A NEW KIND OF COMPOUND HARPSICHORD, IN WHICH, BESIDES THE JACKS WITH QUILLS, A SET OF HAMMERS OF THE NATURE OF THOSE USED IN THE KIND OF HARPSICHORDS CALLED PIANO FORTE, ARE INTRODUCED IN SUCH MANNER THAT EITHER MAY BE PLAYED SEPERATELY OR BOTH TOGETHER AT THE PLEASURE OF THE PERFORMER, AND FOR ADDING THE AFORESAID HAMMERS TO AN HARPSICHORD OF THE COMMON KIND ALREADY MADE; SO AS TO RENDER IT. SUCH COMPOUND HARPSICHORD
Year: 1774

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
MERLIN, of Little Queen Ann Street, in the Parish of Saint Mary-le-bone, in
the County of Middlesex, Mathematical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excelle.it Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of September, in, the fourteenth year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Merlin, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph Merlin, during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of the Kingdom of Great Britain, called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A NEW KIND OF COMPOUND HARPSICHORD, IN WHICH, BESIDES THE
JACKS WITH QUILLS, A SET OF HAMMERS OF THE NATURE OF THOSE USED IN THE
KIND OF HARPSICHORDS CALLED PIANO FORTE, ARE INTRODUCED IN SUCH MANNER THAT
EITHER MAY BE PLAYED SEPERATELY OR BOTH TOGETHER AT THE PLEASURE OF THE
PERFORMER, AND FOR ADDING THE AFORESAID HAMMERS TO AN HARPSICHORD OF THE
COMMON KIND ALREADY MADE; SO AS TO RENDER IT. SUCH COMPOUND HARPSICHORD;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
Joseph Merlin, under my hand and seal, to describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within four months next after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of and compliance with the said
proviso, I, the said Joseph Merlin, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention of a New Kind of Compound Harpsichord, in which, besides
the Jacks with Quills, a Set of Hammers of the Nature of those used in the
Kind of Harpsichord called Piano-Forte, are introduced in such Manner that
either may be Played separately or both together at the Pleasure of the
Performer, and the Adding of the aforesaid Hammers to an Harpsichord of
the Common Kind already made, so as to render it such Compound
Harpsichord, and in what manner the same is to be performed, is described
and ascertained in the Plans thereof, and the references thereto annexed to
these Presents.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Merlin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twelfth day of January, in the fifteenth year
of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace
of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the
Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred and seventy-five.