Another case of ness. 25. Another case more common, and not perhaps so obviously improper, 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 LVII. ; in fig. LV. are represented three pedestals, a, b, and e; in almost all modern cases the mouldings 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 fig. LV.: the importance of such a tion of the disposition, after considering the taxis of the parts, appears so evident, that there is every reason to believe that this is the case in which Vitruvius recommended the "scamilli impares." It is well known to those who have perused the commentators on Vitruvius, how much discussion the meaning of the "scamilli impares" has occasioned; but when we consider that Philander has failed to explain the passage, and that De Lact, Bernard Baldus, and others, explana scamilli impares. cussions by endeavouring to explain Philander, have sunk Other disdeeper in the mire, it will be desirable to draw our on it, legs out of this difficulty, and surmount it, if possible, on terra firma: it must be confessed Scamozzi has approached nearer to the truth than any; he considers 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 principle; this however would be an addition of sculpture, and not an architectural design, which no doubt Vitruvius alluded to; besides, that Scamozzi's explana- unsatisfactory. tion of the word 66 impares" is not at all satis factory. referred to. 26. The first passage where the "scamilli" are Vitruvius mentioned by Vitruvius, is in the last chapter of the third book, and runs thus: "Sin autem circa ædem ex tribus lateribus podium faciendum, ad id constituatur uti quadræ, spiræ, trunci, coronæ, lysis, ad ipsum stylobatum, qui erit sub columnarum spiris, conveniant. Stylobatum ita oportet exequari, uti habeat 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' (f), (see fig. LVI.) the ovolos' (g), the dies' (), the coronas (1), 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 Scamilli what? Vitruvius 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 satisfactory, had the promised explanation of Vitruvius in the last book not been lost. The scamilli are illustrated by fig. LVII.; the diminutive evidently implies something less than steps, or rather false steps, or steps of scarcely any depth, as o, 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, Vitruvius 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 in another part of the design. The ancients probably considered it lucky to enter with the right foot; and though in modern times we have no such notions, we may still adopt the three steps on account of the good effect they always have, and because they were to accord with the principles of composition, in exhibiting a beginning, middle, and end. With this explanation of the word "impares," and the one above of the "scamilli," there seems no great difficulty in acceding to the explanation given above in section 25, nor to the idea, that the continuation of the mouldings of pedestals in the intermediate spaces, is inconsistent with that distinctness of system, which ought to pervade Architecture, and that the scamilli between the pedestals, besides adding to the perfection, add also to the contrast in the design. Three steps good effect. have a 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, proportion 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 ornament distinctly. 31. By the help of the diathesis of position, we are Diathesis enabled to contrast figures of the same form and of position. proportion, in fact to contrast similar objects: this Diathesis of form and blended. kind of diathesis indeed, does not often occur in Architecture, 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 diathesis 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 uncontrasted position, as either pendant, or erect, horizontal, or diagonal; this will be understood without a figure. 32. In considering the diathesis of form, and that 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, that 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, |