ENGINE OF COPPER, IRON, OR OTHER METTALL, WITH GLASSES FOR LIGHT, AND JOYNTS SO VNDER WA, URI.
Year: 1693

page_text: these presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS JOHN STAPLETON, Gentleman, hath, by his humble petition,
represented vnto vs that he hath at his great study and expence invented.
"A NEW AND EXTRAORDINARY ENGINE OF COPPER, IRON, OR OTHER METTALL, WITH
GLASSES FOR LIGHT, AND JOYNTS SOE CONTRIVED AS TO PERMIT A PERSON ENCLOSED
IN IT TO WALKE AND MOVE FREELY WITH IT VNDER WATER, AND YET SO CLOSELY
COVERED OVER WITH LEATHER AS SUFFICIENTLY TO DEFEND HIM FROM ALL THE INIURIES.
OF IT; AND HATH ALSOE INVENTED A WAY TO FORCE AIR INTO ANY DEPTH OF WATER,
WHEREBY THE PERSON IN THE AFORESAID ENGINE MAY BE SUPPLIED WITH A.
CONTINUALL CURRENT OF FRESH AIRE, WHICH NOT ONELY SERVES HIM FOR
RESPIRACON, BUT MAY ALSO BE VSEFULL FOR CONTINUING A LAMP BURNING, WHICH
HE MAY CARRY ABOUT WITH HIM IN HIS HAND, AND MAY BE THENCE CONVEYED INTO
LARGE VESSELLS, WHEREBY ANY THING WILL BE RAISED TO THE SUPERFICES OF THE.
WATER TO WHICH THE SAID VESSELS ARE FASTENED; AND HATH ALSO INVENTED.
ANOTHER ENGINE WHICH WILL SWIM VPON THE WATER IN THE MOST VIOLENT.
STORMES, AND BEING INVERTED AND SUPPLIED WITH AIR AS THE OTHER ENGINE, A
PERSON INCLOSED THEREIN MAY SINKE TO THE BOTTOM AND ASSCEND AGAINE AT
PLEASURE; AND HATH LIKEWISE A WAY TO DEFECATE OR PURIFY THE AIR SO AS TO
MAKE THE SAME AGAINE SERVICEABLE FOR RESPIRACON, AND BY CONTINUALLY REPEATING
THE OPPERACON A MAN MAY REMAINE A LONG TIME VNDER WATER IN EITHER OF THE
SAID ENGINES, WITHOUT ANY OTHER AIR THAN WHAT THE SAID ENGINES DO CENTEYNE,
WHEREBY HE WILL BE PRESERVED FROM SUFFOCATION IF ANY EXTRAORDINARY

page_text: ACCIDENT SHOULD INTERUPT THE CURRENT OF FRESH AIR AFOREMENCONED, WHICH
BAID INVENČONS MAY BE OF GREAT VSE FOR THE WEIGHING AND TAKEING VP OF
SHIPS GUNNS, GOODS, AND OTHER THINGS, OF ANY BURTHEN, BULKE, OR WEIGHT, OR
IN ANY DEPTH OF WATER WHATSOEVER;" and hath humbly prayed vs to grant
him our Letters Patents for the sole vse thereof.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, being willing to cherish and
encourage all laudable endeavours and designes of such our subiects as have
by their industry found out vsefull and profitable arts, misteries, and inuenčons,
and that the said John Stapleton may accordingly reape some fruite and
benefit of his, labour and charge, in and concerning the Pmisses, of our
especial grace, certaine knowledge, and meer mocon, wee have given and
granted; and by these presents doe give and grant, vnto the said John
Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and. assignes, especiall lycence,
power, priviledge, and. authority, that he and they, by him and themselves,
and by his and their deputies, servants, agents, and workemen, and such others
onely as he, the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, shall agree with, shall and may from time to time and at all times
hereafter dureing the space of fourteen yeares next ensueing the date of
these
presents, at his and their own proper costs and charges, erect, vse, teach,
exercise, and put in practice the said new Inventions soe by him contrived and
found out as aforesaid, in any place or places within all our dominions, and
also shall and may receive, take, and enioy all the benefitts, profitts,
comodities, and advantages, of and by the said new Inventions to be had,
made, acquired, or gotten, to his and their owne proper benefitt, vse, and vses;
to have, hold, vse, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges,
and authorities, and all other the premisses by these presents granted or
menčoned to be granted vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, for and dureing and vnto the full end and terme of
fourteen yeares from the day of the date of these presents next ensueing,
and. fully to be compleate and ended, according to the statute in that case
made and provided. And to the end the said John Stapleton, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, may the better enioy the full and whole benefitt
and the sole vse and exercise of his said new Inventions, weo do by these
Psents, for vs, our heires and successors, streightly charge, require, and
comand all and every person and persons, bodies politique and corporate, of
what quality, degree, name, or condicon soever they be, within all our
dominions, that neither they, nor any of them, dureing the said terme of
fourteen yeares hereby granted, either directly or indirectly doe vse, exercise,
_ or put in practice the said new Inventions soe by the the said John Stapleton

page_text: invented and found out as aforesaid, nor doc nor shall counterfeit, imitate,
or resemble the said new Inventions, or any materialls thereunto belonging,
nor doe nor shall make any addičon thereunto, or substracčon therefrom,
whereby to Ptend themselves the inventors or devisers thereof, without the
lycence, consent, or agreement, of the said John Stapleton, bis executors,
administrators, or assignes, in writeing vnder his or their hands and seales,
first had and obtained in that behalfe, vnder such paines and penalties as
can or may be inflicted on the offender or offenders therein, for the contempt
of this our royall comand, and further to be answerable to the said John
Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, according to the vtmost
rigor of the law, for his and their damages thereby susteyned. And further,
wee doe by these our Letters Patents, for vs, our heires and successors, will,
authorize, require, and comand all and singular justices of the peace, mayors,
sheriffs, baliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers
whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors; now and for the time being,
whome it may concerne, that they and every of them respectively be from
time to time dureing the terme hereby granted, in their respective offices, and
according to their and every of their best skills and endeavours, aiding, helping,
and assisting vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, deputies, agents, and servants, in and by all things in and about the
accomplishment of our royall will and pleasure herein-before declared, and
in the execution of the severall powers and priviledges hereby granted as afore
said. And moreover wee doe by these psents, for vs, our heires and successors,
will and comand that our said respective officers and ministers before menconed,
or any of them, doe not nor shall at any time hereafter, dureing the terme
hereby granted, in anywise molest, trouble, or hinder the said John Staple-
ton, his executors, administrators, or assignes, deputies, agents, or servants, in
or about the vse or exercise of the aforesaid Inventions, or any part thereof,
or anything relateing thereunto. Provided alwaies, and these our Letters
Patents are and shall be vpon this condicon, that if at any time dureing the
said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted, it shall be made appeare to
vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Council,
that this our grant is contrary to law, or preiudiciall or inconvenient to our
subiccts in generall, or that the Invenčons before menconed are not new
invenčons, as to the publique vse and exercise of the same, and not invented
and found out by the said John Stapleton as aforesaid, then, vpon signification
and declaračon of such Piudice or inconveniency, to be made by vs, our heires
or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy scale, or by the lords or
others of our or their Privy Council, or any six or more of them, vnder their

page_text: hands, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and be
vtterly void to all intents and purposes, any thing herein-before conteyned to
the contrary notwithstanding. Provided also, that these our Letters Patents,
or any thing herein contained, shall not extend or be construed to extend to
give priviledge vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, to imitate any invenĉon or worke whatsoever which hath been here-
tofore invented and found out by any other of our subiects whatsoever, and
publickly exercised within our dominions aforesaid, to whome wee have already
granted our like Letters Patents of Priviledge for the sole exercise and benefitt
thereof, it being our will and pleasure that the said John Stapleton, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and singular other person and
persons to whome wee have already granted our like Letters Patents, shall
distinctly vse and practice their severall inventions by them respectively found
out, according to the true meaning of such our Letters Patents and of these
presents. And, lastly, wec doe hereby, for vs, our heires and successors, grant
vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that
these our Letters Patents, or the enrollment thereof, shall be and continue
in and by all things good, valid, firme, and effectuall in the law, according to
the true meaning of the same, notwithstanding the not full and certaine
describeing or menconing of the said Inventions, or of the materialls, wayes,
or meanes of makeing, vseing, or exerciseing of the same, or of the certainc
vse or benefitt thereof, or any other defect, incertainty, or imperfection in these
presents, or any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the contrary:
in anywise notwithstanding.
In witnesse, &c. Witnesse our selves, at Westminster, the Thirteenth