1and indeed, I do not think them inferior to
thoſe of Iron. The Cramps of Braſs and Iron
are ſaſtened in with Lead: But thoſe of Wood
are ſufficiently ſecured by their Shape, which
is made in ſuch Manner, that for Reſemblance,
they are called Swallow, or Dove-tailed. The
Cramps muſt be ſo placed that no Drops of
Rain may penetrate to them; and it is
Thought that the Braſs ones are yet more
ſtrengthened againſt old Age, if in Caſting
they are mixed with one thirtieth Part of Tin:
They will be leſs liable to ruſt if they are
anointed with Pitch, or Oil. It is affirmed
that Iron may be ſo tempered by White-lead,
Plaiſter, and Liquid Pitch, as not to ruſt.
Wooden Cramps done over with Maiden-wax
and Lees of Oil, will never rot. I have
known them pour ſo much Lead upon Cramps,
and that ſo boyling Hot, that it has burſt the
Stones. In ancient Structures we often meet
with very ſtrong Walls made of nothing but
Rubbiſh and broken Stuff; theſe are built like
the Mud-Walls common in Spain and Africa,
by faſtening on each Side Planks or Hurdles,
inſtead of Shells, to keep the Stuff together till
it is dry and ſettled: But herein they differ,
that the Ancients filled up their Work with
Mortar liquid, and in a Manner floating;
whereas, the other only took a clammy Sort
of Earth which they trod and rammed with
their Feet, and with Beetles, after having firſt
made it tractable by thorough wetting and
kneading. The Ancients alſo in thoſe rough
Works of theirs, at the Diſtance of every three
Foot made a Kind of Band of Pieces of large
Stone, eſpecially of the ordinary Sort, or at
leaſt angular; becauſe round Stones, though
they are very hardy againſt all Sorts of Injuries,
yet if they are not ſurrounded with ſtrong Sup
ports, are very unfaithful in any Wall. In
theſe other Works, that is to ſay, in the African
Buildings of Earth, they mixed with their Clay
the Spaniſh-Broom, or Sea-Bullruſh, which
made a Stuff admirably good for Working,
and which remained unhurt either by Wind or
Weather. In Pliny's Time there was to be
ſeen upon the Ridges of Mountains ſeveral
little Towers for viewing the Country built of
Earth, which had endured quite from the Days
of Hanibal. We make this Sort of Cruſt
(which is a fitter Name for it than Shell) with
Hurdles and Mats, made of Reeds not freſh
gathered; a Work indeed not very magni
ficent, but generally uſed by the Old Plebeian
Romans. They rough Caſt the Hurdles over
with Clay, beat up for three Days running
with the Reeds, and then (as we ſaid before)
cloath it with Mortar, or Plaiſter of Paris,
which they afterwards adorn with Painting
and Statues. If you mix your Plaiſter up with
a third Part of broken Tile, or Brick pounded,
it will be the leſs injured by wet: If you mix
it with Lime, it will be the Stronger: But in
damp Places, or ſuch as are expoſed to Cold and
Froſt, Plaiſter of Paris is very unſerviceable.
I will now, by Way of Epilogue, give you a
Law of very great Antiquity among Arch
itects, which in my Opinion ought no leſs to
be obſerved than the Anſwers of Oracles: And
it is this. Make your Foundation as ſtrong as
poſſible: Let the Superſtructure lie exactly
plum to its Centre: Fortify the Corners and
Ribs of the Wall from the Bottom to the Top
with the largeſt and the ſtrongeſt Stones: Soak
your Lime well: Do not uſe your Stone till
it is thoroughly watered: Set the hardeſt Sort
to that Side which is moſt expoſed to Injuries:
Raiſe your Wall exactly by the Square, Level
and Plum-line: Let the Middle of the upper
Stone lie directly upon the Meeting of the two
below it: Lay the entire Stones in the Courſes,
and fill up the Middle with the broken Pieces:
Bind the inward and outſide Shells to one
another by frequent Croſs or Band-ſtones. Let
this ſuffice with Relation to the Wall; we
come now to the Covering. But I will not
paſs over one Thing which I find the Ancients
obſerved very religiouſly. There are ſome
Things in Nature which are endued with
Properties by no means to be neglected; par
ticularly, that the Lawrel-tree, the Eagle, and
the Sea-calf, are never to be touched by
Lightening. There are ſome therefore who
ſuppoſe that if theſe are incloſed in the Wall,
the Lightening will never hurt it. This I take
to be juſt as probable as another wonderful
Thing which we are told, that the Land-toad,
or Rudduck, if ſhut up in an earthen Pot,
and burned in a Field, will drive away the
Birds from devouring the Seeds; and that the
Tree Oſtrys, or Oſtrya brought into a Houſe,
will obſtruct a Woman's Delivery; and that
the Leaves of the Lesbian Oemony kept but
under the Roof, will give a Flux of the Belly
and an Evacuation that will certainly prove
Mortal. Let us now return to our Subject,
for the better underſtanding of which, it will
be proper to look back to what we have
formerly ſaid of the Lines of Building
thoſe of Iron. The Cramps of Braſs and Iron
are ſaſtened in with Lead: But thoſe of Wood
are ſufficiently ſecured by their Shape, which
is made in ſuch Manner, that for Reſemblance,
they are called Swallow, or Dove-tailed. The
Cramps muſt be ſo placed that no Drops of
Rain may penetrate to them; and it is
Thought that the Braſs ones are yet more
ſtrengthened againſt old Age, if in Caſting
they are mixed with one thirtieth Part of Tin:
They will be leſs liable to ruſt if they are
anointed with Pitch, or Oil. It is affirmed
that Iron may be ſo tempered by White-lead,
Plaiſter, and Liquid Pitch, as not to ruſt.
Wooden Cramps done over with Maiden-wax
and Lees of Oil, will never rot. I have
known them pour ſo much Lead upon Cramps,
and that ſo boyling Hot, that it has burſt the
Stones. In ancient Structures we often meet
with very ſtrong Walls made of nothing but
Rubbiſh and broken Stuff; theſe are built like
the Mud-Walls common in Spain and Africa,
by faſtening on each Side Planks or Hurdles,
inſtead of Shells, to keep the Stuff together till
it is dry and ſettled: But herein they differ,
that the Ancients filled up their Work with
Mortar liquid, and in a Manner floating;
whereas, the other only took a clammy Sort
of Earth which they trod and rammed with
their Feet, and with Beetles, after having firſt
made it tractable by thorough wetting and
kneading. The Ancients alſo in thoſe rough
Works of theirs, at the Diſtance of every three
Foot made a Kind of Band of Pieces of large
Stone, eſpecially of the ordinary Sort, or at
leaſt angular; becauſe round Stones, though
they are very hardy againſt all Sorts of Injuries,
yet if they are not ſurrounded with ſtrong Sup
ports, are very unfaithful in any Wall. In
theſe other Works, that is to ſay, in the African
Buildings of Earth, they mixed with their Clay
the Spaniſh-Broom, or Sea-Bullruſh, which
made a Stuff admirably good for Working,
and which remained unhurt either by Wind or
Weather. In Pliny's Time there was to be
ſeen upon the Ridges of Mountains ſeveral
little Towers for viewing the Country built of
Earth, which had endured quite from the Days
of Hanibal. We make this Sort of Cruſt
(which is a fitter Name for it than Shell) with
Hurdles and Mats, made of Reeds not freſh
gathered; a Work indeed not very magni
ficent, but generally uſed by the Old Plebeian
Romans. They rough Caſt the Hurdles over
with Clay, beat up for three Days running
with the Reeds, and then (as we ſaid before)
cloath it with Mortar, or Plaiſter of Paris,
which they afterwards adorn with Painting
and Statues. If you mix your Plaiſter up with
a third Part of broken Tile, or Brick pounded,
it will be the leſs injured by wet: If you mix
it with Lime, it will be the Stronger: But in
damp Places, or ſuch as are expoſed to Cold and
Froſt, Plaiſter of Paris is very unſerviceable.
I will now, by Way of Epilogue, give you a
Law of very great Antiquity among Arch
itects, which in my Opinion ought no leſs to
be obſerved than the Anſwers of Oracles: And
it is this. Make your Foundation as ſtrong as
poſſible: Let the Superſtructure lie exactly
plum to its Centre: Fortify the Corners and
Ribs of the Wall from the Bottom to the Top
with the largeſt and the ſtrongeſt Stones: Soak
your Lime well: Do not uſe your Stone till
it is thoroughly watered: Set the hardeſt Sort
to that Side which is moſt expoſed to Injuries:
Raiſe your Wall exactly by the Square, Level
and Plum-line: Let the Middle of the upper
Stone lie directly upon the Meeting of the two
below it: Lay the entire Stones in the Courſes,
and fill up the Middle with the broken Pieces:
Bind the inward and outſide Shells to one
another by frequent Croſs or Band-ſtones. Let
this ſuffice with Relation to the Wall; we
come now to the Covering. But I will not
paſs over one Thing which I find the Ancients
obſerved very religiouſly. There are ſome
Things in Nature which are endued with
Properties by no means to be neglected; par
ticularly, that the Lawrel-tree, the Eagle, and
the Sea-calf, are never to be touched by
Lightening. There are ſome therefore who
ſuppoſe that if theſe are incloſed in the Wall,
the Lightening will never hurt it. This I take
to be juſt as probable as another wonderful
Thing which we are told, that the Land-toad,
or Rudduck, if ſhut up in an earthen Pot,
and burned in a Field, will drive away the
Birds from devouring the Seeds; and that the
Tree Oſtrys, or Oſtrya brought into a Houſe,
will obſtruct a Woman's Delivery; and that
the Leaves of the Lesbian Oemony kept but
under the Roof, will give a Flux of the Belly
and an Evacuation that will certainly prove
Mortal. Let us now return to our Subject,
for the better underſtanding of which, it will
be proper to look back to what we have
formerly ſaid of the Lines of Building