Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              will melt in Fire like Metal, and run into Stone;
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              and he adds, that this Stone is of ſuch a Na­
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              ture, that when the Rain falls upon it in any
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              Building, the Cement all diſſolves, and the
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              Wall grows to be all of a Piece.</s>
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              <s>WE are told, that they find in
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              Troas,
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              a
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              Stone very apt to cleave, call'd the
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              Sarcopha­
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              gus,
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              in which any dead Corpſe buried, is in­
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              tirely conſum'd in leſs than forty Days, all
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              but the Teeth; and which is moſt ſurprizing,
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              all the Habits, and every Thing buryed with
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              the Body, turns into Stone. </s>
              <s>Of a contrary
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              Nature to this is the Stone called
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              Chernites,
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              in which
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              Darius
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              was buried, for that preſerves
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              the Body entire for a long Time. </s>
              <s>But of this
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              Subject enough.</s>
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              <s>CHAP. X.</s>
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              Of the Origin of the Uſe of Bricks, in what Seaſon they ought to be made,
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              aud in what Shapes, their different Sorts, and the Uſefulneſs of triangular
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              Ones; and briefly, of all other Works made of baked Earth.
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              </s>
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              <s>It is certain the Ancients were very fond of
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              uſing Bricks inſtead of Stone. </s>
              <s>I confeſs,
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              I believe that at firſt Men were put upon mak­
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              ing Bricks to ſupply the Place of Stone in
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              their Buildings, thro' Scarcity and Want of it;
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              but afterwards finding how ready they were
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              in working, how well adapted both to Uſe
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              and Beauty, how ſtrong and durable, they pro­
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              ceeded to make not only their ordinary Struc­
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              tures, but even their Palaces of Brick. </s>
              <s>At
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              laſt, either by Accident or Induſtry, diſcover­
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              ing what Uſe Fire was of in hardening and
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              ſtrengthening them, they began in moſt Places
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              to bake the Bricks they built with. </s>
              <s>And ſrom
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              my own Obſervations upon the ancient Struc­
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              tures, I will be bold to ſay, that there is not a
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              better Material for any Sort of Edifice than
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              Brick, not crude but baked; provided a right
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              Method be uſed in baking them. </s>
              <s>But we will
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              reſerve the Praiſes of Works make of Bricks
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              for another Place.</s>
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              <s>OUR Buſineſs is to obſerve here, that a
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              whitiſh chalky Earth is very much recom­
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              mended for making them. </s>
              <s>The reddiſh alſo
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              is approved of, and that which is call'd male
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              Sand. </s>
              <s>That which is abſolutely ſandy and
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              gravelly is to be avoided, and the ſtony moſt
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              of all; becauſe in baking it is ſubject to warp
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              and crack, and if over baked will fret away of
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              itſelf. </s>
              <s>We are adviſed not to make our Bricks
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              of Earth freſh dug, but to dig it in the Au­
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              tumn, and leave it to digeſt all Winter, and to
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              make it into Brick early in the Spring; for if
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              you make it in Winter, it is obvious that the
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              Froſt will crack it, and if you make it in the
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              Middle of Summer, the exceſſive Heat will
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              make it ſcale off in drying. </s>
              <s>But if Neceſſity
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              obliges you to make it in Winter, in extreme
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              cold Weather, cover it immediately over with
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              very dry Sand, and if in Summer, with wet
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              Straw; for being ſo kept, it will neither crack
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              nor warp. </s>
              <s>Some are for having their Bricks
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              glazed; if ſo, you muſt take Care not to make
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              them of Earth that is either ſandy, or too lean
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              or dry; ſor theſe will ſuck and eat away the
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              Glazing: But you muſt make them of a whitiſh
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              fat Clay, and you muſt make them thin, for
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              if they are too thick they will not bake tho­
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              rowly, and it is a great Chance but they ſplit;
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              if you are oblig'd to have them thick, you may
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              in a great Meaſure prevent that Inconveniency,
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              if you make one or more little Holes in them
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              about half Way through, whereby the Damp
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              and Vapour having proper Vents, they will
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              both dry and bake the better.</s>
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              <s>THE Petters rub their Veſſels over with
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              Chalk, by which Means, the Glazing, when
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              it is melted over it, makes an even Surface;
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              the ſame Method may be uſed in making
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              Bricks. </s>
              <s>I have obſerv'd in the Works of the
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              Ancients, that their Bricks have a Mixture of a
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              certain Proportion of Sand, and eſpecially of
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              the red Sort, and I find they alſo mix'd them
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              with red Earth, and even with Marble. </s>
              <s>I know
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              by Experience that the very ſame Earth will
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              make harder and ſtronger Brick, if we take the
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              Pains to knead every Lump two or three Times
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              over, as if we were making of Bread, till it
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              grows like Wax, and is perſectly clear of the
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              leaſt Particle of Stone. </s>
              <s>Theſe, when they have
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              paſs'd the Fire will attain the Hardneſs even
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              of a Flint, and whether owing to the Heat in
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              baking, or the Air in drying, will get a Sort
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              of a ſtrong Cruſt, as Bread does. </s>
              <s>It will there­
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              fore be beſt to make them thin, that they
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              may have the more Cruſt and the leſs Crum: </s>
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          </chap>
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