industrial biography-第36章

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the　advanced　mind　of　one　generation　projecting　that　which　cannot　be

executed　for　want　of　the　requisite　means；　but　in　due　process　of　time；

when　mechanism　has　got　abreast　of　the　original　idea；　it　is　at　length

carried　out；　and　thus　it　is　that　modern　inventors　are　enabled　to

effect　many　objects　which　their　predecessors　had　tried　in　vain　to

accomplish。　　As　Louis　Napoleon　has　said；　〃Inventions　born　before　their

time　must　remain　useless　until　the　level　of　common　intellects　rises

to　comprehend　them。〃　　For　this　reason；　misfortune　is　often　the　lot　of

the　inventor　before　his　time；　though　glory　and　profit　may　belong　to

his　successors。　　Hence　the　gift　of　inventing　not　unfrequently　involves

a　yoke　of　sorrow。　　Many　of　the　greatest　inventors　have　lived　neglected

and　died　unrequited；　before　their　merits　could　be　recognised　and

estimated。　　Even　if　they　succeed；　they　often　raise　up　hosts　of　enemies

in　the　persons　whose　methods　they　propose　to　supersede。　　Envy；　malice；

and　detraction　meet　them　in　all　their　forms；　they　are　assailed　by

combinations　of　rich　and　unscrupulous　persons　to　wrest　from　them　the

profits　of　their　ingenuity；　and　last　and　worst　of　all；　the　successful

inventor　often　finds　his　claims　to　originality　decried；　and　himself

branded　as　a　copyist　and　a　pirate。



Among　the　inventions　born　out　of　time；　and　before　the　world　could

make　adequate　use　of　them；　we　can　only　find　space　to　allude　to　a　few；

though　they　are　so　many　that　one　is　almost　disposed　to　accept　the

words　of　Chaucer　as　true；　that　〃There　is　nothing　new　but　what　has

once　been　old；〃　or；　as　another　writer　puts　it；　〃There　is　nothing　new

but　what　has　before　been　known　and　forgotten；〃　or；　in　the　words　of

Solomon；　〃The　thing　that　hath　been　is　that　which　shall　be；　and　there

is　no　new　thing　under　the　sun。〃　　One　of　the　most　important　of　these　is

the　use　of　Steam；　which　was　well　known　to　the　ancients；　but　though　it

was　used　to　grind　drugs；　to　turn　a　spit；　and　to　excite　the　wonder　and

fear　of　the　credulous；　a　long　time　elapsed　before　it　became　employed

as　a　useful　motive…power。　　The　inquiries　and　experiments　on　the

subject　extended　through　many　ages。　　Friar　Bacon；　who　flourished　in

the　thirteenth　century；　seems　fully　to　have　anticipated；　in　the

following　remarkable　passage；　nearly　all　that　steam　could　accomplish；

as　well　as　the　hydraulic　engine　and　the　diving…bell；　though　the

flying　machine　yet　remains　to　be　invented：　　



〃I　will　now；〃　says　the　Friar；　〃mention　some　of　the　wonderful　works　of

art　and　nature　in　which　there　is　nothing　of　magic；　and　which　magic

could　not　perform。　　Instruments　may　be　made　by　which　the　largest

ships；　with　only　one　man　guiding　them；　will　be　carried　with　greater

velocity　than　if　they　were　full　of　sailors。　　Chariots　may　be

constructed　that　will　move　with　incredible　rapidity；　without　the　help

of　animals。　　Instruments　of　flying　may　be　formed；　in　which　a　man；

sitting　at　his　ease　and　meditating　on　any　subject；　may　beat　the　air

with　his　artificial　wings；　after　the　manner　of　birds。　　A　small

instrument　may　be　made　to　raise　or　depress　the　greatest　weights。　　An

instrument　may　be　fabricated　by　which　one　man　may　draw　a　thousand　men

to　him　by　force　and　against　their　will；　as　also　machines　which　will

enable　men　to　walk　at　the　bottom　of　seas　or　rivers　without　danger。〃

It　is　possible　that　Friar　Bacon　derived　his　knowledge　of　the　powers

which　he　thus　described　from　the　traditions　handed　down　of　former

inventions　which　had　been　neglected　and　allowed　to　fall　into

oblivion；　for　before　the　invention　of　printing；　which　enabled　the

results　of　investigation　and　experience　to　be　treasured　up　in　books；

there　was　great　risk　of　the　inventions　of　one　age　being　lost　to　the

succeeding　generations。　　Yet　Disraeli　the　elder　is　of　opinion　that　the

Romans　had　invented　printing　without　being　aware　of　it；　or　perhaps

the　senate　dreaded　the　inconveniences　attending　its　use；　and　did　not

care　to　deprive　a　large　body　of　scribes　of　their　employment。　　They

even　used　stereotypes；　or　immovable　printing…types；　to　stamp

impressions　on　their　pottery；　specimens　of　which　still　exist。　　In

China　the　art　of　printing　is　of　great　antiquity。　　Lithography　was　well

known　in　Germany；　by　the　very　name　which　it　still　bears；　nearly　three

hundred　years　before　Senefelder　reinvented　it；　and　specimens　of　the

ancient　art　are　yet　to　be　seen　in　the　Royal　Museum　at　Munich。*

　＇footnote。。。

EDOUARD　FOURNIER；　Vieux…Neuf；　i。　339。

　。。。＇



Steam…locomotion　by　sea　and　land；　had　long　been　dreamt　of　and

attempted。　　Blasco　de　Garay　made　his　experiment　in　the　harbour　of

Barcelona　as　early　as　1543；　Denis　Papin　made　a　similar　attempt　at

Cassel　in　1707；　but　it　was　not　until　Watt　had　solved　the　problem　of

the　steam…engine　that　the　idea　of　the　steam…boat　could　be　developed

in　practice；　which　was　done　by　Miller　of　Dalswinton　in　1788。　　Sages

and　poets　have　frequently　foreshadowed　inventions　of　great　social

moment。　　Thus　Dr。　Darwin's　anticipation　of　the　locomotive；　in　his

Botanic　Garden；　published　in　1791；　before　any　locomotive　had　been

invented；　might　almost　be　regarded　as　prophetic：　　



　　　　　　Soon　shall　thy　arm；　unconquered　Steam！　afar

　　　　　　Drag　the　slow　barge；　and　drive　the　rapid　car。



Denis　Papin　first　threw　out　the　idea　of　atmospheric　locomotion；　and

Gauthey；　another　Frenchman；　in　1782　projected　a　method　of　conveying

parcels　and　merchandise　by　subterraneous　tubes；*

　＇footnote。。。

Memoires　de　l'　Academie　des　Sciences；　6　Feb。　1826。

　。。。＇

after　the　method　recently　patented　and　brought　into　operation　by　the

London　Pneumatic　Despatch　Company。　　The　balloon　was　an　ancient　Italian

invention；　revived　by　Mongolfier　long　after　the　original　had　been

forgotten。　　Even　the　reaping　machine　is　an　old　invention　revived。　　Thus

Barnabe　Googe；　the　translator　of　a　book　from　the　German　entitled　'The

whole　Arte　and　Trade　of　Husbandrie；'　published　in　1577；　in　the　reign

of　Elizabeth；　speaks　of　the　reaping…machine　as　a　worn…out

inventiona　thing　〃which　was　woont　to　be　used　in　France。　　The　device

was　a　lowe　kinde　of　carre　with　a　couple　of　wheeles；　and　the　frunt

armed　with　sharpe　syckles；　whiche；　forced　by　the　beaste　through　the

corne；　did　cut　down　al　before　it。　　This　tricke；〃　says　Googe；　〃might　be

used　in　levell　and　champion　countreys；　but　with　us　it　wolde　make　but

ill…favoured　woorke。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Farmer's　Magazine；　1817；　No。　ixxi。　291。

　。。。＇

The　Thames　Tunnel　was　thought　an　entirely　new　manifestation　of

engineering　genius；　but　the　tunnel　under　the　Euphrates　at　ancient

Babylon；　and　that　under　the　wide　mouth　of　the　harbour　at　Marseilles

（a　much　more　difficult　work）；　show　that　the　ancients　were　beforehand

with　us　in　the　art　of　tunnelling。　　Macadamized　roads　are　as　old　as　the

Roman　empire；　and　suspension　bridges；　though　comparatively　new　in

Europe；　have　been　known　in　China　for　centuries。



There　is　every　reason　to　believeindeed　it　seems　clear　that　the

Romans　knew　of　gunpowder；　though　they　only　used　it　for　purposes　of

fireworks；　while　the　secret　of　the　destructive　Greek　fire　has　been

lost　altogether。　　When　gunpowder　came　to　be　used　for　purposes　of　war；

invention　busied　itself　upon　instruments　of　destruction。　　When

recently　examining　the　Museum　of　the　Arsenal　at　Venice；　we　were

surprised　to　find　numerous　weapons　of　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth

centuries　embodying　the　most　recent　English　improvements　in　arms；

such　as　revolving　pistols；　rifled　muskets；　and　breech…loading　cannon。

The　latter；　embodying　Sir　William　Armstrong's　modem　idea；　though　in　a

rude　form；　had　been　fished　up　from　the　bottom　of　the　Adriatic；　where

the　ship　armed　with　them　had　been　sunk　hundreds　of　years　ago。　　Even

Perkins's　steam…gun　was　an　old　invention　revived　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci

and　by　him　attributed　to　Archimedes。*

　＇footnote。。。

Vieux…Neuf；　i。　228；　Inventa　Nova…Antiqua；　742。

　。。。＇

The　Congreve　rocket　is　said　to　have　an　Eastern　origin；　Sir　William

Congreve　having　observed　its　destructive　effects　when　employed　by　the

forces　under　Tippoo　Saib　in　the　Mahratta　war；　on　which　he　adopted　and

improved　the　missile；　and　brought　out　the　invention　as　his　own。



Coal…gas　was　regularly　used　by　the　Chinese　for　lighting　purposes　long

before　it　was　known　amongst　us。　　Hydropathy　was　generally　practised　by

the　Romans；　who　established　baths　wherever　they　went。　　Even　chloroform

is　no　new　thing。　　The　use　of　ether　as　an　anaesthetic　was　known　to

Albertus　Magnus；　who　flourished　in　the　thirteenth　century；　and　in　his

works　he　gives　a　recipe　for　its　preparation。　　In　1681　Denis　Papin

published　his　Traite　des　Operations　sans　Douleur；　showing　that　he　had

discovered　methods　of　deadening　pain。　　But　the　use　of　anaesthetics　is

much　older　than　Albertus　Magnus　or　Papin；　for　the　ancients　had　their

nepenthe　and　mandragora；　the　Chinese　their　mayo；　and　the　Egyptians

their　hachisch　（both　preparations　of　Cannabis　Indica）；　the　effects　of

which　in　a　great　measure　resemble　those　of　chloroform。　　What　is

perhaps　still　more　surprising　is　the　circumstance　that　one　of　the

most　elegant　of　recent　inventions；　that　of　sun…painting　by　the

daguerreotype；　was　in　the　fifteenth　century　known　to　Leonardo　da

Vinci；*

　＇footnote。。。

Vieux…Neuf；　i。　19。　　See　also　Inventa　Nova…Antiqua；　803。

　。。。＇

whose　skill　as　an　architect　and　engraver；　and　whose　accomplishments

as　a　chemist　and　natural　philosopher；　have　been　almost　entirely

overshadowed　by　his　genius　as　a　painter。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Hallam；　in　his　Introduction　to　the　History　of　Europe；　pronounces

the　following　remarkable　eulogium　on　this　extraordinary　genius：　　

〃If　any　doubt　could　be　harboured；　not　only　as　to　the　right　of

Leonardo　da　Vinci　to　stand　as　'the　first　name　of　the　fifteenth

century；　which　is　beyond　all　doubt；　but　as　to　his　originality　in　so

many　discoveries；　which　probably　no　one　man；　especially　in　such

circumstances；　has　ever　made；　it　must　be　on　an　hypothesis　not　very

untenable；　that　some　parts　of　physical　science　had　already　attained　a

height　which　mere　books　do　not　record。〃　　〃Unpublished　MSS。　　by　Leonado

contain　discoveries　and　anticipations　of　discoveries；〃　says　Mr。

Hallam；　〃within　the　compass　of　a　few　pages；　so　as　to　strike　us　with

something　like　the　awe　of　preternatural　knowledge。〃

　。。。＇

The　idea；　thus　early　born；　lay　in　oblivion　until　1760；　when　the

daguerreotype　was　again　clearly　indicated　in　a　book　published　in

Paris；　written　by　a　certain　Tiphanie　de　la　Roche；　under　the

anagrammatic　title　of　Giphantie。　　Still　later；　at　the　beginning　of　the

present　century；　we　find　Thomas　Wedgwood；　Sir　Humphry　Davy；　and　James

Watt；　making　experiments　on　the　action　of　light　upon　nitrate　of

silver；　and　only　within　the　last　few　months　a　silvered　copper…plate

has　been　found　amongst　the　old　household　lumber　of　Matthew　Boulton

（Watt's　partner）；　having　on　it　a　representation　of　the　old　premises

at　Soho；　apparently　taken　by　some　such　process。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　plate　is　now　to　be　seen　at　the　Museum　of　Patents　at