[ I02 ] 



Swift and Voltaire, the three great modern mafters of ridicule, 

 have in various fhapes the fame ideas, and are alike difpofed to 

 confound the ingenious and the extravagant. The beft way of 

 parrying the ftrokc of ridicule is to receive it with good humour ; 

 laugh with thofe who laugh, and perfeverc with thofe who la- 

 bour, fhould be the motto of men who pofTefs the powers of 

 invention. 



The late Dodor Johnfon, who in his Raffelas ridiculed the idea 

 of the art of flying, lived long enough to fee the afcent of the 

 iirft air balloon. 



Several attempts have been made to convey ideas by founds 

 louder than the human voice. Even the voice of Stentor was 

 infufiicient to reach a whole army, and the fpeaking trumpet* 

 was invented to convey the orders of the general in the field of 

 battle. It is mentioned in ^fchylus ; and Alexander is faid to 

 have poffeffed a trumpet of fuch aftonifhing powers as to convey 

 his commands to the diftancc of one hundred ftadia, nearly 

 twelve miles. 



Those who wifh to turn their attention to the improvement 

 of fpeaking trumpets, of tubes, or of buildings for magnifying 



found, 



* Sir T. Morland and Kircher difputed long and loudly their refpeiflive claims to 

 the invention of the fpeaking trumpet. It is finguiar that the latter fliouid forget the 

 ftentorophonic tube of Alexander, the figure of which is preferved in the Vatican. 



