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Again, as a Cylinder and a quadrangular Prifm are more eafiiy remov'd out of their place than a truncated Cone, or Pyramid, on the fame Bate, and of the fame Altitude : The Figure of Columns ought not to be cylindrical; nor, that of a Pilafter, pyramidical ; but both the one and the other to be contracted or diminifh'd, i. e. to grow lefs and lefs, like a truncated Cone and a truncated Pyramid. See Diminution.
For the fame Reafons, the loweft Parts of the Columns to be cylindrical, that of Pilafters pyramidical : Hence, again, as Columns are more firm, if their Diameter bears a greater proportion to their Height, than if it bore a lefs : The greater Ratio is to be chofen, where a large weight is to be luftain'd ; and lefs where a lefs.
Further, as the Defign of a Column is to fupport a weight, it mull never be fuppoled without an Entablature : tho a Co- lumn rais'd on an eminent Place, fo as to leave no room to feat its being thrurt out of its place, needs no Pedeftal. See Entablature, and Pedestal.
The entire Column, in each Order, is compos'd of three principal Parts, the Safe, the Shaft, and the Capital. See the Proportions of each under its refpeitive Head, Base, Shaft, i£c.
Each of thefe Parts, again, is fubdivided into a great Number of leffer, called Members, or Mouldings : lome whereof are effential, and found in all Columns ; others are only accidental, and found in particular Orders. See Mould- ing, Ornament, &c.
Columns are made different, according to the feveral Or- ders they are ufed in 5 and likewifc, not only with regard to their Order, but aifo to the Matter, ConftruBion, Form Diffofition and Ufe.
Columns, With regard to Order. Tufcan Column, is the fhorteft, and mofl fimple of all the Columns. See Tuscan.
Its height, according to Vitruvius, "Palladio, and Vigiiola, is 7 Diameters, or 14 Modules ; according to Scamozzi, 15 Modules; to i)e Lorme, 12; to Trajan's Column, iff. Its Diminution, according to Vitruvius, is one fourth of the Dia- meter ; according to Vignola, a fifth ; and according to Tra- jan's Column, a ninth.
Its feveral Parts, Mouldings, i$c. fee under their proper Heads, Shaft, Capital, Be. See it reprcfented in Plate Architecture, Fig. 6.
tDoric Column, is fbmewhat more delicate. See Doric. Its Shaft is adorn'd with Flutings : its Height, according to Vitruvius, is from 14 to 15 Modules ; to Scamozzi, 1 7 ; to Vignola, i<J ; in the Colifeum, 19 ; in the theatre of Mar- celltts, 1 sj. Its Diminution, according to the Theatre of Marcellus, 12 Minutes ; to the Colifeum, 4 Min. and a half. See Plate Architecture, Fig. 7. Ionic Column, is more delicate ftill. See Ionic. It is diftinguifh'd from the reft by the Volutes in its Ca- pital ; and by its Bafe. See Volute.
Its Height, according to 'Palladio, is 1 7 Modules \ ; ac- cording to Vignola, 18. Its Diminution, in |the Temple of Concord, icj ; of Fortuna Virilis, 74 ; Colifeum, 10 Min. See Plate Architecture, Fig. 8.
Corinthian Column, is the rkheft and moft delicate of all the Columns. Sec Corinthian.
Its Capital is adcrn'd with two rows of Leaves, and with Caulicoles; whence fpring out little Volutes.^ Its Height, according to Vitruvius, and many Remains of antique Por- ticos, Temples, (gc. is 19 Modules; according to Serlio, 18; to Ac Colifeum, 17.17 ; to the three Columns in the Camp Vaccine, 20 ; the Bafiliflc of Antoninus, 20. Its Diminu- tion, according to the Temple of 'Peace, 6i Minutes ; the Pantheon, 6' f ; Temples of Sibyl and Fauftina, 8; Conftan- tine's Arch, 7 ; Portico of Seftimius, 74. See Plate Ar- cbitcEfwc, Fig. 9. ..„.'.
Comfofite Column, has two rows of Leaves in its Capital, like the Corinthian ; and angular Volutes, like the Ionic. See Composite.
Its Height, according to Vignola, and the Arch of Titus, is 20 Modules ; to Scamozzi, and the Temple of Bacchus, 194 ; the Arch of Septimius, 19.09. Its Diminution, ac- cording to Titus's and Seftimius Arch, 7 Minutes ; Baths of 'Diocletian, 1 1 Min. J. ; Temple of Bacchus, 6t. See Plate Architecture, Fig. 1 o.
It may be here obferv'd, that there Teems more of Caprice than Reafon in that Diverfity found in the Heights of Columns of the fame Order, in different Authors; each of whom fre- quently takes the liberty of difpenfing with his own Rules.
Vitrmiius, for Inttance, makes the Doric Columns of Temples, shorter than thofe of Porches behind Theaters ; 'Palladio gives a greater height to Columns ftanding on Pe- deftals, than to thofe which have none ; and Serlio makes his Column a third fhorter, when infulate, or detach'd, than when contiguous to the Wall.
But notwithstanding the diverfity of Height in Columns of the fame Order in different Authors ; they ftill bear a true Proportion in the feveral Orders corapar'd with each other 5
by which they go increafing, as the Orders are lefs mafitve<
But this Augmentation is greater in fome Ordonnances
than in others ; for in the Antique it is but of 5 Modules,
or Semidiameters, for the five Orders : the ftiorteft Column,
viz. the Tufcan, being 1 5 Modules ; and the longeft, the Comfofite, 20. In Vitruvius, this Increafe is alfo of ; Mo- dules ; but commences from 14 Modules, and ends at 19. The Moderns ufually make it greater : Scamozzi makes it 5 Mo- dules and a half; 'Palladio and Serlio, 6.
From the feveral Proportions of Columns aflign'd by feve- ral Authors, M. 'Perrault has drawn a new one ; which is a Mean, between the Extremes of the reft. Thus,' he makes the Tufcan Column 14. Modules i ; which is a Mean be- tween the tufcan of Vitruvius, 14, and that of Trajan's Co- lumns, 18 : The height of the "Doric Column he makes 16 Modules ; which is a Mean between the 14 of Vitruvius, and the 19 of the Colifeum : The Ionic he makes 17 Mo- dules"; which is a Mean between the 16 of Serlio, and the 19 of the Colifeum : The Corinthian Column he makes 18 Modules f ; as being a Medium between the 16 Modules 6 Minutes of the Temple of the Sibyl, and the 20 Modules 6 Minutes of the three Columns of the Roman Forum : Laftly, the Comfofite Column, by the fame Rule, he makes 20 Modules ; that height being a Mean between the Arch of Titus, and the Temple of "Bacchus.
Indeed, the Rule he proceeds by feems very reafonable ; viz. that the progreffional Advance of each Column in the different Orders be equal : fo that having fettled the whole Progreflion, from the Tufcan to the Comfofite, at 5 Modules 10 Minutes; this being a Mean between the 5 Modules of the Antique, and the 5"- of the Moderns ; he divides this Sum, which is 160 Minutes, into four equal Parts, giving 40 Minutes to the Progreflion of each Order : This makes the Tufcan Column 14 Modules 20 Minutes ; the Doric becomes itf, the Ionic 17, 10 Min. the Corinthian 18, 20 Min. and the Comfofite 20 Modules. See Proportion.
For the diftingnifhtng CharaSers of each Order of Co- lumns ; fee Order.
For the Matter ; fee Stone, Marble, f£c. For the Ufe and Application ; fee Building. For the ranging of Columns, and the Spaces to be ob- ferv'd bet-ween each ; See Intercolumnation.
Columns, -with regard to their different Matter. f%;cr-CoLuMN, is a Column whofe Shaft is form'd of a large Jet d'Eau ; which fpouting out Water violently from the Bafc, drives it within the Tambour of the Capital, which is made hollow ; whence falling down again, it has the Ef- fect of a liquid cryftal Column. See Fountain.
An Inftance of this we have at guinta d'Aveiro near Lisbon.
Fufible Column. Under this Term are comprehended, not only Columns of various Metals, and other fufible Matters, as Glafs, &c. but alfo thofe of Stone, faid to have been caft ; the Secret of which, fome will have us believe to have been known to the Antients.
Tranffarent Column, any Column made of tranlparcnt . Matter ; as were thofe of Cryftal in the Theater pf Soaurus, mention'd by Pliny ; and thofe of tranfparent Alabafter, in the Church of St. Mark, at Venice.
Hydraulic Column, is that whofe Shaft appears to be of Cryftal, being form'd by .a number of little Threads of Wa- ter, falling from Holes made in Girts of Metal, at equal diftances, by means of a Pipe mounting thro' the middle thereof ; as in the Gardens at Verfailles.
Hydraulic Column, is alfo a Column from whofe top pro- ceeds a Jet d'Eau, to which the Capital ferves as a Balon ; whence the Water defcends by a littie Pipe, which turns fpi- rally around the Shaft.
Such arc the Ionic Columns of the Cafcade of the Belvi- dera at Frefcati ; and thofe of the Vineyard Mathei at Pome. Molded Column, is that made by Impaftation, of Gravel and Flints of divers Colours, bound together with a Cement, which grows perfectly hard, and receives a poliili like Marbie. The Secret of making thefe, it appears the Antients were Mafters of, by the Columns lately difcover'd near Algiers 5 which are doubtlels the Ruins of the antient Julia Cejdrea : on thefe are found the very fame Infcription in antique Characters, the Contours, Accents, and even Faults, being repeated in every Shaft : an inconteftable Proof of their be- ing molded.
Columns with regard to their Conftrucf ion. Column of Joinery, is made of ftrong timber boards, ioin'd, glu'd, and pinn'd together ; is hollow, turn'd in the Lath, and ufually fluted. Such are the Columns in moft Al- tar-pieces.
Incrufbated Column, is made of feveral Ribs, or thin Shells of fine Marble, or other rare Stone, cemented upon a Mold of Stone, Brick, or the like. This is done with defign both to fave the precious Matter, as Oriental Jafper, Lapis, Agat, l$c. or to rcprefent pieces of fuch Matters of an ex- traordinary fize, by the neatnefs and clofenefs of the Incalf- tation, which renders the Joints imperceptible.
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