1Notice of what Varro ſays, that the Tuſcans
uſed to build their Country Houſes of Stone,
but the Gauls of baked Brick, the Sabines of
Brick unbaked, the Spaniards of Mud and lit
tle Stones mixed together. But of theſe we
ſhall ſpeak elſewhere. The ordinary Sort of
Structure, is that in which ſquared Stones,
either the middling or rather the large Sort, are
placed with their Fronts exactly anſwering to
the ſquare level and plumb Line; which is the
ſtrongeſt and moſt laſting Way of all. The
chequered Way is when ſquared Stones, either
the middle ſized, or rather very ſmall ones, are
placed not on their Sides, but on their Corners,
and lie with their Fronts anſwering to the
ſquare and plumb Line. The irregular Way
is where ordinary rough Stones are placed with
their Sides anſwering, as well as the Inequality
of their Forms will permit, one to the other;
and this is the Method uſed in the Pavement
of the publick Ways. But theſe Methods muſt
be uſed differently in different Places; for in
the Baſes, or firſt Courſe above the Ground, we
muſt make our Shell of nothing but very large
and very hard ſquare Stones; for as we ought
to make the whole Wall as firm and entire as
poſſible, ſo there is no Part of it that requires
more Strength and Soundneſs than this; inſo
much that if it were poſſible for you to make
it all of one ſingle Stone you ſhould do it, or
at leaſt make it only of ſuch a Number as may
come as near as may be to the Firmneſs and
Durableneſs of one ſingle Stone. How theſe
great Stones are to be mov'd and manag'd,
belonging properly to the Article of Ornaments,
we ſhall conſider of it in another Place.
uſed to build their Country Houſes of Stone,
but the Gauls of baked Brick, the Sabines of
Brick unbaked, the Spaniards of Mud and lit
tle Stones mixed together. But of theſe we
ſhall ſpeak elſewhere. The ordinary Sort of
Structure, is that in which ſquared Stones,
either the middling or rather the large Sort, are
placed with their Fronts exactly anſwering to
the ſquare level and plumb Line; which is the
ſtrongeſt and moſt laſting Way of all. The
chequered Way is when ſquared Stones, either
the middle ſized, or rather very ſmall ones, are
placed not on their Sides, but on their Corners,
and lie with their Fronts anſwering to the
ſquare and plumb Line. The irregular Way
is where ordinary rough Stones are placed with
their Sides anſwering, as well as the Inequality
of their Forms will permit, one to the other;
and this is the Method uſed in the Pavement
of the publick Ways. But theſe Methods muſt
be uſed differently in different Places; for in
the Baſes, or firſt Courſe above the Ground, we
muſt make our Shell of nothing but very large
and very hard ſquare Stones; for as we ought
to make the whole Wall as firm and entire as
poſſible, ſo there is no Part of it that requires
more Strength and Soundneſs than this; inſo
much that if it were poſſible for you to make
it all of one ſingle Stone you ſhould do it, or
at leaſt make it only of ſuch a Number as may
come as near as may be to the Firmneſs and
Durableneſs of one ſingle Stone. How theſe
great Stones are to be mov'd and manag'd,
belonging properly to the Article of Ornaments,
we ſhall conſider of it in another Place.
RAISE your Wall ſays Cato, of hard Stone
and good Mortar to at leaſt a Foot high above
the Ground, and it matters not if you build
the reſt even of Brick unbak'd. His Reaſon
for this Admonition is plainly becauſe the Rain
Water falling from the Roof might not rot
this Part of the Wall. But when we examine
the Works of the Ancients, and find that not
only in our own Country the lower Parts of
all good Buildings are compos'd of the hardeſt
Stone, but that even among thoſe Nations
which are under no Apprehenſions from Rain,
as in Ægypt, they uſed to make the Baſes of
their Pyramids of a black Stone of an extreme
Hardneſs; we are obliged to look more nearly
into this Matter. We ſhould therefore con
ſider that as Iron, Braſs, and the like hard
Metals, if bent ſeveral Times firſt this way
and then that, will at laſt crack and break; ſo
other Bodies, if wearied with a repeated Change
of Injuries, will ſpoil and corruptinconceivably;
which is what I have obſerved in Bridges,
eſpecially of Wood: Thoſe Parts of them
which ſtand all the Changes of Weather, ſome
times burnt with the Rays of the Sun, and
ſharp Blaſts of Wind, at other Times ſoak'd
with Night-dews or Rains, very ſoon decay
and are quite eaten away by the Worms. The
ſame holds good of thoſe Parts of the Wall
which are near to the Ground, which by theal
ternate injuries of Duſt and Wet are very apt to
moulder and rot. I therefore lay it down as an
indiſpenſible Rule, that all the firſt Courſe of
Work from the Level, ſhould be compos'd of
the hardeſt, ſoundeſt, and largeſt Stones, to
ſecure it againſt the frequent Aſſaults of con
trary Injuries: Which Stone is hardeſt and beſt,
we have ſhewn ſufficiently in the Second Book.
and good Mortar to at leaſt a Foot high above
the Ground, and it matters not if you build
the reſt even of Brick unbak'd. His Reaſon
for this Admonition is plainly becauſe the Rain
Water falling from the Roof might not rot
this Part of the Wall. But when we examine
the Works of the Ancients, and find that not
only in our own Country the lower Parts of
all good Buildings are compos'd of the hardeſt
Stone, but that even among thoſe Nations
which are under no Apprehenſions from Rain,
as in Ægypt, they uſed to make the Baſes of
their Pyramids of a black Stone of an extreme
Hardneſs; we are obliged to look more nearly
into this Matter. We ſhould therefore con
ſider that as Iron, Braſs, and the like hard
Metals, if bent ſeveral Times firſt this way
and then that, will at laſt crack and break; ſo
other Bodies, if wearied with a repeated Change
of Injuries, will ſpoil and corruptinconceivably;
which is what I have obſerved in Bridges,
eſpecially of Wood: Thoſe Parts of them
which ſtand all the Changes of Weather, ſome
times burnt with the Rays of the Sun, and
ſharp Blaſts of Wind, at other Times ſoak'd
with Night-dews or Rains, very ſoon decay
and are quite eaten away by the Worms. The
ſame holds good of thoſe Parts of the Wall
which are near to the Ground, which by theal
ternate injuries of Duſt and Wet are very apt to
moulder and rot. I therefore lay it down as an
indiſpenſible Rule, that all the firſt Courſe of
Work from the Level, ſhould be compos'd of
the hardeſt, ſoundeſt, and largeſt Stones, to
ſecure it againſt the frequent Aſſaults of con
trary Injuries: Which Stone is hardeſt and beſt,
we have ſhewn ſufficiently in the Second Book.
CHAP. VII.
Of the Generation of Stones; how they are to be diſpos'd and join'd together, as
alſo, which are the Strongeſt and which the Weakeſt.
alſo, which are the Strongeſt and which the Weakeſt.
It is certainly of very great Conſequence in
what Manner we diſpoſe and join our
Stone in the Work, either in this or any other
Part; for as in Wood ſo alſo in Stone, there
are Veins and Knots, and other Parts, of
which ſome are weaker than others, inſomuch
that Marble itſelf will warp and ſplit. There
is in Stones a Kind of Impoſtumes, or Collections
of putrid Matter, which in Time ſwell and
grow, by means, as I ſuppoſe of the Humidity
of the Air, which they ſuck in and imbibe
which breeds larger Puſtules, and eats away
the Building. For beſides what we have
already ſaid of Stones in their proper Place, it
is neceſſary to conſider here that they are
created by Nature, lying flat as we ſee them
in the Ground, of a liquid and fluxible Sub
ſtance, which, as we are told, when it is af
terwards harden'd and grown, reſerves in the
Maſs the original Figure of its Parts. Hence
what Manner we diſpoſe and join our
Stone in the Work, either in this or any other
Part; for as in Wood ſo alſo in Stone, there
are Veins and Knots, and other Parts, of
which ſome are weaker than others, inſomuch
that Marble itſelf will warp and ſplit. There
is in Stones a Kind of Impoſtumes, or Collections
of putrid Matter, which in Time ſwell and
grow, by means, as I ſuppoſe of the Humidity
of the Air, which they ſuck in and imbibe
which breeds larger Puſtules, and eats away
the Building. For beſides what we have
already ſaid of Stones in their proper Place, it
is neceſſary to conſider here that they are
created by Nature, lying flat as we ſee them
in the Ground, of a liquid and fluxible Sub
ſtance, which, as we are told, when it is af
terwards harden'd and grown, reſerves in the
Maſs the original Figure of its Parts. Hence
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