542

Clepsydrce — Sun-Dials—Slow Matches.

[Book V.

CHAPTER VIII.

Clepsydr* änd Hydraulic Organs : Time measured by the sun—Obelisks—Dial in Syracuse —Time measured in the night by slow matches, candles, &c.—Modes of announcing the hours—“ Jack ofthe clock”—Clepsydrse—Their curious origin in Egypt —Their variety—Used by the Siamese, Hindoos,Chinese , &e.—Ancient hour-glasses—Indexes to water-clocks—Sand clocks in China —Musical clock of

Plato—Clock carried in triumph by Pompey—Clepsydra of Ctesibius—Clock presented to Charles V.

Modern Clepsydrse — Hour-glasses in coffins—Dial of the Peruvians. Hydraulic Organs: Jmperfectlydesc-ribed by Heron and Vitruvius—Plato, Archimedes , Plutarch , Pliny , Suetonius , St. Jerome—Organssent frora Constantinople to Pepin—Water organs of Louis Debonnaire—A woman expired in ecstaeieswhile hearing one play—Organs made by monks—Old Regal.

Clepsydmi and water organs are not strictly included in the generaldesign of this volume ; but as they are ancient devices in wbich waterperformed an important part, and as they undoubtedly contributed to theimprovement of hydraulic machinery, and moreover gave rise to clocksand watches, we were unwilling to omit them.

Sun-dials were the earliest means employed to note the lapse of time.Country people in all ages have marked the passing hours by the shadowof a tree, a post, the corner of a house, or any other permanent object;these were natural gnomons, while the ground upon which their shadowswere thrown served as dials. In cities, artificial objects were necessary;hence the obelisks of the Egyptians and other ancient people. These gno-mons were placed in open and conspicuous places for public convenience,and many of them from their great elevation threw their shadows to aconsiderable distance. Sometimes their pedestals formed magnificentbuildings. When Dion, after delivering the Syracusans , spake to themon the tyranny of Dionysius, Plutarch says, he stood upon a lofty sun-dialerected by the tyrant : “ at first it was considered by the soothsayers agood omen that Dion, when he addressed the people, had under his feetthe stately edifice which Dionysius had erected ; but upon reflecting thatthis edifice on which he had been declared general, was a sun-dial, theywere apprehensive his present power might fall into speedy declme.”“ The dial of Ahaz” seems to have been a public building of a similardescription. The governors of provinces in China assemble on the “ time-telling towers” on public occasion. (Atlas Chinensis of Montanus, p. 594.)The Peruvians had pillars erected for measuring time by the sün. Smalldials were anciently made of brass or other metals and placed upon columns,or were attached to public buildings. Vitruvius has described severalin book ix. of his Architecture, and among them one by Berosus theChaldean.

But dials are only serviceable while the sun shines. Düring cloudyweather and after sun-set they are useless ; other devices are thereforerequired to mark the fleeting hours. Of ancient contrivances for this pur-pose there were two whose action depended one upon fire and the otheron water, viz : by burning slow matches, powder, or candles, and bywater-clocks. The former were used by the Anglo-Saxons , (see p. 350,)and are still common in Japan , and probably other Asiatic countries.Nieuhoff, in his account of the Dutch embassy to China , says, the Chinese