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CONSTRUCTION. IX. THE CAPITAL. 107
receive, now that they form the capital, each a separate name;
the sloping stone is called the Bell of the capital, and that laid
above it, the Abacus. Abacus means a board or tile: I wish
there were an English word for it, but I fear there is no substitution possible, the term having been long fixed, and the reader
will find it convenient to familiarise himself with the Latin
one.
§ iv. The form of base, e of Fig. XIL, which corresponds
to this first form of capital, a, was said to be objectionable only
because it looked insecure ; and the spurs were added as a kind
of pledge of stability to the eye. But evidently the projecting
corners of the abacus at a, Fig. XIX., are actually insecure;
they may break off, if great weight be laid upon them. This
is the chief reason of the ugliness of the form ; and the spurs
in b are now no mere pledges of apparent stability, but have
very serious practical use in supporting the angle of the abacus.
If, even with the added spur, the support seems insufficient,
we may fill up the crannies between the spurs and the bell,
and we have the form c.
Thus a, though the germ and type of capitals, is itself
(except under some peculiar conditions) both ugly and insecure;
b is the first type of capitals which carry light weight; c, of
capitals which carry excessive weight.
§ v. I fear, however, the reader may think he is going
slightly too fast, and may not like having the capital forced
upon him out of the cornice; but would prefer inventing a
capital for the shaft itself, without reference to the cornice at
all. We will do so then; though we shall come to the same
result.
' The shaft, it will be remembered, has to sustain the same
weight as the long piece of wall which was concentrated into
the shaft; it is enabled to do this both by its better form and
better knit materials; and it can carry a greater weight than
the space at the top of it is adapted to receive. The first point,
therefore, is to expand this space as far as possible, and that in
a form more convenient than the circle for the adjustment of
the stones above. In general the square is a more convenient
| Title | The stones of Venice - 1 |
| Creator | Ruskin, John |
| Publisher | J. Wiley |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Date | 1889 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000132 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | CONSTRUCTION. IX. THE CAPITAL. 107 receive, now that they form the capital, each a separate name; the sloping stone is called the Bell of the capital, and that laid above it, the Abacus. Abacus means a board or tile: I wish there were an English word for it, but I fear there is no substitution possible, the term having been long fixed, and the reader will find it convenient to familiarise himself with the Latin one. § iv. The form of base, e of Fig. XIL, which corresponds to this first form of capital, a, was said to be objectionable only because it looked insecure ; and the spurs were added as a kind of pledge of stability to the eye. But evidently the projecting corners of the abacus at a, Fig. XIX., are actually insecure; they may break off, if great weight be laid upon them. This is the chief reason of the ugliness of the form ; and the spurs in b are now no mere pledges of apparent stability, but have very serious practical use in supporting the angle of the abacus. If, even with the added spur, the support seems insufficient, we may fill up the crannies between the spurs and the bell, and we have the form c. Thus a, though the germ and type of capitals, is itself (except under some peculiar conditions) both ugly and insecure; b is the first type of capitals which carry light weight; c, of capitals which carry excessive weight. § v. I fear, however, the reader may think he is going slightly too fast, and may not like having the capital forced upon him out of the cornice; but would prefer inventing a capital for the shaft itself, without reference to the cornice at all. We will do so then; though we shall come to the same result. ' The shaft, it will be remembered, has to sustain the same weight as the long piece of wall which was concentrated into the shaft; it is enabled to do this both by its better form and better knit materials; and it can carry a greater weight than the space at the top of it is adapted to receive. The first point, therefore, is to expand this space as far as possible, and that in a form more convenient than the circle for the adjustment of the stones above. In general the square is a more convenient |
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