ing. It is not in vain,
therefore, in speaking of building, to make a distinction between the
plain and woody soils; for as in these, our houses are commonly
strong and well-timbered (so that in many places there are not above
four, six, or nine inches between stud and stud), so in the open
champaign countries they are forced, for want of stuff, to use no
studs at all, but only frankposts, raisins, beams, prickposts,
groundsels, summers (or dormants), transoms, and such principals,
with here and there a girding, whereunto they fasten their splints or
raddles, and then cast it all over with thick clay to keep out the
wind, which otherwise would annoy them. Certes this rude kind of
building made the Spaniards in Queen Mary's days to wonder, but
chiefly when they saw what large diet was used in many of these so
homely cottages; insomuch that one of no small reputation amongst
them said after this manner--"These English (quoth he) have their
houses made of sticks and dirt, but they fare commonly so well as the
king." Whereby it appeareth that he liked better of our good fare in
such coarse cabins than of their own thin diet in their prince-like
habitations and palaces. In like sort as every country house is thus
apparelled on the outside, so is it inwardly divided into sundry
rooms above and beneath; and, where plenty of wood is, they cover
them with tiles, otherwise with straw, sedge, or reed, except some
quarry of slate be near hand, from whence they have for their money
much as may suffice them. The clay wherewith our houses are
impannelled is either white, red, or blue; and of these the first
doth participate very much of the nature of our chalk; the second is
called loam; but the third eftsoons changeth colour as soon as it is
wrought, notwithstanding that it looks blue when it is thrown out of
the pit. Of chalk also we have our excellent asbestos or white lime,
made in most places, wherewith being quenched, we strike over our
clay works and stone walls, in cities, good towns, rich farmers' and
gentlemen's houses: otherwise, instead of chalk (where it wanteth,
for it is so scant that in some places it is sold by the pound), they
are compelled to burn a certain kind of red stone, as in Wales, and
elsewhere other stones and shells of oysters and like fish found upon
the sea coast, which, being converted into lime, doth naturally (as
the other) abhor and eschew water, whereby it is dissolved, and
nevertheless desire oil,