6), which will serve as a bed for the lintels to rest on
securely. But the angles of this bed plate, where they project beyond
the face of the column, appear rather weak, and are so actually to some
extent--a double defect, for it is not enough in architecture that a
thing should be strong enough, it is necessary that it should appear so,
architecture having to do with expression as well as with fact. We will,
therefore, strengthen this projecting angle, and correct the abruptness
of transition between the column and the bed plate, by brackets (Fig. 7)
projecting from the alternate faces of the column to the angles of the
bed plates. As this rather emphasizes four planes of the octagon column
at the expense of the other four, we will bind the whole together just
under the brackets by a thin band of ornament constituting a necking,
and thus we have something like a capital developed, a definitely
designed finish to our column, expressive of its purpose. This treatment
of the upper end, however, would make the lower end rising abruptly from
the ground seem very bare. We will accordingly emphasize the base of the
column, just as we emphasized the base of the wall, by a projecting
moulding, not only giving expression to this connection of the column
with the ground, but also giving it the appearance, and to some extent
the reality, of greater stability, by giving it a wider and more
spreading base to rest on.
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