Vitruvius Pollio

“ This is so true, that the Wood of Trees which grow and become very great in a little Time, by reason of their great Humidity, is tender and apt to break, and very unfit for Building Which Experience shows us particularly in those Firrs call'd Supernates, which grow in Italy, on that side the Apennine, towards the Adriatick-Sea, for they are great and beautiful, but their Wood is not good for Building; whereas those on the other side of the Mountain, which are exposed to Heat and Dryness, call'd Infernates, are very good for Building. ”

“ Here are four sorts of Flooring, some are upon the Superficies of the Ground, others between two Stories, others make the Roof of the House in Plat-form, and the last is Plat-Fond.
To make those Floors that are upon the Ground, you must first make the Earth smooth and plain, if it be firm and solid, if not, it must be beaten with a Rammer with which they ram down their Piles; and after having cover'd the Earth with the first Lay or Bed, call'd Statumen by the Ancients, which was of Flinty Stones about the bigness of ones Fist, among which was mixed Mortar made of Lime and Sand. ”

“ The Veneration we have for the first Inventers of Arts, is not only Natural, but it’s founded upon Reason; which makes us judge, that he that had the first Thought, and first invented any Thing, must needs have had a fitter Genius, and a better Capacity for it, than all those that afterwards laboured to bring it to its utmost Perfection. ”

“ BB is the Capital, which height is equal to its Base: It’s divided into three; the first marked L, is for the Gorge, with the Congè and the Astragal; the second, marked M, is for the Echinus or quarter-round; the third, marked N, is for the Plinthus or Abacus, called by the French Tallor. C is one of the Faces of the Sabliers which serve instead of an Architrave. EE is the under part of the Sabliers, which answers to the Diameter on the top of the Column, marked D. F is a Tenon shaped like a Swallows Tayl, which joyns the two Sabliers together. G is the little Wall which serves for a Frize. ”

“ For as in Humane Bodies there is a Relation between the Foot, Hand, Finger and other Parts; so amongst Works that are Perfect, from any particular Part, we may make a certain Judgment of the Greatness of the whole Work: For Example, the Diameter of a Pillar, or the Length of a Triglyph, creates in us a right Judgment of the Greatness of the whole Temple.
And here we must remark, that to express the Relation that many things have one to another, as to their Greatness or different Number of Parts, Vitruvius indifferently makes30 use of three words, which are Proportion, Eurythmy and Symmetry. ”

“ HEN we are assur'd of the Convenience of the place where the City is to be Built, by the Knowledge we have of the goodness of the Air, of its Fertility, Rivers and Ports, care must be taken to make Fortifications, which do not only consist in the Solidity of the Walls and Ramparts, but principally in their Form. ”

“ The second way of easing, is, for Walls that are made to support the Earth; for, besides the extraordinary thickness which they ought to have, they should have likewise Buttresses on that side next the Earth, so far distant one from another as is the breadth of the Wall; they ought likewise to have an Emparement or large Foundation which must be equal to the height of the Wall, so that they go diminishing by degrees from the bottom to the top, where they come to equal the height of the Wall. ”

“ Although there be nothing that makes the Ramparts so strong as Earth, they had not for all that the Custom of making Terrasses, unless it were in some place where some Eminency was so near the Wall, that the Besiegers might easily enter.
To make the Terrasses strong, and to hinder the Earth from pushing down the two Walls that supported it, they made Buttresses or Counter-forts which went from one Wall to another, to the end, that the Earth being divided into many parts, might not have that weight to push the Walls. ”

“ It is often taken by Vitruvius for all the Cornice.
Corona, called the Plat or flat Crown, is a particular Member in the Dorick Gate; it’s made by so extraordinary enlargement of the Face of the Corona or Drip, that it has six times more Breadth than Projecture. This sort of Corona is no where found among the Ancients, but only in the Writings of Vitruvius.
Cymatium, from κυμάτον, which signifies a rouling Wave; is a Member of Architecture, of which the one half is Convex and the other Concave, the one being hollow above, and the other below. ”

“ The second is, When we consider the Winter-Appartments, that we have a care, that upon the Ceiling there be little or no Carving, and that the Ornaments be not made of Stuck, because it hath a shining whiteness, which will not endure the least nastiness; for it is impossible to hinder the smoak of the Fire and Candles which are lighted in the Winter, from tarnishing the beautiful Colour of the Work to which the Filth will stick, and enter into the Crevises of the Carving, which cannot be wiped out. ”

“ It is likewise to be remark'd, That a City situated upon the Sea, must needs have an unwholsom Air, if it be towards the South or the West; for generally the Heat weakens Bodies, and the Cold strengthens them; and so we see by Experience, that those who go out of a Cold Country65 into an Hot, have great difficulty to keep themselves in Health; whereas on the contrary, the Inhabitants of Hot Countries who go into Colder, have generally good Health. ”

“ Gender depends of the Proportion, which is between the thickness of the Pillars and the space betwixt them.
Order, doth likewise depend in part upon the Proportion which is between the thickness of the Pillars, and their height; but we must likewise joyn to this Proportion many other things that appertain to the principal Parts of the Pillars, and other Parts which accompany it, such as are the Gates, the Chambranles, or Door-Cases; and other things which are different in different Orders. ”

“ The Walling with Brick was so much esteem'd among the Ancients, that all their Fabricks, as well publick as private, and their most beautiful Palaces were built with them. But that which principally made this sort of Building be esteem'd, was its great Duration; for when expert Architects were called to make an Estimate of Buildings, they always deducted an 80th. part of what they judged the Building cost for every Year that the Wall had been standing, for they supposed that the Walls could not ordinarily endure more than Fourscore Years ”

“ In Architecture it’s that part which is composed of the Architrave, Frise, and Cornice, for in effect this part is the extream part of the Flooring, which is supported by Pillars, or by a Wall if it have no Pillars. ”

“ Wisdom consists in the reasonable use of Positive Beauties, which result from the use and convenient ranking of the Parts; for the76 Perfection of which, to a rich and precious Material, is given an Equal and Uniform Figure, with all the Property and Correctness possible.
Vitruvius gives us two Examples of this sort of Beauty; The first is, When Bosses or Relievo’s are made to hide the Joynts, putting them directly under the Bosses which hide them by their jetting or projecture, for this gives them great Beauty and an agreeable Aspect. ”

“ Chap. 7. Though Vitruvius hath only divided Architecture into Three Orders; viz. The Dorick, the Ionick and the Corinthian; he doth not for all that forget to give the Proportions of the Thuscan, and speak of the Compound.
ART. IV.
Of Things that are Common to several Orders.
Before we treat of the Differences of these Five Orders, it would be proper to speak of those Things that are common to several Orders; as are the Steps, Pedestals, the Diminution of Pillars, their Channelling, Piedements, Cornices, and Acroteres.
The Steps which are before the Temple, ought always to be of an Lib. 3. ”

“ The Ancients were accustomed to judge of the Quality of the Air, Water and Fruits, which might render a place wholsome by the Constitution of the Bodies of those Beasts which were nourished there, and to this End they consulted their Entrails; for if the Liver was Corrupted, they conjectured that the same thing must happen to Men that should Inhabit in that place. ”

“ Decorum or Decency, is that which makes the Aspect of the Fabrick so correct, that there is nothing that is not approv'd of, and founded upon some Authority. It teaches us to have regard to three things, which are, Design, Custom and Nature. ”

“ HE Materials of which Vitruvius speaks are, Stone, Brick, Wood, Lime, and Sand.
All the Stones are not of one sort, for some are soft, some harder, and some extreamly hard.
Those that are not hard are easily cut, and are good for the Inner Parts of the Buildings, where they are cover'd from Rain and Frost which brings them to Powder, and if they be made use of in Buildings near the34 Sea, the Salt Particles of the Air and Heat destroys them.
Those that are indifferently hard, are fit to bear Weight; but there are some sorts of them, that easily crack with the heat of the Fire. ”

“ The Proportion that Sand and Lime ought to have to make good Mortar, should be three parts of Sand that is dug, or two parts of River-Sand or Sea-Sand against one of Lime, and 'twill be yet much better, if you add to the Sand of the Sea and the River a third part of Tiles well beaten. ”

“ He must be knowing in History, and be able to give a reason for the greatest part of the Ornaments of25 Architecture which are founded upon History. For Example, if instead of Pillars he support the Floors of the House with the figures of Women, which are called Cariatides, he ought to know that the Greeks invented these Figures to let Posterity know the Victories they obtained over the Cariens, whose Wives they made Captives, and put their Images in their Buildings. ”

“ This plan shews the different parts of the ancient Temples: AA, AA, are the Isles or Wings which are Portico’s, having a rang of Pillars on the one side, and the Wall of the Temple on the other. B is the part called the Pronaos or Porch. C is the part called Posticum, viz. the hinder part of the Temple. D is that Part called Cella, or the Nave or Body of the Temple. ”

“ The Figure of a strong place ought neither to be Square, nor composed of Angles that advance too far. But the Ancients made them with many Sinuosities or Corners, for Angles that are too far advanc'd, are more advantageous for the Besiegers, than the Besieged.
115 The thickness of the Wall was so ordered, that two Armed Men might walk by one another upon the Wall without justling.
They made their Walls strong and durable, with sindged Beams of Olive, which bound them and kept them up. ”

“ In places where there are no Piedements, in the great Cymatiums of the Cornices, must be cut the Heads of Lions, at such a distance, that there must be one directly upon every Pillar, and that the other answer directly upon the great Dalles, that cover the House. ”

“ The Quality of a mere Architect was become so Contemptible, that if his Books had not carried all the Marks of an ex5traordinary Knowledge, and rare abilities, and undeceived the World by taking away the prejudice that his small employ created him, the Precepts he has left us would have wanted that Authority that was necessary to support them. ”

“ The most Convenient Form of Publick Places, is to have in their Breadth 2 Thirds of their Length; The Greeks made about their Publick places Double Portico’s, with Pillars near together, which Supported the Galleries above.
But the Romans finding this great number of Pillars to be inconvenient, placed them at a greater distance one from another, that they might have Shops well lighted.
The Stair-Cases of all Publick Buildings, ought to be large and streight, and to have many Entrances, to the End the People may come in and out conveniently; but we shall Lib. 5. ”

“ Uildings may have two sorts of Beauty, the one Positive, and the other Arbitrary. Positive Beauty, is that which necessarily pleaseth of her self; Arbitrary, is that which doth not necessarily please of her self, but her agreeableness depends upon the Circumstances that accompany her. ”

“ There must likewise great respect be had to the difference of Climates, for the Excess of Heat and Cold, require different Situations and Structures; for the Houses in the Northern parts of the World, ought to68 be Vaulted, and have few Openings, and turn'd to the South; On the contrary in Hot Countries there must be great Openings and turn to the North; to the End that Art and Industry may remedy the Defects of the place. ”

“ It is likewise of great Importance for the strength of Walls, that all be directly Perpendicular, and that the Chains, the Pillars and Pieds-droits or Piers be so situated, that solid always answer'd to the solid; for if there be any part of the Wall or any52 Pillar that carrys false, it is impossible the Work should continue long. ”

“ HE first thing we should have a Care of before we begin to build, is, to have the Stones dug out of the Quarry before they be used, and to expose them in some open Place, to the end that those which are endamaged by the Air, during this Time, may be put in the Foundation, and those that prove Durable and Good may be kept for the Walls above Ground. ”