Page:A Letter on the Subject of the Cause (1797).djvu/84

 Plaintiff after the number of experiments he had made, the expence, labour and fatigue it had coſt him during ſix years, to have given a true deſcription and exemplification of the reſult; and if not then able to deſcribe the beſt and moſt perfect Engine he might make, he could undoubtedly what he had done. Your Lordſhip further obſerved, this you conceived was all the Law demanded; ſuch a Specification only as the inventor, could give, and not ſuch an one as he could not give. How far he had or had not complied, you would leave to the opinion of a Court of Judges; in the mean time your wiſhed to indulge him with the opportunity of ſearching all the Court records, to find any former deciſion that would help him to juſtify his claim: and having done this, he muſt abide the iſſue. Which iſſue, your Lordſhip knows was undeciſive, and the preponderating ſide of the ſcale ſtill left to be aſcertained.

As I flatter myſelf your Lordſhip will not think it preſuming too much, I will here take the liberty to add ſome ideas of my own on the nature of patents.

I believe, my Lord, in the firſt place, that all natural principles, and properties of elements are of eternal exiſtence; unchangeable in ,