Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

List of thumbnails

< >
41
41 		42
42
43
43 		44
44
45
45 		46
46
47
47 		48
48
49
49 		50
50
< >
page |< < of 320 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/048.jpg" pagenum="36"/>
              will hinder the other Stones that are near it
                <lb/>
              in the Kiln, from burning too. </s>
              <s>They alſo
                <lb/>
              diſlike all carthy Stone, becauſe it makes the
                <lb/>
              Lime ſoul. </s>
              <s>But the ancient Architects greatly
                <lb/>
              praiſe the Lime made of very hard cloſe Stone,
                <lb/>
              eſpecially white, which they ſay is not im­
                <lb/>
              proper for any Sort of Work, and is extremely
                <lb/>
              ſtrong in Arches. </s>
              <s>In the ſecond Place, they
                <lb/>
              commend Lime made of Stone, not indeed
                <lb/>
              light or rotten, but ſpungy; which they think
                <lb/>
              for plaiſtering is better, and more tractable
                <lb/>
              than any other, and gives the beſt Varniſh to
                <lb/>
              the Work; and I have obſerved the Architects
                <lb/>
              in
                <emph type="italics"/>
              France,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              to uſe no other Sort of Lime but
                <lb/>
              what was made of the common Stones they
                <lb/>
              found in Rivers or Torrents, blackiſh, and ſo
                <lb/>
              very hard, that you would take them for
                <lb/>
              Flints; and yet it is certain, both in Stone
                <lb/>
              and Brickwork, it has preſerved an extraordi­
                <lb/>
              nary Strength to a very great Age. </s>
              <s>We read
                <lb/>
              in
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pliny,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              that Lime made of the Stone of
                <lb/>
              which they make Mill-ſtones, is excellent for
                <lb/>
              all manner of Uſes; but I find upon Experi­
                <lb/>
              ence, that ſuch of them as ſeem ſpotted with
                <lb/>
              Drops of Salt, being too rough and dry, will
                <lb/>
              not do for this Uſe; but that which is not ſo
                <lb/>
              ſpotted, but is cloſer, and when it is ground,
                <lb/>
              makes a finer Duſt, ſucceeds extremely well.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>However, let the Nature of the Stone be what
                <lb/>
              it will, that of the Quarry will be much bet­
                <lb/>
              ter for making of Lime, than that which we
                <lb/>
              pick up; and that dug out of a ſhady, moiſt
                <lb/>
              Quarry, better than out of a dry one; and
                <lb/>
              made of white Stone, more tractable than of
                <lb/>
              black. </s>
              <s>In
                <emph type="italics"/>
              France,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              near the Sea-ſhore about
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Vannes,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              for Want of Stone, they make their
                <lb/>
              Lime of Oyſter and Cockle-Shells. </s>
              <s>There is
                <lb/>
              moreover a kind of Lime which we call Plai­
                <lb/>
              ſter of Paris, which too is made of burnt
                <lb/>
              Stone; tho' we are told that in
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Cyprus,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              and
                <lb/>
              about
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Thebes,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              this Sort of Plaiſter is dug out
                <lb/>
              of the Surface of the Earth, ready baked by
                <lb/>
              the Heat of the Sun. </s>
              <s>But the Stone that
                <lb/>
              makes the Plaiſter of Paris, is different from
                <lb/>
              that which makes the Lime; for it is very
                <lb/>
              ſoft, and will eaſily rub to Pieces, except one
                <lb/>
              found in
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Syria,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              which is very hard. </s>
              <s>It differs
                <lb/>
              likewiſe in this, that the Plaiſter of Paris
                <lb/>
              Stone requires but twenty Hours; and the
                <lb/>
              Lime Stone takes threeſcore Hours in burning.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>I have obſerved, that in
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Italy
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              there are four
                <lb/>
              Sorts of Plaiſter of Paris, two of which are
                <lb/>
              tranſparent, and two which are not: Of the
                <lb/>
              tranſparent, one is like Lumps of Allum, or
                <lb/>
              rather of Alabaſter, and they called it the
                <lb/>
              Scaly Sort, becauſe it conſits of extreme
                <lb/>
              thin Scales, one over the other, like the Coats
                <lb/>
              of an Onion. </s>
              <s>The other is ſcaly too, but is
                <lb/>
              more like a blackiſh Salt than Allum. </s>
              <s>The
                <lb/>
              Sorts that are not tranſparent are both like a
                <lb/>
              very cloſe Sort of Chalk, but one is pale and
                <lb/>
              whitiſh, and the other with that Paleneſs has
                <lb/>
              a Tincture of red; which laſt is firmer and
                <lb/>
              cloſer than the firſt. </s>
              <s>Of the laſt, the reddeſt
                <lb/>
              is the moſt tenacious. </s>
              <s>Of the firſt, that which
                <lb/>
              is the cleareſt and whiteſt is uſed in Stuc Work
                <lb/>
              for Figures and Corniſhes.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>NEAR
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Rimini
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              they find a Plaiſter of Paris ſo
                <lb/>
              ſolid that you would take it for Marble or Ala­
                <lb/>
              baſter, which I had had cut with a Saw into
                <lb/>
              large thin Pieces, extremely convenient for In­
                <lb/>
              cruſtations. </s>
              <s>That I may omit nothing that is
                <lb/>
              neceſſary, all Plaiſter of Paris muſt be broken
                <lb/>
              and pounded with wooden Mallets, till it is
                <lb/>
              reduced to Powder, and ſo kept in Heaps in
                <lb/>
              ſome very dry Place, and as ſoon as ever it is
                <lb/>
              brought out, it muſt be watered and uſed im­
                <lb/>
              mediately.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>BUT Lime on the Contrary need not be
                <lb/>
              pounded, but may be ſoak'd in the Lumps,
                <lb/>
              and muſt be plentifully ſoak'd with Water a
                <lb/>
              good while before you uſe it, eſpecially if it is
                <lb/>
              for Plaiſtering; to the Intent that if there
                <lb/>
              ſhould be any Lumps not enough burnt, it
                <lb/>
              may be diſſolv'd and liquify'd by long lying
                <lb/>
              in the Water: Becauſe, when it is uſed too
                <lb/>
              ſoon, before it is duly ſoak'd, there will be ſome
                <lb/>
              ſmall unconcocted Stones in it, which afterwards
                <lb/>
              coming to rot, throw out little Puſtules, which
                <lb/>
              ſpoil the Neatneſs of the Work. </s>
              <s>Add here­
                <lb/>
              unto, that you need not give your Lime a
                <lb/>
              Flood, as I may call it, of Water at once, but
                <lb/>
              wet it by little and little, ſprinkling it ſeveral
                <lb/>
              Times over, till it is in all Parts thoroughly
                <lb/>
              impregnated with it; afterwards it muſt be
                <lb/>
              kept in ſome ſhady Place, moderately moiſt,
                <lb/>
              clear from all Mixture, and only cover'd over
                <lb/>
              with a little Sand, till by Length of Time it is
                <lb/>
              better fermented; and it has been found that
                <lb/>
              Lime by this thorough Fermentation acquires
                <lb/>
              inconceivable Virtue. </s>
              <s>I have known ſome
                <lb/>
              found in an old neglected Ditch, that, as
                <lb/>
              plainly appear'd by the ſtrongeſt Conjectures,
                <lb/>
              was left there above five hundred Years;
                <lb/>
              which when it was diſcover'd was ſo moiſt and
                <lb/>
              liquid, and, to uſe the Expreſſion, ſo mature,
                <lb/>
              that it far exceeded Honey or Marrow itſelf in
                <lb/>
              Softneſs; and nothing in Nature can be ima­
                <lb/>
              gin'd more ſerviceable for all Manner of Uſes.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>It requires double the Sand if prepared thus, </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum