CHAP. V.
Of the lower Courſes or Foundations, according to the Precepts and Example
of the Ancients.
of the Ancients.
For making the lower Courſes, that is to
ſay, raiſing the Foundations up to the
Level of the Ground, I do not find any Precepts
among the Ancients, except this one, that all
Stones which, after being in the Air two Years,
diſcover any Defect, muſt be baniſh'd into the
Foundation. For as in an Army, the ſluggiſh
and weak who cannot endure the Sun and
Duſt, are ſent home with Marks of Infamy,
ſo theſe ſoft enervated Stones ought to be re
jected, and left to an inglorious Repoſe in their
primitive Obſcurity. Indeed I find by Hiſtorians,
that the Ancients took as much Care of the
Strength and Soundneſs of their Foundation in
all its Parts as of any other Part of the Wall.
Aſithis, the Son of Nicerinus, King of Ægypt,
(the Author of the Law, that whoever was
ſued for Debt ſhould give the Corpſe of his
Father in Pawn) when he built a Pyramid of
Bricks to make his Foundations, drove Piles
into the Marſh, and laid his Bricks upon them.
And we are inform'd that Cteſipho, the excel
lent Architect that built the famous Temple
of Diana at Epheſus, having made Choice of
a level Piece of Ground, thoroughly drain'd,
and likely to be free from Earthquakes; that
he might not lay the Foundations of ſuch a
huge Pile in ſo looſe and unfaithful a Soil
without due Precautions, firſt made a Bottom
of Coals pounded to Duſt; then drove in Piles
with Fleeces and Coals wedged in between
Pile and Pile; and over theſe a Courſe of
Stone with very long Junctures.
ſay, raiſing the Foundations up to the
Level of the Ground, I do not find any Precepts
among the Ancients, except this one, that all
Stones which, after being in the Air two Years,
diſcover any Defect, muſt be baniſh'd into the
Foundation. For as in an Army, the ſluggiſh
and weak who cannot endure the Sun and
Duſt, are ſent home with Marks of Infamy,
ſo theſe ſoft enervated Stones ought to be re
jected, and left to an inglorious Repoſe in their
primitive Obſcurity. Indeed I find by Hiſtorians,
that the Ancients took as much Care of the
Strength and Soundneſs of their Foundation in
all its Parts as of any other Part of the Wall.
Aſithis, the Son of Nicerinus, King of Ægypt,
(the Author of the Law, that whoever was
ſued for Debt ſhould give the Corpſe of his
Father in Pawn) when he built a Pyramid of
Bricks to make his Foundations, drove Piles
into the Marſh, and laid his Bricks upon them.
And we are inform'd that Cteſipho, the excel
lent Architect that built the famous Temple
of Diana at Epheſus, having made Choice of
a level Piece of Ground, thoroughly drain'd,
and likely to be free from Earthquakes; that
he might not lay the Foundations of ſuch a
huge Pile in ſo looſe and unfaithful a Soil
without due Precautions, firſt made a Bottom
of Coals pounded to Duſt; then drove in Piles
with Fleeces and Coals wedged in between
Pile and Pile; and over theſe a Courſe of
Stone with very long Junctures.
WE find that about Jeruſalem, in the
Foundations of their Publick Works, they
ſometimes uſed Stones thirty Feet long, and
not leſs than fifteen high. But I have ob
ſerved, that in other Places, the Ancients,
who were wonderfully expert in managing of
great Works, followed different Rules and
Methods in filling up the Foundations. In
the Sepulchre of the Antonini they filled them
up with little Pieces of very hard Stone, each
not bigger than a Handful, and which they
perfectly drowned in Mortar. In the Forum
Argentarium, with Fragments of all Sorts of
broken Stones; in the Comitia, with Bits of
the very worſt Sort of ſoft Stuff. But I am
mightily pleaſed with thoſe who in the Tarpeia
imitated Nature, in a Contrivance particularly
well adapted to Hills; for as ſhe, in the For
mation of Mountains, mixes the ſofteſt Mate
rials with the hardeſt Stone, ſo theſe Work
men ſirſt laid a Courſe of ſquared Stone, as
ſtrong as they could get, to the Heighth of
two Feet; over theſe they made a Kind of
Plaiſter of Mortar, and broken Fragments,
then another Courſe of Stone, and with another
of Plaiſter they finiſhed their Foundation. I
have known other Inſtances, where the An
cients have made much the ſame Sort of Foun
dations and Structures too, of coarſe Pit-gra
vel, and common Stone that they have picked
up by chance, which have laſted many Ages.
Upon pulling down a very high and ſtrong
Tower at Bologna, they diſcovered that the
Foundations were filled with nothing but
round Stones and Chalk, to the Heighth of
nine Feet; the other Parts were built with
Mortar. We find therefore that very different
Methods have been uſed, and which to ap
prove moſt I confeſs myſelf at a Loſs, all of
them have ſo long endured firm and ſound.
So that I think we ought to chuſe that which
is leaſt expenſive, provided we do not throw
in all manner of old Rubbiſh, and any thing
apt to moulder. There are alſo other Sorts
of Foundations; one belongs to Porticoes,
and all other Places where Rows of Columns
are to be ſet; the other to Maritime Places,
where we cannot pick and chuſe the Good
neſs of our Bottom as we could wiſh. Of
the Maritime we will conſider when we come
to treat of making of Ports, and running Moles
out into the Sea; becauſe theſe do not relate
to the general Work of all manner of Build
ings, which is the Subject of our Diſcourſe here,
but only to one particular Part of the City,
which we ſhall treat of together with other
Things of the like Nature, when we give an
Account of all Publick Works, Member by
Member. In laying Foundations under Rows
of Columns, there is no Occaſion to draw an
even continued Line of Work all the Way
Foundations of their Publick Works, they
ſometimes uſed Stones thirty Feet long, and
not leſs than fifteen high. But I have ob
ſerved, that in other Places, the Ancients,
who were wonderfully expert in managing of
great Works, followed different Rules and
Methods in filling up the Foundations. In
the Sepulchre of the Antonini they filled them
up with little Pieces of very hard Stone, each
not bigger than a Handful, and which they
perfectly drowned in Mortar. In the Forum
Argentarium, with Fragments of all Sorts of
broken Stones; in the Comitia, with Bits of
the very worſt Sort of ſoft Stuff. But I am
mightily pleaſed with thoſe who in the Tarpeia
imitated Nature, in a Contrivance particularly
well adapted to Hills; for as ſhe, in the For
mation of Mountains, mixes the ſofteſt Mate
rials with the hardeſt Stone, ſo theſe Work
men ſirſt laid a Courſe of ſquared Stone, as
ſtrong as they could get, to the Heighth of
two Feet; over theſe they made a Kind of
Plaiſter of Mortar, and broken Fragments,
then another Courſe of Stone, and with another
of Plaiſter they finiſhed their Foundation. I
have known other Inſtances, where the An
cients have made much the ſame Sort of Foun
dations and Structures too, of coarſe Pit-gra
vel, and common Stone that they have picked
up by chance, which have laſted many Ages.
Upon pulling down a very high and ſtrong
Tower at Bologna, they diſcovered that the
Foundations were filled with nothing but
round Stones and Chalk, to the Heighth of
nine Feet; the other Parts were built with
Mortar. We find therefore that very different
Methods have been uſed, and which to ap
prove moſt I confeſs myſelf at a Loſs, all of
them have ſo long endured firm and ſound.
So that I think we ought to chuſe that which
is leaſt expenſive, provided we do not throw
in all manner of old Rubbiſh, and any thing
apt to moulder. There are alſo other Sorts
of Foundations; one belongs to Porticoes,
and all other Places where Rows of Columns
are to be ſet; the other to Maritime Places,
where we cannot pick and chuſe the Good
neſs of our Bottom as we could wiſh. Of
the Maritime we will conſider when we come
to treat of making of Ports, and running Moles
out into the Sea; becauſe theſe do not relate
to the general Work of all manner of Build
ings, which is the Subject of our Diſcourſe here,
but only to one particular Part of the City,
which we ſhall treat of together with other
Things of the like Nature, when we give an
Account of all Publick Works, Member by
Member. In laying Foundations under Rows
of Columns, there is no Occaſion to draw an
even continued Line of Work all the Way