Proceedings of the Polytechnic Association. 1043 



Tlietns and Peleus, Morpheus holds an hour glass; but which some 

 authors have claimed to be a clepsydra. The clepsammia were first 

 made in nearly the form and proportions of the hour-glass known to 

 us, and what is most singular, it has always been the emblem of Time. 

 Before the general introduction of watches it was as common for the 

 preacher to be seen carrying a sand-glass to church as it was his ser- 

 vice book, while the more pretentious ones had a man to walk a few 

 steps behind, carrying these necessary articles. This custom was 

 brought down almost to our day, and in New England it was a part of 

 the business of the tything-man to walk up to the pulpit and turn the 

 hour-glass when the parson commenced his discourse. In the days of 

 Queen Elizabeth the Fellows of Colleges and learned men carried sand- 

 glasses in their hands. History tells us that in 1589 one William 

 "Wallwood, Professor of Laws, " w^as going from his house in the town 

 to the college, his gown on, his book in one hand and sand-glass in 

 the other, meditating on his lesson," wdien one Henry Hamilton 

 issues out of a house and assaults him, and at the first stroke wounded 

 him and mutilated his sand-glass. Hour-glasses were formerly placed 

 in the cofliu and buried with the dead to signify that the sands of life 

 had run out. 



Early travelers in China and Japan make mention of other methods 

 of keeping time among those nations. One of these was a box about 

 twelve inches long, filled with ashes, into which furrows were drawn 

 from one end to the other, connecting at alternate ends. Into these 

 furrows was sprinkled dried and finely powdered bark of the anise 

 tree. This w-as set on fire at one end and burned very slowly, wdiile 

 an attendant struck the hour as each furrow was consumed. The 

 burning bark gave oif a fragrant perfume, and the whole seems a 

 vision of oriental life. 



Another method was the twisting of some material into a rope, 

 with knots at regular intervals. The burning from one knot to 

 another denoted the lapse of a certain time, whicli an attendant 

 struck on a bell or gong. 



One clock-house showed the time by means of filling a vessel of 

 water that raised a board with marks on it. A person standing by 

 gave notice to the people by beating on a drum, and hanging out a 

 placard with letters a foot and a half long, denoting the time. 



Candle clocks have also been used. Alfred the Great, when in 

 exile, vowed that if restored to his kingdom he would devote one- 

 third of his time to the service of God. This vow he afterward 



