WATCHES.
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D’affanno e di dolore il punto e 1’ora,
E la cation, che riposar mi vieta.
L’umil squilletta sona il pio lamento,
Che spesso mando al cielo, e la fortuna,
Per disfogar cridando il her tormento.
De le feste annual non ne mostro una,
Ma pianeti iracondi, e di spavento,
Eclipsati col sole, e con la luna.
Antonii Sa.rii Hist, literario-typographica Mediolan . prefixed toPhilippi Argtlati Biblioth. Scrip. Mediolanens. i. p. 360.
It‘ought to be observed, that Dominica Maria Manni,in his book De Florentinis Inventis, ch. 29, calls the artistLorenzo a Vulparia, saying he was a native of Florenoe.
One might naturally be inclined to believe, that thehonour of original invention is duly demanded by thewhole Germanic people, from the claim of the invention ofwatches being aspired to by the Nurembergians; as Doppel-mayer alleges they were first invented by a person residingin that city, in the 16th century, of the name of Peter Hele ;and perhaps he has no better foundation for his conjecture,than that the first watches, being shaped somewhat like eggs,were called Nuremberg eggs.
Shakspeare, in Twelfth Night , speaking of a watch, hasthe following expression, used by Malvolio: “ I frown“ the while; and, perchance, wind up my watch, or play“ with some rich jewel.” Also, the Priest, in answerto Olivia,
“ Since when, my watch hath told me, tow ard my grave
“ I have travell'd but two hours.”
The following observations appear to sanction our opinionof the early existence of those machines in this country.Dr. Derham, in his Artificial C'lockmaker, published in1714, hath mentioned a watch of Henry VIII. which atthe period he wrote was in order. Indeed, Dr. Demainbrayhad said that he had heard Sir Isaac Newton and Demoivre both speak of that watch. 5
An anecdote is related of the Emperor Charles V. contem-porary with Henry VIII. which it appears hath referenceto the policy of Europe at that day. It is said the Em-peror , aiter dinner, used to sit with several of them on thetable, with his bottle in the centre. After that prince’sretirement to the abbey of St. Just, he still continued toamuse himself with keeping them in order. From his in-