Posted by Joel (205.188.199.176) on August 16, 2002 at 11:48:43:
Near the bottom of this article you will find mention of strings and weights within a 14 foot wheel this from century of Inventions written by the Marquis of Worcester written in the 1600,s.
TO THE KINGS
Most Excellent MAJESTY
SIR,
SCIRE meum nihil est, nisi me scire hoc sciat alter, saith the Poet, and I most justly in order to Your Majesty, whose satisfaction is my happiness, and whom to serve is my onely aime, placing therein my Summum bonum in this world: Be therefore pleased to cast Your gracious Eye over this Summary Collection, and then to pick and choose. I confess, I made it but for the superficial satisfaction of a friends curiosity, according as it as set downe, and if it might now serve to give aime to Your Majesty how to make use of my poor Endeavours, it would crowne my thoughts, who am neither covetous nor ambitious, but of deserving Your Majesties favour upon my own cost and charges; yet, according to the old English Proverb, It is a poor Dog not worth whistleing after. Let but Your Majesty approve, and I will effectually perform to the height of my Undertaking: Vouchsafe but to command, and with my Life and Fortune I shall chearfully obey, and maugre envy, ignorance and malice, ever appear
YOUR
MAJESTY'S
Passionately-devoted, or otherwise dis-interested
Subject and Servant,
WORCESTER.
To the Right Honourable
THE LORDS SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL;
And to the KNIGHTS, CITTZENS, AND BURGESSES of the Honourable
House of Commons; NOW assembled in Parliament.
My Lords and Gentlemen
Be not startled if I address to all, and every of you, this Century of Summary Heads of wonderful things, even after the Dedication of them to His most Excellent Majesty, since it is with His most gracious and particular consent, as well as indeed no wayes derogating from my duty to His Sacred Self, but rather in further order unto it, since your Lordships, who are His great Council, and you Gentlemen His whole Kingdoms Representatives (most worthily welcome unto Him) may fitly receive into your wise and serious considerations what doth or may publickly concern both His Majesty and His tenderly-beloved People.
Pardon me if I say (my Lords and Gentlemen) that it is joyntly your parts to digest to His hand these ensuing particulars, fitting them to His palate, and ordering how to reduce them into practice in a way useful and beneficial both to His Majesty and His Kingdom.
Neither do I esteem it less proper for me to present them to you in order to His Majesty's service, then it is to give into the hands of a faithful and provident Steward whatsoever dainties and provisions are intended for the Masters diet; the knowing and faithful Steward being best able to make use thereof to his Masters contentment and greatest profit, keeping for the morrow whatever should be overplus or needless for the present day, or at least to save something else in lieu thereof. In a word, (my Lords and Gentlemen) I humbly conceive this Simile not improper, since you are His Majesty's provident Stewards, into whose hands I commit my self, with all properties fit to obey you; that is to say, with a heart harbouring no ambition, but an endless aim to serve my King and Countrey: And if my endeavours prove effectual, (as I am confident they will) His Majesty shall not onely become rich, but His People likewise, as Treasurers unto Him; and His Pierless Majesty, our King, shall become both belov'd at home, and fear'd abroad; deeming the riches of a King to consist in the plenty enjoyed by His People.
And the way to render him to be feared abroad, is to content his People at home, who then with heart and hand are ready to assist him; and whatsoever God blesseth me with to contribute towards the increase of His Revenues in any considerable way, I desire it may be imployed to the use of His People; that is, for the taking off such Taxes or Burthens from them as they chiefly groane under, and by a Temporary necessity onely imposed on them; which being thus supplied will certainly best content the King, and satisfie His P future; and my Debts being paid, and a competency to live according to my Birth and Quality setled, the rest shall I dedicate to the service of our King and Countrey by your disposals: and esteem me not the more, or rather any more, by what is past, but what's to come; professing really from my heart, that my Intentions are to out-go the six or seven hundred thousand pounds already sacrificed, if countenanced and encouraged by you, ingenuously confessing that the melancholy which hath lately seized upon me (the cause whereof none of you but may easily guess) hath, I dare say, retarded more advantages to the pub]ic service than modesty will permit me to utter: And now revived by your promising favours, I shall infallibly be enabled thereunto in the Experiments extant, and comprised under these heads practicable with my directions by the unparallel'd Workman both for trust and skill, (Caspar Kaltoff's hand, who hath been these five-and-thirty years as in a school under me imployed, and still at my disposal, in a place by my great expences made fit for publick service, yet lately like to be taken from me, and consequently from the service of King and Kingdom, without the least regard of above ten thousand pounds expended by me,and through my Zele to the Common good; my Zele, I say, a field large enough for you (my Lords and Gentlemen) to work upon.
The Treasures buried under these heads, both for War, Peace, and Pleasure, being inexhaustible; I beseech you pardon me if I say so; it seems a Vanity, but comprehends a Truth; since no good Spring but becomes the more plentiful by how much more it is drawn, and the Spinner to weave his web is never stinted but further inforc'd. The more then that you shall be pleased to make use of my Inventions, the more Inventive shall you ever find me, one Invention begetting still another, and more and more improving my ability to serve my King and you; and as to my heartiness therein there needs no addition, nor to my readiness a spur. And therefore (my Lords and Gentlemen) be pleased to begin, and desist not from commanding me till I flag in my obedience and endeavours to serve my King and Country.
For certainly you'll find me breathless first t'expire, Before my hands grow weary, or my legs do tire.
Yet abstracting from any Interest of my own, but as a Fellow-Subject and Compatriot will I ever labour in the Vineyard, most heartily and readily obeying the least summons from you, by putting faithfully in execution, what your Judgments shall think fit to pitch upon amongst this Century of Experiences, perhaps dearly purchased by me, but now frankly and gratis offered to you. Since my heart (methinks) cannot be satisfied in serving my King and Country, if it should cost them any thing; As I confess when I had the honour to be neare so obliging a Master as His late Majesty of happy memory, who never refused me his Ear to any reasonable motion: And as for unreasonable ones' or such as were not fitting for him to grant, I would rather to have dyed a thousand deaths, then ever to have made any one unto him.
Yet whatever I was so happy as to obtain for any deserving Person, my Pains, Breath and Interest imployed therein satisfied me not, unless I likewise satisfied the Fees; but that was in my Golden Age.
And even now, though my ability and means are shortened, the world knows why my heart remains still the same; and be you pleased (my Lords and Gentlemen) to rest most assured, that the very complacency that I shall take in the executing your Commands shall be unto me a sufficient and an abundantly-satisfactory reward.
Vouchsafe therefore to dispose freely of me, and whatever lieth in my power to perform; first, in order to His Majesty's service; secondly, for the good and advantage of the Kingdom; thirdly, to all your satisfactions, for particular profit and pleasure to your individual selves, professing that in all and each of the three respects I will ever demean my self as it best becomes,
My Lords and Gentlemen,
Your most passionately-bent Fellow-Subject in His Majesty's servi Contract, whereby falfification may be discovered, and manifeftly proved, being upon good grounds fufpected.
Upon any of thefe Seals a man may keep Accompts of Receipts and difburfments from one Farthing to an hundred millions, punctually fhewing each pound, fhilling, peny or farthing.
By thefe feals likewife any Letter, though written but in Englifh, may be read and undersfood in eight feveral languages, and in Englifh it felf to clean contrary and different fenfe, unknown to any but the Correfpondent, and not to be read or [nor to be] underftood by him neither, if opened before it arrive unto him; fo that neither Threats, nor hopes of Reward, can make him reveal the fecret, the Letter having been intercepted, and first opened by the Enemy. [Seals abundantly-significant.] Under this title the present article is referred to in the " Index," given by the Marquis, at the end of the first edition of his "Century," while the articles themselves are only distinguished by consecutive numerals. Therefore, without deranging the original form of the "Century," the designation of the several articles will appear throughout, as above, at the head of each comment.
The author, never having met with any attempt to elucidate the mechanical arrangement here suggested, communicated a plan that occurred to him in 1829, soon after reading the foregoing, which was as follows:_
A Cipher Seal. Amidst the variety of inventions for giving security to property, few improvements have been made in seals or signets. I shall proceed to describe a cipher seal, which, though not, perhaps, so " abundantly significant" as those described by the Marquis of Worcester, might, nevertheless, be applied to very important uses, inasmuch as the face of the seal may be varied at pleasure.
Fig. 1. A, the seal handle; B, the seal made moveable on the pivots at c c. Fig. 2. Is a section of the seal. It consists of two metal plates, B B, and D D, having a number of corresponding holes drilled through them, as at a a a a, and b b b b, into which the ends of small rollers, a b, a b, are made to fit and turn exactly. When all the holes are supplied with rollers, the plates, B B, D D, are retained at a proper distance by a metal rim, soldered to the edges of the plates. The ends of the rollers being thus exposed, and ground level with the surface of each plate, are to have a groove cut in each, similar to a screw head; this is to be effected by cutting lines from end to end of the plate, as shown at e e, e e, Fig. 1. With a graver a small dot is next to be made, all to the right on one plate, and all to the left on the other; or, vice versa, of each line occupying the small circular end of each roller. It is now evident that, by using a small chisel-shaped steel instrument, or key, with which to turn the roller, the small dotted line on its end, may be so varied as to form any alphabetical arrangement.
The position of the dotted line admits of sufficient variety to take in 24 letters, distinct enough to the eye, without increasing the size of the seal. In this alphabet only three variations are supposed to be made from the horizontal and perpendicular, one very slight on either side, the other greater, and the third at an angle of 45_. It only requires a transposition of the letters to produce a correspondence which shall be private between two persons. The use of two faces to the seal is obvious, one serving to compose on, and the other, being a reverse, to make an impression on the wax. Were this not the case, a sentence would have to be written from right to left. Its use might be multiplied by making each cipher refer to an entire word or sentence; as, if a, stood for men; b, for horses; c, food; d, money; and so forth: a mode which it would be next to impossible for any third party to decipher._See Mechanics' Mag. vol. x.
2.
How ten thoufand Perfons may ufe thefe feals to all and every of the purpofes aforefaid, and yet keep their fecrets [secrets private.] from any but whom they pleafe. [Seals private and particular to each owner.] The present shown in the annexed diagram_
where each is described three-fold, with a horizontal line through the centre. Each figure thus affords three varieties of size above, and three below the line, making six figures each, or twenty-four in all, as curvilinear signs for letters. These taken in rotation, may be extended as above, or in any arbitrary order, and each employed, as in short-hand, to signify letters, syllables, or words. In practice it is only requisite to bear in mind the three gradations of size, so as never to mistake the middle semicircle for the outer ones. This is to be avoided by invariably making the small figure as small as possible, and the greater figure as large as space will permit.
4.
This invention refined, and fo abreviated that a point onely fheweth diftinctly and fignificantly any of the 24. letters; and thefe very points to be made with two pens, fo that no time will be loft, but as one finger rifeth the other may make the following letter, never clogging the memory with feveral figures for words, and combination [combinatione P.] of letters; which with eafe, and void of confufion, are thus fpeedily and punctually, letter for letter, fet down by naked and not multiplied points. And nothing can be lefs then a point, the Mathematical definition of [0f it. MS. and P.] being Cujus pars nulla. And of a motion [motion, equally as swift as semiquavers P. no fwifter imaginable then [than what expresseth even] Semiquavers or Relefhes,yet applicable to this manner of writing.
[Reduced to a Point.] A man of the Marquis of Worcester's ingenious cast of mind could readily have made up the entire " Century" out of these systems of alphabets and secret writing. He may have been acquainted with " Traictá des Chiffres, ou Secretes Manieres d'escrire, par Blaise de Vigenere, Bourbonnois." 4to. Paris, 1586_now very scarce; but indeed there were many learned works on the subject, among which Trithemius's "Libri Polygraphia VI," 1600, was conspicuous. The long disuse of such methods of secretly conveying information, has reduced the cleverest of these systems of Cryptographia in public estimation. But, at the same time, these inventions were quite consistent with the early times in which the Marquis flourished. We shall see, in the next article, what probably illustrates this proposed use of a mere point or dot.
5.
A way by a Circular motion, either along a Rule or Ring-wife, to vary any Alphabet, even this of Points, fo that the felf-fame Point individually placed, without the leaft, additional mark or variation of place, fhall ftand for all the 24. letters, and not for the fame letter twice in ten fheets writing; yet as eafly and certainly read and known, as if it ftood but for one and the felf-fame letter conftantly fignified.
[Varied signifcantly to all the 24. Ietters.] This and the former article may certainly be taken in connection with each other; and the cipher engraved in No. 3, would seem to anticipate the present proposal of " a circular motion along a rule." The " ring-wise" method may have been no more than a substitution for the octagon or any other figure. We fortunately find among the Harleian MS. in the British Museum, No. 2428, a probable clue to this particular method of writing, which we shall give entire. It forms the first portion of the small oblong folio volume containing the Manuscript Century at the end, with many intervening blank pages between them. It is as follows:_
" An explanation of the most exact and most compendious way of short writing. And an example given by way of Questions, and Resolves upon each significant point, proving how, and why, it stands for such and such a letter, in order Alphabetically placed in every page.
" A. Q. How is a point made to signifie an A. Resol. By being placed between the constant center of the square and the right side thereof in a streight line not touching it. [See diagram at the end].
It is proved by drawing a line from the said center towards, and not to touch the right side line, and then you will finde the line streight line from the center to the midle of the right side line.
" K. The K. in an oblique line from the center to the right upper angle touching it.
" L. The L. in a streight line from the center upwards, and touching the upper line.
"M. The M. in an oblique line from the center towards the left upper corner line touching it.
" N. The N. in a streight line from the center to the midle of the left side line.
" O. The 0. in an oblique line from the center downwards, towards the left corner touching the line thereof.
" P. The P. in a right line from the center downwards touching the lower side line.
" Q. The Q. in an oblique line downwards towards the right corner touching the line thereof.
" R. The R. in a streight line from the center to the outside, and furthest line of the right midle and opposite chequer touching it.
" S. The S. in an oblique line from the center, and passing the right upper corner line.
" T. The T. in a streight line from the center and passing the upper-side line of the square.
"V. The V. in an oblique line from the center upwards passing the left upper corner line.
" W. The W. in a streight line from the centre to the left outside and furthest line of the left midle and opposite chequer.
" X. The X. in an oblique line downwards passing the left lower corner line.
" Y. The Y. in a streight line downwards passing the lower side or bottome line.
" Z. The Z. in an oblique line downwards passing the right corner line of the square.
" The Chequers are five in number, which of either outside show the vowells, and each Chequer haveing two corners inwards of each side make tenn, those towards the preceding square may conteyne of the 24 letters, and the opposite corners as many Alphabetically, and the centers of the two upper Chequers square, and of the two Iower shew the other 4 letters; The 20 in the Chequers are noted by a separation of a corner in the printed Alphabett, and the 4 by the midde points. _
"It is for curiosity and secresy to bee deservedly observed that whether in squares or chequers single points only stand for letters, and they being varyed att pleasure, it is in any ones power to keepe his secrets from me or any other not made acquainted with the denominations by him given to the several! points, and accordingly by him marked in the 24 blank squares, and rowes of chequers placed under the Alphabett in his private explanation easily to be framed by him mutatis mutandis, only that is making the questions and resolves according to his points as they represent the letters to his owne fancy keept private from others without his consent.
"The points are to bee written, and reade as they precede, or as they are the one above the other, unlesse they have a sequell distinction made by takeing the penn of the paper thus without further losse of tyme, and such as are soe marked, must be written and read as the others they being soe made, but for husbanding of paper, the word being soe conteyned in lesse roome, the e at the end of most words prolonging butt the sillable, and all needlesse and unsounding letters are to bee omitted; I will not trouble you with more rules leaving the rest to practice."
The preceding description is written on small oblong pages, which measure 11 1/4 by 7 1/4 inches, the whole surface of the unwritten portions being covered with an engraved pattern, of which Fig. 1 is but a portion of
the top left-hand corner, and therefore proceeds no further than letter h, which ends the application of that particular figure.
Fig. 2. Gives the next form for 8 other similar situations, commencing at i. And_
Fig. 3. Is again 8 more, commencing at r; making in all 24 characters or letters. We thus see how, whether by a dot, or a short line of three gradations in length, an entire alphabet may be obtained.
On page 180 of " The Life of the Marquis of Worcester," is the facsimile of a letter written by his Lordship about 1646-7, apparently adopting this very cipher. It occurs in a volume, entitled " Carte Papers, 1634-57. Ireland, No. 63
particular mode of correspondence.
8.
A way how to level and fhoot Cannon by night as well as by day, and as directly; without a platform or meafures taken by day, yet by a plain and infallible rule.
[To Level Cannons by Night.] In 1587 was published, " The Arte of shooting in great Ordnaunce," by William Bourne. Among other matters in the table of contents are the following:_
" The 10th Chapter showeth how to mount a mortar piece, for to lay the shot at any distance appointed.
" The 13th Chapter is, how to give level at a mark upon a hill or valley with a quadrant.
" The 24th Chapter is, how for to batter the walls of any town' as well by night as by day.
" The 25th Chapter doth declare how to plant ordnance by night, to batter the walls of any town, or displace any ordnance in any bulwarks, or any such other like, as well by night as by day." And_
" The 26th Chapter doth declare how for to keep a haven, or river, on the sea coast, for to sink a ship, as well by night as by day in all points."
On the subject of levelling great guns, Fludd's "Historia Macrosmi," 1618, would afford abundant suggestions, with three copper-plate engravings, showing the operation of using the quadrant.
9.
An Engine, portable in ones: Pocket, which may be carried and faftened on the infide [the side] of the greatest Ship, Tanquam aliud agens, and at any appointed minute, though a week after, either of day or night, it fhall irrecoverably fink that Ship.
[A Ship-destroying Engine.] In l578, William Bourne, in his "Inventions or Devices," had in the 17th article, suggested, " How for to sink a ship that hath laid you aboard, without shooting of ordnance."
And again in his "Arte of shooting in great ordnance," published in 1587, the 56th Chapter, suggests a mode " to sink a ship."
The whole passage in the " Century" is abundantly obscure. The smallness of the Engine suggests some explosive missile, connected with clock-work, as the only means to insure its being compact and operating on a precise day at a stated point of time. But his inventive faculty once stimulated, even by the notices of Bourne, would speedily lead him to many ingenious contrivances.
IO.
A way from a mile off to dive and faften a like Engine to any Ship, fo as it may punctually work the fame effect either for time or execution.
[How to be fastened from aloof and under water.] The wording of this article so far differs from the title as to allude only to diving, or a kind of submarine navigation, but gives no intimation of the fastening " aloof ;" so that this latter may refer to any part of the ship's sides above her water-line.
" Mersennius," observes Bishop Wilkins, " doth largely and pleasantly descant concerning the making of a ship, wherein men may safely swim under water." He further declares, that " such a contrivance is feasible, and may be effected, is beyond all question, because it hath been already experimented here in England by Cornelius Dreble." He next considers various schemes, and mentions as one of the advantages of such a submarine vessel, that, "It may be of very great advantage against a navy of enemies, who by this means may be undermined in the water and blown up."_Math. Magick, 1648, p. 178.
Among the Sloane MSS. No. 4159, in the British Museum, is one for a means of destroying an entire fleet with one ship. It is endorsed, " A proposition sent to Mr. Augier, from Paris," and the following is a copy:_ " A person who makes profession of honour, and saith he hath had the good [fortune?] to have been known of Sir Oliver Flemming during his public employments abroad, doth propound to a friend of yours that by a secret he hath he can, with one ship alone, break what naval army or fleet, &c."
In 1596, the celebrated John Napier, of Merchiston, wrote a statement of four " Secret Inventions," concluding with the remark: "These inventions, besides devices of sailing under the water, with divers other devices and stratagems for harming of the enemies, by the grace of God, and work of expert craftsmen, I hope to died in 1634. He was famous for other discoveries in science_the most important of which was the thermometer. He also made improvements in microscopes and telescopes; and though, like many of his scientific contemporaries, something of an empiric, possessed a considerable knowledge of chemistry, and of different branches of natural philosophy."_Diary, vol. ii. p. 9.
Pepys, in his Diary, under date the 14th of March, 1662, says: " This afternoon came the German, Dr. Knuffler, to discourse with us about his engine to blow up ships. We doubted not the matter of fact, it being tried in Cromwell's time, but the safety of carrying them in ships; but he do tell us, that when he comes to tell the King his secret, for none but the Kings, successively, and their heirs must know it, it will appear to be of no danger at all."_Pepys' Diary, ed. 1858, vol. i. p. 264.
Dr. Robert Hooke, in his " Philosophical Collections," published in 1679, has " an account of Jo. Alphon. Borellius's De Mo. Animalium," two volumes quarto, containing, among other things, " A way to make a submarine vessel, whereby several persons may pass together from place to place under wate, accommodated with two ways to move it to and fro, and to make it rise and sink in the water, &c. It is supposed it may be much like that which Mersennus long since published."
The American engineer, Robert Fulton, turned his attention to this subject, end published " Torpedo War, and Sub-marine Explosions," 4to. New York, 1810.
II.
How to prevent and fafeguard any Ship from fuch an attempt by day or night.
[How to prevent both.] Some armour or alarum is probably proposed, which should be either invulnerable, or when struck indicate the presence of the enemy's "portable pocket engine," intended "irrecoverably to sink the ship ;" not by merely perforating a single hole, but by a powerful disruptive explosion, rending asunder all the timbers. But the whole passage is so abundantly obscure that all opinion on the matter goes for very little.
I2.
A way to make a Ship not poffible to be funk though fhot [shot at] an hundred times betwixt wind and water by Cannon, and fhould [she lose] lose a whole Plank, yet in half an hours time fhould be made as fit to fail as before.
[An unsinkable Ship.] As early as 1583, appeared " A Note of sundry sorts of Engines," without the author's name. The 20th and last of these is:_"To preserve a boat from drowning and the people that be therein." See J. O. Halllwell's Rara Mathematica.
Considering the state of ship-building in 1655, the foregoing plan must have been some very primitive scheme; but, rendering vessels unsinkable, has long been a favourite subject with inventors.
I3.
How to make fuch false Decks as in a moment fhould kill and take prifoners as many as fhould board the Ship, without blowing the [the real] Decks up, or deftroying them from being reducible, and in a quarrer [read quarter] of an hours time fhould recover their former fhape, and be made fit for any imployment without discovering the fecret.
[False destroying Decks.] William Bourne, in his. " Inventions of Devices," 1578, devotes the " Third device" to show_" How to use a plain or open deck hatches, that it is not possible to enter the ship without spoiling of the enemies."
I4.
How to bring a force to weigh up an Anchor, or to do any forcible exploit 1n the narroweft or[and-for, or] loweft room in any Ship, where few hands fhall do the work of many; and many hands applicable to the fame force, fome ftanding, others fitting, and [and yet] by virtue of their feveral helps a great force augmented in little room, as effectual as if there were fufficient fpace to go about with an Axle-tree, and work far from the Centre.
[Multiplied strength in Iittle room.] We shall have to allude to the ambiguous use of the word " force" in the same sentence, as indicating " strength, power, &c." or, " a pump, or pump plunger," in John Bate's, and other old works on mechanics. Now if we were to read this, " How to bring the force [or plunger of a pump] to weig the Oars shall row, and neceffary motions work and move towards the defired Port or point of the Compats.
[A Boat driving against wind and tide.] The wording of this article is varied as follows in the MS. of certain of his Inventions. See Appendix A. He therein states:_
" By this (his quintessence of motion), I can make a vessel, of as great burden as the river can bear, to go against the stream; which, the more rapid it is, the faster it shall advance. And the moveable part that works it, may be, by one man, still guided, to take the best advantage of the stream; and yet to steer the boat to any point. And this engine is applicable to any vessel or boat, whatsoever, without being, therefore, made on purpose; and work these effects:_It roweth; it draweth; it driveth, if need be, to pass London bridge against the stream, at low water. And a boat lying at anchor, the engine may be used for loading or unloading."
He made this invention one of the four subjects in his Patent of 1661 (see Appendix B), which again varies the reading; but this last plainly indicates the motive power as having been a mill. He proposes in his patent specification:_" To mate a boat that roweth, draweth, or setteth even against wind or stream, yea, both, and to any part of the compass which way soever the stream runs or wind blows, and yet the force of the wind or stream causeth its motion, nothing being required but a steersman; and whilest the boat stayeth to be loaded or unloaded, the stream or wind shall perform such work as any water-mill or wind-mill is capable of."
Among the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, there is an Italian book of sketches on parchment, No. 3281, attributed to the 15th century, entitled, " Delineationes Machinarum ;" from one of the pen and ink drawings of which the annexed engraving is a reduced copy. It is a paddle boat of a very primitive form, to be operated by men working at two crank handles. The Marquis seems to have had a very similar idea, only employing the mechanical arrangements of a suitable wind or water-mill. .
ln that fine work, " Vitruvia de Architectura," folio, Como, 1521, there is an engraving of a large vessel propelled by paddles, worked by animal - power; therefore, so far as such a mode of propulsion is concerned, paddle-wheels are of very ancient origin. In 1574, Ralph Rabbards [From the Lansdown MSS.121. See also Letters Illustrative of Science. Edited by J.O. Halliwell, F.R.S. &c. 8 vo. 1841] presented to Queen Elizabeth,through the medium of the venerable Lord Burghley, a list of twenty-five inventions. The 24th is:_" The rarest engine that was ever invented for sea service. A vessel in manner of a galley or galliotte to pass upon the seas and rivers without oars or sail, against wind and tide, swifter than any that ever hath been seen; of wonderful effect both for intelligence, and many other admirable exploits, almost beyond the expectation of man."
William Bourne, in his "Inventions or Devices," published in 1578, most of which he claims to be his own projects, yet acknowledging some to have been borrowed, offers the following in the 19th Device without comment:_" And furthermore you may make a boat to go without oars or sayle, by the placing of certain wheels on the outside of the boat, in that sort, that the arms of the wheels may go into the water, and so turning the wheels by some provision, and so the wheels shall make the boat to go."
This is followed by another application, being the 20th Device:_" And also, they make a water-mill in a boat, for when that it rideth at an anchor, the tide or stream will turn the wheels with great force, and these mills are used in France, &c."
In 1583, proposals were made for 20 different inventions, but the author's name does not appear. The 19th is:_" To make a boat to go fast on the water without oar or saile ;" but this is all we learn of his project. See " Rara Mathematica," edited by J. O. Halliwell, F.R.S. &c. 8vo. 1841.
In 1594, Eimund Jentill addressed to Lord Burghley two communications respecting his inventions. T the carriage of burthens and passengers run upon the water as swift in calms and more safe in storms than boats full sailed in great winds."
David Ramsey includes in his patent of 21st of January, 1630, his invention "to make boats, ships, and barges to go against the wind and tide." -
And Dr. Thomas Grent, on the 20th of July, 1632, patented a plan " for a more speedy passage of calmed ships."
In 1640, Edward Ford, patented his invention, whereby he can make all boats, &c. " go faster against wind and tide than now they use to do, with half the men they have formerly used."
It is stated in " Frier Bacon's discovery of the Miracles of Art, &c." published in 12mo. 1659, that_" It is possible to make engines to sail withal, as that either fresh or salt water vessels may be guided by the help of one man,and made sail with a greater swiftness, than others will which are full of men to help them." Chap. iv. p. 17.
In " Humane Industry," 1661, chap. 10, p. 154, it is noticed_" The ancients had a way to drive their ships without oar or sail, so that they could never be wind bound." And at page 155, it is observed that_ " Scaliger doth aver, that he could make a ship that could steer herself."
Thomas Togood and James Heyes, in 1662, patented their invention for the making of ships to sail without the assistance of wind or tide.
I6.
How to make a Sea-caftle or Fortification Cannon-proof, and [and-omitted. P.] capable of a thoufand men, yet failable at pleafure to defend a paffage, or in an hours time to divide it felf into three Ships as fit and trimm'd to fail as before: And even whileft it is a Fort or Caftle they shall be unanimoufly fteered, and effectually be driven by an indifferent ftrong wind.
[A Sea-sailing Fort.] Vitruvius, Vegetius, and many ancient writers supply a variety of schemes to direct an inventor's ingenuity. The idea of such a construction, to divide into three or more sailing vessels is likewise suggested, in many early designs, although no doubt very different in some details. But the peculiarity hitherto unnoticed, of the present invention, consists in the propelling and steering by means of an artificial current of air. It is very clear that the Marquis had discovered some pneumatic mode of propulsion. There is no inconsistency in the idea of the same means being adapted for both steering and propelling alternately. Even within the last few years extensive experiments have been made, in which air-pumps were used to compress the air beneath an inclined plane under the stern, which in flowing upwards gave motion to the vessel.
I7.
How to make upon the Thames a floting Garden of pleafure, with Trees, Flowers, Banquetting-Houfes, and Fountains, Stews for all kind of fishes, a referve for Snow to keep Wine in, delicate Bathing places, and the like; with mufick made with [by-for with. MS. and P.] Mills: and all in the middeft of the ftream, where it is moft rapid.
[A pleasant floating Garden.] There appears to be little more invention here than in the contrivance of so much variety, and the selecting of " the stream where it is most rapid," to give motion to the water-mills to work the bellows for producing the promised music; as well as to raise water high enough to obtain a pressure of it for making the snow. The whole offers one of those raree-show designs in which our great-grandfathers delighted, and the descriptions of which formed the staple of their scientiilc discussions in polite society.
I8.
An Artificial Fountain, to be turned like an Hour-glafs by a child, in the twinkling of an eye, it [yet-for it. MS. and P.] holding great quantity [quantities. P.] of water, and of force sufficient to make fnow, ice and thunder, with a [the-for a. MS. and P.] chirping and finging of birds, and fhewing of feveral shapes and effects usual to Fountains of pleafure.
[An Hour-glasse Fountain.] In a MS. among the Marquis's papers, the foregoing appears to be the invention indicated under the title:_" Fountains of pleasure, with artificial snow or hail, or thunder, and qua [and running.] in a full career; a child being sufficiently capable to loofen [unloose. P.] them in what pofture foever they should have put themfelves, turning never fo short; for a child can do it in the twinkling of an eye.
[A Coach-saving Engine.] We have two other readings of this article; the first is the 5th article in his list of a portion of his Inventions, see Appendix A.) as follows:_" By this (his quintessence of motion) I can make a child, in a coach, to stop the horses (running away), and shall be able to secure himself, and those that be in the coach; having a little engine placed therein, which shall not be perceived, in what posture soever the horses draw. A child's force shall be able to disengage them, from overturning the coach, or prejudicing anybody in it."
The second reading is in his patent of 1661, (see Appendil; B.) wherein he offers:_"To make an engine applicable to any coach, by which a child of six years old may secure from danger all in the coach, and even the coachman himself, though the horses become never so unruly, the child being able in the twinkling of an eye to loosen them from the coach, in what posture soever they draw or turn, be it ever so short, or to either hand." By means of a T-ended lever, two or four bolts could be simultaneously drawn inwards, and the horses thereby released with the greatest possible ease and certainty.
20.
How to bring up water Balancewife, fo that as little weight or force as will turn a Balance will be onely needful, more then the weight of the water within the Buckets, which counterpoifed [counterpoise, and empty. MS. and P.] empty themfelves one into the other, the uppermoft yielding its water (how great a quantity soever it holds) at the felf [self-omitted. P.]fame time the lower-moft taketh it in, though it be an hundred fathom high.
[A Balance Water-work.] It is to be regretted that we have nothing at present to aid us in offering a description at all approaching the singular construction of this hydraulic machine. There are some curious designs given in the description of M. Grollier de Servière's cabinet, 1719, but we have never seen any plan fully realizing the effect above indicated.
2I.
How to raife water conftantly with two Buckets onely day and night, without any other force then its own motion, using not fo much as any force, wheel, or fucker, nor more pullies then one, on which the cord or chain rolleth with a [Bucket faftened at each end.] This, I confefs,[confess to have seen] I have feen and learned [in the great Mathematician's study, Clauius at Rome] of the great Mathematician Claudius [Claudius] [Clavius's Studies at Rome] his ftudies at Rome, he having made a Prefent thereof unto a Cardinal; and I desire not to own any other mens [man's. MS. and P.] inventions, but if I fet down any, to nominate likewife the inventor.
[A Bucket-fountain.] In the present and preceding articles the water is elevated by means of buckets, and it was only while these pages were passing through the press that the author perceived those precise marks of distinction between the two methods of employing the buckets which enables him now to offer the following explanation of each.
As regards No. 20, it seems, at first, absurd to expect to raise water which is to be in a balance and pass from one bucket to the other. But let us suppose an arrangement, as in the subjoined engraving, where A, B, is a strong vertical wooden frame carrying six metal or wooden pipes C, C, which can be moved simultaneously Up and down on centres, a, a, being connected by the iron rods, b, b; these pipes are united with the top of six buckets at D D', and with the bottom of six other buckets at E, E'. The buckets D, D', are also connected at the bottom with six other pipes F, F, each open at the end F, F, and so arranged that the topmost pipe passes over a pulley c, but the other five pipes with guide rods d, d, at their ends, enter the top end of the five uppermost buckets on the side E; the pipe F, passing over c, delivers the contents of bucket D,
from an upper stream by the spout F, by which means the side B, of the cord will descend, and the side A, ascend, "without any other force than its own motion," and that "with two buckets only, day and night." ON the side á the conical buckets reverse and empty themselves, thereby lightening the ascending side A, of the endless chain or cord.
22.
To make a River in a Garden to ebbe and flow conftantly, though twenty foot over, with a childs force,in fome private room or place out of fight, and a competent distance from it.
[An ebbing and flowing River] In reference to this invention Mr. Partington has quoted Peter Bogaerts' ingenious method of a canal lock, so contrived that, in a model, a weight of seven pounds was made to raise ten hundred weight of water more than four feet in a few seconds.
But still the process of ebbing and flowing is not made out; it does appear, however, that its operation requires the constant services of a boy or other attendant, probably to keep alternately opening and closing certain sluice arrangements, placed somewhere concealed from view; the whole affording a waterwork to amuse and surprise, and forming a variety on the usual strange schemes attached to grottos, caves, &c. spouting water in every variety of form.
See further the comments on article No. 57, which very probably includes the principle here employed by the Marquis.
There is no communication in this article of facts requisite to direct an engineer or inventor in the adjustment of any special kind of machinery to obtain the desired ebbing and flowing river; which is a novelty, in this respect, peculiar to the Marquis of Worcester's ingenuity. He was evidently not copying or improving any anterior system of water-work. The next article is but an application of this new system; and it is not until he has taken us through descriptive hints of thirty-three totally different designs or devices, that in No. 57, he offers "A constant water-flowing and ebbing motion." We think the three may be taken together, that is, No. 57, refers to the principle and mechanism, of which Nos. 22 and 23, are mere simple applications. Thus, referring to what we have stated under No. 57, the purpose named in the present article might be attained by means of two domed or bell-shaped vessels, placed like gasometers, but otherwise immoveable, partially immersed in a pond, or other artificial piece of water; which being arranged so that, by admitting a steam pipe into each, the contained air could be driven out thereby, condensation would naturally follow, or might be accelerated; and one vessel immediately filling with water, while the other was emptying, the surface of the pond or river would be kept in a continual state of agitation, and the water might be said to " ebb and flow constantly, though 20 feet over."
No reason is assigned for proposing this modidcation of water work, no advantage is pointed out, the Marquis doubtless depending on its apparent impossibility for its exciting and stimulating inquiry. He knew how the promulgation of such a wonder would have affected his own mind, and never imagined but that the public would feel equally inquisitive. His incomprehensible truths are, however, often denounced, without investigation, as though they were false.
23.
To fet a Clock in[as within a. MS and P.] a Caftle, the [and the.] water filling the Trenches about it ;[about it shall show the hours, minutes, and seconds by ebbing] it [which-for it. P.] fhall shew by ebbing and flowing the Hours, Minutes and Seconds, and all the comprehenflble motions of the Heavens, and Counterlibation [counterlibration] of the Earth, according to Copernicus. [An ebbing and flowing Castle-clock.] John Bate, in his "Mysteries of Nature and Art," 1635, at p. 45 describes_"A water-clock, or a glasse showing the hour of the day," by three different arrangements.
This article is further noticed in commenting on No. 57.
24.
How to increafe the ftrength of a Spring to fuch an height,[degree-for height. P.] as to fhoot Bumbaffes and Bu
pulled. Three kinds are mentioned by Du Cange. See Fosbroke's Encyclopædia of Antiquities, 8vo. 1840.
Bishop Wilkins, treating on Catapultee in his Mathematicall Magick, 1648, observes that their usual form was " after the manner of great bows placed on carriages, and wound up by the strength of several persons ;" adding: " These were sometimes framed for the discharging of two or three arrows together."
As the Marquis wrote the Century in 1655, only seven years after Wilkins' publication, it is not at all unlikely that he seriously contemplated the contriving of a most useful warlike implement; and this appears the more reasonable when we find the worthy and learned prelate advancing, as it appeared to him, cogent reasons in his 19th chapter, in favour of the " Military offensive engines used amongst the ancients," as compared to cannon; gravely summing up his observations with the remark_" that the force of these Engines does rather exceed than come short of our gun-powder inventions." Then again on the ground of expense he shows an advantage in favour of Ballistæ and Catapultæ. Thus: "the price of these gun-powder instruments is extremely expensive." This is proved from " a whole Cannon weighing commonly 8,000 pounds, a half Cannon 5,000, a Culverin 4,500, a Demi-culverin 3,000," which " must needs be very costly," amounting " to several hundred pounds," for which sum " at least 10 of the ancient timber made engines might be purchased"!
Then their transport was a serious matter, for " a whole Cannon does require at the least 90 men, or 16 horses," and so in proportion for others. But the timber made engines are light, and their " materials to be found everywhere."
Then the gun-powder is costly; "a whole Cannon requiring for every charge 40 pound of powder, and a bullet of 64 pounds," and in proportion for lesser cannon; whereas those other engines may be charged only with stones. So that only for the superior force of cannon "those ancient inventions" he conceives to be " much more commodious than these later inventions."
Among questions propounded and agreed upon, in January, 1660, to be sent to Teneriffe by the Lord Brouncker and Mr. Boyle, the fifth was,_"Try the power of a stone bow, or other spring, both above and below (the hill), and note well the difference."_Weld's Hist. Royal Society, Vol. i. p. 98.
25.
How to make a Weight that cannot take up an hundred pound, and yet fhall take up two hundred pound, and [and-omitted.] at the felf-fame diftance from the Centre; and fo proportionately to millions of pounds.
[A double-drawing Engine for weights.] The articles Nos. 25, 27, and 29 can only be taken as descriptive of elucidatory models, demonstrative of the applications of a certain principle, the result of condensation. For some unaccountable reason there has been a prevalent opinion that the Marquis was ignorant of condensation. If such an opinion is grounded on his not expressly alluding to it in the " (Century," then by the same rule it might be doubted whether he understood anything about steam! But as the " Century" was written to remind himself, and not to inform others of the modus operandi; it was sufficient for his purpose to particularise only the results. We can usually distinguish where he treads a beaten track, the result of reading, and where his course deviates into his "fire-water-work" experiments. The former generally has its parallel in some old author; but when the same rule is attempted to be applied to measure the others, we find we are dealing either with a new order of things, or else with sheer paradoxes of the most chimerical character. While, on the other hand, follow him in his own new track of experimental research, and we are rewarded at every step with a full and clear exposition of the wonderfully ingenious processes of inquiry by which he attained the perfection ascribed by him to his " Water-commanding Engine."
In the present article it is required that a weight shall take up double its own weight, not by the old rule of leverage, but " at the self-same d'eau, gradually diminishing as the spring relaxes. The contrivance is elaborately illustrated in the 18th folio engraving of Besson's " Theatrum Instrumentorum et Machinarum," 1578; the Marquis, therefore, had only to substitute steam for the spiral spring.
26.
To raife weight as [so-for as] well and as forcibly with the drawing back of the Lever, as with the thrufting it [of it] forwards; and by that means to lofe no time in motion or ftrength. This I faw in the Arcenal at Vernice. [at Venice in the arsenal.]
[A to and fro Lever.] William-Bourne offers the following as his 112th Device, "touching the making of engines to thrust from or pull to you with great force or strength." He says, "And furthermore, you may make an engine to thrust from you or to pull unto you, to lift vp or to presse downe with great force, eyther to goe with wheeles as before is declared, or else to goe with skrewes or to goe with both, as to thrust open huge and strong gates, or else you taking good hold, to pull them open vnto you wards, and will make but little noyse in the doyng thereof, but you must be sure to set the engine fast, if to thrust from, to be strongly and well backed, and to pull to them it must be strongly bolstered before, sufficient to be of force to scrue the turne."
The Venetian arrangement may be described, as shown in the annexed engraving, where A, B, C, is a
frame, the two upright sides of which D E, are provided with a series of clicks, appearing in the drawing like the serrated edge of a saw, and each is so placed secured by a pin on which it moves, as always to incline to fall outwards. F, F, is a long lever, having a stout short cross bar in the centre, and is represented on the point of taking up on a click at a, while it leaves one on the opposite b, such being the to and fro motion required thereby losing "no time in motion or strength."
27.
A way to remove to and fro huge weights with a moft inconfiderable ftrength from place to place. For example, Ten Tunne with ten pounds, and lefs; the faid ten pounds not to fall lower then it makes the ten Tunne to advance or retreat upon a Level.
[A most easie level Draught.] The weight is in this case to be moved " with a most inconsiderable strength." Ten pounds, or less, are to be capable of moving 22,400 pounds. And the precise conditions are_" the said ten pounds not to fall lower than it makes the ten ton to advance." The annexed engraving shows, as in No. 25, two cylinders B, C, with their steam-pipe and valve at A, having above a platform
on which is a loaded truck F, attached by a cord a, at one end passing over a pulley, and the drum wheel D, to the piston B; and a second cord at the other end passing over a pulley at à, attached in like manner to the other piston C. Steam having been admitted to B, on its condensation the piston descending draws along with it the weighted truck F, while the piston C, ascends, drawing in air at E.
We thus attain the strict letter of the conditions set down, the fall and the advance being equal.
28.
A Bridge portable in [upon a] a Cart with six horfes, which in a few hours time may be placed over a River half a mile broad, whereon with much expedition may [there may be] be tranfported Horfe, Foot and Cannon.
[A portable Brdge.] The great painter, Leonardo da Vinci, born in 1452, and who died at 67 years of age in 1520, was a man of singularly inventive talent. Among his other projects, he declares:_" I have the means of constructing light bridges, easy of carriage, and equally adapted to pursue or escape an enemy, secure from fire; and as easy to remove as to replace; and also the means of destroying those of the enemy." See an interesting Memoir of him by J. W. Brown. 12mo. 1828.
Bourne's 94th Device promises, "How you may make a bridge upon a sudden, that a whole army of men and their carriages may pass over any river or haven, if that it be of not too great breadth."_See his Inventions or Devices, 1578.
Sir Hugh Plat, in his "Jewel House of Art and Nature," 1653 shows, in arti Cannon mounted upon lt, with men to overlook, command and batter a Towne; for though it contain but four Pieces, they fhall be able to difcharge two hundred Bullets each hour.
[A Rising Bulwork.] Grose, in his " Military Antiquities," Vol. I. page 385, notices a moveable tower, the use of which was revived by the Royalists in their attack on GIoucester, during the Civil War.
In 1644, Edmond Felton, gentleman, published a pamphlet entitled, " Engins invented to save blood and moneys ;" the nature of which he " discovered unto the Committee for the fortifications of the City of London." The Honourable Major General Skippon attested in respect of it, that the engine " was of three tiers of ten muskets in a tier, to shoot arrows withal." The inventor satisfied the Committee, " how an engine will secure the foot from the horse, and the soldiers from musket shot, which engine in fair ways two men may manage at pleasure."
He complains of a piracy of his invention, observing, " There was about twenty of the said engines made at Oxford, and from thence carried to Gloucester, to go up to the walls. And had not his Excellency the Earl of Essex so happily arrived to raise the siege as he did, it was reported by some of the army, the city was in great fear to be taken thereby; most of which said engines the besiegers burnt, because they should not be taken."
In the second volume of " Bibliotheca Gloucestrensis: a collection of scarce and curious tracts, by John Washbourn, jun. Gloucester. 4to. 1825," there is a reprint of " Corbet's Historicall relation of the Military Government of Gloucester, 1645," which contains this passage: " Wherefore besides their mine and battery, they framed great store of those unperfect and troublesome engines to assault the lower parts of the city. Those engines ran upon wheels, with planks musket-proof placed on the axle-tree, with holes for musket-shot and a bridge before it, the end whereof (the wheels falling into the ditch) was to rest upon our breast works." Page 54.
And in the reprint of " A briefe and exact diurnall of the siege before Gloucester, by John Dorney, Esquire, 1643," we meet with the following:_"Munday, September 4. We understood likewise that the enemy had by the direction of that Jesuitticall Doctor Chillingworth, provided great store of engines after the manner of the Romane Testudines cum Pluteis, with which they intended to have assaulted the parts of the city, between the south and west gates. These engines ran upon cart wheeles, with a blinde of plankes musquet proofe, and holes for foure musquetiers to play out of, placed upon the axeltree to defend the musquetiers and those that thrust it forward, and carrying a bridge before it; the wheeles were to fall into the ditch, and the end of the bridge to rest upon our brest-workes, so making severall compleat bridges to enter the city. After the raising of the siege, we tooke all these engines, and brought them into the towne."_Page 225.
In the first volume of this work there is a note on the two preceding passages, in which the editor observes: _" The plan of these machines was borrowed from the ancients. Various contrivances of this kind were also employed in the middle ages, before and for a considerable time after the invention of fire-arms. Sometimes they used them for undermining the walls.- At the siege of Ribadavia in Spain, during the reign of Richard II. similar moveable machines were used. See Froissart, viii. c. 26. Such an engine is also mentioned by the Marquis of Worcester in his Century of Inventions."
31.
A way how fafely and fpeedily to make an approach to a Caftle or Town-wall, and over the very Ditch at Noon-day.
[An approaching Blinde.] Vegetius, in "De re militari," 1535, depicts and describes several kinds of these ancient military blinds, screens, and other contrivances and machines for protecting the attacking party. At page 15 he shows a ponderous advancing screen or shield on four wheels, and at two pages further a side view of the same, covering a large body of soldiers. Some have r 155 pages. The very extent of such a work is almost fatal to its acceptance and we must admit that it is questionable whether with all its learning and ingenuity, it affords a single hint calculated to promote the intended object.
In relation to this subject, the reader, desirous of enlarged information, could not do better than consult the recently published "Lectures on the Science of Language," by Professor Max Müller, M. A.
It would be highly interesting to possess any clue whatever to the ideas of the Marquis on this subject. He was so truthful in his statements, that he must have made a considerable advance in the discovery of means for obtaining the end proposed, although he may have over-estimated its application, according to our judgment.
Of early publications on this topic we would especially notice, "Le Caractere universel, par lequel toutes Nations peuvent comprendre les conceptions l'une de l'autre en lisant par une escriture commune, à toutes leur propre langage maternelle. Par Cave Beck. M.A." London, 1657, 12mo. Also "Joh. J. Becheri Spirensis character, pro Notitia Linguarum Universali . " Francfort,1661. And "Ars signorum, vulgo character universalis et lingua philosophica," by Georgius Dalgarno: a small 12 mo. volume in Latin. 1661.
A system of a universal alphabet has been recently proposed for telegraphic purposes, by means of which it is believed all the sounds of the human speech may be recorded and transmitted; mastering all the sounds which the human voice is capable of uttering in any language. The proposed scheme is even said to have been severely tested by many eminent linguists. It is to be hoped that the announced discovery will be found to realize all it promises, and remunerate the ingenious inventor.
33.
To write with a Needle and Thred, white, or any [any other] colour upon white, or [or upon] any other [other-omitted] colour, fo that one ftitch shall fignificantly shew any letter, and as readily and [and as. MS. and P.] as eafily shew the one letter as the other, and fit for any Language.
[A Needle-alphabet]
34.
To write by a knotted Silk ftring, fo that every knot shall fignifie any letter with Comma, Full point, or Interrogation, and as legible as with Pen and Ink upon white Paper. [A knotted String-alphabet.]
35.
The like, by the fringe of Gloves [A Fringe-alphabet.]
36.
By ftringing of Bracelets. [A Bracelet-alphabet.]
37.
By Pinck'd Gloves. [A Pinck'd Glove-alphabet.]
38.
By holes in the bottom of a Sieve.
[A Sieve-alphabet.]
39.
By a Lattin or [or candlestick lantern. P.] Plate Lanthorn.[plate candlestick Lanthorn]
[A Lanthorn-alphabet.]
40.
By the Smell.
41.
By the Tafte.
42.
By the Touch.
By thefe three Senfes as perfectly, diftinctly and unconfufedly, yea as - readily as by the fight.
[An alphabet by the -Smell; Taste; Touch.]
43.
How to vary each of thefe, fo that ten thoufand may know them, and yet[yet-omitted] keep the underftanding part from any but their Correfpondent.
[A variation of all and each of these.] We have here ten Alphabets, concluding with a variation on each, which, had it been given, would have at least increased the number to twenty, but that was by no means the limit. Cipher Alphabets are the least interesting portion of the " Century ;" we imagine we trace in them some of the Marquis's earliest studies, and fancy that later in life they were retained from fond recollections of the past.
These secret methods of corresponding are no longer of any service, and have no interest beyond what may attach to them in connection with the history of shorthand writing, wherein the object is rather dispatch than secrecy. Among early writers on the art of Senigraphy, and Stenography, are Bright, 1588, Bales 1590, Arnold Bostius, Trithemius 1600, Willis 1618, Dix 1633, Wilkins 1641, Cartwright 1652, Rich 1654,Falconer ("The Art of Secret Information,") 1685, with others.
John Baptista Porta, a Neapolitan of considerable eminence, born 1445, and who died in 1515, wrote " De Occultis Literarium No possibility of this."
In chapter 17, we are told " of secret and swift informations by the species of sound." Among others he names " Bells," as a species which " may be a sufficient means, whereby to communicate the thoughts;" and in chapter 18, he treats "concerning a language that may consist only of tunes and musical notes, without any articulate sound." And lastly, in chapter 2O, we have " Of informations by significatory fires and smokes."
Amang the " variations" the sense of Seeing may be employed, as proposed by Sir Hugh Plat in his " Jewel House of Art and Nature," 1653, in which he describes " How to speak by signs only without uttering of any word"_using the fingers and motions with them and the hands, which he calls a " conceited alphabet."_ Page 41.
Those who are curious in such matters, may see more at large in Dr. W. Hooper's Rational Recreations, ed. 1794 8vo. different methods of writing in cipher, commencing at p. 143, of 1st Vol._thus:_
To communicate intelligence by a pack of piquet cards._The musical dial._The corresponding spaces. _The musical cipher._Rules for deciphering._Example of a cipher written in arbitrary characters, and the words separate from each other._Visual correspondence; and, Correspondence by bells.
44.
To make a Key of a Chamber door, which to your fight hath its Wards and Rofe-pipe but Paperthick, and yet at pleasure in a minute of an hour fhall become a perfect Piftol, capable to fhoot through a Breft-plate commonly of Carabineproof, with Prime, Powder and Firelock, undifcoverable in a ftrangers hand.
[A Key-Pistol.] This mere piece of ingenuity, so pleasing to certain mechanics in working out mechanical trinkets, might be effected by causing the removal of the key handle to expose a sufficiently strong pistol barrel, while the " rose pipe but paper thick" would answer to receive, and perform the office of retaining the key handle securely, by which to hold it while firing this key-pistol. The next part of the contrivance would be, to make the "wards" serve to conceal the pistol pan, cock, &c. The description is well calculated to mislead the reader, under the impression that the barrel itself is "but paper-thick."
45.
How to light a Fire and a Candle at what hour of the night one awaketh, without rifing or putting ones hand out of the bed. And the fame thing [to be a. P.] becomes [becomes to be.] a ferviceable Piftol at pleafure; yet by a ftranger, not knowing the fecret, seemeth but a dexterous Tinder-box.
[A most conceited Tinder-box.] The following note from "Humane Industry," 1661, appears highly suggestive of such an instrument,although the Marquis's invention is more elaborate. " Andrew Alciat the great Civilian of France, had a kind of Clock in his chamber, that should awake him at any hour of the night that he determined, and when it struck the determined hour, it struck fire likewise out of a flint, which fell among tinder, to light him a candle: it was the invention of one Caravagio of Sienna in Italy."
46.
How to make an artificial Bird to fly which way and as long as one pleafeth, by or against the wind, fometimes chirping, other times hovering, ftill tending the way it is designed for.
[An artificial Bird.] The third article in his list of a portion of his inventions supplies a different reading, thus: "By this (his 'quint-essence of motion') I can make an artificial bird to fly which way, and as long as I please." [Appendix A.]
The Marquis, not to be behind the curious and ingenious men of ancient times, has here and in article No. 18, emulated John Muller of Nuremberg, better known as Regiomontanus, who was born in 1436. He is celebrated for this species of rara avis; a selfmoving and flying eagle, and an iron fly have afforded much matter for romantic and no doubt exaggerated accounts of their performances; the one flying a good way in the open air and returning; the other flying from the philosopher round a table and coming back to his hand. He evinced a genius of the first order as a great inventor, and also as a promot be heard."
So again Isaac De Caus' in his " Rare Inventions of Water Works," folio, 1659, at page 20, gives instructions_" To counterfeit the voice of small birds by means of water and air." And in Plate XIV. "To represent divers birds which shall sing diversly when an owl turns towards them; and when the said owl turns back again they shall cease their singing."
These later examples show that the Marquis, was neither altogether original nor singular in attempting improvements in these automatic toys, which from the time of Hero of Alexandria were accounted sufficiently wonderful evidence of mechanical ingenuity to attract the serious attention of even the most talented engineers of the last century. Of such mechanical achievements of the ingenious a full account may be read in Montucla's edition of Ozanam's " Mathematical Recreations."
Volant automata, as he calls them, did not escape the attentive consideration of Bishop Wilkins, and he says enough on this class of mechanical curiosities to have stimulated the mechanical ingenuity of even a less enthusiastic inventor than the Marquis of Worcester, as of the wooden dove of Archytas, and the wooden eagle and iron fly of Regiomontanus.
The Marquis, if he ever perused the little treatise just quoted, would be keenly alive to the truthfulness of the remark that_" it is none of the meanest discouragements, that any strange inventions are so generally derided by common opinion, being esteemed only as the dreams of a melancholy and distempered fancy; for that saying of Virgil "Demens qui nimbos et non imitabile fulmen," &c.
" hath been an old censure applied unto such as ventured upon any strange or incredible attempt."_See Math. Magick, 1648, p. 198.
The Rev. Dr. Powell, in the last chapter of his "Humane Industry," 1661, treats of various minute automata as_" Certain sports and extravagancies of art," for which he offers an ingenious apology, observing: "As nature hath her ludicra, so art hath hers too; that is, some pretty knacks that are made, not so much for use, as to show subtilty of wit, being made de Gaieté de Coeur, and for pastime as it were; yet the workmanship and elegancy of these may justly deserve admiration;" concluding_" art, as well as nature, is never more wonderful than in smaller pieces." After describing small chains, locks, chariots, ships, clocks, and insects, he remarks:_" though these knacks are but little useful, and take up more time than needed to be lost, yet they discover a marvellous pregnancy of wit in the artificers; and may be experimentaenta lucifera, if not frugifera hints of greater matters."
It will not appear strange to find the inventor of the steam engine engaged toying with an artificial bird, an imprisoning chair, a brazen head, or a riding horse,when it is remembered that for a hundred years later such automata were highly prized by the nobility and gentry, and proved extemely lucrative to the public exhibitors of such mechanical imitations of life. M. Vaucanson's inventions were of this chararcter, attracting admiring audiences among the learned and the vulgar, on the Continent and in England. A learned society received his communication in Paris, while in London it had the unquestionable honour of being translated by Dr. Desaguliers, who says in his preface, " In giving this paper an English dress, I am still acting in my province, which has been for many years to explain the works of art, as well as the phenomena of nature;" and his translation is given under the following elaborate title:_
"An account of the mechanism of an automaton or image playing on the German Flute: as it was presented in a memoire to the gentlemen of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. By M. Vaucanson, Inventor and maker of the said machine. Together with a description of an artificial Duck, eating, drinking, macerating the food, &c. As also that of another image, no less wonderful than the first, playing on the tabor and pipe; as he has given an account of them since the memoir was written. Translated out of the French origin with fit landing places to the beft Chambers of each Story, with Backftairs within the Noell [Noell, in the MS.] of it, convenient for Servants to pafs up and down to the inward Rooms of them unfeen and private.
[A scru'd ascent of Stairs.] This title does not strictly agree with the text, for there is a material difference between " a screwed ascent, instead of stairs," and a screwed ascent of stairs;" the former altogether dispenses with stairs, giving the idea of an inclined 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 "back-stairs within the noell, that is, the Noel, Nowel, Nooyau, 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 274 steps, is mentioned by Palladio; he notices it as a wonderful piece of work, from its construction having occupied 1800 workmen during twelve years. "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." _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 being come down, finding the coaft proving [proveth insecure for him. P.] [proveth] unfecure unto him.
[A Tobacco-tongs Engine.] The designation here given, when published in 1663, was doubtless generally understood, but the smallness of the " engine," its very nature, and not less, its long discontinuance of use now renders the passage obscure. It so happens, however, that a scientific experiment, in which this humble instrument was employed by the Honourable Robert Boyle, has preserved, for our information in this matter, the true figure of the " tobacco-tongs." In the 3rd Volume of Boyle's Works, folio, published in 1744,is recorded his pneumatical experiments on the falling of bodies in vacuo. Treating of "New experiments physico-mechanical, touching the spring of the air," illustrated by the well-known experiment of dropping at the same time a guinea and a feather within an exhausted glass receiver, he says: " We so fastened a small pair of tobacco-tongs to the inside of the receiver's brass cover, that by moving a turning key, we might by a string tied to one part of them open the tongs, which else their own spring would keep shut."
50.
A complete light portable Ladder, which taken out of ones Pocket, may be by himfelf faftened an hundred foot[feet. P.] high to get up by from the ground.
[A Pocket-ladder.] There are many curious and ingenious designs for portable scaling ladders, offered by Vegetius in " De Re miilitari," 1535, but which would require to be very considerably modified to become pocketable; however, they occur in every variety at page 35, in short pieces, each with a screw at one end, and a socket at the other; at p. 59, as a neat rope ladder; at p. 113, on the principle of the Iazy- tongs; and at p. 162, a method of connecting short poles is exhibited.
Robert Fludd, in the second book of his works, published in 1617 and 1618, folio, page 414, gives a large copper-plate engraving of a very ingenious form of ladder. Each step is of wood, and the two sides of rope. The ingenuity of the invention consists in each step having a ferrule at one end, and the opposite end tapered sufficiently to fit into each ferrule of the adjoining step; by this means the whole can be put together like an ordinary fishing rod, and the top step terminating with a hook, it ca prison; and this engine is only three fingers high and four broad."
51.
A Rule of Gradation, which with eafe and method reduceth all things to a private correfpondence, moft ufeful for fecret Intelligence.
[A Rule of Gradation.] Probably some scheme which appeared to be capable of indefinite multiplication, the object of the secret correspondent always being to elude the utmost skill of an expert decipherer. Twenty-six lines of 26 letters of the alphabet each, would form a square; and supposing the letters placed in different order on each line, we might produce 26 linear alphabets, and 26 columnar alphabets; or change these by diagonal or other lines. These, and similar variations appear interminable, but it is questionable whether they would not delay rather than defy detection.
52.
How to fignifie words and a perfect Difcourse by [by the] jangling of [of the.] Bells of any Parish-CHurch, or by an Mufical Inftrument within hearing, in a feeming way of tuning it; or of an unfkilful beginner.
[A mysticall jangling of Bells.] There occurs at page 185, of Van Etten's Math. Recreat. 1653, among the several heads of Problem 84, "Of changes in Bells." He inquires: "Is it not an admirable thing to consider how the skill of numbers doth easily furnish us with the knowledge of mysterious hidden things?" He says: "It is often debated- what number of changes there might be made in 5, 6, 7, 8, or more bells;" observing thereone, "that a childe which can but multiply one number by another, may easily resolve it." Not only have we here a kindred subject discussed, but also in language very analogous to that employed by the Marquis, particularly in the use of the words "mysterious," "admirable," and "a child;" the latter being a favourite similitude.
53.
A way how to make hollow and cover a Water-fcrue as big and as long as one pleafeth in an eafie and cheap way.
[An hollowiny of a Water-scrue.] This was probably no more than an ingenious piece of carpentry, to obtain an object which was then most likely of considerable importance. Three of his inventions refer to the Archimedian screw, so that the Marquis seems to have given the subject more than ordinary attention.
54.
How to make a Water-fcrue tite, and yet tranfparent, and free from breaking; but fo clear, that one may palpably fee the water or any heavy thing how and why it is mounted by turning.
[A transparent Water-scrue.] This invention does not appear to be offered as one of any other use than for pleasure and instruction, to " see the water or any heavy thing, how and why it mounteth by turning." Was it not by such models that he had early informed his own mind?
If the transparent covering was not to be glass or horn, the Marquis may have used the material proposed by Sir Hugh Plat in his " Jewel House of Art and Nature," 1653, in which is given, at page 72, a recipe " To make parchment clear and transparent to serve for divers purposes. This I commend, (he says) before oiled paper, because it is more lasting"_when employed for windows.
55.
A double Water-fcrue, the innermoft to mount the water, and the outermoft for it to defcend more in number of shreds, and confequently in quantity of water, though much fhorter then the innermoft fcrue, by whicih the water afcendeth, a moft extraordinary help for the turning of the fcrue to make the water rife.
[A double Water-scrue.] The arrangement of this simple invention is so clearly and amply set forth, that it is a wonder it could ever have been misunderstood; yet it so baffled Mr. Partington, that he c]asses it among " extraordinary sleight of hand discoveries."
M. Pattu, a French engineer, in 1815, published his account of a double water-screw of this description which he had invented, capable of being applied in three different ways, the construction, however, in all being the same. In one arrangement, the enlarged end of the screw is about one-eighth part that of the entire length of the internal or lesser screw, and it surrounds the " innermost" screw, the spirals winding in a reversed direc