1that we have here ſaid of the outer Coat, or
Surface of the Wall may likewiſe ſerve as to
Pavements, of which we promiſed to ſpeak,
only that on Pavements we never beſtow fine
Painting nor ſuch good Moſaic Work, unleſs
you will grant the Name of Painting to a Par
get of various Colours poured into hollow little
Spaces ſeparated from each other by thin Par
titions of Marble in Imitation of Painting. This
Parget may be made of red Oker burnt, with
Brick, Stone and the Droſs of Iron; and when
it is laid on and is thoroughly dry, it muſt be
cleared and ground down ſmooth, which is done
in the following Manner: Take a hard Stone,
or rather a Piece of Lead of threeſcore Pound
Weight, with its lower Surface perfectly ſmooth;
to each End of this faſten a Rope, by which
you muſt draw it backwards and forwards over
your Pavement, ſtill keeping it ſupplied with
Sand and Water, till it is rubbed exactly ſmooth,
and is poliſhed as it ought, which it never is
unleſs all the Lines and Angles of the Dies an
ſwer and fit one another to the greateſt Nice
neſs. If this Parget be rubbed over with Oil,
eſpecially that of Linſeed, it will get a Coat
like Glaſs. It alſo does very well to anoint it
with Lees of Oil, as alſo with Water in which
Lime has been quenched, with which you
ſhould rub it over often. In all our Moſaic
Works we ſhould avoid uſing the ſame Co
lours too often in the ſame Places, as alſo too
frequent Repetitions of the ſame Figures and
Irregularity in the Compoſition of them. We
ſhould likewiſe take Care that the Junctures
are not too wide, but that every Thing be fit
ted together with the utmoſt Exactneſs, that
equal Care may appear to have been uſed in all
Parts of the Work.
Surface of the Wall may likewiſe ſerve as to
Pavements, of which we promiſed to ſpeak,
only that on Pavements we never beſtow fine
Painting nor ſuch good Moſaic Work, unleſs
you will grant the Name of Painting to a Par
get of various Colours poured into hollow little
Spaces ſeparated from each other by thin Par
titions of Marble in Imitation of Painting. This
Parget may be made of red Oker burnt, with
Brick, Stone and the Droſs of Iron; and when
it is laid on and is thoroughly dry, it muſt be
cleared and ground down ſmooth, which is done
in the following Manner: Take a hard Stone,
or rather a Piece of Lead of threeſcore Pound
Weight, with its lower Surface perfectly ſmooth;
to each End of this faſten a Rope, by which
you muſt draw it backwards and forwards over
your Pavement, ſtill keeping it ſupplied with
Sand and Water, till it is rubbed exactly ſmooth,
and is poliſhed as it ought, which it never is
unleſs all the Lines and Angles of the Dies an
ſwer and fit one another to the greateſt Nice
neſs. If this Parget be rubbed over with Oil,
eſpecially that of Linſeed, it will get a Coat
like Glaſs. It alſo does very well to anoint it
with Lees of Oil, as alſo with Water in which
Lime has been quenched, with which you
ſhould rub it over often. In all our Moſaic
Works we ſhould avoid uſing the ſame Co
lours too often in the ſame Places, as alſo too
frequent Repetitions of the ſame Figures and
Irregularity in the Compoſition of them. We
ſhould likewiſe take Care that the Junctures
are not too wide, but that every Thing be fit
ted together with the utmoſt Exactneſs, that
equal Care may appear to have been uſed in all
Parts of the Work.
CHAP. XI.
Of the Ornaments of the Covering, which conſiſt in the Richneſs and Beauty
of the Rafters, Vaults and open Terraſſes.
of the Rafters, Vaults and open Terraſſes.
The Coverings too have their Beauty and
Gratefulneſs from the Contrivance of
the Rafters, Vaults and open Terraſſes. There
are Roofs yet to be ſeen in Agrippa's Portico
with Rafters of Braſs, forty Foot long; a Work
wherein we know not which to admire moſt,
the Greatneſs of the Expence, or the Skill of
the Workmen. In the Temple of Diana at
Epheſus, as we have taken Notice elſewhere,
was a Roof of Cedar, which laſted a vaſt
While. Pliny relates that Salauces King of
Colchos, after he had overcome Seſoſtris King
of Ægypt, made his Rafters of Gold and Sil
ver. There are ſtill to be ſeen Temples covered
with Slabs of Marble, as, we are told, was the
Temple of feruſalem with prodigious large
ones of ſuch wonderful Whiteneſs and Splen
dor, that at a Diſtance the whole Roof appear
ed like a Mountain of Snow. Catulus was the
firſt that gilt the Braſs Tiles on the Capitol
with Gold. I find too that the Pantheon, or
Rotonda at Rome, was covered with Plates of
Braſs gilt; and Pope Honorius, he in whoſe
Time Mahomet taught Ægypt and Africa a
new Religion and Worſhip, covered the Church
of St. Peter all over with Plates of Braſs. Ger
many ſhines with Tiles glazed over. In many
Places we cover our Roofs with Lead, which
will endure a great While, ſhews very hand
ſome, and is not very expenſive; but it is at
tended with this Inconvenience, that if it is laid
upon a Stone Roof, not having room for Air
under it, when the Stones come to be heated
by the Rays of the Sun, it will melt. There
is an Experiment which may convince us of
the Truth of this. If you ſet a leaden Veſſel
full of Water upon the Fire, it will not melt;
but if you throw the leaſt Stone into it,
where that touches it will immediately melt
into a Hole. Beſides this, if it is not well
cramped and pinned down in all Parts, it is
eaſily ripped off by the Wind. Moreover it is
preſently eat into and ſpoilt by the Saltneſs of
Lime; ſo that it does much the beſt upon
Timbers, if you are not afraid of Fire: But
here again, there is a great Inconvenience arif
ing from the Nails, eſpecially if they are of
Iron, inaſmuch as they are more apt to grow
hoter than Stone, and, beſides, eat away the
Lead all about them with Ruſt. For this
Reaſon the Cramps and Pins ought alſo to be
all of Lead, and muſt be faſtened into the
Sheets with hot Sodder. Under this Covering
you ſhould make a thin Bed of Aſhes of Wil
low, waſhed and mixed with Chalk. Braſs
Nails are not ſo apt to grow hot or to ruſt, as
Gratefulneſs from the Contrivance of
the Rafters, Vaults and open Terraſſes. There
are Roofs yet to be ſeen in Agrippa's Portico
with Rafters of Braſs, forty Foot long; a Work
wherein we know not which to admire moſt,
the Greatneſs of the Expence, or the Skill of
the Workmen. In the Temple of Diana at
Epheſus, as we have taken Notice elſewhere,
was a Roof of Cedar, which laſted a vaſt
While. Pliny relates that Salauces King of
Colchos, after he had overcome Seſoſtris King
of Ægypt, made his Rafters of Gold and Sil
ver. There are ſtill to be ſeen Temples covered
with Slabs of Marble, as, we are told, was the
Temple of feruſalem with prodigious large
ones of ſuch wonderful Whiteneſs and Splen
dor, that at a Diſtance the whole Roof appear
ed like a Mountain of Snow. Catulus was the
firſt that gilt the Braſs Tiles on the Capitol
with Gold. I find too that the Pantheon, or
Rotonda at Rome, was covered with Plates of
Braſs gilt; and Pope Honorius, he in whoſe
Time Mahomet taught Ægypt and Africa a
new Religion and Worſhip, covered the Church
of St. Peter all over with Plates of Braſs. Ger
many ſhines with Tiles glazed over. In many
Places we cover our Roofs with Lead, which
will endure a great While, ſhews very hand
ſome, and is not very expenſive; but it is at
tended with this Inconvenience, that if it is laid
upon a Stone Roof, not having room for Air
under it, when the Stones come to be heated
by the Rays of the Sun, it will melt. There
is an Experiment which may convince us of
the Truth of this. If you ſet a leaden Veſſel
full of Water upon the Fire, it will not melt;
but if you throw the leaſt Stone into it,
where that touches it will immediately melt
into a Hole. Beſides this, if it is not well
cramped and pinned down in all Parts, it is
eaſily ripped off by the Wind. Moreover it is
preſently eat into and ſpoilt by the Saltneſs of
Lime; ſo that it does much the beſt upon
Timbers, if you are not afraid of Fire: But
here again, there is a great Inconvenience arif
ing from the Nails, eſpecially if they are of
Iron, inaſmuch as they are more apt to grow
hoter than Stone, and, beſides, eat away the
Lead all about them with Ruſt. For this
Reaſon the Cramps and Pins ought alſo to be
all of Lead, and muſt be faſtened into the
Sheets with hot Sodder. Under this Covering
you ſhould make a thin Bed of Aſhes of Wil
low, waſhed and mixed with Chalk. Braſs
Nails are not ſo apt to grow hot or to ruſt, as