51G THE CENTURY, 



u Life, Times, &c.&quot; page 316, the present article is 

 briefly stated to be : &quot; A brass head capable to receive 

 at the ear a whisper, and the mouth thereof to render 

 answer in any language to the interrogator.&quot; 



In u The famous History of Frier Bacon,&quot; [1630?] a 

 black letter quarto of 24 leaves unpaged, the fifth article 

 relates, &quot; How Frier Bacon made a brazen head to 

 speak, by the which he would have walled England about 

 with brass.&quot; He and Friar Bungcy, it is stated, &quot;with 

 great study and pains so framed a head of brass, that 

 in the inward parts thereof there was all things like 

 as in a natural man s head.&quot; 



The same account may be read at length in the 

 modernised edition of &quot; Early English Prose Romances,&quot; 

 edited by W. J. Thorns, F.S.A., first volume, 12mo. 

 1858, page 205. The unfortunate head only survived 

 to speak thrice, and then fell to pieces ! 



See also &quot; Miscellanea Aiitiqua Aiiglicana,&quot; London, 

 Printed for Robert Triphook, 1816, 4to. Vol. I. 



In the &quot; Inventions or Devices,&quot; by William Bourne, 

 1578, &quot;The 113th Device is, as touching the making 

 of strange works, as the brazen head that did seem to 

 speak, or birds of wood or metal made by art to fly, 

 and birds made of wood or metal to sing sweetly at 

 certain hours appointed, &c., which the common people 

 doth marvel at.&quot; He then proceeds to say : 



&quot; As touching the making of any strange works that 

 the world hath marvelled at, as the brazen head that 

 did seem to speak: and the serpent of brass for to 

 hiss : or a dove of wood for to fly : or an eagle made 

 by art of wood and other metal to fly ; and birds made 

 of brass, tin, or other metal to sing sweetly, and such 

 other like devices, some have thought that it hath been 

 done by enchantment, which is no such thing, but that 

 it hath been done by wheels, as you may see by clocks, 



