360 INTRODUCTION 



datur vacuum, that is to say, Nature will not admit of 

 any vacuity or emptinesse. For some or other of the 

 Elements, but especially Ay re and Water, doe insert 

 themselves into all manner of concavities, or hollow- 

 nesses, in, or upon the earth, whether they are such 

 as are formed either by Art or Nature.&quot; Through 

 82 pages the same subject of Water-works is carefully 

 examined, and at page 57, is a description with 

 engravings of &quot; the Watermill or Engine neare the 

 North end of London Bridge. 7 



In the composition of the &quot;Century,&quot; we notice 

 several peculiarities which may sometimes be accounted 

 for by the writer having caught the style of certain 

 English authors. In a letter dated 30th of August, 

 1646, he quotes the proverb, &quot; a child burned dreads the 

 fire,&quot; and in the &quot; Century&quot; we find the word &quot;child! 

 occurring six times to indicate little power or strength 

 being required. The word &quot; conceited&quot; is used three 

 times in the sense of ingeniously contrived. All these 

 modes of expression are also peculiar to Bate, Plat, and 

 the translation of Van Etten. The &quot; twinkling of an eye&quot; 

 is an expression used twice. The article No. 15, is 

 &quot; A boat driving against wind and tide ;&quot; in Humane 

 Industry, 1661, appears &quot; a way to drive their ships 

 without oar.&quot; The term &quot; admirable&quot; is common to 

 Bate and to the Marquis 5 and so is another, that of the 

 word &quot;force&quot; peculiarly used in article No. 68, when 

 he speaks of the &quot; vessels&quot; being &quot; strengthened by the 

 force within them:&quot; really meaning no more, as 

 appears, than some kind of pump-force or plunger 

 acting the part of a valve to diminish any superabun 

 dant steam pressure ; and not, as is perplexingly sup 

 posed, that he had some contrivance for making the 

 expansive force of the steam within the boiler act 

 of itself to strengthen the vessel ! 



