A NEW ENGINE BY WHICH A MAN MAY STAY AND WORKE A CONSIDERABLE DEPTH VNDER WATER MANY HOURES, BEING MADE OF TIMBER, WITH BLASSE WINDOWS, A DOORE AND SEVERALL AIRE PIPES VNITED, LEATHER SLEEVES AND IRON BRACES APPIXED THEREUNTO
Year: 1691

page_text: WILLIAM AND MARY, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whome these
presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS JOHN HOOKE, SAMUELL ATKINSON, SAMUELL WEALE, and
NICHOLAS NICHOLLS, have by their humble petičon represented vnto vs, that
they have, at their great care, cost, and expence, after much study and labour
invented and found out "A NEW ENGINE BY WHICH A MAN MAY STAY AND WORKE
A CONSIDERABLE DEPTH VNDER WATER MANY HOURES, BEING MADE OF TIMBER,
WITH BLASSE WINDOWS, A DOORE AND SEVERALL AIRE PIPES VNITED, LEATHER
SLEEVES AND IRON BRACES APPIXED THEREUNTO," which said engine hath not been
heretofore knowne or practised by any of our subiects, and have prayed vs to
grant them our Letters Patents for the sole vse thereof dureing the terme of
fourteen yeares.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee being willing to cherish and
encourage all laudable endeavours and designes of such our subiccts as have
by their industry found out vsefull and profittable arts, misteries, and inven-
tions, and that the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weal, and
Nicholas Nicholls, may accordingly reape some fruite and benefitt of their
labour and charge in and concerning the premisses, of our especiall grace,
certaine knowledge, and meer mocon, have given and granted, and by these
presents doe give and grant vuto the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson,

page_text: Samuel Weale, and Nicholas Nicholls, their executors, administrators, and
assignes, speciall, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that they, by
themselves, and by their deputies, servants, agents, and workmen, and
such others onely as they, the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuel
Weal, and Nicholas Nicholls, their executors, administrators, and assignes
shall agree with, shall and may, from time to time, and at all times here
after, durcing the terme of fourteene yeares next ensueing the date of these
Pseuts, at their owne proper cost and charges, erect, make, vse, teach,
exercise, and put in practise the said new Invention soe by them or some of
them contrived, invented, and found out as aforesaid, within all and every
the seas, rivers, and places within our kingdome of England, or any other
of our dominions, and alsoe shall and may take, receive, and enioy all the
benefitts, profitts, comodities, and advantages of and by the said new Invention
ariseing, or to be had, made, accquired, or gotten, to the beneffitt, vse, and vses
of them, the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Semuell Weal, and Nicholas
Nicholls, their executors, administrators, and assignes, to have, hold, vse,
exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and authorities,
and all other the premisses by these presents granted or menconed to be
granted vnto the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weale, and
Nicholas Nicholls, their executors, administrators, 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, they, the said John Hooke, Samuel Atkinson, Samuel Weale, and
Nicholas Nicholls, their executors, administrators, and assignes, may the better
enioy the full and whole benefitt, and the sole vse and exercise, of their said
new Invention, wee doc by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors,
streightly charge, require, and comand all and every person and persons,
bodies politick and corporate, of what quallity, degree, name, or condičon
soever they be, within our said kingdome and 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 practise the said
new Invention soe by them, the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuel
Weal, and Nicholas Nicholls, invented and found out as aforesaid, nor doe nor
shall any way counterfeite, imitate, or resemble the said new Invention, or any
materiall thereunto belonging, nor doe nor shall make any addition thereunto
or substracĉon therefrom, whereby to pretend themselves the inventers or
devisors thereof, without the lycence, .consent, or agreement of them, the said

page_text: John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weale, and Nicholas Nichols, their
executors, administrators, or assignes, in writcing, vnder their hands and
scales first had and obteined in that behalfe, vnder such paines and penalties
as can or may be inflicted on the offender or offenders therin, for such their
contempt of this our royall comand; and further, to be answerable to them,
the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weale, and Nicholas
Nichols, their executors, administrators, and asignes, according to the vtmost
rigour of the law for their damages thereby susteined; and further, wee doe
by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, give and grant vnto
them, the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuel Weal, and Nicholas
Nicholls, their executors, administrators, and assignes, full power and
authority that they and every of them, their and every of their deputies,
agents, and servants, haveing first obteined a warrant in that behalfe from the
Lord Cheife Justice of the Court of King's Bench for the time being, with the
assistance of a constable or other lawfull officer (aswell within liberties as
without) at convenient times in the day dureing the terme aforesaid, and in
lawful manner, shall and may make search in any place or places within our
said kingdome, seas, and dominions, where there shall be just cause of suspi-
tion for discovering and finding out of all such person or persons as shall in
any way counterfeit, resemble, make, or vse, or cause to be imitated, counter-
feited, resembled, made, or vsed, within our kingdome or dominions aforesaid, -
the said new Invention soe by them, the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson,
Samuell Weale, and Nicholas Nicholls, found out and invented as aforesaid, that
soc such offender or offenders may be proceeded against and punished according
to the vtmost rigour of the law. And further, wee doe by these our Letters
Patents, for vs, our heires and successors, will, authorize, require, and comand
all and singuler justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, head-
boroughs, 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 durcing the terme hereby granted,
in their respective offices, and according to theire and every of their best skills
and endeavours, aiding, helping, and assisting vnto them, the said John Hooke,
Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weale, and Nicholas Nicholls, their executors,
administrators, and asignes, 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 execuĉon of the severall powers and priviledges hereby
granted as aforesaid; and, moreover, wee doe by these presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, will and comand that our said respective officers and

page_text: ministers before-menčoned, or any of them, doc not nor shall, at any time
hereafter durcing the terme hereby granted, in any wise molest, trouble, or
hinder the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weal, and Nicholas
Nicholls, their executors, administrators, or assignes, deputies, agents, or
servants, in or about the vse or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or any
part thereof, or any thing relating thereto. Provided alwaies, and these our
Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condiĉon, 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 Councill, that this our grant is contrary to law, or preiudiciall or
inconvenient to our subiecte in generall, or that the Invention before
menčoned is not a new invention as to the publick vse and exercise of the
same, and not invented and found out by them, the said John Hooke, Samuell
Atkinson, Samuell Weale, and Nicholas Nicholls, or some or one of them,
as aforesaid, then vpon significacon and declaracon of such preiudice or
inconveniency to be made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or their
signett or privy scale, or by the lords or others of our or their Privy Councill,
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, any
thing herein-before conteyned to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided alsoe
that these our Letters Patents, or any thing herein conteyned, shall not
extend, or be construed to extend, to give priviledge vnto them, the said John
Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weale, and Nicholas Nicholls, their
executors, administrators, or assignes, to imitate any invention or worke
whatsoever, which hath been heretofore invented or found out by any other of
our subiects whatsoever, and publickly exercised within our kingdome or
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 they, the said John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell
Weal, and Nicholas Nicholls, their executors, administrators, and assignes,
and all and singuler other person and persons to whome wee have already
granted our like Letters Patents, shall distinctly vse and practise their
several inventions by them respectively found out according to the true
meaning of such our Letters Patents, and of these presents. And, lastly,
wee doe hereby, for vs, our heires aud successors, grant vnto them the said
John Hooke, Samuell Atkinson, Samuell Weal and Nicholas Nicholls, their
executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or the
inrollment hereof, shall be and continue in and by all things good, vallid,

page_text: firme, sufficient, and effectuall in the law, according to the true intent and
meaning of the same, notwithstanding the not full and certeine describeing or
menčoning of the said Invention, or of the materialls, wayes, or meanes of
makeing, vseing, or exerciseing of the same, or of the certaine vse or benefitt
thereof, or any other defect, incerteinty, or imperfeccon in these presents, or
any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the contrary in any wise
notwithstanding.
day of October.
By Writt of Privy Seale.
נח זבנ