WITH NOTES. 507 



montanus his wooden eagle, are not much doubted of. 

 Questionless, those persons did make some kind of 

 engines to perform what was considerable in this art 

 of flying. Busbequius his story of the Turk at Con 

 stantinople, that attempted to fly, is not doubted. Nor 

 are other relations of late attempts made in Germany, 

 and elsewhere disbelieved. We have not wanted late 

 instances, even here in England, of several ingenious 

 men who have employed their wits and time about this 

 design. Particularly, I have been credibly informed, 

 that one Mr. Gascoyn did about 40 years since try it 

 with good effect ; though he since dying, the thing also 

 died with him. And even now there are not wanting 

 some in England who affirm themselves able to do it, 

 and that they have proved as much by experiment. 



&quot; But of all these, we have little or no account of the 

 ways they have taken to effect their designs, and 

 therefore conjectures will be much at random ; only we 

 may conclude them defective in somewhat or other, 

 since we do not find them brought into common use, 

 which the desirableness and usefulness of any one that 

 should succeed would certainly cause it to be. I shall 

 desist therefore from inquiry further concerning them, 

 and acquaint you with two ways lately published in 

 print, and more particularly described, which pretended 

 to some considerable performance of this kind/ 



The first is inserted in the &quot; Journal des Scavans&quot; 

 of the year 1678. 



Then follow a letter on the subject, and an account 

 of Lana s flying chariot. The latter is like a boat with 

 wheels and sails ; the former was the invention of 

 of Sieur Besnier, a smith of Sable in the county of 

 Maine. The engraving represents a nude figure with 

 two poles held horizontally on each shoulder, about 

 the centre, and having at each end flags or wings, in 



