ernized; so that we never have more than two
tiers of the Byzantine arches, one above the other. These, however, are
quite enough to show the first main point on which I wish to insist,
namely, the subtlety of the feeling for proportion in the Greek
architects; and I hope that even the general reader will not allow
himself to be frightened by the look of a few measurements, for, if he
will only take the little pains necessary to compare them, he will, I am
almost certain, find the result not devoid of interest.

[Illustration: Fig. IV.]

Sec. VI. I had intended originally to give elevations of all these
palaces; but have not had time to prepare plates requiring so much labor
and care. I must, therefore, explain the position of their parts in the
simplest way in my power.

The Fondaco de' Turchi has sixteen arches in its sea story, and
twenty-six above them in its first story, the whole based on a
magnificent foundation, built of blocks of red marble, some of them
seven feet long by a foot and a half thick, and raised to a height of
about five feet above high-water mark. At this level, the elevation of
one half of the building, from its flank to the central pillars of its
arcades, is rudely given in Fig. IV., in the previous page. It is only
drawn to show the arrangement of the parts, as the sculptures which are
indicated by the circles and upright oblongs between the arches are too
delicate to be shown in a sketch three times the size of this. The
building once was crowned with an Arabian parapet; but it was taken down
some years since, and I am aware of no authentic representation of its
details. The greater part of the sculptures between the arches,
indicated in the woodcut only by blank circles, have also fallen, or
been removed, but enough remain on the two flanks to justify the
representation given in the diagram of their original arrangement.

And now observe the dimensions. The small arches of the wings in the
ground story, _a_, _a_, _a_, measure, in breadth, from

Ft. In.
shaft to shaft 4 5
interval _b_ 7 6-1/2
interval _c_ 7 11
intervals _d_, _e_, _f_, &c. 8 1

The difference between the width of the arches _b_ and _c_ is
necessitated by the small recess of the cornice on the left hand as
compared with that of the great capitals; but this sudden difference of
half a foot between the two ex