1than if you mix it immediately. In this,
therefore, Lime and Plaiſter of Paris do not
agree; but in other Things they do. Carry
your Lime, therefore, immediately out of the
Kiln into a ſhady, dry Place, and water it; for
if you keep it either in the Kiln itſelf, or any
where elſe in the Air, or expos'd to the Moon
or Sun, eſpecially in Summer, it would ſoon
crumble to Powder, and be totally uſeleſs.
But of this ſufficient. They adviſe us not to
put our Stone into the Kiln till we have bro
ken it into Pieces, not ſmaller than the Clods;
for, not to mention that they will burn the
eaſier, it has been obſerved that in the middle
of ſome Stones, and eſpecially of round ones,
there are ſometimes certain Concavities, in
which the Air being incloſed often does a great
deal of Miſchief: For when they come to
feel the Fire in the Kiln, this Air is either
compreſſed by the cold retiring inwards, or
elſe when the Stone grows hot it turns to Va
pour, which makes it ſwell till it burſts the
Priſon wherein it is confined, and breaks out
with a dreadful Noiſe and irreſiſtible Force,
and blows up the whole Kiln. Some in the
middle of ſuch Stones have ſeen living Crea
tures, of various kinds, and particularly Worms
with a hairy Back, and a great Number of
Feet, which do a great deal of Harm to the
Kiln. And I will here add ſome Things worthy
to be recorded, which have been ſeen in our
Days, ſince I do not write only for the Uſe of
Workmen, but alſo for all ſuch as are ſtudious
of curious Enquiries; for which Reaſon, I
ſhall not ſcruple, now and then, to intermix
any thing that is delightful, provided it is not
abſolutely foreign to my Purpoſe.
therefore, Lime and Plaiſter of Paris do not
agree; but in other Things they do. Carry
your Lime, therefore, immediately out of the
Kiln into a ſhady, dry Place, and water it; for
if you keep it either in the Kiln itſelf, or any
where elſe in the Air, or expos'd to the Moon
or Sun, eſpecially in Summer, it would ſoon
crumble to Powder, and be totally uſeleſs.
But of this ſufficient. They adviſe us not to
put our Stone into the Kiln till we have bro
ken it into Pieces, not ſmaller than the Clods;
for, not to mention that they will burn the
eaſier, it has been obſerved that in the middle
of ſome Stones, and eſpecially of round ones,
there are ſometimes certain Concavities, in
which the Air being incloſed often does a great
deal of Miſchief: For when they come to
feel the Fire in the Kiln, this Air is either
compreſſed by the cold retiring inwards, or
elſe when the Stone grows hot it turns to Va
pour, which makes it ſwell till it burſts the
Priſon wherein it is confined, and breaks out
with a dreadful Noiſe and irreſiſtible Force,
and blows up the whole Kiln. Some in the
middle of ſuch Stones have ſeen living Crea
tures, of various kinds, and particularly Worms
with a hairy Back, and a great Number of
Feet, which do a great deal of Harm to the
Kiln. And I will here add ſome Things worthy
to be recorded, which have been ſeen in our
Days, ſince I do not write only for the Uſe of
Workmen, but alſo for all ſuch as are ſtudious
of curious Enquiries; for which Reaſon, I
ſhall not ſcruple, now and then, to intermix
any thing that is delightful, provided it is not
abſolutely foreign to my Purpoſe.
THERE was brought to Pope Martin V. a
Serpent found by the Miners in a Quarry in
la Romagna, which lived pent up in the Hol
low of a great Stone, without the leaſt Crack
or Hole in it for Admiſſion of Air; in like
Manner Toads too have been found and Crabs,
but dead. I myſelf have been Witneſs to the
finding of the Leaves of Trees in the Middle
of a very white Piece of Marble. All the
Summit of Mount Vellino, one of thoſe which
divide the Country of Abruzzo from Marſi,
and is higher than any of the reſt, is covered
over with a white Stone, ſo that the very
Mountain looks white with it, among which,
eſpecially on that Side, which looks towards
Abruzzo, are a great many broken Pieces with
Figures upon them, exactly like Sea-ſhells, not
bigger than the Palm of a Man's Hand. But,
what is more extraordinary, in the Veroneze,
they daily find Stones upon the Ground marked
with the Figure of the Cinquefoil, with every
Line and Vein drawn ſo exactly and regularly,
by the Hand of Nature, that the niceſt Artiſt
cannot pretend to come up to it; and which
is moſt curious of all, every one of theſe Stones
are found with the Impreſſion turned down
wards, and hid by the Stone, as if Nature had
not been at the Pains of ſuch fine Sculptures
to gain the Approbation of Men, but for her
own Diverſion. But to return to our Subject.
Serpent found by the Miners in a Quarry in
la Romagna, which lived pent up in the Hol
low of a great Stone, without the leaſt Crack
or Hole in it for Admiſſion of Air; in like
Manner Toads too have been found and Crabs,
but dead. I myſelf have been Witneſs to the
finding of the Leaves of Trees in the Middle
of a very white Piece of Marble. All the
Summit of Mount Vellino, one of thoſe which
divide the Country of Abruzzo from Marſi,
and is higher than any of the reſt, is covered
over with a white Stone, ſo that the very
Mountain looks white with it, among which,
eſpecially on that Side, which looks towards
Abruzzo, are a great many broken Pieces with
Figures upon them, exactly like Sea-ſhells, not
bigger than the Palm of a Man's Hand. But,
what is more extraordinary, in the Veroneze,
they daily find Stones upon the Ground marked
with the Figure of the Cinquefoil, with every
Line and Vein drawn ſo exactly and regularly,
by the Hand of Nature, that the niceſt Artiſt
cannot pretend to come up to it; and which
is moſt curious of all, every one of theſe Stones
are found with the Impreſſion turned down
wards, and hid by the Stone, as if Nature had
not been at the Pains of ſuch fine Sculptures
to gain the Approbation of Men, but for her
own Diverſion. But to return to our Subject.
I SHALL not ſpend Time here to ſhew how
to make the Mouth of the Kiln, and its Co
vering, and the inward Seat of the Fire, and
how to give Vent to the Flame when it grows
hot, and to keep it, as it were, within its
own Confines, ſo as to direct the whole uni
ted Strength and Power of the Fire to the
burning of the Lime. Nor will I proceed to
teach how the Fire is to be kindled by little
and little, and never left till the Flame burns
out at the Top of the Furnace perfectly clear,
and without the leaſt Smoke, and till the very
uppermoſt Stones are red hot; and that the
Stone is not burnt enough, till the Kiln,
which had been ſwelled and cracked by the
Fire, afterwards ſettles and cloſes itſelf again.
It is a ſurprizing Thing to obſerve the Nature
of this Element; for if you take away the Fire,
the Kiln will grow cooler and cooler by De
grees at the Bottom, while it continues burn
ing hot at Top. But as in Building, we have
Occaſion not only for Lime, but Sand, we will
now ſay ſomething about that.
to make the Mouth of the Kiln, and its Co
vering, and the inward Seat of the Fire, and
how to give Vent to the Flame when it grows
hot, and to keep it, as it were, within its
own Confines, ſo as to direct the whole uni
ted Strength and Power of the Fire to the
burning of the Lime. Nor will I proceed to
teach how the Fire is to be kindled by little
and little, and never left till the Flame burns
out at the Top of the Furnace perfectly clear,
and without the leaſt Smoke, and till the very
uppermoſt Stones are red hot; and that the
Stone is not burnt enough, till the Kiln,
which had been ſwelled and cracked by the
Fire, afterwards ſettles and cloſes itſelf again.
It is a ſurprizing Thing to obſerve the Nature
of this Element; for if you take away the Fire,
the Kiln will grow cooler and cooler by De
grees at the Bottom, while it continues burn
ing hot at Top. But as in Building, we have
Occaſion not only for Lime, but Sand, we will
now ſay ſomething about that.
CHAP. XII.