FOR VERNOR AND HOOD, POULTRY; CUTHELL, AND MARTIN, MIDDLE-ROW; HOLBORN; AND J. WALKER, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1802.

WWW

CONTENTS.

VOL. II.

MERCURY,

THE SECRET AND SWIFT MESSENGER.

CHAP. I.

THE dependence of this knowledge in nature. The authors

that have treated of it. Its relation to the art of gram-

mar

II. The conditions requisite to secrecy: the use of it in the

matter of speech, either by fables of the heathen, or

parables of scripture

III. Concerning that secrecy of speech, which consists in the

words, either by inventing new ones, as in canting,

conjuring, or by changing of the known language,

whether inversion, transmutation, diminution, or aug-

mentation ..

IV. Concerning the secret conveyances of any written message

in use amongst the ancients, either by land, water, or

the open air

V. Of that secrecy which consists in the materials of writing,

whether the paper or the ink

VI. Secret writing with the common letters, by changing of

their places......

VII. Concerning secret writing with equal letters, by changing

their powers. The use of this amongst the Jews and

Romans. The key-character..

VIII. Of secret writing by more letters than are requisite to the

intended meaning

IX. Of concealing any written sense under barbarous words,

and such as shall not seem to be of any signification.

How all the letters may be expressed by any five,

three, or two of them. Of writing with a double al-

phabet. How from these two last ways together, there

may be contrived the best kind of secret writing

Chap.

Pago

X. Of writing any secret sense by fewer letters than are re-

quired to the words of it. The use of this amongst the

Jews and Romans ...

XI. Of writing by invented characters. The distinction of

these into such as signify, either letters, words, or no-

tions. The general rules of unfolding and obscuring

any letter-character. How to express any sense,

either by points, or lines, or figures

XII. Of characters that express words. The first invention

of these. Of those that signify things and notions, as

hieroglyphics, and emblems

XIII. Concerning an universal character, that may be legible

to all nations and languages. The benefit and possi-

bility of this

XIV. Concerning the third way of secret discoursing by signs

and gestures, which may signify either ex congruo,

vel placito

.....

40

43

49

353

56

XV. Concerning the swiftness of informations, either by qua-

lities, as the impression of imagination, and the sen-

sitive species; or, by spiritual substances, as angels... 60

XVI. Concerning the swiftness of conveyance by bodies, whe-

ther inanimate, as arrows, bullets; or animate, as

men, beasts, birds

63

XVII. Of secret and swift informations by the species of sound 67

XVIII. Concerning a language that may consist only of tunes

and musical notes, without any articulate sound ...... 73

XIX. Of those common relations that concern secret and

swift informations by the species of sight, which are

either fabulous, or magical

XX. Of informations by significatory fires and smoke.

Their antiquity. The true manner of using them to

this purpose. That these were meant in Nuntius

Inanimatus

...............

7.5

79

ARCHIMEDES; OR, MECHANICAL POWERS.

BOOK I.

I. The excellency of these arts. Why they were con-

cealed by the ancients. The authors that have treated

of them

II. Concerning the name of this art. That it may properly
be stiled liberal. The subject and nature of it.

.............

III. Of the first mechanical faculty, the balance

V. How the natural motion of living creatures is conform-

91

95

98

IV. Concerning the second mechanic faculty, the leaver ... 102

able to these artificial rules

VI. Concerning the wheel

VII. Concerning the pulley

105

110

113

Chap.

VIII. Of the wedge

IX. Of the screw

X. An inquiry into the magnificent works of the ancients,

which much exceeding our latter times, may seem

to infer a decay in these mechanical arts

XI. That the ancients had divers motives and means for such

vast magnificent works, which we have not........

XII. Concerning the force of the mechanic faculties; parti-

cularly the balance and leaver. How they may be

contrived to move the whole world, or any conceiv-

able weight.....

XIII. Of the wheel: by multiplication of which, it is easy to

move any imaginable weight

XIV. Concerning the infinite strength of wheels, pullies, and

screws. That it is possible, by the multiplication of

these, to pull up any oak by the roots with a hair,

lift it up with a straw, or blow it up with one's

breath, or to perform the greatest labour with the

least power

Page

119

121

124

127

133

136

........ 140

XV. Concerning the proportion of slowness and swiftness in

mechanical motions

XVI. That it is possible to contrive such an artificial motion,

as shall be of a slowness proportionable to the swift-

ness of the heavens

XVII. Of swiftness: how it may be increased to any kind of

proportion. Concerning the great force of Archi-

medes his engines. Of the ballista.....

XVIII. Concerning the catapultæ, or engines for arrows

XIX. A comparison betwixt these ancient engines, and the

gunpowder instruments now in use .....

146

149

153

160

162

XX. That it is possible to contrive such an artificial motion,

as may be equally swift with the supposed motion of

the heavens

166

DEDALUS; OR, MECHANICAL MOTIONS.

BOOK II.

1. The divers kinds of automata, or self-movers. Of mills,

and the contrivance of several motions by rarified

air. A brief digression concerning wind-guns

II. Of a sailing chariot, that may without horses be driven

on the land by the wind, as ships are on the sea ... 175

III. Concerning the fixed automata, clocks, spheres, repre-

senting the heavenly motions: the several excellen-

cies that are most commendable in such kind of

contrivances

..... 179