breast-plate commonly of carbine proof, with prime, powder, and firelock, undiscoverable in a stranger's hand. 45. How to light a fire and a candle at what hour of the night one awaketh, without rising or putting one's hand out of the bed. same thing becomes a serviceable pistol at pleasure; yet by a stranger, And the not knowing the secret, seemeth but a dexterous tinder-box. 46. How to make an artificial bird to fly which way, and as long as one pleaseth, by, or against the wind, sometimes chirping, other times hovering, still tending the way it is designed for. 47. To make a ball of any metal, which thrown into a pool or pail of water shall presently rise from the bottom, and constantly shew, by the superficies of the water, the hour of the day or night, never rising more out of the water, than just to the minute it sheweth, of each quarter of the hour; and, if by force kept under water, yet the time is not lost, but recovered as soon as it is permitted to rise to the superficies of the water. 48. A scrued ascent, instead of stairs, with fit landing-places to the best chambers of each story, with back stairs within the noel of it, convenient for servants to pass up and down to the inward rooms of them unseen and private. 49. A portable engine, in way of a tobacco tongs, whereby a man may get over a wall, or get up again being come down, finding the coast proving unsecure unto him. 50. A compleat, light, portable ladder, which, taken out of one's pocket, may be by himself fastened an hundred feet high, to get up by from the ground. 51. A rule of gradation, which with ease and method reduceth all things to a private correspondence, most useful for secret intelligence. 52. How to signify words, and a perfect discourse, by jangling of bells of any parish church, or by any musical instrument within hearing, in a seeming way of tuning it; or of an unskilful beginner. 53. A way how to make hollow and cover a water-scrue, as big and as long as one pleaseth, in an easy and cheap way. 54. How to make a water-scrue tight, and yet transparent, and free from breaking; but so clear, that one may palpably see the water or any heavy thing, how, and why it is mounted by turning. 55. A double water-scrue, the innermost to mount the water, and the outermost for it to descend more in number of threads, and consequently in quantity of water, though much shorter than the innermost scrue, by which the water ascendeth, a most extraordinary help for the turning of the scrue to make the water rise. 56. To provide and make that all the weights of the descending side of a wheel shall be perpetually further from the center, than those of the mounting side, and yet equal in number and heft to the one side as the other. A most incredible thing, if not seen, but tried before the late King, of blessed memory, in the Tower, by my directions, two extraordinary ambassadors accompanying his Majesty, and the Dukes of Richmond and Hamilton, with most of the court, attending him. The wheel was fourteen feet over, and forty weights of fifty pounds a-piece. Sir William Balfore, then lieutenant of the Tower, can justify it, with several others. They all saw, that no sooner these great weights passed the diameter-line of the lower side, but they hung a foot further from the center, nor no sooner passed the diameter-line of the upper side, but they hung a foot nearer. Be pleased to judge the consequence. 57. An ebbing and flowing water-work in two vessels, into either of which, the water standing at a level, if a globe be cast in, instead of rising, it presently ebbeth, and so remains until a like globe be cast into the other vessel, which the water is no sooner sensible of, but that vessel presently ebbeth, and the other floweth, and so continueth ebbing and flowing until one or both of the globes be taken out, working some little effect besides its own motion, without the help of any man within sight or hearing. But if either of the globes be taken out with ever so swift or easy a motion, at the very instant the ebbing and flowing ceaseth; for if during the ebbing you take out the globe, the water of that vessel presently returneth to flow, and never ebbeth after, until the globe be turn ed into it, and then the motion beginneth as before. 58. How to make a pistol to discharge a dozen times with one loading, and without so much as once new priming requisite, or to change it out of one hand into the other, or stop one's horse. 59. Another way as fast and effectual, but more proper for carbines. 60. A way with a flask appropriated unto it, which will furnish either pistol or carbine with a dozen charges in three minutes time, to do the whole execution of a dozen shots, as soon as one pleaseth, proportionably. 61. A third way, and particular for musquets, without taking them from their rests to charge or prime, to a like execution, and as fast as the flask, the musquet containing but one charge at a time. 62. A way for a harquebuss. a crock, or ship-musquet, six upon a carriage, shooting with such expedition, as without danger one may charge, level, and discharge them sixty times in a minute of an hour, two or three together. 63. A sixth way, most excellent for sakers, different from the other, yet as swift. 64. A seventh, tried and approved before the late King, of ever blessed memory, and an hundred Lords and Commons, in a cannon of eight inches half-quarter, to shoot bullets of sixty-four pounds weight, and twenty-four pounds of powder, twenty times in six minutes; so clear from danger, that after all were discharged, a pound of butter did not melt being laid upon the cannon-breech, nor the green oil discoloured that was first anointed and used between the barrel thereof, and the engine, having never in it, nor within six feet, but one charge at a time. 65. A way that one man in the cabbin may govern the whole side of ship musquets, to the number, ifneed require, of two or three-thousand shots. 66. A wey that, against several avenues to a fort or castle, one man may charge fifty cannons playing, and stopping when he pleaseth, though out of sight of the cannon. 67. A rare way likewise for musquettoons fastened to the pummel of the saddle, so that a common trooper cannot miss to charge them, with twenty or thirty bullets at a time, even in full career. When first I gave my thoughts to make guns shoot often, I thought there had been but one only exquisite way inventible, yet by several trials and much charge I have perfectly tried all these. 68. An admirable and most forcible way to drive up water by fire, not by drawing or sucking it upwards, for that must be as the philoso pher calleth it, intra sphæram activitatis, which is but at such a distance. But this way hath no bounder, if the vessels be strong enough; for I have taken a piece of a whole cannon, whereof the end was burst, and filled it three quarters full of water, stopping and scruing up the broken end; as also the touch-hole; and making a constant fire under it, within twenty-four hours it burst and made a great crack. So that having a way to make my vessels, so that they are strengthened by the force within them, and the one to fill after the other, I have seen the water run like a constant fountain-stream forty feet high; one vessel of water, rarified by fire, driveth up forty of cold water. And a man that tends the work is but to turn two cocks; that one vessel of water being consumed, another begins to force and re-fill with cold water, and so successively, the fire being tended and kept constant, which the self-same person may likewise abundantly perform in the interim between the necessity of turning the said cocks. 69. A way how a little triangle-scrued key, not weighing a shilling, shall be capable and strong enough to bolt and unbolt round about a great chest and an hundred bolts through fifty staples, two in each, with a direct contrary motion, and as many more from both sides and ends, and at the self-same time shall fasten it to the place beyond a man's natural strength to take it away; and in one and the same turn both locks and opens it. 70. A key with a rose-turning pipe, and two roses pierced through endwise, the bit thereof, with several handsomely contrived wards, which may likewise do the same effects. 71. A key perfectly square, with a scrue turning within it, and more conceited than any of the rest, and no heavier than the triangle-scrued key, and doth the same effects. 72. An escutcheon to be placed before any of these locks with these properties. 1. The owner, though a woman, may with her delicate hand vary the ways of coming to open the lock ten millions of times, beyond the knowledge of the smith that made it, or of me who invented it. 2. If a stranger open it, it setteth an alarm a-going, which the stranger cannot stop from running out; and besides, though none should be within hearing, yet it catcheth his hand, as a trap doth a fox; and though far from maiming him, yet it leaveth such a mark behind it, as will discover him if suspected; the escutcheon or lock plainly shewing what monies he hath taken out of the box to a farthing, and how many times opened since the owner had been in it. 73. A transmittible gallery over any ditch or breach in a town-wall, with a blind and parapet cannon-proof. 74. A door, whereof the turning of a key, with the help and motion of the handle, makes the hinges to be of either side, and to open either YOL. VI. D d inward or outward, as one is to enter, or to go out, or to open in half. 75. How a tape, or ribbon-weaver may set down a whole discourse, without knowing a letter, or interweaving any thing suspicious of other secret than a new-fashion ribbon. 76. How to write in the dark, as straight as by day or candlelight. 77. How to make a man to fly; which I have tried with a little boy of ten years old in a barn, from one end to the other, on an hay-mow. 78. A watch to go constantly, and yet needs no other winding from the first setting on the cord or chain, unless it be broken, requiring no other care from one than to be now and then consulted with, concerning the hour of the day or night; and if it be laid by a week together, it will not err much, but the oftener looked upon, the more exact it shews the time of the day or night. 79. A way to lock all the boxes of a cabinet, though never so many, at one time, which were by particular keys appropriated to each lock opened severally, and independent the one of the other, as much as concerneth the opening of them, and by these means cannot be left opened unawares. 80. How to make a pistol barrel no thicker than a shilling, and yet able to endure a musquet proof of powder and bullet. 81. A comb-conveyance, carrying of letters without suspicion, the head being opened with a needle-scrue drawing a spring towards them; the comb being made but after an usual form carried in one's pocket. 82. A knife, spoon, or fork, in an usual portable case, may have the like conveyances in their handles. 83. A rasping-mill for harts-horn, whereby a child may do the work of half a dozen men, commonly taken up with that work. 84. An instrument whereby persons, ignorant in arithmetick, may perfectly observe numerations and subtractions of all sums and fractions. 85. A little ball made in the shape of plum or pear, being dexterously conveighed or forced into a body's mouth, shall presently shoot forth such, and so many bolts of each side, and at both ends, as without the owner's key can neither be opened nor filed off, being made of tempered steel, and as effectually locked as an iron chest. 86. A chair made alamode, and yet a stranger, being persuaded to sit in it, shall have immediately his arms and thighs locked up, beyond his own power to loosen them. 87. A brass mould to cast candles, in which a man may make fivehundred dozen in a day, and add an ingredient to the tallow which will make it cheaper, and yet so that the candles shall look whiter, and last longer. 88. How to make a brazen or stone-head, in the midst of a great field or garden, so artificial and natural, that though a man speak never so softly, and even whispers into the ear thereof, it will presently open its mouth, and resolve the question in French, Latin, Welsh, Irish, or English, in good terms uttering it out of its mouth, and then shut it until the next question be asked. 89. White silk knotted in the fingers of a pair of white gloves, and so contrived without suspicion, that playing at Primero at cards, one may without clogging his memory keep reckoning of all sixes, sevens, and aces which he hath discarded. 90. A most dexterous dicing-box, with holes transparent, after the usual fashion, with a device so dexterous, that with a knock of it against the table, the four good dice are fastened, and it looseneth four false dice made fit for his purpose. 91. An artificial horse, with saddle and caparisons fit for running at the ring, on which a man being mounted, with his lance in his hand, he can at pleasure make him start, and swiftly to run his career, using the decent posture with bon grace; may take the ring as handsomely, and running as swiftly as if he rode upon a barb. 92. A scrue made like a water-scrue, but the bottom made of ironplate spade-wise, which at the side of a boat emptieth the mud of a pond, or raiseth gravel. 93. An engine, whereby one man may take out of the water a ship of five-hundred tons, so that it may be calked, trimmed, and repaired without need of the usual way of stocks, and as easily let it down again. 94. A little engine portable in one's pocket, which placed to any door, without any noise, but one crack, openeth any door or gate. 95. A double cross-bow, neat, handsome, and strong, to shoot two arrows, either together, or one after the other, so immediately that a deer cannot run two steps, but, if he miss of one arrow, he may be reached with the other, whether the deer run forward, sideway, or start backward. 96. A way to make a sea-bank so firm and geometrically strong, that a stream can have no power over it; excellent likewise to save the pillar of a bridge, being far cheaper and stronger than stone-walls. 97. An instrument whereby an ignorant person may take any thing in perspective, as justly and more than the skilfullest painter can do by his eye. 98. An engine so contrived, that working the primum mobile forward or backward, upward or downward, circularly or cornerwise, to and fro, straight, upright, or downright, yet the pretended operation continueth, and advanceth, none of the motions above-mentioned hindering, much less stopping the other; bnt unanimously, and with harmony agreeing, they all augment and contribute strength unto the intended work and operation. And therefore I call this a semi-omnipotent engine,' and do intend that a model thereof be buried with me. 99. How to make one pound weight to raise an hundred as high as one pound falleth, and yet the hundred pound descending doth what nothing less than one-hundred pound can effect. 100. Upon so potent a help as these two last mentioned inventions, a water-work is by many years experience and labour so advantageously by me contrived, that a child's force bringeth up an hundred feet high an incredible quantity of water, even two feet diameter, so naturally, that the work will not be heard even unto the next room; and with so great ease and geometrical symmetry, that though it works day and |