TO THE CENTURY. 363 



amounting to seventeen, are chemical, medicinal, agri 

 cultural, and mechanical. In 1632, Thomas Greiit 

 patented six inventions, not one of which is otherwise 

 described than after this manner : &quot; First. An instru 

 ment very profitable when common windes doe fail, 

 for a more speedy passage of calmed shipps, or other 

 vessels upon the sea or great rivers, which may be 

 called the wind s mate.&quot; In 1G36, Sir John C. Van Berg 

 patented eight inventions, specified after this manner : 

 (First) &quot; Diverse mechanicke instruments and frames 

 operating by waights, soe to bee fitted and ordered that 

 the force and strength of them may bee augmented or 

 diminished either in regard of the instruments them 

 selves, or in respecte of the number of workmen to be em 

 ployed aboute them accordinge as occasion or necessitie 

 shall require; &c.&quot; In 1646, Captain Bulmer gave 

 Emanuel College, Cambridge, a certificate of four 

 hydraulic and mechanical inventions. In 1659, an 

 account of Roger Bacon s &quot; admirable artificial instru 

 ments&quot; was published, relating to ships, chariots, flying, 

 scaling ladders, diving bell, &c. So that there was no 

 lack of precedents for the form adopted in treating the 

 multifarious subjects recorded in the &quot; Century.&quot; But, 

 indeed, had no other existed, he had a sufficient example 

 in the vague patent specifications that his predecessors, 

 and he himself (in 1661), lodged as sufficient and 

 valid instruments to secure a right in the matters therein 

 specified. And in confirmation of this we have only to 

 place in juxta-position the fore-named patent of 1661, 

 and the &quot; Century,&quot; to see at once the close resemblance 

 between the two ; thus No. 1, is the 78th article, No. 2, 

 the 58th, No. 3, the 19th, and No. 4, the 15th article of 

 the &quot; Century,&quot; copied almost verbatim.* We, therefore, 



See Appendix B. 



