8 INTRODUCTION. 



and with their aid had constructed a model of the 

 Temple, which he presented to Miss Edeu. 



This was bad enough ; but the worst was to come. 

 Not only had he discovered the principle of Solomon's 

 Temple, and enabled any one to reproduce it, but he 

 had invented a plan of instantaneous communication be- 

 tween distant places, by means of electricity and wires. 

 " So then he showed us that experiment ; and a great 

 many of the galvanic tricks were very amusing/' 



The man had actually discovered the electric 

 telegraph, and this invention which has well-nigh 

 changed the aspect of civilization, was only taken as a 

 proof of insanity. The experiment was shown to 

 Miss Eden in 1838. 



Afterwards when the invention was comparatively 

 perfected, it was offered to the Government, in order 

 to supplant the clumsy semaphore, which some of my 

 readers may remember on the roof of the Admiralty, 

 and which was absolutely useless in foggy weather. 

 Let there be but a fog, and an enemy's fleet might 

 effect a landing long before their approach could be 

 known. Then as the signs had to be repeated through 

 a succession of stations, the process was very slow, 

 when compared to the instantaneous communication of 

 electricity. Yet " My Lords " rejected the invention 

 on the ground that no other mode of telegraphy, 

 except that in use was advisable or necessary. 



As we all know, gas had to fight its way against 

 the theorists and alarmists, the latter showing that any 

 town lighted by gas must inevitably be blown up. 

 Satirists and alarmists have never succeeded in ar- 

 resting, though they may have delayed, the pro- 



