Adams's " Variable " Microscope. By Edward M. Nelson. 183 



After Newton he was the greatest English scientist of that 

 time. He was exceedingly clever, exceedingly shy, very wealthy. 

 and had a house full of scientific apparatus. 



Now obviously there was just a shade of plagiarism about the 

 design ; it therefore suited Henry Cavendish to remain anonymous, 

 and it suited George Adams to throw the responsibility of its pro- 

 duction upon the broad shoulders of a " noble person." The whole 

 story fits the historical facts of the case. 



So we see that we owe the present form of our Microscope first 



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Fig. 30.— Powell, 1840. 



to Francois Watkins * (mother probably French), and secondly to 

 Henry Cavendish, who, by attaching the joint to the centre of 

 gravity of the limb, made it a practical type, which has lasted to 

 the present time. 



The figures 25 to 30 show the several steps in the evolution of 

 the modern Microscope in their chronological order. 



Fig. 30 shows the highest type of this class of Microscope, for in 

 design it is far in advance of its many imitations. The author, 

 who has constantly used this instrument for rough work during a 



* Author of L'Exercice du Microscope. Lcndoa : Charing Cross,' 1754. 



