Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/250

222]  of the sun: some philosophers, however, have lately defined time to be the duration of a thing, the existence of which is neither without beginning nor end.

Consistently with our plan, we cannot enter into any speculative disquisitions respecting the nature of time: we shall, therefore, only remark, that it has been divided into astronomical and civil; the former being regulated entirely by the motion of the celestial bodies; while the latter division comprehends the astronomical time adapted to the purposes of civil life; and is distinguished by years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

Few reflections are of greater importance than those on the transitory nature of time; which is perhaps the only thing in the world, that is absolutely irrecoverable: hence, we are often surprized at the conduct of those who, under the mistaken notion of killing time, contrive and pursue every species of dissipation, in order to suppress the occasional warning of their degraded understandings, to stifle the remaining sense of their duties, and in a manner to forget themselves as rational agents, who are appointed to fulfil certain purposes, by which they might distinguish themselves from the brute creation. Nevertheless, a moderate participation in the amusements of the day, or the enjoyment of select company, is highly commendable; but, when such indulgence exceeds the limits of prudence, it not only deserves severe censure, but is ultimately attended with bitter remorse.  TIME-PIECE, a term including clocks, watches, and other contrivances, for measuring the progress, or ascertaining the duration, of time.

The ancients were not acquainted with other time-pieces than the common sun-dial, and water-clocks, or vessels filled with any liquid, which was allowed to descend in drops, so that the portion thus disengaged, in an imperfect manner indicated the length of time, which had elapsed: for these contrivances,  were afterwards substituted.

The present mechanical time-pieces with the pendulum, were probably invented in Italy, towards the end of the 13th, or beginning of the 14th century; but the smaller machines, called watches, were not known in Europe till the middle of the 17th century, when the steel spring was employed as a substitute for weights, and the spiral or regulating spring, instead of the pendulum. The merit of this invention is claimed by the city of Nürnberg, whence was furnished with an oval watch, that is still shewn among the curiosities deposited in the British Museum. In England, these useful chronometers were first made by Dr. ; and in Holland, by ; but the name of their original inventor is consigned to oblivion. Since that period, numerous improvements have been made by, and other artists, whose names we decline to register.

From the extensive utility of time-pieces, in measuring with exactness the periodical revolutions of planetary bodies, it was farther conjectured, that such machines might be advantageously employed for the purpose of ascertaining the longi-