422 Prof. Watuace on the Invention of the Pantograph, 
clared farther, that in the drawing of any figure whatsoever, he 
was so assured of accuracy, that he could pass at once from form- 
ing the feet to represent the nose ; then, after producing the 
hands, he could pass from them to delineate the eyes, or any 
other part. All these copies he asserted he could make either 
equal to, greater, or less than the original ; which alone required 
to be seen, but always most exactly true: he never looking at 
the copy he made, although he could point out and designate 
any part of it he pleased. 
“ Upon hearing these particulars, and many more like them 
which he told me, being inflamed with a desire to learn his in- 
vention, I asked him to communicate it, promising to recompense 
the benefit by disclosing to him some similar and equivalent 
discoveries in the art of painting, which I thought were not com- 
monly known. He replied, that he valued his invention so 
highly, that so far from thinking that any thing comparable with 
it existed, he did not believe that such could be even imagined ; 
in fact, that it was not a human so much as a divine invention, 
which he thought had been brought and disclosed to him by no 
human efforts, but rather by some celestial genius. Therefore 
he declared that he could not bring his mind to barter a secret 
of that nature for any others whatsoever. 
“T begged that at least he would give me some specimen of 
his art, by copying a picture before me. He replied, that to ex- 
ercise his art before a bystander, was the same thing as teaching 
it, for he that saw it practised could not fail to learn to imitate 
it. 
“ Confounded beyond belief at this assertion, I asked him se- 
riously if he was advancing fables or facts, hyperboles or the na- 
ked truth ? He declared that he said even less than truth war- 
ranted. 
“ Upon this I, more full of admiration than ever, again in- 
quired, how, if the artist was guided by seeing the original only, 
he could direct the copying pen or pencil without error? He 
6 
