The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-07-22
OF FAMOUS WOODEN MEN.
SOME AUToMATA THAT COULD DC
EVERYTHING BUT BREATHE.

Comus and His Great Coach Horses.
DR.. John Dee was one Of the most con-
spicuous figures Of the sixteenth century
besides inlliving and dead languages and
natural science.
He studied nineteen hours out Of the
twenty-four while at the University oil
Cambridge, and when asked to manage
the mechanical effects In the production
by his fellow-students Of Q comedy oil
Aristophanes, contrived an automaton
which led to his change Of residence, 90
wild were the surmises which attended
itseexhibition.
This automaton Of DR.. Dee was an arti-
hcial beetle, the exact reproduction Of
the scarabaeus as far a. the eye OF the
spectator could see, but 50 Allied with
springs and wheels that II few without
external aid from the floor to the ceiling
Of the theatre, carrying q man and q
basket of provisions on It's back. There
waa so much unpleasant gossip in conse-
quence that DR.. Dee went out OF the
country, though be afterward became one
Of the most distinguished men OF the
court Of Queen Elizabeth, says Harper's
Young People.
One Of the great men of modern times,
Rene Descartes, a French philosopher
born in 1895, filled Europe with the fame
of his bold mind and store of learning
Scientists to- day acknowledge their obli-
cations to him in mechanics. He IL said
10 have made an automaton which he de-
signed to be a daug liter TO his old age.
He called ii Francina, and In look and
gesture, beauty and grace, Francina wal
all that doting father could have desired
IN hesh and blood. 80 goes the tale, q
strange one. For Descartes, the philos-
opher with whom Aristotle and Plate
were compared, grew to love this mechan.
ical maiden AZ the apple Of his eye.
She was said to walk with him at even.
| ing In his garden, to rise and greet hin
with kiss when he returned home, and
| to pass her hands now and then, a
no sat ut work, caressingly over his fore
head. She was indeed cared for ~ ten.
Derby, 1t seemed, as a real Francina might
have been.
Once Descartes took Francina on . set
voyage with him, for he travelled mucl
about Europe. The captain of the vesse
supposed, OF course, that he had tive
passengers, and set two places at the tabl'
Of honor. But while the young woman
walked on deck and sat by her father
side at other times, she did not come *
the table to eat. And It was observed
that she alone OF all the passengers wa
unaffected by seasickness.
And 80 the crew and the captain &C
cused Francina OF being q witch, anC
seiSing her, suddenly hove her overheard
her great weight, her failure TO resist O
! hn- 81
| teaching them, too late, their mistake.
| One of the best known of the NOR
| modern automatic was made at Boulogn
in the seventeenth century, and wa
| called the Necromancer OF BouloRne. !
| was manikin, dressed in Oriental cos
tune, about three inches high, and We
endowed not only with the power Of 10
ccmotion, but could juggle AZ well. Th
figure played with cups and balls on
tiny table, after the fashion of huma
prestidigltateurs.
Il would take in It's left hand a littl
egg and pass it with wand to its right
Then bird would break through the to
Of the egg and fiutter its wings with
motion like that of the hummingbird
sing strain or two, and drop back int
the egg. The Necromancer also took curl
Gus objects from little box and mad
| them disappear back into it with del
motions.
II was remarkable scene to which
now unknown inventor once invite
Louis XIV, at the chateau of one Of tina
monarch's intimates near Paris. In tn
exact centre Of q grove was smooth ex
panse Of level ground, on which, as tn
king approached, an extraordinary auto
matte group was performing.
It was the coach and horses whic
Comus, the greatest of modern Europea
Rmagicians, describes. Conjurer Oomu
reached the height of his fame Just afte
the beginning of the present century
He used to travel all over France, and ha
no equal as q wizard. He left $4,000
: year to his grandson, Ledru Rollin, til
famous French orator and agitator.
Comus had been invited to accompan
the king. As they looked, the coachma
cracked his whip, the horses pranced an
started away on their circular cours,
Not straw or pebble marred the smooth
ness Of the driveway. There was a vacaI
throne little to one side about half wa
round. Opposite this throne the horse
stopped short, a footman came dow
from the box, opened the coach door an
assisted lady to descend. She steppe
forward slowly and with a profoun
courtesy laid on the steps OF the thror
petition she had held in one hand.
Then she backed toward the coach, wa
helped in by the footman, who close
the door and climbed back on the DO,
Thereupon the horses trotted back to til
point from which they started.
This toy Is said to have given the kin
: much pleasure, and to have been fay
. orite amusement with him for years.