Whereas, if you build your house upon an East and West line, you have these advantages, that in the morning, the sun never shines in or neere an oblique line, (which is upon the East end of your house,) above two hours, and that is from six to eight a clock, and as much in the afternoon, and not all that time neither; and upon the roofe it can never shine in an oblique line, but glancing on both sides, cast off the heat very much; I do confesse that I love a double house, much better then a single, but if it have a double cover, that is, two gable ends, and a gutter between, though it be built up an East and West line: yet the sun (which must lye upon it all the heat of the day) will so multiply the heat, by reflecting the beames from inside to inside, and so violently upon the gutter, from both, which you know must be in the middle of the house, from end to end, as you shall feele that heat above, too sensibly in the ground stories below, though your sieling be a foot thick, and your stories sixteen foot high. Therefore if I build a double house, I must order it so, as to have the division between either room of a strong wall, or of Dorique Pillers Archt from one to another; and, in each intercolumniation, a square stud of stone, for the better strengthening and supporting of the Arches above; for I would have the roomes Archt over with stone, and the innermost poynts of the Arches, to rest upon the Pillars, and the whole house to be cover’d with Couples and Rafters, and upon that shingles, the Ridge Pole of the house: running along over the Pillars so that the covering is to serve both Arches, that covers your rooms: by which meanes there is but one Gable end, which will glaunce off the scorching beames of the sun of either side, as, with the help of the Arches underneath, there will be little heat felt in the roomes below. But then a maine care must be had, to the side walls, that the girders be strong, and very well Dove-tayld, one into another, upon the Dorique pillars, or partition walls; and well crampt with Iron, or else the rafters being of that length, will thrust out the side walls by reason the Arches will hinder the Couplets, from comming so low as to keep the rafters steady, from opening at the bottom. For prevention of this great mischiefe, it will be very needfull, to have strong Butteresses without, and those being plac’t just against the Couples, will be of main concern to the side-walls. If you make the breadth of your house fifty foot, allowing two foot to the partition, and two foot to either of the side-walls above, (but more below) which is six foot in all, you will have remaining forty four foot, which being equally divided, will afford twenty two foot for the breadth of either room; you may for the length allow what you please. But this I speak by permission, and not by direction. But, I will send you a Plot with this, and an Index annexed to it, of such a house as I would build