1with Oil, it grows pale; waſh'd with Red
Wine, it turns of a dirty brown; with Water,
kept ſome time in Cheſſnut-wood, it changes
quite thro' to black, and is ſo totally ſtain'd,
that no ſcraping will fetch out the Spots. For
this Reaſon the Ancients uſed Marble in their
Works naked, and if poſſible without the
leaſt Mortar: But of theſe hereafter.
Wine, it turns of a dirty brown; with Water,
kept ſome time in Cheſſnut-wood, it changes
quite thro' to black, and is ſo totally ſtain'd,
that no ſcraping will fetch out the Spots. For
this Reaſon the Ancients uſed Marble in their
Works naked, and if poſſible without the
leaſt Mortar: But of theſe hereafter.
Now as it is the Buſineſs of an expert
Workman, not ſo much to make
Choice of the fitteſt Materials, as to put thoſe
which he is ſupplied with to the beſt and
propereſt Uſes; we will proceed on our Sub
ject in this Manner. Lime is well burnt, when
after it has been water'd, and the Heat gone
out of it, it riſes up like the Froth of Milk,
and ſwells all the Clods. Its not having been
long enough ſoak'd you may know by the little
Stones you will find in it when you mix the
Sand with it. If you put too much Sand to it,
it will be too ſharp to cement well; if you
put leſs than its Nature and Strength requires,
it will be as ſtiff as Glue, and is not to be
managed. Such as is not thoroughly ſoak'd,
or that is weaker upon any other Account,
may be uſed with leſs Danger in the Foundation
than in the Wall, and in the Stuffing than in
Shells. But the Corners, the Ribs, and the
Band-ſtones muſt be entirely free from Mortar
that has the leaſt Defect; and Arches eſpeci
ally require the very beſt of all. The Corners,
and Ribs, and the Band-ſtones, and Cornices
require the fineſt, ſmalleſt and cleareſt Sand,
particularly when they are built of poliſhed
Stone. The Stuffing may be done with
coarſer Stone.
Workman, not ſo much to make
Choice of the fitteſt Materials, as to put thoſe
which he is ſupplied with to the beſt and
propereſt Uſes; we will proceed on our Sub
ject in this Manner. Lime is well burnt, when
after it has been water'd, and the Heat gone
out of it, it riſes up like the Froth of Milk,
and ſwells all the Clods. Its not having been
long enough ſoak'd you may know by the little
Stones you will find in it when you mix the
Sand with it. If you put too much Sand to it,
it will be too ſharp to cement well; if you
put leſs than its Nature and Strength requires,
it will be as ſtiff as Glue, and is not to be
managed. Such as is not thoroughly ſoak'd,
or that is weaker upon any other Account,
may be uſed with leſs Danger in the Foundation
than in the Wall, and in the Stuffing than in
Shells. But the Corners, the Ribs, and the
Band-ſtones muſt be entirely free from Mortar
that has the leaſt Defect; and Arches eſpeci
ally require the very beſt of all. The Corners,
and Ribs, and the Band-ſtones, and Cornices
require the fineſt, ſmalleſt and cleareſt Sand,
particularly when they are built of poliſhed
Stone. The Stuffing may be done with
coarſer Stone.
STONE in its Nature dry and thirſty, agrees
not ill with River-ſand. Stone in its Nature
moiſt and watery, delights in Pit-ſand. I
would not have Sea-ſand uſed towards the
South; it may perhaps do better againſt the
Northern Winds. For ſmall Stones, a thick
lean Mortar is beſt; to a dry exhauſted Stone,
we ſhould uſe a fat Sort; though the Ancients
were of Opinion that in all Parts of the Walls
the fattiſh Sort is more tenacious than the lean.
Great Stones they always lay upon a very ſoft
fluid Mortar, ſo that it rather ſeems deſign'd
to lubricate and make the Bed they are laid
upon ſlippery, to the Intent, that while they
are fixing in their Places they may be eaſy to
move with the Hand, then to cement and
faſten them together. But it is certainly proper
to lay a ſoft Stuff underneath in this Manner,
like a Pillow, to prevent the Stones, which
have a great Weight lying upon them, from
breaking. There are ſome, who obſerving
here and there in the Works of the Ancients,
large Stones, which where they join ſeem
dawb'd over with red Earth, imagine that the
Ancients uſed that inſtead of Mortar. I do
not think this probable, becauſe we never find
both Sides, but only one of them, ſmear'd
with this Sort of Stuff. There are ſome other
Rules concerning the Working of our Walls,
not to be neglected. We ought never to fall
upon our Work with a violent Haſte, heaping
one Stone upon another, in a Kind tumul
tuousHurry, without the leaſt Reſpite: Neither
ought we, after we have began to build, to
delay it with a ſluggiſh Heavineſs, as if we had
no Stomach to what we are about; but we
ought to follow our Work with ſuch a reaſon
able Diſpatch, that Speed and Conſideration
may appear to go Hand in Hand together.
Experienced Workmen forewarn us againſt
raiſing the Structure too high, before what we
have already done is thoroughly ſettled; be
cauſe the Work, while it is freſh and ſoft, is
too weak and pliable to bear a Superſtructure.
We may take Example from the Swallows,
taught by Nature, which when they build
their Neſts, firſt dawb or glue over the Beams
which are to be the Foundation and Baſis of
their Edifice, and then are not too haſty to
lay the ſecond dawbing over this, but inter
mit the Work till the firſt is ſufficiently dry'd;
after which they continue their Building reaſon
ably and properly. They ſay the Mortar has
taken ſufficient hold when it puts forth a Kind
of Moſs or little Flower well known to Maſons.
At what Diſtances it is proper to reſpite the
we may gather from the Thickneſs of the
Wall itſelf, and from the Temperature of the
not ill with River-ſand. Stone in its Nature
moiſt and watery, delights in Pit-ſand. I
would not have Sea-ſand uſed towards the
South; it may perhaps do better againſt the
Northern Winds. For ſmall Stones, a thick
lean Mortar is beſt; to a dry exhauſted Stone,
we ſhould uſe a fat Sort; though the Ancients
were of Opinion that in all Parts of the Walls
the fattiſh Sort is more tenacious than the lean.
Great Stones they always lay upon a very ſoft
fluid Mortar, ſo that it rather ſeems deſign'd
to lubricate and make the Bed they are laid
upon ſlippery, to the Intent, that while they
are fixing in their Places they may be eaſy to
move with the Hand, then to cement and
faſten them together. But it is certainly proper
to lay a ſoft Stuff underneath in this Manner,
like a Pillow, to prevent the Stones, which
have a great Weight lying upon them, from
breaking. There are ſome, who obſerving
here and there in the Works of the Ancients,
large Stones, which where they join ſeem
dawb'd over with red Earth, imagine that the
Ancients uſed that inſtead of Mortar. I do
not think this probable, becauſe we never find
both Sides, but only one of them, ſmear'd
with this Sort of Stuff. There are ſome other
Rules concerning the Working of our Walls,
not to be neglected. We ought never to fall
upon our Work with a violent Haſte, heaping
one Stone upon another, in a Kind tumul
tuousHurry, without the leaſt Reſpite: Neither
ought we, after we have began to build, to
delay it with a ſluggiſh Heavineſs, as if we had
no Stomach to what we are about; but we
ought to follow our Work with ſuch a reaſon
able Diſpatch, that Speed and Conſideration
may appear to go Hand in Hand together.
Experienced Workmen forewarn us againſt
raiſing the Structure too high, before what we
have already done is thoroughly ſettled; be
cauſe the Work, while it is freſh and ſoft, is
too weak and pliable to bear a Superſtructure.
We may take Example from the Swallows,
taught by Nature, which when they build
their Neſts, firſt dawb or glue over the Beams
which are to be the Foundation and Baſis of
their Edifice, and then are not too haſty to
lay the ſecond dawbing over this, but inter
mit the Work till the firſt is ſufficiently dry'd;
after which they continue their Building reaſon
ably and properly. They ſay the Mortar has
taken ſufficient hold when it puts forth a Kind
of Moſs or little Flower well known to Maſons.
At what Diſtances it is proper to reſpite the
we may gather from the Thickneſs of the
Wall itſelf, and from the Temperature of the