Archimedes Texts

It will not be foreign to our Purpose to hear
what a Variety there is in Stones, and
what admirable Qualities some are endued
with, that we may be able to apply each to its
properest Use. In the Territory of Bolsena and
Stratone, they tell us there is a Stone extremely
proper for all Manner of Buildings, which nei
ther Fire nor any Injuries of Weather ever af
fects, and which preserves the Lineaments of
Statues beyond any other. Tacitus writes, that
when Nero repaired the City, which lay in
Ruins by the Flames, he made use of the Al
banian and Gabinian Stone for Beams, because
the Fire never hurts that Stone.

IN the Territory of the Genoese and of Ve
nice, in the Dutchy of Spoletto, in the March
of Anconia, and near Burgundy, they find a
white Stone, which is easily cut with a Saw
and polish'd, which if it were not for the
Weakness and Brittleness of its Nature, would
be used by every body; but any thing of
Frost or Wet rots and breaks it, and it is not
strong enough to resist the Winds from the
Sea. Istria produces a Stone very like Marble,
but if touch'd either by Flame or Vapour, it
immediately flies in Pieces, which indeed is
said to be the Case of all Stones, especially of
Flint both white and black, that they cannot
endure Fire.

IN the Campagna di Roma is a Stone of the
Colour of black Ashes, in which there seems
to be Coals mix'd and interspers'd, which is
beyond Imagination easy to be wrought with
Iron, thoroughly sound, and not weak against
Fire or Weather; but it is so dry and thirsty,
that it presently drinks and burns up the Moi
sture of the Cement, and reduces it perfectly
into Powder, so that the Junctures opening,
the Work presently decays and falls to Ruins.
But round Stones, and especially those which
are found in Rivers, are of a Nature directly
contrary; for being always moist, they never
bind with the Cement. But what a surprizing
Discovery is this which has been made, name
ly, that the Marble in the Quarry grows! in
these our Days they have found at Rome under
Ground a Number of small Pieces of Trever
tine Stone, very porous and spungy, which by
the Nourishment (if we may so call it) given
it by the Earth and by Time, are grown to
gether into one Piece.

IN the Lake di pie di Luco, in that Part
where the Water tumbles down a broken Pre
cipice into the River Nera, you may perceive
that the upper Edge of the Bank has grown
continually, insomuch that some have believ'd
that this Encrease and Growth of the Stone
has in Length of Time closed up the Mouth
of the Valley and turn'd it into a Lake.

BELOW la Basilicata, not far from the River
Silari, on that Side where the Water flows
from some high Rocks towards the East, there
are daily seen to grow huge Pieces of hanging
Stone, of such a Magnitude, that any one of
them would be a Load for several Carts. This
Stone while it is fresh and moist with its natu
ral Juices, is very soft; but when it is dry, it
grows extremely hard, and very good for all
Manner of Uses. I have known the like hap
pen in ancient Aqueducts, whose Mouths,
having contracted a Kind of Gumminess, have
seem'd incrusted all over with Stone. There
are two very remarkable Things to be seen at
this Day in Romania: In the Country of
Imola is a very steep Torrent, which daily
throws out, sometimes in one Place and some
times in another, a great Number of round
Stones, generated within the Bowels of the
Earth: In the Territory of Faenza, on the
Banks of the River Lamona, there are found a
great many Stones, naturally long and large,
which continually throw out a considerable
Quantity of Salt, which in Process of Time is
thought to grow into Stone too. In that of
Florence, near the River Chiane, there is a Piece
of Ground all strew'd over with hard Stones,
which every seven Years dissolve into Clods of
Earth.

Pliny relates, that near Cizicus, and about
Cassandra, the Clods of Earth turn into Stone.
In Pozzuolo there is a Dust which hardens into
Stone, if mix'd with Sea-water. All the Way
upon the Shore from Oropus to Aulis, every
thing that is wash'd by the Sea is petrified.
Diodorus writes, that in Arabia the Clods dug
out of the Ground have a sweet Smell, and