TO THE CENTURY. 357 



renowned Eoger Bacon, born in 1212, and who died 

 at Oxford in 1292, celebrated for his proficiency in 

 mathematics, mechanics, and chemistry. In his &quot; Dis 

 covery of miracles of Art,&quot; published 1659, there occurs 

 the following passage : u A man may easily make an 

 instrument, whereby one man may, in despite of all 

 opposition, draw a thousand men to himself, or any 

 other thing, which is tractable/ 



The Marquis has left in manuscript a list of nine 

 inventions, due to the &quot; Quint-essence of Motion,&quot; by 

 means of which, he says in the 8th section, &quot; I can 

 stop any other man s motion, and render it null, since 

 from any point of the compass, I can forcibly and 

 effectually cause a counter-buff, or absolute obstruction 

 to such motion, which way I please ; all ways being 

 indifferent to me, to work a perfect resistance, and to 

 countermine their intentions, or to force their motions 

 a clear contrary way.&quot;* 



What may be the meaning of either statement it is 

 difficult to imagine ; or even to decide whether they 

 be really allied to each other, for although in some 

 respects alike, each is very enigmatical. 



We have also given in the &quot; Life,&quot; at page 216, a copy 

 of a MS. list of heads of some inventions, among which 

 occurs : &quot; Intelligence at a distance communicative, and 

 not limited to distance, nor by it the time prolonged.&quot; 

 The wording of which article as clearly as possible ex 

 presses what in modern times has actually been attained 

 by the magnetic and the electric telegraph. The &quot; not 

 limited to distance,&quot; and the &quot; time not prolonged&quot; ap 

 pear conclusive. Wires, tubes, or other mechanical means 

 of communication would necessarily be &quot; limited to 

 distance;&quot; and that which alone we believe to be 



* Appendix A. 



