496 THE CENTUKY, 



as &quot;lately deceased/ * So that in 1699 Thomas 

 Savery was left in full possession of the field he 

 had entered upon. The facts and dates now fur 

 nished, are not very favourable to the genuineness of 

 Savery s Invention. For it is not likely that all trace of 

 the u Water-commanding Engine&quot; would have been lost 

 between 1670 and 1699, when Kal toff s family were 

 still living, as also many persons who had witnessed 

 the performance of the great engine at Vauxhall. It 

 is true that the last we hear of it is not later than 1670, 

 but it was then the property of the Dowager Marchio 

 ness, who died in 1681, and her Ladyship would most 

 likely, from respect, as well as from personal interest 

 in the matter, not permit the engine to be sold or 

 destroyed. Then from 1681 to 1699, reduces the pro 

 bability of its existence up to a period within 18 years, 

 taking the dates to the uttermost limit, although we 

 can easily understand that for the whole or a large 

 portion of those 18 years Savery was in possession of all 

 the facts he would require for coming before the public 

 on the decease of Kaltoff, the Dowager Marchioness 

 of Worcester, and the Duke of Beaufort ; the latter being 

 the last party interested in the invention, and likely, 

 during his life, to frustrate such a design. 



But what papers could he procure at Paternoster 

 Row for destruction ? 1. There was a pamphlet, being 

 the Definition and Act, the latter printed in black 

 letter. 2. There was the &quot; Definition&quot; itself, printed 

 in the form of a posting bill. And, 3, there was the 

 &quot; Century.&quot; All these were printed 1663 to 1664, and 

 are editions which are now remarkably scarce. There 

 are only about three copies of the Act, and one of the 

 u Definition,&quot; known to exist, while the few copies of 



* See Appendix G. 



