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.