treme arches of the centre offended the
builder's eye, so he diminished the next one, _unnecessarily_, two
inches, and thus obtained the gradual cadence to the flanks, from eight
feet down to four and a half, in a series of continually increasing
steps. Of course the effect cannot be shown in the diagram, as the first
difference is less than the thickness of its lines. In the upper story
the capitals are all nearly of the same height, and there was no
occasion for the difference between the extreme arches. Its twenty-six
arches are placed, four small ones above each lateral three of the lower
arcade, and eighteen larger above the central ten; thus throwing the
shafts into all manner of relative positions, and completely confusing
the eye in any effort to count them: but there is an exquisite symmetry
running through their apparent confusion; for it will be seen that the
four arches in each flank are arranged in two groups, of which one has a
large single shaft in the centre, and the other a pilaster and two small
shafts. The way in which the large shaft is used as an echo of those in
the central arcade, dovetailing them, as it were, into the system of the
pilasters,--just as a great painter, passing from one tone of color to
another, repeats, over a small space, that which he has left,--is highly
characteristic of the Byzantine care in composition. There are other
evidences of it in the arrangement of the capitals, which will be
noticed below in the seventh chapter. The lateral arches of this upper
arcade measure 3 ft. 2 in. across, and the central 3 ft. 11 in., so that
the arches in the building are altogether of six magnitudes.

Sec. VII. Next let us take the Casa Loredan. The mode of arrangement of
its pillars is precisely like that of the Fondaco de' Turchi, so that I
shall merely indicate them by vertical lines in order to be able to
letter the intervals. It has five arches in the centre of the lower
story, and two in each of its wings.

[Illustration]

Ft. In.
The midmost interval, _a_, of the central five, is 6 1
The two on each side, _b_, _b_ 5 2
The two extremes, _c_, _c_ 4 9
Inner arches of the wings, _d_, _d_ 4 4
Outer arches of the wings, _e_, _e_ 4 6

The gradation of these dimensions is visible at a glance; the boldest
step being here taken