354: INTRODUCTION 



can but be taken as representing one invention vari 

 ously applied. These examples would remove four 

 other inventions from the list, thereby reducing the 

 number of inventions, due to the Marquis of Worcester 

 in the Century, to 92. But this rather explains the 

 plan adopted in indicating the several inventions, and in 

 no way detracts from the value of the work. 

 The Inventions may be thus classified : 



3 refer to Seals and Watches. 



2 ... Games 



2 ... Arithmetic and Perspective. 



6 ... Automata. 



23 . . . Ciphers, Correspondence, and Signals. 

 10 . . . Domestic affairs 



9 ... Mechanical appliances. 

 32 . . / Naval and Military affairs. 

 13 . . . Hydraulics and the Water Engine. 



Too 



The very incongruous character of these matters is 

 suggestive of their having occurred to the inventive 

 mind of the Marquis at very different times, at remote 

 intervals, and under varied circumstances $ they might 

 occasionally have resulted from his reading, his studies, 

 or his experiments. He evidently availed himself of 

 every suggestion that either reading, accident, expe 

 rience, or travel threw in his way. His domestic life 

 led to light, amusive, and mechanical exercises ; while 

 his military operations drew him to consider improve 

 ments in ordnance, fire-arms, and military and naval 

 affairs generally. 



All we know regarding the origin of the work itself 

 is derived from the author s title page, wherein he 

 states that it was written in 1655, his &quot;former notes&quot; 

 then u being lost.&quot; He consequently sets down &quot; at 



