286

THE LIFE OF

Place, were those Urns, sacrificing Vessels, and other Pottery-ware, made,which (as noted before) were found here in great Abundance, more especiallytowards the North-east of the Ground.

In the Progress of the Works of the Foundations, the Surveyor met with oneunexpected Difficulty 5 he began to lay the Foundations from the West-end,and had proceeded successfully through the Dome to the East-end, where theBrick-earth Bottom was yet very good ; but as he went on to the North-eastCorner, which was the last, and where nothing was expected to interrupt, hefell, in prosecuting the Design, .upon a Pit, where all the Pot-earth had beenrobb’d by the Potters of old Time: Here were discovered Quantities of Urns,broken Vessels, and Pottery-ware of divers Sorts and Shapes ; how far this Pitextended northward, there was no Occasion to examine ; no Ox-fculls, Hornsof Stags, and Tusks of Boars were found, to corroborate the Accounts of Stow,Camden, and others; nor any Foundations more Eastward. If there was for-merly any Temple to Diana, he supposed it might have been within the Wallsof the Colony , and more to the South. It was no little Perplexity to fall intothis Pit at last : He wanted but six or seven Feet to com pleat the Design, andthis fell in the very Angle North-east; he knew very well, that under the Layerof Pot-earth, there was no other good Ground to be found till he came tothe Low-water Mark of the 'Thames, at least forty Feet lower : his Artificerspropos’d to him to pile, which he refus’d; for, tho’ Piles may last for ever,when always in Water, (otherwise London-Bridge would fall) yet if they aredriven through dry Sand, tho’ sometimes moist, they will rot: His Endeavourswere to build for Eternity. He therefore funk a Pit of about eighteen Feetsquare, wharfing up the Sand with Timber, till he came forty Feet lower in-to Water and Sea- shells, where there was a firm Sea-beach which confirm-ed what was before asserted, that the Sea had been in Ages past, where nowPaul’ S isj he bored through this Beach till he came to the original Clay ; beingthen satisfied, he began from the Beach a square Peer of solid good Masonry,ten Feet square, till he came within fifteen Feet of the present Ground, then heturned a short Arch under Ground to the former Foundation, which was brok-en off by the untoward Accident of the Pit. Thus this North-east Coin of theQuire stands very firm, and, no doubt, will stand. This Narrative may be ofUse to others not to trust Piles, unless always, and in all Parts wet; for almostall Sorts of Timber under Water will prove everlasting, but wet and dry willsoon perilli. The same cannot be said of Iron, for that will decay under Water:but this has been observ’d, in taking out Cramps from Stone-work at least fourhundred Years old, which were so bedded in Mortar, that all Air was perfectlyexcluded, the Iron appear’d as fresh as from the Forge. Therefore in cramp-ing of Stones, no Iron should lye within nine Inches of Air, if possible; forthe Air is the Menstruum that consumes all Materials whatever. When thereis a Necessity to use Iron for Want of Stones large enough, Care is to be take 11to exclude sufficiently the Air from it. To mention another Caution of Use,toArtificers; some Cornices of large, Projections, tho’ the upper Joints areas closefitted as good Workmen can make them, yet in the melting of Snow, the Watctwill dribble through, and stain the Cornice. The Surveyor thus avoided thi sInconvenience; he caused the Masons so to work the Stone next the Joint, as t°leave halt a Quarter of an Inch rising on each Side, that the Water might soon esfall off, then soak to the Joint; and this he observ’d in the Paveing of the up-per Portico of the principal Front of St. Paul’ s; besides, that the Joints al ' erun with Lead : and the same is done, where-ever he was obliged to cov' £lwitn Stone only.

The Reasons for changing the Site of the Church, and taking up all the ol"Foundations, were chiefly these; first, the Act of Parliament for rebuildingthe City had enacted, that all the high Streets, (of which that which lead -round