582

CLOCKS—WATCHES.

clearly alludes to such a circumstance as reported of Heng-ham. This dial, according to Strype's continuation ofStowe , is placed on the very site where the original clock-house stood/*

But it is said by Derham, in his Artificial Clockmaker,that the oldest clock in this kingdom is in Hampton CourtPalace , marked with the letters N. O. presumed to havebeen initials of the maker’s name, of the date of 1540; butthat author is evidently mistaken, in alleging that to be theoldest, because the Oxford clock was fabricated 17 yearsanterior to that period. With respect to the letters N. O.their meaning may not be of importance. From Shakspeare’sOthello it is proved the ancient name of this instrumentwas Horologe ; which various passages in our poets and oldauthors establish.

“ He’ll watch the horologe a double set,

“ If drink rock not his cradle.”

■ Chaucer , also, says of a cock,

“ Full sikerer was his crowing in his loge,

“ As is a clock, or any abbey orloge.”

Which tends to show, that in his time clocks had been con-fined to religious houses.

So Lydgate’s prologue to the story of Thebes:

“ I will myself be your orologere

“ To-morrow early.”

WATCHES.

About 1490, mention is made of watches, which firstoccurs in the Italian poems of Gaspor Visconti, particu-larly a sonnet with the following title; — “Si fanno certi“ orologii piccioli e portativi, che non poco di artificio sempre“ lavorano, mostrando le ore, e molti corsi de pianeti, e le“ feste, sonando quando il tempo lo ricerca. Questo so-“ net to il facto in persona de uno inamorato, die, guar -“ dando uno delli predicti orologii, compara se stesso a“ quello, hie.”

115 certa occulta forza in la secretaParte del cor, qual sempre si lavoraDe sera a sera, e d’una a l’altra aurora,

Che non spero la mente aver mai quieta.

Legger ben mi potria ogni discrctaVista nel fronte, ove amor colora

v This clock-house continued in a ruined state till 1715. —Antiquarian Reper-tory, p. 280.