1and in ſhort the whole Structure falls to Ruin.
The very Foundations themſelves, which you
will hardly bèlieve, are ſecured by the Pro
tection of the Covering: nor have ſo many
Buildings been deſtroyed by Fire, Sword, War,
by Multitude of Enemies, and all other Ca
lamities put together, as have gone to Ruin
by being left naked and uncovered thro Negli
gence. It is certain the Coverings are the de
fenſive Arms of the Building againſt the
Aſſaults and Violence of Storms and Tempeſts.
Wherefore our Anceſtors in this as in other
things acted very laudably, in aſcribing ſo
much Honour to the Covering, that they
ſpent their whole Art and Study in adorning
and beautifying it. For ſome of their Cover
ings we ſee of Braſs, others of Glaſs, ſome of
Gold with gilded Beams and Rafters, and
richly adorned with Corniſhes of Flowers and
Statues. Of Coverings ſome are open to the
Air, others not: the open are thoſe which are
not for walking upon, but only for receiving
the Rain. Thoſe not open to the Air, are
the Roofs and Coves that are between the
Covering and the Foundations, ſo that one
Houſe ſeems to ſtand upon another. By this
means it comes to paſs that the ſame Work,
which is the Covering to the Apartments
below, is the Aréa to thoſe above. Of theſe
Coverings thoſe above our Heads we call Roofs,
or Cielings; and thoſe which we tread upon
with our Feet, Areas. Whether the uppermoft
Covering, which lies to the open Air, is to be
reckoned as an Area or Pavement, we ſhall
examine in another Place. But the Covering
to the open Air, tho' it be of a plain Super
ficies, ought never to lie even with reſpect to
the Area which it covers below; but ſhou'd
always incline of one Side to throw off the
Rain. But the Coverings within, that are of
a plain Superficies, ſhould be in all Parts
equally diſtant from the Floor. All Coverings
muſt anſwer in Lines and Angles to the Form
and Shape of the Platform and Wall which
they are to cover: And as thoſe are various,
ſome being all of curve Lines, others all of
ſtrait, and others of both mixed together, the
Coverings too are therefore various, and of
ſeveral kinds. But tho' they have this natural
Difference, and that ſome are hemiſpherical;
others made up of four Arches; others vaulted;
others conſiſting of Parts of ſeveral Arches;
ſome ſloping or ridged like ordinary mean
Houſes: yet which-ſoever of theſe Kinds we
chuſe it is abſolutely neceſſary, that all Cover
ings ſhou'd be ſo diſpoſed as to ſhelter and
ſhade the Pavement, and throw off all Water
and Rain, defending the whole Edifice upon
which it is placed for a Covering. For Rain
is always prepared to do Miſchief, and where
ever there is the leaſt Crack never fails to get
in and do ſome Hurt or other: By its Subtility it
penetrates and makes its way by its Humidity
rots and deſtroys, by its Continuance looſens
and unknits all the Nerves of the Building, and
in the End ruins and lays Waſte the whole
Structure to the very Foundations. And for
this Reaſon prudent Architects have always
taken care that the Rain ſhould have a free
Slope to run off; and that the Water ſhould
never be ſtop'd in any Place, or get into any
Part where it cou'd do Hurt. And therefore
they adviſed, that in Places ſubject to much
Snow, the Coverings ſhould have a very ſteep
Slope, riſing even to an acute Angle, that the
Snow might never reſt and gather upon them,
but fall off eaſily; but in more Summeriſh Cli
mates (to uſe ſuch an Expreſſion) they laid
their Covering leſs oblique. Laſtly we ſhould
endeavour if poſſible, without Prejudice to the
Lights or Wall, to have the whole Structure
overlaid with one equal Covering in a manner
all of one Piece, and ſo far jutting out, that the
Water falling from the Gutters may not wet
or ſoak into the Wall: and all the Coverings
ſhould be ſo diſpoſed, where there are more than
one, that one may not ſpout upon the other.
The Space of Covering too that the Water is
to run over ſhould never be too large, becauſe
upon Rains the Water gathering in the Gut
ters in too great Abundance would waſh back
again and flow into the Houſe; which would
greatly prejudice the whole Work. Where
the Area therefore is very large, the Covering
ſhould be divided into ſeveral Slopes, and the
Rain flow off in different Places; and this is
not only attended with Convenience, but Beauty
too. If you are obliged in any Place to have
ſeveral Coverings, let them join one to another
in ſuch a Manner, that when you are once
under one, you may paſs from that to all the
reſt always under ſhelter.
The very Foundations themſelves, which you
will hardly bèlieve, are ſecured by the Pro
tection of the Covering: nor have ſo many
Buildings been deſtroyed by Fire, Sword, War,
by Multitude of Enemies, and all other Ca
lamities put together, as have gone to Ruin
by being left naked and uncovered thro Negli
gence. It is certain the Coverings are the de
fenſive Arms of the Building againſt the
Aſſaults and Violence of Storms and Tempeſts.
Wherefore our Anceſtors in this as in other
things acted very laudably, in aſcribing ſo
much Honour to the Covering, that they
ſpent their whole Art and Study in adorning
and beautifying it. For ſome of their Cover
ings we ſee of Braſs, others of Glaſs, ſome of
Gold with gilded Beams and Rafters, and
richly adorned with Corniſhes of Flowers and
Statues. Of Coverings ſome are open to the
Air, others not: the open are thoſe which are
not for walking upon, but only for receiving
the Rain. Thoſe not open to the Air, are
the Roofs and Coves that are between the
Covering and the Foundations, ſo that one
Houſe ſeems to ſtand upon another. By this
means it comes to paſs that the ſame Work,
which is the Covering to the Apartments
below, is the Aréa to thoſe above. Of theſe
Coverings thoſe above our Heads we call Roofs,
or Cielings; and thoſe which we tread upon
with our Feet, Areas. Whether the uppermoft
Covering, which lies to the open Air, is to be
reckoned as an Area or Pavement, we ſhall
examine in another Place. But the Covering
to the open Air, tho' it be of a plain Super
ficies, ought never to lie even with reſpect to
the Area which it covers below; but ſhou'd
always incline of one Side to throw off the
Rain. But the Coverings within, that are of
a plain Superficies, ſhould be in all Parts
equally diſtant from the Floor. All Coverings
muſt anſwer in Lines and Angles to the Form
and Shape of the Platform and Wall which
they are to cover: And as thoſe are various,
ſome being all of curve Lines, others all of
ſtrait, and others of both mixed together, the
Coverings too are therefore various, and of
ſeveral kinds. But tho' they have this natural
Difference, and that ſome are hemiſpherical;
others made up of four Arches; others vaulted;
others conſiſting of Parts of ſeveral Arches;
ſome ſloping or ridged like ordinary mean
Houſes: yet which-ſoever of theſe Kinds we
chuſe it is abſolutely neceſſary, that all Cover
ings ſhou'd be ſo diſpoſed as to ſhelter and
ſhade the Pavement, and throw off all Water
and Rain, defending the whole Edifice upon
which it is placed for a Covering. For Rain
is always prepared to do Miſchief, and where
ever there is the leaſt Crack never fails to get
in and do ſome Hurt or other: By its Subtility it
penetrates and makes its way by its Humidity
rots and deſtroys, by its Continuance looſens
and unknits all the Nerves of the Building, and
in the End ruins and lays Waſte the whole
Structure to the very Foundations. And for
this Reaſon prudent Architects have always
taken care that the Rain ſhould have a free
Slope to run off; and that the Water ſhould
never be ſtop'd in any Place, or get into any
Part where it cou'd do Hurt. And therefore
they adviſed, that in Places ſubject to much
Snow, the Coverings ſhould have a very ſteep
Slope, riſing even to an acute Angle, that the
Snow might never reſt and gather upon them,
but fall off eaſily; but in more Summeriſh Cli
mates (to uſe ſuch an Expreſſion) they laid
their Covering leſs oblique. Laſtly we ſhould
endeavour if poſſible, without Prejudice to the
Lights or Wall, to have the whole Structure
overlaid with one equal Covering in a manner
all of one Piece, and ſo far jutting out, that the
Water falling from the Gutters may not wet
or ſoak into the Wall: and all the Coverings
ſhould be ſo diſpoſed, where there are more than
one, that one may not ſpout upon the other.
The Space of Covering too that the Water is
to run over ſhould never be too large, becauſe
upon Rains the Water gathering in the Gut
ters in too great Abundance would waſh back
again and flow into the Houſe; which would
greatly prejudice the whole Work. Where
the Area therefore is very large, the Covering
ſhould be divided into ſeveral Slopes, and the
Rain flow off in different Places; and this is
not only attended with Convenience, but Beauty
too. If you are obliged in any Place to have
ſeveral Coverings, let them join one to another
in ſuch a Manner, that when you are once
under one, you may paſs from that to all the
reſt always under ſhelter.
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