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| To Amphilochius.
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Letter XVI.—To Amphilochius.
I am well persuaded that by God’s grace the business of the
Church of the Martyrs is in a fair way. Would that you were willing in
the matter. The task we have in hand will find its end by the power of
God, Who is able, wherever He speaks, to turn word into deed. Seeing
that, as the Apostle says, “He Who has begun a good work will
also perform it2233
”, I would
exhort you in this also to be an imitator of the great Paul, and to
advance our hope to actual fulfilment, and send us so many workmen as
may suffice for the work we have in hand.
Your Perfection might perhaps be
informed by calculation of the dimensions to which the total work will
attain: and to this end I will endeavour to explain the whole structure
by a verbal description. The form of the chapel is a cross, which has
its figure completed throughout, as you would expect, by four
structures. The junctions of the buildings intercept one another, as we
see everywhere in the cruciform pattern. But within the cross there
lies a circle, divided by eight angles (I call the octagonal figure a
circle in view of its circumference), in such wise that the two pairs
of sides of the octagon which are diametrically opposed to one another,
unite by means of arches the central circle to the adjoining blocks of
building; while the other four sides of the octagon, which lie between
the quadrilateral buildings, will not themselves be carried to meet the
buildings, but upon each of them will be described a semicircle like a
shell2234
, terminating in an arch above: so that the
arches will be eight in all, and by their means the quadrilateral and
semicircular buildings will be connected, side by side, with the
central structure. In the blocks of masonry formed by the angles there
will be an equal number of pillars, at once for ornament and for
strength, and these again will carry arches built of equal size to
correspond with those within2235
| 2235 That
is, on an inner line; the upper row having their supports at the
angles of the inscribed octagon, and therefore at a point
further removed from the centre of the circle than those of the lower
tier, which correspond to the sides of the octagon. Or, simply,
“those inside the building,” the upper tier showing in the
outside view of the structure, while the lower row would only be
visible from the interior. There is apparently a corresponding row of
windows above the upper row of arches, carrying the central
tower four cubits higher. This at least seems the sense of the clause
immediately following. | . And above these
eight arches, with the symmetry of an upper range of windows, the
octagonal building will be raised to the height of four cubits: the
part rising from it will be a cone shaped like a top, as the vaulting2236
| 2236 Reading εἰλησέως, of which this seems to be the meaning. | narrows the figure of the roof from its full
width to a pointed wedge. The dimensions below will be,—the width
of each of the quadrilateral buildings, eight cubits, the length of
them half as much again, the height as much as the proportion of the
width allows. It will be as much in the semicircles also. The whole
length between the piers extends in the same way to eight cubits, and
the depth will be as much as will be given by the sweep of the
compasses with the fixed point placed in the middle of the side2237
| 2237 i.e.of the side of the
octagon. | and extending to the end. The height will be
determined in this case too by the proportion to the width. And the
thickness of the wall, an interval of three feet from inside these
spaces, which are measured internally, will run round the whole
building.
I have troubled your Excellency
with this serious trifling, with this intention, that by the thickness
of the walls, and by the intermediate spaces, you may accurately
ascertain what sum the number of feet gives as the measurement; because
your intellect is exceedingly quick in all matters, and makes its way,
by God’s grace, in whatever subject you will, and it is possible
for you, by subtle calculation, to ascertain the sum made up by all the
parts, so as to send us masons neither more nor fewer than our need
requires. And I beg you to direct your attention specially to this
point, that some of them may be skilled in making vaulting2238
without supports: for I am informed that
when built in this way it is more durable than what is made to rest on
props. It is the scarcity of wood that brings us to this device of
roofing the whole fabric with stone; because the place supplies no
timber for roofing. Let your unerring mind be persuaded, because some
of the people here contract with me to furnish thirty workmen for a
stater, for the dressed stonework, of course with a specified ration
along with the stater. But the material of our masonry is not of this
sort2239
, but brick made of clay and chance stones,
so that they do not need to spend time in fitting the faces of the
stones accurately together. I know that so far as skill and fairness in
the matter of wages are concerned, the workmen in your neighbourhood
are better for our purpose than those who follow the trade here. The
sculptor’s work lies not only in the eight pillars, which must
themselves be improved and beautified, but the work requires altar-like
base-mouldings2240
| 2240 The σπεῖρα is a
moulding at the base of the column, equivalent to the Latin
torus. | , and capitals
carved in the Corinthian style. The porch, too, will be of marbles
wrought with appropriate ornaments. The doors set upon these will be
adorned with some such designs as are usually employed by way of
embellishment at the projection of the cornice. Of all these, of
course, we shall furnish the materials; the form to be impressed on the
materials art will bestow. Besides these there will be in the colonnade
not less than forty pillars: these also will be of wrought stone. Now
if my account has explained the work in detail, I hope it may be
possible for your Sanctity, on perceiving what is needed, to relieve us
completely from anxiety so far as the workmen are concerned. If,
however, the workman were inclined to make a bargain favourable to us,
let a distinct measure of work, if possible, be fixed for the day, so
that he may not pass his time doing nothing, and then, though he has no
work to show for it, as having worked for us so many days, demand
payment for them. I know that we shall appear to most people to be
higglers, in being so particular about the contracts. But I beg you to
pardon me; for that Mammon about whom I have so often said such hard
things, has at last departed from me as far as he can possibly go,
being disgusted, I suppose, at the nonsense that is constantly talked
against him, and has fortified himself against me by an impassable
gulf—to wit, poverty—so that neither can he come to me, nor
can I pass to him2241
. This is why I make
a point of the fairness of the workmen, to the end that we may be able
to fulfil the task before us, and not be hindered by poverty—that
laudable and desirable evil. Well, in all this there is a certain
admixture of jest. But do you, man of God, in such ways as are possible
and legitimate, boldly promise in bargaining with the men that they
will all meet with fair treatment at our hands, and full payment of
their wages: for we shall give all and keep back nothing, as God also
opens to us, by your prayers, His hand of blessing.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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