Page:Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's life.djvu/91

 he lov'd to vary his operations, & to bring them by tryal, to a greater simplicity. I was informed that he made another waterclock, which performed by dropping out of a cistern. the rod with the hours on it, descending. I remember very well, I have heard him speak of this himself, & at the Royal Society. particularly that time aforemention'd, when I was Dr. Halley's deputy; on account of some paper read on water clocks. Sr. Isaac spoke to it, & observ'd "the exactness and usefulness of that kind of machine". he said "the chief inconvenience attending it was this. the hole thro' which the water drops, must necessarily be extremely small. therefore it was subject to be furr'd up, by impuritys in the water. So hour-glasses made with sand will wear the hole thro' which it is transmitted, bigger. these inconveniences in time spoil the use of both instruments."

the lad was observ'd to indulge his fancy so much this way, that it broke in upon his time, and improvement at School, & was prejudicial to his learning. so that the consequence was, dull boys were sometime put over him, in form. but this always excited him to redouble his pains, to overtake them. & such was his capacity, that he could soon do it, & goe beyond them when he pleasd.

this was not unheeded by his master Stokes; & gentle remonstrances accordingly made. Still