WITH NOTES. 505 



Nature, &c.&quot; published in 12mo. 1659, treating &quot; Of 

 admirable artificial instruments,&quot; the following occurs 

 among other inventions : &quot; It is possible to make 

 engines for flying, a man sitting in the midst whereof, 

 by turning only about an instrument, which moves 

 artificial wings made to beat the air, much after the 

 fashion of a bird s flight.&quot; Chap. iv. page 17. He states 

 that he has seen all his other named inventions, 

 u excepting only that instrument of flying, which I 

 never saw, or know any who hath seen it, though I 

 am exceedingly acquainted with a very prudent man, 

 who hath invented tlie whole artifice&quot; 



The learned Dr. Eobert Hooke, Professor of Geometry 

 at Gresham College, in 1655, made many ineffectual 

 trials to accomplish this object, which he communi 

 cated to the celebrated Bishop Wilkins, who considered 

 his plans were very ingenious. 



Lord Bacon was not above recommending experi 

 mental investigation of means for flying. And Bishop 

 Wilkins suggests, that the most obvious way for effecting 

 the desired purpose is &quot; by wings fastened immediately 

 to the body, this coming nearest to the imitation of 

 nature ;&quot; and further, a this is that way which Frederi- 

 cus Hermannus [Flayder], in his little discourse, De 

 Arte volandi, doth only mention and insist upon.&quot; 



In 1679, Dr. Eobert Hooke, while Secretary of the 

 Eoyal Society, published &quot; Lectiones Cutlerianae, a 

 collection of Lectures made before the Eoyal Society,&quot; 

 4to. consisting of a series of pamphlets, among 

 which, No. 1 of the &quot; Philosophical Collections,&quot; con 

 tains eleven articles, the fourth being, &quot; An account of 

 the Sieur Bernier s way of Flying,&quot; as follows : 



&quot; Having lately seen an account from France of a 

 person there, who, with some considerable success, has 

 attempted to raise and sustain himself, and so to move 



