Fréart, Roland; Evelyn, John; Alberti, Leon Battista; Wotton, Henry [Hrsg.]: A parallel of the ancient architecture with the modern: in a collection of ten principal authors who have written upon the five orders viz. Palladio and Scamozzi, Serlio and Vignola, D. Barbaro and Cataneo, L. B. Alberti and Viola, Bullant and De Lorme, compared with one another ; the three Greek orders, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, comprise the first part of this treatise ; and the two Latin, Tuscan and Composita, the latter (London, 1733)

114 A Parallel of the Ancient Architecture

C H A P. IX.
Of a certain Ornament called the Frette.
A<RchiteBure is in all this Treatife so extremely jealous of thofe Libertines
that have the raflinefs os daring to corrupt the Forms of her Prosiles
by their capricious Inventions, that (he even refuses entrance to all kind os
Novelty whatfoever. This it is which has put me in mind of the promife I
made to prefent you here with fome extraordinary Designs of Capitals drawn
srom the Antiques: But confidering that they can ferve for nouse in any fort
of Structure at prefent, as being only proper sor the Pagan Deities, and that
we have now no more Juptters, Keptunes, or other Gods of that Age, for
whofe Temples thefe kind of Capitals were Angularly appropriated, by Repre-
sentations fyecifical to every SubjetJ 3 I conceived it better to remove thofe
Suits which ferved likewife but to awaken the ill Genius of our Workmen, to
imitate and copy after them. To supply then their places with fome other
thing which fhould be profitable and without reproach, I have made a very
curious and rare Colle&ion of a certain Ornament, which they call the Frette,
and of which the Ancients made great use5 taking infinite Delight in com-
pofing variety of forts, as this Defign will fliew you. This Ornament con-
lifts in a certain interlacing of two Lifts, or small Fillets, which run always in
parallel Diftances equal to their Breadth 5 with this neceiTary condition, that
at every Return and Interferon, they do always sall into right Angles $ this is
so indispenfable, that they have no Grace without it, but become altogether
Gothic. There is one (amongft the Ten I here present you) that consifts but
os a single Fillet, which neverthelefs sills its Space exceedingly well, and
makes a very handsome fhow. The Ancients did ordinarily apply them
upon even and flat Members, as upon the Face os the Corona and Eves of a
Cornice under the Prooss, Planceres and Ceilings os Architraves-, also about the
Doors, and on the Plinths os Safes, when their Torus and Scotia's were carved 5
alfo they do rarely about Platsonds and upon Ground Works.

The End os the Second Part,