Dr. Moll on the Invention of Telescopes. 323 



of doing great service. That he apprehends that, in the mean- 

 time, other persons might imitate his invention, building on the 

 foundations which he had laid, by the grace of God, with his 

 ingenuity, great labour, and intense study, and by these means 

 might frustrate him, and rob him of the fruits which he has a 

 right to expect with great confidence of this invention ; and, 

 therefore, he prays their High Mightinesses to grant him a 

 privilege (octroi), by which every one, not possessing the said 

 invention at present, is prohibited from imitating this instru- 

 ment, or even from selling or purchasing instruments made 

 contrary to this privilege, without his express leave, and on a 

 fine of a hundred florins on each instrument; and that this 

 privilege is to last twenty years, or, instead of a privilege, to 

 allow him [such a remuneration as will be adequate to the 

 utility and service likely to be derived from this invention.' 



In the margin of the petition the following appointment is 

 written : ' The petitioner is exhorted to make further investi- 

 gations, to bring his invention to greater perfection ; when his 

 prayer for a privilege will be taken into consideration. 

 ' Actum, 17 October, 1608. 1 



With the signature of Aersens/ the then Secretary of the 

 States. 



If we are disposed to give full credit to Adriaansz, whom, 

 for brevity sake, we will call Metius in future, it appears that 

 he began the researches which led him to the invention of the 

 telescope as far back as 1606 ; that the invention was due to 

 chance, and occurred while its author was trying other experi- 

 ments ; that he spent subsequently much time and labour upon 

 it ; but that in 1608, when he sent in his petition, his instru- 

 ment was made of bad materials, and might be much im- 

 proved. At the same time he readily admits that another 

 person, a spectacle-maker of Middelburg, had offered before 

 him a similar instrument to the States, which had been tried 

 by Prince Maurice and other persons, and he gives us to 

 understand that his instrument is equal to that of his compe- 

 titor. Nothing is said which enables us to judge of the per- 

 formance of either instrument. 



Mr. Van Swinden examined the written Acts and Journals 

 of the States-General of that time with great care. These 



