The morning call., 1893-07-09
MANY MINUTE MARVELS.
Brief Mention of Some Microscopic
Works of Art Found Abroad.

London Bookw0rin.
Dr. Heylin. fu his Life of King
Charles" records that during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth there was one who
wrote the ten commandments, the creed,
the Pater Noster the Queens name and
the PRAYER of our Lord within the compass
OF penny, and gave her Majesty pair of
spec,acles of such an artificial making
that by the help thereof she did plainly
and distinctly discern every letter." A
somewhat similar feat was that rare piece
of work brought to pass by Peter Bales.
an EnglishmaD, who also exhibited before
her Majesty the entire Bible written in a
book containing as many leaves full
sized edition. but fitting into walnut"
In ST. Johns College, Oxford, is pre-
served q portrait Of Charles l. in which the
engraver's lines, as they seem to be. are
really microscopic writing. the face alone
containing all the book of Psalms. with
the creeds and several forms of prayers.
The learned Person is known to have in
dulged in this species of ''curious idleness"
occasionally, and perhaps the Greek verses
from the Medea of Euripides. with john
news "HistOry of Music" were executed
by him. Though consisting of 226 words.
they are comprised in circle half an inch
in diameter, with a small space in the cen
ter left blank.
About forty years ago a specimen of mi
croscop;c penmanship was exhibited In
American. 1t consisted of the following
Inscription written upon glass IN circle
much smaller than the head of an ordinary
pin (2-625 part of an inch in diameteD !:
Lowell and Scuter, watchmakers. "a Ex-
change street. Portland. Written by Fer
mat at Paris. 1852"
at the Dusseldorf exhibition few years
ago a gentleman showed postal card upon
which the whole OF the first three books Of
the Odyssey were written, the remaining
space being filed with the transcript Of II
long debate which had taken place in the
German Parliamen: short time before.
The whole card contained 33. 600 words.
In the spring of 1882 a Hungarian sent
to Vienna paper a grain Of wheat on
which he had written 300 words taken
from Sissots book of Vienna.
Layard, in his ''Hstory Of Nineveh,"
mentions that she national records of the
Assyrian empire were written on tricks 10
characters so minute as 10 be scarcely leg-
bic without the aid OF microscope, and
that. in fact, variety Of this instrument
was found among the excavations
So much for dainty penmanshp. That
minute mechanical construction can lay
claim to considerable antiquity is evil
denced by the works OF Pliny and Adrian.
W no relate that Myrmicides constructed out
of ivory a ship with all her appearances
and chariot with four wheels and four
horses. both so small that bee could hide
either of them with its wings.
still more wonderful work Is that Of
Mark Scalio', London locksmith. who, in
1870, manufactured a lock consisting Of
eleven different pieces OF steel, iron and
brass. which. together with the key be-
longing to it, weighed only one grain. The
same artist constructed a chain of gold
containing forty-three links, which he
fastened to the lock and key. and upon
these being attached to the neck OF flea
the III sect was able todraw them with ease.