243											17
                                                                      
                                                                      	a truly graceful and well designed capital of such propor-
                                                                      tions can hardly ever be misplaced:  Our principle of
                                                                          (1)	relations is however constant.  The excess of the line e d
                                                                      over the line a a, may be greater exactly in proportion
                                                                      to the diminuation of the weight, which the shaft a a has
                                                                      to carry:  For the bearing strength of the capital is of
                                                                      course greatest when it ptojects back:  Now we have al-
                                                                          (2)	ready seen that in all good architecture the diminished
	This principle must be clearly enunciated in the chapter             weight will be borne by the slender shafts.  Hence it
on shafts.                                                            follows that the excess of a c d above a a, may be greater
                                                                      (c par) in proportion to the slenderness of the shaft.
                                                                      Fig 3 and 4 p 17 represent extreme conditions of right
                                                                      proportion in the respect and figure 5 and 6 extreme con-
                                                                      ditions of wrong.  But also, the bearing strength of the
                                                                      projecting portions of the capital is to be considered
                                                                      not only with respect to the proportion of the weight to
                                                                      length of the shaft, but with respect to the absolute
                                                                      weight thrown on the line a a be the shaft long or short;
                                                                      and to the diffusion of its pressure on the line c d.  Now
                                                                      exactly in proportion to the Increase of actual scale;
                                                                      is the relation weakness of the projection of the capital,
                                                                      because the cohesion whether of the stone or cement
                                                                      which is enough to keep together the projecting parts
                                                                       when they are small, cannot be proport ionably

[Version 0.05: May 2008]