the growth of the arts themselves, and of the attitude of society 

 towards them, is, therefore, of wider extent, and of greater philo- 

 sophical interest than at first sight appears. This history has not 

 as yet been written and, as time goes on and material gathers, the 

 more difficult it becomes. The only work in which the attempt 

 has been made is the " History of Inventions" of Beckmann, 

 written towards the end of last century.* This work, however, is 

 less a histoiy in the strict sense of the term, than a collection of 

 antiquarian essays upon various objects of manufacture, and upon 

 some technical questions. The essays, besides, are not arranged 

 in any definite order, and have no direct connection with each 

 other, but they are very elaborate, and show a wonderful amount 

 of research and knowledge. Since Beckmann's time, I do not 

 remember any laborious German who has followed up his work. 

 There is certainly nothing on the subject in English. f 



* Beckmaun's work is entitled " Beytriige zur Geschichte der Eh-findungen," 

 and it was published at Leipzig, in five volumes, between 1786 and 1805. 

 An English version and abstract appeared in 1823, in two volumes, and a 

 new edition was published by Bohn in 1846, in two volumes. 



tin writing the above I had forgotten some systematic works on the 

 history of arts and manufactures which are more consecutive and philo- 

 sophical but less thorough than Beckmann's collections. There is the work 

 of Antoine Yves Goguet — " Origine des loix, des arts, cZes' sciences, et de 

 Icur progrds chez les anciens pciqjles," publi.shed at Paris in 1758. It was 

 translated into English, and there were two editions, of which that of 

 1775, in 3 vols., 8vo, is now before me. This book partakes largely of the 

 character of a treatise on antiquities, but it embraces sections on the 

 history of arts and manufactures among all the ancient peoples. It 

 is a curious book, and shows familiarity v/ith the classical writers, 

 but it is of no authority now, after the research that has been expended, 

 not only on almost all the topics that the author includes in his discussions, 

 but also on the authorities to whom he owes his information. 



A better and more specialized work is the '^ Geschichte der Teclinologie," 

 of Johann H. M. Poppe, in three volumes, published 1807-11, and forming 

 part of the Gottingen series of histoi'ies of science, arts, and philosophy. In 

 the more recent Munich sei'ies of histories there is a ^^ Geschichte der 

 Technologie," by Karl Karmarsch, in one volume, 1872. Both of these 

 works give good accounts of the growth of arts and manufactures, and 

 contain numerous references to books and papers on them. 



Quite recently I came across a little work entitled " A pleasant and com- 

 pendious History of Inventions," London, 1C8G, 12mo. In it an attempt is 

 made to give, in briefest outline, the origin of some important inventions. 

 Defective as were both the plan and execution of this booklet, the 



