A  Parallel  of  the  antient  Architecture
40
CHAP.  XV.
Anotber  lonique  Profile  taken  from  the  Theater  of
Marcellus  at  Rome.

GOME  may  imagine  that  I  ought  to  have  establish  d  mine  lonique  Order  upon  this
DExample,  being  as  twere  the  twin-Brother  of  the  first  Dorique  with  which  l  have
commenced  this  Collection  of  Architecture,  heing  both  of  them  extracted  out  of  the  same
Edifice,  which  is  the  Theater  of  Marcellus.  And  to  speak  truth,  it  was  my  first  defign: -
  But  second  cogitations  being  ordinarily  the  more  judicious;  Ihave  since  considered -
  that  the  amplenes  of  the  Entablature  with  its  extraordinary  plainnes,  was  a
particular  effest  of  the  Architesis  discretion,  who  resolying  to  place  this  Order  in  an
exceeding  large  Building,  and  also  upon  an  elevared  place,  where  the  sight  could
hardly  enjoy  those  Ornaments  wherevithall  it  is  usually  enriched,  had  regard  onely
to  the  reformation  of  that  by  a  rule  of  the  Opticks,  which  the  Eye  might  possibly  find

fault  with  in  the  grace  of  its  general  proportions  from  the  distance  of  its  Elevation;
so  that  we  may  affirm  of  this  Profile,  that  it  does  excellently  well  in  Work  as  tis  placed
in  the  Original;  but  would  not  succeed  so  well  in  another  of  more  mediocrity;  and
above  all  in  a  work  of  one  onely  Order,  unles  it  were  of  a  Colosean  magnitude;  which
is  vet  in  truth  neither  proper  nor  natural  to  its  feminine  kind:  However  lwill  liere
present  you  with  its  Proportions  as  well  as  with  the  others.

The  height  of  the  entire  Order  is  twenty  two  Models,  and  two  thirds.
The  Column  with  her  Base  and  Chapter  hath  but  eighteen,  and  those  precise  enough;
so  as  the  whole  Entablature  consisting  of  four  and  two  thirds,  it  happens  to  be  of  an
extraordinary  grandure,  in  as  much  as  it  exceeds  a  quarter  of  the  Order,  which  is  the
largest  Proportien  can  justly  be  given  even  to  the  Dorique  it  self.
The  Projecture  or  Jette  of  the  Cornice  is  also  a  little  extravagant;  but  the  Architect
has  for  all  that:  shewed  himself  very  judicious,  having  respect  in  that  to  the  entire  mass
of  the  Building,  and  to  the  eminence  of  the  site  of  this  second  Order:  For  the  same

reason  he  afforded  but  very  little  diminution  to  the  Column  above.
The  Voluta's  of  the  Capital  are  Oval,  as  in  the  precedent  Order,  and  this  shape  of
the  Voluta's  was  much  practis  d  by  the  Antients;  but  the  method  of  tourning  them  with
the  Compaß  is  somewhat  difficult,  and  has  never  as  yet  been  demonstrated.