Rudiments of ancient architecture, containing an historical account of the five orders, with their proportions, and examples of each from antiques also, extracts from Vitruvius, Pliny, &c. relative to the buildings of the ancients (London, 1810 (4. Aufl.))

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE. 41

capital, and may be divided in the large,
into the architrave, the frize, and the
cornice.

" By examining the antiques, it will
be found, that, in all their profiles, the
cyma and the cavetto are constantly used
as finishings, and never applied where
strength is required ; that the ovolo and
talon are always employed as supporters
to the essential members of the compo-
sition, such as the modillions, denteles,
and corona; that the chief use of the torus
and astragal, is to fortify the tops and
bottoms of columns, and sometimes pe-
destals, where they are frequently cut in
the form of ropes ; and that the scotia is
employed only to separate the members of
bases, for which purpose the fillet is also
used, not only in bases, but in all kinds of
profiles."

" An assemblage of essential parts and
mouldings, is termed a profile; on the
choice, disposition, and proportion of
these, depends the beauty or deformity
of the profile. The most perfect are, such
as are composed of few mouldings, varied
both in form and size, fitly applied with