A NEW INVENTED HARPSICHORD, VPON WHICH (HAVING ONLY TWO SETS OF STRINGS) MAY BE PERFORMED EITHER ONE OR TWO VNISONS OR TWO VAISONS AND ONE OCTAVE TOGETHER, OR THE FORTS AND PIANOS, OR LOUD OR SOFT, AND THE CONTRARY, MAY BE EXECUTED AS QUICK AS THOUGHT AND ALSO DOUBLE BASSES, BY TOUCHING ONLY SINGLE KEYS, WHEREBY HARD DIVISIONS. ON BASS PART MAY BE WELL PLAYED IN A DOUBLE MANNER WITHOUT THE THUMB AND FINGER TOGETHER, WHICH COULD OTHERWISE; THAT BESIDES THE ABOVE-MENCONED ADVANTAGES A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND TROUBLE CAN. ABY DOD
Year: 1730

page_text: GEORGE THE SECOND, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whome these
presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS JOHN HARRIS, Harpsichord and Spinnet Maker, of our city of
London, hath, by his petition, humbly represented vnto vs that he hath, by
much labour, study, and at a great expence, found out and brought to per-
feccon "A NEW INVENTED HARPSICHORD, VPON WHICH (HAVING ONLY TWO SETS
OF STRINGS) MAY BE PERFORMED EITHER ONE OR TWO VNISONS OR TWO VAISONS
AND ONE OCTAVE TOGETHER, OR THE FORTS AND PIANOS, OR LOUD OR SOFT, AND
THE CONTRARY, MAY BE EXECUTED AS QUICK AS THOUGHT, AND ALSO DOUBLE
BASSES, BY TOUCHING ONLY SINGLE KEYS, WHEREBY HARD DIVISIONS. ON
BASS PART MAY BE WELL PLAYED IN A DOUBLE MANNER WITHOUT THE THUMB
AND FINGER TOGETHER, WHICH COULD NOT BE WELL EXECUTED OTHERWISE; THAT
BESIDES THE ABOVE-MENCONED ADVANTAGES A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND TROUBLE
WILL BE SAVED IN QUILLING AND TUNING THE SAID HARPSICHORD, AND IT WILL
KEEP MUCH LONGER IN TUNE THAN ANY HARPSICHORD THAT HAVE OCTAVE
STOPS, AND CONSEQUENTLY WILL NOT BE SO EXPENSIVE TO KEEP THE SAME IN
GOOD ORDER AS THOSE INSTRUMENTS WHICH ARE MADE IN THE COMMON WAY,
NEITHER CAN. ABY DOUBLE-KEY'D HARPSICHORD BE SO SERVICEABLE AND VSEFULL
AS THE PETICONER'S NEW-INVENTED HARPSICHORD, ALTHOUGH THE EXPENCE IS
VASTLY GREATER;" that in regard the said Invention is entirely new, the great
expence and trouble the peticoner hath been at in bringing the same to per-
.

page_text: feccon, and that the like hath not been vsed or practised by any other person
or persons whatsoever, he hath therefore humbly prayed vs to grant him our
royal Letters Patents for the sole vse, benefit, and advantage of making and
vending the said new-invented harpsichord for the term of fourteen years,
pursuant to the statute in that case made and provided, wee, being willing to
give encouragem' to all arts and invenčons that may be for the publick
benefit, are graciously pleased to gratifie him in his request.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain
knowledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said John
Harris, his executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said John Harris, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe and
themselves, or by his or their deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as he, the said John Harris, his executors, administrators, or assignes,
shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
hereafter during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may
make, vse, and vend his said new-invented harpsichord, as above described,
within that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, our
dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as to
him, the said John Harris, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any
of them, shall in their discretions seem meet, and that he, the said John
Harris, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and lawfully may
have and enioy the whole profit, comodity, benefit, and advantage from time to
time comeing, growing, accrewing, and ariseing by reason of the said invenčon,
for and during the term of yeares herein menconed, to have, hold, exercise,
and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages berein-before
granted or menconed to be granted vnto the said John Harris, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, for and during and vnto the full end and term of
fourteen yeares from the date of these presents next and imediately ensueing, and
fully to be compleat and ended, according to the statute in such case made and
provided. And to the end that the said John Harris, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, and every of them, may have and enioy the full benefit
and the sole vse and exercise of the said Invention, according to our gratious
intenčon herein-before declared, wee do by these presents, for vs, our heires
and successors, require and strictly command all and every person and persons,
bodies politick and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what
estate, quality, degree, name, or condicon soever they be, within that said part
of our kingdome of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales,

page_text: and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they or any of them,
at any time during the continuance of the said term of fourteen yeares
hereby granted, either directly or indirectly, do make, vse, or put in. practice
the said Invenčon or any part of the same so attained vnto by the said John
Harris, as aforesaid, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same,
nor shall make, or cause to be made, any addičon thereunto or substraction
from the same, whereby to pretend himselfe or themselves the inventor or
inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, without the lycence, consent, or agree-
ment of the said John Harris, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in
writing vnder his or their hande and seales first had and obtained in that
behalfe, vpon such paiues and penalties as can or may be iustly inflicted on
such offenders for their contempt of this our royal command, and further to be
answerable to the said John Harris, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
according to law, for his and their damages thereby occasioned. And, more-
over, wee do by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will and
command all and singular the justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffes,
constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers whatsoever of
vs, our heires and successors, for. the time being, 'that they, or any of them, do
not, nor shall, at any time hereafter during' the said term hereby granted, in
anywise molest, trouble, or hinder the said John Harris, his executors, admi-
nistrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies, servânts, or
agents in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid
Invention, or anything relating thereto. Provided always, and these our
Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, that if at any time
during the said term hereby granted it shall be made appear to vs, our heires
or successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Councill, that this
our grant is contrary to law, or preiudicial or inconvenient to our subiects
in general, or that the said Invention is not a new invention as to the
publick vse and exercise thereof in that said part. of our' kingdome of
Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-
vpon-Tweed aforesaid, or not invented and found out by the said. John
Harris; as aforesaid, then, vpon signification. or declaration thereof, to be
made by vs; our heires or successors, or by the lorde and others of our
or their Privy Council, or any six or more of them, vnder. their hands, these
our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and be vtterly void
to all intents and purposes; anything herein-before contained to the con-
trary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. Provided also, that these our
Letters Patente, or anything herein contained, shall not. extend, or be con-
strued to extend, to give priviledge vnto the said John Harris, his executors,

page_text: administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate any invenčon or
work whatsoever which hath heretofore been found out or invented by any
other of our subiects whatsoever, and publickly vsed or exercised in that said
part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales,
or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, vnto whom like Letters Patents or
priviledges have been already granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit
thereof, it being our will and pleasure that the said John IIarris, his exccutors,
administrators, and assignes, and all and every other person or persons to
whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted as afore-
said, shall distinctly vse and practice their several inventions by them invented
and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the same respective
Letters Patents and of these presents. Provided likewise, neverthelesse, and
these our Letters Patents are vpon this expresse condičon, that if the said
John Harris, his exccutors or administrators, or any person or persons which
shall or may, at any time or times hercafter during the continuance of this
grant, have or claim any right, title, or interest in law or equity of, in, or to
the power, priviledge, and authority of the sole vsc and benefit of the said
Invention hereby granted, shall make any transferr or assignment, or any
pretended transferr or assignement, of the said liberty and priviledge, or any
share or shares of the benefit or profit thereof, or shall declare any trust
thereof to or for any number of persons exceeding the number of five, or shall
open or cause to be opened any book or books for publick subscriptions to be
made by any number of persons exceeding the number of five, in order to the
raising any sume or sumes of money vnder pretence of carrying on the said
liberty or priviledge hereby granted, or shall by him or themselves, or his or
their agents or servants, receive any sume or sumes of money whatsoever of
any number of persons exceeding in the whole the number of five, for such or
the like intents or purposes, or shall presume to act as a corporate body, or
shall divide the benefit of these our Letters Patents, or the liberty and
priviledges hereby by vs granted, into any number of shares exceeding the
number of five, or shall comitt or do, or procure to be comitted or done, any
act, matter, or thing whatsoever during such time as such person or persons
shall have any right or title, either in law or equity, in or to the said pre-
misses which would be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain
Act of Parliament made in the sixth year of the reign of our late royal father
King George the First, intituled (An Act for the better securing certain
powers and priviledges intended to be granted by His Maiestie by two
charters for assurance of ships and merchandizes at sea, and for lending
money vpon bottomry, and for restraining severall extravagant and vnwar-

page_text: rantable practices therein menconed, if these our Letters Patents had not
been granted, or in case the said power, priviledge or authority shall at
any time hereafter become vested in or in trust for more than the number of
five persons, or their representatives, at any one time (reckoning executors
or administrators as and for the single person whom they represent, as to such
interest as they are or shall be entitled to in right of such their testator or
intestate), that then, and in any of the said cases, these our Letters Patents,
and all liberties, privileges, and advantages whatsoever hereby granted, shall
vtterly cease, determine, and become void, anything herein-before contained to
the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. And, lastly, wee do by these
presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said John Harris,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or
the inrollment or exemplification thereof, shall be, in and by all things, good,
firme, valid, sufficient, and effectual in the law, according to the true intent and
meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adiudged in the most
favourable and beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said John Harris,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, as well in all our courts of record
as elsewhere, and by all and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of
vs, our heires and successors, in that part of our said kingdom of Great Britain
called England, our dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed
aforesaid, and amongst all and every the subiects of vs, onr heires and suc-
cessors, whatsoever and wheresoever, notwithstanding the not full and certain
describing the nature or quality of the said Invention, or of the materials
thereto conduceing and belonging.
day of October.
By Writt of Privy Seal.