70 



KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Jdlt 25, 1884. 



see nature, then, as she really is, yju must ttaml behind 

 the scenes at the opera." 



" I perceive," said the Marchioness, " philosophy is now 

 become very mechanical." "So mechanical, madam," said 

 I, " that I fear we shall quickly be ashamed of it ; they 

 will have the world to be in great, what a watch is in 

 little, which is very regular, and depends only upon the 

 just disposing of the several parts of the movemeut But 

 pray tell me, madam, had you not formerly a more sublime 

 idea of the universe 1 Do not you think then that you 

 honour'd it more than it deserv'd 1 for most folks have the 

 less esteem for it since they have pretended t) know it." 



" I am not of their opinion," said she ; " I value it the 

 more since I know it resembles a watch ; and the whole 

 order of nature, the more plain and easy it is, to me it 

 appears the more admirable." 



" I know not," said I, " who has inspired you with these 

 solid notions, but I am certain there are i'evr that have 

 them besides yourself. People generally admire what they 

 do not comprehend, they have a veneration for obscurity, 

 and look upon nature, while they do not understand her, as 

 a kind of magic, and despise her below legerdemain, when 

 once they are acquainted with her : but I find you, madam, 

 so much better disposed, that I have nothing to do but to 

 draw the curtain and shew you the world. 



" That then which appears farthest from the earth (where 

 we reside) is called the heavens, that azure firmament, 

 where the stars are fasten'd like so many nails, and are call'd 

 fix'd, because they seem to have no other motion than that of 

 their heaven, which carries them with itself from east to 

 west. Between the earth and this great vault (as I may 

 call it) hang at different heights,* the sun, and the moon, 

 with the five other stars, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, 

 and Saturn, which we call the planets : these planets, not 

 being fastened to the same heaven , and having very unequal 

 motions, have diverse aspects and positions ; whereas the 

 fixed stars in respect to one another, are always in the 

 same situation : for example, the Chariot, which is com- 

 pos'd of the seven stars, has been, and ever will be,t as it 

 now is, tho' the moon is sometimes nearer to the sun, and 

 sometimes farther from it ; and so it is with the rest of the 

 planets. Thus things appear'd to the old Chaldean shep- 

 herds, whose great leisure produced these first observations, 

 which have since been the foundation of astronomy ; which 

 science had its birth in Chaldea, as geometry sprung from 

 Egypt, where the inundation of the Nile confounding the 

 bounds of the fields, was the occasion of their inventing 

 exacter measures, to distinguish every one's land from that 

 of his neighbour. So that astronomy was the Daughter of 

 Idleness, Geometry the daughter of Interest ; and if we 

 did but examine Poetry, we should certainly find her the 

 Daughter of Love." 



" I am glad," said the lady, " I have learnt the genealogy 

 of the sciences, and am convinced I must stick to as- 

 tronomy ; my soul is not mercenary enough for geometry, 

 nor is it tender enough for poetry ; but I have as much 

 time to spare as astronomy requires ; besides, we are now 

 in the country, and lead a kind of pastoral life, which suits 

 best with astronomy." 



" Do not deceive youri^elf, madam," said I, " 'tis not a 

 true shepherd's life to talk of the stars and planets : see if 

 they pass their time so in Astrsea." 



* The use of the word lieight by the old astronomers where we 

 say distance illustrates curiously the former prevalence of the old 

 idea of a flat earth. — R. P. 



t The proper motion of the stars had however been ab-eady 

 detected by Ilalley when this was written, and the absolute fixity 

 of the stars and unchangeableness of the constellationa could no 

 longer be asserted. — E. P. 



"That sort of shepherd's craft," replied she, "is too 

 dangerous for me to learn : I love the honest Chaldeans, 

 and you must teach me their rules if j'ou would have me 

 improve in their science. But let us proceed." 

 (To be continued.) 



NOVEL TRICYCLES. 



By JoHS BEO^\TfING, 



(Chairman of the London Tricycle Cliih.) 



"V7OT contented with the important improvements he 

 X\ has introduced in rear-steering tricycles', Mr. Piucker 

 is bringing forward a new machine which will in my 

 opinion eclipse all he has hitherto done, and possibly all 

 that other makers have done in this direction. 



It is well known that Mr. Rucker has for some time 

 made an excellent front-steerer with central gearing. 



The new rear-steering tricycle is also central-geared, and, 

 with great ingenuity, a single vertical tube is made to 

 carry both the seat-rod and .saddle, as well as the lower 

 chain-wheel bracket and pedals ; and it will shortly be 

 made to carry the steering-rod centrally arranged so as to 

 allow the machine to be open to mount or dismount from 

 it in tlie rear on either side. 



It is easy to dismount from this machine in front, if it 

 should be found necessary to do so. 



The machine is very light, drives easily up hills, and is 

 as safe as a hindsteerer can be made ; that is to say, that 

 any person with a few hours' practice can ride down a tole- 

 rably steep hill at the rate of from six to eight miles an 

 hour, and a skilful rider at the rate of from ten to twelve 

 miles an hour, and I think there are very few riders who 

 would wish to do more. 



There has been a great demand this year for "Tandems," 

 particularly for " Convertible Tandems." Messrs. Hillman, 

 Herbert, i Cooper have produced a new machine of this 

 class, which they have named the " Kangaroo " Tandem. 



The construction of this machine is very simple. The 

 steering-wheel of a front-steering tricycle is removed, and 

 replaced by the driving-wheel and back-bone of a " Safety" 

 bicycle with a 36 in. driving-wheel, which is geared up by 

 means of chains, so as to run at the same speed as the 

 driving-wheels of the tricycle behind it Of course, this 

 bicycle portion requires no bind wheel, as it is supported by 

 the front part of the framework of the tricycle. The 

 steering is done entirely by the front rider, who should, I 

 think, have also a good break under his control. 



The machine I saw weighed about 120 lb., but a machine 

 could, I should suppose, be made for careful riders to 

 weigh less than 100 lb. if it were required. 



The " Kangaroo " Tandem possesses several important 

 advantages over most other tandems. The riders do not 

 sit so close behind each other as to look uncomfortable. 

 The machine is light. It can have two breaks instead of 

 relying upon one. It has no small steering-wheel, and 

 thus has less friction and less vibration than those machines 

 which have, and, with the addition of a small hind wheel 

 to the front portion, it can be converted in a few minutes 

 into two complete machines, i e., an excellent safety bicycle 

 and a first-class front- steering "Premier" tricycle. 



Mr. Rucker has just completed for me one of his new 

 two-chain two-speed machines, to my own specification. It 

 is the most perfect front-steering machine I have yet ridden, 

 answering in every respect my utmost anticipations. 



As regards speed, I can drive the new " Rucker" quite 

 as fast as what I have been accustomed to regard as my 

 inimitable little " Humber," for I have ridden three miles 



