MACHINERY. 



Coaches for the proccffion. Among the fccnes and rcprc- 

 fentations in the firfl aft, was a vafl plain, with two trium- 

 phal arches ; another, with pavilions and tents ; a fqiiare 

 prepared for the entrance of the triumph ; and aTorcIl for 

 the chace. Aft II. the royal apartments of Berenice's 

 temple of vengeance ; a fpacious court, with a view of the 

 prilon ; and a covered way for tlie coaches to move in pro- 

 ceflion. Aft III, the royal drefTina^ room, completely fur- 

 nifhed ; ftables with one hundred live horfcs ; portico 

 adorned with ta;'eftry ; a delicious palace in pcrfpeftive. 

 And belidcs a!l thefe attendants and decorations, at the end 

 of the firit aft, there were reprefentations of every fpccies 

 of chace : as of the wild boar, the ftag, deer, and bears ; 

 and at the end of the third act, an enormous globe defcends 

 from the fl:y, which opening divider itfelf into other globes 

 that are fufpended in the air, upon one of which is the 

 figure of Time, on a fecond that of Fame, on others. 

 Honour, Nobility, Virtue, and Glory. Had the falaries 

 of fingers been at this time equal to the prefent, the fupport 

 of fuch expenfive and puerile toys, Would have inclined the 

 managers to enquire, not after the bed, but the cheapeft 

 vocal performers they could iind ; as fplendid ballets often 

 oblige them to do now ; and it is certain, that during the 

 17th century, the diflinftive charafteri'.lic charm of an opera 

 was rot the mufic, but machinery. Tlie French eftabliihed 

 mufical dramas in their court and capital during the rage for 

 mythological reprefentation.s, to which they have conllantly 

 adhered ever fince ; and when they are obliged to allow the 

 mufical compofition and finging to be inferior to that of 

 Italy, they comfort themfelves and humble their adverfaries 

 by obferving, that their opera is, at leaft, a fine thing to 

 fee : " c'efl au moins un beau fpeftacle, qu'un opera en 

 France.'" 



Machinery, in Mechanics, may be confidered as the ope- 

 rative and movingparts of machines; it is, however, very gene- 

 rally, though perhaps improperly, applied to include all the 

 parts of maclimes, fixed as well as moving, and in this view 

 may be confidered as the inllruments or parts by which the 

 principles of mechanics are carried-into execution, and ren- 

 dered applicable to all the purpofe&of arts and manufiftures. 



The denomination machine is now vulgarly given to a 

 great variety of fiibjefts that have very little anal'^gy by 

 which they can be clafed with propriety under one name : 

 we fay a travelling machine, a bathing machine, a copying 

 machine, a threfhing machine, an eleftrical machine, &c. 

 &c. The only circumdances in which all thefe agree, feem 

 to be, that thtir conftruHion is more complex and artificial 

 than the utenfils, tools, or inftruments which ofi'er themfelves 

 to the firft thoughts of uncultivated people ; they are more 

 artificial than the common cart, the bathing tub, the flai', 

 or the glafs tube which firft difcovercd the phenomena of 

 eleftricity. In the language of ancient A"hens and Rome, 

 the term was applied to every tool by which hard labour of 

 any kind was performed ; but in the language of modern 

 Europe, it feen-is reftrifted either to fuch tools or inllruments 

 as are employed for executing fome philofophical purpofe, 

 or of which the conftruftion employs the fimple mechanical 

 powers in a confpicuous maniier, fo that their operation 

 and energy engage the attention. It is nearly fynonimous, 

 in our language, with engine ; a term altogether modern, 

 and in fome meafure honourable, being beftowed only, or 

 chiefly, on contrivances for executing work in which in- 

 genuity and mcehanical Hiill are manifeft. Either of thefe 

 terms, machine or engine, is applied with impropriety to 

 contrivances in which fome piece of work, is not executing 

 on materials^ which are then faid to be manufaftured. A 

 travelling or lathing machine is furely a vulgarifm. 



A machine or engine is, thtrefore, a tool, but of compli- 

 cated conllruftion, peculiarly fitted for expediting labour» 

 or for performing it according to certain invariable prin- 

 ciples : and we (hould add, that the dependence of its effi- 

 cacy or mechanical principles muil be apparent, and even 

 confpicuous. 



The contrivance and ereftion of fuch works conftitirte 

 the profelTion of the engineer ; a profeffion which ought by 

 no means to be confounded with that of the mechanic, the 

 artifan, or mannfafturer. It is one of the ^rtes Ulerales ; 

 as dcferving of the title as medicine, furgery, architefture, 

 painting, or fculpture. Nay, whether we confider the im- 

 portance of it to this flo\iri(hing nation, or the fcience that 

 is neceffary for giving eminence to the profeflor, it is very 

 doub'ful whether it fliould not take place of the three lall 

 named, and go ^a/v'/^«^/ with furgery and medicine. 



In the language of our praftical mechanics, the terms 

 machine, engine, and mill, are ufed without a proper dif- 

 tinftion of the clafies of machinery to which they fhoidd 

 in ftriftnefs be applied. All thefe denominations are alike 

 the praftical applications of the fcience of mechanics, and 

 confill only of different combi ations of the mechanical pow- 

 ers. Though the combinations and modifications which the 

 ingenuity of mankind is conllantly producing are cndlels, 

 ftill it is pofTible, by a proper claffification, to arrange tiiemr 

 under their proper terms, to avoid the confufion which at 

 prefent prevails amongfl. thofe of our ingenious countrymen; 

 who have laboured to imi)rove the arts dependent en me- 

 chanics, without troubliiig themfelves to fix upon the moll 

 precife language in which to exprcfs their ideas. If we 

 might prefume to decide upon a proper definition of thefe ■ 

 words, which has not hitherto been done, we (hould advife 

 that the term machine be ufed as generic, and applied to any 

 m.ill, engine, inilrument, or apparatus having moving parts. 

 That machinery (hould^lfo be ufed as a general term, figni- 

 fying the m.oving and operative parts of any machine or en- 

 gine whatever, and its fynonimous term mechanifm be ap- 

 plied to the moil delicate machmery, fuch as the parts of 

 watches and mathematical inllruments, or to the mo!l de- 

 licate parts of any other machine, as the machinery of a 

 flour-mill, or fawing-mill ; the mechanifm ~0t a clock, 

 watch, orrery, &c. 



Let the term engine be reftrifted to fiich machines as 

 have fome relation to hydraulics or pneumatics, on in flicrt, 

 where their operations depend upon, or aftuate fluids ; as a 

 fleam ensjine, a water engine, pumping engine, blowing en- 

 gine, prefi'urc engine, and fire extinguiftiing engine. 



Jlfl/l ihould be applied to large and ■powerfi)! compound 

 machines, or fyllcms of machines ; including their firft 

 mover in the term ; as a cotton mi!l, which ci>Btains a vaff" 

 number of different machines, and alfi the water v.heel, or ■ 

 lleam engine, which aftuates them all ; fo likewife, an 

 iron mill, copper mil', rolling mill, grinding mill, log\vocd» 

 mill, worded mill, &c. &c. 



Corn mill, or Jlour mill, is, in fome degree, an exception- 

 to our definition, becaule in the early ilages of fociety if 

 was the only mill in ufe, and hence the term became pr-r— 

 ticularly attached to it ; and any machine for grinding- 

 or reducing to powder is called, a mill, as a coffee mill,- . 

 bark rp.ill, colour mill, malt mill, &c. though^ in llrictnefo,- 

 thefe fliould be called machines. 



In this claflification, we have ftudied to infringe as little' 

 as poflible upon the diftinftions which have been made by 

 culloiTi, and confirmed by the uiage of mechanics them-: - 

 felves, though not invariably, for they have dividing en- 

 gines, cutting engines, and many others which ftiould be 

 machines. 



The, 



