38 Chaiiot tVay-wifer. 



tronas;e that Dr. Spratt wrote his excellent Hlftory of th- 

 Royaf Society— the fineft piece of Englifli profe tnat was pro- 

 duced in the fevtnlecnlh century. 



[To be coiuinued-] 



VI. Chariot IVay-wiJer—Vedometer— known to the Antients, 

 By Mr. R. Heron. 



To Mr. T'lUoch. 



SIR, 



1 PERCEIVE, bv fome excellent articles which have at dif- 

 ferent times appeared in your Magazine, that you arc not 

 av^-^" to illuarate the fciences and arts by the lights ot clal- 

 fical en.»-.;.^j^ j cannot pretend that there is much erudi- 

 tion in having .^^^icularly remarked the following paffage ui 

 the life ot the 1^^,^^^^^ emperor Pertinax by Julius Capito- 

 limis. But it certaiujjj oyinces at lead one ingenious mode 

 of mechanical art, which -, v^ad fuppofed pecuhar to the mo- 

 derns, to havej on the contrary, hai a difiinft exiftence like- 

 v^ife among the antieuts. 



This paffage occurs where the biographer has occafion to 

 relate, that Pcrtinax, to find money for a donativ.e to the fol- 

 diers of the prcetorian guard, fold oK, by a nine days auflion, 

 the fumptuous dreffes, furniture, and curiofities of art, with 

 which Coiaraodus had filled the palace. It is a part of an 

 abridged inventory of the things fold at that audlion. It 

 confids of two claufes : I fpeak, for the prefent, chiefly of the 

 latter. 



" T. V^ehicula, arte fabricata lova, pcrplexis diverfisque 

 rotaruP orbibu«, et exquifitis fedJibus, — nunc ad folem de- 

 clinan.lum, nunc ad fpiritus opportmitatem, per vertiginem: 

 3. Et alia, ilcr metienlia, et horas nonftrantia." 



" I. Carriages of a new con(tru6lion, with wheels of dif- 

 ferent diameters, and curioufly conned.ed with one another, 

 and with feats of a peculiar and exqiifite contrivance ; in 

 which vehicles the rider could at pleafurc. fhade himfelf from 

 the fun, and was in no danger of getting out of breath ; fo 

 eafy was their motion at Its utmoll Iwiftnifs. 2. Alfo other 

 carna<res, which had contrivances to meafure the diftances 

 over which they were driven, and to counl the hoars fpent 

 in the journey." 



Here are two forts of carriages mentioned, both of new 

 conftruttion. The former, remarkable for the eafe of their 



motion. 



