TO THE CENTURY. 373 



We must estimate the Marquis of Worcester by his 

 general character. His natural taste and domestic 

 habits led him into mechanical studies, while his large 

 fortune enabled him to retain a paid mechanic in his 

 service for nearly forty years, expending many thou 

 sands of pounds in experimental and practical trials of 

 engines, machines, automata, naval and military works, 

 and great guns and fire-arms. In his private life he 

 was strictly honourable, virtuous, consistent, and free 

 from all narrow or bigoted views, either in politics or 

 religion. So adverse, however, did the course of events 

 prove to him, that his loyalty and his religion com 

 bined, can alone be named against him as his greatest 

 misfortune. His u Century&quot; has been preserved to 

 these times, but all his other works which might have 

 thrown a fuller light on his inventions have perished. 

 Whether books and papers belonging to him were pro 

 cured and burnt, according to the story relating to such 

 an incident, is now past discovery ; but it is abundantly 

 evident that the great scarcity of information which 

 exists, has led to the propagation of many unfounded 

 statements, and given undue weight to others purely 

 conjectural. That which cannot be established by 

 producing positive evidence, is too often only compli 

 cated by hazarding opinions irrespective of reasonable 

 evidence, or worse, in the face of reasonable grounds 

 for contrary statements. The &quot; Century&quot; stands alone 

 in the languages of the civilized world, the strange 

 monument of a strong mind, seeking its full develop 

 ment in a prejudiced age, striking into new paths 

 which society could not comprehend, and which it 

 therefore would not patronise. 



H. D. 



Blacklicath, Kent, November, 1864. 



