Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="003/01/069.jpg" pagenum="53"/>
              Place and of the Climate. </s>
              <s>When you think
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              it Time for a Reſpite, cover the Top of the
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              Wall over with Straw, that the Wind and Sun
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              may not exhauſt the Strength of the Cement,
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              and make it rather uſeleſs than dry and binding.
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              </s>
              <s>When you reſume your Work, pour a con­
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              ſiderable Quantity of clean Water upon it,
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              till it is thoroughly ſoak'd and waſh'd from
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              all Manner of Dirt, that no Seeds may be left
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              to engender Weeds. </s>
              <s>There is nothing that
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              makes the Work ſtronger and more durable
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              than moiſtening the Stone ſufficiently with
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              Water; and they ſay the Stone is never
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              ſoak'd as it ſhould be, if upon breaking, the
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              Inſide all through is not moiſt and turned black.
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              </s>
              <s>Add to what has been ſaid, that in erecting
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              our Wall we ought, in ſuch Places where it
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              is poſſible new Openings may afterwards be
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              wanting either for Conveniency or Pleaſure, to
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              turn Arches in the Wall, that if you after­
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              wards take out any of the Work from beneath
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              thoſe Arches, for the aforeſaid Purpoſes, the
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              Wall may have a good Arch, built at the
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              ſame Time with itſelf, to reſt upon. </s>
              <s>It is
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              hardly to be conceiv'd how much the Strength
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              of a Building is impair'd only by taking out
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              one ſingle Stone, be it ever ſo little; and
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              there is no ſuch Thing as ſetting a new Struc­
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              ture upon an old one, but that they will open
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              and part one from the other; and how much
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              ſuch a Crack muſt diſpoſe the Wall to ruin,
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              need not be mention'd. </s>
              <s>A very thick Wall
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              has no need of Scaffolding, becauſe it is broad
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              enough for the Maſon to ſtand upon the Wall
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              itſelf.</s>
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            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. XI.</s>
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              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Way of Working different Materials; of Plaiſtering; of Cramps,
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              and how to preſerve them; the moſt ancient Inſtructions of Architects; and
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              ſome Methods to prevent the Miſchiefs of Lightening.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>We have treated of the beſt Manner of
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              Building, what Stone we are to
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              chooſe, and how we are to prepare our Mor­
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              tar: But as we ſhall ſometimes be obliged to
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              make uſe of other Sorts of Stone, whereof ſome
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              are not cemented with Mortar, but only with
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              Slime; and others which are join'd without
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              any Cement at all: And there are alſo Buildings
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              conſiſting only of Stuffing, or rough Work,
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              and others again only of the Shells; of all
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              theſe we ſhall ſay ſomething as briefly as
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              poſſible. </s>
              <s>Stones that are to be cemented with
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              Slime, ought to be ſquared, and very arid; and
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              nothing is more proper for this than Bricks,
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              either burnt, or rather crude, but very well
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              dried. </s>
              <s>A Building made of crude Bricks is
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              extremely healthy to the Inhabitants, very
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              ſecure againſt Fire, and but little affected by
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              Earthquakes; But then if it is not of a good
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              Thickneſs, it will not ſupport the Roof; for
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              which Reaſon
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              Cato
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              directs the Raiſing of
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              Pilaſters of Stone to perform that Office. </s>
              <s>Some
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              tell us, that the Slime which is uſed for
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              Cement ought to be like Pitch, and that the
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              beſt is that which being ſteep'd in Water is
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              ſloweſt in diſſolving, and will not eaſily rub
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              off from one's Hand, and which condenſes
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              moſt in drying. </s>
              <s>Others commend the Sandy
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              as beſt, becauſe it is moſt tractable. </s>
              <s>This Sort
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              of Work ought to be cloathed with a Cruſt of
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              Mortar on the Outſide, and within, if you think
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              fit, with Plaiſter of
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              Paris,
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              or white Earth.
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              </s>
              <s>And for the better Sticking theſe on, you muſt
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              in Building your Wall, ſet little Pieces of Tile
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              here and there in the Cracks of the Joining,
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              jutting out like Teeth, for the Plaiſter to
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              cleave to. </s>
              <s>When the Structure is to be com­
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              poſed of naked Stones, they ought to be
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              ſquared and much bigger than the other,
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              and very ſound and ſtrong; and in this Sort
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              of Work we allow of no ſtuffing; the Courſes
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              muſt be regular and even, the Junctures con­
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              trived with frequent Ligatures of Cramps and
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              Pins. </s>
              <s>Cramps are what faſten together with
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              two Stones ſideways that lie even with one
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              another, and unite them into a Row: Pins
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              are fix'd into an upper Stone and an under one,
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              to prevent the Row from being by any Violence
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              driven out from the reſt. </s>
              <s>Cramps and Pins
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              of Iron are not reckoned amiſs; but I have
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              obſerved in the Works of the Ancients, that
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              Iron ruſts, and will not laſt; But Braſs will
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              almoſt endure for ever. </s>
              <s>Beſides, I find that
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              Marble is tainted by the Ruſt of the Iron, and
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              breaks all round it. </s>
              <s>We likewiſe meet with
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              Cramps made of Wood in very ancientStructures; </s>
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          </chap>
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