Niches are susceptible of the same de corations as windows ; and whether their heads be horizontal, cylindrical, or spberi cal, the inclosure may be rectangular. In the ruined edifices of antiquity, taber nacles are a very frequent ornament, and these often disposed with triangular and arched pediments alternately : the cha racter of the architecture should be the same as that which is to be placed in the same mnge with them. Niches are some ti mes disposed between columns and pi lasters, and sometimes ranged alternately in the same levels with windows ; in either case they should be ornamented or plain, as the space will admit.
If the intervals between the columns or pilasters be very narrow, the niches will be much better omitted, than to make them either diminutive, or of a dispro portionate figure. When they are rang. ed with windows, their dimensions should be the same as the aperture of the win dows. Niches being intended as reposi tories for statues, vases, or other works of sculpture, must be contrived to set off the things they are to contain to the best advantage, and therefore no ornaments whatever should be introduced : the bo dy and head of the niche being a.s plain as possible, every kind of ornament, whe ther mouldi ngs or sculpture, tends to con fuse the outline.
Statues. Besides decorations of mould ings, columns, and pilasters, architecture is indebted to sculpture for a great part of its magnificence; and as the human body is justly esteemed the most perfect original, it has been customary, in every period, to enrich different parts of build ings with representations thereof. Thus the ancients adorned their temples, basi licos, baths, theatres, and other public structures, with statues of their deities, philosophers, heroes, orators, and legis lators ; and the moderns still presel ve the same custom, placing in their churches, palaces, houses, squares, gardens, and public walks, the busts and statues of il lustrious personages ; or bas reliefs and groups, composed of various figures, re presenting memorable occurrences, col lected from the histories, fables, or tra ditions of particular times. Sometimes the statues or groups are detached, and raised on pedestals, and placed contiguous to the walls of buildings, by flights of steps or stairs, at the angles of terraces in the middle of rooms, or of courts, and public squares, but most frequently they are placed in niches. The size of the sta tue depends upon the dimensions of the niche : it should neither be so large as to seem crammed into it, nor so small as to be lost in it. The distance, between the outline of the statue and the sides of the niche, should never be less than one-third of a head, nor more. than the half, whe ther the niche be square or arched ; and when it is a square, the distance from the top of the head to the soffit of the niche should not exceed the distance left on the sides. The statues are generally raised on a plinth, the height of which may be from one-third to one-half of the head ; and sometimes, where the niches are ve. ry large, in proportion to the architec ture they' accompany, as 'nay be the ease where an order comprehends but one story. The statues may be raised on
small pedestals to a. proper height, and by this means the figure will not only have a better proportion to the niche but also to the order, to which it would other wise appear too trifling. Statues are not only placed in niches, but they are also placed on the tops of walls, and before the dwarfpilasterscrf attics, as in the arch of Constantine, and the Corinthian colonade at Thessalonica.
If there are WO rows of niches in the same building, care must be taken to keep the statues of theirproper attitudes. The character of the statue should always correspond to the architecture withwhich it is surrounded. Thus, if the order be Boric, Jupiter, Hercules, Pluto, Neptune, Mars, Esculapius, or any male figures, representing beings of a robust and grave nature, may be introduced. If Ionic, then Apollo, Bacchus, Ceres, Elinerva, Mer cury : and if Corinthian, Venus and the Graces, Flora, or others of a delicate kind and slender make, may very properly have place.
Proportions of rooms. The proportions of rooms depend much on their use and dimensions; but with regardto the beau ty, all fig-tires, from the square to a sesqui lateral, may be employed: some have even extended the length of the plan to double its breadth, but this disparity of dimensions rendeis it impossible to pro portion the height to both length and breadth, though galleries are frequently three, four, or even five squares in length; but as the ey-e only takes in a portion of this length, the comparison is merely made in respect of the breadth. The height of rooms depends upon the dimen sions of their plans and the form of the ceilings. In rooms with flat ceilings, if their plan be a square, their height may be from two-thirds to five-sixths of th e side ; and if an oblong-, it may be equal to the width. In covered rooms, if the plan be a square, the height may be equal to the side ; if oblong, it may be equal to the breadth only ; or with a fifth, a quar ter, or a third, of the difference of the length and breadth. In galleries, the height may be from one and a-third to one and. three-fifths of the breadth. These are the general relative dimensions of rooms ; but good proportions are not al way-s attainable, particularly- in houses of g-reat magnitude; since the same com mon height is that of all the rooms, what ever be the difference of their plans with regard to their size ; however, to keep the best possible proportions, the princi pal rooms may have fiat ceilings, and the middle-sized ones may be reduced by coving the ceilings with a flat in the mid dle ; or by groins, or domes, as may an swer their heights : but if the loftiest ot these coved figures leaves still too great a height, recourse must be had to mez zanines; which are not only necessary for this purpose, but may always be em ploy-ed with advantage, as they afford ser vant's lodgings, baths, powdering-rooms, wardrobes, and other conveniences. All rooms of inferior classes may have mez zanines or intersoles.