the ensuing Epistle you shall see Sebastian Serlius to the Reader LOuing and friendly Reader after I had collected certaine rules of Architecture thinking that not only those of deepe conceyt would vnderstand them but that also each indifferent man of wit might conceaue them as he is more or lesse addicted to such an Art which rules are deuided into seuen Books as hereunder shall be set downe but for that this Art requireth it therefore I thought it requisite to begin with this fourth Booke and to set it out first which is more to the purpose and more necessary then the rest for the knowledge of many sorts of Building and ornaments thereof to the end that euery one may haue some knowledge of this Art the which is no lesse pleasing to the mind of those workmen that thinke vpon things that are to make then also to mens eyes when they are made Which Art by the wisedome of the famous and excellent spirits that are now in the world doth flourish in these dayes as the Latine tongue did in the time of Iulius Caesar and Cicero Then with glad and ioyfull heart receyue at least my good will though the effect ensueth not which in trueth I haue to pleasure and satisfie your minds in this respect In the first Booke I will entreat of the beginning of Geometry and of diuers cuttings through of lines in such sort that the workman may yeeld reason for that he worketh In the second Booke I will shew in Figure and by reason as much of Perspectiue Art that if the workeman will he may declare his conceyt or purpose by reasons and figure In the third Booke workmen shall see the Ichnographie that is the ground the Orthographie that is the raysing vp of a Building before The Scenographie or Sciographie that is the insight by shortening of the most part of the Buildings that are in Rome Italie c. diligently measured and set by them in writing with the places where they are and their names In the fourth which is this I will speake of fiue maner of Buildings and of their ornaments as Thusscana Dorica Ionica Corinthia and Composita that is to say mingled And by these the whole Arte is learned In the fift I will speake of diuers kinds of Temples set downe in diuers formes that is round fouresquare six-cornerd eyght-cornerd Ouall-wise and crosse-wise with their ground heights and shortenings diligently measured In the sixt I will speake of all dwellings which at this day may bee vsed beginning at the meanest house or cotrage and so from degree to degree proceeding to the most rich fayre and princely Palaces as well in Countrie villages as in great Cities or Townes In the seuenth and last shall be set downe many accidents which may happen to workemen in diuers places strange maner of situation repayring of decayed houses and how we should helpe our selues with pieces of other buildings with such things as are to be vsed and at other times haue stood in worke Now then to proceed readily herein I will begin with the greatest and rusticke order of Building that is the Thuscan being the playnest rudest and strongest and of least grace and seemelinesse The Author to the Reader THe ancient workemen in times past as Vitruvius affirmeth dedicated their workes and Buildings to the gods according to their natures strength or weakenesse so is the forme called Dorica ascribed to the gods Iupiter Mars and valiant Hercules taking such formes from strong men The forme called Ionica is ascribed to the goddesse Diana Apollo and Bacchus as of the nature of Matrons that is of wise sensible women which are both tender and strong for Diana by her femurine nature is tender but by vsing to hunt shee is strong Apollo by reason of his beauty is tender but being a man he is strong the like of Bacchus But the Corinthia is taken of maâ—ds and they ascribe all to the goddesse Vesta and her chaste mayds yet at this time I thinke it good to procéed in another sort nothing differing from the ancients afore sayd My meaning is to follow the maner and customes of the Christians that I as far as I may will ascribe holy Buildings to God and to his Saints and profane buildings as well publicke as priuote I will ascribe to men according to their professions So say I then that the Thuscan maner after my opinion is fit for strengths for Gates of Cities Townes and Castles places for treasure munition and Artillery to kéepe them in for prisons hauens of the Sea and such like things seruing for the warres It is true that rusticke and playns worke that is such Buildings as are made of rough stones and others that are made somewhat smoother according to the pleasure which the Stone-cutters take therein are sometimes mixed with Dorica and sometimes with Dorica and Corinthia Neuertheles for that the Thuscan order is the roughest set foorth farre more then the other are I am of opinion that the Country Bulding is more like vnto the Thuscan then any of the rest which you may playnely sée to haue béene obserued by the Thuscans as wel in their chiefe Cities and Townes of Florence as without in their Country Villages in so many rich and fayre Buildings made after the rusticall maner as may be séene in all Christendome mixed with such a slight manner of worke as the workeman thought good Therefore I conclude that such Buildings are more agréeable to Thuscan order then any other Therefore altering somewhat from Antiquities and some others of ours I will in diuers sorts shewe of such workes viz. how to make Gates of Cities Townes or Forts as also in publike and priuate places Houses Galleries Windowes Niches or seates hollowed in worke Bridges Water-courses and such like seuerall Ornaments as may happen into a workemans hands to doe Men may also not differing from the ancient rules mixe this rusticall maner with the Dorica and also with Ionica and sometimes with Corinthia at the pleasure of those that seâ—ke to please their owne fantasies which a man may affirme to bee more for pleasure then profit therefore the workeman ought to procéede with good aduice especially in publike buildings wherein comelinesse is commendable In the beginning of this Booke I obserued the Comedians order who when they intend to play any Comedy first send out a Prologue who in few wordes giueth the audience to vnderstand what they intend to entreat of in their Comedie So I meaning in this Booke to entreat of fiue maner of Buildings viz. Thuscan Dorica Ionica Corinthia and Composita haue thought good that in the beginning thereof men should sée the Figures of all the seueral kinds whereof I purpose to entreat of And although that in the Columnes and their ornaments all the measures and proportions are not set downe but onely the principall by generall rules yet will I not fayle as occasion shall serue to set them downe in particularities but
soeuer they be but not to bring the Reader into confusednesse with making of many formes I will onely set downe this deuided into nine corners which shall serue for an example of all the rest which is thus Take the quarter of the Circle and deuide it into nine parts and foure of these parts will bee the ninth part of the whole Circumference you must also vnderstand the same so if you deuide a Quadrate into eleuen twelue or thirtéene parts c. for that alwayes foure of these parts bee the iust wydenesse of your parts required THere are many Quadrangle proportions but I will here set down but seuen of the principallest of them which shal best serue for the vse of the workeman FIrst this forme is called a right foure cornerd Quadrate THe second forme or figure in Latine is called Sexquiquarta that is which is made of a foure cornerd Quadrate and an eyght part thereof ioyned vnto it THe third figure in Latine is called a Sexquitertia that is made of a foure squared Quadrate and a third part therof ioyned vnto it THe fourth is called Diagonea of the line Diagonus which line deuideth the foure square Quadrate crosse through the middle which Diagonall line being toucht from vnder to the end thereof vpwards with the Compasse and so drawen will shew you the length of the Diagonall Quadrangle but from this proportion there can bee no rule in number well set downe THE fift figure is called a Sexquialtera that is a foure square and halfe of one of the foure squares added vnto it THe sixt is called Superbitienstercias that is a foure square and two third parts of one of the foure squares added thereunto THE seuenth and last figure is called Dupla that is double for it is made of two foure square formes ioyned together and we finde not in any Antiquities any forme that passeth the two foure squares vnlesse it bee in Galleries Entries and other to walke in and some gates doores and windowes haue stood in their heights but such as are wise will not passe such lengths in Chambers or Halles MAny accidents like vnto this may fall into the workmans hand which is that a man should lay a steling of a house in a place which is fiftéene foote long and as many foote broad the rafters should be but fouretéene foote long and no more wood to be had then in such case the binding thereof must be made in such sort as you sée it héere set downe that the rafters may serue and this will also bee strong enough IT may also fall out shat a man should finde a Table of ten foote long and thrée foote broade with this Table a man would make a doore of seuen foote high and foure foote wyde Now to doe it a man would saw the Table long wise in two parts and setting them one vnder another and so they would be but sixe foote high and it should bee seuen and againe if they would cut it thrée foote shorter and so make it foure foote broade then the one side shall be too much péeced Therefore he must doe it in this sort Take the Table of ten foote long and thrée foot broad marke it with A. B. C. D. then sawe it Diagonall wise that is from the corner C. to B. with two equall parts then draw the one péece thereof thrée foote backwards towards the corner B. then the line A. F. shall be foure foote broad and so shall the line E. D. also hold foure foote broad by this meanes you shall haue your doore A. E. F. D. seuen foote long and foure foote broade and you shall yet haue the thrée cornerd pieces marked E. B. G. and C. F. and C. left for some other vse JT happeneth many times that a workman hath an eye or round window to make in a Church as in ancient times they vsed to make them and he doubted of the greatnesse thereof which if he will make after the rules of Geometry hee must first measure the bredth of the place where he will set it and therein he must make a halfe Circle which halfe Circle being inclosed in a Quadrangle then he shall finde the Center by two Diagonall lines then he must draw two lines more which shall reach from the two lowermost corners aboue the Center and touch the iust halfe of the Circle aboue and where the sayd lines cut through the Diagonall lines there you must make two Perpendicular lines which Perpendicular lines shall shew the widenesse of the desired window the list about it may bee made the sixt part of the Diameter being round in bredth IF a workeman will make a Gate or a Doore in a Temple or a Church which is to be proportioned according to the place then he must take the widenesse within the Church or else the bredth of the wall without if the Church bee small and haue Pilasters of Pillars within it then he may take the widenesse betwéene them set the same bredth in a foure square that is as high as broad in which foure square the Diagonall lines and the other two crosse cutting lines will not onely shew you the widenes of the doore but also the places and poynts of the ornaments of the same Doore as you sée here in this Figure And although it should fall out that you haue thrée doores to make in a Church and to that ende cut thrée holes yet you may obserue this proportion for the smallest of them And although gentle Reader the crosse cutting thorow or deuiding is innumerable yet for this time lest I should be too tedious I here end my Geometry Here endeth the first Booke of Architecture treating of Geometry translated out of Italian into Dutch And now out of Dutch into English for the benefit of our English Nation at the charges of Robert Peake 1611. The second Booke of Architecture made by Sebastian Serly entreating of Perspectiue which is Inspection or looking into by shortening of the sight Translated out of Jtalian into Dutch and out of Dutch into English LONDON Printed for Robert Peake and are to be sold at his shop neere Holborne conduit next to the Sunne Tauerne ANNO DOM. 1611. The second Booke A Treatise of Perspectiues touching the Superficies The second Chapter ALthough the subtill and ingenious Arte of Perspectiue is very difficult and troublesome to set downe in writing and specially the body or modell of things which are drawen out of the ground for it is an Arte which cannot be so well expressed by figures or writings as by an vndershewing which is done seuerally Notwithstanding seeing that in my first Booke I haue spoken of Geometry without the which Perspectiue Arte is nothing I will labour in the briefest manner that I can in this my second Booke to shewe the workeman so much thereof that hee shall bee able to aide and helpe himselfe therewith In this worke I will not trouble my selfe to dispute Philosophically what
both before and in the shortening as occasion fell out I haue also made some things of halfe planks of wood which were great helpe to the Paynters to set out things at life All the spaces froÌ„ the backe to the wall marked A. shall be for the personages to the which end the hindermost backe in the middle shall stand at the least two foot from the wall that the personages may goe from the one side to the other and not be séene Then you must rayse a termination at the beginning of the pauement B. which shall be the poynt L. and from thence to the Horison there shal be a line drawne as it is marked in the profil with prickes which shall be of like height and where that toucheth the hindermost backe of the Scene or Scaffold there the Horison of that backe shall stand and that Horison shall serue onely for that backe But if you stretch a corde or any other thing to the termination L. then you may fasten a thread to it to thrust backward or forward to vse it out of the stedfast Horison all the Ortographie of the houses before But the Horison which goeth through the wall shall serue for all the shortening sides of the houses and for that men should breake the wall if they would vse all this Horison in grosse which may not bee done therefore I haue alwayes made a small modell of wood and Paper iust of the same bignes and by the same modell set it downe in grosse from piece to piece But this way will fall out hard for some men to vnderstand neuerthelesse it will be necessary to worke by models and experiments and by studie a man shall sind the way and for that a man can hardly finde any Halls how great soeuer wherein he can place a Theater without imperfection and impediment therefore to follow Antiquities according to my power and abilitie I haue made all such parts of these Theaters as may stand in a Hall Therefore the part marked D. shall be the post scene and the circular place marked E. shall bee the Orchestra round about this Orchestra shall be the places for the noblest personages to sit marked F. The first steps marked G. for the noblest women to sit vpon The place H. is a way so is the part marked I. In the middle betwéene these degrées are sâ—eps the easier to goe vp The places marked K. must bee made so great backward as the Hall will afford which is made somewhat slooping that the people may see out ouâ—◠〈◊〉 others head TOuching the dispositon of Theaters and other Scenes concerning the grounds thereof I haue spoken sufficiently now I will speake of the Scene in Perspectiue worke and for that Scenes are made of thrée sorts that is Comical to play Comedies on Tragicall for Tragedies and Satiricall for Satirs This first shall be Comicall whereas the houses must be flight for Citizens but specially there must not want a brawthell or bawdy house and a great Inne and a Church such things are of necesstie to be therein How to rayse these houses from the ground is sufficiently expressed and how you shall place the Horison neuerthelesse that you may be the better instructed touching the former of these houses I haue here set downe a Figure for satisfaction of those that take pleasure therein but because this Figure is so small therein I could not obserue all the measures but refer them to inuention that thereby you may chuse or make houses which shew well as an open Gallery or lodge through the which you may sée an other house The hangings ouer or shooting out show well in shortening worke and some Cornices cut out at the ends accompanied with some others that are painted show well in worke so doe the houses which haue great bearing out like lodgings or Châ—â—nbers for men and especially aboue all things you must set the smalest houses before that you may sée other houses ouer or aboue them as you sée it here aboue the bawdy house for if you place the greatest before and the rest behind still lessen thâ—n the place of the Scene would not be so well filled and although these things vpon the one side be made all vpon one floore Neuerthelesse for that you place great part of the lights in the middle hanging ouer the Scene or Scaffold therefore it would stand better if the floore in the midst were taken away and all the roundels and Quadrans which you sée in the Buildings they are artificiall lights cutting through of diuers colors which to make I will shew the manner in the last of this Booke The windowes which stand before were good to be made of Glasse or Paper with light behind them But if I should here write all that I know to serue for this worke it would be ouerlong to rehearse therefore I referre that to the wit and discretion of those that exercise and practise themselueâ— heerein HOuses for Tragedies must bee made for great personages for that actions of loue strange aduentures and cruell murthers as you reade in ancient and moderne Tragedies happen alwayes in the houses of great Lords Dukes Princes and Kings Therefore in such cases you must make none but stately houses as you sée it hore in this Figure wherein for that it is so smal I could make no Princely Pallaces but it is sufficient for the workeman to sée the manner thereof whereby he may helpe himselfe as time and place serueth and as I sayde in the Comicall hee must alwayes study to please the eyes of the beholders and forget not himselfe so much as to set a small building in stead of a great for the reasons aforesayd And for that I haue made all my Scenes of laths couered with linnen yet sometime it is necessary to make some things rising or bossing out which are to bee made of wood like the houses on the left side whereof the Pillars although they shorten stand all vpon one Base with some stayres all couered ouer with cloth the Cornices bearing out which you must obserue to the middle part But to giue place to the Galleries you must set the other shortening Cloth somewhat backwards and make a cornice aboue it as you see and that which I speake of these Buildings you must vnderstand of all the rest but in the Buildings which stand far backward the Painting worke must supplie the place by shadowes without any bearing out touching the artificiall lights I haue spoken thereof in the Comicall works All that you make aboue the Roofe sticking out as Chimneyes Towers Piramides Oblisces and other such like things or Images you must make them all of thin bords cut out round and well colloured But if you make any flat Buildings they must stand somewhat farre inward that you may not see them on the sides In these Scenes although some haue painted personages therein like supporters as in a Gallery or doore as a Dog Cat or any other
must haue certaine Figures or formes ready of such greatnes as the place where they must stand will afford them to be which must be made of passe board cut out round and paynted signifiing such things as you will which Figures must leane against a rule or lath of wood crosse ouer the Scene where any gate doore or way is made and there some one or other behind the doore must make the. Figures passe along sometime in forme of Musitions with instruments and some like singers and behind the Scene some must play on vpon certaine instruments and sing also sometime you must make a number of foote men and horsemen going about with Trumpets Phifes and Drummes at which time you must play with Drumbes Trumpets and Phifes c. very softly behind which will kéepe the peoples eyes occupied and content them well If it be requisite to make a Planet or any other thing to passe along in the Ayre it must bee framed and cut out of paste-board then in the hindermost and backe part of the houses of the Scene there must be a piece of wire drawne aboue in the roofe of the house and made fast with certain rings behind to the paste-board painted with a Planet or any other thing that shal be drawne softly by a man with a blacke thréed from one end to the other but it must be farre from mens sight that neither of the thréeds may bee séene Sometime you shall haue occasion to shew thunder and lightning as the play requireth then you must make thunder in this manner commonly all Scenes are made at the end of a great Hall whereas vsually there is a Chamber aboue it wherein you must roule a great Bullet of a Cannon or of some other great Ordinance and then counterfeit Thunder Lightning must be made in this maner there must be a man placed behind the Scene or Scaffold in a high place with a boxe in his hand the couer whereof must be full with holes and in the middle of that place there shall be a burning candle placed the boxe must be filled with powder of vernis or sulphire and casting his hand with the boxe vpwards the powder flying in the candle will shew as if it were lightning But touching the beames of the lightning you must draw a piece of wyre ouer the Scene which must hang downewards whereon you must put a squib conered ouer with pure gold or shining lattin which you will and while the Bullet is rouling you must shoote of some piece of Ordinance and with the same giuing fire to the squibs it will worke the effect which is desired It would be ouerlong if I should speake of all things which are to be vsed in these affaires therefore I will leaue speaking of Perspectiue things FINIS Here endeth the second Booke of Architecture entreating of Perspectiue Arte translated out of Italian into Dutch and out of Dutch into English at the charges of Robert Peake for the benefit of the English Nation and are to be sold at his house néere Holborne Conduit vnder the Sunne Tauerne 1611. The third Booke Intreating of all kind of excellent Antiquities of buildings of Houses Temples Amphitheaters Palaces Thermes Obelisces Bridges Arches triumphant c. set downe in Figures with their grounds and measures as also the places where they stand and who made them ROMA QVANTA FVIT IPSA RVINA DOCET To the Reader ALthough diuers Authors write many strange things touching Architecture as the Egyptians the people of Asia and Grecia with diuers other nations and haue left them for our example so that reading them we may sufficiently satisfie our cares and fill them with the greatnesse thereof that is touching the length bredth and depth that certaine places haue contained yet we can not satisfie our eyes nor the desire we haue to see such incredible works vnlesse it had beene our hap to haue the contemplation thereof for that the reliques of such works are almost or for the most part vtterly defaced or vnlesse we might haue seene them drawne in propertion vnto our eyes as in this Booke we may not onely read what the Romanes at the last after other nations had built but also the same Authors haue set downe vnto vs in Figure as you may see them here piece by piece not only how many rods ells feet palmes but also the minutes thereof and what compas they contained all perfectly described And although it was no part of my intent to translate this Booke of Antiquities of Rome into our mother tongue regarding the barrennesse of our language or peraduenture such as studie or fauour the same are all too few to defray my charges therein yet I haue not refrained to doe it being thereunto compelled by the great works of the forification of the City of Andwerp and other great places and for this cause specially that euery man that wondreth at the greatnes thereof which was made with most great cost charges may hereby see and consider yea how much greater needles charges to be compared vnto this the Romanes not speaking of other nation haue in time past bestowed in making of Obelisces Piramides Thermes Theaters Amphitheaters tryumphant Arches and many more such like things which serued only for pleasure tryumph whereby it is to be presumed that they would haue made the fortifications of such Cities or Townes made for the safety of the Land far better then they now are Now it is to be noted that all whatsoeuer the Romanes haue made doth not wholly agree with Vitruuius rules so that many which haue counterfeyted these and such like peeces of worke haue thereby beene abused and deceiued for some would hardly beleeue that in those dayes as well as at this time all maner of workemen were one better then another which many vnawares and vnskilfully do many things which good Antiquities would willingly not suffer hereof they shall find good instructions in this Booke and they may learne if they will read it how to discerne good from bad whereunto the former printed fourth Booke is specially made for in it the whole quantity of the measures is contayned as in the Epistle of the sayd Booke it is promised So in this third Booke you shall not onely find first the Ichnographia and then after the Orthographyes with part of the Sciographies of the most famous Antiquityes of Rome Italy and some of other places but also of the most excellent buyldings in our dayes specially those that are made by Bramant So that the Reader being well instructed in the aforesayd fourth Booke where all the Orders are well set foorth and declared he may of himselfe iudge what is well or ill made that at one time a man may without any further labour make a good and incorrigible peece of worke The third Booke of Antiquitie The fourth Chapter AMong all the ancient building to bee seene in Rome I am of opinion that the Pantheon for one piece
of worke alone is the fayrest wholest and best to be vnderstood and is so much the more wonderfull then the rest because it hath so many members which are all so correspondent one to the other that whosoeuer beholdeth it taketh great pleasure therein which proceedeth from this that the excellent workeman which inuented it chose the perfitest forme that is the round forme whereby it is vsually called Our Lady of the Round for within it is as high as it is broad And it may be that the sayd workeman considering that all things proceeding orderly haue a principall and onely head whereon the nether parts depend was of opinion that this piece of worke should haue onely but one light and that in the highest part thereof that it might spread abroad in all places alike as in effect you see it doth for besides other things which haue their perfect light there are sixe Chappels which for that they stand within the thicknesse of the wall should be darke yet they haue their due light by the meanes of some drawing windowes aboue in the top of the sayd Chappels which giue them second light taken from the vppermost hole so that there is not any small thing in them but it receiueth a part of the light and this is not made without great iudgement for this Temple in old time being dedicated to all the gods by which meanes there stood many Images in it which the diuers Tabernacles Seates and small windowes shew it was necessary that euery one had his due light Wherefore such as take pleasure to make Images and other imbossed or grauen worke must consider that such a Cabinet should haue his light from aboue that euery one standing in his place neede not looke for light to see but that they may bee seene altogether at one time But to come to my first speach For that the Pantheon seemeth vnto me to be the perfectest peece of worke that euer I saw therefore I thought it good to set it first in the beginning of this Booke and for a principall head of all other peeces of worke The founder of this Temple as Plinie writeth in more then one place was Marcus Agrippa to accomplish Augustus Caesars last will who being intercepted by death could not finish it and so it was built about foureteene yeeres after the byrth of our Lord which is about 5203. yeeres from the beginning of the world In this Temple as Pliny writeth the Capitals were of Copper and hee writeth also that Diogenes the Image-maker of Athens made the excellent Caracters in the Pillars and that the Images placed aboue the Frontespicium were much commended although by the highnesse of the place they could not be so well discerned This Temple was consumed with lightening and burnt about the 12. yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Traian which was about 113. yeeres after the byrth of Christ and in the 5311. yeere of the creation of the world and Lucius Septimus Seuerus and Marcus Aurelius Antonius repayred it agayne with all the Ornaments thereto belonging as it appeareth in the Architraue of the sayd frame which Ornaments you must presume were all new made otherwise the Caracters of Diogenes would still haue bene seene there But in truth the workman that made it was very iudicious and constant for that he proportioned the members thereof very iudiciously to the body and would not suppresse the worke with many cuttings but as I will shew when time serueth how to place and deuide them excellent well Also in all the worke hee hath obserued the worke of Corinth and would mixe no other with it and withall the measures of all the members are as well obserued as euer I saw or measured in any other peece of worke whereby we may call this Temple an example of workemanship But leauing this matter for that it giueth the workeman little or no instruction to the purpose I will proceede to the particular measures and that I may goe forward orderly in these Antiquities the first Figure shall be the Ichnography The second the Orthography The third the Sciography This Figure following is the Ichnography that is the ground of the Temple aforesayd which is measured by the ancient or old Romish Palmes placed along by the side hereof And first speaking of the Portall whereof the Columnes are 6. Palmes 29. minutes thicke The Intercolumnes which are the spaces from one Columne to another are 8. Palmes and 9. minutes the breadth of the Portall is 40. Palmes the breadth of the flat Pillars of the Portall is like the Diameter of the Columnes the breadth of the Seates betweene the Pillars is 10. Palmes and the Pilasters on the sides are 2. Palmes the widenesse of the Gates is 26. Palmes and a halfe the widenesse of the whole Temple that is of the Floore within from one wall to another is 194. Palmes and iust so much is the height from the Floore to the vndermost stone of the window aboue The sayd round hole is 36. Palmes and a halfe broad each of the sixe Chappels that are made within the thicknesse of the wall are 26. Palmes and 30. minutes and goe halfe as deepe into the wall as the thicknesse of the foure square Pillars on each side But the principall Chappell is thirtie Palmes broad and also is an halfe Circle besides the Pillars aforesayd The thicknesse of the Columnes of all the Chappels is 5. Palmes 3. minutes lesse the foure square corner Pillars also of the sayd Chappels contayning as much The Columnes of the Tabernacle betweene the Chappels are two Palmes thicke the thicknesse of the wall that goeth round about the whole body of the Temple is 31. Palmes And although that the Chappels make the walles hollow yet betweene them there are hollow places made within the walles which some say were left for places to receiue wind because of earthquakes But I am of opinion that they were left so vnfilled to spare stuffe because they are made circlewise and are strong inough The going vp which you see here on the left side was also on the right side to go vp the Portall men also went from thence round about the Temple ouer the Chappels through a secret way which is yet there through the which also they went without on the steps to clime vp into the highest parts of the buildings with many goings vp which are round about it It is thought that this foundation was all one masse or lumpe and without many places hollow so that some neighbours marking it and seeking to build haue found such a foundation when they digged This is the old Romish Palme which is deuided into twelue fingers and each finger is deuided into foure parts which are called Minutes by the which measure this present Figure with all the parts following was measured The ground of the Pantheon called Rotonde The forme of the Pantheon without THE Figure hereunder sheweth the whole forme of the Pantheon right before and
Perspectiue is or from whence it hath the originall for learned Euclides writeth darkely of the speculation thereof But to proceede to the matter touching that the workeman shall haue cause to vse you must vnderstand that Perspectiue is that which Vitruuius calleth Scenographie that is the vpright part and sides of any building or of any Superficies or bodies This Perspectiue then consisteth principally in three lines The first line is the Base below from whence all things haue their beginning The second line is that which goeth or reacheth to the point which some call sight others the horison But the horison is the right name thereof for the horison is in euery place wheresoeuer sight endeth The third line is the line of the distances which ought alwayes to stand so high as the horison is farre or neere according to the situation as when time serueth I will declare This Horison is to be vnderstood to stand at the corners of our sight as if the workeman would shew a piece of worke against a flat wall taking his beginning from the ground where the feete of the beholders should stand In such case it is requisite that the Horison should bee as high as our eye and the distance to see or behold that worke shall be set or placed in the fittest place thereabouts as if it were in a Hall or a Chamber then the distance shall be taken at the entry thereof but if it bee within or at the end of a Gallery or Court then the distance shall be set at the entry of the same place and if it bee in a Streete against a wall or an house then you must set your distance on the other side right ouer against it But if in such a case the streete is very narrow then it were good to imagine a broad distance lest the shortening fall out to be ouer-tedious or vnpleasant vnto you for the longer or the wyder the distance is the worke will shew so much the better and pleasanter But if you will begin a piece of worke of fiue or sixe foote high from the ground whereon you stand then it is requisite that the Horison should stand euen with your eyes as I sayd before but if a man should see no ground of the worke whereon the vppermost part doeth stand and a man would worke very high it would not be correspondent with the eyes In such a case a man must take vpon him to place the Horison somewhat higher by the aduice of some skilfull workman which maketh histories or other things vpon Houses thirtie or fortie foote high aboue a mans sight which is vnfittingly But cunning workmen fall into no such errors for where they haue made any thing aboue our sight there you could see no ground of the same worke for that the notable Perspectiue Art hath bridled them and therefore as I sayd before Perspectiue Art is very necessary for a workeman And no Perspectiue workeman can make any worke without Architecture nor the Architecture without Perspectiue To proue this it appeareth by the Architectures in our dayes wherein good Architecture hath begun to appeare and shew it selfe For was not Bramant an excellent Architector and was he not first a Painter and had great skill in Perspectiue Art before he applyed himselfe to the Art of Architecture and Raphael Durbin was not he a most cunning Paynter and an excellent Perspectiue Artist before he became an Architector And Balthazar Perruzzie of Sienna was also a Paynter and so well seene in Perspectiue Art that he seeking to place certaine Pillars and other Antike works perspectiuely tooke such a pleasure in the proportions and measures thereof that he also became an Architector wherein he so much exâ—elled that his like was almost not to be found Was not learned Ieronimus Genga also an excellent Paynter and most cunning in Perspectiue Arte as the faire works which he made for the pleasure of his Lord Francisco Maria Duke of Vrbin can testifie vnder whom he became a most excellent Architector Iulius Romanus a scholler of Raphael Durbin who by Perspectiue Arte and Paynting became an excellent Architector witnesseth the same Then to come to my purpose I say that a man must be diligent and vigilant in this Arte wherein I will begin with small things and then proceed to greater vntill I haue shewed you the full Arte and manner thereof as I desire TO the ende that men by small matters may attaine to greater therefore I will begin to shew how to shorten a foure cornerd thing from whence all the rest shall bee deriued Then the Base of this foure square thing shall be A. G. and the height of the Horison as I sayd before shall bee imagined according to the fight and that shall be P. whereunto all the lines doe runne as the lines of the sides A. P. and G. P. then at the one ende of the Quadrante you must set a Perpendicular line which is G.H. which done then drawe the Base A. G. K. long though and then out of the Horison draw a Paralell or an Equidistant sine from the Base as far as you will that the eye or sight shall stand from that which you will looke on for how much the more you will haue the foure square thing to seeme shorter so much further you must goe with yoin sight I. from H. to behold the foure square thing And then taking H. I. for the distance from the point I. to the corner A. draw a line and where the line cutteth through the Perpendicular line H. Gâ—th it is on B. there the termination of the shortening of the foure square thing shall bee as you may sée in the figure following But if you will make more foure squares one aboue the other vpon the same Horison or poynt then you must draw another line from the shortening poynt of the foure square or Quadrant to the letter I. and where it cutteth through the Perpendicular line aforesaid that is at C there the second Quadrant shal be rut off and in like sort you must draw another line to the poynt of the distance and where it toucheth the Lead or Perpendicular line that is on D. you shall make the third Quadrante the same may be done with E. and so you must goe vntill you come iust vnder the Horison THe rule aforesaid is the perfectest and you may prooue it by the line G. H. which is called the line of the Quadrante but because it is cumbred with a greater number of lines and so more tedious therefore the rule ensuing shall be shorter and easilyer to be done then the other for when the Base A. G. is drawne and the two side lines make a Triangle A. P. G. then you must draw the Paralels of the Base of the Horison long inough and as farre as you will stand from the worke to sée it so farre you must set the Perpendiculars I. K. from the poynt G. then you must draw