1to adorn our Work, I ſhall omit them, and
proceed to treat of the Method of Building as
addreſſing myſelf to Artificers approv'd for
Skill and Experience, with more Freedom
than perhaps would be allow'd by thoſe who
are ſor more exact philoſophiſing. Cato adviſes
to dig the Stone in Summer, to let it lie in the
open Air, and not to uſe it under two Years:
In Summer, to the Intent that it may grow
accuſtom'd by Degrees to Wind, Rain, and
Froſt, and other Inclemencies of the Weather,
which it had not felt before. For if Stone,
immediately upon its being dug out of the
Quarry, while it is full of its native Juice and
Humidity, is expos'd to ſevere Winds and
ſudden Froſts, it will ſplit and break to Pieces.
It ſhould be kept in the open Air, in order to
prove the Goodneſs of each particular Stone,
and how well it is able to reſiſt the Accidents
that injure it, making Experiment by this ſmall
Trial, how long they are likely to hold againſt
the Aſſaults of Time. They ſhould not be
uſed under two Years, to the Intent that you
may have Time to find out ſuch among them
as are weak in their Nature, and likely to dam
age the Work, and to ſeperate them from the
good ones; for it is certain, in one and the
ſame Kind of Stones there is a Difference in
Goodneſs of any Sort of Stone, and its Fit
neſs for this or that particular Situation, is beſt
learnt from Uſe and Experience; and you
may much ſooner come at their Values and
Properties from old Buildings, than from the
Writings and Precepts of Philoſphers. How
ever, to ſay ſomething briefly of Stones in ge
neral, we will beg Leave to offer the follow
ing Obſervations.
proceed to treat of the Method of Building as
addreſſing myſelf to Artificers approv'd for
Skill and Experience, with more Freedom
than perhaps would be allow'd by thoſe who
are ſor more exact philoſophiſing. Cato adviſes
to dig the Stone in Summer, to let it lie in the
open Air, and not to uſe it under two Years:
In Summer, to the Intent that it may grow
accuſtom'd by Degrees to Wind, Rain, and
Froſt, and other Inclemencies of the Weather,
which it had not felt before. For if Stone,
immediately upon its being dug out of the
Quarry, while it is full of its native Juice and
Humidity, is expos'd to ſevere Winds and
ſudden Froſts, it will ſplit and break to Pieces.
It ſhould be kept in the open Air, in order to
prove the Goodneſs of each particular Stone,
and how well it is able to reſiſt the Accidents
that injure it, making Experiment by this ſmall
Trial, how long they are likely to hold againſt
the Aſſaults of Time. They ſhould not be
uſed under two Years, to the Intent that you
may have Time to find out ſuch among them
as are weak in their Nature, and likely to dam
age the Work, and to ſeperate them from the
good ones; for it is certain, in one and the
ſame Kind of Stones there is a Difference in
Goodneſs of any Sort of Stone, and its Fit
neſs for this or that particular Situation, is beſt
learnt from Uſe and Experience; and you
may much ſooner come at their Values and
Properties from old Buildings, than from the
Writings and Precepts of Philoſphers. How
ever, to ſay ſomething briefly of Stones in ge
neral, we will beg Leave to offer the follow
ing Obſervations.
ALL white Stone is ſofter than red, the clear
is more eaſily wrought than the Cloudy, and
the more like Salt it looks, the harder it is to
work. Stone that looks as if it were ſtrew'd
over with a bright ſhining Sand, is harſh; if
little Sparks, as it were, of Gold are intermix'd,
it will be ſtubborn; if it has a Kind of little
black Points in it, it will be hard to get out
of the Quarry: That which is ſpotted with
angular Drops is ſtronger than that which has
round ones, and the ſmaller thoſe Drops are,
the harder it will be; and the finer and clearer
the Colour is, the longer it will laſt. The
Stone that has feweſt Veins, will be moſt
entire, and when the Veins come neareſt in
Colour to the adjoining Parts of the Stone, it
will prove moſt equal throughout: The ſmaller
the Veins, the handſomer; the more winding
they run, the more untoward; and the more
knotty, the worſe, Of theſe Veins that is
moſt apt to ſplit which has in the Middle a
reddiſh Streak, or of the Colour of rotten
Oker. Much of the ſame Nature is that which
is ſtain'd here and there with the Colour of
faded Graſs, but the moſt difficult of all is
ſuch as looks like a cloudy Piece of Ice. A
Multitude of Veins ſhews the Stone to be de
ceitful and apt to crack; and the ſtraiter they
are, the more unſaithful. Upon breaking a
Stone, the more fine and poliſh'd the Frag
ments appear, the cloſer bodied it is; and that
which when broken has its Outſide the leaſt
rugged, will be more manageable than thoſe
which are rough. Of the Rough ones, thoſe
which are whiteſt will be worſt for working;
whereas, on the Contrary, in brown Stones,
thoſe of the ſmalleſt and fineſt Grain are leaſt
obedient to the Tool. All mean ordinary
Stones are the Harder for being ſpungy, and
that which being ſprinkled with Water is long
eſt in drying, is the moſt crude.
is more eaſily wrought than the Cloudy, and
the more like Salt it looks, the harder it is to
work. Stone that looks as if it were ſtrew'd
over with a bright ſhining Sand, is harſh; if
little Sparks, as it were, of Gold are intermix'd,
it will be ſtubborn; if it has a Kind of little
black Points in it, it will be hard to get out
of the Quarry: That which is ſpotted with
angular Drops is ſtronger than that which has
round ones, and the ſmaller thoſe Drops are,
the harder it will be; and the finer and clearer
the Colour is, the longer it will laſt. The
Stone that has feweſt Veins, will be moſt
entire, and when the Veins come neareſt in
Colour to the adjoining Parts of the Stone, it
will prove moſt equal throughout: The ſmaller
the Veins, the handſomer; the more winding
they run, the more untoward; and the more
knotty, the worſe, Of theſe Veins that is
moſt apt to ſplit which has in the Middle a
reddiſh Streak, or of the Colour of rotten
Oker. Much of the ſame Nature is that which
is ſtain'd here and there with the Colour of
faded Graſs, but the moſt difficult of all is
ſuch as looks like a cloudy Piece of Ice. A
Multitude of Veins ſhews the Stone to be de
ceitful and apt to crack; and the ſtraiter they
are, the more unſaithful. Upon breaking a
Stone, the more fine and poliſh'd the Frag
ments appear, the cloſer bodied it is; and that
which when broken has its Outſide the leaſt
rugged, will be more manageable than thoſe
which are rough. Of the Rough ones, thoſe
which are whiteſt will be worſt for working;
whereas, on the Contrary, in brown Stones,
thoſe of the ſmalleſt and fineſt Grain are leaſt
obedient to the Tool. All mean ordinary
Stones are the Harder for being ſpungy, and
that which being ſprinkled with Water is long
eſt in drying, is the moſt crude.
ALL heavy Stones are more ſolid and eaſier
to poliſh than light ones, which upon rubbing
is much more apt to come off in Flakes than
ſuch as are heavy. That which upon being
ſtruck gives the beſt Sound, is cloſer made than
that which ſounds dull; and that which upon
ſtrong Friction ſmells of Sulphur, is ſtronger
than that which yields no Smell at all. Laſt
ly, that which makes the moſt Reſiſtance againſt
the Chizzel will be moſt firm and rigid againſt
the Violence of Storms. They ſay, that thoſe
Stones which hold together in the largeſt Scant
lings at the Mouth of the Quarry, are firmeſt
againſt the Weather. All Stone too is ſofter
when it is juſt dug up, than after it has been
ſome Time in the Air, and when it is wetted,
or ſoſtened with Water, is more yielding to the
Tool than when it is dry. Alſo ſuch Stones as
are dug out of the moiſteſt Part of the Quarry,
will be the cloſeſt when they come to be dry;
and it is thought that Stones are eaſier wrought
in a South-wind than in a North, and are more
apt to ſplit in a North-wind than in a South.
But if you have a Mind to make an Experi
ment how your Stone will hold out againſt
Time, you may judge from hence: If a Piece
of it, which you ſoak in Water, increaſes much
of its Weight, it will be apt to be rotted by
Moiſture; and that which flies to Pieces in
Fire, will bear neither Sun nor Heat. Neither
do I think that we ought to omit here ſome
Things worthy Memorial, which the Ancients
relate of ſome Stones.
to poliſh than light ones, which upon rubbing
is much more apt to come off in Flakes than
ſuch as are heavy. That which upon being
ſtruck gives the beſt Sound, is cloſer made than
that which ſounds dull; and that which upon
ſtrong Friction ſmells of Sulphur, is ſtronger
than that which yields no Smell at all. Laſt
ly, that which makes the moſt Reſiſtance againſt
the Chizzel will be moſt firm and rigid againſt
the Violence of Storms. They ſay, that thoſe
Stones which hold together in the largeſt Scant
lings at the Mouth of the Quarry, are firmeſt
againſt the Weather. All Stone too is ſofter
when it is juſt dug up, than after it has been
ſome Time in the Air, and when it is wetted,
or ſoſtened with Water, is more yielding to the
Tool than when it is dry. Alſo ſuch Stones as
are dug out of the moiſteſt Part of the Quarry,
will be the cloſeſt when they come to be dry;
and it is thought that Stones are eaſier wrought
in a South-wind than in a North, and are more
apt to ſplit in a North-wind than in a South.
But if you have a Mind to make an Experi
ment how your Stone will hold out againſt
Time, you may judge from hence: If a Piece
of it, which you ſoak in Water, increaſes much
of its Weight, it will be apt to be rotted by
Moiſture; and that which flies to Pieces in
Fire, will bear neither Sun nor Heat. Neither
do I think that we ought to omit here ſome
Things worthy Memorial, which the Ancients
relate of ſome Stones.