large
building is often not divided into more parts than a small one, or one
of moderate size. In St. Peter's, for example, there are only four
bays between the west front and the dome, everything being on a most
gigantic scale. As a contrast to this principle we may cite the nave
of the Gothic cathedral at Milan, which is not so long at St. Peter's,
but has at least thrice as many bays, and looks much larger in
consequence.

No style affords more room for skill in planning than the Renaissance,
and in no style is the exercise of such skill more repaid by results.

_Walls and Columns._

In the treatment of external walls, the mediaeval use of small
materials, involving many joints for the exterior of walls has quite
disappeared, and they are universally faced with stone or plaster, and
are consequently uniformly smooth. Perhaps the principal feature to
note is the very great use made of that elaborate sort of masonry in
which the joints of the stones are very carefully channelled or
otherwise marked, and which is known by the singularly inappropriate
name of rustic work. The basements of most Italian and French palaces
are rusticated, and in many cases (as the Pitti Palace, Florence)
rustic work covers an entire facade.

The Gothic mouldings in receding planes disappear entirely, and the
classic architrave takes their place. The orders are again revived and
are used (as the Romans often used them) as purely decorative features
added for the mere sake of ornament to a wall sufficient without them,
and are freely piled one upon the other. Palladio (a very influential
Italian architect) reproduced the use of lofty pilasters running
through two or even more storeys of the building, and often combined
one tall order and two short ones in his treatment of the same part
of the building, a contrivance which in less clever hands than his has
given rise to the greatest confusion.

The Renaissance architects also revived the late Roman manner of
employing the column and entablature. They frequently carried on the
top of a column a little square pier divided up as the architrave and
frieze proper to the column would be divided, and they surmounted it
with a cornice which was carried quite round this pier, and from this
curious compound pedestal an arch will frequently spring. The classic
portico, with pediments, was constantly employed by them; and small
pediments over window heads were common. A peculiarity worth mention