What has been ſaid may ſuffice, with relation
to our Trench, unleſs we would add, that
ſometimes, either to ſave Money, or to avoid
an intermediate Piece of rotten Ground, it may
not be amiſs to make a Foundation not con
tinued entire all the way, but with Intervals
left between, as if we were only making
Columns or Pilaſters, then turning Arches
from one Pilaſter to the other, to
lay over them the reſt of the Wall
In theſe we are to obſerve the ſame
Directions as we gave before; but the greater
Weight you are to raiſe upon them, the large.
and ſtronger Pilaſters and Baſes you muſt
make. But of theſe enough.
to our Trench, unleſs we would add, that
ſometimes, either to ſave Money, or to avoid
an intermediate Piece of rotten Ground, it may
not be amiſs to make a Foundation not con
tinued entire all the way, but with Intervals
left between, as if we were only making
Columns or Pilaſters, then turning Arches
from one Pilaſter to the other, to
lay over them the reſt of the Wall
In theſe we are to obſerve the ſame
Directions as we gave before; but the greater
Weight you are to raiſe upon them, the large.
and ſtronger Pilaſters and Baſes you muſt
make. But of theſe enough.
*
* A. Plate 5.
(facing page 45)
(facing page 45)
CHAP. IV.
Of the Nature, Forms and Qualities of Stones, and of the Tempering of
Mortar.
Mortar.
We now come to begin our Wall; but
as the Workman's Art and Manner
of Building depends partly upon the Nature,
Form and Quality of his Stone, and partly
upon the Tempering of his Mortar, we are
therefore firſt to treat briefly of theſe. Of
Stones, ſome are living, juicy, and ſtrong, ſuch
as Flint, Marble, and the like, which by Na
ture are heavy and ſonorous; others are ex
hauſted, light, and dead ſounding, as are all
Stones that are ſoft and ſandy. Again, ſome
have even Superficies, ſtrait Lines, and equal
Angles, which are call'd Squared Stones;
others have uneven Superficies, of various
Lines, and unequal Angles, which we call
Rough. Of Stones alſo, ſome are big and
unweildy, ſo that a Man's Hand cannot
manage them at Pleaſure, without the Aſſiſtance
of Sleds, Leavers, Rowlers, Pullies, or the
like Engines; others ſmall, ſo as you may
raiſe and manage them with one ſingle Hand
juſt as you pleaſe. The third Sort is between
both, of a moderate Size and Weight, which
are call'd ſizeable. All Stone ſhould be En
tire, not Muddy, and well waſh'd; you may
know whether it is Entire or Crack'd, by the
Sound it gives when you Strike upon it. You
can waſh them no where better than in a
River; and it is certain that the Middling
ſizeable Sort are not ſoak'd enough under nine
Days, and the large ones under more. That
which is freſh dug out of the Quarry is better
than that which has been long kept; and that
which has been once cemented with Mortar
will not cement well again a ſecond Time.
So much may ſuffice as to Stone. As for
Lime, they condemn that which when it
comes from the Kiln is not in entire Lumps,
but in broken Pieces, and as it were in Pow
der, and they ſay it will never prove ſervice
able. They commend that which purges and
grows white in the Fire, and which is light
and ſonorous, and when you water it, burſts,
and throws out a ſtrong thick Smoke high into
the Air. The former, being weak, muſt of
Courſe require leſs Sand; but this latter, being
ſtrong, requires more. Cato directs, that to
every two Foot of Work, we ſhould allow one
Buſhel of Lime and two of Sand: Others
preſcribe different Proportions. Vitruvius and
Pliny are for mixing the Sand thus; namely
to give to each Buſhel of Lime three of Pit
ſand, or two of River or Sea-ſand. Laſtly,
when the Quality and Nature of your Stone
requires your Mortar to be more liquid or
tractable (which we ſhall ſpeak of more clearly
below) your Sand muſt be ſifted through a
Sieve; but when it is to be ſtiffer, then mix it
with half Gravel and broken Fragments of
Stone. All agree, that if you mix it with
one third of broken Tile or Brick pounded, it
will be much more tenacious. However, mix
it as you will, you muſt ſtir it about often, till
the ſmalleſt Pieces are incorparated; and ſome,
for this Purpoſe, and that it may be well
mingled together, ſtir it about and beat it a
great while in a Mortar. But we ſhall ſay
no more here of the Cement, only thus much,
that Lime takes better hold with Stone of its
own Kind, and eſpecially out of the ſame
Quarry, than with a Stranger.
as the Workman's Art and Manner
of Building depends partly upon the Nature,
Form and Quality of his Stone, and partly
upon the Tempering of his Mortar, we are
therefore firſt to treat briefly of theſe. Of
Stones, ſome are living, juicy, and ſtrong, ſuch
as Flint, Marble, and the like, which by Na
ture are heavy and ſonorous; others are ex
hauſted, light, and dead ſounding, as are all
Stones that are ſoft and ſandy. Again, ſome
have even Superficies, ſtrait Lines, and equal
Angles, which are call'd Squared Stones;
others have uneven Superficies, of various
Lines, and unequal Angles, which we call
Rough. Of Stones alſo, ſome are big and
unweildy, ſo that a Man's Hand cannot
manage them at Pleaſure, without the Aſſiſtance
of Sleds, Leavers, Rowlers, Pullies, or the
like Engines; others ſmall, ſo as you may
raiſe and manage them with one ſingle Hand
juſt as you pleaſe. The third Sort is between
both, of a moderate Size and Weight, which
are call'd ſizeable. All Stone ſhould be En
tire, not Muddy, and well waſh'd; you may
know whether it is Entire or Crack'd, by the
Sound it gives when you Strike upon it. You
can waſh them no where better than in a
River; and it is certain that the Middling
ſizeable Sort are not ſoak'd enough under nine
Days, and the large ones under more. That
which is freſh dug out of the Quarry is better
than that which has been long kept; and that
which has been once cemented with Mortar
will not cement well again a ſecond Time.
So much may ſuffice as to Stone. As for
Lime, they condemn that which when it
comes from the Kiln is not in entire Lumps,
but in broken Pieces, and as it were in Pow
der, and they ſay it will never prove ſervice
able. They commend that which purges and
grows white in the Fire, and which is light
and ſonorous, and when you water it, burſts,
and throws out a ſtrong thick Smoke high into
the Air. The former, being weak, muſt of
Courſe require leſs Sand; but this latter, being
ſtrong, requires more. Cato directs, that to
every two Foot of Work, we ſhould allow one
Buſhel of Lime and two of Sand: Others
preſcribe different Proportions. Vitruvius and
Pliny are for mixing the Sand thus; namely
to give to each Buſhel of Lime three of Pit
ſand, or two of River or Sea-ſand. Laſtly,
when the Quality and Nature of your Stone
requires your Mortar to be more liquid or
tractable (which we ſhall ſpeak of more clearly
below) your Sand muſt be ſifted through a
Sieve; but when it is to be ſtiffer, then mix it
with half Gravel and broken Fragments of
Stone. All agree, that if you mix it with
one third of broken Tile or Brick pounded, it
will be much more tenacious. However, mix
it as you will, you muſt ſtir it about often, till
the ſmalleſt Pieces are incorparated; and ſome,
for this Purpoſe, and that it may be well
mingled together, ſtir it about and beat it a
great while in a Mortar. But we ſhall ſay
no more here of the Cement, only thus much,
that Lime takes better hold with Stone of its
own Kind, and eſpecially out of the ſame
Quarry, than with a Stranger.
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