Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/038.jpg" pagenum="27"/>
              are drawn down, or left by the Moon in the
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              loweſt Roots, the Reſt of the Timber is clearer
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              and ſounder. </s>
              <s>Moreover they think that the
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              Tree will be much more ſerviceable, if it is not
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              cut quite down immediately, but chopt round
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              about, and ſo left ſtanding upon the Stump to
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              dry. </s>
              <s>And they ſay, that if the Fir (which is
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              not the moſt unapt to ſuffer by Moiſture) be
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              barked in the Wane of the Moon, it will never
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              afterwards be liable to be rotted by Water.
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              </s>
              <s>There are ſome who affirm that if the Oak,
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              which is ſo heavy a Wood that naturally it
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              ſinks in the Water, be chopt round the Bot­
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              tom in the Beginning of Spring, and cut down
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              when it has loſt its Leaves, it will have ſuch
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              an Effect upon it, that it will float for the
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              Space of ninety Days and not ſink. </s>
              <s>Others
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              adviſe to chop the Trees which you leave thus
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              upon their Stumps, half way through, that the
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              Corruption and bad Juices may diſtil through,
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              and be carried off. </s>
              <s>They add, that the Trees,
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              which are deſigned to be ſawed or planed,
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              ſhould not be cut down till they have brought
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              their Fruits and ripened their Seeds; and that
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              Trees ſo cut, eſpecially Fruit-bearers, ſhould
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              be barked, becauſe while they are covered with
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              the Bark, Corruption is very apt to gather be­
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              tween the Rind and the Tree.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. V.</s>
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              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of preſerving the Trees after they are cut, what to plaiſter or anoint them with,
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              of the Remedies againſt their Infirmities, and of allotting them their proper
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              Places in the Building.
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              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>After the Timber is cut, it muſt be
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              laid where the ſcorching Heat of the
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              Sun or rude Blaſts of Winds never come; and
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              eſpecially, that which falls of itſelf, ought to
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              be very well protected with Shade. </s>
              <s>And for
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              this Reaſon, the ancient Architects uſed to
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              plaiſter it over with Ox-Dung; which
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              Theo­
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              phraſtus
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              ſays they did, becauſe by that Means
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              all the Pores being ſtopped up, the ſuperfluous
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              Flegm and Humidity concreting within, diſ­
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              tils and vents itſelf by Degrees through the
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              Heart, by which Means the Dryneſs of the
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              other Parts of the Wood is condenſed by its
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              drying equally throughout. </s>
              <s>And they are of
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              Opinion that Trees dry better, if ſet with their
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              Heads downward. </s>
              <s>Moreover, they preſcribe
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              various Remedies againſt their decaying and
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              other Infirmities.
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              Theophraſtus
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              thinks that
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              burying of Timber hardens it extremely.
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              Cato
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              adviſes to anoint it with Lees of Oil, to pre­
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              ſerve it from all Manner of Worms; and we
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              all know that Pitch is a Defence to it againſt
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              Water. </s>
              <s>They ſay that Wood, which has been
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              ſoaked in the Dregs of Oil, will burn without
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              the Offence of Smoak.
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              Pliny
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              writes, that in
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              the Labyrinth of
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              Egypt,
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              there are a great
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              many Beams made of the
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              Egyptian
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              Thorn
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              rubed over with Oil, and
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              Theophraſtus
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              ſays,
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              that Timber dawbed over with Glue will
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              not burn. </s>
              <s>Nor will I omit what we read in
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Aulus Gellius,
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              taken out of the Annals of
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              Quin­
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              tus Claudius,
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              that
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              Archelaus, Mithridates
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              's Præ­
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              fect, having thoroughly debawbed a wooden
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              Tower in the Piræum with Allum, when
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Sylla
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              beſieged it, it would not take Fire. </s>
              <s>Se­
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              veral Woods are hardened and ſtrengthened a­
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              gainſt the Aſſaults of Storms in various Man­
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              ners. </s>
              <s>They bury the Citron-wood under
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              Ground, plaiſtered over with Wax, for ſeven
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              Days, and after an Intermiſſion of as many
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              more, lay it under Heaps of Corn for the ſame
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              Space of Time, whereby it becomes not only
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              ſtronger but eaſier to be wrought, becauſe it
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              takes away a very conſiderable Part of its
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              Weight; and they ſay too, that the ſame
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              Wood thus dryed, being afterwards laid ſome
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              time in the Sea, acquires a Hardneſs incredibly
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              ſolid and incorruptible. </s>
              <s>It is certain the Cheſ­
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              nut Tree is purged by the Sea-water.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pliny
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              writes, the
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              Ægyptian
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              Fig-tree is laid under
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              Water to dry and grow lighter, for at firſt it
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              will ſink to the Bottom. </s>
              <s>We ſee that our
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              Workmen lay their Timber under Water or
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              Dung for thirty Days, eſpecially ſuch as they
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              deſign for turning, by which Means they think
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              it is better dried and more eaſily worked for
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              all Manner of Uſes. </s>
              <s>There are ſome who af­
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              firm, that all Manner of Woods agree in this,
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              that if you bury them in ſome moiſt Place
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              while they are green, they will endure for ever;
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              but whether you preſerve it in Woods, or bury,
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              or anoint it, the Experienced are univerſally of
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              this Opinion, that you muſt not meddle with
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              it under three Months: The Timber muſt have </s>
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