1with Rims of each Side, a ninth Part of its
Breadth, which is call'd a Gutter-tile; the
other round, like Greaves, (a Piece of Armour
for the Legs,) which is called a Ridge-tile;
both broader in that Part which is to receive
the Rain, and narrower in that from which
they are to diſcharge it. But the Plain, or
Gutter-tiles are the moſt Commodius, pro
vided they are laid exactly even, ſo as not to
lean of either Side, nor to make either Vallies
or Hilocks to ſtop the Current of the Water,
or to let it ſettle in, nor to leave any Cranny
uncover'd. If the Superficies of the Roof is
very large, it requires bigger Gutter-tiles, that
the Rain may not overflow them for want of
a ſufficient Receptacle. To prevent the Fury
of the Wind from ripping off the Tiles, I
would have them all faſtened with Mortar;
eſpecially in publick Buildings: But in private
Ones, it will be enough if you ſecure only the
Gutter-tiles from that Violence, becauſe what
ever Miſchief is done, is eaſily repair'd. There
is another very convenient Way of Tiling, in
this Manner: If in Timber Roofs, inſtead of
Planks, you lay along the Girders Squares of
baked Clay, faſten'd with Plaiſter of Paris, and
over theſe Squares lay your Tiles with Mortar,
it will be a Covering very ſecure againſt Fire,
and very commodious to the Inhabitants; and
it will be leſs expenſive, if, inſtead of Squares,
you underlay it with Reeds, bound with Mor
tar. I would not have you uſe your Tiles,
and eſpecially thoſe which you lay with Mor
tar, in publick Works, till they have ſupported
the Froſt and Sun two Years; becauſe, if you
happen to uſe any bad ones, there is no taking
them out again without a good deal of
Trouble and Expence. It may not be amiſs
here to mention what I have read in Diodorus
the Hiſtorian, relating to the famous hanging
Gardens in Syria, which were contrived with
a new, and not unuſeful Invention: For upon
the Beams they laid Ruſhes dawb'd over with
Pitch, and on theſe two Rows of baked
Bricks, one above the other, cemented with
Mortar; and in the third Place, they laid
Plates of Lead ſo diſpoſed, and faſten'd to
gether, that not the leaſt wet could penetrate
to the Brick.
Breadth, which is call'd a Gutter-tile; the
other round, like Greaves, (a Piece of Armour
for the Legs,) which is called a Ridge-tile;
both broader in that Part which is to receive
the Rain, and narrower in that from which
they are to diſcharge it. But the Plain, or
Gutter-tiles are the moſt Commodius, pro
vided they are laid exactly even, ſo as not to
lean of either Side, nor to make either Vallies
or Hilocks to ſtop the Current of the Water,
or to let it ſettle in, nor to leave any Cranny
uncover'd. If the Superficies of the Roof is
very large, it requires bigger Gutter-tiles, that
the Rain may not overflow them for want of
a ſufficient Receptacle. To prevent the Fury
of the Wind from ripping off the Tiles, I
would have them all faſtened with Mortar;
eſpecially in publick Buildings: But in private
Ones, it will be enough if you ſecure only the
Gutter-tiles from that Violence, becauſe what
ever Miſchief is done, is eaſily repair'd. There
is another very convenient Way of Tiling, in
this Manner: If in Timber Roofs, inſtead of
Planks, you lay along the Girders Squares of
baked Clay, faſten'd with Plaiſter of Paris, and
over theſe Squares lay your Tiles with Mortar,
it will be a Covering very ſecure againſt Fire,
and very commodious to the Inhabitants; and
it will be leſs expenſive, if, inſtead of Squares,
you underlay it with Reeds, bound with Mor
tar. I would not have you uſe your Tiles,
and eſpecially thoſe which you lay with Mor
tar, in publick Works, till they have ſupported
the Froſt and Sun two Years; becauſe, if you
happen to uſe any bad ones, there is no taking
them out again without a good deal of
Trouble and Expence. It may not be amiſs
here to mention what I have read in Diodorus
the Hiſtorian, relating to the famous hanging
Gardens in Syria, which were contrived with
a new, and not unuſeful Invention: For upon
the Beams they laid Ruſhes dawb'd over with
Pitch, and on theſe two Rows of baked
Bricks, one above the other, cemented with
Mortar; and in the third Place, they laid
Plates of Lead ſo diſpoſed, and faſten'd to
gether, that not the leaſt wet could penetrate
to the Brick.
CHAP. XVI.
Of Pavements according to the Opinion of Pliny and Vitruvius, and the Works
of the Ancients; and of the proper Seaſons for Beginning and Finiſhing
the ſeveral Parts of Building.
of the Ancients; and of the proper Seaſons for Beginning and Finiſhing
the ſeveral Parts of Building.
We come now to treat of Pavements,
which alſo partake ſomewhat of the
Nature of Coverings. Of theſe, ſome are
open to the Air; others are laid upon Rafters
and Boards, others not: All require for their
Foundation a ſolid, and even Superficies, laid
exactly according to their proper Lines. Thoſe
which are open to the Air ought to be raiſed
in ſuch a Manner, that every ten Foot may
have a Declivity of, at leaſt, two Inches, to
throw off the Water, which ought to be con
veyed from thence either into Ciſterns or
Sinks. If from theſe Sinks you have not the
Conveniency of a Drain, either into the Sea,
or ſome River, dig Pits for the Soil in conve
nient Places, ſo deep as to come to ſome Spring
of Water, and then fill up thoſe Pits with
round Pebbles.
which alſo partake ſomewhat of the
Nature of Coverings. Of theſe, ſome are
open to the Air; others are laid upon Rafters
and Boards, others not: All require for their
Foundation a ſolid, and even Superficies, laid
exactly according to their proper Lines. Thoſe
which are open to the Air ought to be raiſed
in ſuch a Manner, that every ten Foot may
have a Declivity of, at leaſt, two Inches, to
throw off the Water, which ought to be con
veyed from thence either into Ciſterns or
Sinks. If from theſe Sinks you have not the
Conveniency of a Drain, either into the Sea,
or ſome River, dig Pits for the Soil in conve
nient Places, ſo deep as to come to ſome Spring
of Water, and then fill up thoſe Pits with
round Pebbles.
LASTLY, if you have no Opportunity to
do this, make good large Sinks, and fling
Coals into them, and then fill them up with
Sand, which will ſuck up, and dry away the
ſuperfluous Moiſture. If the Superficies that
your Pavement is to be laid upon, is a ſoft
looſe Earth, ram it ſoundly, and lay it over
with broken Fragments of Stone, well beat in
with the Rammer alſo: But if the Pavement
is to be upon Rafters, cover them over with
Boards, and upon them lay your Rubbiſh or
Fragments of Stone a Foot high, and beaten
together, and conſolidated with the Rammer.
Some are of Opinion, that under theſe we
ought to lay Fern, or Spart, to keep the Mor
tar from rotting the Timber. If your Rub
biſh is of new Stone, allow one Part of Mortar
to three of Rubbiſh; if it is of old, you muſt
allow two Parts in five; and when it is laid,
the Way to ſtiffen it, is to pound it heartily
with the Rammer. Over theſe you lay a
Plaiſter ſix Inches high, made of broken
Tiles, or Bricks pounded, mix'd with one
fourth Part of Mortar; and upon this, laſtly,
you lay your Pavement, of whatſoever Sort it
is, whether of Brick or Tile, exactly by Rule
do this, make good large Sinks, and fling
Coals into them, and then fill them up with
Sand, which will ſuck up, and dry away the
ſuperfluous Moiſture. If the Superficies that
your Pavement is to be laid upon, is a ſoft
looſe Earth, ram it ſoundly, and lay it over
with broken Fragments of Stone, well beat in
with the Rammer alſo: But if the Pavement
is to be upon Rafters, cover them over with
Boards, and upon them lay your Rubbiſh or
Fragments of Stone a Foot high, and beaten
together, and conſolidated with the Rammer.
Some are of Opinion, that under theſe we
ought to lay Fern, or Spart, to keep the Mor
tar from rotting the Timber. If your Rub
biſh is of new Stone, allow one Part of Mortar
to three of Rubbiſh; if it is of old, you muſt
allow two Parts in five; and when it is laid,
the Way to ſtiffen it, is to pound it heartily
with the Rammer. Over theſe you lay a
Plaiſter ſix Inches high, made of broken
Tiles, or Bricks pounded, mix'd with one
fourth Part of Mortar; and upon this, laſtly,
you lay your Pavement, of whatſoever Sort it
is, whether of Brick or Tile, exactly by Rule