The Century of Inventions of the Marquis of Worcester: from the Original MS., with Historical and Explanatory Notes and a Biographical MemoirWorcester, Edward Somerset, Marquis of
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The Century of Inventions of the Marquis of Worcester: from the Original MS., with Historical and Explanatory Notes and a Biographical Memoir
Worcester, Edward Somerset, Marquis of
Industrial arts -- Early works to 1800; Inventions -- Early works to 1800
The treasures buried under these heads, both for war, peace, and
pleasure, being inexhaustible; I beseech you pardon me if I say so;
it seems a vanity, but comprehends a truth; since no good spring but
becomes the more plentiful by how much more it is drawn; and the
spinner to weave his web is never stinted, but further inforced.
The more then that you shall be pleased to make use of my
Inventions, the more inventive shall you ever find me, one invention
begetting still another, and more and more improving my ability to
serve my King and you; and as to my heartiness therein there needs
no addition, nor to my readiness a spur. And therefore (my Lords
and Gentlemen) be pleased to begin, and desist not from commanding
me, till I flag in my obedience and endeavours to serve my King and
Country:
For certainly you'l find me breathless first t'expire,
Before my hands grow weary, or my legs do tire.
Yet abstracting from any interest of my own, but as a fellow-subject
and compatriot will I ever labour in the vineyard, most heartily and
readily obeying the least summons from you, by putting faithfully in
execution, what your judgments shall think fit to pitch upon amongst
this Century of Experiments, perhaps dearly purchased by me, but now
frankly and gratis offered to you. Since my heart (methinks) cannot
be satisfied in serving my King and Country, if it should cost them
any thing: as I confess when I had the honour to be near so obliging
a master as his late Majesty of happy memory, who never refused me
his ear to any reasonable motion: and as for unreasonable ones, or
such as were not fitting for him to grant, I would rather to have
died a thousand deaths, than ever to have made any one unto him.
Yet whatever I was so happy as to obtain for any deserving person,
my pains, breath and interest imployed therein satisfied me not,
unless I likewise satisfied the fees; but that was in my golden age.
And even now, though my ability and means are shortened, the world
knows why my heart remains still the same; and be you pleased (my
Lords and Gentlemen) to rest most assured, that the very complacency
that I shall take in the executing your commands, shall be unto me a
sufficient and an abundantly-satisfactory reward.
Vouchsafe therefore to dispose freely of me, and whatever lieth
in my power to perform; first, in order to his Majesty's service;
secondly, for the good and advantage of the Kingdom; thirdly, to
all your satisfactions, for particular profit and pleasure to your
individual selves, professing that in all and each of the three
respects I will ever demean myself as it best becomes,
My Lords and Gentlemen,
Your most passionately bent fellow subject in his Majesty's
service, com-patriot for the public good and advantage, and a
most humble Servant to all and every of you,
WORCESTER.
CONTENTS.
No. Page.
1. Seals abundantly significant 1
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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