OF QUARRIES OF STONE FOR BUILDING.
[1577, Book II., Chapter 11; 1587, Book II., Chapter 18.]
Quarries with us are pits or mines, out of which we dig our stone to build
withal, and of these as we have great plenty in England so are they of
divers sorts, and those very profitable for sundry necessary uses. In
times past the use of stone was in manner dedicated to the building of
churches, religious houses, princely palaces, bishops' manors, and holds
only; but now that scrupulous observation is altogether infringed, and
building with stone so commonly taken up that amongst noblemen and
gentlemen the timber frames are supposed to be not much better than paper
work, of little continuance, and least continuance of all. It far passeth
my cunning to set down how many sorts of stone for building are to be
found in England, but much further to call each of them by their proper
names. Howbeit, such is the curiosity of our countrymen, that
notwithstanding Almighty God hath so blessed our realm in most plentiful
manner with such and so many quarries apt and meet for piles of longest
continuance, yet we as loathsome of this abundance, or not liking of the
plenty, do commonly leave these natural gifts to mould and cinder in the
ground, and take up an artificial brick, in burning whereof a great part
of the wood of this land is daily consumed and spent, to the no small
decay of that commodity, and hindrance of the poor that oft perish for
cold.
Our elders have from time to time, following our natural vice in misliking
of our own commodities at home, and desiring those of other countries
abroad, most esteemed the Caen stone that is brought hither out of
Normandy: and many even in these our days following the same vein, do
covet in their works almost to use none other. Howbeit experience on the
one side, and our skilful masons on the other (whose judgment is nothing
inferior to those of other countries), do affirm that in the north (and
south) parts of England, and certain other places, there are some quarries
which for hardness and beauty are equal to the outlandish greet. This may
also be confirmed by the king's chapel at Cambridge, the greatest part of
the square stone whereof was brought thither out of the north. Some
commend the vein of white free-stone, slate, and mere stone, which is
between Pentowen and the black head in Cornwall, for very fine stuff.
Other do speak much of the quarries at Hamden, nine miles from Milbery,
and paving stone of Burbeck. For toph stone not a few allow of the quarry
that is at Dresley, divers mislike not of the veins of hard stone that are
at Oxford and Burford. One praiseth the free-stone at Manchester and
Presbury in Gloucestershire; another the quarries of the like in Richmond.
The third liketh well of the hard stone in Clee Hill in Shropshire; the
fourth of that of Thorowbridge, Welden, Terrinton. Whereby it appeareth
that we have quarries enough (and good enough) in England sufficient for
us to build withal, if the peevish contempt of our own commodities, and
delectations to enrich other countries, did not catch such foolish hold
upon us. It is also verified (as any other way) that all nations have
rather need of England than England of any other. And this I think may
suffice for the substance of our works. Now if you have regard to their
ornature, how many mines of sundry kinds of coarse and fine marble are
there to be had in England? But chiefly one in Staffordshire, another near
to the Peak, the third at Uavldry, the fourth at Snothill (longing to the
Lord Chandos), the fifth at Eglestone, which is of black marble, spotted
with grey or white spots; the sixth not far from Durham. (Of white marble
also we have store, and so fair as the Marpesian of Paris Isle.) But what
mean I to go about to recite all, or the most excellent? sith these which
I have named already are not altogether of the best, nor scarcely of any
value in comparison of those whose places of growth are utterly unknown
unto me, and whereof the black marble spotted with green is none of the
vilest sort, as may appear by parcel of the pavement of the lower part of
the choir of Paul's in London (and also in Westminster), where some pieces
thereof are yet to be seen and marked, if any will look for them. If
marble will not serve, then have we the finest alabaster that may
elsewhere be had, as about Saint David's of Wales; also near to Beau
manor, which is about four or five miles from Leicester, and taken to be
the best, although there are divers other quarries hereof beyond the Trent
(as in Yorkshire, etc., and fully so good as that) whose names at this
time are out of my remembrance. What should I talk of the plaster of
Axholm (for of that which they dig out of the earth in sundry places of
Lincoln and Derbyshire, wherewith they blanch their houses instead of
lime, I speak not), certes it is a fine kind of alabaster. But sith it is
sold commonly but after twelvepence the load, we judge it to be but vile
and coarse. For my part I cannot skill of stone, yet in my opinion it is
not without great use for plaster of Paris, and such is the mine of it
that the stones (thereof) lie in flakes one upon another like planks or
tables, and under the same is an (exceeding) hard stone very profitable
for building, as hath oftentimes been proved. (This is also to be marked
further of our plaster white and grey, that not contented with the same,
as God by the quarry doth send and yield it forth, we have now devised to
cast it in moulds for windows and pillars of what form and fashion we
list, even as alabaster itself: and with such stuff sundry houses in
Yorkshire are furnished of late. But of what continuance this device is
likely to prove the time to come shall easily betray. In the meantime Sir
Ralph Burcher, knight, hath put the device in practice, and affirmeth that
six men in six months shall travel in that trade to see greater profit to
the owner than twelve men in six years could before this trick was
invented.)
If neither alabaster nor marble doth suffice, we have the touchstone,
called in Latin _lydius lapis_ (shining as glass), either to match in
sockets with our pillars of alabaster, or contrariwise: or if it please
the workmen to join pillars of alabaster or touch with sockets of brass,
pewter, or copper, we want not (also) these metals. So that I think no
nation can have more excellent and greater diversity of stuff for building
than we may have in England, if ourselves could so like of it. But such,
alas! is our nature, that not our own but other men's do most of all
delight us; and for desire of novelty we oft exchange our finest cloth,
corn, tin, and wools for halfpenny cockhorses for children, dogs of wax
(or of cheese), twopenny tabers, leaden swords, painted feathers, gewgaws
for fools, dog-tricks for disards, hawk's hoods, and such like trumpery,
whereby we reap just mockage and reproach (in other countries). I might
remember here our pits for millstones, that are to be had in divers places
of our country, as in Anglesea (Kent), also at Queen-hope of blue greet,
of no less value than the Colaine, yea, than the French stones: our
grindstones for hardware men. Our whetstones are no less laudable than
those of Crete and Lacedæmonia, albeit we use no oil with them, as they
did in those parts, but only water, as the Italians and Narians do with
theirs: whereas they that grow in Cilicia must have both oil and water
laid upon them, or else they make no edge. There also are divided either
into hard greet, as the common that shoemakers use, or the soft greet
called hones, to be had among the barbers, and those either black or
white, and the rub or brickle stone which husbandmen do occupy in the
whetting of their scythes.
In like manner slate of sundry colours is everywhere in manner to be had,
as is the flint and chalk, the shalder and the pebble. Howbeit for all
this we must fetch them still from far, as did the Hull men their stones
out of Iceland, wherewith they paved their town for want of the like in
England: or as Sir Thomas Gresham did when he bought the stones in
Flanders wherewith he paved the Burse. But as he will answer
(peradventure) that he bargained for the whole mould and substance of his
workmanship in Flanders, so the Hullanders or Hull men will say how that
stock-fish is light loading, and therefore they did balance their vessels
with these Iceland stones to keep them from turning over in their so
tedious a voyage.
Sometimes also they find precious stones (though seldom), and some of them
perfectly squared by nature, and much like unto the diamond found of late
in a quarry of marble at Naples, which was so perfectly pointed as if all
the workmen in the world had consulted about the performance of that
workmanship. I know that these reports unto some will seem incredible, and
therefore I stand the longer upon them; nevertheless omitting to speak
particularly of such things as happen amongst us, and rather seeking to
confirm the same by the like in other countries, I will deliver a few more
examples, whereby the truth hereof shall so much the better appear. For in
the midst of a stone not long since found at Chius, upon the breaking up
thereof, there was seen _Caput panisci_ enclosed therein, very perfectly
formed, as the beholders do remember. How come the grains of gold to be so
fast enclosed in the stones that are and have been found in the Spanish
Baetis? But this is most marvellous, that a most delectable and sweet oil,
comparable to the finest balm, or oil of spike in smell, was found
naturally enclosed in a stone, which could not otherwise be broken but
with a smith's hammer.
Finally, I myself have seen stones opened, and within them the substances
of corrupted worms like unto adders (but far shorter), whose crests and
wrinkles of body appeared also therein as if they had been engraved in the
stones by art and industry of man. Wherefore to affirm that as well living
creatures as precious stones, gold, etc., are now and then found in our
quarries, shall not hereafter be a thing so incredible as many talking
philosophers, void of all experience, do affirm and wilfully maintain
against such as hold the contrary.