid the evils of the association of ideas. (11.) P. Knight : Lock. (12.) Association of extraneous ideas most in- jurious. (13.) Association of first principles. (14.) Uniformity: harmony. (15.) Uniformity in other arts: in music: (16.) in painting: in Architecture, the handmaid of character. (17.) Uni- formity of taxis, (18.) in mouldings. (19.) Of form, varying with the use ; yet still in uniformity with it, as to the kind of forms they are composed of. (20.) Uniformity of form, (21.) or characteristic uniformity in the Doric order: (22.) when it aids character itself; (23.) in the Ionic order; (24.) in the Corinthian order. (25.) Norman style: Saxon. (26.) Characteristic uniformity very im- portant. (27.) Uniformity aided by a contrast of position. (28.) Uniformity of position; (29.) cases where it occurs. (30.) Uni- formity of proportion, or harmony. (31.) Character a refinement on what is already correct. (32.) Various tastes, in judgment of animal beauty : (33.) in judgment of human beauty: (34.) in periods and countries ; in shrubberies ; in dress- (35.) Dress must be preposterous. (36.) Variety of taste in other things. (37.) The human species. (38.) Physiognomy, craniology, palmistry. Modern organs of craniology. (39.) The mind. (40.) Amativeness. (41.) CONTENTS. XXI A scheme of physiognomy proposed ; (42.) the minute features to be observed: (43.) ardour; obstinacy; (44.) sensibility; (45.) perception. (46.) Three propensities, the origin of the rest; (47.) combined, produce rational caution, hope, faith, credulity, enthu- siasm, invention, talent, exalted genius, magnanimity. (48.) The three originals, when absent, give place to cruelty, bru- tality, murderous propensity, shyness, suspicious caution, timidity, and stupidity. (49.) The three originals perverted, produce a miser, deceit, fretfulness, pride, vanity, folly, idiotcy, fanaticism, madness. (50.) Of the arts. (51.) These characters may exist in numerous forms. Examples : sanguine, choleric, me- lancholic of Lavater. (52.) Imperfection of all rules. (53.) The science of physiognomy of little use in Architecture. (54.) Of pathognomy : Le Brun. (55.) No new science. (56.) Love, admiration, joy, hope, sorrow, sullenness, despair, contempt, malice, anger, hatred, fear, shame, (57.) all very much varied. General fomi not indicative of either physiognomy or pathognomy. Lasting impressions of the passions ; indications of virtue and vice. (58.) Of human male and female figures : (59.) of the male; of the female. (60.) A more masculine variety in fig. cvi. (61.) This distinction introduced into Architecture, and better into orna- ment. (62.) Circles harmonize with the female form, and ellipses with the male. (63.) How applied. (64.) Forms of children : the circle a primitive form throughout the creation. (65.) These observations of remote use in Architecture. (QQ-) Of characters produced by single qualities : by form. (67.) Characters produced by proportion : (68.) lightness; (69.) heaviness ; (70.) dignity. (71.) Character arising from one principle least pleasing. (72.) Character arising from form and proportion. (73.) Neatness. (74.) Prettiness. (75.) Handsomeness. (76.) Strength: design should be decided, and ample, have straight parts, (77.) neither bare nor crowded; firm, neither heavy nor light. (78.) Solidity. (79.) Of characters possessing greater diathesis. (80.) Greatness. (81.) Great and small are relative terms, which makes rules uncer- tain. (82.) On the use of sculpture. Modem Italy. (83.) Ancient Greece. (84.) Greatness arises from symmetric diathesis. (85.) Mere size. (86.) The scheme should be great : certain great build- ings do not appear great. (88.) We should cultivate all the excel- lencies: harmony (89.) aids the effect of greatness. (90 ) Fenes- tral scheme. (91.) Greatness combined with other characters. (92.) Boldness arises from projecture. (93.) Projecture the soul of the art. (94.) Its importance. (95.) Grandeur differs from XX11 CONTENTS. sublimity. (96.) The sublime. (97.) Aristotle: Burke. (98.) The sublime, a combination of the dignified, the great and bold. (99.) Sublime in tragedy, arising from terror and pity. (100.) How so arising. (101.) Modern objections to Aristotle. (102.) Poetry difl'ers from Architecture : sublime genius alone can pi-o- duce the sublime. (103.) Grandeur less dignified than the sub- lime. (104.) Beauty. (105.) Burke and others. (106.) Beauty combines the neat, pretty, and handsome. (107.) Richness; (108.) luxuriance; (109.) magnificence. (HO.) Tbe sublime, grand, and magnificent, distinguished : these characters have nothing to do with physiognomy. (111.) We cannot embrace all characters: character belongs to talent: (112.) character of ornament should be attended to : (113.) character brought about the same way in ornament as in Architecture : ornament should be curtailed in quantity, (114.) and rendered perfect. (115.) The character of ornament belongs wholly to Architecture. page 191. ESSAY IX. CONCLUSION. Sect. (1.) Architecture a learned science: esteemed in Greece: despised in Rome: worthy of our cultivation. (2.) Recapitulation: fourth essay : foundation, support, shelter. (3.) Arrectarial scheme: fulcimental : archi-columnal : monotrabcal: pariefenestral: sectional : mixed schemes. (4.) Mouldings : ornament. (5.) Fifth essay: curithm : symmetry. (6.) Simple proportions. (7.) Of deceptions in proportion: fractions. (8.) Sixth essay: diathesis, four kinds. (9.) Contrast of position: of form and proportion: projecture. (10.) Order of conspicuousness. (11.) Application of diathesis. (12.) Seventh essay: distribution; (13.) simple and complex: simple distribution ; (14.) Yitruvian distributions; (15.) complex distribution, seven kinds: (16.) complex distribution re- quires great skill. (17.) Straight and curved appendages. (18.) Contrast should be conspicuous. (19.) Fundamental appendages ; (20.) detached appendages and curved wings; (21.) elevated appendages: of the support to them. (22.) Towns, &c. Land- scape gardening. (23.) Entrance to houses. (24.) General principle in distribution. (25.) Eighth essay: character; (26.) CONTENTS. XXlll should touch the intellect and feelings; (27.) its first essential uniformity. Four kinds of uses : of form ; of position ; of propor- tion. (28.) The great variety of characters, and of tastes. Ar- tist should avoid prejudice, and enlarge his mind by study. (29.) Unnecessary to recapitulate part of essay viii. (30.) Characters produced by proportion ; (31.) by diathesis; (32.) by form and proportion. An artist will produce a character best suited to his mind. (33.) The noblest characters; (34.) greatness ; (35.) boldness; (36) the sublime. (37.) Grandeur. (38.) Beauty; richness; luxuriance. (39.) Magnificence. (40.) Sublime, grand, and magnificent, distinguished. (41.) Imbecility of rules for cha- racter: talent the best guide here. (42.) This recapitulation brings all to a focus, (43.) and gives us new powers . page 246 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE, ESSAY I. OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. " Arc-bitectura est scientia pluribus disciplinis et variis erudi- tionibus oruata, cujus judicio probantur omnia, quae ceteris artibus perficiuntur opera." — Vitruvius, lib. i. cap. 1. 1. Of all the fine arts, none is of so dignified a The dig- nature as architecture, none even in its infancy is so chitecture. important : for though, perhaps, the first attempts of uncivilized time to display a building were rude and uncouth, they strongly partook of the spirit of archi- tecture, and even in their most barbarous state they may be regarded as efforts to adorn one of the neces- saries of life : to be one of the necessaries of life, and to combine so completely the utile and the dulce, is a boast, which none of the fine arts but architecture can arrogate to itself. 2. Architecture has been styled the most noble, Tbemost noble, use- the most useful, and the most ancient of the fine arts j fui, and an- cient ; B 2 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. :u "' ,1 "' , and not unfrequently the queen, or mother of the queen, and L J l mother of fi ne ar ts : that it is the most noble, its extended scale, tin' arts. its lofty and imposing- outline, the simple and sub- stantial nature of its materials and parts, and the variety of its characters, appearances, and styles, bear ample testimony : its utility none will dispute : and with regard to its antiquity, it takes precedence of agriculture itself: that it may be fairly called the queen, and mother of the fine arts, may be argried from its principles being-, as Vitruvius intimates in the passag-e I have selected as the motto of this essay, the test of all other arts. 3. Its pre-eminence is perhaps, however, most con- spicuous in the circumstance of its being- an art per- Not an fectly independent of any thing else ; in its being, in imitative ... , i\ i» rr T art. fact, not an imitative art, but capable of affording us pleasure upon its own rational and fundamental prin- ciples : for though (as will be shown in a future essay) imitation comprises a great part of the princi- ples of its beauty, yet we cannot degrade it so far as to call it an imitative art ; we cannot say of it, as we do of painting, poetry, and sculpture, that its re- in this re- semblance to nature is the test of its perfection : in sped ana- . . . logous to this respect it may be fairly said to have an excellence in common with music ; and as an art, seems to be in some measure to the eye, what music is to the ear, as each is capable of amusing its respective organ, without being at all fundamentally aided by imita- tions ; and each is also capable of imitation much to about the same extent, Music, in imitating the passions, as of laughter, anger, &c. or particular rounds, as thunder, waterfalls, &c. and some other inu-iir. OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. t things : and Architecture, in imitating- various objects in nature, as the acanthus, and other leaves in the Corinthian capital, and other carved details ; a scroll of paper in the Ionic capital, in consoles, cartooses, &c. ; the corn, and other flowers in pateras, &c. And both Music and Architecture may be made still more imitative, the former by the assistance of poetry, and the latter by the aid of sculpture ; but though a poem may be set to music, and a building raised on cariatides, and embellished with sculptured friezes, yet neither the poetry nor the sculpture are essential to these arts. 4. A Doric temple, in its simple, grand, and per- a Doric feet state, stands independent of all imitation : and if we take this beautiful style of building as our guide, we may say that architecture is to the other fine arts, as man to the inferior creation ; for it not only owes none of its own excellencies to any of them, but re- ceives contributions both from nature, the fine arts, and every other art and science, to render it conve- - nient, beautiful, and comfortable, and fit for the habi- tation and ornament of society and man. 5. It has been said, that a house is to its possessor an epitome of the world ; as within its wall, we would wish to possess every thing, that is useful, ornamental, scientific, or ingenious : its exterior should be there- fore worthy so high a title ; and architecture should Universa- certainly be considered an art worthy of our particu- chftecture. lar cultivation ; nothing, however, renders it more so, than its great universality : it presents itself in every country, and in almost every country it dis- National plays a different character, in some degree bending to b 2 1 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. the character of the people in which it exists. The impetuous and active invaders of the North, produced the light, lofty, and imposing design of what is called Gothic Gothic architecture ; the gloomy Moor and Spaniard, delighted in the horse-shoe arch ; the refined and Grecian elegant Greek, inspired rather by national taste than national character, produced a style of building wholly superior to any thing else, and as to charac- ter, governed by propriety the most refined. It was not the substantial, baseless Doric, tliat showed them always rigid and austere ; nor the Corinthian order, that displayed always the attic salt ; but a proper choice of a particular and suitable order, which ren- The dered their buildings always appropriate, and their their taste, names immortal. I say, the Greeks were governed by a taste the most refined, which was directed only by the most accurate precepts of propriety, without being carried away into the unlimited extremes of dis- playing any universal character, to the exclusion of the rest ; well knowing that Taste, like morals, loves the golden mean. Mason's Fresnoy, v. 98. I am aware, that national character has by some been supposed to be a sign of a nation's taste : this I do not think wholly the case : national character is natural to all nations j and in fact, less to those whose refine- ment, learning, and investigation, have taught them to separate the modes of character, and adapt them to their peculiarities. A nation, indeed, by following any particular art or character, may arrive at great perfection in that most suited to them ; as the Ro- OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. 5 mans, in more modern times, in painting-, were masters of the grand, imposing-, and austere ; while the Venetian excelled in the rich, delicate and bril- liant ; but the Roman could not admire the Venetian, Their nor the Venetian the Roman works ; while the man entSit! of true taste can see the beauties of both, and feel their excellencies. The man of true taste, like a conscientious senator, is endued with an independent spirit, which prevents his being- attached to any party, and induces him to follow right, and right only, whether it is derived from this or that source ; thus upon the same principle, the same nation, the Greeks, produced both the light and elegant Corinthian order, and the firm and magnificent Doric. 6. In tracing the inimitable inventions of Greece to Roman Rome, we find indeed their proportions followed, and ture. e< in general their mode of forming the different parts strikingly pursued ; but the Roman seems beyond this to have been wholly ignorant of the principles of architecture : in Roman structures, instead of seeing one character pervade a building, as of lightness, massiveness, strength, dignity, elegance, or richness, we too often see the Corinthian, Ionic, and Doric, piled one above another, to the utter destruction of all character whatever. Bad architects will, however, exist in all ages and countries, and we cannot with justice say, that the Romans were wholly destitute of good architects ; and their national propensity in later times for pomp and splendor, shows itself in their own two orders of architecture, (if we may call them such) ; for the composite, though not possessing that bright- ness, chasteness, elegance, and refined grace that the () THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. pure Corinthian does, and though it is considerably more heavy and clumsy in its capital, and epistyle, yet it certainly possesses a character of massive, and luxu- riant rich/less in the fulness of the leaves and volutes of the capital, which is peculiar to itself; but at best its meretricious contours allow it but little merit, in comparison with the Corinthian, its prototype. We must also allow the Tuscan order a character of dig- nity in its projecting cornice, which, at a great dis- tance, gives it even a nobler effect than the Doric ; but the sublime and exalted character of masculine strength, the innate vigour of masterly genius, the variety, refinement, and aptitude of design, and every quality that can enhance effect in architecture, are so conspicuous in the Doric, that there is no difficulty in assigning the palm ; though, indeed, a comparison is hardly fair, as the character of each of them is dis- tinctly different, the Doric order displaying the cha- racter of strength in the strongest manner, (for here I speak of the legitimate Doric, whose column was only between four and six diameters,) by its solid di- mensions, its triglyphs, and its fluted shaft ; while the Tuscan displays more a character of imposing and austere solemnity, by means of its projecting cornice, which could be applied only to the simplest design. Modern 7. The moderns have borrowed their architecture, architec- ture, till lately, very much from Rome, and have, conse- quently, followed very many of their errors ; but even with the moderns there is a striking display of national character ; and we constantly see, that not only there are national styles used, but even in using any of the Grecian orders, one country will design it OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. 7 very differently from another : even in the common circumstance of a roof, we see that they are inva- riably more pointed in France than in this country. 8. We might proceed to take notice of the solidity of the Saxon, the lightness and tawdriness of the Chinese, the mystery of the Egyptian, the gloom of Chinese, the Russian, in their innumerable pear-shaped domes, Russian. and many other styles of building, which strongly display national character : indeed, this subject alone would furnish matter for a great deal of curious in- vestigation. 9- But it is to ourselves that we should turn our particular attention. As architecture is so universal, Archi- tecture a it must surely be an object worthy of every man of universal taste and feeling, to promote its excellence as much as possible, that the eye may not be disgusted by the absurdities of ignorance. This, however, is a selfish feeling ; we may, however, argue upon public good and public advantage. It will be allowed as a prin- ciple, that where the mind is led into a train of just and elegant thinking, or indeed any particular train of mind, it will apply that to every thing. Thus, to take a familiar example, the sailor would talk of starboard and larboard in the middle of a ball-room, and the painter of grandeur of effect, vivid contrast, and fine expression of character, when a house was on fire ; so that, if architecture, which so constantly presents itself to us, were in perfection, and generally studied, we might have fair ground for supposing, that national taste itself would be improved ; for there is nothing more true than that associated im- Associated pressions on the mind have a great tendency to pro- sums. THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. duce a uniformity of character. Thus, the mind ac- customed to elegance or deformity in any art, will apply that elegance or deformity to every thing it Sir Joshua undertakes. Sir Joshua Reynolds observes to the Reynolds. •' effect, that a virtuous and truly upright man was most Arundel, likely to make a good painter. The Earl of Arundel, too, in the time of Charles the First, in still stronger terms enforces, that one who could not design a little, would never make an honest man. — (Evlyn Sculptura, p. 95.) Such remarks cannot of course be generally true ; for men, on the one hand, do not act always up to their consciences ; and on the other, when correct, are often so from interest or educa- tion, rather than from natural virtue ; and, applying this to architecture, there are many who know how to build well, but, from caprice or fancy, indulge in some palpable absurdity. Nobody will however, deny, that we ought to direct the human mind, and that by so doing, and presenting the mind with a power of attaining excellence in one art, we shall have a fair opportunity of improving other arts. 10. Architecture is, however, an art, more than any other, capable of directing national taste ; it is Addison, an art, as Addison tells us, (after speaking of the pleasure of sight,) " which has more immediate ten- dency than any other to produce the primary plea- sures of the imagination " (see Spectator, No. 415) ; and therefore, as more forcibly laying hold of the mind, more decidedly capable of leading it. It is vitruvius. an art which Vitruvius opens his work by telling us, in the words which I have quoted for the motto to this essay, is a science " by whose principles all the OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. 9 works which are effected in other arts are examined." The beauties of architecture, though it is strange to say they have never hitherto been illustrated, are more easily defined than those of any other ; because it is one of its principal perfections, that there be no imperfect touches in it, nothing left, as oftentimes in poetry, painting, &c, to be finished by the fancy of the reader or beholder ; it is absolutely necessary in architecture, that every single part (in the fapade, at least,) be a whole, and of proper form, size, office, and place. 11. In every point of view, therefore, we cannot Architec- •' x ture 1m- but consider architecture, in a land where the fine portant to the man of arts are cultivated, as a study of the greatest import- taste, the . . artist, the ance, and worthy the cultivation of every man of scholar, 1 ^ p ^ • the patriot. taste, that his eye may meet what is worthy ot his mind ; of every artist of every description, as the very best foundation for general improvement ; of every scholar, as a wide field for the exercise of his mind ; and of every patriot, as he would wish to see his own country rank foremost among civilized na- tions. l c 2. As the next essay will briefly exhibit the scheme These es - J says treat of the succeeding- essay, it may be necessary before of the P hi- , , . losophyof entering upon that, to remark, that the reader will the art. not here find what are commonly termed the rudi- ments, but the philosophy of the art ; and though the philosophy, which comprises the fundamental prin- ciples of the art are in fact, or at least should be con- sidered the rudiments of the art ; yet in the present state of the art, the rudiments of this art are too often looked upon to consist in what are termed the five / / 10 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. The sci- ence of an architect. Yitruvius recom- mends ge- neral knowledge to the ar- chitect. The fa- liru ;t. orders, the mouldings, the received proportions, &c. ; this is the discipline of the modern and Roman archi- tect. It may be very well for the student to be ac- qi tainted with not only the Roman, but every system of every country, that he may obtain a store of ideas, and be able to apply and understand the principles laid down in these essays ; but here he will not find style traced to countries, further than is necessary to illustrate the subject. 13. The architect has, however, a great deal more to learn ; for as architecture is the queen of the fine arts, as it is the most universal, the most independent, and the most useful of them, the information of the architect should be general, and liberal. Vitruvius mentions a long string of sciences necessary for him ; some of them, indeed, such as law, music, physic and astronomy, seem very remotely, if at all, connected with it. Michael Angelo is of opinion, that anatomy is absolutely necessary for an architect to study. How far, and in what way such sciences are to be studied, I leave to more experienced persons than myself to investigate ; though there is no doubt, that, as the architect is apyoq raw»v, or chief artist, his informa- tion should be very general ; and he should not only be acquainted with every art, at all connected with his own, but also with all arts that are likely to en- large his intellect, and give him a liberal knowledge of every thing he sees. For the mere common pur- poses of this art alone, he should be first acquainted with what Vitruvius calls the fabrica of the art, which consists in a knowledge of all arts of every sort, absolutely necessary to a building, all which are OF ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL. 11 dwelt very much upon by Vitruvius, as well also as by modern writers on architecture ; and as these, on account of their great importance in all ages and countries, even when taste has or has not existed, have often been well treated of; and as the greater part of Vitruvius is on these very subjects, it will not be necessary in these essays, which are more upon the composition and design, than the construction of buildings, to give more than a general outline of the fabrica. 14. The fabrica of architecture we may divide, as it has nearly been divided by others, under five heads : — situation, the peculiarities, the work itself, the mate- situation. Peculiari- rials, and the tools or machinery. In the first place, ties. 1 . . i t • i i • i • • pi ^he work the situation may be divided into the situation of the itself. whole, and the situation of the parts ; the situation of Machine-' the whole must be convenient for water, and other necessaries, for building materials, for access, neigh- bourhood, and many similar things, as health, prospect, foundation, &c. ; the situation of the parts respects the necessary site of the kitchen, larder, and library, which should be to the north, the dining-room east, and such like things. Secondly, the peculiarities must appertain only to each individual case ; thus we must, in a private house, consult the taste, purse, and rank of its owner, in theatre, and churches, the science of acoustics, or the conveyance of sound ; in military buildings, the science of fortification or defence ; in bridge-building, the theories of equilibration. Thirdly, the icork itself, or what may be more 'particularly called thejabrica, will lead us into the contemplation of the best mode of constructing the different parts, as the l L > THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. walls, stairs, chimneys, shores, and drains ; we here find the necessity of being" acquainted with the arts of the carpenter, bricklayer, mason, painter, and in short every art that is called forth in the completion of the house. Fourthly, the materials should be attended to, the cement, stone, bricks, timber, and roofing-. And fifthly, we are not to consider it unworthy of an architect to direct his attention to the very tools and machinery, all which he should be well acquainted with, from the trowel, hammer, and gimblet, to the crane, pile engine, quadrant, theodolite, &c, which, besides hundreds more, are all used in some way or other towards the attainment and perfection of a com- plete architectural work. 15. It is impossible to close this essay without remarking, that however dry the studies above enu- merated may appear, they must be surmounted by the complete architect. The science of the beauty of architecture, will at first appear as dry as the science of the practice of architecture ; the former, however, will throw open new light, and new interest upon the student : for while the latter may be acquired by any plodding- student, or common mechanic, the former is the sole province of a feeling, enlightened, and think- ing mind. END OF THE FIRST ESSAY. 13 ESSAY II. THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. " Interdum vulgus rectum videt ; est ubi peccat.'' — Hor. Ep. i. v. 63. 1. Upon the term ancient we have ever been ac- A reverence customed to look with the greatest reverence and for anti- esteem ; this feeling is indeed almost carried to ex- cess : our ancestors are often looked upon as giants, and their works as types of every thing, that is excel- lent ; but however extravagant our notions may be, the principle is good — the antiquarian is without doubt, a most useful member of society. In five } er J use - J ful. thousand eight hundred and odd years, since the foundation of the world, it would be wonderful in- deed if many geniuses had not existed ; and it is the noble office of the antiquarian to lay before his con- temporaries the riches of so many past ages. In such an extensive period there must have been some bright spots ; and as the stars in the vault of heaven direct the mariners to the golden mines and spicy shores, so these bright stars of antiquity will direct us in the deep mines and intricate mazes of science, and the grateful and pleasant empire of taste. 11. THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Antiqna- 2. But to look at so wide a field in all its varieties, nans in va- rious arts. ;in d to embrace all its perfections, would be a task more than the mind of one man could perform ; we therefore find in antiquarians various tastes, propen- sities, and turns of mind ; one is fond of ancient coins, another of ancient typography, another of old pic- tures, another of the relics of sculpture, and still a greater number of the relics of literature ; for the Latin and Greek scholar (though not generally so considered) is to all intents and purposes an antiqua- in archi- rian in language. Of the relics of architecture we tecture. o obtain a correct knowledge, by the delineation and measurement of those, who have seen them : the ar- chitect must feel thankful, that there are many anti- quarians in this art also ; there are many who have been to the very spot where architectural remains are, and have brought thence, and laid before the public full descriptions of the works, good or bad, that have existed in past ages : and here let it be remarked, that the architect has a great advantage Advantage over ^\ ie p a i n ter and sculptor, inasmuch as he can nf an archi- *■ * tect. form a complete idea of any architectural work by a correct delineation and measurement ; whereas the painter and sculptor must actually see the production, as neither a copy nor a cast, especially the former, can give any thing like a correct idea of the original. With such advantages therefore, the architect may more easily, and should, become acquainted with every kind of building, that ever existed ; for by stu- for extend- dying all the works of every age, and every country, ledge. he will acquire a store of ideas, which will enable him to compare, and judge correctly of what is really THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. 15 excellent, and to improve what is deficient ; but in order to compare, select, improve, and investigate the real beauties of the art, he must lay a firm foun- dation in fixed and undoubted principles. It may be very well to say that such and such buildings existed at such and such periods, in the time of Pericles or Alexander ; but the professed architect should be able to point out in what consisted the principal ex- cellencies of those periods ; and though the pursuits of the antiquarian are so useful, that science could never advance to any great perfection without them, yet let not the architect be so far an antiquarian as to hoard up matters curious only for their antiquity ; le"t him rather make use of his reason, and judgment, let him, from the principles he has established in his own mind, and from the store of information the antiquarian supplies him with, let him digest and em- body all that is united to the purposes of the art. 3. The necessity for fixed principles must be ap- Fi . xe 4 , J * ' * l principle parent to every body ; and it is only because we have necessary such exquisite examples of the works of the refined sciences. periods of antiquity as our guides, that no one has thought it necessary to bring to a focus the principles upon which their excellencies depend. Every archi- tect can no doubt descant on their beauties, and is very likely governed by principles very like those which I would here wish to investigate ; but I am not aware, that the science has, ever since the time of the Greeks, been reduced to a scientific and regular system ; and yet I cannot entertain the least doubt, as will appear in the next essay, that the Greeks must have been governed by fixed principles, un- Hi THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. known to us. Let it, however, be remarked, that when we talk of a science being governed by fixed principles, we are not to understand that such science is so far governed by them, that they will The fixed embrace every contingency. Principles can only principles J , . . . cannot take a very general outline of a science ; and a embrace ~ __ . -r» • • everjcon noble architectural luminary of .North Jintain ex- pressly says, " No general rules for any practical art can be fixed from abstract principles -" for if we were to attempt to fix general rules for every contingency, volume upon volume would not embrace the subject : but though the rules of a science cannot be fixed, there is no doubt they must or ought to arise from abstract principles ; or, as the same author very justly observes, " from those qualities which have been found universally to please ;" which can be no other than abstract, or universal qualities or principles. 4. In poetry and the drama, the general principles by which the Greeks were governed are handed Aristotle, down to us by Aristotle : it is but therefore natural thTdrama! to conclude, that as they excelled equally in all the arts and sciences worthy of a civilized nation, they Greeks were governed by fixed principles in all ; but the had, per- . • • . • . haps, prin- strongest presumptive evidence ot their being go- architec- verned by fixed principles in architecture, is the im- its variety mense variety in the different specimens even of only menu" one order ; by which it appears that they were not, as many modern writers would make it necessary to be, governed by any regular system of designing one order ; but that they looked to the general rules of architecture itself, by which means they were enabled, even in the same order, to produce the most opposite THE OBJECT OV THESE ESSAYS. 17 effects. Hence we find, that in the different speci- mens of the Doric order, some are light, some mas- sive, some imposing - , some rich, and some elegant ; nor did they consider, that there was but one way of producing these characters ; for they have invariably taken into consideration, that if the situation of a building was high or low, in a town or in a plain, it would require more or less relative altitude in the supporting parts, to give it proper dignity, or more or less finish, or more or less prominence, according to the nearness or remoteness from the eye of the spectator. All these things show that their prin- ciples were of the most sound and rational kind. 5. But there are still further considerations : for x . ts perfec- tion ano- if we look back to the period when neither the Doric ther ar s u - ment. nor the Corinthian order were invented, how could we suppose, that trabi-columnal architecture could ever arrive at that beauty and perfection, at which it has arrived, without some principles very superior to our own ? or how can we account for the modern and arch styles, which are very numerous, and ca- pable of great beauties, never having arrived at per- fection, but for the want of some rational principle ? I have occasionally met with persons, who, when you ask them how trabi-columnal architecture arrived at such perfection, will tell you that certain forms, cer- tain proportions, and certain arrangements, have been found to please, and therefore have been adopted ; which is little better than saying, that these orders were invented and brought to perfection by chance ; Perfection as if experiments had been made, and at length some arise from lucky wit, he did not know why, was fortunate 18 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. enough, in numerous instances, to hit on the true effect. How, let me ask such a reasoner, is it, that we do not trace such progressive improvement, which is certainly not the case, in Greece ? for, various as the different specimens of the Doric, for instance, arc, each of them is perfect in its particular charac- ter, and in each of them the full vigour of genius is strikingly displayed. Such reasoning must indeed necessarily fall to the ground directly we consider it ; for what can be more absurd, than to imagine, that in thousands and ten thousands of cases, in this and other arts, the Greeks have always been lucky in hitting upon the right plan, merely by chance, without any rational principle whatever ? Every body must see the impossibility of this. Notwithstanding Theman this, it must be admitted, that in some, perhaps many the man of instances, the man of taste and genius, in matters where no Aristotle has been before, satisfactorily to pave the way, may try many experiments, till he arrives at the most pleasing effect ; but he would not even arrive at this, without some principle of his own ; for the very circumstance of his being what is called a man of taste, shows that there must have been some standard, or at least some system of feeling, more refined than that of other men, to constitute that taste. He may, perhaps, say he has no principles, because they are so engrafted into his very feelings, that he can neither analyse nor describe them j and there can be no doubt, that if the man of taste, when he is com- posing and putting parts together, were only to ask himself, why such and such things are more pleasing than others, he would at length form to himself a code, THE OBJECT Or THESE ESSAYS. 19 which would be alike useful to himself and others ; he would lay a foundation by which he might improve even on what he has already done ; he might then esta- blish principles similar to those, by which the Greeks were governed, all of whose architects displayed equal excellence, without servilely copying each other. G. This brings us to the consideration that the pre- The md- vailing excellence among them is a very strong proof ceiience of that they were governed by some principles of a supe- awMtee- rior description. It is not to be disputed, that other proof of nations afforded them ideas : but how beautifully are j^pr^." those ideas made their own ; how magnificently does c t ^X the most clumsy in their hands nut on the most splen- the - T J )or " J 1 1 rowed did appearance ! but whether the Corinthian and Doric ld . eas from 1 - 1 other na- orders may trace some of their forms to the build- tions - ing at Apollinopolis, and Latopolis in Egypt, or to the simple Vitruvian story of Callimachus and the flower- pot, how exquisite is the completion of the idea, how sublimely does it soar above every thing conceived elsewhere, and how beautifully have their adoptions and selections been directed to produce all that is simple, noble, and appropriate ! But how are we to account for this, but from their proceeding upon prin- ciples superior to those of every other nation, by which they have produced works which ever must be the delight and admiration of every feeling and enlight- ened mind ? 7- We must indeed look much further than chance, We must or experiment, for the principles of the perfection of reason and Grecian architecture ; and if we would apply those sense. principles to other styles, we must look to reason and common sense for the fundamental rules of effect. It c 2 20 i in; music or the eye. was upon reason and principle that every thing- that was excellent in Greece was founded ; it was to the mind that all their efforts tended ; and the more we consider and examine their specimens, the more shall we be convinced, that of the real principles of archi- tecture we know nothing-, that the Greeks had reduced architecture itself into a science, while we have only made a science of their designs that they proceeded upon broad and rational principles, we on confined and \\e cannot imitative. Without certain rules we cannot even imi- without tate what they have left us, since in many cases, what pnnwpiei. j s appropriate in some circumstances, may not be so in others ; but even if we could content ourselves with servilely imitating the ancients, how can we call this a knowledge of architecture ? Was that the Hut even if we could, way t} ie Greeks arrived at the invention of what we copying is J unworthy now consider the ne plus ultra of the art ? or is this this noble art worthy the professor of the queen of the arts ? 8. With a full conviction, therefore, of the neces- sity of some rational principle of effect, it is the object of these essays in some respect to supply that great desideratum ; and though such an investigation must necessarily be totally original, yet having been tho- roughly convinced, that the Greeks were governed by principles of which we know nothing, and conceiving it very possible that that incoherent string of terms theories, used in the second chapter of Vitruvius, which nobody lias ever been able to explain, may, perhaps, be the only existing remnant of those principles and ancient theo- ries, I have ventured to hope to succeed in interpret- Modem m o> an ^ BDgTaftiilg them in the following essays. theories. ^ rjfo wan f f principles has produced a great THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. 21 number of different theories on vertu. We see one sot of men, who probably consider themselves as the qJJJJJJ^ orthodox in taste, who will have nothing- but the pure Grecian, who consider innovation bad, merely be- cause it is innovation, though it is well known that there are many innovations introduced by Inigo Jones, and other architects, which are truly beautiful, and make it manifest, that they have formed in their own minds correct principles of taste. Still, however, we must undoubtedly give great credit to the orthodox virtuosi above alluded to, as they are the rocks and fortresses of true taste, and keep up in the world a due respect for what has never been surpassed, and it is not otherwise than a matter of some consequence, that they have lately changed from the admiration of Roman to that of Grecian architecture. 10. A second set of cognoscenti we may call perio- p e riodists. (lists, who blindly and inconsiderately follow such and such an old style of building, because it existed at such a period. I do not mean to find fault with those who restore an old house to its original state, though even this might often be well, and better, avoided ; but those, who raise a building from the very foundation in some antiquated style, merely because they have authentic documents to show how houses were built at such a period. I have often wondered, that these sort of persons have never thought of building a house with horn windows and mud walls, which does not seem much more absurd than build- ing a house in the style of a period when architecture was quite in its infancy, as in the Gothic, or what is called the national style ; which, as it existed and 'J'J THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. No ana- chronisms in archi- tecture im- properly had its origin mostly in the dark ages, every glaring absurdity Avill no doubt have a type, and, therefore, among the persons we are speaking of, a follower. Absurd, however, as the extreme cases of this kind are, we can only imagine, that as there are certainly great beauties in the Gothic, mixed with great absur- dities, a want of sound principles and power of selection have been the main cause of this irrational system. This, however, we ought not so much to find fault with, for people cannot fairly be blamed for science which they have no means of attaining: the absurdity of the thing is, the reasons, which may sometimes be heard even from distinguished men, for their implicitly following these ancient styles. Their cogent and scientific reason is, that they do it to avoid anachronisms, a reason so completely without meaning, that it seems wonderful it should ever be conceived ; for what, let me ask, can architecture have to do with anachronisms? Is architecture in- tended, like poetry, to give us a narration ? Is it to portray the passions ? Is it founded upon time ? Or is it even to represent any animate or existing produc- tion in nature ? If it is, then I will allow such reason- ing a place. In poetry, painting, and sculpture, which are imitative arts, it is desirable, notwithstanding Virgil's authority to the contrary, that the historical or natural representation, which each of them assume, should be supported by every concomitant which existed at the time it really took place — that Cicero be not habited in a judge's wig, nor Cato like a modern dandy. But in architecture the case is quite different : if we trace architecture from the begin- THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. 23 ning, we cannot go a single step without finding, what according to the strictest definition, are ana- chronisms : how, for instance, was ever the Corinthian Architec- order itself invented, but by borrowing and com- fromana- bining the hints and inventions of different nations ? which are' It is very true, had these borrowed forms been com- "heart." bined by persons unacquainted with the principles of the art, they would probably have been accompanied with every gross deformity, with a want of simplicity, a want of uniformity, and every other excellence. 11. But in the hands of the ancient Greeks, in the Superio- hands of those, whose principles of composition were Greeks in founded in reason, these anachronisms, or this bor- tion!° S rowing from the ideas of other ages, becomes the very source and spring of all their variety ; and when re- strained by proper rules, puts on that beauty and perfection, which baffles all attempts to surpass, and even conceals, or, at least, metamorphozes the forms borrowed, so far, that it is even difficult to trace them. And indeed there can be no doubt, that whe- ther an artist aims at displaying the style of only one particular age or nation, or whether he culls from the ideas of many, without the aid of rational and fun- damental principles, he is equally in danger of pro- ducing the most glaring incongruities. 12. A very opposite class of artists from those we innova- have considered, and who, equally with them, stand tors " in need of some principles of composition, are the innumerable varieties of modern innovators : let me not, however, be supposed to check invention. The mind of man is constantly on the stretch for Something new ; and the more we consider this noble 21 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. art in a fair and liberal way, the more we shall see that it is not to be wondered at, that there are so inanv who seek in it for novelty ; for there really seems to be no limit to invention in architecture : yet how constantly do we see, among the novelties of the day, the most trivial and absurd inventions, which, had they been directed by a rational scheme, might have done credit to the daring genius, that would thus launch out of the common and beaten track. Com- 13. But besides the innovators, there is a very pounders. large and ancient class of architects, whom we may call compounders, who put order upon order, and style upon style, and crowd the whole together in such an unmeaning way, that the whole character of each part is lost in a kind of patchwork. There is no doubt that styles may be combined, but to do this well, is the most difficult task an architect can under- take ; as it is evident, that if we indiscriminately com- bine opposite characters, without proper repose to relieve the eye, we destroy the greatest beauty archi- tecture is capable of. The best 14. There can, however, be no doubt, that the system-* 8 ' Des ^ nrcli itcft s, in all ages, have been regular sys- lzers ' temizers, and have followed a scheme of their own of rational principles; it is those, therefore, who will be best able to feel the importance of the subject of these essays : and if the treatment of this subject does not come up to the scheme their minds hare formed, they will at least see the necessity of investi- gating it, and improving it; and though those, whom I have above called orthodox imitators, will in a THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. <25 system, if it be good, see a satisfactory and philosophi- cal reason why what they admire pleases them ; and though the periodist will, by the same means, be able to fix on the best examples which are to be found in that antiquity he has so long blindly followed ; and though the innovator, however inferior to the bold and perfect genius of Greece, may, by regular principles, give force to his invention, and energy to his design ; yet it is the systemizer alone, that can derive the proper advantage from a concentration of important theo- ries : to him, therefore, I would appeal in the present undertaking. 15. Every one must be aware, that in any science, Themutuai all the leading and important principles intimately anceVthe depend one on another ; and that they are excellent P rmci P les > only in respect of their relative use and importance. Now though many architects may have formed schemes, or rather, loose and desultory theories, upon the reasons of architectural beauty and perfection, yet if they are not all laid before them, if they are not all brought to a focus, it is impossible they should wholly be governed by them, or that they should be at all able to form a correct idea of their relation one to another : this affords us an additional argument for entering upon this subject. 16. The intimate dependance of principles one on particu- another, is more particularly the case in architecture ; cimecture. those, therefore, who having formed various ideas of the principles of the perfection of architecture, have T ,. ., x L L Individual not arranged those ideas together, will too frequently styles. either acquire wrong notions, or let some particular opinion, (perhaps good in itself, if properly balanced,) 26 thi: music of the eye. take the precedence of all the rest. To something like this, we may trace the error of some of the most celebrated architects : hence Michael Angelo, in his architecture, and his opinion on architecture, has a constant reference not only to human proportion, but even anatomy, which destroyed his notion of utility, uniformity, and character. Vanbrugh had too great a respect for utility and strength, which in his productions occasioned heaviness. Chambers was too minute in studying the character of prettiness and elegant proportion, which often destroyed utility, uniformity, and grandeur. Inigo Jones was fond of slender and elevated proportions, which were some- times inimical to the character of strength, and more frequently of grandeur and dignity. Principles 17« Many other instances might be brought, in fectindi- which the most celebrated architects of modern times Sstes. have had a tendency to one theory, to the exclusion of the rest ; whereas had they been governed by some fundamental principles, the tendency they show to some particular excellence, would perhaps have made itself conspicuous rather in bringing to perfec- tion some particular character. The architecture of Michael Angelo, instead of being crowded and un- meaning, would have been noble and appropriate : the heaviness of Vanbrugh might have been refined and manly strength ; the prettinesses of Chambers, which are often crowded and uncharacteristic, might have been graceful and dignified : and Inigo Jones would have let the elegance of some of his inimitable designs pervade the whole, instead of detached parts, of his buildings THE OBJECT OF THESE ESSAYS. 27 18. It is, in short, a regular, systematic, universal, Recapitu- and scientific arrangement of important theories, well "weighed, compared, and modified by each other, that can alone establish the restoration of architecture, that can lay the foundation of such a classic mode of design, as shall not only direct us in the application of classic invention, but in the completion of every possible style. It is by this only that we shall be able to appreciate real excellencies, to make a proper use of every hint, and improve upon every invention ; to reduce to a simple and scientific scheme, the hitherto (where they exist) ungovernable wanderings of fancy, to bring to perfection the inventions of unlettered na- tions, and from the wild efforts of savage architecture to raise the proud and stately temple. END OF THE SECOND ESSAY. 28 ESSAY III. THE VITRUVIAN ANALYSIS. Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas." lieautv un- definable. Burke. 1. To give a general and complete definition of so abstract a term as beauty, so as to explain its essence, would be utterly impossible. If we attempt to con- sider it, we find it even difficult to embrace it in one idea : the beauty of a rose is totally different from that of a song ; the beauty of a song from that of a poem ; and this from the beauty of a picture ; nay even the beauty of a male countenance is very differ- ent from that of a female countenance. 2. Even Burke has not attempted to define beauty ; he has sported round the flower, but has found it impossible to extract its honey : he tells us that one of the most esse nt ial qualities of beauty is smooth- ness ; but this is going a very little way towards a definition. There is no doubt that that bust of a beau- tiful woman, which is smooth, clean, perfect, and of the best materials, is more pleasing and attractive, than a bust from the same model, which is rough, dirty, imperfect, and of bad materials ; but the reason THE VITRUVIAN ANALYSIS. L >{) of this is simply because the mind of man delights in perfection, and because the intrinsic merits of the bust are more conspicuous in the first, than in the last mentioned state ; but smoothness or clearness, does not lead us at all nearer to the reason, why one bust, which is smooth, clear, and perfect, is more or less beautiful than another, which is equally smooth, clean, and perfect : this depends upon the harmony of forms, the combination of different curves, the general and particular proportion, the prominence, relief, style, and character of the features, the position and general airs of the whole, and (in a living sub- ject) upon the tint, complexion, and harmonious de- licacy of the parts, besides other qualities, which the eye of taste feels without being able to explain ; so that it is evident, that it never was Burke's intention (who must have been acquainted with these circum- stances) to define beauty, in the passage above alluded to, but merely to point out some of the essential qua- lities, in which it was distinguished from the sublime, to which it was his object to oppose it. Nor let it be supposed, that it is my intention to give a general definition of beauty. 3. It may be necessary, in the essay on character, to Character. look more minutely into some of its qualities as re- spects architecture ; but in this as well as every other art, we shall find great difficulty in examining its qualities, without a minute acquaintance with the art itself; for we shall find, that in the same art there Different are different kinds of beauty : thus, in architecture, kinds of the beauty of the Corinthian, and Doric order, and of the same the Saxon, and Gothic styles, are all distinctly different. 30 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. o» 'timl '.'■?' ^* ^ ll P lirsiim g this investigation, therefore, we to consider. must first accurately examine the principal founda- tions of the art ; 2ndly, we must procure for our ideas, general, but distinct and defineable terms ; and Srdly, minutely consider all the shades of differ- ence in the art itself. Many have generalized, with- out analyzing, having- used g-eneral terms without de- composing their subject, which must necessarily lead them to wrong conclusions ; others have both gene- ralized and analyzed, but for want of well denned terms, have confused themselves and their readers, by making deductions they never intended, and being led unavoidably to support them by false argu- ments. Difficulties $. Let me not, however, by thus pointing out the m y task - errors of others, be thought to insinuate, that these essays are free from their faults : I only mean to point out the difficulties of the task, and I must confess, that, imperfect as I feel my efforts to be, a great deal of thought, many different arrangements, and much observation at all times, and in all places, has been expended upon them, before I could arrive at any thing like a satisfactory division of this subject ; and it is in the progress of such mental digestion, that I have been led to imagine, I have discovered an ex- planation of the six terms used in the second chapter of Vitruvius, which as yet have never been explained. Vitruvius 6. It is in the first, second, and third chapters of gire three the first book of Vitruvius, that any thing like an of the sub- analysis of the art is attempted ; and it would appear at the first contemplation of them, that he had given three distinct divisions of the same thing ; but this THE VITRUVIAN" ANALYSIS. 31 was most probably not his object ; for had it been, he would have said, this is the division of one person, this of another, and this of a third : as, there- fore, this is not the case, we must proceed upon a different supposition. Vitruvius is undoubtedly very Vitruvius obscure, and nobody, who has not investigated the general principles of design, could have the slightest chance of discovering his meaning in these three chapters : whenever it has been attempted, the ex- planation of Vitruvius has invariably led to the con- clusion, that some of the terms being synonymous with others, were to be excluded ; we can hardly, however, suppose that Vitruvius wrote nonsense merely for the sake of writing nonsense. We may, I think, come to a more rational conclusion ; and whether Vitruvius understood what he was writing, or not, there can be little doubt these terms had, some time or other, their destined meaning. The a compiler i c XT-, • i • i • of what perusal of V ltruvius points him out as nothing more perhaps he than a compiler : he seems anxious to hand down to know. posterity all that was then known of the art, and these terms may have been common in the mouths of the Greek artists, then so generally employed in Rome, and so notoriously jealous of communicating their knowledge to the Romans ; this, therefore, may have accounted for his setting out with giving as much in- formation as to the analysis of the art, as he could at that time collect : and as a further proof, that he, from not understanding these terms, was not in the habit of making use of them himself, we find, that none except symmetria can be traced in any other part of his work. 32 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. His ana- Ijsia im- portant among the ( ! reeks. 1st Chap- ter of Yi- tnivius. Fabrica andratioci- natio. 2d < hapter Of Vitru- vius. 7- Under the supposition, therefore, that great im- portance was attached to this analysis by the Greeks, it becomes interesting 1 to endeavour to give some rational form to it ; and though the following the explanation of Vitruvius, would only lead us into a confusion, which would annul the importance of the subject, yet the close examination of the mere Greek words he uses, may be of great service to us, and perhaps bring us to the conclusion that the scheme was rational. 8. In the first chapter of the first book of Vitru- vius, architecture is divided under two distinct heads, where he says, " Ea nascitur ex fabrica, et ratiocina- tione :" this is a most rational way of distinguishing that part of the art, which belongs to the common builder, and that, which belongs to the architect, in fact, that, which looks only to the manual art and labour, and that, which makes the contemplation of its features a pleasure to the mind. Though Vitru- vius sets out with this excellent division, he most un- questionably, in his explanations of the fabrica, con- fuses it a good deal with the ratiocinatio. It is not, however, essential to follow him here : an attempt to divide the fabrica under five heads, is made at the end of my first essay. The ratiocinatio comprises the real principles of pleasing effect in the art, philoso- phically considered ; and this is the express subject of the following essays. 9. Having given thus a general division of the subject into the two heads of ratiocinatio and fabrica, lie proceeds in the second chapter to a more particu- lar division of the subject ; and here let it be re- THE YITIUYIAX ANALYSIS. 33 marked, lie uses the word architectura, and no doubt, in his conception, he meant architectura, as he con- fuses the ratiocinatio and fabrica together, in the sub- sequent explanation. Among' the Greeks, however, Theratio- x .,., l-ii tii cinatioana- 1 am inclined to think, these terms applied only to ] JS ed. the ratiocinatio of architecture : the words of Vitru- vius are these : " Architectura autem constat ex or- dinatione, quae Greece ra^ig dicitur, et ex dispositione banc autem Grseci StaQtaiv vocant, eurithmia, symme- tria, et decore, et distributione, qua3 Greece oiKovof.ua dicitur." Each of these terms will form the head of a separate essay, where the matter left us by Vitru- vius, will be discussed as it occurs. 10. Having" in the second chapter analysed the ra- 3d Chapter . ofVitru- tiocinatio, in the third he proceeds to analyse the vius. fabrica ; he only divides it, however, into three The fabri - J ca ana- lieads : it will therefore be necessary to account for lysed. the subdivision into five, which I have adopted in the first essay. — Vitruvius's division is into cedificatio, CEdifica- tio, or the gnomonice, and machinatio : the cedificatio will em- work itself arid the brace what relates to the ivork itself, and the good- materials. ness of the materials ; about this word, therefore, there is no manner of doubt. The word gnomonice Gnomo- nice. might however create a difficulty ; it is like many other words of Vitruvius, used in a technical, rather than a common acceptation : this is common in all sciences ; thus, a terrier among lawyers is a schedule of lands, among country people, it is an earth dog. So of the word to discharge, which, besides its various meanings on this side the Tweed, in Scotland means to charge not to do a thing ; there a person is dis- charged from committing a nuisance : many other n 84 THE MUSIC or THE EYE. cases of the like kind may be found. As to the word gnomonice, we cannot for a moment suppose it means dialling in this passage, though used in that sense in another part of Yitruvius's comprehensive work : it appears more probable that, being derived from ypw- jtiwv, cognitor, it means nothing more than that part of the fabrica, which results from the mind ; it will therefore comprehend all that relates to the situation Or the si- and peculiarities., (see essay i. sect. 14 ;) as the former tuation and . ,...-,. peculiar require great discretion in nxing on a proper spot, and the other is no less the result of information and Machina- circumspection. Machinatio, which is the third head tooisaad 6 °^ Yitruvius's fabrica, evidently relates to the tools or madaneiy. machinery ; which is the last of my five heads in the first essay. otratioci- H* ^ now re ^ u ' n to the ratiocinatio of Vitruvius; natio. an( j s ] ia |] g[ ve mv own division of the subject, which will comprise the following essays : the relation which any of them have to Vitruvius's division in the second chapter above mentioned, will appear in treat- ing of each head. Before, however, we enter upon this, it will be necessary, in order to lead to the sub- imitation, ject, to look a little into the nature of imitation, which though it has but little to do with architecture, seems at first view to be so likelv to lead us into wrong conclusions. 12. An attempt was made in the second essay to show, that architecture is not an imitative art; and it is a matter of astonishment, that, by any thinking man, it should have been classed as such. Imitation, as applied to art, implies a close resemblance to some object, or action ; as we have in poetry, painting, and THE VITRUVIAN ANALYSIS. 35 sculpture, an imitation which is obvious to the most Architec - 1 ture not ignorant and cursory observer : but in architecture imitative ° J like poe- and music there is no such thing-. tr 7. paint- ing, and 13. Those who view this art in a desultory, or sculpture. chimerical way, without investigating its real and nltVeTd* rational principles, are apt to be led away by the first j^ 7 ^ idea ; and as imitation is the main spring of the other nuIolen ce. fine arts, they are too apt to consider it so of this. 14<. Though architecture, however, has not its main Two modes ... ... . ofimita- spring in imitation, yet imitation enters into its com- tion. position in two ways. 15. An imitation of utility is the first and most im- Imitation . . of utility. portant kind of imitation which belongs to architec- ture ; the useful appearance of the members of archi- tecture is, however, as often a reality, as an imitation, and the nearer it approaches to a reality the more noble the effect ; though inasmuch as in many in- stances the pillars, consoles, and cartooses imitate a support, to which they do not really contribute, we may safely affirm, an imitation of utility enters largely into the art. This being of the greatest importance, will be treated of first. 16. The second way in which imitation is to be found in architecture is in the imitation of natural objects, as of the Acanthus leaves in the Corinthian imitation ii n*i i it- of natural capital, the scroll in the console, cartoose, and Ionic form. volute, the flower in the patera, &c. ; to harmonize, however, with the dignified outline of architectural design, these imitations are necessarily not very close ; and as in the best specimens of the Doric order, this kind of imitation is not to be found, we of course can- not consider it as an essential to the art. Both, how- d2 36 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. ever, of these kinds of imitations, will find a place in the next essay, which will treat of forms, and their uses, comprised under a word to which the Yitruvian analysis seems to direct, i. Utility. 17. This word is taxis, or utility. We shall in the next essay have an opportunity of seeing why it is probable that the meaning- which the ancient Greek architects attached to r«£uc was probably that which forms the matter of that essay: we shall there consider the useful forms, and useful divisions of the art. 2. Propor- 18. We secondlv come to the proportion of forms. tion. t t J ... This subject is admirably divided by Yitruvius, and probably the Greek architects, under the two heads Ind'sin"' ^' n '' tnmi,t and Symmetria, which will of course both metria. De comprised in the same essav. 19. Next to the proportion we come to the dis- 3. Dispo- position, or effective arrangement of forms in a style: this may be considered as producing those well-known qualities, contrast, relief, repose, &c, by means of fixed principles, which more perfectly display the dif- ferent combinations, modes, and orders of building, and, as we shall see, may fairly be considered as syno- Diathesis. nviHOUS with the Vitmvian SiaOzaiq. 20. After diathesis, or the effective arrangement of , Diatri. forms in a style, comes the distribution or arnuigT- l '""°"- merit of a building, or buildings : this is not precisely Yitruvins's definition of it ; but the reasoning on this subject will appear in its place. i.Decorof 21. Decor, which next draws our attention, is a vague and general term ; and though it may be applied to almost any thing, we may, in consequence of part of Vitruvius's explanation of it, whicb will be noticed THE VTTRUVIAN ANALYSIS. 37 in the essay that treats of it, apply it to uniformity and character, the latter of which will open to us a Character, very large field, and be a means of affording- a great scope to the genius of the architect. 22. These five heads of Vitruvius will, in fine, if import- ance of properlv understood, give us the real principles of com- these position ; and as they intimately depend one on the other, should be felt by the architect in all their force before he either attempts to invent or compose. 23. As to the arrangement, or order, in which these ™* m tlus heads succeed each other, as it is different from that of Vitruvius ; it can only be said, that it is that which appeared most natural, and of course, as the whole system is a new modification, a writer is at liberty to adopt that arrangement, which suits his mode of treat- ing the subject ; and indeed it seems impossible to discuss the diathesis without previously treating of proportion, which forms one of its modifications, or the decor, without previous acquaintance with all the other excellencies. 24. In the course of these essays, Burke and other of modem ■' writers on writers, whose ideas affect this subject, will of course tLe the °- ° ries of come under our observation ; but there is yet one taste. writer, whom I do not so particularly mention, because his subject does not immediately interfere with mine ; it will make no difference to this system, whether his notions are right or wrong. Still, however, as his writings might tend to reduce all these essays into one general principle, and as that woidd defeat, in some measure, what seems so desirable to be enforced, the peculiar existence of these principles, which, though intimately dependent on each other, arc in them- 38 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Pleasure selves perfectly distinct, it seems desirable to take derived * J from the ^g opportunity of looking into the system of the association i 1 j j of ideas, association of ideas, upon which some readers of his work might be induced to build all our sen- sations of pleasure. There can be no doubt that the highest relish, nay, even the existence of some of the most refined pleasures, are derived from this source ; there is, indeed, scarcely a more moderate pleasure of sight, that has not in its composition very a preva- largely of the association of ideas : it is no wonder, lent sys- ° J J _ tem, therefore, that either a writer or reader should be argued into a belief, that it was the origin and sole mainspring of beauty. Several writers, however, have endeavoured to controvert this opinion, by instancing pleasing objects which have nothing of the association of ideas in them : but in these attempts they have not very well succeeded ; there are so many instances in which the association of ideas occur, that the arguments of this author present a formidable barrier in every attempt so to confute them. Perhaps, however, this is not the way to attack the system, if the outposts are pretty well guarded : we must endeavour to give him check-mate, where this formidable mode of defence is useless. Though, however, it is for the sake of truth, and not for that of argument, that this attack must be made, it seems almost to be regretted, that so elegant a system should be defeated, a system so full of what no doubt affords us many refined pleasures ; but the but absurd. f ac t I fear is, that when we come to look at the argu- ment as it stands, if I may be so bold as to say so, it involves an absurdity in its very existence. The THE VITUUV1AN ANALYSIS. 39 ideas, the association of which cause pleasure, must be either any ideas, or pleasing* ideas ; that they are not any ideas, Avill probably be readily admitted, as no one would suppose pleasure to exist in any combi- nation or association of the ideas of a dunghill, a tripe-shop, or an ill-natured, ugly old woman : if, then, they are pleasing ideas, we come to the mani- fest result, " that pleasing ideas arise from the asso- ciation of pleasing ideas." 9,5. It is needless to comment further on this, as it is evident we want something to account for the existence of these latter pleasing ideas, which ne- cessarily induces us to think there are some fixed Fixed principles which are as capable of pleasing the organs of sight, as there are that please the organs of taste, smell, and hearing. ^25.* These latter are, perhaps, founded upon princi- of the pies, not so obvious to our reason, as to our senses. We cannot define what a pleasant smell is, but we know it, and we know, that there are several distinct from one another ; we assign an idea to it, but its nature is so occult, or, perhaps, the nature of the organ of smell, that we cannot define it, or give any person an idea of smell in any other way, than by telling him it is like a rose, or a violet, a pig-sty, assafoetida, &c. &c. Perhaps if we had microscopes of inconceivable power, we might find something different in the shape of the particles, which compose a smell : we might find something in the organ of smell, capable of being operated upon in different manners ; if Ave could do that, we might be able to define a smell from its real nature, without having recourse to similies ; but we smell. 1<> THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. may as well expect to do this, as to count the inha- bitants in the moon, or tell the nature of the spots on the sun. rhe taste. 2(^ r £j le same observation will apply to the taste of our palates ; this is equally hidden, though we are so far certain of its existence, that a good receipt for a dish, and a discerning cook, are both capable of giving a relish to that organ. The hear- ^ With regard to hearing, we are nearly as much in the dark, though this has the advantage over taste and smell, that we can classify the different effects on the ear ; and though we cannot define them any more than smell and taste, by showing the manner in which they operate upon our nerves, or why a certain order of sounds please, we can by means of the powers of classifying them, talk of the tonic, mediant, dominant, &c. ; and by means of an infinite variety of combinations of eight sounds, and their different kinds, and by means also of the rules of Music. music, (which are as well known as the rules of Architecture might be,) we obtain a pleasure for the ear far surpassing either that of the nose or palate. The eye. 28. The eye, which is the organ to be pleased by the science, which we are at present about to in- vestigate, has a much larger range for its amusement, than the three organs we have been considering : (not to mention the works of nature) art alone is capable of affording pleasure to the eye by three dif- ferent, and yet noble sciences, by painting, sculpture, and architecture, besides inferior arts. As in all these so much depends upon harmonious and appro- priate composition, and as the theory of Architecture THE VITRUVIAN ANALYSIS. ]■ 1 is the very soul of that harmony and propriety, it might be styled the music of intelligent composition. It is the object of these essays to determine what that theory is ; and I trust it will be felt, that the beauty of Architecture has its origin in innumerable combinations of parts, which illustrate those different qualities which are capable of producing a rational pleasure in the human mind. With this impression I cannot conceive that the causes of pleasure are to be explained by analogous sympathies. I therefore do not agree with some writers, who imagine, that when Admira- we admire any thing lor its beauty, we love it : we love, admire the bust of a beautiful woman without one particle of love. Nobody would question that the greyhound is more beautiful than the mastiff ; but if the latter were generously risking his own life to save that of his master, I think it possible we should feel a sympathetic or sensible regard very nearly allied to love for that animal, ugly as it is, much more than for the greyhound. 29. This feeling would be properly called esteem, nor esteem. I mention this to show that there is even another gra- dation between admiration and love. When love exists, admiration and esteem must be often ingre- dients ; besides those, it also requires a sympathy pecu- liar to itself. Thus we admire a handsome woman, esteem an amiable one ; but we only love that person in whom the form, the intellect, the manner, com- plexion, character, &c. &c, makes the greatest im- pression on our own. 30. We cannot always account for attachments Love a being formed, as they now and then seem diametri- 12 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. eally o])j)osite to what reason and philosophy would have pointed out ; we have, however, reason to think, that sympathy has a great deal to do with it, from the circumstance of all animals uniting with their own species : in the brute creation it is probable little more than an animal sympathy, in man both mental and animal ; and in the same proportion as man is superior to the brute, so would the refinement and variety in the combination of different kinds of sym- pathy in man, form a more copious subject for inves- tigation. Those who 31. Enough, however, has been said here to show, suppose love and that the admiration of the beautiful is not love, though admiration . . . . the same, it may sometimes be an ingredient in it. lo establish have argu- . . , . ed tin •in- this is necessary, because some writers setting out an absur- with this principle, that love and admiration are the same thing, have at length argued themselves into a belief, that there is no such thing as beauty of form, proportion, or any other quality. S l 2. As the admiration of the beautiful thus arises neither from love, nor the association of ideas, we shall more readily come into the notion, that it arises from a combination of principles, which are founded upon the simplest systems of common sense and feeling ; what these are in Architecture, it will be our business now to consider. diti 43 ESSAY IV. UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. " Quid deceat, quid non." — Hor. Ars. Poet. 30. I have cursorily mentioned the confusion which import- appears in the second chapter of the first book of second Vitruvius, and how, in consequence of that confusion, vkravius. very little importance has been attached to it : there seems, however, to be no doubt, that if it could be satisfactorily explained, very great benefit would arise from it. Had the Latin terms alone remained, such explanation would have been utterly impossible, as very little can be elicited from the comment of Vitru- vius ; but fortunately for us, he has given us the terms in the original language of Greece, and it is to be hoped, that upon the investigation of the various sig- nifications of their words, the difficulty will be cleared up. The frequent occurrence of Greek words and idioms, throughout the writings of Vitruvius, is very much in proof, how remarkably beholden Architec- ture was to that nation. The terms used in the second chapter of Vitruvius, and which we have just noticed in the last essay, though their meaning has been lost !•!• THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. in the wilderness of time, never could have been handed down from such a remote period, unless of inestimable value and importance to the science of Architecture at some period : and when we consider the eminence to which Grecian art had arrived, every vestige of it should be considered of the utmost con- sequence : it is not, therefore, too much to say, that this ancient analysis, comprised in the second chapter of Yitruvius, may be considered as the only remaining seeds from the withered branches of old Grecian art, which, though buried for two thousand years, it is not impossible may yet bud and blossom into life. When, however, we consider the importance of the subject, it is to be regretted that the investigation has not fallen into better hands ; feeble, however, as these efforts may be, they will at least lay the foundation of a more complete system. a diii'^'nt 2. We may observe in the writings of Vitruvius, learning; that he was evidently a learned compiler ; he seems, k.lown by however, in very few instances, to have given us any tradition, original ideas of his own ; his chief anxiety seems to have been to display as much of the learning of his day, as he could collect from the treatises, and scien- tific persons, to whom he had access ; so that he might by some be called a pedant ; his pedantry has, however, turned out of inestimable benefit to Architecture, as it is from this that we have handed down to us the phrases, by which the Greek artists designated the principles of their art, which, as we learn from various sources, they were very jealous of communicating to their protectors the Romans, from whose employment they derived great benefit. Though, UTILITY, OB TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. lO however, they kept the secrets of their art as much as possible to themselves, it is more than probable, that the Greeks in the time of Vitruvius, had actually lost the real explanation of the terms alluded to, and re- tained them only to keep up the apparent mystery of the art : the confusion of Vitruvius, therefore, is not to be wondered at ; and his explanation is evidently not that, which would have been given by the ancient Greeks : in no case is this more evident, than in the subject of the present essay. Vitruvius translates ro^tcj ordinatio ; now it is evident, that with this translation we cannot help confusing it with dispo- sitio, by which he latinizes SiaOc;c dicitur. Quantitas autem est modulorum ex ipsius operis sumptione, singulisque membrorum par- tibus universi operis conveniens effectus." From this we see ra^ig confused not only with dispositio and distributio, but also with proportion, so that we must give up all hopes of obtaining a distinct analysis from the explanation of Vitruvius, and have recourse to the word itself. The word ra^ig not only means or- jSzediy dinatio, but officium. Now the office, utility, or °* c 3 na . what some writers have called the fitness of the parts, t10 - is a material excellence in composition, and there is no other of these terms can be interpreted to mean 46 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. this ; we may, therefore, most safely infer, that this was the meaning- which the Greeks in the time of Pericles gave the word tuEiq, and that this explanation had not reached the Greeks in the time of Vitrnvius ; the word taxis may therefore in this sense be conveniently introduced into our own language. 3. There is, however, another deduction which may be drawn from the above passage, and from what has been said about the confusion of terms. We have seen, that in this same passage, utility is confused vitrm iuss with position : it may be said, that it was not so much confusion m partly the absolute impropriety of the explanation of Vitru- arises from . ' , the nature vius, that created confusion, as the actual nature of ject, the subject itself; it was the extreme difficulty of treating of one excellence of architecture, without as the ex- the others, that gave them the appearance of assimi- theoreti- 8 Ult i° n ; we can hardly talk of the office or utility of rated are* a P ar ^» which arises in some measure from its strength, tionbkud without noticing its dimensions and adjustment, its ed - 7rorjor?;c and SiadtcriQ. So that the argument that may be fairly drawn from the circumstance is, that there must have been some traditionary explanation of these principles among some of the architects of the day to account for an outline so near the truth, and that not only not filled up and analysed, but giving us so little apparent conception of its real meaning: it should be our business, however, to keep distinct and separate, differently definable excel- lencies, that we may be better able to unite them in an appropriate manner ; with this view, and for the reasons above stated for using officium instead of ordinatio, for the Latin of to£ic, and also in com- UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 1-7 pliance with the first part of the passage above quoted from Yitruvius, which talks of the " operis commo- ditas," the fitness of the /cork, we must endeavour to confine our attention at present entirely to the fitness of forms, and of members, which are com- posed of forms. 4. Utility, fitness, or what is very similar to it in utility im- portant in other arts, propriety, (though this latter term may be otberarts. as well applied to all the excellencies,) must be con- fessed to be universally pleasing to the human mind ; it is in painting, what makes us pleased at seeing the portrait of a person in some action, an effect univer- sally aimed at by portrait painters ; it is, in some measure, a love for utility, which makes the display of the useful parts, as the joints, muscles, and even veins of a figure, a beauty. AVe feel, in ourselves, such a natural fondness for fitness upon all occasions, and writers have so repeatedly dwelt on the subject, that it seems hardly necessary to use any arguments to enforce its importance. 5. A very popular writer, however, whether for Burke's n i . i • i p objection the purpose of showing his talent for argument, or to fitness with a real conviction, is immaterial, (as either way e d. people might be misled,) has endeavoured to prove that fitness is not a source of beauty. " Fitness," says Burke, " cannot be reckoned among the causes of beauty, for on that principle the wedge-like snout of the sow, with its tough cartilage at the end, the little sunk eyes, and the whole make of the head, so well adapted to its office of digging and routing, would be extremely beautiful." AVhat ! shall we say that salt is not among the causes of pleasure to the ■ks THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Fitness alone not beauty. taste, because if put into tea or coffee, it would be very disagreeable ? Or shall we say plums are not an ingredient in a pudding, because if you mix plums together without any thing else, it would not be a pudding ; this is a similar argument to that of the pig's snout, which possesses no other quality of beauty, or next to none, but fitness alone. ( J. Fitness alone will not produce beauty : if it would, the timber original would be as beautiful as the Doric temple ; if, however, there was not the greatest fitness in the Doric temple, it would be worse than its timber original. We must not, there- fore, be persuaded that fitness is no part of the beauty of Architecture. itiiitym 7. The utility, taxis, or fitness of Architecture, lies ture, what, in a very small compass : it is nothing more than an outward refined display of the machinery of the art. The great end and aim of the art is shelter ; to secure these we not only require a roof, but walls or support, and in order that the support may appear firm, and not rise too abruptly from the earth, we require a foundation. In a perfect building, these three parts are clearly and separately portrayed, as in Grecian Architecture, under the terms pedestal, column or style, and entablature or trabeation. 8. It appears to me that architecture, of whatever denomination, when in perfection, in reason should not, and naturally cannot, be divided into more parts, than foundation, support, and shelter; nor does it in approved specimens omit any. This division ap- pears as essential as to divide four-footed animals into head, body, and legs. Whether the design be Founda- tion, sup- port, shelter. UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 49 a house, steeple, church, castle, or tower, or what- ever else it may be, we cannot but pronounce that a sort of monster in building-, which confuses these tog-ether ; it would be like the toad, whose principal deformity arises from its head not being distinct from its body ; and we may daily see specimens of Archi- tecture as deformed, when these three parts are far from being clearly traceable. 9- It is from these three parts, that a variety, Variety of styles. almost infinite, arises ; for as each part is subdivided into lesser parts, and as each is capable of being de- signed in different forms, proportions, and arrange- ments, it must be evident that no limits can be as- signed to the capabilities of the art. 10. If, then, foundation, support, and shelter of forms. are the ne plus ultra of Architecture, it necessarily follows, to consider what are the most appropriate forms, to display their qualities. Before we consider the immense variety which exists in the different kinds of building — which it will be necessary presently to do, in order to apply the different forms to those parts where they will be usefully exhibited — we must first consider the nature of forms abstractedly. 11. It must be evident, that it is the combination Abstract- of forms according to certain principles, that is the origin of the beauties of sculpture, architecture, and the design in painting. We must therefore confine ourselves here, only to the examination of forms un- connected with any other principles ; for we cannot but be aware, that in its most extended sense, it is beauty itself; hence it is, that the Latin word forma, signifies not only form, but by synecdoche even E 50 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. beauty; and its derivative Jbrmosus, signifies always, the beautiful. The line, 12. Forms maybe divided into the li?ie, the superji- cies, and cies y and the solid : now as the form of the superficies and of the solid are always in Architecture uniform in their nature, the principles of their beauty wholly de- pend on the beauty of the line, by which they are bounded ; so that the beauty of line is what we are first to consider : but in order to lead us to the beauty, we must consider first the nature of lines. Lines. 13. All lines may be comprised under the two heads of curved and straight : in parts composed of straight lines there is no variety, except what arises from proportion, which will of course be considered in its proper place ; but in curved lines a very great variety exists. Hogarth 1 * 14. Much has been said by Hogarth, in his Ana- beautjr. Ijsis °f Beauty, and other writers, of the abstract beauty of a line ; this is a very abstruse subject, be- cause no good reason can be always assigned, why one line should be more beautiful than another. As, however, the principal arguments respecting their beauty seem to depend on variety and proportion, it will be quite unavoidable to consider the principles of their beauty in the two next essays, which are upon these very subjects. Without reference, however, to these two qualities, the only other requisites to the beauty of a line Avould seem to be, that it should be Faso in easy, and avoid all abrupt transition : still, however, lines. when we come to combine lines, their bold and abrupt transitions will, instead of being deformities, when properly introduced, give contrast and effect to the UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITBUVIUS. 51 whole ; this is very particularly the case in that mul- titude of forms which occur in ornament, whose prin- ciples will be considered in the essay on diathesis. 15. When we consider, that out of the three prin- Conveni- ciples that some have made Architecture depend upon, strength, viz. convenience, beauty, and strength, the former and the latter are those which most properly belong- to this essay, we shall reduce the form of lines in Ar- chitecture to a very small compass ; they must, in fact, all arise from the circle, the ellipse, and the wave ; but when we come to produce these lines into the more tangible shapes of a superficies and a solid, a concave and a convex, the great and small, &c. &c, great variety will present itself to us. As these essays are however addressed to those, who are already ac- quainted with the fundamental principles of Architec- ture and mathematical science, it would be unneces- sary here to be so elementary, as to show how the pillar, or the arch, or any other part of a building, arise from the forms above-mentioned. 16. Presuming, therefore, that the architectural six kinds , . mi 1 1 of buiid- student is aware how pillars, buttresses, arches, walls, ing. windows, and beams, are constructed, he will per- ceive, that according as either of them is most con- spicuous in the scheme, we obtain six different sys- tems or kinds of building, which may be named as follows. 1st. THE ARRECTARIAL SCHEME. 17. In the arrectarial scheme, of which the trabe- Arrectami colunmal is the most exquisite species, the foundation, e 2 52 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. support, and shelter, arc displayed according- to the Grecian system ; that is to say, with a perpendicular support, and an horizontal foundation and shelter. It is unnecessary to remark, that the trabe-columnal i^ not only the most exquisite species of this class of building*, but as vet the most perfect and improved of any style or order whatever ; it does not, however, follow, that there may not be other systems, which for some purposes have still greater capabilities, though no one has yet proved, or established their excellence. The perpendicular supports above men- tioned, which are essential to the arrectarial scheme, Ti.e pilas- are the pillar, the pilastre, the parastata, the pannel, rastata, the and pier. Of the pilastre, pier, pannel, and paras - pLr.tiu' tata, little can be said ; the former was generally used panne by the Greeks behind pillars. There is no reason, why any of them should not form a style of building, except that they are incapable of that boldness and dignity, which is so essential to Architecture : they are, perhaps, most useful in interior Architecture. The pniar. IS. The pillar, then, is the support which, among those just mentioned, is most capable of beaut v, boldness, and variety of design. In ancient Egypt, at Latopolis, Apollonipolis, and Heliopolis, and in Asia, as well as in very modern places and times, we may find abundant specimens both of shafts, bases, and capitals of pillars : but as the specimens of Greece arc vcrv far superior to any that have as yet been contrived, we may at present with those be content. Doric 19. The most truly sublime and refined style of Architecture, that we are yet acquainted with, is un- order UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 53 doubtedly the Doric, (vide fig. i. II. III. and iv.) We can have no possible idea of the grandeur of this style in these modern days; for though the Doric proportions have been accurately copied, the size of modern specimens is so insignificant, that they fill us with no sublime ideas whatever. If the Doric pillars were as large as the buttresses in Westminster Abbey, some idea of grandeur would be conveyed : but such a building no where exists. St. Peter's at Rome, and St. Paul's, London, are neither of them Grecian ; the former being covered by an attic story, and the latter composed of two rows of columns one above the other. 20. But to return to the Doric ; fig. I. is designed Examples in fisrurcs according to the most solid proportions ; fig. n. is the Doric of the most approved age ; fig. in. is the same in a complete design ; fig. iv. is an order introduced here for purposes which appear in a future essay. In none of these, it will be observed, is the design or proportion of any ancient specimen followed : for as the old examples are nearly all varied according to some particular circumstances appertaining to each, it would be impossible to fix on any that could be implicitly followed in any other situation ; it seemed better, therefore, here to introduce figures, that would exhibit the general principles of the art, and leave the artist to study further for himself. It will not also pass observation, that the variety in these specimens consists principally in proportion, and therefore will not be dwelt on till we come to the essay on that subject. It is only necessary here to observe, that that taxis of the Doric, which forms 54 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Various specimens. Aikin on tbo Doric. Taxis of the Doric. its indicial feature, is the frieze with its triglyphs, (fig- *• "■) c 21. Though differences do exist in the taxis of the Doric order, they are so slight, that no very great accession to the general principles of the art would be derived from noticing them in this place : it is, how- ever, absolutely necessary that the Architect should have a thorough knowledge of the distinctions in the order : it is so full of the real principles of the art, that time will be well spent in its investigation : its general excellencies, as far as abstract principles will admit, will be traced under the different essays to which those excellencies belong. But for a more perfect knowledge of the order, the student cannot do better than refer to that short and comprehensive work of Mr. Aikin, on the Doric order, from the principal antique examples. 22. In discussing the taxis of the Doric order, it will be observed, that no curve is introduced that does not aid the general idea of utility : the pillar, as it protrudes in no useless angles, is the best form that could be conceived for the general support, and its very flutings give indications of its solidity ; the ovolo under the abacus, seems to aid the particular support of the part ; and the ovolo above the corona finishes the general and particular shelter of the whole and parts adjacent. If, again, the straight parts are exa- mined, (though most of their beauties arise from pro- portion and diathesis, where they will be noticed,) we cannot but admire how accurately the parts are designed to fulfil the office they were intended for. What, for instance, could be more simple and appro- UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIL'S. 55 priate than the three steps which usually form the general foundation of the building ? What could be contrived so well to raise and give dignity to the whole, without either being too intruding or trifling ? The architrave, which is the foundation to the prin- cipal shelter, is equally simple and unadorned, while the triglyphs are specimens of the most beautiful contrivance to represent the support to the principal shelter, that could have been imagined ; and in addi- tion to this, the cornice is divided into such parts as best display the general shelter of the whole : even the mutules, which are of the least apparent use, are rendered important by the simplicity and uniformity of their construction, and the mode of their adoption, which takes place twice in the trabeation, once under the platband of the architrave, and again under the corona, giving a sort of finish to two highly con- trasted parts, the triglyphs with their intermediate metops, and the simple corona. How poor and insignificant does the modern Doric appear, which has done away with this beautiful propriety, changing the lower mutules for conical guttse, and the upper for denteles, and all for the sake of variety, in a part which least of all wants it. Had the architrave, frieze, and cornice, or even the parts only, to which these parts give a finish, namely, the triglyphs and corona, not been already beautifully contrasted, it would have been very natural to aim at greater va- riety : but as it is, by adding useless variety to parts already not only useful but beautifully varied, we in great measure destroy the apparent utility, or taxis of the order : this, however, is not a solitary instance of the superiority of Grecian over Roman Architecture. 56 THE MUSIC Or THE EYE. The Ionic. Of speci- mens. Taxis of the Ionic. 23. Another perfect specimen of the trabe-colum- nal scheme, is in the Ionic order. (See fig. v.) And let it be here understood, that in this as well as the former, and for the same reason, no particular spe- cimen is copied ; though at the same time, there can- not necessarily be so many different and good varie- ties of this as there are of the Doric, because the volutes, which are its indicial features, give it such a prevailing and peculiar contour, as to domineer over every attempt at variety ; and, as they give it a cha- racter of grace and elegance, very delicate proportions alone suit it. If the volutes were to be set on a shaft like fig. I. in the Doric order, it would be clumsy and disgusting ; if on much higher proportions than fig. v., it would lose all the character it is capable of, and be incapable of acquiring, with any harmony or sys- tem, the character of lightness, to which it would then aspire. 24. Though, however, one figure is sufficient to give a general idea of the order, an Architect should not be satisfied without examining every specimen that has existed : among these, Vitruvius praises the temple of Teos. A great many specimens were de- stroyed, whether by Darius, as Herodotus informs us, or by Xerxes, as Strabo has it, is immaterial. 25. The first thing that strikes us with regard to the taxis of the Ionic order is, that the volutes of the capital, design them how you may, can never aid the idea of support : whether you make them parallel with the architrave, as in the older specimens, or whether they proceed from the corner in the direction of radii to the circle of the shaft's girt, as in the more modern examples, their tactic inefficiency is equally UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 57 apparent : the exquisite elegance of their form, and the graceful finish they give to the general support of the design, and the ease with which they grow out, as it were, and appear to be a natural continuation of the abacus, which is the shelter to the general sup- port, are the principal things which give them the aptitude and propriety they seem to possess. Having then assumed so elegant, and so fanciful and peculiar a feature, it is necessary, that as soon as the eye is relieved by the contrast of the straight architrave, a similar idea should be carried on in the next conspi- cuous member ; hence we find, that in the best speci- mens, the frieze harmonizes with it, in being also of a curvilinear form, as in fig. v. ; this, therefore, though necessary for the character and nature of the order, has the same inefficiency in its taxis that the volute has ; this circumstance may, however, be con- sidered rather a beauty than a defect, as it carries on an idea of a similar degree of taxis throughout. The Ionic, however, though not so strong, so masculine, and so varied in its parts, as the Doric, has advan- tages, which the Doric has not : the dimensions of the tryglyphs, and the necessity of having one over each shaft, and having the frieze of certain, perhaps un- symmetric dimensions, in order to get the metops square, make it very difficult sometimes to adapt these parts to the beautiful proportion of the whole. The Ionic, however, having a plain round frieze or an appropriately ornamented flat one, is much more easy to construct ; it was this perhaps, that made Hermo- genes of Alabanda, as we are told by Yitruvius (lib. iv. c. 3.) prefer the Ionic to the Doric, and alter the 5S THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. materials that were prepared for the Teian temple, that it might be Ionic instead of Doric. 26. There are some reasons for believing- that some- temple. ~ thing' similar to the Ionic existed in the interior of Solomon's temple ; where the pillars were clearly quite different from those on the outside. In speak- ing- of the tabernacle, it is stated, that " the twenty pillars thereof, and the twenty sockets, shall be of brass ; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver." (Exodus xxvii. 10.) This tabernacle was in the wilderness, but remained to the time of David, as we learn by 1 Chron. xxi. 29, and of course therefore to the time of Solomon. It will be easily conceived, that the hooks of the pillars may have been volutes, not unlike those of the Ionic order. Corinthian oj ; The next Grecian order is the Corinthian, (figs. order. ' \ o vi. and vii.) the former figure is nearly the order of St. Stephen's, Walbroke, London, one of the most sirC. beautiful productions of Sir C. Wren, or perhaps of any British architect ; it has, however, some peculia- rities, which I have omitted in fig 1 , vn. The beauti- ful simplicity, and perfection in execution, of Sir Christopher's order, cannot be too much admired. If we compare it with some of the common specimens borrowed from Rome, where modillions, denteles, lions' heads, broken architraves, and a variety of other parts, swallow up all appearance of utility, we shall find ample room to admire the order of St. Stephen's ; if, therefore, there are any deviations from what might be more appropriate, it is desirable we should see them, in order that we may not, by following so great an authority, exceed him in his weakness, and fall UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 59 short of him in his strength. First, then, with re- ' I , ;lxis of O ' the capital. gard to the capital, which is the indicial feature of the order : the acanthus leaves are not like the Ionic volute, incapable of giving an idea of support ; on the contrary, much of their beauty is evidently de- rived from their seeming to press up and gently curl round, as if giving a feeble contribution towards the general support. It seems but natural to comprise in every member as many excellencies as will not combat with one another. If Sir James Hall is right, Sirj.iiaii. and I do not pretend to say he is not in some mea- sure so, in saying, " that in almost every useful work, some parts occur, the shape of which is quite indiffer- ent, with respect to the proposed object of utility ; and which the artist is at liberty to execute as he pleases •" it can only be in the unarchitectural, or at all events, the least architectural appurtenances to the design, such as the Ionic capital, festoons, lions' heads, &c. &c. ; for almost every part in a good specimen of building, may be contrived so as to aid the general taxis of the design. This is very par- ticularly the case with regard to the acanthus leaves in the Corinthian capital, which, by adhering close, and only gently turning at the top, appear to support each other, the helices, and the abacus. This mode of designing the capital seems to have been that practised by the ancient Greeks ; and we find that it forcibly struck Dr. Clarke, (Clarke's Travels, 4th Dr. Clarke. edit. vol. vi. p. 475,) who says, " that in the ruins of the Hieron of Venus at Argos, are remains of capitals of columns of the most ancient Corinthian order, a style quite unknown in our country, although 60 THE MUSIC OF TIIK EYE. it far exceeds in beauty and simplicity the gaudy crowned foliage of the later Corinthian." Though the Corinthian order is of much more modern inven- tion than either the Doric or Ionic, it is quite as much the offspring of their superior taste : they seem never to have lost sight of rational principles. The more luxuriance they introduced, the more careful they were that it should not domineer over the pu- rity and chastity of its accompaniments ; so that we find both the Corinthian and the Ionic of much more simple taxis than the Doric. Hence occurs the ob- Eariof servation of the Earl of Aberdeen, in his inquiry into Grecian Architecture, who says, " It is a remark- able circumstance in the history of art among this wonderful people, and it has been justly observed, that in all their progress towards magnificence and splendour, they appear not only never to have lost sight of the requisite simplicity of design, but that their improvements in this respect were more than commensurate with the increased decoration of their buildings." English 28. Sir C. Wren lived in ages previous to that in too diffuse, which so much research had been made in Grecian Architecture : it is not to be wondered at, therefore, that these considerations should not have occurred to him ; and indeed, we find, up to the present day, this, as well as many other parts of designs, are more dif- fuse, than their situation in the taxis of the scheme would authorise. In order to give some idea of the different effect produced by a different arrangement, fig. vii. is exhibited with a smaller abacus, and the ornaments designed with more attention to their use. UTILITY, OR TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. ()i 29- The next part worthy of observation is the Taxis of architrave. Sir C. \V ren has made this very simple, trave. and of the same width as the corona ; if, however, the architrave is the foundation to the principal shelter, it becomes a question, whether more substantial pro- portions are not necessary ; and again, if they are, in order to relieve the bareness of such substance, an ornamental moulding may be required at the upper part of it : this will account for the dimension and taxis of fig. vii., which makes the architrave equal to the frieze, and equal also to the cornice : all this will diminish the cornice so much, that two fillets become substituted for the platband above the corona, in the order of Sir C. Wren, which appear so much too heavy for the lightness of the order. Notwithstanding all this, there are some very good reasons for Sir C. Wren's designing this order as he has ; although, perhaps, a more appropriate general scheme might have been adopted, to answer the end he aimed at. In the first place, it is an interior de- sign, where, as the eye cannot embrace the whole, from its being so near to us, and therefore cannot see the relative proportions so well, as we can in exterior architecture, a more diffuse and gaudy style of de- signing the capital may be admissible : but there is still another consideration : these pillars are to sup- port arches ; the design, therefore, is not trabe-colum- St. ste- ?ial, but archi-columnal ; hence the whole trabeation, wSbroke, instead of being divided into the architrave as found- lu^ai.'not ation to the principal shelter the frieze as support to wai? the principal shelter, and the cornice as the principal shelter itself, is here to be considered as no more than G2 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. the foundation to the principal shelter, of which the arch is the support, and the part above it the shelter : this will not only account for all the parts we have been considering, but also for the part which in Grecian Architecture would be called the corona, not projecting- so far as in fig. vn. Perhaps, had this lower trabeation assumed less of the sheltering character, its office and propriety would have been more apparent. SirC. 30. Had Sir C. Wren's design been without arches, well con- he would probably have designed the entablature and order. capital differently, perhaps in a manner not very re- mote from fig. vii., where I have endeavoured as much as possible to retain his beautiful conception of the order. 31. It is unnecessary to state, that the architectural student should study all the specimens, not with a view of improving the order itself, that is impossible, but to learn the principles of the art, and see the im- mense variety, that exists even in one order. The Corinthian order, as is recorded by Vitruvius, was principally improved by Callimachus the sculptor, who lived towards the end of the Peloponnesian war, about Corinthian B.C. 404: hence we learn, that the Corinthian order was order in , perfection in perfection about the time of Alexander the Great, about B. C , , 404. who was born b. c. 355, and died B.C. 39.3 : soon after Aiet°i?nd f ^ ia ^ tmie > probably, the temple at Palmyra arrived the Great. a t that splendour which has made it so universally admired, since the inscription found on its ruins bears date in the age of the Seleucida*, the most powerful of the families of those generals who succeeded to the dismembered conquests of Alexander the Great. It is remarkable, in considering how national character UTILITY, OK TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. C)3 may be displayed in the architecture of any period or country, how perfectly this is the case with regard to the Doric and Corinthian orders ; the former, as it were, illustrating' the vigour and refinement of the age of Pericles, the latter the splendour and luxury of the ag-e of Alexander the Great. A still further attempt, though an unsuccessful one, at improvement, seems to have been the introduction of Cariatides, Cariatides. which may be considered another order of building. As we have no approved specimen of these, fig. viii. is introduced, merely to give an idea of them : they were female figures supporting an epistyle : the objec- tion to this style is, that if the figures are colossal, they either render clumsy, or unimportant, the rest of the design, according as we attempt to make it harmonize with the rest of the figures ; and if the figures are not colossal, they are too small for a style. The Atlantes of the Greeks, and the Telamones of the Romans, were male figures introduced in a similar way. (Vide Vitruvius, 6. 10.) The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, may therefore alone be considered the choice gems of Grecian art, as well as of trabe-columnal Architecture ; they have, however, been much cor- rupted in Rome, and particularly in modern times. The specimens which Philander gives of them are wholly repugnant to Grecian art. If in addition to these three orders we were to notice the Tuscan and Composite, it would only be to notice the resources the art has without very much deviating from the same taxis that exists in Grecian Architecture ; but as this would be only in a manner recapitulating, without ad- vantage, what we already know, it is unnecessary to (34 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. proceed here any further, as it would have a greater tendency to enlarge our views of the art, to consider how other species of taxis, combining other forms, may be made subservient to our studies. Another kind of building, therefore, which we may consider, might be denominated, Fulcimen- tal scheme, Very un- improved. Some de- fects. 2dly, THE FULCIMENTAL SCHEME. 32. The fulcimental scheme is that whose prin- cipal feature is the buttress. AVe must here draw a distinction between propping and supporting ; it is the propping buttress, and not the parastata, or sup- porting buttress, that is here meant, as the latter belongs to the arrectarial scheme already discussed. 33. It will be observed, that the buttress is a part of Architecture, whose design has never been the sub- ject of much improvement, or animadversion ; so that we can only talk of what may be, and not of what has been, done with regard to it. "We cannot, as we did in the former style, refer to any specimens ; for but- tresses which either do, or have existed, are so rude and clumsy, that it will, perhaps, be difficult to per- suade many that the buttress, as the foundation of a scheme, is capable of any beauty. 34. Before, however, we discuss the possible beau- ties of the buttress, it will be necessary to notice two of the most obvious tactic defects which are repeat- edly to be met with in it : the first is a sloping-stone, or tile, which is either alone, or recurs at different intervals ; this always puts me in mind of a building left half-finished, as if the tile was only intended as a UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VTTRUVIUS. 65 temporary shelter, till something" more agreeable was in readiness : in specimens, however, where this exists, the deformity is so self-evident, that it seems almost unnecessary to dwell upon it ; it will doubtless be rea- dily both felt and understood, that a tile instead of being- bold, which all architecture should be to certain extent, gives the idea of weakness ; that instead of being neat and appropriate, it is clumsy and poor, that it in itself is intrinsically ugly, and that when more than one occurs, unity of taxis, or the utility of system is quite abolished. Another defect observable is, that even in styles, where a more elegant member than a tile or flag is used, we frequently see the but- tress divided into such a number of parts, that they altogether destroy that unity and systematic concep- tion of the machinery, which is so desirable in Archi- tecture, that system of beginning, middle, and end, which, in good specimens, adds so much to the effect. 35. As then in the buttress style, and some others, Xo ? ood J specimens. no efood specimens exist, we must be content to illus- , We must & r Illustrate trate the subject by inferior examples: what, there- °y inferior J J r ones. fore, I introduce here and elsewhere of my own com- position, I wish only to be considered as hints for persons of greater talent to improve upon ; for each style may be the peculiar province of one individual, whose feelings and propensities are in harmony with some particular character. It would indeed be quite as impossible for any one to excel in every style of Architecture, as it would be for the same hand to pro- duce original pictures in several styles equal to Guido, Rubens, Vandyke, Titian, &c. F Of the use <>f rurves. 66 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Three 36. It seems that buttresses may be divided into kinds of . . 7 buttress, three kinds, uiejlying buttress, as figures ix. and x., aniai.'im- whose distinction it is to have an arch, or arm sprung from it to the building" ; the finial buttress terminating in itself without any thing above it, as figures xi. and xii., and the immediate buttress, which is immedi- ately attached to the building, as in figures xin., xiv., xv., xvi., without either the arm, or the finial orna- ment. Two or more of these qualifications are some- times combined in the same buttress. Specimens of the flying, and finial buttress are very common, the immediate buttress is less common ; the four figures that represent it here, are intended to illustrate a new use of the four forms, the inverted wave, the tangential wave, the concave, and convex, at a, a y a, a, which thus produced in smaller parts or moulding, bear the names of the ogee, the cyma recta, cavetto, and ovolo : these forms have never been used of this large size, except in Oriental buildings, and buildings in imitation of them ; but however inferior the specimen here given may be, there seems no good reason for supposing their form incapable of beautiful effect ; nor indeed does there seem any good rea- son, why buttresses in general should not produce as good an effect as pillars, they are equally promi- nent, might be made to display their use quite as well, and seem only to require the fostering aid of some perfect genius to bring them into that excellence they are capable of. of the 37. What ought to be the taxis of the buttress, is pretty evident : the main idea to be given is propping, buttress. UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS Of VITRUVIUS. C)J and this idea seems better given by the immediate buttress than any other, the finial ornament is quite a useless part, and in the flying- buttress the arch, which is its useful feature, is only seen sideways, so that in looking - straight at it, it has all the appearance of a finial buttress, especially when there is no conforma- tion of the upper part to receive the arch, or wing-, as in Henry the Seventh's Chapel at Westminster, and almost all other specimens : there is no doubt, that, like the pillar, it should be divided into begin- ning-, middle, and end : with this, I think, we shall have seen enough of the taxis of the buttress. 3rdly. the archi-columnal scheme. 38. We mav distinguish the archi-columnal scheme, Arehi- columnal by its being composed of arches and columns. The scheme word column usually means a circular support ; but as we should be only multiplying distinctions, and as there is no general word, that embraces every kind of straight support, it seems better here to use the word, as if derived from the Latin word column, a support, or stay, and so to embrace under the archi- columnal style all buildings, which are composed of defined. arches of any kind supported by any visible erect member, whether square, round, oval, or any other shape. 39. The archi-columnal scheme is of two kinds, Two kinds. one with a trabeation between the arch and the co- lumn, as fig. xvii., and the other without, as in figures xviii. xix. xx. That with the trabeation is too diffuse Trabeation r 4i- 1 • between in its taxis for external Architecture, though it has arch and column. F 2 (iS THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. been frequently used in interior buildings in a multi- tude of different ways ; there is, however, a variation from the usual practice in my design, fig. xvu., which it will be necessary to account for : it has been usual in most specimens of the archi-columnal style, with a trabeation between the arch and the column, to have a corona at a : as we derive most specimens of this style from the Greek system in trabe-columnal Archi- tecture, this is not at all surprising ; it seems however to have been forgotten, that in placing an arch over the trabe-columnal style, we alter the scheme alto- gether ; (see section 29 ;) this part at a, which is very properly in trabe-columnal Architecture, a corona to represent the general shelter, when adopted in that species of archi-columnal style, which we are consi- dering, ceases to be a representation of the general shelter, and becomes a part of the support, or perhaps more properly the foundation to the principal shelter ; here the general or principal shelter, which must ne- cessarily be at the top, is at b, where a corona to represent it naturally occurs. without 40. Perhaps, however, the most systematic mode mterven- 1 J tag trabea- lliav be to have the arch spring immediately from the column, or other support, this would avoid both top-heavy proportions, and confined taxis : many in- stances occur of this. Fig. xvm. is, however, intro- duced as containing something in its detail rather uncommon, which accounts for its introduction here in preference to a more common tactic arrangement ; the innumerable other specimens of this style may be and should be investigated by the architectural stu- dent ; this figure, however, will give him a hint UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. (>!) towards introducing new ideas into the art, though it cannot be looked upon as perfect in itself. 41. Fig\ xix. is a specimen of the archi-columnal Pointed style with the pointed arch : it is evident, that quite a different taxis must be adopted here from that used its taxis with the round arch in the last figure ; it is impos- sible with any appearance of propriety to place an horizontal part over a point : it was no doubt with this idea, that the Gothic architects always left a space between the top of the pointed arch and the horizontal mouldings, in order to prevent the absur- dity of a point supporting any thing so solid : but by this system the scheme of the taxis becomes broken. It appears, however, that this difficulty may be sur- mounted, by making an appropriate union between the pillar, the arch, and the shelter, as in fig. xix. and fig. l. : numberless different forms and propor- tions of arches, and their accompaniments, might be contrived for effecting this : but one will at present suffice. 42. It will be observed, that though the external internally. taxis of this style has not been carried to its greatest perfection, the objection, which occurs there, does not occur in the internal specimens of it : here the archi- columnal style presents an obvious taxis, which has often been well supported. The formation of the Origin of pillar in Gothic architecture from twigs bound round man style an upright support is an obvious and beautiful one ; fromtwlgs - these again branching out into smaller twigs, and thus forming all the tracery in the roof, as we see in York Minster, King's College Chapel at Cam- bridge, and a variety of other places, cannot but strike 70 THE MUSIC <>i THE EYE. us as a system quite as natural as that, from which the Doric order of Architecture is said to be formed ; it is also that alone, on which architects seem to have grounded a rational system ; it is that arrange- ment, or construction of simple parts, or forms, by which we may most easily account for the existence of every individual member, and form that pro- priety, which is so essential to the very existence of Architecture, sir J. Hail. 43. Sir James Hall has written a whole volume on this subject alone : and if students will only recol- lect, that he treats simply of the taxis of the Gothic style, without any other principle of beauty, and will endeavour not to be led away by an idea, that might be imbibed from that author, that this is the only requisite to the beauty of Architecture, great benefit might be derived from the perusal of that very inge- nious work ; as it perhaps embraces as much as can be said on the taxis of Gothic Architecture. 44. The next kind of arch is the horse-shoe arch : we may see specimens of this in the Alambra at The Aiam- (j rcna j a . whether it deserves a place among styles of Architecture may be a question ; the confusion of heaviness and lightness, which appears in the Moorish buildings, make it perfectly hideous ; but perhaps this is not necessary to the horse-shoe arch, and might be avoided. The arch in fig. xx. is more elliptical, than those in the Alambra, the rest of the design is an attempt to give some character to this eccentric mode of building. UTILITY, OK THE TAXIS OF YITRUVIUS. 71 itlll)'. MONOTRABEAL SCHEME. 45. Another scheme of building in more perpetual Monotra- use, than any we have hitherto noticed, may be called scheme the monotrabeal, from its principal feature being a defined. trabeation for shelter, with no other support than the mere walls. 46. It will be very easily conceived, that as the its van. - combination of form, proportion, and ornament are almost endless, so there will be an inconceivable variety of specimens capable of being produced in this style. As very little attention seems to have been paid by Architects to this circumstance, I have here given four distinct specimens, fig. xxi. xxn. xxiii. and xxiv., which may serve as hints to illustrate how variety in simple elements may be produced : the principles, on which their characteristic properties are founded, depend on a certain scheme, which will be investigated in a future essay. In fig. xxi. will be recognized a common Grecian trabeation ; in this it will not pass observation, that the corona alone is often better used in these schemes than the whole trabeation, which is too heavy for so simple a sup- port. Fig. xxii. exhibits in one design two other monotrabeal specimens of more daring character ; fig. xxiii. and xxiv. are equally novel. 47. To the searchers after novelty, however, neither Chinese the Chinese nor Egyptian Architecture will be inca- ^„ tI |be- bable of affording some useful hints : the predominant atl01 forms in both these shelters are exhibited in figures 72 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. xxv. and xxvi., though not with the same accompa- niments as in those countries. Obsenn- 4,g # "W nen we consider the threat importance of the dons on o i modem feature, which the monotrabeal style necessarily practice. J J brings to our notice, namely, the principal shelter, it is surprising - , that more attention has not been paid to producing" variety in it, than a trifling and insignifi- cant modification of parts, producing nearly the same effect, which we see in many modern buildings : from the same reflection, it is still more wonderful, that any Architect should ever erect a building, and en- tirely omit this grand and predominant feature ; yet that this is constantly done must be evident to every one : almost the whole of the new town of Edin- burgh owes its bare and frigid ifying appearance, though built of stone, to the want of this natural ter- mination. But even in London we may find instances of this extraordinary deviation from common sense ; among others, Bedford Bow, from its breadth and uniformity, would have been a handsome street, if it had cornices to all its houses. Such buildings as these we may fairly call the brick-kilne style, though I think we should hardly give them a place in any scheme of Architecture. 5thly. PAREEFENESTRAL SCHEME. Pariefenes- 49. The next scheme may be denominated the tral scheme * defined. pariefenestral scheme, from the principal features being windows in a plain wall ; this is in fact little more than a modification of the last, the monotrabeal ; for, as from what we have already observed, no Archi- UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. ]■ > lecture can have a complete effect without the upper trabeation or shelter, it follows, that the pariefenes- feral scheme, in addition to the monotrabeal feature, has a more ornamental or conspicuous display in the formation of its windows; and in this consists the difference between the two; so that in many cases it is extremely difficult to know, to which scheme to ass ign a building. .00. When we consider the beauty of the designs of Thisstyle i • iii iii naturally sonic Windows, it WOllId he treason to exclude them defective from our researches; and when we consider the end- Less variety of them, it seems desirable to consider them as a distinct scheme or style of building; these are the principal reasons for making this a fifth scheme, though it must be confessed it is wholly deviating from the principles which belong to all the other styles, namely, the division into the main features of foundation, support, and shelter. To give specimens of all the different kinds of windows would be utterly impossible ; it is probable, that if an Architect were to set his mind to it, Ik; might fill a volume with tin; designs of windows only, for which every possible style, form, and ornament, would furnish him with ideas. 51. It would be useless also to select the best spe- cimens, as that can hardly be done with any decree of satisfaction : an observation or two, and figures to illustrate them, may however be necessary : in no- thing it appears to me has variety been attempted to be carried so far, as in Gothic Architecture; without noticing any of the other styles, the classic produc- tions of Palladio, Inigo Jones, &c. the Gothic forms 7 1> THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. will alone furnish us with ideas sufficient for our pre- sent purpose of investigating- principles. The ten figures, from xxvn. to xxxvi. inclusive, exhibit win- dows, in which some of the usual forms in Gothic Architecture are applied : in many existing specimens we shall find, that from a mistaken idea of variety three or four of these forms are crowded together in Simplicity olle window, to the great destruction of all taxis, and and truer ° taxis re- character, which are as essential to windows indivi- commend- < # ed m Co- dually, as to entire buildings. Another defect, as it thic win- dows. appears to me, is in the smallness ol the panes ot glass ; this has been called an indispensable requisite to Gothic Architecture, why ? because all old build- ings have them ; such arguments, however, will not do for a systematic reason : the more proper question would be, are these small panes essential to the best effect of the forms used ; an answer to this question would do away with an inconvenience, which only had its origin in the imbecility of ancient arts and manufactures. Figures xxxvii. and xxxvin. give specimens of two kinds of fenestral styles, which will serve to finish our ideas of the outline of this scheme, in which the artist will find ample room to range at large in all the variety, of which this style is capable. (ithly. SECTIONAL SCHEME. Sectional 52. The next kind, or scheme, which comes within our observation is one, which may fairly be called the sectional scheme : its principal distinction is in the support, which is constructed of parts in succession, branching out in a variety of ways, generally between UTILITY, OH THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. (O each tier of windows, the foundation and shelter of the whole scheme being connected with it. 53. The varieties, which may possibly exist in this J*g S vane " style would, like the last, surpass calculation ; indeed, it would be nearly impossible to say how many dis- tinct species the sectional style might be divided into ; though, perhaps, so minute an analysis might be pro- ductive of more confusion than benefit, for there is no arch of any description, no support, and in fact no form that can be possibly conceived, that may not be pressed into the service : so much so, that some whimsical person, not many doors from Temple Bar, in London, has designed a shop front in imitation of boot-jacks, blacking bottles, and various other imple- ments of his trade. 54. Many specimens are to be found of the sec- tional style in every place j some of the oldest exist- ing are perhaps those timber houses, where the beam Timber . . houses. work is made to assume various contrasted forms, sometimes richly carved, at others affecting only the natural forms, which their uses suggest ; and in most cases coloured black, and contrasted with the white plaster between. It is not certain, however, whether still more ancient specimens of the sectional style may not have existed, though we have only written autho- rity for the supposition, for there is certainly an allu- Thereticu- luted stvle sion of this kind in the eighth chapter of the second of vitra- book of Yitruvius. 55. The Coliseum at Rome also is of a sectional The Coii- style, though of a very clumsy description. In J ° J J l and other modern times a very neat specimen exists in Clare specimens, Hall, Cambridge ; this, though far from being a ;<> THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. incapable of gran- deur. perfect specimen, is a degree better than the entrance to Northumberland House, in the Strand, London. The New Church in the Strand is another specimen of sectional architecture. And I fear, also, that the exterior of St. Paul's Cathedral must be so far de- graded, as to be ranked among sectional buildings, and so also must those specimens of Gothic, where tracery is substituted for the buttress in the support ; this, however, is more common, and more appropriate in interior than exterior designs. 56. The sectional style of building is incapable of the grandeur that other styles are, and was used in the large buildings above mentioned more for conve- nience, and economy, than effect, though it might be a question, whether the immense labour in finish in most specimens of the sectional style would not amount to as much as the expense of the materials in the bolder styles. Examples. 57. It will be sufficient to illustrate the subject, and give a general idea of the sectional style by two figures, the xxxixth and XLth ; the former is not the most simple that could be contrived, nor is it very far removed from it ; it will be seen to exhibit a style, in which the idea of comfort is aimed at, a style, which if in perfection, would be more than any other adapted to the private unostentatious residence of a wealthy person; the latter figure exhibits nearly as much ornament in a simple distribution, as can be introduced without confusion, and indistinctness of scheme ; and perhaps, though no one would think of building in such a style as this, it may at least serve as a specimen of the extreme, and suggest new, and better ideas from other sources. UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 7; MIXED STYLES. 58. We have now taken survey of the principle Mixed simple schemes : to say how far they may be combined ^,^ ca ' in the same building- would be no very easy matter ; traced - for as we cannot determine, how far one may be carried, or modified, we shall have no ground to go on, to ascertain rules for the union of more than one : though some material observations will occur in the essay on distribution. 59. In the present essay, the subject at issue will The use of 1 jo mouldings j only draw our attention to the use of mouldings, in which the first thing, that occurs is the confusion of their names. 60. The Astrag-al, by which we understand a bead confusion , x ,. of their or tondino, was by the Lesbians understood to mean names. an ovolo, or half tore : the tore again is seldom so called, except at the bottom of columns : the tore also only differs from the common astragal in size, a distinction so indefinite, that if new styles, for which there now seems a universal rage, are contrived, we shall soon get forms, for which there are no names, distinguished only by their difference of size : again, the cymatium, according to some authors, only bears that name in the cornice. All these circumstances create great confusion, while at the same time the forms of mouldings themselves, as was noticed in the beginning of this essay, are all reducible to three, the circle and its sections, the ellipse and its sections, and the wave in different positions, and proportions. 61. Without, therefore, any reference to size or 78 THE MUSIC OF THE EVE. Names of mouldings. Tlio use of mouldings. In tlie Doric, few curved mouldings. Small curv- ed mould- ings nearly useless. situation, I propose, till some better system is pointed out, to call generally every entire half circle convex moulding* a tore, every quarter circle convex mould- ing an ovolo, every concave moulding a Scotia, and every waving moulding a cyma, except in cases where other old phrases cannot be mistaken. f)2. Our attention however, in this essay, is more properly drawn to the use of mouldings. Upon re- ferring to our old masters the Greeks, we shall find them following a system with regard to mouldings wholly different from ours. In that most chaste and exquisitely varied style, the Doric, we find scarcely any thing but the straight line in the mouldings ; even in the Hypoethral Temple at Peestum, which has seldom been considered as the most perfect specimen, there is no curved moulding in the epistyle except a very small arc of a cavetto above the corona ; the same absence of curves may be observed in the epis- tyle of the portico of Philip at Delos, except a cyma in the same place as the last epistyle quoted : nothing but an ovolo, and that in the same place in that exquisite specimen, the Parthenon at Athens ; in the Temple of Theseus at the same place, no curved moulding occurs; though in the Propylaea, which is a design for a more busy place, there are three, a cyma inversa below, and two ovolos above the corona ; in the epistyle of the Temple of Jupiter Nemoeus, between Argos and Corinth, there is no curved moulding, except a very small ovolo above the co- rona. 63. It must be evident, that to exhibit the bold and important members, we should add very considerably UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 79 to their natural importance by giving them boldness of form and proportion : as therefore, curves are na- turally more conspicuous than straight lines of the same dimensions, they are more adapted to important parts ; and when used in important parts, should have dimensions assigned them, that would give them the importance, they require. Hence therefore, it is not an extraordinary opinion, that what are com- monly called the cyma, the cavetto, the ogee, and the bead, in the small dimensions, in which they are commonly used, are only fit for carpenters', and such confined works, that the eye cannot embrace the im- portance of the whole. The ovolo, however, seems sometimes necessary to soften off the abruptness of sharp corners, and extremities ; and we consequently find it frequently used with the best effect. The ovolo, considering how little curved mouldings are really required in Architecture, is quite as good a contrast to the straight line as any other mouldings, while it has neither the feebleness of the cavetto, or the broken lights, and confused appearances of the cyma recta, or cyma inversa. If argument, however, were feeble, we have the authority of all the most classic productions of antiquity, not only in the Doric but also in the Corinthian and Ionic orders, for not introducing them in the manner moderns introduce them. And as in these ancient specimens we see the greatest magnificence of design, the most perfect symmetry, the most ingenious invention, the most exquisite adaptation, contrast, form, and propriety of parts, and in fact the most exquisite use of every rational principle of harmonious composition, in this c ases. 80 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. .argument, which is so backed by their practice, and reason, we hardly hesitate as to our decision. in Asia 64. In Asia, however, we meet with a mode of carves using- the curves above alluded to, which is not liable to the objections, which may be brought against the small curved mouldings. It is not necessary here to give specimens drawn from that source, as they are attainable by those, who choose to investigate them : it will, perhaps, tend more to enlarge our views of the art, and to throw out hints for the composer to introduce original designs (however inferior) in which the above curves are used after a manner in some Large respect similar to the Asiatic. The figures introduced curves , . ^ r • 1 in other with this view are those from xli. to xlviii. inclu- sive ; they are all of the same mixed style, com- posed of the monotrabeal and trabe-columnal : in the trabeation of fig. xli. will be found a large tore (vide sect. 61, ante) erect ; in that of fig. xlii. ascotia erect ; in that of fig. XLHI. a cyma erect swelling below ; in that of fig. xliv. a cyma erect swelling above ; in that of fig. xl v. a cyma recta projecting ; in that of fig. xlvi. a cyma inversa projecting ; in that of fig. xlvii. an ovolo projecting ; in that of fig. xlviii. a scotia projecting : of the cyma recta receding, the cyma in- versa receding, the scotia receding, and the ovolo receding, specimens have already been given in figures xiii., xiv., xv., and xvi., in all which, however feeble the attempt, the object is to show a remote possibility of using these curves in a bolder, and more suitable manner. It will not now be necessary to dwell fur- ther on this subject. Greater experience, however, attention, and study might lead to a good deal of phi- UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 81 losophy on this subject. As this has not fallen to my lot, I shall content myself with giving only two more specimens (figures xlix. andL.,) in which two archico- lumnal styles, not hitherto noticed, are appended to two monotrabeal styles. 65. It will not be right to conclude this part of the essay without noticing that there are two qualities, which seem to belong mainly to the taxis of Architec- ture, and are not yet considered, efficiency and relation- Efficiency ship; the efficiency of each particular part for its office tionship. will be easily understood, as it consists principally in strength, and distinctness ; but the apparent relation- ship of adjacent parts involves more than strictly belongs to taxis ; it involves the principles of unifor- mity, which will be considered in a future essay. (See Essay viii. sect. 17.) As far, however, as the taxis is concerned, relationship of parts only require, that their position and form should be such, as to give an idea of effecting' the purpose for which they were in- tended, that is, that whether the part be a supporting, sheltering, or binding member, it should be such in every respect, that it may seem to be related to the adjacent members, which it shelters, binds, or sup- ports, which are the three principal offices, which mouldings have : I am aware, that some authors talk of separating, and finishing mouldings; these, however, generally produce more confusion, than benefit to the effect ; they may, however, sometimes occur, though less in architect's than in the carpenter's, or uphol- sterer's designs, and when they may occur, experience will be the best guide. G 82 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Ornament distinct from Ar- chitecture. Ornament useful, and useless. Nature our guide. ORNAMENT. (i(). We have thus taken a general view of the use- ful forms in Architecture, and such as will embrace every form, that may be advantageously used, though it Mould be impossible to trace all their combinations. It will be necessary in this and the following essays, to keep our ideas of what is strictly to be called Archi- tecture, and ornament, (which is only to be considered an appendage to the pure principles of the art,) quite distinct, because in some few instances the principles of composition have properties not common to both ; this is perhaps most of all the case in taxis : by orna- ment in Architecture I would wish to be understood to mean all parts, which are curved or carved in imi- tation of any natural, or fanciful object. 67. One very obvious distinction between Architec- ture, and ornament is, that the members of all good specimens of Architecture should have a use, whereas ornament may sometimes occur without any use ; though certainly we shall find, that the noblest effects arc produced by ornaments, which appear to possess some use ; hence much of the dignity of the acan- thus leaves in the Corinthian capital, which appear. to support the abacus, which is so much more dignified, than the scroll in the Ionic capital, which appears to be a useless finish ; hence also the beauty of the console, and rartooze, as also some cases, where the heads of griffins, and various other animals, are introduced, as if supporting an arch, or tablet. 08. That utility is a beauty even in ornament, we UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 83 may, I think, infer from a contemplation of nature ; it would be very difficult, I should say almost impossible, to fix upon any object in nature, which, whether beau- tiful or not, has not its destined use ; it is unnecessary to instance examples, the limb of every animal, and even the sinuosities, and projections, that vary their form, every leaf, every flower, will sufficiently prove the truth of this, and tell us, that what seems the most luxuriant specimen of her wantonness, and wildness, is replete with what is intended to answer some im- portant end : in the multitude of ends, however, which nature has to answer, she has of course much greater scope to exhibit this species of propriety in ; while Architecture is confined in a much narrower field, as only two or three principal and a few secon- dary uses can be exhibited in it : this circumstance makes it more easy for the Architect always to give a member its proper destination. 69. The style of building", which approaches nearest Doric, the j. • if»i- • n most per- the simplicity to be round in nature, is unquestionably feet order, the Doric ; in this we have a design highly ornamental like nature. without a single member, that is useless ; besides this, it is the most original in its nature, as there is not a single member in it, that displays any imitative form : it was this pure order, that was the favourite of an- cient Greece ; for the Corinthian, and Ionic are com- paratively speaking of rare occurrence : it was this perfect order, that displayed beauty without orna- ment, that was so far from wanting this meretricious aid, that it was rendered trifling, and discharacterized, if any thing like ornament, except the most austere sculpture was brought into its composition ; and even g 2 84 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. where sculpture was introduced, as in the Parthenon, and temple of Theseus, the order had yielded up much of ancient and solid grandeur for more slender and delicate proportions, in harmony with these adventi- tious appendages. Ornament 'JO. Ornament therefore in the most noble, and specimens, dignified specimens, has no part in Architecture. This noble art, however, is not austere throughout ; Archi- tecture will sometimes bend her stately neck to the curve, and deck her apparel with flowers ; the diffi- culty, however, is to do this well. Ornament is, per- baps, more adapted to interior Architecture, than to exterior, and such is the beauty in workmanship, and execution of some specimens of carving, that it would be a loss to art to reject them, however they may in- terfere with the bolder, and more dignified contour of some exterior specimens of building. Ornament Jl. As ornament can display but little use, its prin- eh belongs to ciples of composition will more properly be considered this essay : • n . • . i . . in a future essay ; it is only at present necessary to consider, what in accordance to the motto of this essay is fitting to be used upon other principles of propriety besides those of utility: here we have an us variety, endless field of variety to search in ; and as ornaments generally represent both natural, and imaginary ob- jects, the endless variety of nature and fancv would alone circumscribe our researches: as yet there are numberless beautiful objects, that have never found their way into a design ; and as leaves, buds, flowers, tendrils, seeds, fruits, &c. in the vegetable kingdom ; griffins, lions, birds, oxen, heads, &c. in the animal kingdom ; and vases, lyres, sbells, and chimeras, ina- UTILITY, OR THE TAXIS OF VITRUVIUS. 85 nimate objects, besides the representation of historical events, are quite infinite, it would be useless to attempt to classify them. 72. All that can be decided upon, as desirable, is, ornament that we should take care to choose forms, that give agreeable. some agreeable association of ideas : it may be very well for a Hogarth to give us a new order of Archi- tecture composed of periwigs, and three-cornered hats ; but this will not do in practice. For the sake Four kinds- of some kind of arrangement I shall divide all orna- ments into four kinds, the formal, the diffuse, the simple, and the mixed. 73. By formal ornaments may be understood such o^^nt as are strictly speaking uniform, and formal in their construction, the most common of which are the ser- pentine or wavy, as fig. li., the volute ornament as fig. lii., and the guilloche in a succession of complete or apparent circles, as fig. liii. and liv., of all which there are great varieties : besides these there are many others in all styles of Architecture ; we may observe a great many in Gothic Architecture by referring to Sir James Hall's essay on that style, plate 3% where a copious selection is presented to us. 74. By diffuse ornament may be understood such Diffuse ornament. as is not regularly disposed, such as sprigs, festoons, &c. &c. It would be unnecessary to give examples of these, as they are too numerous and too well known to require it. 7-5. By simple I would be understood to mean such simple ornament. as are composed 01 one thing only, as sprigs, or fes- toons of leaves without fruit or flowers attached, ani- mals without any accompaniments, &c. 80 THE MUSIC Or THE EYE. iMixed ornament. Taxis in ornament. 7o\ Mixed ornament will be readily understood to n K-an such as are the reverse of the last, being com- posed of any, the most intricate variety. 77« However luxuriant ornament may be, it is still desirable, that it should be governed, as much as pos- sible, by the rules of taxis, and that in those parts, whether ornamental or not, which are unavoidably more conspicuous than the rest, no member should be introduced without full and sufficient reason, nor without making that full and sufficient reason evident by a vigorous display of utility. END OF THE FOURTH ESSAY. ■„■ ■■■■""aOa^ J 1 \) \) (- 1 u / rzr = . « 3 k etf— -&L- ■& _ -Fsfr ^\ ^^v^\\\\\\\\\\\^^^ :™rz::z™= - s i * * " ' i ¥r^ sri\ _ /iSs ySft J th & t\ rh a Q Fig. J3TTZ7. 3. 6 o. fee t 7 ifi \\\\ur .3. 6. p. fet t \;noA"Ao/\oAoAoAoAo/\oAo/\oA°/loAoA 1 -^^/\"/\ i g A^Ao/\ /\ 7 Tfl \ \\ \ FidJLI. ~-? r ~^f~ Z ~f r ^-f < ^ ^ - character, can be rightly understood, is given by Vitruvius in these words, " Eurithmia est venusta species commodusque in compositionibus memborum aspectus. Hoec efficitur, cum membra operis conve- nientia sunt, altitudinis ad latitudinem, latitudinis ad longitudinem, et ad summam omnia respondeant suae symmetrise. Item symmetria est ex ipsius operis mem- bris conveniens consensus, ex partibus que separatis, ad universae fignrae speciem, ratae partis responsus, ut in hominis corpore e cubito, pede, palmo, digito, cete- risque partibus symmetros est, sic est in operum per- fectionibus." There is nothing obscure in this, ex- cept the passage " ad summam suae respondeant sym- metrise," where symmetry and eurithm are evidently confused together ; so that upon the whole we may explain them in the following manner. 5. Eurithm is the proportion of any one part, mem- Eurithm ber or composition, or the beautiful rithm or measure ceine ' of the length or height of an object to its breadth. 6. Thus, we may talk of the eurithm of a house, Explained. which is composed of many less parts, each of which has its own particular eurithm : and whether we talk of the eurithm of the whole, or of one of its parts, the same explanation would apply. 7* Symmetria implies a measuring together : it Derivation might be said, that eurithmia is a measuring together tria. of length and breadth ; so that the derivation of 90 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. symmetria, does not embrace all that is really meant by it. Symmetry 8. Symmetry, however, must be here understood to mean the rythms or the measures of the length, breadth, and height (or any two of them) of two or more distinct wholes ; it is, to speak more plainly, the rytlnn or proportion of any two or more distinct eurithms. Explained. 9. As, therefore, symmetry necessarily involves more than one whole part or member, we may talk of the symmetry of the whole house, with any of its parts, as a pillar, door, &c. ; or we may talk of the symmetry of any two small parts, as of a pillar to a door, or of a pillar to a pedestal. When, therefore, we talk of the symmetry of a building-, we should mean the proportion of all the parts, one with another. Our pre- 10. A proper understanding- of this distinction, sent object, . what? and the results that spring from it, as we shall see presently, will solve all the seeming mysteries in pro- portion ; we must, however, first consider, in what the excellence of proportion, independent of its giving character, or forming contrast consists ; or, in fact, in what consists the beauty of a most simple eurithm, unconnected with any other parts ; in this we shall find, that the principle of mere good proportion ap- plies as much to symmetry, as to eurithm. vitmvius ii. In Vitruvius's writings, we find the propor- givea no summary tions of the different parts of buildings given, but no propor- general rule or rules, as a summary guide in all cases. It may even be a question, whether our British author Hogarth, who wrote upon the analysis of beauty, ever THE SYMMETRY AND EURITHM OF VITRUVIUS. 91 had such an opinion of Vitruvius as even to study that author, for he seems to think the whole theory of pro- portion a mystery: in quoting the preface to Le Blond's translation of the French treatise on the Beau Ideal, Beau ideal. though he seems to think the work quoted a meagre performance, he quotes passages, which evidently show some knowledge in the author of the Vitruvian distinction of eurithm, and symmetry ; for when speaking of the sublime parts of the art, he reports him to use this phrase, " a touching and moving unity, a pathetic agreement, or concord, not only of each member to its body, but also of each part to the member of which it is a part" Though this passage certainly remotely intimates some knowledge of eu- rithm and symmetry, we are still left in the dark as to the principles of good proportion. 12. As a further proof of the mystery, the princi- Propor- ples of proportion, which the ancient Greeks fol- posed to be lowed, are supposed by the modern to be involved, mystery. The same French author, in a former part of the preface, is reported to state, that " the Greeks cared not to communicate the secret of the analogy, but nevertheless the Romans used well the proportions, which the Grecians long before had reduced to cer- tain rules." 13. These certain rules of the Greek analogy, Ho- The Greek garth seems to have considered the grand secret : what then is this grand secret of the avaXoyia ? On (the grand referring to Vitruvius, (lib. iii. cap. 1,) we find avaXo- merely ,1 • ,i ,• , means pro yia means nothing more than proportion : we must p 0rt i n. therefore not be perplexed by so mysterious a word as the Greek analogia ; but proceed to consider what !) l 2 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. is good proportion ; or, if it pleases scientific ears more, what is good analogy. Modem n u Though I do not think that either Michael knowledge. CT Angelo, or any other modern authors or Architects, have taken a clear and comprehensive view, either in their writings, or buildings, of the distinction between eurithm and symmetry, yet the question, What is good proportion ? seems to have been well under- stood by many of them. Nomys- 1-5. Thus, though many of our predecessors have portion^ thought analogy, or proportion, so great a mystery, I think I may be so bold as to argue, from the systems of a few others, that it is no mystery at all : it is very true, that when, as in future essays, pro- portion is brought in aid of scientific contrast, and (to use the words of the author just quoted) of the " touching and moving unity, and pathetic agree- ment, and concord," which causes the delineations of character to make such an impression on the be- holder ; in such a case, though there is no mystery, yet abstraction, consideration, and a thorough know- ledge of the strong holds of the art, are eminently called for ; and from imbecility in these, proportion would certainly appear a mystery : these things are, however, the subject of future essays : at present all, that can be considered essential to proportion, is, it requires that it should be simple. It is impossible to work simplicity. up the more brilliant touches of the art without simple elements ; it must be evident, that no bold and dignified contrast of important parts, can be effected, if the composition is crowded with a multi- tude of uselessly varied parts ; much less can any THE SYMMETRY AND EURITHM OF VITRUVIUS. 93 such contrast, or any scheme whatever, under such circumstances, produce character ; but, without draw- ing our arguments from the higher branches of the art, it seems evident, that even the love of order, and system, which is so natural to the human mind, would be alone sufficient to point out, that the only aptitude, order, or system, that can exist in propor- tion abstractedly, is in the principles of simplicity ; and therefore, that from the natural bent of our in- clination, simplicity must be the soul of elegant pro- portions. We have, however, better arguments than these, arguments drawn from an examination of well- approved specimens ; there is no exquisite specimen in existence, in which one of its prevailing perfec- tions is not simplicity in proportion. 16. Even modern artists have dwelt upon the im- Michael portance of this qualification : Michael Angelo, the v i S e S sim- great sculptor, is said to have advised his pupils p lclt} ' always to make their figures proportioned by one, two, or three ; this will at least show, that simplicity is no new theory in proportion, however remotely modern Architects, by following Roman instead of Grecian specimens, have deviated from it. 17. In order to obtain a ready guide to simple a module. proportions, the ancients invented the module ; how the use of this has been perverted, and rendered almost useless by division into minute fractions, is lamentable to behold : but we may still hope, that as the art improves, a more rational plan will be adopted, and that the same system of modulation will not, as now, be followed in every the most different cha- racter. 94 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Vitruvius cm the moduli'. Modern module. Its divi- sions. 18. A module, called by the Greeks ^i/3aT>?c, is not satisfactorily explained by Vitruvius ; but he says enough to convince us, that if we follow the practice of the ancients, Ave may make any part, we choose, a module ; for he only defines a module in the Doric order, in a manner which could not apply to any other : in fact he expressly mentions the Doric order. (Vitr. lib. iv. c. 3.) 19. Although moderns have assumed either from this passage, or some other, that a module in trabe- columnal Architecture, is half a diameter, it must be evident, that in all cases this would be a dangerous assumption, and upon the whole, it would perhaps be better to allow an Architect to assume his own module according to the circumstances of the case. 20. A worse system, however, than always assum- ing the same part as module in every contingency, is, always dividing it into the same number of parts. If there is any power in simple proportions to affect the perfections, which have just been hinted at, such a system as this, as also dividing it into so great a number of parts as thirty, which is the common practice, must at once defeat the strongest instrument of producing effect by proportion, and totally destroy every power of producing elegant proportions either in symmetry, or eurithm. In fact, no general rule can be given, where, under all circumstances, a module should be taken, or how divided ; for it is obvious, as different buildings are composed of a dif- ferent number of parts, and as many, which are even composed of the same number, may have those parts disposed according to different ratios, or analogies, THE SYMMETRY AND EURITHM OF VITRUVIUS. 9<5 a different system must be adopted in each, which nothing" but experience will lead us to : but to pro- ceed. 21. A module may be defined, the whole, or that Amoduie i p .• r • i defined. simple traction ot any very conspicuous member in the scheme of a design, by which the proportion of all the other members are governed : it is in fact to the proportions of Architecture what the key note is in music, and should like that in some varied way or other constantly recur in the design : with this view it is a very good system for the designer constantly to have one pair of compasses open to his module, and to have another pair to take the simple multiples and simple fractions. 22. It will be easily conceived, what is meant by simple i l li propor- simple proportion, being such, that a correct eye dons, would without the aid of a pair of compasses soonest detect, they are the proportions of one, two, three, and perhaps four, taken in any order as three to four, or two to three, or one to three ; and also the pro- portion of one to any number not much above ten. 23. The next question that presents itself, is, how The appli- i i • i i t cation of are these proportions to be applied ? It seems that proportion. the principal cases where Architects have failed in giving effect to their design, are owing to the cir- cumstance of considering the eurithms of their designs of more consequence than the symmetry : so that we constantly see cases, in which the whole, and every individual part are beautifully proportioned, and yet the effect is bad ; and though we often see symmetry treated of by authors, it is quite clear they mean no more than proportion, in the usual acceptation of the 96 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. word, and that that symmetry, which makes the beau- tiful proportion of one part set off the beautiful pro- portion of another, has not entered into their cal- culation. and cha* ~^' ^ * s a ^ lct ' ^ ia * g rea t ness > grandeur, and all racterhere- the most important powers of proportion are the after con- x x *■ L sidered. effect of symmetry, more than of eurithm ; and as these are derived from contrast and character, each will appear in a future essay : at present it is only necessary to remark, that although no building can Eurithm De beautiful without eurithmic proportion, it is the alone inca- * l j.abie of least part of proportion in producing a great or striking effect, this alone is the property of symmetric proportion. Many in- 25. Innumerable instances must have occurred to stances of this. every one, where every individual part seems to pos- sess all that is necessary to proportion, and yet the design looks small and insignificant : such are the cases in which eurithm alone has been followed, in which the beholder, being unable to put his finger on a defect, wonders where the error lies. St. Peters 26. St. Peter's at Rome is a memorable instance of at Rome. ... . n -r» the imbecility of mere eurithm. " St. Peter's," mivs ^wE?' 8 Duppa, in his life of M. Angelo, " in its present tl0n - state, with all the advantages of dimensions every way, is a remarkable instance how human ingenuity can be exercised in diminishing the effect of its own powers. Instead of the awful grandeur which might reasonably be expected from the magnitude of the building, splendour and variety divert the attention, its solemnity is lost in the diffusion of light, and its size apparently diminished by the parts occupying THE SYMMETRY AND EURITHM OF VTTRUVIUS. 97 that attention which ought to be absorbed by the whole. Yet this last defect has been praised by Addison, Baron Stolberg, Lnmisden, and other writers j and the disappointment universally produced by its apparent want of magnitude, has been attri- buted by them to the exactness of its proportions. If to impress the mind with grandeur and sublimit}', in edifices dedicated to religion, be desirable, that building must be defective which fritters away the attention of the beholder, however beautiful the parts may be of which it is composed." He further goes on to state, that " however we may admire great works, or cultivate a partiality for their defects, it is obvious that the Architect of St. Peter's, if he had no other merit, would deserve but little praise for making the largest and most magnificent temple in the world appear to be less sublime than the original model of its dome." 27. Many other instances might be adduced to T .i)e P rin- ' J ° cinles ot prove, how little the principles of greatness have been greatness understood in the present day : not that we are to be under- 1 J , stood. led into the belief, that splendour and variety are de- trimental to it, as might perhaps be inferred from the passage above quoted, this is not the case ; as long as splendour and variety are kept within the bounds of taxis, there is no reason, why they should be destruc- tive of the effect of greatness; but the art is to dis- pose that splendour and variety (when so kept with the rules of taxis) according to a well-contrasted symmetry. Even the Gothic Architects, however The Gothic A roll ltocts they may have been ignorant of other principles of understood i 11 . it better composition, seem in some instances not wholly igno- thanwedo. H 98 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Proportion applied in eurithm. Proportion applied in symmetry. Of the point of measure- ment. rant of this art of producing the effect of greatness, in which in many cases they surpass the productions of the present day. 28. Before, however, we proceed to an essay which will embrace the above important subject, it is neces- sary that we should establish in our minds some sim- ple principles, which are essential to proportion in every contingency. In the first place then, as to the application of good proportion, it is almost unpar- donable, if every eurithm both of the whole, and of every individual less part, is not perfectly good, ac- cording to the rule down in section 22. The sym- metries should, if possible, be well adapted to the eurithms ; if this cannot be done with all the members, it should at least be done with such as are most im- portant, conspicuous, and adjacent. 29. The next question is the point of measurement. In the eurithm of a design this is very obvious, for as here we are to consider the dimensions of one entire whole only, the point or place to measure from will of course be the extremity of that whole. In the symmetry of a design perhaps more reflection is ne- cessary, and in order to have this agreeable to the eye, we must go back to our first principles, we must consider what is the taxis, or useful disposition of forms in a design : supposing we have that correct, and distinctly defining the foundation, support, and shelter, our next object will be to let the conspicuous (I'nnensions of these three parts, that is, the breadth of the foundation, the height of the support, and the breadth of the shelter, be in good proportion : after this we should aim at having the symmetries of the THE SYMMETRY A\D EUIUTHM OF VITRUVIUS. 99 next most striking features in good proportion, whe- ther they are striking from real use, (as in Grecian Architecture in the corona or general shelter,) or from their apparent use, (as in the Corinthian capital). In most of these cases the effect will be better attained by making the point to be measured from the extreme of the object ; but in some cases experience will con- vince us, that the middle should be the point to measure from ; and in a great many cases it will be found, that simple proportion will be equally pleasing, whether an extreme feature is included in, or excluded from the measurement, as, for instance, the abacus in measuring the Doric column. In all cases it is obvi- ously necessary, that proportion and taxis should go hand in hand, that the parts be not only symme- trically contrasted, but capable of filling by their di- mensions the place their taxis requires of them. 30. Attention must also be paid in choosing" our Light and . . . lightness. symmetries to the admission of light to a building, as well as to the apparent lightness and propriety of the structure : in this, however, difficulties will some- times occur from the nature of the materials ; this is very much the case in trabe-columnal Architecture ; a wide intercolumnation, which gives so much light- ness to the appearance, and gives so much real light to the interior of the building, can hardly be had in a large work of stone in this style, as no stones, if procured long enough, would be sufficiently strong for the architrave. A difficulty of this kind is very ob- intereo- . . lumnation servable in the Parthenon, where the mtercolumna- ofthePar- tion is much nearer than even this very solid order would require ; but the ingenuity displayed here is h 2 portions. J IX) TIIF. MUSIC OF THE EYE. in the manner the eye is relieved from the apparent inconvenience, which is effected by having the inter- (•(.lunination of the extreme pillars still less than the others, so that bv contrasting with these the others appear wider than they really are ; in this example ;ill the columns were a diameter and a half apart, except the extreme ones, which were only a diameter : this is only one among many example-- of exact judg- ment in symmetric proportion} which are discoverable in ancient specimens, and which a thorough know- ledge of the power- of the art would alone lead the Architect to adopt. Doric pro- 31, In considering the application of proportion, we may derive great improvement from the contem- plation of the Doric order : if the module, like the key note of music, should recur as often and in as varied a manner, as possible, and in the most import- ant situations, all which is consonant with reason, we should of course expect it so to exist in the best speci- men- of i his beautiful order : the only question there- fore i-, what is the key to the modulation of the Doric order? If we make it the half of the lower diameter, it certainly will not accord with the above qualifications ; but the half of the lower diameter, whatever may be the arguments <>f Vitruvius, is eer- tainlv not the most conspicuous part of the design, and then fore, if there is any importance to be at- tached to the recurrence of thi- key to the modida- tions, should not be adopted : the nm-t con>pieiious dimension most unquestionably is the upper diameter, and it i- not a little remarkable, that if we choose this for a module, we -hall have one, which actually due- THE SYMMETRY AND EUR1THM OF VITRUVIUS. 101 embrace all the qualifications above enumerated ; we shall in some of the best specimens of the old Doric, find that the architrave, frieze, cornice, the depth of ofthear- the capital, the steps that form the foundation to the belngeqnai whole, the projection of those steps, and the projec- ^^j', ",',',",_ tion of the cornice, are each of them equal to the ^ r ^ tlie upper diameter of the shaft ; and that the eurithm of the shaft is governed by a multiple of the same di- mension : the same may be observed in some speci- mens of the Corinthian, and Ionic orders : we must observe, however, that in this adaptation, the smaller members are sometimes either wholly excluded from, or included in the calculation. lV2. Many Architects however, and among' them Mr. Aikin, whom I have before noticed, advise making- the architrave of the Doric order a medium between the diameters of the top, and bottom of the shaft : this, if the top and bottom diameters are in Ani " 1 " '■' 1 mode. good eurithm, cannot be a bad proportion, for the architrave then must be in good symmetry with the upper diameter; but the difference between the two proportions is so little, that certainly no symmetric contrast is effected, though in adjacent parts, and therefore as differences without effect tend to create a system of confusion in proportion, which destroys that simplicity, which is the very soul of elegant pro- portion, it seems better, that it should be avoided, and that the width of the architraves should be equal to the upper diameter of the shaft. 33. Perhaps it might be considered, that making Furtherar- the architrave a medium between the top and bottom § diameters o r the shaft, is analagous to making the 102 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. height of a room a medium between its length and breadth : this however is not quite the case ; in every sort of Architecture, as was before observed, those proportions attract the eye most, which occur in perfection between adjacent parts ; the height, length, and breadth of a room are all adjacent to each other, which is not the case between the archi- trave and bottom diameter, and as there is no ad- jacency between them, it seems unnecessary to make such a combined calculation in the adjustment of their symmetries. Besides this, the good eurithm, which should exist between the top and bottom dia- meters, will, when the upper diameter is made equal to the width of the architrave, not only be more ap- parent in itself, but much better support the good symmetry of the architrave and bottom diameter, which latter, though not a main, is at least a de- sirable consideration. Sunium. 34. It seems rather surprising, that Mr. Aiken should advise making the breadth of the architrave a medium between the bottom, and top diameters, when in his own work, the Temple of Minerva at Sunium, and some other specimens, are figured with the architrave equal to the upper diameter. After all, however, we can rest upon no certain rule as to adopting a module ; all that can be said is, that we should aim as much as possible at simplicity. Proportion 35. As the proportions of rooms have just been referred to, it may be both useful and desirable, to look more into this subject. As we are to have con- spicuous, and adjacent parts in good proportion, and as there are in a room the six adjacent parallello- THE SYMMETRY AND EURITIIM OF VITRUVIUS. 103 grams, that form it, and as these are wholly governed by three dimensions of height, length, and breadth, these three dimensions are all that it is necessary to consider. 36. The proportions of length to breadth, being as vitruvius. five to three, and as three to two, and in very large rooms as two to one, with some others less simple, as of one to the diagonal of its square, which is very near to what is more simple, that is, five to seven, are all recommended by Vitruvius with great judg- ment, and propriety, and have universally been fol- lowed by modern Architects. The height of a room however, is a thing, upon which all nations seem to differ ; in warm countries, very high rooms are always found, and it does not seem inconsistent with reason, that in cold countries currents of air would be very much prevented by the same system ; necessity there- fore does not prevent us consulting beauty in all cases. Vitruvius makes the height vary with the size of the room, if he means that the ratio should so vary, probably he will find few, that think with him ; it seems very similar to another notion of his, that a pillar should diminish upwards according to its size, and not according to the eurithm of its height and base ; this notion, as has been observed by others, we do not find followed in the best ancient examples, nor is it consonant with reason. If simple analogies are to be our guide in all the eurithms, and all the symmetries, the best rule for height seems to be to make it equal to the half the sum of the length, and breadth ; these would be lofty rooms, but lofty rooms 104 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. are always handsome, and this system would always give us a good proportion, for when the proportion of length to breadth were as one to two, the height would be one and a half, that is to say the breadth, height and length would be respectively two, three, and four ; so where breadth and length are as three to five, they will be three, four, and five ; and when two to three, they will be four, five, and six. Where three to four, they will be six, seven, eight ; and where four to five, they will be eight, nine, ten : if these proportions, however, make rooms too high for some situations, it will always be good proportion, if in union with the length, to make the breadth equal the height ; or even to have it a simple proportion greater than the height. styles alter 37. The arguments which Vitruvius uses for not making small rooms of the same proportion as large, which no doubt he meant to extend to such as have their sides forming a square, however they may sup- port his propositions, tend at least to prove one thing, which is of great consequence in the proportion of rooms, that the style of Architecture will materially affect the appropriate appearance of the eurithni of the whole room ; so that tablets, piers, coved ceil- ings, recesses, and other appurtenances, which more frequently occur in large, than in small rooms, are the causes, and not the size of the room itself, of making it necessary to have a difference in the pro- portion of large and small rooms. To adapt propor- tions under these circumstances, requires a great deal of consideration, particularly as in many cases we proportion. THE SYMMETRY AND EURITHM OF VITRUVIUS. 105 find materials to work upon perfectly heterogenous ; in such cases, though we may have all the eurithms good, they cannot support character ; and as to symmetry, it must be quite out of the question. 38. These difficulties, however, are not insur- Artifices in c i proportion. mountable, for to a true feeling for symmetry, the most heterogenous proportions may by various arti- fices, be made consistent ; it is sometimes done by tactic arrangement, as in the pedestal and shaft of some schemes of trabe-columnal Architecture ; these would be quite out of character as to proportion, were it not that the foundation requires a more solid dimension ; sometimes it is done by a scheme of har- monious moulding, and sometimes by introducing in- termediate parts, which, by partaking of the qualities of both the adjacent parts, tend to bring about a re- concilement of effect ; but in all these cases the diffi- culty is very great, and wherever a variety of parts occur, no striking effect can be well produced. 39. In proportioning square rooms, the rules above Square given would not so well suit ; as the two first would tend to make them cubes, and so destroy contrast ; but here no difficulty occurs, for any good proportion may be adopted, when we have only two dimensions that enter into our calculations. 40. When we consider the exquisite beauty of the Nature, works of the great Architect of the universe, and particularly of his last and best work, the human figure, it is not to be wondered at that men in all ages, should have been desirous of imitating, or at least, of transferring some of the perfections and graces of nature into their own feeble works. tOG THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. ""'"'' 41. When, however, we consider, as was remarked from art, therefore [ n the last essay, in how small a compass the useful ofhttleuse ** r to it. destination of forms in Architecture lies, (v. Essay on Taxis, sect. 68,) it is evident we shall find little opportunity of copying- nature, where motion, speed, life, strength, sight, and a multitude of qualities are depicted in one object, which are wholly unsuited to our art. Architects 42. Notwithstanding this, Architects have wonder- sembiances fully amused themselves with fancied resemblances to nature, which are perfectly a romance. The Italian school of Architecture seems to have been led away M.Angelo. without an attempt at reflection ; even M. Angelo goes so far as to say, that " he who does not under- stand the proportion of the human figure and ana- tomy, cannot be a good architect ;" and from a con- templation of the architectural works of this great painter and sculptor, there is little doubt that he acted uj) to his precepts ; some of them are in a sectional style, and really bring to one's imagination, arms, legs, noses, claws, feelers, &c. vitruvius. 43. Vitruvius also, long before his time, has ac- tually likened the three orders of Greece to human figures ; he tells us, the Corinthian is like the young female, the Ionic like the matron, and the Doric like the male. There is no doubt that ideas may be bor- rowed from nature for architectural designs ; but it may be a question, whether the resemblances in the case above alluded to, are not very remote. For though, certainly, the Doric displays masculine out- line, and generally masculine form, yet as to propor- tion, some little objection might be found ; if a man THE SYMMETRY AND EURITHM OF VITRUVIUS. 107 is broader, and stronger across the shoulders, he has this amply compensated by his additional height, whereas the lower dimensions of females, so much larger than in men, is not compensated at all. No one, however, would raise an objection to the Ionic representing something similar to female form and proportion ; for we certainly discover in both the undulating outline, sporting in graceful curves, and a medium of proportion, which heightens all the other beauties, at the same time architectural, without par- taking of the character either of the thick-set male figure, or the commanding height of the plumed war- rior, both which would in some respect be better brought to our minds by the Doric and Corinthian orders ; though certainly, from the variety of nature, a thousand other forms might be selected to portray much nearer every shade of variety, both in male and female. 44. If, however, it may be considered difficult, and Nature perhaps fanciful to draw such resemblance ; yet there usthespl- is no doubt, that by contemplating the beautiful pro- not tb e U ° portions of the principal members of the human body, good ' we shall frequently find very serviceable hints : and ^rcL pro- portion in itec- at all events, we shall find the principles of beautiful ture * proportions, and find ample opportunity to satisfy ourselves, how true it is that simplicity is the soul of elegant proportion. 45. It is from the general proportion of the human figure, that we may clearly trace the source of the proportions of the ancient orders of Greece : this is most observable in the Corinthian order ; for if you look at Corinthian J order. the human figure in profile, it will be found, that the 108 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. average thickness is one-tenth of the height ; this corresponds with the proportion of the eurithm of the Corinthian column, which is ten lower diameters. Doric or- 46. If you look at the human figure in front, the der. ° average across the shoulders is one-fourth of the height ; and without the shoulders, that is across the ribs, it is one-sixth ; the height of the Doric specimen in the Hypcethral temple at Poestum, and of the spe- cimen of the Doric order at Corinth, a more perfect specimen, is in both cases six upper diameters, and four lower : there are many specimens of the Doric, six lower diameters, which Vitruvius derives not as above, though that seems most likely to suggest the eurithm of the whole ; but from the length of a man's foot, which is one-sixth of the height of his body, the people in the days of Vitruvius must have had very large feet, for a man six feet high now, has very sel- dom a foot twelve inches long. Roman 47 t j^ seems to have been a desideratum among- the style of & Doric. Romans, to obtain an order that was a medium be- tween the old Doric and Ionic, for which purpose they used an order, which they called Doric, that was eight lower diameters ; but in doing this they have so materially altered the detail, as not only to take away the dignity, propriety, and even character of the legitimate Doric, but to put nothing in its place, but the greatest frivolity, and unmeaning con- fusion ; a base is added, the capital, which in the old Doric was dignified and simple, is cut into strips and compartments, that arc more in the character of a tobacco-stopper than any thing else ; the proportion of architraves, freize, and cornice, which in the old THE SYMMETRY AND EUR1THM OF VITUUVIUS. 10Q Doric are in that dignified simplicity, which adds so much to the variety of their detail, is exchanged for a useless variety ; the quiet harmony and dignity re- sulting from a recurrence of the mutules, are ex- changed for parts so disposed, as to be less varied in arrangement, and not sufficiently varied in either size or form, to produce any striking contrast ; the tri- glyphs, also, being robbed of the finishing shelter, which gave them contrast, dignity, and propriety, in the Roman specimens, look poor, unfinished, cold, and mean ; and lastly, for the boldness of the old cornice is substituted one, in as unmeaning a combi- nation of form as the mass of confusion above alluded to in the capital, with which it certainly has the merit of harmonizing. 48. Whether it would meet with approbation to a new ar- rangement have an order as light as the Roman conception of the of propor- Doric, and preserving as much as possible of the pro- Doric. priety of detail of the old Doric, may be a question ; such an order is illustrated in fig. iv. which has a pillar of ten upper diameters, and eight lower. 49. It is a remarkable fact, though not immediately Noah's connected with this subject, that the proportions of Noah's ark are intimately deduced from the propor- tions of the human body : it was three hundred cubits long, fifty broad, and thirty deep. 50. The use, however, of human proportions, can go but a very little way when applied to Architecture, either naval or civil : for besides the considerations Compiica- 1 • 1 Till t ^ 011 °f above, it may be remarked, that the great complica- curves. tion of curves in the human figures, alone renders it impossible to trace all the proportions in actual mea- 110 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. surement ; and if traced, would render it impossible to apply them with any thing- like the same effect, when no such complication occurs. Recapitu- 51. Upon the whole, therefore, when we study lation and ... . conclusion, human proportion with a view to Architecture, we must only study the principles on which they are beautiful ; and we shall find that distinct wholes are in some simple eurithm, and that the symmetries of adjacent wholes are also in a simple proportion adapted to their relative uses : in this probably lies all the mystery of the Greek analogy, all the mystery of beautiful proportion. Simplicity is the vital principle of this excellence, and the only difficulty will be to select sucli eurithms and symmetries as are not only good in themselves, but well adapted to the respective uses of the parts and character of the whole, a sub- ject we have yet to discuss : in all these matters great discrimination, great experience, sound taste, sound judgment, and a mind that can generalize and abstract, and that is clear and decided in its operations, is un- doubtedly necessary in investigating and providing for every adverse contingency, so that the effect may be in every respect perfect. END OF THE FIFTH ESSAY. Ill ESSAY VI. DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUV1US. Hsec amat obscunun, volet baec sub luce videri, Judieis argutum quse non fonnidat acumen. Hor. A. P. v. 363. 1. It is impossible at this distance of time, with such a shadow of explanation as Vitruvius has left us, to say what interpretation the old Greek Archi- tects long- before his time would have given to this, and the other terms in Vitruvius's analysis ; but if we can now form a useful scheme of what was previously Desirable moonshine and mystery, it will be allowable to take useful some liberties with an author, who has taken such liberties with his own analysis as to mix discordant qualities together. The confusion which exists in Vitruvius's explanation of the taxis, it is to be hoped is sufficiently cleared in the fourth essay by a different translation of the Greek word : in the present in- stance however a more difficult task occurs, and one, which thoug-h we cannot hope to establish by so certain, we may by pretty probable conjectures. Those writers, who confessing" the difficulty, have increased the confusion by attempting to explain it, I 112 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Diathesis not to be confused with dis- tributio. Diathesis is the effective arrange- ment of forms in a style, dis- tributio that of styles in a design. Vitruvius's definition. shall be excused quoting-, as it would only be a waste of time to be floundering- at other people's difficulties, particularly as the object of these essays is more to illustrate an analysis of the art under the most conve- nient terms, than pertinaciously to adapt it to Vitru- vius, or to make useless comments on his works. 2. It will be seen, that Vitruvius confounds dispo- sitio (Gr. SiaOtauj) with distributio (Gr. OeKovo/ua ;) now though there is nothing in the words dispositio and distributio, by which any very obvious distinction can be drawn, Architecture requires a distinct scheme for two essentially different qualities, though nearly allied, which the two words dispositio and distributio might, without any very great licence of interpreta- tion, very easily be conceived to embrace : the two qualities are the effective arrangement of forms in a style, and the arrangement of a whole building, con- taining one, two, or more styles in the same compo- sition. It is true, both the Latin terms might as well be applied to one head as the other, and so might the Greek word SiaOtcng, but the word oncovopia, as derived from the word oacog seems to draw our attention to a wider field, and therefore might be said particularly to lead us to the distribution of the larger compartments of a building, or buildings ; though this may appear a remote conceit, there seems to be no other way of dis- tinguishing these two portions of the Vitruvian ana- analysis, and as Architecture requires such a distinc- tion, it will be at least convenient to use the words in this sense. 3. But other considerations will occur to us ; the beginning of the explanation of Vitruvius is exactly to DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 113 the purpose, and runs thus : " Dispositio autem est rerum apta colocatio elegansque in compositionibus effectus operis cum qualitate." There is nothing in this, that does not exactly describe the sense intended to be conveyed in this essay by dispositio, except the words " cum qualitate." These words, translate them how you will, can only refer to the style, or order of the building : now, though the parts must be arranged according to the style or order of the building, so they must be also proportioned according to such style or order, and formed according to such style or order, it is admitted, and we have before observed, that all the principles of beauty in a building intimately depend on one another. In our present consideration, how- ever, and particularly in a definition, it should be our object to analyse, and not to combine principles ; and though it is impossible to enforce too strongly their mutual dependence one on another, it is our business first to know and feel, what they independently are, this is the first step to becoming artists enough, to combine, to weigh them, to feel their full force, to ascertain their adaptation to our own powers, and to Diathesis not to be give the effect to be desired ; we must not then, in the confused first instance, confuse diathesis with decor, as is here evidently done by Vitruvius. 4. The greater confusion in this subject, however, norwitl i ~ ° practical arises from what follows, where he goes on to say, engines, " Species dispositionis, quae Greece dicuntur iSem, hee sunt, Ichnographia, Orthographia, Scenographia," which he proceeds to define as the ground plan, the elevation, and the finished view. 5. Now it is evident, the mechanical operation of i 114 THE MUSIC Or THE EYE. however in tlii'ia- selres. The prece- dency of diathesis. The neces- sity of adopting the word diathesis in our own lan- guage. making a ground plan, elevation, and finished view, is only the means by which a design, combining all the excellencies, is to be displayed before actual build- ing : though all this is very necessary, we cannot con- sider these things as displaying distinct principles of beauty, they certainly involve all that is necessary to display the ingenuity of the artist, and one of them, the ichnographia, or ground-plan, not only embraces one principle to itself, which will, as before observed, be considered under the head distributio, but also other practical considerations of convenience, which, as they have nothing to do with beauty of style, will not be considered in these essays. We must, there- fore, consider this latter part of Vitruvius's explana- tion of dispositio, as having nothing to do with this our analysis of architectural beauty, and therefore pass it over. 6. If Vitruvius considered the Biadecng as involving the consideration of plans, elevations, &c, it is per- haps surprising', that he should not have arranged it first in his analysis, and not at all surprising, that he should have placed it before proportion : but in the sense in which it is here considered, it will be seen perfectly necessary to treat of it after proportion, on which it in some measure depends. 7. We have hardly a word in the English, that would properly apply to the subject of this essay; but perhaps the motto chosen for it may give some idea of what is meant. The words contrast, prominence, grouping, relief, variety, &c, might be adduced, as allied to it ; but diathesis in composition implies either more or less than any : we must, therefore, of neces- DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 115 sity adopt the old Greek word in our own lan- guage. 8. Diathesis must be understood to mean the art of Diathesis best displaying the important members of a style. The word arrangement might be adopted ; but this is too confined a word ; for diathesis is that particular kind of arrangement which is governed by contrast, pro- minence, and relief, and is the result of variety. The word grouping is the nearest to it ; but this would much better apply to distributio, than dispositio, and being a phrase borrowed from another art, would not here be so fit as one more architectural. 9. In the two last essays, the fourth and fifth, we obtained the materials of the art ; we ascertained what were pleasing and useful forms, and what were plea- sing and useful proportions : our next and present consideration therefore will be to consider the arrange- ment of these : this peculiar arrangement, disposition, or diathesis, depends on a modification of two leading principles, regularity and variety. These two leading Regularity principles, though perfectly contrary, are equally variety pleasing to the human mind. Uniformity is that parents of modification of regularity ; and prominence, contrast, contrast, relief, and repose, that of variety, which it will be our repose. 3 ™ business to consider. And though uniformity belongs to a future essay, yet as it is immediately opposed to the present, it will be necessary not to pass it over in silence in this place. 10. The principles on which uniformity on one Diathesis hand, and prominence, contrast, relief, and repose on }J™\""-' the other, are to act in Architecture, are position, 1°^'°'''.,,. form, proportion, and projection, which will in a J ectwu ' i 2 IK) THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. future part of this essay be treated of under the heads Diathesis of Position, Diathesis of Form, Diathesis of Proportion, and Diathesis of Projection : it will be necessary, however, first to digress a little, in order to introduce some preliminaries that will lead to a better understanding of our subject. Uniformi- H. We are not to consider, that because uniformity ty, though opposed to, is opposed to diathesis, that therefore it interferes with should not ....„_ . be detri- it ; this is tar from being the case : in good specimens mental to . . ..,» ,, .. diathesis, they invariably come in aid of each other, it is only a useless variety that is to be avoided ; it is useless variety, so loathsome to the eye of taste, that is equally opposed to the beauty of variety, as it is to the beauty of uniformity, by introducing' a confusion, which is the destruction of every principle of beauty : the old Greeks seem always to be anxious to avoid this ; the uniformity of the old Doric mutules, which are the same above and below the triglyphs, are an example of this ; for they were well aware, that in such small parts in such a position, no dignified contrast could be effected. Diathesis 12. Diathesis, it will be evident, springs out of springs . - . .. . „ from vari- variety, and not uniformity : we may therefore pro- ceed to consider contrast and variety : these are two Contrast qualities, which, in good Architecture, are almost and vari- ° etv. synonymous : for that variety is not worth existing, which is not boldly exhibited by a strong and harmo- nious contrast. IS. Contrast, however, has its modifications, one of Relief. which may be denominated relief, not that it is pre- cisely the same as relief in sculpture ; there seems, however, no better word to express that kind of con- DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 117 trast, in which one of the parts contrasted is entirely plain, than the word relief; one example of this is where in trabe-colnmnal Architecture the plain archi- trave relieves the rich frieze. Another modification Repose. of contrast is repose, which is merely a continuation of relief, a continuation of a plain, unornamented form, which gives repose to the eye from the busy variety of more complicated parts : a specimen of this occurs in the shaft of a pillar intervening between the founda- tion, and entablature. 14. These contrasts, it should be observed, how- ever used, should not be admitted capriciously ; we should always have our attention fixed upon the fourth essay, on Utility, and remember, that variety is not u se f u i only to be well contrasted, but to be useful ; that that vanet 7 is a spurious variety, however well formed, propor- tioned, contrasted, relieved, &c, which is void of ap- propriate utility. 15. Useful variety may be considered the land- the land . mark of the art ; for it may be constantly observed, mark ofthe that in countries where sound taste has not been cul- tivated, the most superficial excellencies are, and always have been the prevailing favourites, both in Architecture, and the other fine arts : insipid and clumsy solidity on the one hand, and crowded and unmeaning ornament on the other, are both the result of an ignorance of the excellencies of useful variety ; it is useful variety that makes the Doric so superior to the Tuscan order ; it is also useful variety, that by keeping, as it were, a strict medium, pares down the gaudy excrescences, and heavy richness of the Com- posite into the graceful and delicate Corinthian : it is 118 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. useful variety, which in one case prevents us from de- scending into insipid poverty of design, and in the other prevents elegance from being overwhelmed by the display of confined, numerous, and useless parts. infancy of if]. Many cases might be exhibited in other arts, where the extreme of insipidity on one hand, and un- meaning ornament on the other, have been the pro- duction of the infancy of the art : though perhaps un- meaning ornament may produce far the greatest num- ber of examples. In many old pictures we see massing, grouping, and colour, all devoid of system ; accident seems to govern the first, confusion the second, and an inharmonious multiplicity of colour of the most gaudy description, even to gilding, (in some cases,) the third. In the first attempts at tragedy, the faces of the actors were covered with lees of wine, the pos- sibility of acting was defeated by a musical, and rythmic accompaniment, and the cothurnus was adopted to raise the human figure from the dignity of nature ; this was in Greece at a period when other arts were in perfection. In Egypt we may find the infancy of Architecture exhibiting the same qualities. The same also may be observed in sculpture. Neither 17« Though much may be brought to prove, that DorsimpH- both simplicity and extreme gaudiness are proofs of proofof the infancy of art, neither the one nor the other can antiquity. ^ e p rove( j to be a symptom of the antiquity of a pro- duction, as it must be evident to every one, that dif- ferent arts have had their rise under their most dif- ferent schemes and talents ; it would be impossible, therefore, to produce any arguments to support the doctrine of the author of the Storia della Literature, DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 119 (Parte l ma - Sez. 17" ,a ), who, relying on the idea, that simplicity is the sole sign of antiquity in Architecture, argues from thence, that the Tuscan is more ancient than the Doric: we might as well argue that the Pro- testant religion is more ancient than the Pagan, or Roman Catholic religion, because it is more simple. In Architecture, all our experience goes directly to prove that some of the oldest buildings, except in Greece, where the art was understood, are invariably the most gandv ; the Egyptian, Indian, Chinese, Gothic, &c, furnish ample proof. 18. Simplicity has not only been considered a sign n ™aiways of antiquity, but also of correct taste. This, though correct^ much nearer to the truth, must certainly not be set taste ' down as an axiom. What has already been said in sections 14, 15, and those preceding them, will suffi- ciently lead us to see, that by following simplicity, merely because it is simplicity, would be to lose all the materials of the art. 19. It must, however, be confessed, that in all the tll0 "& h " ' ' ' always most beautiful, and admired specimens of all the fine fou r "^ n arts, simplicity is most universally to be found ; and works - this is because, if the other excellencies, which loath useless distinctions, are attended to, simplicity, or its own twin-sister in the arts, useful variety is invariably the result. 20. It is unnecessary therefore to dwell any longer simplicity on simplicity as a principle of beauty, though it can- dpie f not be doubted that a crowd of parts not only de- ti°on! stroys the appearance of those members which ought to stand out most conspicuously, but in themselves are further greatly detrimental in preventing all the 120 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. beautiful effect which is produced by strong" impres- sion of light and shade ; as when the parts are small and broken this cannot exist. Simplicity however should neither be shunned nor followed; if we shun it we may get to gaudy and unmeaning trumpery, if we follow it we may as well descend at once to mud walls, and all the first efforts of stern ne- cessity. simplicity 21. Simplicity, when the result of the other excel- of orna- l J ment lencies, is not inconsistent with the richest orna- ment ; for there is a simplicity in the display and de- signing of ornaments, by which their richness is still dignifies it. more apparent. Ornament has one advantage which Architecture has not, this arises from its variety ; for Theva- Architecture, (vide Essay iv. sect. 66,) from the sim- netj of or- \- •» ' nament plicity of its forms, and the impossibility of contrast- triumphs *■ * . overAr- ing them very materially, never has a good effect, when more than one form is adapted to the same use; whereas ornament, by possessing a much greater number of forms to select from, has a greater capa- bility of contrast, and therefore frequently admits many forms to the same use : an instance of this we see in the Corinthian capital, where the external and centre foliages, the helices, and supporting mouldings, are all vigorously contrasted, and are all destined to the same support. Variety g^. We certainly however do see too often, even more inju- •> rious to \ n unornamented Architecture, cases, where the most Architec- ture, violent efforts are taken to make an endless variety, where there is no capability for it ; these however need only to be looked at to be setd own as masses of the greatest confusion and indistinctness. DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 121 23. This brings us to the consideration of distinct- Distinct- ° ness. ness itself, a quality which, if its importance alone were considered, might be deemed worthy of a sepa- rate essay ; but as it is so simple in its nature, and so devoid of modification, a few lines will be suffi- cient to enforce it. It is indeed no part of diathesis, but as it is one of the greatest aids to both taxis and diathesis, it is worthy of a place in the essay on one or other of these subjects. (See Essay iv. sect. 65.) It is not remarkable that the subject should not have been mentioned by Vitruvius, because similar reasons for its not occurring there may be given, as might be for simplicity not being treated of there ; for if the other excellencies are attended to, simplicity and distinctness will necessarily follow : taxis indeed alone will promote distinctness, for if the parts are so formed as best and most efficiently to perform their office, they must necessarily be distinct ; this will better be seen by referring to examples of indistinct- ness, in which we shall find that when distinctness is wanting, both taxis and contrast (a branch of dia- thesis) are wanting also. 24. Some of the most common cases of indistinct- Case of in- distinct- ness of scheme will at present suffice; the first is a ness - case by no means inapplicable to our purpose, though it more frequently occurs in unimportant buildings : it is when the continuation of the colarin of the ca- pital, and sometimes the whole capital, is continued between the intercolumnations ; this is a case so ob- viously improper, that an observation is hardly neces- sary upon it. 12 l 2 THE RfUSIC OF THE EYE. Another c>5. Another case more common, and not perhaps case ot J I I indistinct- so obviously improj)er, occurs in that part of a scheme of a design, which is intended to represent the foundation, namely, the pedestal. This may be illustrated by a reference to figs, lv. lvi. and lvji. ; in fig-, lv. are represented three pedestals, a, b, and c; in almost all modern cases the moid dings which form the foundation to the pedestal at d, and those which form the shelter to the pedestal at e, are carried on between the pedestals ; we are so accustomed to this distribution, that perhaps some will stare at its being pronounced erroneous, but certainly, if there is any meaning to be conveyed to the eye by the pedestal, as foundation to the principal shelter, its importance must be greatly diminished, and an indistinct idea of its use conveyed, by giving a part, which is not intended to convey an idea of the same use, the same mouldings, as a part which ought to be a relief or contrast to it : would it not be better, as a relief to the shelter, to introduce a platband, and as a relief to the foundation of the pedestal, to introduce Proposed three steps as in fiff. lv. : the importance of such a explsna- ... . . tion of the disposition, after considering the taxis of the parts, appears so evident, that there is every reason to be- lieve that this is the case in which Vitruvins recom- scamiiii mended the " scamilli impares." It is well known impares. x to those who have perused the commentators on Yitruvius, how much discussion the meaning of the " scamilli impares" has occasioned; but when we consider that Philander lias failed to explain the pas- sage, and that Ue Laet, Bernard Baldus, and others, DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 1 1 23 bv endeavouring' to explain Philander, have sunk 0tl " ' lls ■J r> i ' cussions deeper in the mire, it will be desirable to draw our on u > legs out of this difficulty, and surmount it, if pos- sible, on terra firma : it must be confessed Scamozzi has approached nearer to the truth than any ; he con- siders the " scamilli impares" to be steps between the pedestals for the support of statues ; it is quite possible a design might be contrived upon this prin- ciple ; this however would be an addition of sculpture, and not an architectural design, which no doubt Vi- truvius alluded to ; besides, that Scamozzi's explana- unsatis- 11 • factory. tion of the word " impares " is not at all satis- factory. 26. The first passage where the " scamilli" are Vitruvius . • « 1 i i r 1 referred to. mentioned by vitruvius, is in the last chapter ot the third book, and runs thus : "Sin autem circa cedem ex tribus lateribus podium faciendum, ad id consti- tuatur uti quadrse, spiree, trunci, corona?, lysis, ad ipsum stylobatum, qui erit sub columnarum spiris, conveniant. Stylobatum ita oportet exequari, uti ha- beat per medium adjectionem, per scamillos impares : si enim ad libellem diregetur alveolatus videbitur. Hoc autem uti scamilli ad id convenienter fiant, item in extrema libro forma et demonstratio erit descripta." The above may be thus translated. " But if around the building on three sides a gallery is to be made, let it be so constituted, that ' the plinth' (/"), (see fig. lvi.) ' the ovolos' (g), ' the dies' (A), the co- ronas (/), the chink (m), may be suitable to the plinth (or stylobate), which will be under the tores of the columns. It is necessary so to dispose of the stylobatum, that it may be united in the intermediate lQh THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Scamilli what ! Yitruvius again. Impares explained by Vitru- vius. connecting parts by unequal steps : (vide n. n. fig. LV.); for if it be proved by a straight line it will appear hollowed out, but in this, in order that the steps may be adapted to it, the form and demonstration will be given in the last book." 27- Such is the passage of Vitruvius, and there seems no objection to the explanation above given, (sect. 25,) though it would have been very satisfac- tory, had the promised explanation of Vitruvius in the last book not been lost. The scamilli are illustrated by fig. LVII. ; the diminutive evidently implies some- thing less than steps, or rather false steps, or steps of scarcely any depth, as 0, p, q : had they been real steps, as r, s, t, they would have projected beyond the pedestal, which would have in some measure prevented them acting as a relief to that important part. 28. In the ninth chapter of the fifth book, Vitru- vius again speaks of the scamilli impares uniting the stylobata, and refers to the passage already quoted, therefore it is unnecessary further to notice this passage. 29. The meaning of the word impares, Vitruvius himself gives in the third chapter of the third book, a little before the passage above quoted, where he says, " Gradus in fronte ita constituenda sunt, uti sint semper impares, namque cum dextro pede primus gradus ascendatur, item in summo templo primus erit ponendus ;" that is, the steps are to be of unequal numbers, in order that the right foot may first ascend the steps, and first be placed on the surface of the pavement : for though here he is speaking of steps, yet what are steps in one part, become only scamilli DISPOSITION, Oil THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 1 Q5 in another part of the design. The ancients probably considered it lucky to enter with the rig-lit foot ; and though in modern times we have no such notions, we may still adopt the three steps on account of the good Threesteps effect they always have, and because they were to g0 od effect. accord with the principles of composition, in exhibit- ing - a beginning, middle, and end. With this expla- nation of the word " impares," and the one above of the " scamilli," there seems no great difficulty in ac- ceding to the explanation given above in section 25, nor to the idea, that the continuation of the mould- ings of pedestals in the intermediate spaces, is in- consistent with that distinctness of system, which ought to pervade Architecture, and that the scamilli between the pedestals, besides adding to the perfec- tion, add also to the contrast in the design. 30. After these preliminary digressions, we may Diathesis. now enter upon the subject of our essay, diathesis : we have already seen that diathesis is the contrast, relief, and repose produced by position, form, propor- tion and projection : as repose in Architecture is only the extension of relief, the principles of diathesis will be equally well understood, if we only consider the contrast, and relief: and first we may consider the contrast and relief of position, which we may briefly call the diathesis of position. In this as well as the other kinds of diathesis, we shall find it necessary, as before observed, to consider Architecture, and orna- ment distinctly. 31. By the help of the diathesis of position, we are Diathesis enabled to contrast figures of the same form and of P osltlon - proportion, in fact to contrast similar objects : this 126 THE .MUSIC OF THE EYE. kind of diathesis indeed, does not often occur in Ar- chitecture} though there is an instance of it in the antepagmenta of a door or window-case, in the case where the opening is square, and the uperthura and jambs are moulded alike. In ornament, the dia- thesis of position will be found to furnish a multitude of examples. One very common form is selected in the figures from fig. lviii. to fig. lxii. ; and it is perhaps a matter of curiosity, that from so simple an element as position, so much variety can be elicited, though it will also be readily seen, that these figures give only a very small part of the variety, that even this one form is capable of; it will be seen, that any one of these contrasted series of positions would be relieved by a row of the same forms in an uncon- trasted position, as either pendant, or erect, hori- zontal, or diagonal ; this will be understood without a figure. Diathesis 32. In considering the diathesis of form, and that offonn and „ . . . proportion of proportion, it may be observed, that though we know form, and proportion, to be distinct things, it is a very difficult thing to separate the contrast of the former from the contrast of the latter, in any visible objects; it is indeed easy enough to get the idea of a contrast of proportion, independent of contrast of form, that is, with precisely the same form ; but if we are to do the converse of this, to aim at a contrast in form with the same proportions, we shall find, thai the more the forms differ, the greater will be the difficulty in making the proportions the same : for instance, if we would contrast a square and a triangle, or if one form was five times as long as the other, blended. DISPOSITION', OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 1-7 though we might give them mathematically the same superficies, the unassisted eye would hardly gain the idea, that the proportions were similar. When there- fore we talk of the contrast being- only in form, it can only mean, that the proportions are nearly similar. 33. Architecture, however, but seldom requires the Separate different kinds of contrast to be separated, as the them ne- greater the contrast, the greater the strength of effect. It is however necessary to gain the idea, in order to know how to make use of these qualities, when wanted ; with this view the following figures will tend to explain the subject. Fig. lxiii. repre- sents a contrast of form without that of proportion in diffuse ornament, fig. lxiv. a contrast of form with- out that of proportion in Architecture : figures lxvi. lxvii. and lxviii. illustrate the contrasts of propor- tions without that of form in diffuse ornament, in formal ornament, and Architecture. Figures lxix. lxx. lxxi. represent the combined contrasts of form and proportion in diffuse and formal ornament, and Architecture. It is unnecessary to remark, that the architectural contrast in fig. lxv. is analysed only in the cornice of the pedestal, as it would be impossible in the other part to do without a contrast of propor- tion in every one of them ; nor is it necessary to ob- serve, this subject might be modified still further, though perhaps not with benefit. 34. Diathesis of projection in Architecture, belongs Diathesis only with any good effect to parts, which display °i n!° jeC ' shelter, and, as it is the most imposing kind of dia- thesis, it renders those parts the most important in 128 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. the design ; this is so obvious, that a figure need not be given ; nor will it require a figure to understand, that all these contrasts are relieved by plain unorna- mented parts. AnKis of ^' ^ n n,rtuer considering this subject it may be Beauty, observed, that Hogarth, in his Analysis of Beauty, when he seems to have been governed by sound reason in very many instances, has approached pre- cisely to the distinction above made ; he says, " the way of composing pleasing forms, is to be accom- plished by making choice of variety of lines, as to their shapes and dimensions ; and then again, by varying their situations with each other, by all the different ways that can be conceived ; and at the same time (if a solid figure be the subject of composition) the contents or space, which is to be enclosed within those lines, must be duly considered, and varied as much as possible with propriety. near the gQ^ jf a ]| beauty consisted in variety, and nothing else, this would be a most excellent receipt for a com- position ; it is only by altering the words shapes, dimensions, and situations, for their synonymous words, forms, proportions, and positions, or (what is here the same in effect) projections, that we have precisely what we have been just considering in diathesis : but besides the beauty in the variety of forms, proportions, and projections, there is also to be taken into the account, what we have discussed in the previous essays (besides what is to follow, which seems not to have been contemplated) the beauty of taxis, and the beauty of proportion abstractedly ; for the taxis Hogarth has a proviso in the concluding DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 129 words, " with propriety " and as to proportion or analogy, we have already seen, that he considered it nothing better than a mystery ; upon the whole, there- fore, as we know Hogarth's strength of mind, it tends rather to confirm this arrangement, that it approaches so near his conceptions, without our further entering into an unnecessary discussion on the wildness of his analysis in other respects. 37. It will be obvious without more reflection, ornament than the contemplation of the immense variety of ornamental figures, that may be introduced into a composition, that the increased power of ornament for contrast, arising both from the variety of its forms, and the unrestrained nature of its composition, as noticed in section 21, will, when introduced into Architecture, give it some of its own endless variety. 38. The difficulty, however, of introducing orna- difficult to ment into Architecture, is to do it with propriety and effect : a great deal, as we have already seen, depends on its use, and its proportions ; and a great deal, as we shall see in a future essay, on its character : orna- ment may be considered a concentrated mode, or perhaps rather a system of concentrated modes of diathesis, and as such, it embraces some peculiarities in diathesis, which Architecture does not to the same extent ; some we have already noticed, but there are yet others. 39. When there are a succession of two adjacent Nugatory contrasts, ornaments, only slightly contrasted in form, as fig. lxxii., a third ornament added, which is contrasted with both, in both form and proportion, as in fig. K 130 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. More parts require more con- trast. Vivid con- trast gene- rally de- sireable within limits. Further distinc- tion. Eurithmic Diathesis. lxxin., renders the former contrast nearly nugatory, or at least productive of little or no effect. 40. Hence, therefore, when three or more parts are concerned, we should endeavour to have the con- trasts of the adjacent parts as strong- as possible, so as not to be out of character : vide fig", lxxiv. 41. Indeed, in all cases of ornament, and most of Architecture, this consideration will point out, that if parts are contrasted, they should within certain limits, be contrasted as much as possible ; for variety without effect, is only disgusting confusion, or at least, un- meaning caprice ; of the former of which we fre- quently have ample example in Gothic Architecture ; and of the latter a very capricious example occurs in the Circus at Bath, in the frieze of which, different ornaments are introduced all round : this is, indeed, almost an innocent jeu d'esp?it, because the Archi- tecture is not of a very dignified nature ; but so little is the effect, that few people would find it out, unless it were pointed out to them. 4f°2. In the last essay we have seen that proportion is divided into eurithmia and symmetria ; hence it happens, that the diathesis of proportion is divided into the diathesis of eurithm, and the diathesis of sym- metry. 43. As every object presented to the eye has either its length, and breadth, or its length, breadth, and thickness ; if all these are equal, it will have its eurithm ; but if one or more of these dimensions are in good proportion, either longer or shorter than the other or others, it may be said to possess a eurithmic DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 131 diathesis ; thus a square and a cube have, strictly speaking- only eurithm ; but a parallelogram, and a solid oblong figure, exhibit an eurithmic diathesis. 44. It will also easily be understood, that an object symmetric or member of a design, having such eurithmic diathe- sis, when placed by the side of one which has it not, will be the most conspicuous of the two ; such an occurrence as this may be said to exhibit symmetric diathesis. 45. There are two things to be observed respecting Q ua iifi C a- symmetric diathesis ; one is, that in some cases, as in above" that of adjacent mouldings, the breadth alone enters into the calculation : another remark that may be made is, that in most cases, one part relieves the other ; not that a very good symmetric diathesis may not exist, where there is no such relief, only that then there is a danger of the parts not being in character, a circumstance which will be better understood when we come to the essay on that subject. 46. From all these considerations we now come to Recapitu- lation, this conclusion, that Architecture exhibits a diathesis of position ; two of form, that of simple, and that of ornamental form ; two of proportion, that of eurithm and that of symmetry, and one of projection. 47. As any one member may exhibit one only, or Limits in , . diathesis. two or more of these qualities, it is evident that a contrast may be so excessive, as to become quite prepos- terous ; this is certainly possible, but as it is a case which hardly ever occurs, and as no rule can be given to limit a contrast, it is only necessary to mention it here, and to observe, that a much more frequent and dangerous error is, not introducing sufficient contrast ; k 2 132 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. a person, however, with a proper natural taste, and a correct idea of the different kinds of diathesis, would be unlikely to run into either of these errors. c nidation 43^ j t w j u a ] so eas ily be conceived from the multi- 111 diutlie- J sis fariousness of the kinds of diathesis, that a variety of parts might be constructed so as to exhibit a gradation of different kinds of diathesis or conspicuousness : in this, however, we must not come to too hasty con- clusions. Perhaps the most simple form may be the square ; yet even this must depend in great measure on the forms that surround it, which, if they happened to be principally simple curves, would render it by contrast the most conspicuous of any: so also, if a circle were surrounded by a great many straight forms, it would be rendered more conspicuous ; neither of these would, however, be always the case, as much would depend on the simplicity and absence of ostentation in the surrounding forms. This, how- ever, will not do away with the possibility of making a gradation of contrasts ; this might be done in various ways : one specimen will, however, at present suffice, see fig. lxxv., in which no straight form, but the square is introduced ; here a circle, being contrasted with all about it, (if introduced in Architecture,) is more conspicuous than the square ; thus B. is more conspicuous than A. ; if we were to superadd to this a eurithmic contrast, and form an ellipse, we should get a still further series of comparison ; but if we only content ourselves with combining A. and B., we form C, which is of course more conspicuous than cither A. or B. ; if we substitute for the interior part an ornament, which must be more conspicuous than DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF V1TRUVIUS. 133 a simple form, we obtain a higher grade of conspicu- ousness, D. ; we also obtain a further step, by giving this ornament a enrithmic diathesis, making it in fact oval as E. ; by superadding to this a symmetric dia- thesis, that is, by making the petals of the flower contrast together in proportion, we get a still further step, F. ; if to all these we add other appropriate parts, we might carry on the gradations to an almost infinite extent throughout the various modifications and com- binations of positional, formal, eurithmic, symmetric, and ornamental contrasts. 49. I have endeavoured to trace the above scale in useful t0 the student the most simple way, in order that we may have as practice. some clue to lead us to the comprehension of the powers and effects of the different kinds of contrast in composition : to trace it in any further ramifica- tions, would only be to retrace different combinations of the same or a similar scale, which though it would serve as a very good exercise to the student, would here be unnecessary. 50. Having now investigated what properties will £ ppli £*T. render any part more conspicuous than another, and thesis - having learnt, that relief is the absence of conspicuous properties ; the next object we have in view, is to know how to apply these. Obvious reflection, and a slight attention to good specimens will show us, that this must wholly depend upon taxis ; if there is any beauty in the fitness of parts, and the right adaptation of a form for the office it is intended for in a build- ing, it must be desirable, that this should be put in the strongest point of view possible. One general rule, therefore, will be sufficient to lead us in this 134 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. A speci- men of the Corinthian order exa- mined. The co- rona: diathesis of projec- tion in it ; and of symmetry matter, which is, that parts are to be rendered conspi- cuous in proportion to their utility ; what particular kind of diathesis or conspicuousness is to be given to each part, the nature of the case will always point out ; much however of this will not only depend on taxis, but character, a subject which will be discussed in a future essay. 51. Many examples might be given, where every kind of diathesis is to be found in a design, and we shall see, that in those which produce the best effect, every kind of diathesis is studiously excluded from the subordinate parts, except such as may be suitable to their offices. It may not however be otherwise than beneficial to examine some specimens. Fig. vn. is a specimen of the Corinthian order in which the corona, which is the principal shelter to the whole, is the only member that possesses the diathesis of position to the same extent : the only other member which expresses shelter is the abacus of the capital, and the fillet of the corona, which latter is a particular shelter to the principal shelter, both these are very much less pro- jecting than the corona : as no other part expresses shelter, no other part should project further than its mere existence requires, and in this perhaps some of our modern schools of Architecture have erred, where they make the tores, fillets, collarins, acanthus leaves, volutes, and other parts project so far as they frequently do. In addition to the diathesis of pro- jection, the corona, being also a principal member, has also a diathesis of symmetry ; this is verv striking, the fillet, and bead below it, bearing only a propor- tion respectively of one and two thirds to it ; this bead DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 135 and the ovolo above, have a diathesis of ornament, and of ., „ , . , . -, ornament. as well as one ol symmetry, winch gives contrast and relief; if however the ornament did not exist, a smaller dimension would have been more seemly for the curved moulding". Ornament, though it is more conspicuous than a plain part, is always trivial, therefore the highly important parts should mostly be plain. It may be worth remarking, that there is no symmetric diathesis between the whole cornice composed of a fillet, a bead, a corona, an ovolo, and fillet, and the frieze below it, to which it is equal. 5 L 2. The frieze, which is the next part, has a sym- The frieze. metric diathesis with the corona, which renders it unnecessary to give it a symmetric contrast with the whole cornice, as is the Roman and modern practice, by which practice, as we gain nothing but a useless distinction, dignity is very much sacrificed : the frieze also has a diathesis of form, by being curved, while the adjacent parts are straight : it has also a diathesis of ornament in its own composition, where the foliages are contrasted together, and each of these are con- ducive to the use the frieze ought to have, which is a support to the principal shelter. 53. The architrave comes next under our consi- The archi- deration ; this, being the foundation to the principal shelter, should display strength ; it might be desi- rable to give it greater symmetric diathesis, but how is this to be effected ? As it is, it exhibits a sym- metric diathesis in its two fillets and ovolo above it, and this in addition to the ornamental diathesis be- tween this and the frieze, seems to be all that is necessary ; if we were to make it smaller than the trave. 136 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. frieze, or cut it into faciee, both which are done by modern Architects, we destroy the idea of strength ; if we were to make it larger, it would be to give it clumsiness, and destroy the importance of the frieze. J1 ' ra_ 54. The capital, which is the next part, is obvi- ously a very studied design, it seems to be the nucleus of the composition, and we shall find it contains every kind of diathesis : its abacus possesses a pro- jectional diathesis, just sufficient for its office of par- ticular shelter ; its helices exhibit a diathesis of posi- tion; so also jdo its acanthus leaves, which possess in addition separate systems of ornamental and propor- tional diathesis, which are found materially to differ in different designs ; the tore with a modest diathesis of form delicately completes the whole. The shaft. 55. The shaft is the only part in this design, that exhibits in so striking a manner the eurithmic dia- thesis, at the same time that the delicate form given to it by means of its diminution from the apophygee, combining at once an unobtrusive variety with the most perfect simplicity of construction, render it not only dignified and important, but at the same time the most beautiful and perfect relief that could be imagined. The hase. 56. The base, which is that of Sir C. Wren, pos- sesses, it will be seen, a symmetric and formal dia- thesis of the most elegant and simple kind. Symmetric 5J. It will be observed in good specimens, that not between only adjacent parts possess a good symmetric diathesis, an J dcon- but also those parts whose importance is such, that parts.° US they are, as it were, adjacent in dimensions, being only separated by one or more very much smaller DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 137 mouldings, which are not sufficient to prevent a com- parison between them as such important members ; these important members are the face of the corona, the frieze, the face of the architrave, and the upper diameter of the shaft, which in fig. vh. are respec- tively one, three, two and three ; in fig. vi. they are respectively three, seven, three and six ; in the Ionic specimen, fig. v., they are respectively four, nine, six and nine ; and in the Doric specimen, fig. 11., they are respectively six, eighteen, sixteen and eighteen : it will be observed, that these are principal parts of whole members, which whole members, architraves, frieze, cornice, and upper diameter of the shaft, are in each of these specimens, except fig. vi., equal to each other, and it seems more likely to strike the eye to make the symmetric diathesis exist in the efficient organs of these whole members, than in the mem- bers themselves, which are so subdivided into lesser parts as to obscure the comparison of their own dimensions. 58. It is not out of place here to make one remark ° m upon ornamental diathesis, which is, that when car- thesis ried into the extreme, that is, that when it actually becomes the sculpture of historical figures on a building, it is of so imposing a nature, that all parts adjacent to it, or entering into competition with it, should be kept subservient to it ; for without such a system, (as Architecture can never vie with sculpture in vivid impression on the mind,) both the one and the other would be rendered poor ; hence we find the corona in the Parthenon at Athens does not pro- ject so far as other specimens without sculpture, mental dia- 138 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Doric or- der, and lloman specimens of a tri- ply] ili or- der, com- pared. thus it appears in fig 1 . II. ; and it should always be remembered, that those who copy that beautiful building" the Parthenon, should omit nothing that orginally belonged to it. Much may be said for and against the introduction of sculpture of this kind in a building ; the Parthenon however is very great au- thority for its introduction, though at all events we must consider, that as sculpture, from the varieties of its design, invention, forms, proportions, and con- trasts, must draw the attention more than Archi- tecture, and render it necessary, that the latter should be kept under, one deduction is at least obvious, that of the three Grecian orders, the Doric is the most suited to this end, as it is at once the most dignified and most simple, without descending to the poverty of the Tuscan : it still however may be a question, whether by a more studious investigation of the prin- ciples of character, (a subject we shall come to in a future essay,) a style of building, or several styles of building, might not be contrived more expressly suited to every possible kind of sculpture. 59. The inferiority of the Roman to the Grecian triglyph order has been before noticed ; the subject of symmetric diathesis will lead us to some other consi- derations on that subject ; this may, perhaps, be con- sidered by some a waste of time and patience, as the superiority of the Doric order to the Roman triglyph order is now universally admitted. True as this may be, yet the principles, on which that superiority depend, not having been explained, it may tend to throw ad- ditional light on the subject matter of this essay to draw a further comparison ; without going through DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 139 the whole order, the object will be effected by merely comparing- the two trabeations, as exhibited in fig 1 . lxxvi. of the old Doric, and fig. lxxvh. of the Roman triglyph order, and making a few observations, which seem most important. 60. The first thing, that strikes ns in comparing the Taxis and two orders, is the simple boldness of the parts, which compose the Doric order, and the confusion of the Roman triglyph order, it is not within the scope of this essay to revert back to what has been said about the systemlessness and indistinctness of curved mould- ings, and particularly of that most unarchitectural of all, the cyma, which was dwelt on in sect. 63, of the fourth essay : for the subject of diathesis alone will form ample matter for comparison. A bare inspec- tion of the Doric specimen would convince us, that the balance of the powers of composition is as exquisitely managed there, as is within the scope of human inge- nuity ; while the crowd of parts in the Roman order would entirely prevent this : the Roman architects seem to have thought of nothing but the diathesis of form, nor did they seem even to have understood that, for the frequent recurrence of the cyma prevents the diathesis of form from appearing in its true lustre ; but the symmetric diathesis seems to have been wholly misapplied ; for the architrave which, being the prin- cipal beam, should support all, is made less than the frieze, one of the parts supported. Where again sym- metric diathesis is most wanted, it is not to be found ; for the corona, which ought to have dignity given to it, as the principal feature in the principal shelter, is made nearly equal to all the parts about it ; it is very 140 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. true, that under the corona are some small mould- ings, which add something to the symmetric diathesis, where the corona is hollowed out at the drip, but these you must get close under to discover ; while in the Doric order, at any distance, the whole system of the most beautiful symmetric diathesis is at once appa- rent. It is hardly necessary to remark also, how much more perfectly the Doric mutules display symmetric diathesis, than the dentiles of the Roman order ; but, perhaps, the most ingenious display of symmetric dia- thesis is in the frieze, the small flat part over the triglyphs, while it gives a finish to that member, and at the same time by seeming to connect the mutules above and those below, completes the taxis of the design, gives a symmetric diathesis to it, which is as beautifully conceived as possible : it would be tedious to examine this matter further, as at every step we shall come to the same conclusion, and find occasion to admire the diathesis and taxis of the old Doric order. 61. It may not be useless to examine nature on the subject of diathesis ; in such examination we naturally fly to the most perfect of her works, the human figure : here we find contrasts, some of which the scheme of this art does not approach : we have here contrasts of colour, motion, of powers, and faculties, and other things, for which no art whatever has any capability ; we have here also such a variety of form, simple, in- exhaustibly various, and at the same time full of use, and the most intelligent and skilful diathesis, that even the hand of the sculptor fails to imitate them. It would be futile in this essay even to attempt the inves- Nature. DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 141 tigation, though some, as they affect character, will be considered in a future essay : it will only be necessary in this essay to point out some cases where each kind of diathesis is to be found. 6 L 2. The diathesis of position, independent of any Diathesis of position. other diathesis, is the least observable ; we find it, how- ever, in the position of the ears, which are immedi- ately in opposite directions ; most of the minor forms of the face also exhibit it ; the eyes cannot be said to exhibit it, as they have both the same direction, and so manifestly does the eye require this uniformity, that a squint, which destroys it, is the greatest deformity a healthy eye can possess ; the cilia?, however, which come immediately on the eye, exhibit the diathesis of the position in a very beautiful manner ; for it may be observed they have rather smaller angles towards the carunculee lacrymales, than on the outward sides, so that they seem to rise in opposite directions from those parts ; this will be found more perfectly the case in some faces than in others : it is unnecessary to pro- ceed to the arms and legs, or other parts which exhibit the diathesis of position, as that may be done by those who wish to pursue the subject. 63. Eurithmic diathesis pervades the whole body ; Eurithmic the difficulty is to point out where it does not exist ; one part, and perhaps the only part where it does not exist is the pupil of the eye, though the opening of the eyelids exhibits it very beautifully in about the proportion of two to five, when the eye is without any violent emotion, or display of passion : it is, how- ever, unnecessary here to dwell upon a subject so obvious. 142 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. dmThS" ^* Symmetric diathesis also, like the last, pervades the whole body ; we see a bold symmetric diathesis between all the principal members, the head, body, legs, and arms ; and if we descend to the parts, or muscles that compose them, we may trace the same beautiful system : if we examine the human counte- nance, it is still more brilliantly apparent in the eyes, nose, cheeks, forehead, and mouth, and when the fea- ture is accurately defined, it is exquisitely simple ; as for instance, if we compare the length of the most conspicuous part of the opening of the eye, (that is not including the caruncula lacrymalis,) and the length of the mouth, in a composed state, we find them in about the proportion of one to two ; but all this is too obvious to be dwelt on. 65. The forms in the human body cannot of course be divided, as in Architecture, under the heads simple and ornamental : we must be content, therefore, to divide the diathesis of form in the human body under such heads as are applicable to the uses the different forms are put to : these forms are so numerous, that though we give names to every bone, muscle, mem- ber, and feature, it would be impossible to say what kind of curve is used in each, or even to point out the part, where each curve resolves itself into a neigh- bouring one : suffice it to say, that as all sorts of curves are used, so all sorts of combinations and con- trasts may be discovered, we find in every part, when the feature and organ are more or less defined, a most exquisite display of contrast among themselves, and of relief by plain parts near them. ofprojec- 66. The diathesis of projection is no less easily to Diathesis of form. tion. DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 143 be found in all the principal limbs and features, and need not to be pointed out. In most cases it occurs in the projection of bones, for the protection of weaker and more important parts. 67. To all these we might add the contrast of motion, Motionand and colour ; but in this we should be travelling out of the principles analogous to those of Architecture, and discussing those purely belonging to natural ob- jects ; of these motion is that, which makes the great- est variety in living beings, and forms the most matter for the researches of the anatomist and pa- thognomist ; but it is more out of the reach of Archi- tecture, than even colour. 68. There are some cases of internal Architecture, Diathesis where the introduction of a variety of colour has been well supported ; gilding, and the representation of different marbles, or even gold and marble themselves, when a Croesus resides, seem the most legitimate ma- terials for the diathesis of colour in Architecture ; but the difficulty is not to overdo it. Where the original design is bad, and crowded with a multitude of unmeaning parts, it is obvious, that any such addition would only make the deformity more appa- rent, and it would be in vain in such case to give any rule for its adoption. We will, however, for the sake of argument, suppose, that the architectural de- sign is perfect, and appropriate, let us then look to our conductress Nature, and see if the hints, she affords, are any guide to us : we find it in mankind in the lips, the teeth, the eyes, in these by its being a a very conspicuous kind of diathesis, it is intended to render those parts conspicuous, which are important, In Archi- tecture. 144 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. but too small to produce any effect without ; we find it also in the hair, where no other diathesis interferes with it, and in this nature designed to distinguish the male from the female. 69. In transferring these ideas to Architecture, we find it possessed of no part so small in proportion, and at the same time so important, as those we have just been considering in human nature : at the same time, however, Architects have at all times had a wonder- ful propensity to introduce the diathesis of colour in all ages, from the ivory and costly ornaments of the days of Homer to the present day. As, however, there is nothing parallel between Architecture and nature on this subject, we must proceed on some other principle. The only mode in which the diathesis of colour can be introduced, is on ornamental parts ; if carving at all is introduced, there seems no reason why the carved parts, when great splendour is re- quired, should not be rendered still more conspicuous by a diathesis of colour ; it must be obvious, however, that the propriety of the appearance of this must entirely depend on the propriety of the introduction of the carvings, and it would always be too tawdry for exterior Architecture. When the thing is effected by the house-painter on wood, it is termed picking out. incurred <7() # j n some cases two colours have been used, the ami curved parts. car red parts have been picked out in some brilliant colour, as gold, and the curved parts in something less distinguished, as bronze. A Corinthian capital may have been seen with the acanthus-leaves gilt, and the helices bronze ; but really if people will not be content with the dignity of Architecture, it is impossible to a ^ - /vV./.xr///. THS 1, ct u OTfo - /■nn.xxn. o F/'o.LXXV. i ju' 'rzr_' ■_;' :zr3~ , ;j zi u lj' tj u u' |cra J y j L nanauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuLiUUUUUUU ' ? jy&ILTTFH. /T/b-./.r.n /. DISPOSITION, OR THE DIATHESIS OF VITRUVIUS. 145 say how far tawdry ornament may be used to displace the pure sublimity of perfect Architecture. Perhaps Ar- chitecture is too dignified to descend to any thing less than an entire exterior, or a very extensive interior, as a church, hall, or some such design, while orna- mental diathesis, and the diathesis of colour are more the province of the upholsterer and painter in the drawing-room, and saloon. 71. The principal cases of an exterior display of the diathesis of colour are in private houses, combining brick and stone, or black timbers, and white plaster. END OF THE SIXTH ESSAY. lUi ESSAY VII. DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VIT1U \ K S. Quid faciam proscribe. Hor. Sat. I. Lib. II. v. 5. 0fthe 1. As Vitruvius, from the little knowledge of the order, m ancient principles of Architecture, and from the which the 1 1 termsoccm- jealousy with which the Greeks of his day concealed, in the ana- ° J J lysis of vi- what little they did know, endeavouring' to involve truvius. J the whole science of Architecture in mystery, could but give to his cotemporaries, a very vague tradition of what could be collected of the analysis of compo- sition, it is not to be wondered, that he should not only not give an intelligible explanation, but that he should not arrange the heads in that order, in which, when understood, they seem naturally to follow each other. The inverting the order of diathesis and pro- portion was noticed in the 6th section of the essay on diathesis. On examining Vitruvius on the subject of this essay, we shall find he introduces decor before distributio ; in the sense, however, which I have here presumed to give it, this would not be conve- nient, and as decor involves the consideration of cha- DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 147 racter, and therefore depends on the full force, and illustration of every other excellence, it is obvious, it should come last. 2. Reasons founded upon Architecture itself for The sense assigning" to dispositio and distributio the meaning- 8 i gne d to here assigned them, are given in the beginning of the a nddia- last essay, and it must be confessed, that to an ce ^?ll amateur of controversy, this is a very good subject the alt ' for argument, and to assign either to distributio or dispositio each other's meaning ; the arguments on neither side would, however, be very conclusive ; and as the present mode of analysis clears up an acknow- ledged obscurity, and as no argument can be brought against it, except such as might as well be brought to prove (what has been actually done,) that some of the terms in the Vitruvian analysis mean the same thing, which is almost as much as saying, that the ancient Greeks did not understand the art, (which is absurd,) we may, I think, safely accommodate our- selves with the use of these convenient terms in the sense, and order here assigned them. 3. The sense assigned to distributio, and for which, Distributio . ... defined. as we shall presently see, there is some authority in Vitruvius, is alluded to in the second section of the preceding essay.. The art of distribution is in fact, the art of arranging two or more of the same or dif- ferent styles in the forms, that will best promote variety in general effect, without opposing the other excellencies. 4. It must be admitted, that the general accepta- The " loci tion of the word economy, looks much further than tYo^ofTi- this, it relates, as Vitruvius describes distributio, to tluvlus - l 2 148 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. the materials of the country, where the builder looks to the object, situation, and opulence of the pro- prietor, or the destination of the building- : these, and others, are certainly matters, which should be con- sidered before the mere general effect of style; these essays are, however, directed only to effect, and there- fore, we may here pass over these subjects. Vitru- vius says, " Distributio autem est copiarum locique commoda dispensatio," &c. Some commentators have explained this, as if the " loci" was without the " que," as if " loci" depended on " copiarum ;" it is, however, upon the " loci dispensatio," that I found in great measure, the above meaning of the word distributio, which is in fact, a rational distribution of matter and space to build on ; the word matter or materials would indeed embrace diathesis as well as distributio, but space to build on can only refer to that economy, which is to direct the general arrange- ments, which is the sense here intended to be assigned to distributio : I might waste pages in arguing on the relative meanings of dispositio and distributio, and perhaps it may be argued, that the plans and eleva- tions which Vitruvius assigns to diathesis, are more suited to the distributio, as here explained ; but then it must be observed, that they are not only more united to my own, but to Vitruvius's explanation of distributio, so that these two heads are by Vitruvius tenfold confused together ; the only refuge therefore, we have is in the words themselves, and a portion of the commentary of Vitruvius : but the words them- selves, particularly the Greek words SutQiaig and oiko- vojuia, the latter of which evidently takes in a wider DISTRIBUTION, OR THE 01KONOMIA OF VTTRUVIUS. 11-9 field than the former, afford perhaps, the best argu- ment in favour of this interpretation, to which we shall find it convenient to adhere, particularly be- cause, if we follow Vitruvius, we shall find he con- fuses distributio quite as much with decor, as he does with dispositio. 5. That part of the Vitruvian explanation, which The « loci i i *ii in dispensa- suggests the " loci dispensatio, will most readily tio" guides help us to the understanding of the word distributio : the internal as the allotment of space to build on necessarily draws nai dism- our attention not only to the internal arrangement of rooms in a house, but to a more extended arrange- ment both of magnificent buildings, with a very com- plicated ground plan, and of a multitude of buildings grouped together in the forms of streets, squares, and every other appurtenance of a city, or large town. 6. The explanation then above, and in former essays, Tactic dif- will sufficiently distinguish diathesis, and distributio ; tween dia- there is however one other distinction, which our distributio. entrance upon this essay suggests, which it would be wrong to pass over : the diathesis not only depends upon, but visibly displays its dependance on the taxis ; we give a part that particular diathesis of form, eurithm, or otherwise, which its use requires ; but the distributio on the contrary, though it more ac- tually depends on a practical taxis or utility, (not dis- cussed indeed in these essays,) seldom displays that taxis at all : nobody ever thought by any external symbols of displaying in the Architecture the dining- room, or the library, &c. ; this would perhaps, not only be impossible but absurd ; the only cases, that at present occur to me of the internal use being dis- 150 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE, played by the external distribution, are of a belfry, a chimney, and B shop window, which unavoidably dis- play their use ; to these may be added some others, as of a jail, or a mad-house, the former of which is not unfrequently designated by fetters, scourges, and other symbols of punishment over the gateway, and the Latter by maniac figures ; such cases, however, arc the production of sculpture and not Architecture. Till, therefore, some one has invented quite a different style of building from any now in existence, we can say nothing of the internal use being displayed by the external distribution of buildings or apartments. We may now proceed to examine some of the modes of distribution ; as they must be o( course unlimited in number, it will only fall in with an essay directed merely to beautiful effect, to consider some of these, which are so far governed by symmetric diathesis ;i- to be capable o( producing a good facade. In this, the same principles oi' contrast will apply as those re- ferred to in the essay on diathesis. SIMPLE DISTRIBUTION. Simple dis- 7- The first and most obvious kind o( distribution, on^iu' " ail( l tmit which was the greatest favourite in ancient ground times, was a simple distribution : of the varieties of plan, -C these the parallelogram of various proportion-, was that universally adopted in all the heathen temple- of Greece; there are, however, some ancient specimens of circular buildings, perhaps none of square, perhaps none of oval, perhaps none o( two >ides straight and DISTRIBUTION, OB THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. lol one circular, though these three last have been fre- quently used bv moderns nor does there seem any good reason against them : see figures i \\xi. to lxxxv. inclusive. s . We haw of course been speaking now only of The efarm- , tioii. the ground plan ; but considerable variety will arise to each of these simple ground plans, by a different eurithm produced by the height In making use of a parallelogram or square, tor a ground plan, very little effect Mill be produced in a building, where trees press upon it, unless considerable attention be paid to the eurithm of the facade, this should be in good pro- portion ; depending, however, in great measure on the taste of the individual, and the style of build- ing : there are many tine buildings, whose facade has a wider proportion than one to three ; in all cases a square facade is poor, as it is void, and unneces- sarily so, of all eurithmie eontr. p. When we consider how much less taxis, and in- Si»piedis- deed composition, and talent, is exhibited in the dis- tribution, than in the diathesis, where a single build- ing is alone concerned, it is not at all surprising, that the ancient Greeks should have been so little inclined to complex distribution in their temples, while the simple distribution was so much more calculated to exhibit the finer touches of the art, and was in fact that form, which in one coup d'tril displayed all the force of a beautiful design, and in some of their larger works, made the spectator feel the full and unbroken dignity o( their gigantic mould. So little was com- plex distribution thought o\ bv the ancients, and even the Romans, that Vitruvius takes notice o( nothing 152 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. but simple distribution ; his Antis, Prostyle, Amphi- prostyle, Peripteral, Hypcethral, Dipteral, and Pseudo- dipteral, are all simple distributions. (Vide Vitruvius, lib. iii. cap. 1.) stykfcT ^' What was observed in the essay on diathesis, tribJtion S " as *° tne inconsistency of using two or more different forms, or combinations of form to the same use, would induce us, applying- the same argument here, not to use more than one style of building, or in fact, one kind of support, which is part of the style, in one simple distribution : the contrary, however, has been done, and is in fact one of the Vitruvian compositions noticed in the last section ; the composition he calls Antis of Antis, has two pillars in front, and parastates at the corners, in the manner of St. Paul's Covent Garden, London ; it may be argued, that the use of the ex- treme and middle supports is somewhat different, and that therefore, like the hind and fore legs of animals, the form should be different ; this, however, is a very doubtful argument, the difference of use between the hind and fore legs of animals is very distinct, the latter to draw the body forward when in motion, the former to propel it ; while all that can be said about the difference between the uses of the extreme and middle supports in the antis composition, is, that the external support has to bear all the weight of the roof, which rests on the wall-plate, which the pillars in the middle have not ; whatever may be said in its favour, there is certainly no very good authority for it in ancient Greece. The introduction of palastres behind columns, m.i !m N as m * ne prostyle and amphiprostyle of Vitruvius, is phipros- frequently to be found in Doric specimens ; and this, DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 153 as it does not interfere with the taxis of the facade, cannot be objected to on the same grounds as the last ; in fact, the antae here give a finish to the de- sign, and act as a very beautiful back-ground to the pillars ; and it may be observed in all these cases, that in order that the antee might not vie with, but be subordinate to the pillars, the mouldings of the former were distinctly different from those of the latter. The peripteral and hypcethral composition of Peripteral Vitruvius seem to have been modes of distribution thrai. exactly the reverse of each other, the peripteral hav- ing two rows of columns on every side without, and the hypcethral on every side within, forming a peris- tyle open to the sky ; Vitruvius gives the number of columns each should have ; the same may be said of the dipteral and pseudodipteral compositions, which Dipteral, depend entirely on the number of columns, except as Sodipterai. to the dipteral having two rows ; these distinctions, however, are useless in modern times, which rather favour COMPLEX DISTRIBUTION. 11. As variety is so much the idol of the human compi mind, Architects, falling in with the current, have had recourse to complex distribution, that is, distri- bution in which something is added to the simple forms just now discussed ; and it may be observed in limine, that as in simple distributions eurithm alone can be consulted, so in complex distributions we must have recourse to both eurithm and symmetry. Com- plex distribution may be comprised under seven heads: ex distribu- tion, 154 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. seven kinds. 1st, facade lateral appendages with straight parts ; 2nd, fa9ade lateral appendages with curved parts ; 3rd, wings (properly so called,) or secondary latteral appendages with straight parts ; 4th, fundamental appendages ; 5th, wings or secondary lateral appen- dages with curved parts ; 6th, elevated appendages with straight profiles ; 7th, elevated appendages with curved profiles : this long list of variety in complex distribution, scarcely known in ancient Greece, has been the growth of modern times. As it is a seven headed monster, that might appear in an unchaste and offensive form, it is to be hoped it will not swal- low up Architecture. 1st. OF FACADE LATERAL APPENDAGES WITH STRAIGHT PARTS. Fa?ade 12. By fa9ade appendages we must understand appenda- ••11 r™ ges with such as are seen at one view with the centre. I he st nil tr li t parts'! first addition to a simple distribution that occurs, is a a portico, portico. We may do without a ground plan to un- derstand this, though a few observations may be made upon it, which will not be perfectly useless. I may be perhaps asked, what is a stoa or portico ? Dr. Johnson defines it a piazza, or covered way ; this author is not, however, celebrated for his definition of technical words ; a portico, derived from porta, a gate, is generally understood to mean the same as a porch, only on a larger scale ; and in this sense I understand it here ; in fact, a large covered centre scheme to an architectural design, generally supported DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 155 by pillars : the porch occurs in fig-, xc, the portico in fig-, xci. 13. It would be very easy to have a projection in Projecting the centre of a facade, not only without pillars, but Umid be without any tactic scheme whatever ; but that would stnklu °- be poor, for reasons obvious to every one, and which will be touched on presently. Even in cases of Gothic Architecture, when we certainly do see projecting parts without any tactic scheme, unless it be one great window, there is always a want of external effect, which is wholly sacrificed to the interior. 14. In order to contrast the symmetry of the facade Symmetric n i , , i • l • contrast i ot such a design as we have been considering, we theeieva- must have recourse to the observations made in the last essay, section 44, on the relative conspicuousness of a square and a parallelogram, which will be as useful here, as on all other occasions where those forms occur. On these principles of symmetric con- trast, it is obvious that the eurithm of the whole por- tico, if not conspicuous in size, or otherwise, should be parallelogram, and that of the two receding parts, square : as this is the least conspicuous of complex dis- tributions, and as we are only speaking of facade ap- pendages, whose coronal trabeations are in a line with the centre, the least objectionable mode of doing this is, to have the portico narrower than the two sides, it will then, if properly managed, have symmetric diathesis, the diathesis of form, (see section 12,) and the diathesis of projection ; sometimes, indeed, we see cases where the parallelogram of the portico is in an horizontal instead of a perpendicular direction ; this, however, is perhaps better suited to cases of a 156 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. more complex distribution, for in this case it would be something like having- a head too big- for the body. other con- }5. _\ s ^ ne object of complex distribution is variety, the eieva- or contrast, which are the same in art, (see essay 6, sect. 1^,) it may be worth while examining- what kind of contrast we may trace ; we have traced above the symmetric, and projedional contrast, and the contrast of form ; with reg-ard to this latter, perhaps it might be more properly called a contrast of combination of form; it is indeed very similar to a contrast of orna- ment, as the trabe-columnal must be considered a more ornamental style than the monotrabeal. When we come to consider the use of curves in the ground plan of a distribution, which we shall further on, we shall then arrive at that, which may, perhaps, be more pro- perly called a distributional contrast oijbrm, to distin- guish it from the former, which is a distributional contrast of styles, or combined forms. or rom- l6 l . It may be a question, whether in using a com- T)1gx stvlcs in complex plex distribution, we can find any more reason for tions, introducing more than one style of building, than in a simple distribution : but this question is, perhaps, easily answered by an argument enforced in a former essay, that having adopted a rational variety, we should endeavour to add to that contrast thus begun by every appropriate means : this is the same argu- ment in a different form as another before urged, that variety without contrast had better not exist; as there- fore in complex distribution there is a variety, it ought to be supported by contrast ; so also in a simple dis- tribution we should endeavour to maintain that sim- plicity, which is so essential to it. As, however, it DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 157 would be inconsistent with propriety to promote a variety, which is not originally appropriate, it becomes necessary in every particular case to inquire, whether a complex distribution be desirable or not ; in some small houses, some strong- fortresses it may, perhaps, JJJJJJJjJ 1 not be desirable ; but in most other cases it certainly perhaps 7 J appro - is excusable, if not appropriate ; and in the cases of P riate - wide fronts to buildings, a form highly calculated for magnificence, and in the case of quadrangles, or squares, or large streets in towns, a complex distribu- tion is highly desirable. There is one other observa- tion that occurs on this subject, that as it is essential to variety that one or more parts should be more con- spicuous than the rest, there is no part that seems to demand the pre-eminence so much as the centre of the facade of a building. 16. Next to the introduction of a portico, or rec- Two iate- /» i /, ral parts. tangular projection in front, comes the occurrence ot another lateral part between the portico and the former addition to it, as the part marked 1 in fig. lxxxvi : perhaps the best use that can be made of this is, that of a kind of back ground to the portico, as in figures xc. and xci. : more use, however, may be made of it ; though as the best way of doing this depends on the use of more than two styles in a building, it would be better that the artist should make use of the obser- vations here made on complex distribution in his own way. 17. To the above a third part may be added, as that Three late- marked 4 in fig. lxxxvii., and 7 hi fig. lxxxvhi ; in ri 1 " 1 ' the latter case, which is that of a Grecian palaestra, it is seen receding, in the former not : fig. lxxxix. gives 158 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Very dif- ficult to preserve contrast and cha- racter. Of the figures. a fourth part not receding". In considering- the eleva- tion of these distributions, we must again have recourse to the principle of the superior conspicuousness of the parallelogram to the square. Figs. xc. and xci. are elevations to a ground plan with the same number of parts in front, as fig. lxxxvi., the former being also in the same symmetry as well as plan. In many cases it is better to have the middle wider than the two ex- tremes, and in monotrabeal, and other simple styles, it is always to be preferred, as we have in them less power of producing any other kind of contrast ; and of course it can only have a good effect to have the centre equal to the two extremes, where the centre is in a more imposing style than the rest. 18. As the same arguments will hold good in all the ground plans here considered, we may now proceed, for the sake of study, or example, to the examination of an elevation for fig. lxxxix : a thousand ways might present themselves of giving an elevation to this as well as the other distribution ; though certainly without the consideration of character, a subject we have not yet arrived at, the precise style could not be properly determined on ; for it is a most difficult task in Architecture to contrast well, and yet preserve cha- racter : we shall see when we come to the essay on character, that it is a talent only to be grasped by a peculiar and powerful bias of taste, and feeling, in harmony with each separate combination of accordant formations. 19. Figure xcii. represents an elevation to the distri- bution of fig. LXXXIX. with the same symmetries as the ground plan of that figure ; in this and the following DISTRIBUTION, OK THE OIKOXOMIA OF VITHUVIUS. 159 elevation the symmetries of the ground plan are marked in figures at the bottom. In addition to the difficulties above-mentioned, it will be seen, that it is not very easy to contrast, where the distribution is very complex, and yet keep the centre more conspicuous than the sides. It might be observed, that in fig. xcn. the form of the arched windows would have been more conspicuous than the straight pillar, (vide essay 6, sect. 48,) and enter into competition with it, were it not that the windows have quite plain mouldings : it may be remarked also, that the parts marked 4 and 5 are both contrasted without either being very con- spicuous : it may be seen also, that the part marked 7 would, from its size, be more conspicuous than the portico, were it not, that the former part recedes behind two very plain parts, and m the next place it has neither the fluting, finishing, pedimented roof, nor the foundation steps, that gives completion and im- portance to the portico ; these are mentioned here as specimens of a few out of the numerous resources, an Architect may have in attaining his object. 20. In fig. xciii. we see the same distribution as in 0tber n 1 l-rc cases. fig. lxxxix. but a different symmetry : in this figure as well as the former we shall see other cases, in which the different kinds of contrast are balanced one against the other : this figure suggests two observations ; it has been remarked that the Venetian window, from its complex form, generally interferes too much with almost any style of Architecture, and thereby destroys the general character of the whole ; this is, perhaps, quite true ; the extreme windows of fig. xcm. are of this nature ; but to prevent their annoyance, it has 160 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Adjust- ment of interior proportion been my object, that their remoteness from the centre, and the gradual alternate degrees of contrast and har- mony, should prevent their entering- too much into competition with the centre. This figure, however, is a proof among many, how difficult it is to unite cha- racter and contrast in very complex distributions. The second observation that occurs, on inspection of this figure is, that the chimneys in a rich style should be simple, because, as they cannot compete with the nobler feature, it is desirable they should not affect such competition ; on the contrary, in a very plain style, that affects nothing itself, the chimneys some- times give character to the whole. 21. The difficulties above enumerated in adjusting exterior to the elevation of the exterior to the ground plan, are not the only ones of real magnitude ; for the elevation of the rooms will suggest another difficulty; it would be very easy to make certain rooms in good symmetry, according to those rules of simplicity we have already discussed ; but when we have several rooms, and a very complex distribution of the facade, we shall find, perhaps, no other way, than sacrificing some of the less important apartments to the symmetry of the prin- cipal rooms. All this should be considered, and a thousand other things before we put pen to paper. 22. In the elevation of figures lxxviii., lxxix, and lxxx., which are only one remove from a simple dis- tribution, it was very easy (according to the principle sa before quoted of the parallelogram being more con- spicuous than the square,) to make the side's, squares, and the centre a parallelogram ; also in figures xc. and xci., it was not more difficult to make the centre The more complex, tlie more difficult. DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. lOl a parallelogram, the extreme removes square, and the intermediate removes unimportant by being less than either ; but when we come to the more complex dis- tributions of figures xcn. and xcih., more considera- tion will be necessary, we shall then call into our aid not only relief, but repose, and not only these but the whole system of the gradation of contrast mentioned in the last essay, sect. 48, which apply as much to dis- tribution, as to diathesis. 23. It is unnecessary to follow gradatim every impossible consideration, that led to the construction of these every variety. bution. figures ; as every variation of the symmetries of the ground plan, or use of other styles would create quite a different train of argument ; it is only neces- sary to notice a few particulars. 24. The portico, as we before observed in cases, Further i'i -ill gradation where the sides are more simple than the centre, may in distri- be either a square, or a parallelogram, it may be de- sirable, though not absolutely necessary, that the part that enters most into competition with the centre should be a square ; what that part is, will of course depend on a number of contingencies in the determi- nation of the ground plan : in both the figures xcii. and xcih., it is the part marked 5. It was observed in section 29, essay 5, that simple proportions will be equally pleasing, whether an extreme feature be in- cluded in, or excluded from a measurement ; this is, perhaps, not so much the case in the large parts that compose a distribution, as in the small ; it will be found, however, true to a certain extent, and may be acted upon, and is acted upon in the figures now under discussion j for in fig. xcn. the part marked 5 M 162 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. is a square exclusive of the foundation and shelter, and the part marked 5 in fig. xcm. would be a square, including- either the foundation or shelter : it will be observed that the part marked 4 in fig. xcm., as by reason of the symmetries of the ground plan it would be likely to enter into competition with its neigh- bours, is made a square, exclusive of the foundation and shelter. 2ndly. facade lateral appendages with curved PARTS. Facade 25. In considering the use of curved parts in dis- P^ndages tribution, we are entering upon another power of ed 1 part's, contrast, that of form ; by this we are enabled to adopt a still more complicated style of distribution, so much so, that the greatest number of removes from the centre, that we have as yet considered, will, when properly disposed with curved parts, appear less complicated and more bold and important. of the QQ t Figures lxxxvi. lxxxvii. lxxxviii. and figures. lxxxix. might all have been used in these, as well as other symmetries, by merely converting the centre into a semicircle, instead of a straight line; it may perhaps however be possible to make a better use of the curve in distribution : two things however in doing tins are necessary, the propriety of which will instantly occur ; one is, that the curved parts should be relieved by straight parts ; and the other is, that as the curve is a very conspicuous form in Architecture, where there is so much of the straight line, it should generally only occur once in the direction projecting DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 163 from the building, this of course is the centre ; if it occurs again, it should be either laterally, or at the extreme parts, as in figures xciv. and xcvi., or cornerwise, as in the parts marked a in the same figures. This will prevent secondary parts from in- terfering with the centre, and at the same time give a contrast of position : figures xcv. and xcvii., which are the elevations adapted to the two last, exhibit something of the method of using the curves in these distributions ; though very different symmetries as well as styles might have been used : the style will however be more a subject of consideration after reading the next essay. 27. I am aware of no further arguments of any straight ;;nd curved importance to this subject, which have not entered append- . , . /. 1 1 a o es liable into the consideration of fa9ade lateral appendages to the same with straight parts, and shall therefore now proceed to consider the subject of, 3rdly. wings, or secondary lateral appendages WITH STRAIGHT PARTS ONLY. 28. There are some Architects who disapprove of 0fstrai & ht i r wings. appendages to an architectural design, where the roof is in a line with the centre in the manner we have just been considering : much may be said in favour of such opinion, as in the first place, greater variety is doubtless effected by having the sides less than the centre ; besides that when they are equal with the centre, they stand in great danger of entering into competition with it ; it is therefore in those cases very necessary, that we should keep the style of M 2 164 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Architecture in the lateral appendages subdued, at least in reference to the centre ; and as we must re- member that at the same time they are to be in the same character, the difficulty will be most apparent. In the subject we have now come to, which is that of wing's properly so called, and other secondary lateral appendages lower than the centre, the danger of making them vie with the centre is not so great ; but then it may be said, that there is a danger in the other extreme quite as bad, that of making the wings appear as if they did not belong to the building, and what- ever celebrated Architects may say to the contrary, it appears to me to be an evil scarcely ever well avoided ; for the only mode that seems naturally to occur, is adding to their importance by a more ornamented style, which leads us to a still worse deformity, that of making the little vie with the great, the frog with the bull. Difficult £>(j # Whatever, however, may be the difficulties which to harmo- J nize. present themselves in the art of making wings ap- propriate, some Architects are very fond of them, and in cases where the whole facade is not seen at one view, they may be admissible ; it is therefore de- sirable that we should consider what may make them becoming. Difference 30. Notwithstanding, however, the opinions above of opinion , about alluded to of some Architects, who have perhaps ventured opinions sometimes without any very deep research, I must again confess I prefer the fa9ade appendages to wings ; the difficulties which may occur in the management of the former, we have already seen, are easily surmounted by making the wings. DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. lC)5 appendages of a less conspicuous style than the centre ; while, what are strictly speaking-, wings seem always unconnected with the house, and in some cases actually render the building- preposterous, particularly where there is a portico, which, as it is to the build- ing, what the head is to the body of an animal, when supported by these low wings, puts one in mind of those ugly animals, that are all head and no body : we shall find that those animals are the most beau- tiful, whose head is pre-eminent in form, variety, contrast, and proportional fitness, but never when it is pre-eminent in size. 31. If however wine's must be used, it seems de- otcon - ° neeting' sirable that when a portico is used, there should be wings. in addition to the wings, one facade appendage on each side, to keep up the importance of the building, and then that the wings should appear to be naturally connected with it. The one facade appendage on each side the centre occurs in figs, xcvih. and xcix., in the parts marked respectively (3) and (2). The connexion of the wings naturally with the body of the building may perhaps be effected in three ways. One is by having connecting parts, as those marked a a in fig-, xcvih., though it will be observed these are not quite in harmony with the building ; another way is by having a conspicuous feature in the wings and centre the same, this is exhibited in figs. xcix. and c. ; the latter mode is adopted in the propyloea at Athens, but that modification of the system is peculiar; the centre pillars are Doric, the side pillars are also Doric, but what seems so peculiar is, that the side pil- lars are considerably less, and yet supporting a trabea- 166 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. tion of the same dimension: arguments in favour of the propriety of this do not immediately occur, for if the support seems appropriate in one case, it must be either inefficient or redundant in the other ; a third mode of rendering wings more fit is by having them in a style of subdued harmony with the centre, raised to some conspicuous feature in the shelter of the centre, and erected on a protracted foundation of the shelter, as in fig. xxv. Figures. 3^. ^11 the ground plan of figs, lxxxvi. lxxxvii. lxxxviii. and lxxxix., may be adapted to elevations with wings in these or some other symmetries, only that to comply with the last section the part marked 1 in fig. lxxxvi. must be increased to the propor- tion of at least 3, whether the other proportions are retained or not. Wings S3. In all cases of wings, it must be observed, where best. m there is too much variety, and that of a superficial kind, to be suitable to a solitary building, unless that building be of an unostentatious cottage style, where fancy may be allowed greater scope ; but in a town, where a more piquant variety is desirable, to relieve the tedium of so much building, all these complex distributions in ten thousand different modes and symmetries may be very useful. a simple 34. It may be possible, however, by making the mode of , . using eurithm similar, and keeping the style very simple, WHISTS to make this mode of building less intrusive : to effect this the eurithms of the elevation should be either all squares, or all parallelograms, and if parallelograms, they should be parallelograms of similar proportions, and to make the contrast still less, the side of one DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 1(>7 may equal the base of the other : something of this kind is attempted in fig. c, where the measurements include the foundation and other horizontal mould- ings ; here it will be seen, that the eurithm of the centre is in the proportion of nine to six, and that of the two wings of six to four, both which are in the same ratio as three to two ; the height of the centre and base of the wings are also equal : wherever, how- ever, simplicity is aimed at, there is a fear of degene- rating into poverty. 35. When we consider that wings, (properly so Liberties. called,) from their size, must always be less important than the centre, and therefore less in danger of en- tering into competition with it, perhaps greater liberties may be taken with them than with facade appendages, they may perhaps be brought a little more forward ; this, however, though it is very com- mon, and though we have great authority for it, may raise a question, and one which is not to be decided by any certain rules ; it must depend on the kind of building and the place it stands on ; if the design and proportion of the centre are good, it should be seen at such a distance that the eye may embrace the whole at one view: wings therefore coming in front would conceal it unless so preposterously extended as to be quite out of proportion with the building : when however we consider the multitude of different proportions and distributions the main building may exhibit, it would be impossible to give any certain rule for every contingency. 1(>8 the music or the eye. Itllly. FUNDAMENTAL APPENDAGES. Funda- 36. Other secondary lateral appendages which are mental ap- , /» 1 pendages, not wings, are such as are excrescences from the riority. foundation only, and may therefore be called funda- mental appendages ; these unquestionably give more the appearance of propriety, than wings possibly can do, as they deviate not at all from the essential di- vision of a building into foundation, support, and shelter : many instances of fundamental appendages occur in different buildings ; the terrace at the back of Somerset House, in the Strand, London, is of this nature, so is the terrace to Windsor Castle; we find it also in the Parthenon at Athens. As, however, there may be innumerable examples of this distri- bution, and as there seems no way of classifying them, it is unnecessary to give here more than one specimen, fig. ci. which is one of the most simple. This basement, it must be conceived, projects far enough in front to admit of a broad carriage road, which might be introduced under the portico if de- sired ; it is certain, that without such projection, and lateral increase, this basement story would be much too high ; but by this mode of design, it becomes one whole, and entire part of itself ; and though perfectly belonging to the principal building, might be re- moved and have a common foundation substituted for it without any infringement on propriety ; we certainly do sometimes see lofty basements without any latitude to make them important, but they are always offensive to the eye. DISTRIBUTION', OB THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. lG ( J 37. It will be obvious, that not only so great a Basements. variety of basements might be constructed, that it would be impossible to enumerate them, but every sort of distribution, we have been considering that is good may be combined with them ; so that we may here leave the artist's mind to expand upon his own imagination ; there is only one reasonable check, that seems necessary to impose upon it, beyond what may be already deduced, which is, that as foundation should from its nature pourtray strength, it should be nearly confined to straight or at least solid forms, whatever curves may be introduced into the distribu- tion of the main building. 38. It may be right to notice here, what, though Detached appeu- they hardly belong to the distribution, are yet in dages. some way connected with the harmony of design in a country-seat, namely lodges, obelisks, pyramids, tem- ples, and all other detached buildings, which are ap- pended to a house : it will be evident, that when they are very remote from the principal building, it would be ridiculous to make them harmonize with it, as variety, where propriety does not otherwise direct, must necessarily have the precedence ; but as they are sometimes unavoidably nearer to the building, it may perhaps, not be out of place here to call to mind, that they should in such, and only such cases be made to harmonize with it. 170 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Stilly. WINGS OR SECONDARY LATERAL APPENDAGES, WITH CURVED PARTS. Curved 39. We have already seen enough of the nature of secondary appendages with straight parts, to render it unnecessary to dwell upon those with curved parts, as the same division of the subject, and arguments, na- turally apply to both ; and as to the use of the curves in distributions, it is only necessary to observe, what was noticed in treating of facade appendages with curved parts (section 26,) that the curves should be contrasted with straight parts and varied in po- sition. rather more 40. With these observations it is unnecessary to give any figures, or to dwell further on the subject ; though it may be remarked, that upon the principle laid down in sect. 3.5, greater liberties may be taken here than with facade appendages, and bold curves may be used without so much danger. 6thly. ELEVATED APPENDAGES WITH STRAIGHT PROFILES. Straight 41. Elevated appendages, it will be readily seen, elftvutod appen- mean such, as appear above the buildings ; they were not adopted by the ancient Greeks in their temples, nor are they favourable to that trabe-columnal style of building', which they used ; as it would render nuga- tory that simple mode of displaying the principal shelter in the cornice of all their orders of building, varied. DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 171 or else, if it appeared in the form of a dome, which more easily adapts itself to those forms, it would seem too heavy for the ordinary dimensions of pillar to support : these, no doubt, were among the reasons that induced the ancient Architects not to overload, as moderns do, the trabeations of their exquisite de- signs ; and perhaps, it would be well, if in these and all other cases, when we copy from antiquity, we either wholly followed the ancient examples, or made such alterations, as taxis seemed naturally to require, to make any deviation or addition appro- priate : perhaps indeed turrets, spires, and domes, may be better united to a different style of building than to the Grecian. 42. It has been said, that Michael Angelo would st. Peter's never have placed a dome on St. Peter's at Rome, if J^ h™*" it were not to relieve the eye from the disagreeable An g el °- proportion, in which the building was left by those, who were employed before he undertook it ; not- withstanding this the dome is so well adapted to the building, that we can hardly find fault. The cele- brated Architect of St. Paul's London, had not, how- st. Paul's. ever, the same excuse : neither building would per- haps be deemed a model for an Architect. (See essay iv. sect. 19.) 43. When, however, we consider the cheerful ap- Beauty of . " . spires, &c. pearance, that domes, turrets, and spires, give to the general effect of a town or village, and how. they seem to enliven the prospect all around us, in a manner, which nothing else, unless it be the obelisks and pyramids used by the ancients, can do, we should 1?- THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. be more desirous of making them more appropriate than discarding- them. their taxis. 44. It seems very difficult to divide a building with elevated appendages into foundation, support, and shelter ; this rational division, however, we should certainly keep in mind in every design : another diffi- culty is what has just been alluded to, that of making the main building appear sufficiently strong to sup- port such a mass above it. As to the first difficulty, since there are such mi innumerable number of ele- vated appendages of all sorts and shapes, the artist must be left to his own skill and address, in the ap- plication ; as to the second difficulty, it may perhaps be said, that the buttress style seems more adapted to support a great weight than any other : it remains therefore only to classify this part of our subject. Spires and 45. Of elevated appendages with straight profiles, there are two kinds, the spire, and the turret ; by the spire must be understood all forms approaching to that general appearance, though sometimes divided into a multitude of smaller parts, and not merely that plain device so common, and so beautiful on many churches : the nature of a tower or turret is well known ; but of both the one and the other there are such a number of examples, that it would be only uselessly multiplying figures to attempt further to notice them, though it might be worth the trouble of any artist to collect the different specimens, and to endeavour to prune them down to a more correct taxis, and general design. turrets. DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITIU'VIUS. 17> 7thly. ELEVATED APPENDAGES WITH CURVED PROFILES. 46. As in elevated appendages great liberties may Curved be taken, so as to render the profile the most con- append- spicuous quality in the design, it is obviously neces- ° sary to classify them under those with straight, and those with curved profiles. 47. In Russia, Turkey, and other Eastern coun- oriental tries, there are domes of all sorts of fantastic forms ; comes these, however, are so numerous that, like the steeples of our own country, it would be the exclusive undertaking of one individual to collect, and bring them into proper subjection to rational rules of design. 48. Whatever may be the form of the dome, it Nature of , , ii- t domes. must be heavy and cumbersome in appearance : 1 shall content myself, therefore, with no further novelty in this matter, than submitting, that as the dome might, for the appearances of tactic propriety, require something more solid than the pillar to support it, as before observed, perhaps this may be as legitimate a case for the introducing two styles of building as any other, and that in this case, we might introduce the trabe-columnal for the entrance, and the fulcimental for the main design of the building. For it was the existence of a complex distribution with a facade lateral appendage, which made it desirable to intro- duce the trabe-columnal and monotrabeal together ; so therefore the existence of a complex distribution with this ponderous elevated appendage, may as rationally call for the addition of the fulcimental style, as the 174 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. only means to render it appropriate, in which the buttresses, and dome, mutually give propriety to each other ; and in my humble judgment, the dome is quite as much out of keeping, (if I may use a phrase borrowed from a sister art,) without something solid to support it, as such a design as this would be without the dome : not, however, but that very fre- quently it is possible that in these cases something may be left to imagination, and that where we see pillars project some way before the dome, we are to conceive some adequate support for it, which does not meet the eye ; this, however, cannot be considered architectural, for it seems to be the birthright of the art, that the fa9ade should display the whole ma- chinery of its tactic efficiency. (See fig. en.) nistribu- 49- Thus far we have seen into the nature of com- "'"d fur- plex distribution ; and though many liberties are here taken in the display of new styles, yet distribution itself is not carried so far as might be authorized both by the writings, and existing designs of many Archi- tects of modern times : for most assuredly, if there is any excellence in the design of the style or order of a building, it will be much better exhibited in a simple, than a complex distribution. It might, perhaps, not have been going too far to have noticed squares, cir- cuses, quadrants, crescents, and other forms, which are to be found in towns and collections of buildings ; but as these are only either modifications or combina- tions of others already treated of, it would be only entering upon a subject to which there would be no limits : and indeed, we might as well at once proceed to the consideration of the design of a whole town. came ther DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 175 50. It would be improper however to dismiss this Modem 1 L cities often subject without remarking-, how monotonous and wantva- i r riet y # gloomy many streets in large towns are, for want of a display of the principles of distribution already discussed ; a person might pass through many streets, in which the builder has actually been at some ex- pense in introducing variety and regularity of design, and yet without your attention is drawn to it you would scarcely observe it : in many cases a few pilastres are stuck against the wall like gingerbread windows on a child's cake, some broad, some narrow, and the whole of this poor and barren conception is rendered still less observable by being raised above the level of the eye, on a story of that heavy style called rustic Architecture. There are some indeed in which a great deal of toil has been expended, we see Venetian windows, pillars, pilastres, and paras- tatae, great and small, fluted and plain, high and low, &c. &c. stuck against the side of a street or square, and yet no dignity whatever produced, though per- haps each individual part is beautifully formed and beautifully proportioned ; the fact is, the row of A street \ r r . . . should not buildings is perfectly straight, it is what is designated be in a in this essay a simple distribution, and a simple distri- distritm- bution should be but of one style, whereas in these cases there is no accounting for the variety, it seems plastered against the wall like a collection of prints in an alehouse. 51. It might perhaps be said, that the introduction thou g h _ * economi- of a complex distribution in towns would take up cai. more room than could be afforded, from the high value of land ; this argument would however carry l?6 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. No further rules are necessary for design- High Street, Ox- ford . Harmony and con- trast. very little weight, when we consider the extent of plantations in squares, and the quantity of land which has already been sacrificed to intended effect, in some cases at least twenty times as much as would be used by a complex distribution in the buildings. 52. The arguments that have in this essay been advanced, and the rules that have been submitted for contrasting styles in single houses, will apply to the distribution of a street, and of course much must be left to the genius and imagination of the artist ; at the same time the mere adventitious assemblage of different stifles of fine buildings, if they do not press on each other, and there is a wide street to prevent them pressing on the eye, will of itself produce a magnificent effect, as we see in that universally ad- mired street, the High Street at Oxford ; what then may be expected when genius and scientific know- ledge are combined in the application of similar mate- rials in one uniform work? 53. In such uniform work we might throw such harmony over the whole, by the adoption of princi- ples similar to those noticed in the essay on propor- tion, sect. 21, that the whole would appear the noble effort of one mind, in the same way as the painter with the same aerial tone to harmonize the whole, the same direction of light as one of the essentials to propriety, and the same ruling mental action or epic scheme of design, will introduce the greatest variety of colour, attitude, expression, passion, form, &c, while he groups together both the bold and the mild, the beautiful and handsome, the elegant and majestic, the grave and the gay, the pretty and the stern, varied DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 177 and modified as occasion may require, with sharp and undulating-, strong and delicate features, and a variety of other qualities which are more or less suited to his subject, all which would be grouped in appropriate reliefs. 54. The great secret of effect in all the fine arts, The great ° secret in and indeed in all ornamental works, seems to be to composi- tion. combine according to some principles of utility the opposite extremes of uniformity and variety, as was observed in the sixth essay, sect. 9 ; and though there is but little resemblance between an historical picture and an architectural design, true taste will in both be exhibited, by finding out what parts or prin- ciples are to be varied, and what uniform, whether in form, proportion, or otherwise. 55. Having first determined on the distribution of Proportion ... of a street. the side of a street according to the principles here investigated, we cannot pay too much attention to the width of the street, perhaps five times the height of the houses would hardly be too much ; we should take care too that both the centre and the footpath are wide in proportion to their uses, and that their symmetries are in some simple proportion, as they are adjacent parts. (See essay v. sect. 28.) 56. As another proof of the width of a street and Leith r _ p Walk, the goodness of its proportion being a great source of Edinburgh. grandeur, even though there should be none, or the very meanest buildings on each side it, we shall not perhaps find a better example than the Leith Walk from Edinburgh, which, it seems, is universally ad- mired by all persons of mature judgment who are Re t first introduced to it. The new street, Regent Street, j*™^ N 178 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. in London, is another example ; for while every one is finding fault with its Architecture, its width and extent are universally acknowledged as the true source of its magnificence. Grounds 57. it i s hardly foreign to the subject of distribu- house. tion to go beyond the mere house, and to consider the distribution of the grounds about it. The question may be asked, should the house and grounds harmonize ? This is a question upon which there is, and ever will be, much difference of opinion, because it cannot be answered generally, as it depends both on the style of the house, and the nature of the country. It might seem very natural at the first proposal of such a question to say, that as harmony is a beauty, it would be desirable to introduce it as much as pos- sible ; but in answer to this it may be said, that va- riety is also a beauty, and we should bear in mind what was urged in the 54th section of this essay, that the test of true taste is to know where to intro- duce harmony or uniformity, and where variety. When a building stands on a dead flat, perhaps formality and uniformity are the only resources the artist has ; but when there are magnificent prospects in the distance, nothing will prevent the possibility of having bold and natural foregrounds so much as straight walks, and a redundance of telescopic avenues. Nature. 58. There are however so many different kinds of buildings, that might modify this question, that it may perhaps be desirable to look a little further into it. To gain ideas on this subject, we naturally fly to our great conductress Nature : much benefit DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 179 as well as evil may be the result of contemplating Nature, indeed we find some authors, from a mere partial examination of the principles of Nature, setting 1 up very remarkable theories ; we shall find Uniformity one declaring-, that uniformity is only the beauty of beauty of minute objects, and instancing that the great features jectsoniy. of Nature, the trees, hills, rivers, and lakes, &c. are all varied, and that the small features, the grass, leaves, &c. are all uniform. 59. Such an arguer however forgets that great Great and t small rela- and small are relative terms, and that therefore tive terms. arguments drawn from them must bring into the discussion more than immediately meets the eye. Indeed the assertion, that uniformity is only the beauty of minute objects, will not bear examining : what is more uniform or so beautifully grand as the expanse of the ocean ? or the great sun itself? Let us not however carry this subject too far and argue, that because uniformity is not the beauty alone of minute objects, that therefore it is the beauty of only Nor is uniformity great objects, this would be equally far from the the beauty of °T€ets, the watch-tower, moat, draw- bridges, the avenues of stately timber, and an extensive park, are all a series of subordinate objects, that lead the eye to contemplate a harmony between nature and art. 66. An equally magnificent building might be con- a Grecian structed without the above enumerated appendages : instead of an old British castle, we might erect a Grecian building of any eligible style and distribution, instead of ramparts, parapets, &c. we might introduce secondary appendages, similar to those mentioned in section 36, these uniting with broad gravel-walks, neat bridges, perhaps inferior architectural designs, interspersed with timber, might be managed to pro- duce a magnificent effect. 67. Other styles, and characters of building in in- 0ih * z numerable variety will occur, in which, in addition to what has been enumerated, the flower borders, shrub- beries, neat wire fences, and even the gates, and seats, and other appendages of comfort or convenience, will contribute to make a building appear to belong to the grounds about it. 182 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Conflictin opinions 68. When we consider that so many equally eligible accounted systems might be adopted, so as to suit every variety of taste, it is not to be wondered, that those who form in their minds some standard of excellence to the exclusion of every thing else, should be very much given to endless disputes on subjects of this nature. TheAnaly- Qg^ r £\ m au thor of the Analvsis of Taste says, " In sisotlaste. J J 7 the old system of laying out grounds, the incongruity between the regularity of the building, and the irre- gularity of the surrounding scenery was in a great degree obviated, for the house being surrounded by gardens, as uniform, and only seen through vistas at right angles, every visible accompaniment was in uni- son with it, and the systematic regularity discernible from every point of sight ; but when according to the modern fashion, all around is levelled and thrown open, and the poor square edifice exposed alone, or with the accompaniment only of its regular wings and portico, amidst spacious lawns, interspersed with irregular clumps, or masses of wood, and sheets of water, I do not know a more melancholy object." \\e must n?Q t This is one of the passages in which the author not decide x ° one style l ias attempted to prove by argument, that one cha- becanse racter in a design is more beautiful than another ; it another is good. would be almost as easy to prove by a mathematical deduction, that claret is more agreeable than cham- pagne, or champagne than claret. The incongruity between the regularity of the building, and the irregu- larity of the surrounding scenery, or, in other words, the want of resemblance between a tree and a house, (if a similar argument to the above were carried to DISTRIBUTION, Oil THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 183 its full extent,) would be still more completely ob- viated by having trees cut as we sometimes see them, into the forms of houses : indeed, I dare say persons might be found, who would think it very pretty to have also the trees in an aviary cut into the form of birds, those in a park or paddock, into the form of stags, cows, and horses ; but I fear such whims would be very much laughed at, however harmonious : in fact, without derogating from the dignity which un- doubtedly exists in an avenue of stately timber, when properly introduced, we shall still find many approve of a more natural distribution of trees, which form so admirable a contrast to a building. 71. There has been enough said in this essay to The beau- ties of na- show, that according to the modern system, every tare mfe- rior to art. thing around a house need not be, as the above quo- tation has it, " levelled and thrown open," nor need the house be either poor, square, or alone. Probably few would be found, who would relinquish beautiful and extensive views, all the luxuriance of nature in wood, water, valleys, and hills, extensive glades, and fertile meadows, diversified clumps, and towering spires, for the stiff formality, which too often exists to the exclusion of the dignity of nature. 72. The science of landscape gardening, however, Landscape c gardening. requires a great deal of thought and experience ; for as there are various ways of building, so there must be various ways of accompanying a building, each of which would be admirable, when in perfection, only that in each you admire with a different feeling ; it would be as unjust to say, that one is bad because another is good, as it would be to say, that a tragedy 184 THE. MUSIC OF THE EYE. Furniture. Entrance. Its fea- tures. is a bad style of writing, because comedies are agree- able, and yet this is frequently the mode of argument on matters of taste ; as, however, we are saved from the dreadful monotony there would be, if all persons thought alike, it only remains, therefore, in the distri- bution of this variety, to take care, that those objects which are not harmoniously or affinitively contrasted, should not press too near each other. 73. We have now considered the external distri- bution and its accompaniments, in adjacent scenery ; as these essays only relate to the beauty of Architec- ture, the internal distribution would probably fall more into the province of the upholsterer, than of these essays ; it will, therefore, not be necessary fur- ther to notice it here in a general way, than by ob- serving, that proportions both symmetric, and eurith- mic, particularly the former, if there are many piers, recesses, and other varied distribution in the walls, and furniture, will be the principal objects of attention in producing effect, (see essay v. section 35 to 39,) of course keeping in our minds appropriate taxis, and a consistency of character. 74. If there is any part of the internal distribution which requires nobler efforts of art, and therefore calls forth the science of the Architect, it may per- haps be the entrance ; for in general, whatever the external facade may be, it is desirable that something of equal dignity should exist in the first entrance. 75. The entrance embraces the hall or passages ; it is obviously necessary, that from the entrance there should be access to every part of the house : the ap- pearance of propriety or taxis, therefore, requires, access should be apparent. DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 185 that this idea should be at once conveyed to the mind. 76. This is effected by having- the modes of access Modes of at once apparent ; the modes of access are doors, pas- sages, staircases j as colonades are a more dignified sort of passage, they are also always appropriate, and much more so than a passage, as they give the idea of space, and by being seen through, furnish the Ar- chitect with a better opportunity of exhibiting the other modes of access, and thereby at once adding to the propriety and variety of the entrance. 77« Statues, though they do not add to the taxis of statues. the entrance, are perhaps the best sort of ornament for that part ; but this of course will be much a matter of taste, and will often depend on the character of the whole. 78. Upon entering a building it has always a good Coup-dceii effect to break at once on something handsome ; hence t rance. an appearance of greater space and magnificence is acquired by entering at the end of a colonade, as in fig. xciv. instead of the middle, as in fig. xcvi. at g. Sta- tues, which may be placed in the places marked s should form a part of the coup-d' ceil : stairs or steps also, as part of the modes of access, and possessing a simple dignity in themselves, will give the idea of greater space and importance if rising immediately in front of the entrance as in the same figures dX ff\ they also contrast well with the pillars in such a situa- tion, and indeed with every sort of Architecture. The distribution of fig. xcvi. is such, that a carriage may drive under the portico, which is both convenient and handsome : it may be observed, that in this figure, 186 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. though the effect of space is lost by entering at the side of the colonade, this distribution will afford one beauty, which the other has not, namely, the effect from the chamber d to the chamber c ; this advantage might, however, be combined with that of looking up the colonade on entering in various ways, which will present themselves to the ingenious Architect. It may be observed, that in very large buildings, there is no giving light to all the rooms without either a court in the centre, or the adoption of skylights in some of the interior apartments, or having the front of the build- ing out of proportion with the depth. It must be a very large building indeed, such as a college, or other public building, that would require the first system, as nothing is so ugly and gloomy as a small court, parti- cularly if any decent rooms are to look into it : the third mode is more eligible ; but as it is easily con- ceived, it is unnecessary to dwell further upon it ; the second mode would, perhaps, if properly used, be considered both the most economical, and most hand- some : figures cm. and cm.* are a plan and elevation according to this system ; the pinacotheca, or picture gallery, as well as the gallery of statues, are both rooms which are much better lighted by a skylight, than in any other way, as in these figures ; the other rooms, so lighted, might be baths, or any smaller rooms, when the mode of lighting is immaterial. Aspect. 79. It is a material object in a distribution to con- sider the aspect of the building ; there is no difficulty about any aspect but the west. The eastern sun you lose after noon ; the north aspect is not affected by the sun, and on a south aspect the sun in summer DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 187 always shines so perpendicularly, that the roof and eaves protect you from its annoyance, and only in the winter, when it is not only quite harmless, but rather acceptable, it enters the room ; the west, however, you have from mid-day to the very last ; if it was the fashion to rise with the sun, the eastern would be as bad : as it is necessary, therefore, to have but five rooms to the west, and as in most cases the fewest principal rooms are in front, the west is the most eli- gible aspect for the front, if that front is the entrance : in fig", cm., three out of five of the rooms in front look west, but are protected by the portico, the other two look north, and south, having- only sham windows in front. 80. The use of statues externally may by some be External J j j statues. considered unobjectionable ; it is, perhaps, not fair to say, that when the style is very great, and splendid, statues may not be in harmony with it, at the same time it must be observed they are no part of Archi- tecture ; and in the exterior the greatest efforts of the art are displayed, it seems not proper to introduce another art of a more striking description to contend with it ; there can hardly, however, be any objection to a terminal figure, such as a sphinx, lion, &c, to give a finish to the foundation of the centre, as at c c, fig. CHI*. 81. Warmth is a very desirable object in a house, warmth. and as pictures require it also, this is an additional reason for having the picture gallery, as in fig. cm. in the centre of the house, and also for having doors that shut of themselves at c, d, e y &ndj> and again at the 188 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. top of the stairs at g and h, where you ascend a second and narrower flight. Proportion 82. The proportion of rooms in cases where the dimensions very much vary, is often attended with some difficulty ; for if the larger rooms are made of a proper height, the smaller will be too high ; this, how- ever, is a practical consideration, which scarcely be- longs to these essays. Different 83. In distribution of all kinds we should attend to kinds of contrast, the different kinds of contrast as much as we did in the mere diathesis of a style. In fig. cm.* the con- trast of position is only discoverable in the roof at a and b ; it is much more observable in fig. cxvii., there occurring twice. contrast of 84. The contrast of general or simple form does simple ... form. not occur in the distribution of fig. cm.* though it might easily be introduced by making the portico cir- cular ; this, however, might, in this particular case, be considered as deficient in dignity ; it is at all events optional. Figures xcv. and xcvii. exhibit it perhaps more appropriately. contrast 85. The contrast of ornamental form, strictly speak- mentai ing, can hardly occur in a distribution ; (see essay 4, sect. 66, and essay 6, sect. 38, &c. ;) for as distribu- tion only regards whole styles, and not the parts of which they are composed, and as there is no style at present in use wholly composed of ornament, the con- trast of ornamental form cannot exist in a distribu- tion : there is, however, something very like it in almost every complex distribution ; for as ornament, as was observed in a former essay, is a concentrated DISTRIBUTION, OR THE OIKONOMIA OF VITRUVIUS. 189 mode or system of concentrated modes of diathesis, every style which possesses more concentrated modes of diathesis than another, is more ornamental than, and will form a contrast with, such other style ; and though this is allied to contrast of ornamental form, it might, perhaps, with more propriety, be called a con- trast of complex form. 86. Eurithmic contrast must frequently occur in Eurithmic distributions : in fig. cm.* it is in the ratio, or to use the Vitruvian phrase, in the analogy of one to four, or thereabouts ; the eurithmic contrast of the portico is in the analogy of 3 to 4. 87. Symmetric contrast has been treated of in sect. Symmetric 14 ; it will be seen, that in fig. cm.*, some advantage is taken of the observations at the end of section 28, and 29, essay 5 ; it will be remarked also, that in this figure the extreme sections of the design are not squares ; for their styles are so simple, that a further attention to simplicity was unnecessary. 88. The contrast of projection need not be pointed Contrast r J A of projec- out, as the reader will at once fix on the portico as tion - exhibiting it in most of the designs existing. 89. As in former essays we have drawn some hints Nature. from the great guide of all artists, Nature, it may be necessary to remark, that in this essay it will in some measure fail us ; for it is impossible in nature to draw any distinction between diathesis, and distributio ; so that we must be content with the observations on nature made in the sixth essay. 90. Distributio in Architecture, as was observed in Distributio of diathe- sect. 6, not displaying its use, differs, as well from sis the same in 190 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. nature as from diathesis, which both eminently dis- play it. supeno- gi jf m Architecture we would imitate nature, rity of na- * ture. we mus t do away with complex distributions, we must adhere entirely to the old Grecian model, to the four-sided figure, in which alone we can insure parts, which entirely display their use : (vide section 7 but perhaps it will not be denied, that, as Architec- ture cannot pretend to that endless and immeasurable variety of displayed usefulness, that belongs to nature, there may be some excuse for introducing a variety, which is not altogether so pure, and chaste, as it should be. Nature not 92. These considerations furnish additional proof, principle that Architecture in many instances, depends on prin- art. a}S ciples either distinct from, or only partly derived from nature ; and, though we cannot draw an analogy between them, nature may yet furnish useful hints. The most analogous thing to our present subject in nature, is the circumstance of all sorts of trees, houses, cattle, animals, scenery, occurring in the same land- scape ; and these, by the mere impossibility of their being arranged in mathematical order, furnish us with the idea, that the same discordant variety might be introduced into Architecture, if we only take care to have the contrasts as perfect, and complete, and separated by the same sufficiency of relief, and re- pose. END OF THE SEVENTH ESSAY /•'/V//..V.V !'///. /•»/ /.AT/A . , ==, == | 1 F FYf TT.TTT , M. ill J ■s :i ' », k °. o° N KJ00.1 6,uy#nbuvg H ■ iilU(flJ 1— Jf° ■ ' o o o o q D . v M_L B S ^j 5^ r • _ CZJ cz: r e □ I /■ — L- [ fray ;. o o d G O O O figXCYI. .v \Y Fid icva. modu/n'J"n sir,/.'. - s //«• rill Dr/\ loo oc : ■: Q Wan. 191 ESSAY VIII CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. Nee facundia deserit hunc, nee lucidus ordo, Ordinis lisec Virtus erit, et Venus, aut ego fallor. Hor. A. P. Poet. v. 41. Serve tur ad imum Qualis ab incepto processerit et sibi constet. Ibid. 126. 1. It has been somewhere justly said, " that it is Effect of the art on not for its utility alone," although in this it surpasses the mind by cha- every other of the fine arts, " that Architecture racter. stands pre-eminent as a polite and liberal art and study ; but as it inspires sentiment, fills the mind with great and noble ideas, enlarges our intellect, assists our judgment, and makes a lasting impression on our understanding and feelings." 2. These splendid qualities in this noble art are Consis- the effect of that consistency, harmony, and cha- hanmmy. racter, which the Architect of real taste almost in- stinctively bestows upon his productions, and without which no great architectural work is worthy of ex- istence. The two first of these qualities belong in 192 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. some measure to subjects we have already discussed : for consistency, or what is nearly the same thing, uniformity, necessarily exists wherever there is a just attention to taxis ; indeed the author of the Analysis of Beauty considers uniformity as excellent in no other way than as giving ideas of fitness ; this, therefore, belongs to the fourth essay : harmony also may be considered a refinement on proportion, and therefore belonging to the fifth essay. Notwithstanding this, we shall find them giving origin to a source of plea- sure, independent of the mere beauties of utility and proportion. Character 3 # This source of pleasure in Architecture, which, almost in- L stinctive, I sa y, the Architect of true taste almost instinctively introduces into his compositions, is the subject we are now entering upon, and which may be denomi- nated character ', because in character both consistency and harmony are essential requisites. allowed by 4^ j n a \\ a pr es Architects seem to have confessed othe some quality in a design coincident with this prin- The decor c ipl e : Vitruvius has not handed down to us the of \ ltru- 1 vius. Greek term for it, but he gives us the Latin term " decor," which seems the one most fairly to be con- sidered synonymous with it : decor, however, as it literally means nothing more than propriety, might as well be applied to any of the excellencies we have already discussed : but as part of his explanation ob- viously attaches to character, and as we shall in this excellence attain to the greatest degree of propriety and beauty, we may very properly consider the Latin word decor as technically the same as cha- racter. cor means cba- CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 1Q3 5. We must not, however, in this essay follow the Hwprac- J ticalexpla- M'-hole of Vitruvius's explanation, as he has in this, as nation, well as other excellencies, entered upon some practi- cal meaning-, relating not to the propriety of effect, but to that of natural existence : with this view, he divides it into the heads of " statio, consuetudo, and statio.con- natura ;" with this, however important, as evincing- natura. ' practical qualities, we have nothing- to do. (3. To show, however, the relationship, that decor Thatde has to propriety of effect or character, Vitruvius racter i says, " Decor autem est emendatus operis aspectus 1>ar probatis rebus cum auctoritate," he then goes on to the division alluded to above, taking occasion to notice, what is not foreign to our present subject, that the simplicity of some designs, the slenderness of others, the ornaments of others, " augere videbuntur justum decorem ;" he says also, " Si sedes Ionicre construerentur, habita erit ratio mediocritatis, quod et ab severo more Doricorum, et a teneritate Corin- thiorum temperabitur earum institutio proprietatis :" another passage to our purpose further on is, " Si enim interiora perfectus habuerint elegantes, aditus autem humiles et in honestos, non erunt cum decore :" all these passages fully authorize the application of decor to character, or consistent proprietv of effect. 7« It is somewhat remarkable, that Vitruvius should ee^i-io^os have given " ^efianafiog" as the Greek to the word " statio," above mentioned, and yet omitted to give any Greek to the other two, " consuetudo," and " natura •" it looks as if there was originally some- thing more in the meaning of the word $£fw.rurfxoQ, that the learning of the Yitruvian age could welj o 194 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. account for ; and as to the meaning-, Vitruvius as- signs it, Bernard Bald us and De Laet both agree in finding" fault with him, as Se^anG/nog literally means situs and not statio : we should hardly attach much importance to such nice verbal distinctions, were it not, that it seems as an additional proof, that Styiemo-- fwg did not originally mean, what Vitruvius explains it by ; it may be a question whether it might not in the time of the old Greeks be a technical word for character itself, and if so, would have nothing to do with either situs or statio, but acquire its meaning simply from its derivation from the word de/ua, and being the same to an architectural design, as the pro- positus, theme, or thesis, is to an argumentative com- position : but as our English word character will give the idea that is intended, without the aid of any foreign word, this question may here remain un- decided. Origin of 8. Character is a quality in building, which arises urcliit(?otii" ra] cbarac- from different combinations of the modifications of the different excellencies, we have in former essays considered uniformly and harmoniously combined ; its effect upon the feelings is well known ; we know and feel, that the Doric gives the idea of strength, and the Corinthian of lightness, we know also, that both these orders have specimens very different from each other, and that a different idea is conveyed by each variety : we know, that in different specimens of the Doric the greatest herculean firmness, and the most elegant concinnity may be discovered, and that in specimens of the Corinthian, both the extremes of lightness and richness may exist. ceive. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 195 9. But when we consider the numerous modifica- difficult to i • 1 • o 1 n r mi study and tions, which arise trom the excellencies, thus tar lllus- to con- trated, it must be evident, that to understand and explain character, which is founded on such variety, cannot but be the most difficult part of this under- taking- : in fact, no one could hope either to state every character, that might by possibility exist, the different ways in which any one character may be ex- hibited, the best tactic style adapted to any one chosen character, or the best way of exhibiting- a chosen cha- racter, (the tactic style being- chosen also.) The artist, who excels in character, should not only have a g-eneral knowledg-e of the excellencies, and modes of composition, by which character is brought about, but should feel the full force, and power of those dif- ferent excellencies, and modes : each character is, indeed, produced in perfection by the strong, and eclectic powers alone of some peculiar talent ; and the Architect may as well attempt to fly, as to expect to produce character, while he grovels on in the modern mean-spirited system of copying from an- tiquity : let him study antiquity, most undoubtedly ; let him learn to appreciate its beauties ; but let him understand the principles, upon which those brilliant examples were formed for pleasing ; and let him not despise himself, if he finds himself inclined to shrink humbly, when he compares his own efforts with them ; for even among the ancient Greeks he will find, that whole ages elapsed between the summit of excellence of two different orders : the Doric and Co- rinthian orders were each the offspring of the genius of the period, in which they existed, (vide essay iv. o 2 1{)() THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. sect. 31 ;) and though both were governed by the same unerring principles, each partook of a different scheme, and a different spirit. Difficult to iq # 'With these considerations, I feel how feeble treat of. my efforts must be in the investigation of the princi- ples of architectural character ; it will be something, however, if I only point out some of the first steps, with a hope, that some bolder talent will rear the Av ° id ! he first trophy. It appears to me in the first place, we association must avoid considering the principle of the association of ideas. ° 1 l of ideas, as being of any use to us in this subject ; for though we might trace it to that source, it would be dangerous to build on, as a principle, as it generally involves the consideration of something besides the matter in question : it is very delightful and very ap- propriate in the connoisseur, when he sees a Grecian temple or a Roman shield, to recall to his mind the poetic mythology of antiquity or the actions of im- mortal heroes ; the painter and the sculptor also, as they cultivate imitative arts, cannot produce a great work without a knowledge of mankind past and present, and what springs from that, the association of ideas : but the Architect follows an art, that stands on its own basis, and is nearly unconnected with na- tural objects, past or present. 11. The association of ideas is an inconvenient system, because it is impossible to confine it to any definite rules; it is not only unlimited in its own na- ture, but causes the same objects to make different impressions upon different individuals. It is con- p. Knight fessed by P. Knight, (part 2, ch. 2,) and by Lock, (b. 2, ch. 33,) that the association of ideas is a species CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 197 of madness; it is the origin of all the miseries, that arise from romantic love on one side, and unfounded prejudice on the other, the effect of which with some people is, that one good or bad action will stamp a person's character most unjustly for life : even in the most trivial affairs, we may trace the powerful but erroneous effect of this propensity of mental associa- tion ; the most comfortable room, with persons who give way to this feeling, would be rendered an object of disgust, if a person had only been confined to it for some time as a prisoner or invalid, and perhaps the very form of the particular cup, in which he took his physic, would make him shudder. Without, however, multiplying examples, it is sufficiently evident, that as considerable error may be the consequence of associa- tion even to the strongest reasoner, it is better not to have too much reference to it even on the subject of character, which is perhaps more connected with it, than any subject we have yet considered. (Vide post, sect. 82.) 12. It will be found on minute consideration, that Associa- the association of ideas is only capable of producing igneous*" erroneous conclusions, when any of the ideas asso- * cleas .™ 0:St * injuiious* ciated do not really and intrinsically belong to the object, subject, or material form in question ; if, how- ever, we can, as we have done, find several primitive sources of pleasure, as the natural foundation of our art, if we can, as we have done, trace their modifica- tion, then we may infer, that the association of ideas arising from those primitive sources of pleasure, and their modifications, would be the means of affording that pleasure, which would be unalloyed by prejudice or tortuous associations. 198 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Associa- 13. It will be our business then in the considera- tion of first _ . . . principles, tion ot architectural character, to draw our arguments from the considerations we have been gradually, and consistently endeavouring to trace in the former essays. Uniform- 1 i* Character, however, besides thus springing from the other excellencies, has one of its own, with- out which it cannot possibly exist ; this is uni- Harmony. foi'inity, or harmony a modification of uniformity, which though, as observed in the second section, has been already partially enforced from other principles, has yet some independent qualities, which should not be overlooked. Uniformity 15. The co-existence of uniformity and variety has arts. been before noticed, and particularly in the seventh essay, sect. 00. It is upon the true and proper use of these contending principles, which are both equally pleasing to the human mind, that the beauties of other in music, arts besides Architecture, seem to depend. In music we see it in several ways ; there is a variety in the succession of the notes, and a uniformity in the mark- ing of time, variety in the evolutions, uniformity in the cadences, variety in the modes of accompaniment, uniformity in the key and tune ; there is also a sepa- rate contrast in music, brought about by harmony and discord ; these two qualities indeed seem to be very much to the ear what uniformity and variety are to the eye. Where discords are to be used in musical composition depends on the feeling, taste, and judg- ment of the master ; so also it must depend on the feeling, taste, and judgment of the Architect, where variety ought to occur ; it is perhaps not unworthy CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 1{)[) of remark, that (as was observed in essay 7» sect. 91) the older masters in Architecture were content with the uniformity of a simple distribution, so also the older masters in music were content without the use of discords. UNIFORMITY. 16. Uniformity, which we find by Sir Joshua inpaint- . tog- Reynolds recommended, as characterising a sound and regular taste, will be found as much the soul of the nobler efforts of Architecture, as harmony is of music, and therefore deserves our most intimate at- tention : it would indeed have been worthy of a sepa- rate essay, were it not, that it derives its principal in Archi- iinportance from being the handmaid of character ; handmaid it would indeed be barren insipidity, and unworthy ter! 1 of a place, unless as the corner-stone of that principle, which when handled by the fingers of taste and talent, makes the most permanent impression on the human mind. But before we proceed to the applica- tion of uniformity for the purpose of character, we must consider the different kinds of uniformity. 17. The first kind is the uniformity of use, or taxis. Uniformity 01 tux IS Whatever beauties there may be in varieties, character requires in most cases, either that there should be but one style, or if there are more styles than one, (as in a complex distribution is sometimes the case,) those different styles should in some of their leading features be similar : it is unnecessary to enforce this, as it is almost self-evident ; for though it is quite pos- sible to make, for instance, a trabe-columnal style 200 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. equally light or equally heavy, with an archi-columnal style, it is clear they could never harmonize unless something like repose intervened, and the leading members were similar ; and it is still more obvious, that two of the same style require still greater prox- imity : let it not be imagined that the propyloea at Athens is an example in opposition to this ; for it must be remembered, that though both Doric and Ionic columns occur in the design, they are not both in the same facade. in mould- 18. In mouldings it is still more obviously neces- sary to attend to uniformity of use; for as they can- not aspire to that important variety that the larger features do, nothing is so desirable as that they should be minutely appropriate, and come in aid of the general character : it is true, that this will cause the same form frequently to recur, this arises from the paucity of uses there must necessarily be in Archi- tecture, as observed in essay v. section 41, et seq. ; so that the variety must have arisen from the accom- paniments to each part, so far similar, (vide essay vii. section 58, et seq. ;) but even in nature we see the recurrence of the same forms ; the nail in the human body for instance, occurs twenty times, and in each we see an obvious reason and use for the slight variety that exists in it. of form, iQ, The considerations of the form varying' with varying J ° with the the use, does not seem to have been sufficiently at- use, tended to, so that remarkable arguments have been drawn from a contemplation of nature. Michael Angelo seems to have made a mystery of composition, when he states, that " the nose in the middle of the CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. '201 lace," (see his life by Duppa, p. L 2 L 2l, and 1-55,) "does not depend on the one eye or the other." No, be- cause the uses are different ; no part has a similar use to the nose : but though the nose is not immediately yet still in like the eye, it is still in uniformity with it, as to the with™' as kind of forms used ; for we find all the features in a f forms" 1 handsome countenance composed of modifications of composed the same kind of curves, so that the accustomed ob- of ' server may, even from inspecting the hand, or ear, make a shrewd guess at the kind of nose, and chin, &c, of the person it belongs to ; hence, also, on the same principle, in a more striking way, if we wish to represent some disgusting monster, we give him the arms of a man, the cloven feet, claws, or legs of a brute, or perhaps form such an animal as a mermaid from other materials, where Turpiter atrani Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superae. Hor. A. P. v. 3. 20. Here, however, we are trespassing upon the uniformity next kind of uniformity which occurs to our notice, the uniformity of mere form : these might be classified under the heads of simple and ornamented : it is un- necessary here to dwell upon the variety of curved lines, as that has been noticed in the fourth essay, sections 13, 14, and 15", as well as the reason for not classifying them. 21. The uniformity of mere form, which is in fact orcharac- the only real characteristic uniformity in Architec- iSmnity ture, may be observed in all good specimens ; the 202 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. in the Do- characteristic uniformity in the Doric order, is that nc order. ** ** ' of the straight line ; this may be observed in every specimen, more or less, though each may have a dif- ferent character ; in the hypoethral temple at Paes- tum, no curved moulding occurs in the entablature, but a very small arc of a cavetto above the corona ; the portico of Philip, at Delos, is the same, with a cyma in the same place ; the Parthenon is the same, with an ovolo in the same place ; in the trabeation of the temple of Theseus, at Athens, curved mouldings are wholly excluded ; in the Propyloea at Athens, however, the trabeation has three curved mouldings ; in the temple of Jupiter Nemoeus, between Argos and Corinth, only one ; this is before noticed, in the fourth essay, section 62. (Vide Aikin on the Doric.) when it 22. It must be observed, that though the straight racterit- line predominates in the Doric, it is bv no means the self - i-i • only essential to the character of the Doric, as we shall presently see ; a similar observation will occur in speaking of other characteristic forms, though in most cases they help very much to promote cha- racter, in the io- 23. The characteristic uniformity, in the Ionic or- nic order. *. der, is that of the curve ; this, however, only occurs in the conspicuous members, the capital, the frieze, and base, (see fig. 5,) which are at sufficient intervals to carry on the effect. hi the Co- 24. The characteristic form of the Corinthian or- rinthian order. der is ornament, this also only occurs at intervals. Norman 25. The characteristic form of the Norman style is style. ^ J Saxon. a tendency to points ; that of the Saxon style large CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF V1TRUVIUS. 203 curves ; thus we might proceed to notice other styles, where the characteristic form, more or less, not only aids character, but even in some cases takes the place of it, in which latter cases its modifications are as in- numerable as form itself. (Fig. xx. is an elliptic com- position ; see also section 59-) 26. The necessity for this characteristic uniformity cbaracte- alone would make it evident, how absurd it would be, fonnity (though indeed the mind, without considering why, portant. would sufficiently revolt at it,) to place triglyphs above an Ionic, or Corinthian pillar, or a curved or carved cornice over a Doric frieze ; it so happens, however, that the Doric shaft carries least of its cha- racteristic form, being cylindrical, and this is done because a square pillar, though bearing more of the characteristic form, bears less of the real character of strength ; hence, therefore, it happens, that the mere Doric pillar may be combined with many other friezes : it is however generally out of character to combine two different kinds of window in the same simple distribution, as destructive of characteristic uniformity. 27. It was observed in the sixth essay, section 31, Uniformity 11111P1 . . aided by a that by the help of the contrast of position, we may contrast of -. . . , , . „ position. introduce variety without departing from one form, still greater of course if we add one or two forms to it : the system there noticed, may be very well intro- duced in internal Architecture, and would aid very much, what we are now speaking of, characteristic uniformity. 28. A third kind of uniformity is just the reverse Uniformity of the preceding, for wherever the uniformity o/*° pos 204 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. form occurs, the contrast may be in position ; the converse of uniformity of form, or characteristic uni- formity, will be a uniformity of position. ,,s,s 29. In cases of uniformity of position, those where occurs. the mere form varies, are commonly met with, and are sufficiently obvious not to require any observations here ; but whether there be no variety at all, or whether it exists in mere form, taxis, or proportion, it is obvious for the purposes of distinctness alone, (see essay vi. section 23,) which is so necessary to the elucidation of this as well as other excellencies ; uniformity of position is desirable, that is, it is de- sirable that there should not be a useless variety of position j thus it is desirable, that windows nearly in a line, and at equal distances, should be quite so ; and that where the arch of a window, and the arch of a style, spring- from points in the same line exactly, the effect is better than when they spring- from points only nearly in a line, because we thus avoid a useless distinction, and preserve unconfused whatever con- duces to the character of the building- ; this last de- sideratum we see frequently missed in old Gothic specimens. Uniformity 30. Uniformity of proportion, or what may be per- ofpropor- • i ii i 7 i tion, or haps appropriately called harmony, next draws our attention. No one would think of putting a heavy epistyle on a slender style, or a light and airy epistyle on a solid and heavy style ; but uniformity of propor- tion involves more than this, it involves the propriety of abstaining from all variety of proportion, except that for which a good reason can be assigned ; among other things, it draws our attention to the recurrence harmony. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 205 of a module or modules in the design, as was noticed in the fifth essay, section 21 ; by this the least possible variety is insured in parts which least require it, which in some cases will be found very much in aid of cha- racter, as it promotes distinctness, and by not making- too much diathesis, gives effect to that, which really ought to exist. 31. AVith these preliminaries we may proceed to Character J 1 a refine- the consideration of character itself. I need not ex- mem on m what is al- plain further, what is meant by character, as hardly ready cor- any thing we do with a view of producing an effect, is without this principle ; it is already sufficiently de- fined and illustrated in section 8 and the following ; and as it arises from the different combinations of modifications of the other excellencies, it is obvious we cannot expect to have character exist, unless we have all the excellencies in the first instance in perfec- tion ; without this it would be as absurd to expect character, as it would be to expect the sun to shine through thick November fogs ; it may perhaps be from not feeling the full powers of architectural composition, that many modern Architects have been so unsuccessful in their attempts : the great Michael Angelo himself, though so sublime in his conception of painting and sculpture, (arts founded wholly on the well known principles of imitation,) is found fault with by many, as inferior in his buildings to the cha- racteristic energy of the ancients. 32. It is not, however, a mere want of knowledge Various & tastes of the analysis of architectural beauty, that impedes the advancement of this art ; a want of knowledge of human nature, and the various habits and feelings of 20G THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. man, is quite as much to be regretted ; this will hardly he considered a paradox, when we reflect upon the variety of our habits, notions, and sympathies, and the variety of the characters or qualities of ex- cellence there is to work upon our senses ; we are too apt to give way to our feelings and prejudices, injndg- rather than to our judgments ; one man prefers the ment of x animal beauty of the swan, another that of the dove, though, beautv; * ° as Sir Joshua Reynolds observes, there may be no superiority on either side, injudg- 33. The same thing may be observed in our admi- raent of . , . . . . human ration of other things : in our opinions of personal beautv, one will admire a dark and expressive face, another a fair and delicate one ; one symmetry in straight, and another symmetry in undulating fea- tures ; one admires the intellectual, another the sen- timental style of countenance ; one the delicate and elegant, another the handsome and robust ; thus we might go on to many other styles, which are equally beautiful, but distinctly different, and admired in dif- ferent ratios by different people: indeed so completely are people governed by prejudice, which, though in- jurious to art, is in this and in many cases so benefi- cial to society, that an African is quite as much dis- gusted with the white colour of Europeans, as we are by his colour ; though the artist, who has pure ideas of the abstract perfections of nature, in great measure does away with their prejudices, and can find expression and character, quite as much among Africans as Europeans ; though certainly to so pre- vailing and natural a prejudice as this, the artist should in some degree submit, not however debarring him- CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 207 self the opportunity the world affords, of introducing' endless variety and contrast. 34. A taste for particular characters not only pre- in periods .-, i i . • i • i i an d coun- vails m particular persons, but in particular ages, and tries. countries, (vide essay 1, sect. 5,) as we see in that uni- formity of fashion, which so often pervades the most opposite things ; thus in the stately days of our ances- tors, when even the trees and shrubs bore the signs in shrub- of the times, in their stately avenues, and formal groups, the ladies' head-dresses, in harmony with all in dress. around, rose in lofty pinnacles, and they themselves seemed to glide along on the broad circumference of a furbellowed hoop, dragging after them a six yards' train. 35. Dress, however, must always be preposterous; Dress must for as we all sufficiently feel the beauty and perfection terous. of the human figure, we cannot help tacitly making a comparison between the beauty of nature, and the im- becility of art in dress, which is an appendage to what is already perfect : this being the case, and as we must dress, it is not wonderful that fashion should be con- stantly changing ; that ladies should be at one time buttoned up to the throat, at another exposed to the playful breeze ; that at one time they should be laced up with whalebone into the form of petticoated cro- codiles, at another displaying all the elegance of form nature bestowed upon them ; that we should at one time see them buried in an enormous bonnet, at another in an enormous frill, and then again in the diminutive extreme ; this is not levelled at the other sex, for our own is as bad, and it must necessarily be so : indeed it must be confessed, that the ladies, 'JOS THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. through every extreme, still show the most taste, and are generally able to select something- adapted to their own individual form, or countenance. Variety of 36. It is unnecessary, and impossible to state every other thing", in which variety of character may be disco- vered ; but so prevalent is it, that I really believe a man's propensities might be discovered, by an accurate observer, by sending him into a garden to make a nosegay: if you were thus to employ any number of persons, each one would select different flowers, and arrange them in different ways ; one would have a gay, another an elegant nosegay ; one a glaring and diffuse, another a delicate nosegay ; one a towering, another a pendant nosegay ; and so on in many varie- ties. Character has in the same manner been disco- vered by a person's hand-writing, his manner of walk- ing, his mode of speaking, nay even the shape of his hat. The human 37. It may not be useless to take a survey of the species. different characters that exist in the human species : that there are such, I presume, is generally admitted ; and it must also be presumed, that whatever character may exist in any individual, as far as form is con- cerned, it is to be traced throughout the whole figure. I of course speak of that character, which is strictly phisiognomy, and which Lavater distinguishes very naturally from pathognomy, displaying the propen- sities of intellect, and not those of passion, for the latter are confined almost wholly to the muscles of the face. Phisiog- 38. It is the existence of these positive, or intrinsic nomv, era- ... ^.^ niology, characters, that gives rise to the different theories of palmistry. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 209 physiognomy, craniology, and palmistry, all which have their sceptics, and perhaps with justice ; for if the same character pervades the whole system, of which there is no doubt, except in cases of deformity, each of these sciences, which treat of only certain parts of that uniform system, should be founded on the same theory. This, however, is not the case ; the modern science of craniology in particular, though it has been very fashionable, and even now has many friends, is treated with great contempt by very emi- nent anatomists, because it goes diametrically opposite to all received opinion; instead of conceiving, that a har- mony of system pervades the whole body, modern era- Modem • i*i • craniology. niologists suppose character displayed in single bumps in various parts of the head, which they call organs, and measure, as if they were actually cones with the apex inside the head, which however they do not pre- tend to be really the case, because anatomists would contradict them, though they have an instrument by which they measure a man's intellect as if it was matter ; if this system were altogether to be depended on, I should expect on dissecting the head, though I did not find it composed of different regular sub- stances, like the pigs in an orange, I should at least expect to find as much difference between the struc- ture of one organ, and another, as there is between the eye, and the ear, the organs of seeing, and hear- ing : but this is not the case. Some of these organs may, however, be admissible, and perhaps they are right in fixing on the head as the centre of our intel- ligence. p l 210 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. The mind. of). Various theories have been set up for disposing of the thinking- part of our system ; one man supposes it in the heart, another in the stomach, another in the head ; some persons have objected to supposing" it any where in particular, as tending- to materialism, and suppose it either not confined to space, or diffused over the whole system ; such an objection, however, seems to have no foundation ; for thoug-h the soul is undoubtedly immaterial, it is as easy to conceive it may make the brain, or any other part the prime org-an of its connexion with the body, or that light and sound make the eye, and ear the organs of their connexion with it : from the brain proceeds the nervous fluid, therefore if this idea be admitted, the soul does in fact pervade the whole body. Amative- 40. The organ which modern craniologists call the organ of amativeness, which, they say, indicates a propensity to love, is the only organ for which a rational reason can be given ; they place it at the back of the head, and it is easy to suppose it is an in- crease of the meduella oblongata, which proceeding from the cerebrum and cerebellum, gives rise to the meduella spinalis, and the wonderfully ramified system of the nervous fluid, and it is quite possible to ima- gine, that in so nervous a propensity as love, an in- creased capacity for it maybe exhibited in the increase of that organ ; but then I would not measure it by a craniometer, but by the form, and bearings of the body it acts on ; here then, though I admit the organ, I should be at issue as to the mode of ascertaining its powers, nor do I think it could be ascertained by it^ ness CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 211 own form at all ; I should rather proceed to examine where it exhibits itself in the system generally, to which we have above traced it. 41. Were I to indulge in proposing a scheme on a scheme ofjihysiog- physiognomy, I would suppose, that as the mind ope- nomy pro- rates on the brain, and as we have traced the brain through the nervous system to every part of the body, so every part of the body, being in most subjects in har- mony together, would be also in harmony with the mind, and in its formation exhibit something analo- gous to the mental powers of the individual. I would suppose that there are three fundamental ways, in which the mind is so exhibited in the body, by its vio- lence, its delicacy ', and its accuracy ; these, however, would not be perceived in children, because their minds have not begun to be active, though they must begin very early. A science founded on this or any other system, must be very complicated and difficult, and more so in practice, than in theory, as every countenance will have some slight traits of most op- posite qualities, as the mind may vacillate between one pursuit, and another, and be affected by sickness, deformity, climate, study, and various other things : in order, however, to understand the system, we must proceed to consider the subject, as if no such difficulties occurred ; we shall thus be able to trace more accu- rately the complications to be found in nature. 42. It should be in the first place remarked, that The mi - i • • nute ^ ea " we are not merely to consider the principal features, turestobe ot) served* as the eyes, nose, mouth, &c, but the smaller parts, of which these are composed, as for instance those of p 2 Jl'- THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. the nose, the ridge, the cartilaginous substance at the extremity of it, called acrorision, the globulus, or tip of the nose, the nostrils, the alee or wings of the nose, and the columna or partition, and so of every other feature, of which the anatomy must first be studied, though it is unnecessary to enlarge on it here. Ardour. 43. First, then, when the operating powers of the mind are violent, it is easy to conceive, that ardour and perseverance would be the result, and if un- Obstinacy. checked by reason, obstinacy ; we can also conceive the violent character of the mind to produce promi- nence of features, which Mould therefore betray this character : the face of the great Pitt, of Frederick the Great of Prussia, and others, whose ardour and per- severance are sufficiently known, but whose faces are wholly different in form, will not only illustrate this position, but show how, in different forms, very dif- ferent countenances may show the same character ; nor is it likely, that the particular pursuit would be indicated by the countenance, except it were by some pathognomical, or accidental circumstance. (Vide sect. 37.) It may be proper to mention here, that as there would be the same prominence of the bones in every part of the body, so that particular prominence, which the craniologists of Dr. Gall's school call the organ of murder, would invariably exist in subjects of this de- scription, though often without one particle of murder- ous propensity ; for this organ of murder is nothing more than that projecting part of the scull, which pro- tects the auditory organs : as this science is allowed by themselves to be founded more upon the observation CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 213 of subjects in nature, than on any anatomical system, it is not astonishing- that this protuberance should have been fixed upon as the organ of murder ; as in hundreds of cases ardour, and perseverance, which would be portrayed by this lump being- greater, are, when directed to a bad cause, the origin of murder ; though it would follow, as a matter of course, that in those not less numerous cases, where actual cowardice, fear of detection, reckless despair, and a habit of con- stant depravity, without one particle of either ardour or perseverance, have been the cause of murder, this lump would not be found. 44. It may be inferred secondly, that when the Sensibi- operating powers of the mind are delicate, a corre- sponding delicacy of feature might betray sensibility, and fine feeling, and that hope, credulity, and enthu- siasm might be certain modifications of these, as we shall see further on. The heads of Shakspeare, Milton, and many of our poets, illustrate this in a variety of different forms. 45. From a marked, decided, and accurate delinea- Percep- tion of features, we might also expect a regular and accurate perception, or intelligence : heads of Newton, Locke, and other philosophers will furnish proofs of this ; though not only a fondness for the abstruse, but for all sorts of sciences, might be depicted in the style of countenance, not omitting music, painting, &c., though a greater inclination to one in particular, might be inferred from the features in the neighbour- hood of the organ of sight, hearing, &c, to which the particular art or science belongs, displaying more of tion. 214 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. these indications, as observed further on, section 50 : pathonomical and incidental indications would also help to increase the inference of a fondness for the fine arts, music, &c. ; such as that placid and harmo- nious style of feature which the soothing state of mind, that universally accompanies these studies, na- turally induces. Three pro- 4^ f rom these three modes of operation there- pensities x the origin f ore f ^he men tal powers, the violent, the delicate. of the rest. x and the accurate, arise the indication of those pro- pensities, which we may call ardour, sensitiveness, and perception ; and these, or at least some modification or modifications of them, are perhaps the origin of all the rest, as I shall now proceed in a very superficial manner to show. Combined, 47. First, then, of their combination ; it is easy produce > .111 to conceive, that perception would check ardour, and caution produce rational caution. The union of imagination (which is a modification of sensitiveness or fine cSuHtv' 1 ' feeling) and ardour might produce hope, faith, cre- enthusi- dulity, and enthusiasm. A certain modified combi- nation of imagination and perception might produce talent, ex- invention and talent, and if combined with ardour, nius, ge " towering genius. So also ardour and perception magnani- m ight produce greatness of soul, or magnanimity. The three 48. If the combinations of these propensities would vJtonab- produce new characters, so also would the absence place t ve of any. The absence of perception and sensitiveness passions, m jgj 1 t produce cruelty, this with a superabundance of brutality, ardour would produce brutal 'if//, and a murderous inunk'rous ., mi 1 r J ' 1 j. 1 propen- propensity, lhe absence ot ardour might produce sity, CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. c 215 shyness, suspicious caution, and timidity, and if JjJJJJjJ^, there was also an absence of perception, of course caution, I r timidity, stupidity. ™ d stli i"- 4Q. A perverted or distorted existence, and awk- The three ward delineation of any of these three signs of cha- perverted, racter, might produce a still further class. Perverted ardour might produce a miser, a deceitful, and a a miser, peevish person, and, in some cases, a proud or vain fretfuiness, i'ii pride, character. Imagination perverted might produce a vanity, silly fool, or an ideot. Perverted perception might idiotcy, . lii/^' • 7 fanaticism, produce a melancholy janatic, or raging madman. madness. 50. The operating powers of the mind might also be directed to the sensible organs, as observed, sect. 45, and thus designate a fondness or dislike for music, of the arts. drawing, &c. and particular kinds and styles of them. 51. It may be observed, that all these characters These cha~ may exist in a great variety of different forms, as all exist in numerous the distinctions, which have thus far been drawn, f or ms. refer to eurithm, symmetry, and the diathesis of pro- jection: it would be impossible to give specimens of all this variety, it will be sufficient for our present pur- pose to illustrate the three fundamental propensities of section 46 in four different forms. Figures civ. a, Examples. civ. b, civ. c, and civ. d, exhibit the four forms I have chosen out of the endless variety that exists in nature ; the general idea of forms, from which they are deduced, are shown in front of each face, they may be called the straight, the arched, the hollow, and the fleshy, these four exhibit no character, a cir- cumstance hardly ever to be met with. Figures civ. e, civ. f, civ. g, and civ. h, give specimens of 210 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. the character of ardour (see sect. 43) in the same four generic forms of straight, arched, hollow, and fleshy : these are a little exaggerated to show the principle more clearly. Figures civ. i, civ. k, civ. l, and civ. M, show sensitiveness (see sect. 44) in the same forms ; we frequently may trace this character in the faces of amiable women. Figures civ. n, civ. o, civ. P, and civ. q, show perception; (see sect. 45 ;) of course such outlines as these cannot embrace all the small parts mentioned in sect. 42. Nature alone is the school for this science, though I should have no hesitation in referring to the plates in the best edition of Lavater for the proof of the above simple theory, as I find it consistent with his expla- nation in all essential points, though in many cases the indications are very much aided by the impres- sions which are caused by pathonomical excitements, which frequently leave marks which even the inex- perienced eye can hardly mistake. It should be here Sanguine, remarked, that the sanguine and choleric of Lavater choleric, ° meiancho- are perhaps modifications of the ardent, and his me- lie of . . Lavater. lancholic is perhaps a diseased or irregular character, as its forms are incomplete and unadjusted. 52. It is obvious, that for a person to make him- self master of the science of physiognomy on this or any other system, he must study a multitude of dif- ferent countenances, he must rely on the ipse dixit of no one, but make use of all his own judgment, feel- ing, and experience, to trace the different modifica- tions of eurithm, symmetry, and diathesis : and though a simple and natural system might aid him in his classifications, the less he subdivides principles the Imperfec- tion of all rules. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OV VITRUVIUS. 217 better ; as it would be impossible for any rules to em- brace every case. 53. No material use can be made of this science The sci- in Architecture, further than the mental practice in physiog- studying it, unless it be to draw the mind to the KtSfuse reflection, that out of the mere principles of eurithm, lecture. 1 " symmetry, and the diathesis of projection, upwards of twenty-four different classifications are produced, which are only a small proportion of the variety which might exist, and that by adding to these the modifica- tions arising out of the varieties of form, innumerable numbers would arise : nor of course is it material to Architecture, whether the system of physiognomy, I have ventured to propose, is available or not. 54. In addition to this innumerable variety of ofpatbog- characters, which depend on the immoveable forma- tion of the bones, sinews, and cartilages, there are others which depend on the moveable properties of the muscles ; these are the temporary display of the operations of the mind in the passions, as of anger, love, hope, joy, &c, this forms the science of pa- thognomy, (see sect. 37,) a much more easy science than that we have just discussed. Whether the de- signs of Le Brim, which illustrate all the passions, Le Bran. have the merit some people assign them, seems to be a matter of doubt ; but perhaps the numerous vile prints of them that are to be met with, tend very much to the disrepute of the originals, which may perhaps have much merit : were they however ever so good, they would be of very little use to the artist, as every passion might be represented in innumerable different ways, it would not only vary with the in- 218 THE MUSIC OF Till: EYE. No new- science. tell I'd, but with the form of every different coun- tenance. 55. As every one has admitted the existence of this display of passion in the face, as all will confess, that " Aperta la via per gli ocelli al core." (Petrarca, son. 3.) Love, admira- tion, jov, hope, sorrow, sullenness, despair, contempt, malice, anger, hatred, fear, shame, it may not be useless to examine them ; though this will of course be done in a very summary way. 56. In the passions of love, admiration, joy, and hope, we see the same sparkling of the eye, and gentle smile, only that a variety arises from the cause of the passion, and the degree the person is affected by it, or appears to be so ; in fact, all the agreeable passions are displayed in a very similar manner, though the extreme of them, laughter, is very different, owing to the irresistible convulsions produced : the disagree- able passions are rather more varied ; in sorrow, sallcnness, and despair, the features are more or less relaxed and inactive, and the eye either fixed or cast down ; in contempt, the corner of the mouth is drawn down, and the under lip raised, and in some counte- nances curled ; in malice, anger, and hatred, which are modifications of the same, the expression will very much vary according to the dignity or mean- ness, the beauty or handsomeness of the individual, though some of the most natural ways in which it shows itself, are a contracted brow, a wild eve, with either compressed teeth or lips ; fear generally shows itself in a wild glaring eye and open mouth ; shame, which as Locke savs, book ii. ch. xx. s. 17, is not CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 219 always accompanied by blushing, is generally ex- pressed by a downcast eye ; all these, and whatever other characters or modifications of character may exist, are materially affected by the attitude of the whole body, and the artist should of course study them in all their varieties. 57. It will be obvious, that the passions are quite ail very as much varied by form, as the propensities of in- ried. tellect before discussed, all which should be accu- rately studied by the scientific artist : there seems, however, to be no reason to suppose, that mere general form, distinguished from the particular form General of the lesser features of the face, has any thing to do indicative with intellect, still less with passion ; there is little physiog- doubt, that the straight, and curved or parrot nose, patho g °- r and various other forms, may belong to a similar nomy ' kind of mind : we cannot, however, classify the dif- ferent forms in the human countenance, as they are innumerable, and would produce an inexhaustible variety of investigation. It may here be again re- marked, that the passions above enumerated, when habitually indulged in, will in many instances leave Lasting •,..-, impres- such impressions on the countenance, that no one sionsofthe would hesitate in recognising them ; hence arise our paS ideas of virtue and vice depicted in a countenance ; indicat these, however, are frequently uncertain, and some- and times unjust, though it would be entering further into the subject, than our present purpose requires, to show the minutiae of this part of the science of pathognomy. 58. It may be consistent here to notice a very broad and universal distinction in the forms of the ions of virtue vice. 220 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Of human male and female figures. Of the male. Of the female. A more masculine variety in fig. cvi. human race, namely, those which are found to per- vade the male, and those which pervade the female form ; these arise only from a different kind of curve ; but as they produce a decided distinction throughout the human creation, they should not be overlooked. 59. In viewing" the characteristic form in the figure of the male, it will be found the curves are abrupt, full of vivid and muscular sinuosities, and the bones conspicuous ; while, in the female, the curves are more undulating, the transitions from one to the other gentle, and the bones more concealed : I have ven- tured to illustrate this in figs. civ. and cv., which are two legs of a male and female drawn in outline ; it will be seen from thence, and it must be evident on consideration, that proportion has but little to do with the distinctive outline of male and female : it has been before noticed (essay v. sect. 43) how far proportion affects it, and that size has more to do with it than mere relative proportions ; it will, however, enable us better to see the nature of the distinction of form, which is the most important distinction, to draw these legs of the same size, and in the parts numbered they are drawn to the same proportion also, which gives an additional facility of seeing the distinction of form. 60. In order to show a still more masculine variety, and of more Herculean strength, fig. cvi. is con- trived, so as to preserve the same proportion in the parts marked on the same scale, varying only in the sinuosity of the muscles : as this, however, is not an essay on either painting, sculpture, or anatomy, it is not necessary to carry the subject any further. These CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. c 2 l 21 figures, and the observations on them, will be suffi- cient to show, that though proportion will add very great variety to the human figure, and will enable the imitative artist to distinguish between the light and elegant proportions of an Atalanta or Mercury, and the more stately and dignified delineation of a Jupiter or a Juno, or the still more solid construction of a Hercules, yet it is form that principally distin- guishes the sex. 6l. It is the distinction of form, so visible in the This dis- tinction male and female of the human race, that probablv introduced ... . . intoArchi- might be conveyed more into Architecture than any tecture, other distinction we have above noticed : in fact, ancient Greece is in some measure an authority for it ; for the Ionic order (see sect. 23 of this essay, and fig. v.) has certainly some of the characteristics of female form ; and the Doric order, when the ovolo under the abacus is formed, as in fig. 1., approaches more to the male form, though a much greater proximity than either of them may be possible ; and if barely possible, could only be the production of happy genius, talent, and study. In ornament, how- and better ever, as we are not tied down to the stubborn prin- menJ ciples of taxis, and have a larger field to select from, it would be very easy to make a thousand different designs, exhibiting not only the characteristics of the male and female of the human race, but many other characteristic forms ; as specimens of this, fig. evil, and cviii. are intended to show the characteristic forms, the first of the human female, the second of the human male ; in these figures, in order to show the difference of form in a more striking manner, the into orna- 222 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Circles harmonize with the female form, and ellipses with the male. I low ap- plied. Forms of children. The circle a primitive form throughout the crea- tion. general eurithm and principal symmetries are the same in each, and are marked in numbers at the side and top. 62. From what was noticed in sect. 59, we may see that the forms in the malo are abrupt, those in the female easy : hence, therefore, in order to draw these observations to a more certain standard, the forms that are to harmonize with the female figure should be whole, or parts of circles ; and the forms that are to harmonize with the male figure should be whole, or parts of ellipses. A very little observation will show the artist when this is not true, as so general a rule cannot be universally so in such a matter, per- haps the principal cases in which it is not true, are when curves by contrast are made to appear different from what they really are. 63. Hence, therefore, a circular arch, a common Gothic arch, or a waving line similar to fig. cix. would be in harmony with the forms of a female figure ; while the elliptic arch, and that kind of Gothic arch, which is formed of two segments of an ellipse similar to the part marked a in fig. cvni., and a waving line similar to fig. ex. would be in harmony with the forms of the male figure of the human race. 64. It should be observed, that the forms which prevail in the female figure of mankind, prevail also in children, only that the proportions are widely dif- ferent, and the curves approach still nearer to circles: indeed throughout the creation, both in the animal, vegetable, and even mineral world, we may see that those objects which possess the least of animal strength, CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. C 2 L 23 vital spirit, or mental perception, approach in their forms to circles ; even the form of one of the most elegant animals, the greyhound, when young, dis- plays very little of that appropriate distribution of animal strength, and lightness of frame, so adapted to speed, and which gives it that elegant appearance when arrived at maturity : we see the same tendency to circular forms in young chickens and other ani- mals ; and in the vegetable kingdom in fungi, in buds, young leaves ; and in the mineral kingdom in stones, which are supposed by many to grow ; though crys- tals, which are more rapidly formed, assume various other forms. 65. It would be very difficult to say, what use may These ob- be made in Architecture of the characteristic dif- of remote" ferences that are to be found in Nature, and which I chitecture. have thus very superficially endeavoured to trace ; but as we can hardly determine how far Architecture in this, one of its most exalted and abstruse excel- lencies, may be carried, it would have been wrong to have passed over in silence, what in the creation seems in some respect analogous to it, of however little use it might be to us. 66. Character, it was observed in the beginning of this essay, is produced by a certain uniform combi- nation of the effects produced by various modifica- ofcha- tions of the excellencies we have, in the former produced essays, been discussing : in examining them, therefore, qualities 6 it will be perhaps better to follow the order of those essays, beginning with taxis, or the utility of design. What may be produced simply by form, the principal by form. instrument of taxis, we have already considered in *> !• THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Characters produced by propor- tion. Lightness. Heaviness. section 21 of this essay, tinder the denomination of uniformity of form, or characteristic uniformity ; the varieties, which may exist of these, especially if we admit ornament into a design, are as numerous, as form itself, and its combinations, which are almost unlimited ; but at best, no very great effect can be produced by mere uniformity of form in Architecture, though it enters into the composition of all the cha- racters. 67. Mere proportion will produce a variety of dif- ferent characters ; but there are only two extremes, which intrinsically belong to it, these are the light, and the heavy. 68. Lightness, a character which exists in the ani- mal kingdom, in the stag-, the greyhound, the swallow, &c. ; and in the vegetable kingdom, in the ash, the aspin, willow, &c, were it to exist independently in Architecture, whose materials are of so heavy a na- ture, would hardly be satisfying to the judgment, as we may witness in many Gothic specimens ; when, however, it is combined with other qualities, of which we shall presently take notice, it is often the cause of the most pleasing characters. 69. Heaviness also, like lightness, is of itself un- questionably bad ; there is nothing more easy, than to produce heaviness uncombined with strength, and dignity ; many Architects have been accused of this fault, and among others no less a name than Sir John Vanbrugh. Massy proportions are, however, of emi- nent service to aid some characters, and perhaps, in a prison, they may with propriety exist almost inde- pendently of variety of form. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUV1US. 225 70. Mere diathesis combined with strength, (see Dignity. after sect. 76,) will produce dignity of as many kinds as there are kinds of diathesis ; for greatness, and boldness, characters, which will be presently more particularly discussed, and which arise in great mea- sure from diathesis, may both be said to be of a digni- fied nature : it would be desirable, however, to get a distinct idea, if possible, of dignity independent of other qualities. It will be remembered, that in essay 6, sect. 30, we found diathesis arising from the con- trasts of position, form, proportion, and projection. We begin then with considering the contrast of po- sition : it seems to me, that the most primitive kind of dignity uncombined with greatness, and boldness, or any other character, is produced alone by a con- trast of position, that it is produced (if I may use such a phrase) by the opposition of the positions of either parts, or whole designs ; thus there is a dignity, as has been before observed, in the position of the Doric mutules, the same form recurring in different positions ; there is also a dignity in the circumstance of one wing of a house corresponding with another, also in having a house or portico on one side of a wide street or square correspond with that on the other, being only contrasted in position ; in all these cases, and numerous others, it is evident the build- ings must be of sufficient size, strength, and import- ance : indeed, perhaps, dignified strength is the most exalted kind of dignity. 71. It will, perhaps be found, that characters pro- character duced by merely the excess of one principle, are the fronTone Least pleasing ; it may also be observed, that as the feaSea's- 226 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Character arising from fomi and pro- portion. Is'eatness. excellencies are distinct in their nature, they will be more perfectly exhibited, if that distinction is main- tained without confusion, though they will on the principles of variety produce the greatest beauties, when most in contrasted combinations ; this forcible display, therefore, of two excellencies, will not pro- duce such important characters, as that of more : for the sake, however, of method, let us now proceed to consider what characters may be produced by form, and proportion. 72. Form and proportion may produce, perhaps, five leading characters under the names neat, pretty, handsome, strong, and solid, all which may exist in a variety of different forms, and no doubt, may be the origin of many others, for which, in the infancy of the present state of the art, names could hardly be found. 73. Neatness, or a comfortable appearance in a design, is obviously a character not very striking in its nature ; and though a fitness or tactic accuracy in its form, and a concinnity, and aptitude in its propor- tions, seems to belong principally to its composition, vet neither of these should be exhibited in a striking way : and though form and proportion will enable neatness to exist in many different ways, yet it will, perhaps, be found not to exist in perfection in many different styles of building : it may be very easily ob- served, that neatness cannot with propriety exist solely as a character in the arrectarial scheme, (see essay 4, sect. 17, et sequentes,) though it may come in aid of some other characters, because mere neat- ness cannot admit of so much boldness, as is essential to the arrectarial scheme : nor will neatness appear CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITltUVIUS. 227 in that modest attire that is so suited to it in either the fulcimental scheme, (see essay 4, sect. 32,) or the archi-columnal, (see same, sect. 38 ;) but in the raono- trabeal, pariefenestral, and sectional schemes, (see same essay, sect. 45, 49 and 52,) it will perhaps be found a desirable character to aim at. 74. Prettiness, a word, perhaps, derived from Prettiness. 7repiTrrj eximia, seems to be a character differing very little from neatness ; the latter, however, seems to be more simple in its nature, it perhaps admits of little beyond the straight line ; while what seems most to belong to prettiness, is a concise distribution of small ornament ; it may, perhaps, be cultivated in the same schemes as neatness : by small ornament must be understood ornament confined entirely to the mould- ings, and not to the bolder part of the outline, as in the Corinthian capital, which is more in character of the handsome than the pretty. 75. Handsomeness, or elegance, seems a still nobler Hand- character, than neatness, or prettiness ; we might, perhaps, say, it combined bolder modifications of both, in easy curvilinear forms ; people's notions, however, must necessarily differ on such a subject as this, (vide sect. 32, &c.) and certainly, the highest degree of the handsome takes into its composition a forcible dis- play of diathesis, and is allied to a still nobler charac- ter : in all cases moderate variety is a great promoter of the handsome : it would be hardly possible to say, what style might or might not display the handsome, but certainly the Ionic, and Corinthian orders are both capable of it. (See sect. 23, 24.) 76. Strength is a character neither difficult to strength. q 2 should be decided, and 228 THE .AIL" SIC OF THE EYE. define, or judge of, when in completion ; it is, how- ever, not so easy to produce without falling- into heaviness, (see sect. 69.) The fundamental principle of a display of strength, is a decided display of utility or taxis. It is not merely necessary, that the parts should be capable of supporting, but also that every portion or less member, which contributes to form the supporting part, should contribute also to Design give or aid the idea of support, and that, in the most decisive, and masterly manner. Ornament must there- fore be excluded ; the Ionic and Corinthian orders can never display great strength. But it is not only necessary, that the parts should completely display strength, but that there should be enough of them to ample, complete the scheme ; a bare and blank wall can never display strength ; hence, therefore, the great strength certain specimens of the old Doric order are capable of conveying, where triglyphs and flutings are used to fill up the two parts, that would otherwise be most blank ; and they effect this in a manner that seems to give a character of strength similar to that sinewy and muscular conformation, observable in the human figure, (see sects. 59, ()2) : architectural strength is, however, not less promoted by the cha- have racteristic form of the Doric, (see sects. 21, C 2 C 2,) the st ™N ht straight line ; and, perhaps, considering this order altogether, it would be almost impossible to contrive a style, in which strength might be more completely displayed without heaviness. 77. Another quality to the appearance of strength is, that every part should be complete, and not cut up into small members; thus though, as just observed, CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 229 we must leave no place bare, we must leave no place neit,ier i i bare nor crowded ; the next thing" is, that the proportion crowded ; should be firm, and compact, not too slender, which firm.nei- t lipr lieu v v would necessarily betray weakness, nor too heavy, nor light. which would also display weakness in a more gross manner. 78. Solidity is a character only different from Solidity. strength in having more massy proportions ; in this of course there is a still greater danger of falling- into heaviness ; we must, therefore, in this character, pay still greater attention to a vigorous display of taxis. 79- Thus far we have considered characters, which of charac- ters pos- have but a partial development of diathesis ; we now sessing crpoutpr come to those which more mainly depend on that diathesis. principle ; these are greatness, boldness, grandeur, sublimity, beauty, richness, and luxuriance. 80. Greatness is a character which has been aimed Greatness. at by all Architects, and may be combined with many other characters ; its main spring seems to be in well- contrasted proportions. The imbecility of moderns in producing greatness, is noticed in essay v. sections 24, 25, 26, 27 ; we must therefore look to antiquity for our guide. The nature of contrasted proportion is noticed in essay vi. sections 42, 43, 44 ; it is then the adapting this symmetric diathesis to appropriate taxis, that constitutes the principal difficulty in the art of producing the appearance of greatness. 81. Another difficulty occurs from the circum- Great and stances of great and small being relative terms ; hence, relative™ therefore, the rules upon which the art of producing ' an appearance of greatness must depend, must have reference to relative circumstances ■ relative circum- 230 TPIE MUSIC OF THE EYE. which makes rules un- certain. On the use of sculp- ture. Modern Italy. Ancient Greece. Greatness arises from symmetric diathesis. stances must be subject to indefinite change. As, then, no definite rules can be given, we must rest content with some general observations, which may guide us in the use of our own taste and judgment. 82. As relative circumstances will so mainly affect the apparent size of objects, great caution is necessary in examining the cases where such contrarieties occur, and guarding against the injurious impression they may make. As an illustration of one such case, if one of the colossal cherubims from St. Peter's at Rome, were placed in a gentleman's dining-room, there can be no doubt it would appear as great as it really is, though every one who has seen them in their proper place declares, that there they look no larger than life ; the consequence of which is, that among other things, they contribute to make the building appear less than it really is ; for whatever is the real size of the sculpture of natural objects, unless brought so near the eye that we cannot mistake its size, we na- turally from habit attach the same idea to its size, that the natural object itself has ; this is one of the evils of the association of ideas. 83. The ancient Greeks followed a very different system from modern Italy. In introducing sculpture into the metops of the Parthenon at Athens, they made the figures less than life ; hence it happened, that the building appeared large : sculpture therefore in this way, may come in aid of an architectural dis- play of greatness ; but even here it will fail, unless supported by real architectural greatness. 84. Ileal architectural greatness, as before observed, seems to be mainly promoted by attending to the CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VTTRUVIUS. 231 perfections of every architectural excellence, parti- cularly taxis, accompanied and supported by a vigor- ous and manly display of symmetric diathesis. 85. Mere size will only produce that kind of great- Mere size. ness we see in a strapping- fish-woman, with or with- out her May-day ribbands ; but symmetric diathesis in perfection, will produce that kind of greatness ob- servable in the sculpture of an ancient gladiator. 86. To have every excellence of Architecture in perfection, we must attend first to the taxis or original scheme of the building ; we must select such a scheme Thescheme .,,.,. . , should be as will in the clearest manner point out the compo- great. nent parts of foundation, support, and shelter. The sectional style or scheme, (see essay iv. section 52,) is perhaps the only one that is incapable of exhibiting the character of greatness, because the support is broken into small parts, and therefore leaves no op- portunity for one great and important part contrast- ing with a less. From the simplicity of the scheme arises a great deal of the apparent greatness of the ancient Grecian temples, many of which were in reality less than the ancient Colosseum at Rome, or the modern structures of St. Peter's and St. Paul's at Certain Rome and London, all which buildings are acknow- buildings ledged to appear less than they really are. pear°great. 87. The reason why these buildings appear less than they really are, arises in the Colosseum, from its being in a sectional style ; in St. Peter's (which is externally the least defective in this way of the three) by the shelter being displayed, or rather intruded on, and destroyed, by an excrescence in the form of an upper story, which conveys no dignified idea of shel- 232 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Harmony aids the effect of greatness. ter ; in St. Paul's by its being- in the nature of a sec- tional style, having one row of columns above another. We should 88. Having obtained correct taxis, the other ex- c u 1 1 1 v n t f aii the ex- cellencies, if understood, will follow of course, as will also the main support of greatness symmetric diathe- sis. We may perhaps discover, that uniformity of proportion, or what is properly called harmony, (see sect. 30,) is of great use here, as it will give the proportions used a sort of fictitious importance. 89. To explain this ; when parts are not adjacent it would be absurd to suppose, that any effect could be produced by making such parts proportionally con- trasted, because no contrast is materially observed, except in adjacent parts. When, however, such sepa- rated parts, whether of the same form, or not, are of the same proportion, greatness of effect will arise from two considerations ; one is, that uniformity, if appro- priate, necessarily gives importance ; another is, that by having the same proportion occur to the eye in more situations than one, it becomes more familiar, and consequently gives greater impression to the con- trasts it has with other objects, and thus increases the effect of the most important contrasts, and most of all of symmetric contrast, which, when boldly cherished, is so conducive to the effect of greatness. 90. I have said, that the sectional style is perhaps the only style which is incapable of the character of greatness ; some people would probably add to this the fenestral, or pariefenestral scheme, (see essay 1, sect. 49,) because in this style the main support is not so boldly portrayed as to afford an opportunity for Fenestr il scheme. ^CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. '233 symmetric contrast ; it must be confessed this is the case ; and if there are more than one row of windows, there is the same reason for its not being capable of the effect of greatness, that there is for the sectional style not being so ; but when there is but one row, and that of a bold, beautiful, and appropriate style, and well filling without crowding the wall, though there is not a general support portrayed in them, nor perhaps can be without a confusion of uses, yet as there is a manifest use in the admission of light, and a propriety and boldness of form, if the windows are well designed, an appearance of greatness may be pro- duced in them, though not to the extent other styles are capable of. 91. It only remains to observe on greatness, that it Greatness J combined may be combined with a great many characters, while wilb other J .... characters. to those that are most striking it is absolutely essen- tial, as in the bold, the handsome, the strong, the rich, &c. &c. 92. Boldness is the next character which comes Boldness under our consideration. As greatness proceeds from f r "^ s pro . symmetric diathesis, so does boldness from projectional J ecture - diathesis. It was observed in essay 6, section 34, that projectional diathesis was the most imposing kind of diathesis : Architects seem to have felt, that projection was capable of producing a striking effect ; but, un- fortunately, in a great many cases, they have applied it to the wrong part : it is obvious, that, since it is of so imposing a nature, to apply it to a part, which in the nature of its tactic scheme does not admit of it, is going conspicuously repugnant to the first principles of Architecture ; and as there is but one part, the 23 i THE MUSIC OF Till; EYE. shelter, whether general or particular, which admits with propriety of prefecture in the profile of a design, the more the other parts project, the more they de- stroy the essential propriety of the whole : the boldest projecture ought evidently to be the general shelter of the whole, which in Grecian Architecture is the cor- nice, the next in projection should be the particular shelter of the design, as in Grecian Architecture the abacus, and cornice of the pedestal ; but when we see the fillets, tore, and other mouldings project more than their natural form requires, we must feel dis- gusted, as they not only interfere with other parts, but show imbecility in their own power of binding, separating, &c. &c. Projecture 93. r piie projecture from the profile of the design is the art. indeed but a small part of architectural projection; though it is to be hoped sufficient is said in the last section to show what it requires. Projecture involves more important considerations ; we shall find that pro- jection is the very soul of Architecture. On reference to essay 4, section 7» we may learn, that utility, or taxis, is nothing more than an outward refined display of the machinery of the art of building ; this conside- ration alone suggests the idea, that projection alone is the means by which this display is brought about ; it is the projection of the whole scheme of a design from the walls of the building ; and as projection is the main origin of boldness, those designs are most bold, which naturally project most ; hence a design with pillars is more bold than one with pilasters, or in a sectional style ; the same may be said of the archi-columnal or any other style, that admits of pro- ts import- ance. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 235 jection. As boldness, however, requires some appear- ance of strength, there are some specimens of the archi-columnal style, that can never display it, as they frequently show an inefficiency in the pillars to sup- port the arch. 94. From what we have now seen, projection may i be considered, when properly administered, the very essence of expression, and effect ; it is the origin of boldness, not only in art, but in nature ; it is prefec- ture which makes the figure of the male in the human race more bold than that of the female. (See sect. 59.) The proper use then of projecture in Architecture may be considered as the means of revealing the bones, sinews, muscles, and veins of the art. 95. Grandeur is a term, which it is necessary to Grandeur apply to a character, that is in some respects distinct from sub- from sublimity in Architecture ; in order, however, to imit} ' see this more clearly, it will be necessary to consider sublimity first. 96. Who, however, shall pretend to say how the The sub- sublime is to be effected in Architecture ? The object of the sublime, as it has been described by others, is to lift up the soul, and exalt it into ecstacy. How shall we presume upon doing this with a heap of stones or bricks ? 97* It would be waste of time to enter on a long discussion on the theories that have been set up for the production of the sublime, whether derived from the terror, and pity of Aristotle, or from any other Aristotle. source. Burke's treatise on the sublime and beauti- Burke. ful would induce us to suppose, he thought all objects that please the sight, were either the one or the other ; 236 THE MUSIC OF THE EVE. this, however, is not the case ; there are many other distinctions of character, as we have already seen, that are quite as much opposed to each other ; if, however, we consider the sublime and beautiful as only two, out of many distinct characters, Burke's essay may furnish some useful considerations, though it is ex- tremely difficult to sift the wheat from the chaff, since he begins his argument at the wrong end, making the sublime and beautiful not two of the refinements of the principles, that afford pleasure to the mind, but the principles themselves. The delusive sportings of this exalted genius have, however, been sufficiently assailed by a multitude of different writers. The sub- 9§ # As the sublime in every thing-, fas observed in lime, a J o \ combina- section 9C),) is that which lifts up the soul and exalts tion of the . * dignified, it into ecstacy ; it is in my opinion a combination of thereat, *, and bold, the effects of dignity, greatness, and energetic bold- ness ; these three effects will be produced by different causes in different arts, and under different circum- stances. It has frequently been noticed, and very justly, that the sublime often appears in the descrip- tion of the poet, painter, &c, when perhaps the sub- ject described does not really possess it, because such artist places what produces these qualities of greatness, boldness, and dignity, in the most conspicuous point of view ; so it would be with the beautiful, the light, the massy, or any other character, in all which it would be equally easy to place in the most conspi- cuous point of view, whatever conduces to each of those characters. Sublime in 99. But, as observed before, a character would be tragedy. produced by different causes in different arts ; in tra- CHARACTER, Oil THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 237 gedy, for instance, the greatness, boldness, and dig- nity, which are the sources of the sublime, would be produced in a different way from "what they are in Architecture. If Aristotle is right, which probably he is, (notwithstanding what great and learned men have urged to the contrary,) if, according to Aristotle, terror and pity are the causes of the sublime in tra- arising 1 J from terror gedy, we must recollect he is only speaking of tragedy, aucl \ ,h y- for many things truly sublime cannot possibly have in their composition either terror, or pity : but though greatness, boldness, and dignity must, in my opinion, be combined with the emotion of terror and pity to produce the sublime, it should be remembered, that the emotions themselves are what make the immediate impression on the mind, while the three qualities above-mentioned give those emotions that particular modification, which we call sublime, and perhaps enable both the poet, and the actor, so to lead on the imagination, that persons of delicate nerves are ab- sorbed in a kind of dream, and fancy the scene real, causing tears to flow, and the most intense interest to be excited, an interest so agreeable, that persons, not of delicate nerves, often relax their judgments, and, by giving way to the same sensibilities, are absorbed, perhaps, in a more exquisite manner, in a modification of the same ecstacy. 100. It may be observed also, that the sublime. He which thus flows from terror and pity in tragedy, exists not in the object frightened, or pitied, this would be absurd, these objects must have something else to interest you, that does not interfere with the sublime, as beauty, goodness, innocence, love, &c. ; low so arising. 238 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. and not wholly affected by the meaner passions of grief, fear, &c. ; or if the story does not admit of their interesting- you, they must possess something' of a more malignant cast, equally opposed to the sub- lime : under these considerations, and as the sublime in tragedy exists in the object, that excites terror, and the object that pities, the contrast is materially height- ened, if there were no other considerations, when the object, that excites terror, and the character that pities, are exalted by greatness, boldness, and dignity. Modem ob- 101. Hence, therefore, we see, that the terror and Aristotle, pity of Aristotle, are not incompatible with what is above (sect. 99) assigned to the production of the sublime : he has, however, been found fault with by modern writers, but they are too apt to draw their arguments not from tragedy but from common life, where greatness, energetic boldness, and dignity, do not always exist : it must certainly be admitted, that the object, that is to affect us with the idea of sub- limity, should have the whole three qualities above enumerated, viz. greatness, energetic boldness, and dignity, and not merely a portion of them : but it may so happen, that a terrible character may have no dignity, and a pitying character neither greatness, energy, nor dignity ; hence it happens, that a snarl- ing cur, a mad cat, or a snake in a dunghill are terri- ble, and an old fish-woman lamenting over her dead jackass, exhibits the character of pity, but in none of these is there a particle of the sublime : it would, perhaps, have been better, therefore, for general pur- poses, to have had recourse to principles more primi- tive and original, as greatness, boldness, and dignity, CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 239 only embracing such modification of terror and pity, as will combine all these three principles. 102. As poetry differs so widely from Architecture, Poetry dif- we shall of course find the causes, that produce great- AreMtec- ness, boldness, and dignity, in Architecture, as remote from terror and pity, which produce them in poetry, as light from darkness. The origin of greatness, boldness, and dignity, or dignified strength, which is, perhaps, a term better adapted to our present pur- pose, have been illustrated, as far as the nature of so indefinite a subject admits, in sections 80, 92, 70 an( l 76, and those following them. In combining great- sublime ness, energetic boldness, and dignified strength, it ^"^ may be observed, that they are qualities in some j^^t measure opposed to each other ; it is the province of hme * genius alone to combine, or contrast them with their proper force, and effect, and perhaps the greatest genius will have some difficulty in going beyond "what is already effected in the Doric order, of which an ingenious Architect has observed, " Other orders have elegance, have magnificence, but sublimity is the characteristic of the Doric alone." — E. Aikin on Modern Architecture. 103. Grandeur will, I think, be admitted to exist Grandeur in many buildings, which are certainly not sublime, (see sect. 95 ;) it seems, however, to be very nearly allied to it ; it has much of the greatness, much of the boldness, but not the austere dignity of the sub- less dio . ni . lime, (see sect. 70, 76.) As this dignity in Architec- J£*™ ture depends very much on the use of the straight llme * line, perhaps we may infer, that in Architecture the greatest distinction between sublimity and grandeur 240 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. arises from the form, as in the latter we should use the curve with greater freedom than in the former ; when we consider the nature of Architecture, this will make a considerable distinction, and perhaps the archi-columnal scheme would be- most likely to pro- duce the character of grandeur. (See essay iv. sect. 38.) As in poetry, the sublime is said to be equally removed from the turgid and bombast, as from the cold and insipid, so in Architecture we should take care, both in the character of sublimity and grandeur, that their greatness, and boldness, does not degene- rate into turgid and bombast, and their dignity into insipid austerity. Beauty. 104. Beauty is a character very naturally opposed to sublimity : beauty, however, is a very vague term ; it might be said, that all Architecture should be beau- tiful, there is, however, an idea attached to it, as a distinct character, which it will be necessary to investigate. Burke and 105. From what may be gleaned from Burke, and other descriptions of the beautiful, we may learn that its qualities are, that it should be elegant and deli- cate ; this corresponds with the accuracy, and con- cinity described to belong to neatness in section 73, that it should be comparatively small, and possessed of ornament; this corresponds with the concise distri- bution of ornament, described to belong to prettiness, in sect. 74, and that its parts should be, as it were, melted into each other, and varied in form ; this cor- responds with the easy curvilinear form described to belong to handsomeness, sect. 7<5. (See also sect. 59.) others. CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 241 IOC). Upon the whole, therefore, we may pronounce Beauty the character of the beautiful to be nearly composed the neat, of the neat, the pretty, and the handsome ; here, handsome, however, as in sublimity, genius alone would have the power of exhibiting these contending qualities in. their proper sphere ; and to show the contrast be- tween the sublime and beautiful, it is evident how opposed the component parts of the former, the bold, great, and dignified, are to those of the latter, the neat, pretty, and handsome. 107. Richness is a character that speaks for itself, Richness. it is a character of a most meretricious kind, and though it may be combined with every excellence nearly in perfection, except taxis, its principal charac- teristic is ornament. 108. Luxuriance is only a step further in the use Luxu- of ornament, than richness, and often treads very close on bombast. 109. Magnificence is a character, which conveys to Magnifi. our minds ideas of princely and metropolitan splen- cence ' dour ; indeed, there are very few single buildings, that ought to possess it ; it is produced by a combina- tion of all the most eminent perfections in one great, varied, and yet consistent design : if such could pos- sibly be introduced into our buildings, there would, at least, be great danger of tawdriness. 110. It may perhaps be in some measure true, as The sub- we may learn from what has been noticed above, that jjU^ and magnifi- cent, dis- ting ed. produce all the three characters of sublimity, gran- deur, and magnificence, (see sections 90, &c. 103, R particular modifications of greatness, boldness, and T ' dignity, (see sections 80 and 92, &c. and 70, &c.) ' L 2i% THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. and 109,) only that in sublimity dignity predomi- nates, in grandeur boldness predominates, in mag- nificence greatness in its most extensive sense pre- dominates. All the characters that have been con- sidered in these essays, it may be observed, are to be traced in some measure in different speci- These cha- mens of the human face and figure ; to the student, have no- however, in physiognomy, such characters as these, withphy- being merely the characters attached to matter, fur- om)# nish so little that is interesting in comparison of the intellectual delineations noticed between sections 43 and 56 inclusive, that they would be necessarily over- looked, as beauty and ugliness have nothing to do with either phrenological or pathognomical physiognomy. We cannot in. Though we have above assigned names to embrace all . . characters, some of the different characters that may be displayed in Architecture, and have investigated some of the principles of their productions, it must be obvious, that names cannot embrace all, nor can rules wholly guide us to any one of their constructions. It is quite as possible, that if the powers of Architecture were properly felt, a particular character would be Character the province of a particular Architect, as that a par- taient! ticular style of painting is recognized in a particular artist ; so true is this, that if any number of persons were to be desired to produce a design in the same character, or even in the same style or scheme, (see essay iv. section 16, et seq.) probably every one would produce something remotely different, though each might be in every respect without any glaring fault. Hence it happens, how difficult it is for any one to attempt to add a building in harmony with the design CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VTTRUV1US. L 2i<3 of another Architect, where the feelings of both must necessarily differ. 112. Ornament is an appendage to Architecture, Character which should not here be overlooked. Ornament is ment capable of perhaps more character than Architecture, attended inasmuch as there is less confinement to the rules of taxis, and a greater variety of form to select from ; it is also for the same reason, more easy to produce character in it, than in Architecture : how useful, therefore, it must be, when properly disposed, to in- crease the characteristic force of a design ; and how sadly often do we see in modern designs, all sorts of character in ornament, crowded together in one de- sign: in a country, however, where we see the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders piled one above the other, that the same thing should be done in orna- ment is not surprising. Such things are done from a wild idea about variety, a variety which becomes often a senseless confusion, without those two of its best supporters, contrast, and character, which though opponents of each other, may be so selected as to pro- mote each other's powers, and exhibit the greatest, and noblest powers of the Architect. Had these things been understood in Rome and Britain, we should never have seen massy helices over the delicate acanthus leaves of the composite order, nor large square-formed and substantial porches, constructed with the flimsy tracery of the Gothic style of build- ing, in the former case character at variance in the style itself, in the other the character of the eurithm of the distribution at variance with the style of the building. 11 2 244 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Character brought about tin- same waj in or- nament as in Archi- tecture. Ornament should be curtailed in quan- tity 113. Character is brought about in the same way in ornament, that it is in Architecture, and should always be in harmony with it : perhaps in cases where ornament has a use, it is better that no useless ornament should press upon it, at least where some dignity is aimed at ; thus the specimens of the Corin- thian order, fig. vi. and fig. vn. would be unques- tionably more dignified, if the moulding under the corona were plain, not only as it would render the useful ornament in the frieze more important, but it would tend to support character much better, as it is impossible to have adjacent ornaments contrasted, without haying them in different characters, which is alwavs bad : if adjacent ornaments are to be in har- mony, they should be continuous also, that is, appear to belong to the same scheme as the helices and acan- thus leaves in the Corinthian capital, the former of which appear to grow out of the latter ; in the case of mouldings this can hardly be done ; so that here it is obviously more dangerous to introduce too many, than too few ornaments ; the pruning-hook is more necessary than the hot bed and nursery for them ; the man of taste is more inclined to lop them off, than to ingraft them, and to speak in the language of Horace, " Ambitiosa recedct ornamenta." Hor. A. P. v. 447. Lamenting with Ovid the " CEvo rarissiuia nostro Simplicitas." Ovid, ars am. i. 241. i & s Iio CIV Fid CV. FJdCVI. Fid CIX. Fid CX. Fid CUT CHARACTER, OR THE DECOR OF VITRUVIUS. 215 114. Though however we are to avoid introducing- ™ dr ;»- ° ° dered per- too much ornament, we should never forget, that fect - when it is introduced, a use in its form, and situation, a contrast in its composition, and a proper character both in its proportion, and form, will always give it importance, if these several qualities do not interfere with each other : and we should recollect, as observed before, that to keep the qualifications of excellence distinct, is the most difficult task the Architect has to perform. 115. It would be wrong- to close this essay without Thecha- one observation on ornament, that character in orna- ornament ment belongs almost exclusively to Architecture, or wboUy \o at least only to other works of art, where the straight ture.' ec line forms the principal part of the design : if it were aimed at in painting, it would be a defect. END OF THE EIGHTH ESSAY. 246 ESSAY IX CONCLUSION. Truly our Architecture is in a. sorry plight ! Ought not the Freemasons to look to this matter ? Morning Hekald, Nov. 8, 1827. Architec- ture a learned science. 1. We have now, I trust, investigated some of the leading principles of architectural perfection. We have seen the unlimited extent to which the art may be carried, so that considering the immense import- ance of each excellence here separately treated of, the mutual dependence of them on each other, the numberless modifications of which each is capable, and the difficulty of harmoniously, or what phy- siognomists would call, congenially displaying one set of forms, it is not surprising, that in countries where Architecture has been thoroughly understood and scientifically followed, an Architect was looked up to as a man of intellectual mind, and maintained Esteemed a respectable rank in society. Hence it happened, that an Architect's pay in Greece, as we are in- formed by Plato, was from twenty-two to twenty-six times as much as that of a common builder, being ten in Cireece. CONCLUSION. 247 thousand drachmae, and five or six minae the other, (a mina being seventy-five drachmae.) In Rome, on Despised the contrary, where Architecture was not under- stood, the professor was held in contempt, and con- sidered on a level with a common auctioneer, as we learn from Martial, " Duri si puer ingeni videtur, Preconem facias, aut Architectum." The great number of styles which exist in modern days, though they have not put Architecture on the Worthy of best footing, have caused enough talent to be neces- vation. sary to make the professor more respectable than in Rome ; and it is to be hoped that as the art im- proves, Architects will assume their proper rank in society, 2. It remains now, in conclusion, only to take a Reca P itu - •' lation. general survey of the whole scheme. In doing this let no one pass judgment on each passage, without having read the essays themselves, and giving them that thought which the subject so evidently demands; for this outline must necessarily be extremely short, intended not so much to give a general idea of the system, as to recall the ideas we have already formed of it to our mind. In the first place, then, all Archi- Fourth 1 essay. tecture must be divided into foundation, support, Founda- and shelter, (essay iv. sect. 8) : it is evident also, that support, every architectural form may be arranged, so as to shelter * exhibit one of those qualities : this subject, important as it is, is certainly not attended to as it should ; we can scarcely go into any street in large towns without seeing numerous instances of irrational taxis. 248 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Arrectarial scheme. Fulci- nieutal. Archi- columnal. Alonotra- beal. Pariefe- nestral. Sectional. Mixed s< hi-iiii'.s. 3. The next circumstance that occurs, is the divi- sion of Architecture into styles or schemes, which, as it depends on different modes of distributing forms, and applying them to different uses, is considered also in the essay on taxis, (sect. 17» an d following.) Numerous plans might be adopted of accomplishing this without any dereliction of obvious common sense ; in these essays Architecture is divided into, 1st. The arrectarial, (sect. 17,) which embraces the most beautiful specimens of Greece ; Sndly. The julcimental, or buttress style, (sect. 32,) which is di- vided into the heads of flying, finial, and immediate buttress, (sect. 36 ;) 3rdly. The arclti-columnat, (sect. 38,) composed of arches and columns, divided into two kinds, one with a trabeation between the arch and the column, and the other without, and which might again be divided into other heads according to the forms of the arches ; 4thly. The monotrabeal, (sect. 45,) which is the simplest scheme, and of which there might exist numberless varieties, now quite un- noticed, and indeed uninvented ; 5thly. The parie- Jenestral, (sect. 49,) which is as multifarious almost as the combination of forms themselves, of which we have ample proof in the variety of Gothic specimens alone, of which those in use are perhaps too much unconfined by any principle of either harmony, taxis, or character ; and (ithly and lastly, The sectional scheme, (sect. 52,) which has the faculty of being as multifarious as the last. To these may be added (what indeed cannot be traced) the styles, which are composed of two or more of the former ; the danger in the use of these principally arises from the proba- CONCLUSION. 249 bility of transgressing- the principles of harmony and character. 4. Taxis next embraces the consideration of the tvTrprrrtia, or finishing- touches of the design, under the heads of mouldings and ornaments ; it will perhaps be found that all mouldings, not considering size or Mouldings. situation, may be reduced to four, the ovolo, the tore, the scotia, and cyma, (essay on taxis, sect. 61, &c.) ; mouldings produce but a small part of the effect in a design, and often spoil it by being too crowded ; they have but a small part in the distinctions of scheme, or the variety of the art, therefore their names are immaterial. Ornament may be comprised Ornament. under the heads, formal, diffuse, simple, and mixed, (id. sect. 72,) in which it is desirable to aim at utility, as much as in the bolder features of the design. The highest perfections in taxis are distinctness, efficiency, and relationship, which should pervade the design. 5. The next, or fifth essay, enters upon the subject Fifth of proportion. Without recapitulating what others have said on this subject, it is only necessary to in- force the importance of Vitruvius's division into eurithm and symmetry ; unless we have a clear idea of this, it is utterly impossible that any good effect can be produced. We have seen that eurithm re- Eurithm. spects the proportion of one whole, whether that whole be the whole building, or any whole member of which that building is composed, (essay v. sect. 5 and 6) ; the symmetry is the relative proportion of Symmetry. two or more such wholes, (id. sect. 8 and 9.) 6. The principle that next strikes our attention, simpiepro- that simplicity is the soul of elegant proportion, can- p ° r 2.30 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. not be too strongly enforced ; it is of use both in the adjustment of our eurithms and of our symmetries, though in the former it produces little more than an appearance of exactness, (id. sect. 22, 26, &c.) while in the latter it gives that dignified impression, which is only to be elicited from the finger of taste. 7. There is perhaps nothing that requires so much consideration, as to determine when dimensions of parts should be equal, and when in contrasted pro- portion; numerous considerations will occur upon ofdecep- every case. There is only one further observation I proportion, would make in this place, which is, that when we consider the deceptions that may be effected by con- trasted proportions, so as to make the small appear large, and the large small, the oblong appear square, and the square oblong, the round oval, and the oval round, it seems desirable, to make those proj)ort/o//,s equal, which, if contrasted, would have the effect of thai contrast destroyed by the adjacency of other parts ; this plan will, in great measure, do away with the difficulties mentioned in essay v. sect. 32 ; such a plan would also tend to do away with what we know to militate against the first principles of elegant pro- Fractions portions, fractions, and that division of modules into minutes, which is the worst of modern innovations, (essay v. sect. 20) : it would prevent useless distinc- tions, and make the module more apparent and im- portant, (id. sect. 17,) as well as the points of mea- surement more distant, (id. sect. 29). Upon the whole, perhaps, many new ideas will occur to the experienced Architect on the reperusal of the fifth essay, and comparing it with approved Grecian speci- CONCLUSION. 251 mens. One general observation may at least be made with regard to proportion, that the beauty arising from the adaptation of proportion to use and character, will more than compensate for the mere- tricious awkwardness of useless variety in proportion. 8. The disposition of form in a style according- to Sixth 1 J ° essay. the principles of contrast and relief, which in the Diathesis. Athenian period may have borne the name of dia- thesis, forms the subject of the sixth essay. The contrast and relief, which is to be aimed at in dia- thesis, (sect. 8, 12, 13, &c.,) will be exhibited in the position, form, proportion, and projective, (sect. 30,) Fourkimis. and as form is divided into the heads of simple and ornamental, and proportion into eurithm and sym- metry, we get other divisions of diathesis under those heads. 9. The contrast of position has least existence in Contrast of Architecture, though it occurs repeatedly in orna- P ° s ment ; (essay vi. sect. 31 ;) what is most to be noticed in the diathesis of form and proportion, is, that as of form and pro- they are often very much blended together, it is portion. desirable to get a distinct idea of their separate ex- istence in order to use them with more force, (sect. 32, 33 ;) the diathesis of prefecture belongs to parts Projective. only displaying shelter, (sect. 34.) 10. The object of this investigation is to discover Order of . • -n i • conspicu- what properties will render a part more conspicuous ousness. than another, or briefly, what is to produce the con- trast, and what the relief. It is extremely difficult to say, in what order the degrees of conspicuousness of these qualities would be placed singly, except that a contrast of ornamental form is the most conspi- 252 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. cuous, and that of projection the next, unless ex- cessive proportion occur also : when, however, we come to parts, which are composed of others, some of which have none, others one, or more of these kinds of diathesis in their composition, an obvious deduction will present itself, which is, that those parts which have no contrast in their composition, are less conspicuous than those that have one or more, and those that have one than those that have more, and so on in proportion. (See essay vi. sect. 48.) Appiica- 11. It only remains therefore to determine, what tion of , . -i i • diathesis, parts are to possess this conspicuousness ; and this naturally points itself out by the use and destination of the parts. (See essay vi. section 50.) The exami- nation of ancient specimens and nature, will tend very much to give a proper conception of the applica- tion of diathesis. Seventh 12. The seventh essay relates to the distribution of the compartments which form the ground plan, and Distribu- elevation of the design, (essay vii. section 3,) and here it is to be remarked, that though the external arrangement does not necessarily display the nature of, arises from the order of the internal arrangement, (id. sections 5 and 6,) which requires great attention to making the external eurithm, and symmetry good, while we do not injure the eurithm of each individual room. Simple and 13. Distribution is divisible into two heads, simple and complex distribution ; simple distribution, whose general proportions are governed by eurithm only, without the existence of a symmetry of distribution, tion complex. CONCLUSION. 253 is such as exists in building's having no more than four sides, (id. sections 5, 8 :) whether every kind of sim- ple distribution may with propriety occur, must de- pend on the style and destination of building's ; it may, however, be declared with certainty, that the more simple the distribution, the more dig-nified will simple , r . ° distribu- be the display of the more chaste and dignified of the tion. Grecian orders. (Sections 9, 10, &c.) 14. Whether the distributions in trabe-columnal Vitnman • ni . . distribu- Architecture, called antis by Vitruvius, ought to be tions. esteemed, must also depend on the style. The pro- style and amphiprostyle, which admit antae behind the pillars, also his other distributions, as they aifect but little the external appearance in comparison of the distributions adopted by modern Architects, and as they belong principally to the modes used in Heathen temples, need scarcely be mentioned here. (Sect. 10.) 15. Complex distribution, which is the ground Complex work of an extensive variety, and which is governed tion. by symmetry as well as eurithm, may be divided into seven heads : 1st, fafade lateral appendages with Seven straight parts ; 2nd, the same with curved parts ; 3rd, secondary lateral appendages with straight parts ; 4th, fundamental appendages ; 5th, secondary appen- dages with curved parts ; 6th, elevated appendages with straight ; and 7th 5 the same with curved parts. 16. A complex distribution is unquestionably the Complex only legitimate ground for admitting more styles than tion re- one in a building ; because having in it set on foot a raeaTskOl. contrast in the outline, it is consistent to carry it on to the greatest rational extent, preserving only the ges 254 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. predominant harmony of character, which, however, as it is an opposite principle to contrast, and Variety, will call forth in complex distribution, the greatest possible skill in the designer. (Essay vii. sect. 18, &c.) straight iy # The only distinctions that affect the facade and curved J * appenda- lateral appendages, which are distinguished from the secondary lateral appendages by being even with the roof, are the possessing one or more straight or curved parts ; the same may be said of the secondary appendages, though it should be remarked here, what was omitted in the essay itself, that when curves are used in either the facade appendages or wings, it seems desirable they should also occur in the centre, upon the principle before mentioned, of making the centre not less conspicuous than the sides, the reverse of which would otherwise be the case, when we con- sider, that the curve is a more conspicuous form than the straight line. This is attended to in figures xcv. and xcvii. Contrast 18. The contrast and relief in all complex distri- butions should be conspicuous, (essay vii. sect. 28,) in order that the side may not vie with the centre ; this being attended to, the superiority of facade to secondary appendages will be sufficiently apparent : it must also be obvious, that the only way to make the latter appropriate, is to connect them well with the centre, (sect. 31,) and to use them oftener in a town, than in a solitary building. (Sect. 33.) Fiinda- jr^ The most appropriate and dignified appendages pendages. are undoubtedly those, that are excrescences from the foundation, (sect. 36,) as they are part of the should he conspicu- ous- CONCLUSION. 255 general system of Architecture, and may be applied to simple as well as every kind of complex distri- bution. 20. In detaclied appendages, (sect. 38,) and se- detached condary lateral appendages with curved parts, a great £ es an d j 1 r * curved deal of the same argument used before will occur ; wings. and in all cases the principle of contrasting curves with straight lines, and varying them in position is sufficiently obvious. 21. As to elevated appendages, (sect. 41,) Elated either with curved, or straight profiles, the great s es - difficulty is, to give them appropriate taxis : in addi- tion to this observation it may be a question, whether we have any style properly adapted to the support of of the su P - a trabeation, which is to be surmounted by a dome, them. or indeed any elevated appendage. (Sections 44, 48.) 22. The subject of distribution necessarily brings TWns.&c to our notice those most extensive of distributions, the groupings of buildings that occur in towns. The great secret of art in all cases, is to apportion pro- perly the opposite qualities of uniformity and variety ; and hence, as the constructions in towns must neces- sarily possess a great proportion of uniformity, they afford the finest field for architectural talent. Upon the same principle, the art of landscape gardening, Landscape which is the very reverse of the former, as it pos- sesses as much variety, as the other does uniformity, calls for similar powers ; and in general it may be said, that whether we are to promote that variety or to check it, will depend on the style of the principal building. (Sections 64, 72, &c.) 256 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Entrance to houses. General principle in distri- bution. Eolith essay. Character. Should touch the intellect and feel- ings. Its first essential uniformity. 23. The entrance to houses, perhaps more than the external accompaniments, should fall into the consi- deration of the Architect in making his primary dis- tributions : in these the great object is to display in a dignified manner the modes of access, combining tliem with ornaments of a bold and striking nature. (Sect. 76, &c.) 24. In referring distribution to general principles, we find in it the contrast of position, (sect. 83,) and of simple form (sect. 84) also the contrast of complex form, (sect. 85,) the eurithmic contrast, (sect. 86,) the symmetric contrast, (sect. 87,) and the contrast of projection, (sect. 88,) all which, when properly used, will afford scope for every conceivable variety. 25. Though it may be true, that the more exten- sive cases of distribution afford the finest field for the display of architectural talent, it is of course under the idea, that in collections of buildings we are to dis- play every excellence of composition, and among others therefore character, the subject of the eighth essay ; and perhaps no excellence requires so com- pletely a pure poetical conception, or so necessarily draws forth in symbols the music of thought, as cha- racter. 26. It is in the harmony of character, that Archi- tecture speaks as well to the intellect as the sensibili- ties, and combines as it were in itself the nerves, and sympathies of every other excellence. (Essay viii., sect. 8, &c.) 27. The first essential to character is uniformity, (id. sect. 14,) which may be divided into four heads, CONCLUSION. 257 the Uniformity of Use, (sect. 17,) which suggests the Four kinds propriety of making those parts similar, which have precisely the same use ; 2dly, the Uniformity of Form, which, from its being more strongly allied to ofform character, and often even taking the place of it, I have called characteristic uniformity. (Id. sect. 20, 26, &c.) 3dly, Uniformity of Position, (sect. 29,) which ofp°si- as contributing to that distinctness, which so mate- rially aids the due effect of other excellencies, points out to us, that we should generally make parts nearly in a line, or nearly equi-distant, perfectly so, avoiding useless distinctions. 4thly, Uniformity of Proportion, of propor- tion. (sect. 30,) which may be called harmony, and direct our attention to the avoidance of all contrasts in pro- portion, for which no good cause can be assigned. 28. As character arises from a peculiar use of the TLe great other qualifications of composition, and their modifica- characters, tions, it must be evident, that the varieties in it will be very numerous j and when we consider the variety of the prejudices, and feelings of individuals, it is not to be wondered at, that different people should admire andof . tastes. different characters ; (id. sect. 32 ;) it is, however, the business of the Architect, and of every artist, to ana- lyse, and distinguish ; he must do away with preju- dices of every kind, whether in the contemplation of Artist the human form, (id. sect. 33,) the objects of nature, aroldpre- or the fashion of the times. (Id. sect. 34.) SE^"" 1 29. Still, however, great benefit will arise to the w^d*. architectural artist from a knowledge of the other Unneces- arts and of nature, as enlarging his conceptions of capitulate things : though as physiognomy, pathognomy, the essayV distinction of characteristic form in the male, and 258 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Characters produced by propor- tion. By dia- thesis. By form and propor- tion. An artist will pro- duce a cha- racter best suited to his mind. female of the human race, and some other subjects alluded to in the eighth essay, do not immediately belong to Architecture, it is not necessary here to notice them : we may proceed therefore to the consi- deration of architectural character. 30. The character of lightness, which first occurs to vis, can never be beautiful, unless combined to a certain extent with some other character, as of grace, and elegance : (Essay 8, sect. 68.) The same may be said of heaviness, which is admirable in a very few instances, unless combined with strength, and dignity. (Sect. 69.) 31. Diathesis, and a character of strength seem capable of producing many modifications of dignity, (id. sect. 70,) though perhaps the purest, uncombined with greatness, and boldness, may arise from the dia- thesis of position. 32. Form and proportion will at least produce five definite characters, neatness, prettiness, handsomeness, strength, and solidity ; I say definite, because we can at least form some distinctive idea of them, (id. sect. 73, &c.) though that idea cannot be quite satisfactory to every mind, as every mind will be governed by its own taste, and feelings ; and perhaps the mind of the Architect will best produce that particular cha- racter which most suits his own frame of feeling. It can only here be urged, that perhaps the most perfect, and perhaps the most difficult characters, are produced by a combination of the greatest number of primitive qualities of composition. It is also desirable to learn, what style will produce particular characters. 33. By the addition of more vigorous diathesis we CONCLUSION. 259 obtain the more noble characters, such as dignity, Theno- & . J blest cha- greatness, boldness, grandeur, sublimity, beauty, rich- racters. ness, and luxuriance. 34. Greatness arises principally from well-contrasted Greatness. proportion, or in fact symmetric, and eurithmic dia- thesis, particularly the former, combined with appro- priate taxis ; but as symmetric diathesis is liable, as we have before seen, to a great number of deceptions, we must take care, that those deceptions rather act in fa- vour of, than militate against the character of greatness; one of the most common, and least complicated cases, in which symmetric deceptions destroy the appearance of greatness, arises from the use of sculpture, which must necessarily make a building appear less than it is, when of colossal dimensions. (Essay viii. sects. 82, &c.) Boldness or simplicity of scheme, style, or order, will very much promote greatness, (id. sect. 86,) as will also harmony of proportions. (Id. sects. 88, 89.) 35. The character of boldness arises principally Boldness. from well-contrasted projections, with, of course, ra- tional taxis ; the projections may be either those from the profile of the design, (id. sect. 92,) or that of the design itself (id. sects. 93, 94,) from the wall, which boldly throws out and exhibits the full force of the composition. 36. We now come to the consideration of the sub- The sub - lime. lime. As far as my humble investigations have led me, (id. sects. 96 to 102,) I am inclined to think, that in all the arts greatness, boldness, and dignity, or at least some modification of them, are the three characters, that combined produce the sublime, though 260 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. Grandeur. Beauty. Richness. Luxuri- ance. Mairni li- cence. Sublime, grand, and magnifi- cent, dis- tinguished. different qualities, remotely at variance in each art, will form the foundation of these three characters in each art separately : in Architecture we have already considered each of these characters in a manner, that will lead us to the contemplation of the different kinds of the sublime, that may by possibility exist in Architecture ; and perhaps we shall be more assist- ed in our notion of the sublime in Architecture, by saying, it arises from diathetic greatness, energetic boldness, and dignified strength, which are modifica- tions of greatness, boldness, and dignity, better adapt- ed to the principles of our art. 37. Grandeur may, perhaps, be distinguished from the sublime, by being less austere, and more rich. (Id. sect. 103.) 38. The beautiful, (id. sect. 105,) may be analysed as exhibiting a combination of the qualities above described to belong to the neat, the pretty, and the handsome : richness is derived from ornament : luxu- riance is only a degree beyond it, approaching often to the bombast. 39. Magnificence may be said to combine every noble character, properly relieved, and can only exist in a very extensive, as well as perfect design. 40. It may be desirable to recall our attention to the observation in section 110, in the essay on cha- racter, that the three characters of sublimity, gran- deur, and magnificence, may be said to possess very strongly each of the three characters of greatness, boldness and dignity, only that in sublimity dignity predominates, in grandeur boldness, and in magnifi- cence greatness. CONCLUSION. 2f)l 41. What has here been said on the subject of cha- imbecility , , , . , .,. P , . of rules for racter, eminently shows the imbecility 01 rules 111 character. such a subject, and how necessary it is for the Archi- tect to think for himself, when he is aiming at the Talent the production of any character ; it would, indeed, be here."" almost as difficult to give rules for it, as it would to instruct the same person to paint in the different manners of Rubens, Vandyke, and Raphael. The essay on character is, however, not perhaps useless, as it will, at least, give us some idea of its nature, and importance, and lead us to make greater investi- gations as to its power, and its adaptation to our own individual talents. 42. The great benefits, that will accrue from this recapitulation of the whole system, is to bring it at once before our eyes, and to give the opportunity of Thisreca- making each excellence assume its proper force, brings ail either in being dependent on, or being more con- toa ocus ' spicuous than another, and thus to give the Archi- tect the best possible means of applying each to his own purpose : but, as observed before, little benefit would arise, unless the artist considers not only this recapitulation, but also the more minute bearings, that are observable in the essays themselves. 43. By the help of rules of composition, it is not and gives too much to say, that a building of the greatest possi- p wt ble magnificence, extent, and propriety might be con- structed with much more advantage, than could be done without them. What a fine opportunity, then, does this noble art offer for the employment of num- bers of persons, and how much better would it be, instead of giving 10,000/. for a single picture, the us new rers. 262 THE MUSIC OF THE EYE. work of but one man, and seen only by a few per- sons, and often only of imaginary value, to lay out the same sum in building-, which would employ num- bers of distressed persons, and would be seen by infi- nitely more spectators. Let me not, however, be supposed to advocate Architecture at the expense of painting, far from it ; painting is an art which always has, and always will have its votaries : it is against the enormous sums of money given for old pictures, and not for modern works, that the above observation is intended ; for perhaps the truth may be, that modern artists are not sufficiently paid. Pictures will always, however, have their value, and no Ar- chitect would decry an art, which affords so great an ornament to his own. THE END LONDON: 1BOTSON AND PA [.MLR, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND. ERRATA. Page 9, line 24, for succeeding essay, read succeeding essays. 34, line 5, for ypufjuof, read yvai/jiwv. 36, line 14, for Eurethmia, read Eurithmia. 48, line 19, for these, read this. 67, line 20, /'or column, read columen. Plate, containing figures 63 to 71 inclusive, should he headed Essay 6 instead of Essay 4, and inserted in the order of the figures. 89, line 13, for partibus que, read partibusque. 113, line 2, fir colocatio, read collocatio. 120, line 31, for setd own, read set down. 128, line 18, insert " after propriety. 188, line 13, for cxvu. read xcvu. 193, line 23, for in honestos, read inhonestos. 210, lines 21 and 23, for meduella, read medulla. 211, line 25, for our buildings, read one building. 252, line 2, for proportion, read proportions. f A (7 A l*^ ^ 1 SV*al GETTY CENTER LIBRARY nil in I ii im inn in mi 3 3125 00838 2232 Tiiv^ , •