1 5 6 jii:j? oes of invention and disc o ver y. 



In his " Century of Inventions," the manuscript of which, by 

 the way, dates from 1655, he describes a steam apparatus by 

 which he raised a column of water to the height of 40 feet 

 This, under the name of " Fire-waterwork," appears actually to 

 have been at work at Vauxhall in 1656. 



PRINCE RUPERT. 



Prince Rupert, third son of the King of Bohemia, by the 

 Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James i. of England, was 

 born in 16 19, and educated, like most German princes, for the 

 army ; and those who have been least inclined to favour him 

 admit that he was well adapted, both by natural abilities and 

 acquired endowments, to form a great commander. On the 

 commencement of the rebellion, which happened when he was 

 scarcely of age, he offered his services to King Charles, and 

 throughout the whole war behaved with great intrepidity. 



On the Restoration he was invited to return to England, and 

 had several offices conferred upon him. After the display of 

 considerable ability in the Dutch wars of the reign of Charles 

 II., he withdrew into retirement, mostly at Windsor Castle, of 

 which he was governor, and spent a great part of his time in 

 the prosecution of chemical and philosophical experiments, as 

 well as the practice of mechanical arts. He delighted in mak- 

 ing locks for fire-arms, and was the inventor of a composition 

 called from him Prince's metal. 



He communicated to the Royal Society his improvements 

 upon gunpowder, by refining the several ingredients, and mak- 

 ing it more carefully, which augmented its force, in comparison 

 of ordinary powder, in the proportion of ten to one. He also 

 acquainted them with an engine he had contrived for raising 

 water, and sent them an instrument for casting any platform 



