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.))

18 RUDIMENTS OF

OF THE FIVE ORDERS.

Of the Tuscan order little historic can be
said; its plainness of ornament gives it the
first place in most treatises: there is no
regular example of this among the re-
mains of antiquity. Piranjsi has given a
drawing of a Tuscan base found at Rome,
but of what date is uncertain. Vitruvius,
in an indistinct manner, has mentioned
its general proportions, but through his
whole book does not refer to one structure
of this order. The Trajan and Antonine
columns at Rome are reckoned of the
Tuscan order, though they have eight
diameters for their height; the torus and
capitals are certainly more ornamented
than is consistent with Tuscan plainness.
The fluting to the necks also are after the
most ancient Doric examples. It is some-
what singular there should be no remains
of this order; and were it not for what
little Vitruvius has written of it, it certainly