Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <p type="caption">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/149.jpg" pagenum="125"/>
              Men do with our Arms. </s>
              <s>For this Reaſon, the
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              ſame Diſtention and Contraction of the Mem­
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              bers and Nerves which we uſe in pulling,
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              thruſting or lifting, we are to imitate in our
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              Engines. </s>
              <s>I ſhall only add one Piece of Ad­
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              vice more, which is, that whenever you are to
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              move any great Weight, in any Manner what­
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              ſoever, you would go about it carefully, cauti­
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              ouſly and deliberately, remembering the many
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              uncertain and irrecoverable Accidents and
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              Dangers which ſometimes happen in Attempts
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              of this Nature, even to the moſt experienced:
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              For you will never get ſo much Honour and
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              Reputation if what you undertake, ſucceeds, as
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              you will incur Blame and the Imputation of
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              Raſhneſs, if it fails. </s>
              <s>We ſhall now leave this
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              Subject, to proceed to the outward Coat of
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              the Wall.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. IX.</s>
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              <s>
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              That the Incruſtations which are made upon the Wall with Mortar, muſt be
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              three in Number: How they are to be made, and to what Purpoſes they are
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              to ſerve. </s>
              <s>Of the ſeveral Sorts of Mortar, and in what Manner the
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              Lime is to be prepared for making them: Of Baſs-relieves in Stuc-work
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              and Paintings, with which the Wall may be adorned.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>In all Incruſtations there muſt be at leaſt
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              three Coats of Mortar; the firſt is called
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              Rough-caſting, and its Office is to ſtick as cloſe
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              as poſſible to the Wall and to bind on the two
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              outer Coats; the Office of the outer Coat, is
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              to make the Work ſhew neat, ſmooth, and po­
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              liſhed; that of the middle Coat, which we call
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              Plaiſtering, is to prevent any Faults or Defects
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              in either of the other two. </s>
              <s>The Defects are
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              theſe: If the two laſt, that is to ſay, the Plaiſt­
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              ering and the outer Coat are ſharp, and to uſe
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              ſuch an Expreſſion, tenacious of the Wall, as
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              the Rough-caſt ought to be, their Acrimony
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              will occaſion an infinite Number of Cracks in
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              them in drying. </s>
              <s>And if the Rough-caſt be
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              ſoft, as the outer Coat ſhould be, it will not
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              take hold of the Wall as it ought, but will fall
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              off in Pieces. </s>
              <s>The oftener we plaiſter the Wall
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              over, the better we may poliſh it, and the
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              longer it will endure the Injuries of Time.
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              </s>
              <s>Among the ancient Buildings I have ſeen ſome
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              which have been done over no leſs than nine
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              Times. </s>
              <s>The firſt of theſe ſhould be very ſharp,
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              and made of Pit-Sand and Brick beaten not
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              too fine, but about the Size of ſmall Gravel,
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              and laid on about the Thickneſs of three
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              Inches. </s>
              <s>For the Plaiſtering, or middle Coat,
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              River-Sand is better, and is leſs apt to crack.
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              </s>
              <s>This Coat too ſhould be ſomewhat rough, be­
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              cauſe to a ſmooth Surface nothing will ſtick
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              that you lay on. </s>
              <s>The laſt of all ſhould be as
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              white as Marble; for which Reaſon, inſtead of
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              Sand you ſhould uſe the whiteſt Stone that can
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              be got pounded ſmall; and it will be ſufficient
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              if this Coat be laid on about half an Inch thick,
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              ſor when it is much more, it will not eaſily
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              dry. </s>
              <s>I know ſome that, out of good Huſ­
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              bandry, make it no thicker than a Piece of
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              Shoe-leather. </s>
              <s>The ſecond Coat, or Plaiſter­
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              ing, ought to be ordered according to its Proxi­
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              mity to either of the other two. </s>
              <s>In Moun­
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              tains where there are Stone-pits, you meet
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              with certain Veins extremely like a tranſparent
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              Alabaſter, which are neither Marble nor Tarres,
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              but of a Kind of middle Nature between both,
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              and very friable. </s>
              <s>If this be beat ſmall and
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              mixed up inſtead of Sand, it will ſhew full of
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              little Sparks that will ſhine like a fine Sort of
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              Marble. </s>
              <s>In many Places we ſee Nails ſtuck
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              into the Wall to keep on the Plaiſtering, and
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              Time has proved to us that it is better to have
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              them of Braſs than of Iron. </s>
              <s>I am very much
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              pleaſed with thoſe who, inſtead of Nails, ſtick
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              little Pieces of Flint in between the Joints of
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              the Stone; which they drive in gently with a
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              wooden Hammer. </s>
              <s>The freſher and rougher
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              the Wall itſelf is, the faſter all your plaiſtering
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              Work will cleave to it: For which Reaſon, if,
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              as you build the Wall, and while the Work is
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              Green, you rough-caſt it, though but ſlightly,
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              the Plaiſtering and outer Coat will ſtick to it
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              ſo faſt, as hardly ever to peel off. </s>
              <s>After ſouther­
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              ly Winds, it is very proper to do any of this
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              Sort of Work; but if when a north Wind
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              blows, or in any great Cold or Heat, you offer
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              at any Sort of Plaiſtering, eſpecially at laying
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              on the outer Coat, it will ſcale off preſently.
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              </s>
              <s>Laſtly, all Incruſtations are of two Sorts; either </s>
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          </chap>
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