Thus have I briefly explained the probabilities and defects of those subtle contrivances whereby the making of a perpetual motion has been attempted. I would be loath to discourage the enquiry of any ingenious artificer by denying the possibility of effecting it with any of these mechanical helps; but yet (I conceive) if those principles which concern the slowness of the power in comparison to the greatness of the weight were rightly understood and thoroughly considered, they would make this experiment to seem, if not altogether impossible, yet much more difficult than otherwise, perhaps, it will appear. However, the inquiring after it cannot but deserve our endeavors, as being one of the most noble amongst all these mechanical subtilties. And, as it is in the fable of him who dug the vineyard for a hidden treasure, though he did not find the money, yet he thereby made the ground more fruitful, so, though we do not attain to the effecting of this particular, yet our searching after it may discover so many other excellent subtilties as shall abundantly recompense the labor of our inquiry. And then, besides, it may be another encouragement to consider the pleasure of such speculations, which do ravish and sublime the thoughts with more clear angelical contentments. Archimedes was generally so taken up in the delight of these mathematical studies of this familiar siren (as Plutarch styles them) that he forgot both his meat and drink, and other necessities of nature; nay, that he neglected the saving of his life, when that rude soldier, in the pride and haste of victory, would not give him leisure to finish his demonstration. What a ravishment was that, when, having found out the way to measure Hiero's crown, he leaped out of the bath, and (as if he were suddenly possessed) ran naked up and down, crying εὕρηκα, εὕρηκα {Greek: heurêka, heurêka}! It is storied of Thales that, in his joy and gratitude for one of these mathematical inventions, he went presently to the Temple, and there offered up a solemn sacrifice; and Pythagoras, upon the like occasion, is related to have sacrificed a hundred oxen; the justice of Providence having so contrived it, that the pleasure which there is in the success of such inventions should be proportioned to the great difficulty and labor of their inquiry. The Paradoxical Hydrostatic Balance The following was contributed to an English scientific journal in 1831, the name of the author of the article is unknown to us, but here is what he wrote: [Illustration] This hydrostatic balance, like the compound balance of Desaguliers, may be introduced to illustrate the impossibility of perpetual motion by a weight removed from the centre of a wheel.