Of flat Roofes, and the Ornaments thereof. The twelfth Chapter

ALthough in the Netherlands they vse not to decke the Chambers in the Roofes with woodden worke, neuertheles, when a house without is made wholy after the old maner, it were vnfit that the Roofe should not be agreeable, as also the Bedsteeds, Bankes, &c. And which is more, I would say, that each place should be stuffed and suted within, with things sitting to that which it sheweth outward. I say then, If the Roofe be high, then the deuisions to be wide of space, and rising or bearing out well: and if a man will beautifie it with Paynting, it must bee well done, and conformably paynted, according to the greatnesse and distance thereof. It ought also to be made of light and browne colours: and in the middle of the field you must set a gylt Rose: but if a man will colour it, then the field must be blue, as piercing, but the Roses must be bound with some works or branches, that they may not seeme to hang in the ayre: and the Cornices which close vp the fouresquare or other fields, must bee well gylt, or beautifyed with the same colour: but if so bee the Roofe is not high inough, then you must make the worke thinner and smaller, as also the paynting: and that you may vnderstand it, I haue set two figures to shew you, which, notwithstanding, are all one: the one of bare wood, the other paynted, as I sayd before. And this Order I obserued in the Roofe of the great Librarie in the Palace of Venice, in the time of the Prince Andreagriti, because the Roofe was lower then it should be, in respect of the widenesse and length of the Hall, and I made it of thinne worke, for the reason aforesayd.

LAstly, our Author speaketh of Armor, to shew how a man shall make colon•, and place them, according to state, workemanship, or nature; that thereby a man may perceyue of what stocke, or frō whence it is deriued • for, saith • wee sée that in former times men m• & figured Prince• in their maiesty, Bishops in Pontifical Robes, Ca•nes armed, and euery ma• such h•e, as b•tted his calling and cond•. And •e will h• men to make & colour armes. that ar• to be so • vpon, or before houses, with beast• •ds &c. •, sil•er, blue, red, green •nd bla• colours • no •tall vpon metall, no• colour vpon •. But for that workemen here in this Country make no Armes after their owne pleasures, we wil let them passe, & in place thereof set downe a figure of Letters, the which the workeman hath occasion many times to cut, or place aboue Gates, Doores, in Fréeses, and other tables, therein to set names, titles, deuices, or other superscriptious, at the pleasure of the owners, or to know a • any other common places o•ice or otherwise. Neuerthelesse, for that here there are roofing workes • to f•ll the place, I will set the Figures of the Armes. which he hath made after yᵉ Letters, that the Book• may bee complete. The workeman, hauing n• knowledge of learning, should be much troubled, to seeke farre and néere for one that should write them for him: and although that he hath them in writing, neuerthelesse for want of knowing the pr oportions, they may be spoyled in working, and to bring his worke in contempt; as also those that drew them for him: Therefore, although they are drawne by Lucas Patiolus, Geotry Tory, and Albertus Durer, who, neuerthelesse, agree not all together, therefore I will set these hereafter downe for a common rule, following our Author, who (letting passe all superstition) hath brought the Columnes & Pedestals into a due • whose authoritie, I should almost say, that a man may make the•e letters greater or smaller, according to the orders of Columnes; but to write th• •imetry, or not, yᵗ I may not digresse too far out of the way, I will follow Vitruuius, where hee sayth, that a Ionica Columne is 9. parts high, and • shewing of diuers Authors, this forme of Letters is also found in Ionica, and so I leaue them of 9. parts: and whether a man would make them by Corinthia or Composita order of 10. parts, it would not be amisse, for as the Corinthia is most vsed for the slendernesse, so these Letters for the most part, are made of 10. parts: by the Dorica and Thuscana, they are made of eyght. By that reason thereof, it were not much to bee contemned, considering the grossenesse of the worke; also, according to Vitruuius writing, a man may alter the Simetries, as it is sufficiently shewed in other places: for vpon some occasions, they are greater & smaller, yea, and shew altogether false to that they are. To learne easily to make thess letters, first, you must make a perfect fouresquare, and set it in as many parts as you wil giue vnto yᵉ letters: but if they be of 6.7.8.9. or 10. parts, more or lesse, the smallest draught shall be the third part of the thickenesse, and the crosse draught the halfe. The corners shall, at least, haue as much Proiecture as the thicknesse of she letter taken with the Compasse. But although one letter is within the fouresquare, and the ot• without, you may sée in the figure, where you may set the Compasse to draw the round: you may set the O. of the same measure that you set the Q. The tayle of the Q. is a quarter and a halfe of a fouresquare, and sinckes a halfe fouresquare; some make it shorter. I will not vphold these letters to be the best, but euery man take them he liketh best: it is also no néed to take so much paynes with euery small letter: but it falleth out oftentimes, that a man is to make them a foot, or sixe, more or lesse, high: which a man shall neuer bring to good passe, without following a sure proportion.

The end of the fourth Booke.