1and we may guide it which way we think
proper by means of the two ſide Ropes, as with
two Reins, making it either ſtand upright
whenever we find it neceſſary, or ſtoop which
ſoever way we Pleaſe to ſet down the Weight
in the proper place. As to theſe two ſide
Ropes, if you have no greater Weight to faſten
them to, you may fix them in the following
Manner: Dig a ſquare Pit in the Ground, and
in it lay the Trunk of a Tree, to which faſten
one or more Loops that may ſtand up out of
the Ground; then lay ſome croſs Timbers over
the Trunk, and fill up the Pit with Earth, ram
ming it down very cloſe, and if you wet it, it
will be the heavier. In all the other Particu
lars, you may obſerve the Rules we have laid
down as to the Plain on which the Weight is
to ſlide: For you muſt faſten Pullies both to
the Head of the Maſt and to the Weight which
is to be raiſed, and near the Foot of the Maſt
you muſt fix your Capſtern, or whatever other
Inſtrument you uſe that acts with the Power of
the Leaver. In all Engines of this Nature de
ſigned for the moving of great Weights, we
ſhould take Care that none of the Parts of the
Machine which are to have any Streſs upon
them, be too ſmall, and that none of our
Ropes, Spokes, or any other Medium which
we uſe in the Movement be weak by means of
their Length; for indeed long and thin are in
a Manner ſynonimous Terms, and ſo, on the
Contrary, are ſhort and thick. If the Ropes
are ſmall let them run double in the Pullies;
if they are very thick, you muſt get larger
Pullies, that the Rope may not be cut by the
Edges of the Pully-wheel. The Axis of the
Pully ſhould be Iron, and not leſs in Thickneſs
than the ſixth Part of the Semidiameter of the
Pully itſelf, nor more than the eighth Part of
the whole Diameter. If the Rope be wetted,
it will be the more ſecure from taking Fire,
which ſometimes happens by means of its Mo
tion and Friction in the Pully; it will alſo turn
the Pully round the better, and keep better
within the Wheel. It is better to wet the
Rope with Vinegar than with Water; but if
you do it with Water, Sea-water is beſt. If
you wet with freſh Water, and it is expoſed to
the Heat of the Sun, it will rot preſently.
Twiſting the Ropes together is much ſafer than
tying them; and eſpecially you muſt take Care
that one Rope does not cut the other. The
Ancients uſed a Bar or Rule of Iron, to which
they faſtened the firſt Knots of their Ropes,
and their Pullies, and for taking up any Weight,
and eſpecially of Stone, they had a Kind of
Pincers or Forceps of Iron. The Shape of
theſe Pincers or Forceps was taken from the
Letter X, the lower Limbs of it being turned
inwards like a Crab's Claw, by which means it
faſtened itſelf to the Weight. The two upper
Limbs had Holes at the Top, through which
they put a Rope, which being tied, and ſtrain
ed tight by the moving Force, made the Teeth
of the Pincers keep cloſer to the Weight -A-.
In very large Stones, and eſpecially in the
Middle of Columns, though perfectly ſmooth
in all other Parts, I have ſeen little Knobs left
jutting out, like Handles, againſt which the
Ropes were hitched, to prevent their ſlipping.
It is alſo common, eſpecially in Cornices, to
make a Hole in the Stone like a Mortiſe, after
this Manner; you make a Hole in the Stone
like an empty Purſe, of a Bigneſs anſwerable
to the Size of the Stone, narrower at the Mouth
than at the Bottom. I have ſeen ſome of theſe
Holes a Foot deep. You then fill it with iron
Wedges, -B-the two ſide Wedges being ſhap
ed like the letter D, which are put in firſt to
fill up the Sides of the Hole, and the middle
Wedge is put in laſt between theſe two. All
theſe three Wedges have their Ears which pro
ject out beyond the Mortiſe, and theſe Ears
have a Hole drilled in them, through which
you put an iron Pin, which faſtens on a ſtrong
Handle or Ring; and to this Ring you faſten
the Rope which runs through the Pully that
is to draw up the Weight. My way of faſten
ing my Ropes about Columns, Jambs of Doors,
and other ſuch Stones which are to be ſet up
right, is as follows. I make a Cincture or
Hoop of Wood or Iron of a due Strength for
bearing the Weight which I am to move, and
with this Hoop I ſurround the Column or
other Stone in ſome convenient Part, making
it tight to the Stone with long thin Wedges
drove in gently with a Hammer, then I faſten
my Ligatures to this Hoop, and by this Means
I neither ſpoil the Beauty of the Stone by ma
king Mortiſes in it, nor break the Edges of the
Jambs by the Rubbing of the Ropes againſt
them: Beſides that it is the moſt expeditious,
convenient and ſafeſt Way of faſtening the
Ropes that has been thought of. In another
Place I ſhall enlarge more particularly upon
many Things relating to this Subject. All I
ſhall obſervc further here is, that all Engines
may be looked upon to be a Sort of Animals,
with prodigious ſtrong Hands; and that they
move Weights juſt in the ſame Manner as we
proper by means of the two ſide Ropes, as with
two Reins, making it either ſtand upright
whenever we find it neceſſary, or ſtoop which
ſoever way we Pleaſe to ſet down the Weight
in the proper place. As to theſe two ſide
Ropes, if you have no greater Weight to faſten
them to, you may fix them in the following
Manner: Dig a ſquare Pit in the Ground, and
in it lay the Trunk of a Tree, to which faſten
one or more Loops that may ſtand up out of
the Ground; then lay ſome croſs Timbers over
the Trunk, and fill up the Pit with Earth, ram
ming it down very cloſe, and if you wet it, it
will be the heavier. In all the other Particu
lars, you may obſerve the Rules we have laid
down as to the Plain on which the Weight is
to ſlide: For you muſt faſten Pullies both to
the Head of the Maſt and to the Weight which
is to be raiſed, and near the Foot of the Maſt
you muſt fix your Capſtern, or whatever other
Inſtrument you uſe that acts with the Power of
the Leaver. In all Engines of this Nature de
ſigned for the moving of great Weights, we
ſhould take Care that none of the Parts of the
Machine which are to have any Streſs upon
them, be too ſmall, and that none of our
Ropes, Spokes, or any other Medium which
we uſe in the Movement be weak by means of
their Length; for indeed long and thin are in
a Manner ſynonimous Terms, and ſo, on the
Contrary, are ſhort and thick. If the Ropes
are ſmall let them run double in the Pullies;
if they are very thick, you muſt get larger
Pullies, that the Rope may not be cut by the
Edges of the Pully-wheel. The Axis of the
Pully ſhould be Iron, and not leſs in Thickneſs
than the ſixth Part of the Semidiameter of the
Pully itſelf, nor more than the eighth Part of
the whole Diameter. If the Rope be wetted,
it will be the more ſecure from taking Fire,
which ſometimes happens by means of its Mo
tion and Friction in the Pully; it will alſo turn
the Pully round the better, and keep better
within the Wheel. It is better to wet the
Rope with Vinegar than with Water; but if
you do it with Water, Sea-water is beſt. If
you wet with freſh Water, and it is expoſed to
the Heat of the Sun, it will rot preſently.
Twiſting the Ropes together is much ſafer than
tying them; and eſpecially you muſt take Care
that one Rope does not cut the other. The
Ancients uſed a Bar or Rule of Iron, to which
they faſtened the firſt Knots of their Ropes,
and their Pullies, and for taking up any Weight,
and eſpecially of Stone, they had a Kind of
Pincers or Forceps of Iron. The Shape of
theſe Pincers or Forceps was taken from the
Letter X, the lower Limbs of it being turned
inwards like a Crab's Claw, by which means it
faſtened itſelf to the Weight. The two upper
Limbs had Holes at the Top, through which
they put a Rope, which being tied, and ſtrain
ed tight by the moving Force, made the Teeth
of the Pincers keep cloſer to the Weight -A-.
In very large Stones, and eſpecially in the
Middle of Columns, though perfectly ſmooth
in all other Parts, I have ſeen little Knobs left
jutting out, like Handles, againſt which the
Ropes were hitched, to prevent their ſlipping.
It is alſo common, eſpecially in Cornices, to
make a Hole in the Stone like a Mortiſe, after
this Manner; you make a Hole in the Stone
like an empty Purſe, of a Bigneſs anſwerable
to the Size of the Stone, narrower at the Mouth
than at the Bottom. I have ſeen ſome of theſe
Holes a Foot deep. You then fill it with iron
Wedges, -B-the two ſide Wedges being ſhap
ed like the letter D, which are put in firſt to
fill up the Sides of the Hole, and the middle
Wedge is put in laſt between theſe two. All
theſe three Wedges have their Ears which pro
ject out beyond the Mortiſe, and theſe Ears
have a Hole drilled in them, through which
you put an iron Pin, which faſtens on a ſtrong
Handle or Ring; and to this Ring you faſten
the Rope which runs through the Pully that
is to draw up the Weight. My way of faſten
ing my Ropes about Columns, Jambs of Doors,
and other ſuch Stones which are to be ſet up
right, is as follows. I make a Cincture or
Hoop of Wood or Iron of a due Strength for
bearing the Weight which I am to move, and
with this Hoop I ſurround the Column or
other Stone in ſome convenient Part, making
it tight to the Stone with long thin Wedges
drove in gently with a Hammer, then I faſten
my Ligatures to this Hoop, and by this Means
I neither ſpoil the Beauty of the Stone by ma
king Mortiſes in it, nor break the Edges of the
Jambs by the Rubbing of the Ropes againſt
them: Beſides that it is the moſt expeditious,
convenient and ſafeſt Way of faſtening the
Ropes that has been thought of. In another
Place I ſhall enlarge more particularly upon
many Things relating to this Subject. All I
ſhall obſervc further here is, that all Engines
may be looked upon to be a Sort of Animals,
with prodigious ſtrong Hands; and that they
move Weights juſt in the ſame Manner as we
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