WITH NOTES. 445 



\_A seru d ascent of Stairs. ,] This title does not 

 strictly agree with the text, for there is a material dif 

 ference between &quot; a screwed ascent, instead of stairs,&quot; 

 and a a screwed ascent of stairs;&quot; the former alto 

 gether dispenses with stairs, giving the idea of an in 

 clined ascent without steps, such as is employed in the 

 construction of the Observatory of Copenhagen ; the 

 width being sufficient and the ascent so gradual, that 

 a carriage and four may easily be driven up to the top 

 circular gallery. 



According to this improvement there are &quot; back-stairs 

 within the noell&quot; that is, the Noel, Nowel, Noyau, or 

 Newell, a term applied to the centre round which the 

 stairs of a circular staircase wind, and which may be 

 either a solid column, or an open space. Such stairs 

 are said to be neweled. 



The great labour and expense bestowed on some 

 kinds of staircases is well exemplified by Evelyn in his 

 tour of France, who describes going to Blois, in 1664, 

 and seeing there a palace built by Francis the First, 

 the staircase of which, consisting of 2 74 steps, is men 

 tioned by Palladio ; he notices it as a wonderful piece of 

 work, from its construction having occupied 1800 work 

 men during twelve years. &quot; The stayre-case (he says) is 

 devised with, four entries or ascents, which cross one 

 another, so that though four persons meet, they never 

 come in sight, but by small loopholes, till they land.&quot; 

 Memoirs of John Evelyn, 2nd edit. 4to. vol. i. 

 page 59. 



49. 



A portable Engine, in way of a 

 Tobacco-tongs, whereby a man may 

 get over a wall, or get up again 



