Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/439

 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. 287 this moving power, appear to have been used about the close of the fifteenth century, and they are alluded to in a poem by the Milanese noble, Gaspar A'iscoiiti, in l-i94. The invention bad been attributed to Lorenzo di Vul- paria, a Florentine astronomer ; but the ancient city of Xuremberg, renowned for ingenious artificers, has always claimed the merit of the discovery ; and it is stated that it was due to Peter Hele, a mechanician of that place, who died in 1540, His "j)arva horologia," without weights, suited to be carried about the person, and striking the hours, are described by a German writer in 1511. The earliest specimen in Mr. Morgan's collection closely corresponds with the description given of this pocket-clock in its earliest form. The next step was the invention of the fusee, to obviate the inconveniences arising from the varying power of the main-spring. No further improve- ment appears to have been made for about a century and a half. Mr. Morgan called attention to an interesting watch, possibly fabricated in England early in the reign of Elizabeth. The maker's name is Ferdinando Garret, and it is ornamented with a Tudor rose. A similar watch, date about 1560, appears to have been in the possession of the Eiddell family. Watches of the time of Elizabeth are not, indeed, very rare, and one, stated to have belonged to her, may be seen at the Royal Institution : another, attributed to her, is in the Ashmolean Museum, but it is of rather later date, and bears the name of Edward East. ^Ii ^lorgan produced several English watches of the close of the sixteenth century ; one of them made by John Limpard ; several elegant ladies' watches of the same period, formed of rock crystal, set in silver ; a very curious e^^, or acorn-shaped watch, by Hans John, of Konigs- berg, the earliest specimen of a chain, in Ueu of catgut, and cm-iously con- trived with a small wheel-lock pistol, possibly intended to serve as an alarum. This watch is of the seventeenth century. The clockmakers of London, Mr. ]Iorgan observed, were incorporated by charter, in 1631 ; and amongst the earliest of its members were John Midnall, about 1650, and Eobert (irinkin, who made the watch attributed to Cromwell, preserved in the British Museum. Mr. Morgan proceeded to give an interesting outline of the subsequent improvements in the manufacture ; the invention of the spring to regulate the action of the balance wheel, devised by Dr. Hooke, and brought into use by Tompion, in 1675. A rival claim to this improvement had been made by Huygens, as also by a French savant ; but the credit of this, important discovery appears to be fairly due to our own country. Several specimens of this period were exhibited ; also later watches with the addition of the minute hand, attributed to Daniel Quare, of London, who was the inventor of the rcj)eating movement, about 1676. ^utiquitioS anH ZSlDrfeiS of "Hrt (!F)i1jiljitcif. By Sir John Boileau, Baiit. — Views of the pictm-esque and interesting remains of Eoman constructioi, at Burgh Castle {Garianonnni), now the property of Sir John Boileau, as noticed in a former volume of the Journal.* Tliese drawings had been recently executed by ^Ir. Landseer, father of the distinguished artists of the name, and supply faithful memorials of the actual state of that remarkable fortress. ' Aivli. Jour. vol. iv., p. 7-.