77 
Of Patents . 
the construction of the machine founded upon it. As it is 
the plan and object of this work to afford information on 
every point connected with patents, for inventions, we deem 
it consistent with that view to introduce a few remarks, 
tending to show the fallacy and danger of such an opinion. 
The law, permitting to the Crown the privilege of 
granting patents of monopoly for new inventions, is in- 
tended for the public benefit ; the reward it offers is held 
out as an incitement to call genius into exertion for the 
advantage of the community. Every patentee ought to 
bear in mind, that the monopoly granted him is the price 
paid by the public for his discovery, and the patent is 
made on condition of the public being put in complete 
possession of it, that is to say, the specification required 
by the letters patent must be made in such manner, that 
a competent workman may be enabled to construct a 
machine capable of performing what the title sets forth, 
without any invention of his own, and without requiring 
any further instruction than what the specification affords. 
As the validity of the patent depends on the correctness 
of the specification, it behoves the patentee to bestow all 
his care and ability on this object. 
To draw up a specification, which shall contain a lu- 
minous and minute description of the machine, without 
limiting the patentee’s privilege to any particular modifi- 
cation of the principles on which it is founded, is a task 
which requires not only talents and technical knowledge, 
but great experience in the nature of patent-right ; and 
those who have such an undertaking before them, will 
do well to avail themselves of any assistance they can 
procure to contribute to its being ably done; for, pro- 
vided an invention be original, the patentee’s security 
can be affected by nothing but an injudicious or imper- 
fect specification. 
[It is evident that these remarks will apply with equal force to 
patents of every other nature.] — E d. 
