INTRODUCTION. 



THE Middle Ages are usually considered to have 

 closed between 1490 and 1500, only one century pre 

 vious to the birth of that Marquis of Worcester to whom 

 posterity is indebted for his ever memorable publication, 

 the &quot; Century of Inventions, 7 of which a reprint is now 

 before the reader. It records the earliest full, though 

 brief, sketch of a practically working Steam-Engine ; 

 an invention which, whether in relation to the age 

 in which it was produced, or the difficulties under 

 which it was wrought out, cannot be considered other 

 wise than as a marvellous effort of ingenuity. The 

 literature and science of that era, as compared with 

 the progressive stages of improvement distinguishing 

 the two succeeding centuries, were barren and meagre 

 indeed. Hallam justly observes : u Learning, which is 

 held pusillanimous by the soldier, unprofitable by the 

 merchant, and pedantic by the courtier, stands in need 

 of some countenance from the ruling powers before 

 whom all three bow down.&quot; But even at that early 

 period Leonardo da Vinci, born 1452, had anticipated 

 Lord Bacon in the universally accepted principle, that 

 experiment and observation must ever be the only sure 

 guides to the forming of just theories in the investiga 

 tion of nature. 



The &quot; Century of Inventions&quot; derives its name rather 

 from the circumstance of the work containing one hun 

 dred articles, than the same number of inventions. Its 



