xiv PREFACE. 



over. Take this instance of the steam engine. We find a 

 talented Scotch writer wondering that Englishmen take 

 the trouble to claim the invention of the steam engine 

 for the Marquis of Worcester, because of the &quot; doubt 

 fulness&quot; existing respecting it, at the same time that he 

 accompanies this statement with a large amount of 

 evidence, but evidence which he does not fully admit. 

 He thus places himself very much in the position of a 

 philosopher, who should adopt as his theory some 

 peculiar notion to the effect that the letter A, or the 

 numeral 1, could be dispensed with, in consequence of 

 some &quot; doubtfulness existing&quot; in respect to its value ; 

 and that, indeed, to retain either any longer would only 

 be evidence of a &quot; little national rivalry.&quot; Although 

 this may appear too absurd in this light, something 

 very similar has been proposed as a kind of compromise 

 in the contest between England and France, the &quot; little 

 national rivalry&quot; between which countries might be 

 settled, would Englishmen but give up all further 

 advocacy of the Marquis of Worcester s claim. This is 

 not the reason given, but it is the happy result which 

 would follow ; and it is urged against the invention, 

 that there is so much &quot; doubtfulness existing&quot; about it, 

 that it is a wonder any one takes further trouble in the 

 matter. So far as we can see, its value is A, or 1, it 

 is the first of a series, it is the golden hinge, or link, on 

 which all hangs; take this away, and we sever the 

 head from the main body. Will any one in future be 

 found to take up and maintain so foolish a line of argu 

 ment ? The Marquis of Worcester was unquestionably 

 the Inventor of the Steam Engine in the first of its 

 three stages, as a fire engine. Previous to the Marquis 

 of Worcester, all that had been done, was solely in the 

 series developing a principle, a mere idea, but still no 

 invention, in the proper sense of such a term, as applied 



