Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              and Level. </s>
              <s>The Work will be more ſecure
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              ſtill, if between the Rubbiſh, and the Plaiſter
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              you lay a Row of plain Tiles cemented with
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              Mortar, mixed up with Oil. </s>
              <s>As for Pave­
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              ments which are not to be expoſed to the open
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              Air.
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              Varro
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              directs us to make them in the
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              following Manner, which he tells us will be
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              very ſerviceable by means of its extraordinary
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              Dryneſs: Dig two Foot deep into the Ground,
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              then ram the Bottom ſoundly, and lay a Pave­
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              ment, either of Rubbiſh, or broken Brick,
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              leaving Vent-holes for the Vapours to diſcharge
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              themſelves; over this lay Coals well levell'd,
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              and ramm'd down, and over all a Cruſt made
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              of Sand, Mortar, and Aſhes. </s>
              <s>Theſe Things
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              already mention'd, we have gathered from
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              Pliny
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              and
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              Vitruvius
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              eſpecially: I will now ſet
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              down what I have with great Pains and Labour
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              diſcovered relating to Pavements from the
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              actual Works of the Ancients; from whence,
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              I conſeſs, I have learnt much more than from
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              their Writings. </s>
              <s>We will begin with the Out­
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              ward Shell, which it is very difficult to make,
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              ſo as it ſhall not rot, or crack: For when once
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              it has been thoroughly ſoak'd with wet, and
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              comes to dry again, either by Sun, or Wind,
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              it dries by Scales, and as we ſee in Mud left
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              after Floods, the upper Coat ſhrinks, and
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              leaves Cracks which cannot be filled up; for
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              thoſe Parts which are dried and hardened,
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              cannot be made to cohere again by any Art
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              whatſoever, and thoſe which are ſtill moiſt,
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              yield and give Way to the leaſt Violence. </s>
              <s>I
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              find the Ancients made their Shell either of
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              baked Earth, or of Stone; and where Mens
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              Feet were not to tread, they made their Tiles
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              ſometimes a Foot and a half every Way, ce­
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              mented with Mortar mixed up with Oil; we
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              alſo ſometimes meet with ſmall Bricks one
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              Inch in Thickneſs, two in Breadth, and four in
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              Length, join'd Sideways like a Fiſh's Back­
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              bone. </s>
              <s>We often find Pavements of very large
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              Slabs of Marble, and others again of ſmaller
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              Pieces, and little Squares. </s>
              <s>There are other An­
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              cient Pavements made all of one Piece, which
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              I ſuppoſe, was a Mixture of Lime, Sand, and
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              pounded Brick, of each a third Part: which
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              may be made more ſtrong and laſting yet, by
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              the Addition of one fourth Part of
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              Tyber
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              ­
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              Stone, beat to Powder. </s>
              <s>Others in this Sort of
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              Plaiſter mightily commend the Sand of
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              Poz­
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              zuolo,
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              which they call
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              Rapillo.
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              </s>
              <s> Plaiſter that is
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              deſigned for Pavements muſt be tried by con­
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              tinual beating, whereby it will daily acquire
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              greater Stiffneſs and Hardneſs, till it comes to be
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              in a Manner firmer than Stone itſelf. And it
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              is certain, that if this Plaiſter is ſprinkled with
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              Lime-water, and Linſeed-oil, it will grow
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              almoſt as hard as Glaſs, and deſy all Manner of
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              Weather. </s>
              <s>Mortar worked up with Oil, is ſaid
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              in Pavements to keep out every Thing that is
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              noxious. </s>
              <s>Under the Shell I obſerve they made
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              a Layer of Mortar, and ſmall Pieces of broken
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              Brick, of the Thickneſs of two or three Inches.
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              </s>
              <s>Next to this we find a Courſe of Rubbiſh, of
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              Bits of Bricks and Chippings of Stone, ſuch as
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              the Maſons cut off with their Chizzel, and this
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              is about a Foot in Thickneſs. </s>
              <s>In ſome Places
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              betwixt theſe two Courſes, we find a regular
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              one of baked Tile, or Brick, and at the Bottom
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              of all a Layer of Stones, none bigger than a
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              Man's Fiſt. </s>
              <s>The Stones found in Rivers,
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              which are called Male ones, as for Inſtance,
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              thoſe round ones which partake of the Nature
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              of Flint, or Glaſs, grow dry immediately when
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              they are taken out of the Water, whereas Brick
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              and ordinary Stone retain Moiſture a long
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              Time; for which Reaſon, many affirm that the
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              Damps which ariſe out of the Earth will never
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              be able to penetrate to the Shell of the Pave­
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              ment, if it is underlaid with thoſe Stones. </s>
              <s>We
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              ſometimes find that they made little ſquare
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              Pilaſters a Foot and a half high next to the
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              Ground, ſtanding about two Foot diſtance one
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              from the other, upon which they laid baked
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              Tiles, and upon theſe the Pavement above­
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              mention'd. </s>
              <s>But this Kind of Pavement belongs
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              chiefly to Baths; of which we ſhall treat in
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              their proper Place. </s>
              <s>Pavements delight in
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              Damps, and a wet Air, while they are making,
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              and endure beſt and longeſt in moiſt and ſhady
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              Places; and their chief Enemies are the Looſe­
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              neſs of the Earth, and ſudden Droughts. </s>
              <s>For
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              as repeated Rains make the Ground cloſe and
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              firm, ſo Pavements being heartily wetted, grow
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              compact, and hard as Iron. </s>
              <s>That Part of the
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              Pavement which is to receive the Water falling
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              from the Gutters, ought to be made of the
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              largeſt and ſoundeſt Stones, ſuch as will not
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              eaſily be worn away by the continual Malice
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              (if we may ſo call it) of the Spouts that fall
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              upon them. </s>
              <s>In ſuch Pavements as are laid
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              upon Timber-work, or Roofing, you muſt take
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              Care that the Ribs upon which it reſts are
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              ſufficiently ſtrong, and equal one to the other;
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              for if it ſhould be otherwife, or one Wall, or
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              Rafter which it lies upon, ſhould be ſtronger
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              than another, the Pavement would decay and
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              ſplit in that Part; for as Timber-work will
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              not always keep exactly in the ſame Condition, </s>
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