National Republican., 1884-06-28
CONCERNING CLOCKS.

The First Timekeepers and Who
Made Them-The Clock in History.
The timo of the invention of wheel
clocks moved by weights is uncertain.
Some enthusiasts are found to assert that
220 years before Christ such clock was
made--in the time Of Archimedes-but
there is no evidence to support such
belief. The first unquestionable fact that
ban be stated upon the subject is that
Pope Sylvester III did construct wheel
clock with weights, at Magdeburg, in 996,
and it is just possible that this was only
revival of an early invention. and that
Boethius was the originator of the me-
chanical wheel clock in the year $40 A. u.
One thing, however, is certain, namely,
that clocks were in ordinary use in the
monasteries of Europe in the eleventh
century, and no doubt the monks, who
had plenty of leisure and ample means for
the cultivation of experimental science,
perfected them, and in n large measure
contributed to the perfection of the ma
chinery as we know it, In 1870 clock
was made in France which was considered
u marvel of accurate timo keeping, and
which may have had a pendulum, but we
cannot find positive evidence of the dis
covery of the use of the pendulum until
the days of Galileo, although ancient
astronomers are said to hsye used them in
computing the duration of the eclipses.
From the date of Galileo's discovery to
recent times constant improvements have
oeen made in the science of horology until
,t has reached what we may we'll call
perfection.
The great contest of watches, or moro
properly of clocks, between Huygens and
DIR. Hooke, in the seventeenth century, is
matter of history, as are also the dis
coveries TO which they gave rise in regard
to the elliptical shape of the earth but,
dismissing such deeply scientific prob
lens, we will content ourselves with q
glance at tho introduction of the first
watch or portable clock. Edward vi ap-
pears to be tho first Englishman to wear
watch, and this consisted of "onne
larum gilt, with two plummets of lead !"
that is to say, 1t was driven by weights.
This is supposed to have been received by
the king as present from Nuremberg
and was playfully called Nuremberg
animated egg. The word watch" was
deri we'd from an Anglo-Saxon word mean
ing to wake. The first portable timepiece
of which we have any record was that of
the Chinese pocket dial mounted upon
the head OF cane or carried by chain
round the neck. An Italian sonnet
written by Gaspar Niconti, in 1850,
makes mention Of watches, and Shaks-
poare refers TO one in Twelfth Night"
when he makes Malvolio say, 81 frown
while, and perchanco wind
up my watch" Queen Elizabeth had u
watch in shape exactly like duck, with
chased feathers, the lower part of which
opened, and the face or dial of silver. orna-
mented with gilt design. Tho outer
case was of brass and that in its turn was
severed with black leather ornamented
with silver studs, Mary Queen Of Scots
gave curious token of affection to her
faithful maid of hanOr Mary Seaton, in
the shape of a watch in tho form OF q
skull, the dial occupying the place Of the
palate and the works that of tho brains
The hours were marked in Roman letters
A bell in the hollow of tho skull received
the works, and hammer struck the hours
NEiklng watches We're uncommon. and in