Invented by Conon of Samos.

143

Chap. 16.j

Sometime afterwards, this consecrated hair was miss-mg from the tem-ple, having been lost through the negligence of fhe priests, or perbapsdesignedly concealed. No occurrence was raore likely to create alarrn,among a superstitious people, or to excite the ire of a despotic monarch,than such an Insult to their Gods, and to his favorite queen. In this di-lemma, an astronomer of Alexandria , in Order to make his court to Ever-getes, had the effrontery to give out publicly that J upitbr had carried offthe locks of Berenice to heaven, and had formed them into a constellation 1And as a proof of his assertion he pointed to an unformed cluster of Stars near the tail of Leo, as Berenice’s hair ! And ‘ Goma Berenices’ is thename by which these stars are known to this day.

It was this artful courtier and astronomer who either invented or re-in-vented the screw. He was named Conon of Samos, and sometimesConon of Alexandria , from his residence in Egypt . He was an intiraatefriend of, and greatly esteemed by Archimedes ; and it would seem thatthey communicated their writings and discoveries to each other. Whenthe former devised this machine, Archimedes we are told demonstratedanifully explained its properties ; for Conon himself was not fortunate inhis demonstrations. (Bayle.) From this circumstance the name of itsin-ventor was in time forgotten, and it eventually became known as the Ar-chimedian screw ; but probably not tili long after the death, both of itsauthor and illustrator.

Similar instances are not uncommon in modern times; they have in fact,always occurred. Thus, the instrument known as Hadley’s Quadrant wasreally invented by Godfrey of Philadelphia . The compass was knownbefore Flavio Gioia , although the Fleur de Lis, by which he designatedthe north in compliment to his sovereign, is used to this day. Gunpowderwas used ages before Schwartz was bom—and these continents bear thename of Yespucci, not that of Columbus or Behaim .

As Conon died before Archimedes , (see Bayle) and probably in Egypt ,it is very possible (supposing it originated with the former) that it wasfirst introduced into Europe by the latter ; a circumstance quite sufficientto connect his name permanently with it there. Atheneus mentions par-ticularly its application by him to raise water from the hold of the ship,which was built under his directions for Hiero ; and if an observation ofthe same author can be relied on, it is evident that he was the first tomake it known to Grecian mariners ; for he asserts, that they held hismemory in great estimation, for having enabled them to carry off the wa-ter from the holds of their vessels by it.

It is greatly to be regretted that men of Science should ever be foundamong the flatterers of despots ; yet the obsequiousness of Conon has beentmitated in modern as in ancient times. Custom may yet, in some degreesanction or rather screen the practice from reproach; but the period is,we believe, rapidly approaching when it will be subjected to general de-nsion, as not only injurious to the reputation of scientific men themselves,butto Science and the world at large. Our Sentiments on this subject maybe reprobated by some persons, and approved of by few,—still we believethey are such as conduce to the general welfare of our race, and such as will°ne day universally prevail, and believing this, we express them without he-sitation—others may condemn them as out of place here, but in our opinionthe evils they deprecate will not be removed until they are generally de-nounced in works devoted to the arts. Nay, we would introduce suchSentiments into school books, that children may not be taught to worship aman on account of his titles, but to revere virtue and admire well culti-