the least conception!  If ever this book should come forth, I must expect to have all the learned in arms against me, who measure all knowledge backward:  some of them have discovered symptoms of all arts in Homer; and Pineda(1462) had so much faith in the accomplishments of his ancestors, that he believed Adam understood all sciences but politics.  But as these great champions for our forefathers are dead, and Boileau not alive to hitch me into a verse with Perrault, I am determined to admire the learning of posterity, especially being convinced that half our present knowledge sprung from discovering the errors of what had formerly been called so.  I don’t think I shall ever make any great discoveries myself, and therefore shall be content to propose them to my descendants, like my Lord Bacon, who, as Dr. Shaw says very prettily in his preface to Boyle, , had the art of inventing arts:”  or rather like a Marquis of Worcester, of whom I have seen a little book which he calls A Century of Inventions where he has set down a hundred machines to do impossibilities with, and not a single direction how to make the machines themselves.(1463)

If I happen to be less punctual in my correspondence than I intend to be, you must conclude I am writing my book, which being designed for a panegyric, will cost me a great deal of trouble.  The dedication, with your leave, shall be addressed to your son that is coming, or, with my Lady Ailesbury’s leave, to your ninth son, who Will be unborn nearer to the time I ’am writing of; always provided that she does not bring three at once, like my Lady Berkeley.

Well!  I have here set you the example of’ writing nonsense when one has nothing to say, and shall take it ill if you don’t keep up the correspondence on the same foot.  Adieu!

(1461) General Honeywood, governor of Portsmouth.

(1462) Pineda was a Spanish Jesuit, and a professor of theology.  He died in 1637, after writing voluminous commentaries upon several books of the Holy Scriptures, besides an universal history of the church.

(1463) Walpole, in his “Royal and Noble Authors,” designates the Marquis as a “fantastic protector and fanatic,” and describes the " Century of Inventions” as “an amazing piece of folly;” and Hume, who does not even know the title of the book, boldly pronounces it “a ridiculous compound of lies, chimeras, and impossibilities.”  In 18@5, however, an edition of this curious and very amusing little work was published], with historical and explanatory notes, by Mr. C. F. Partington; who clearly proves, that the Marquis was the person, either in this or any Other country, who gave the first idea of the steam engine.-E.

563 Letter 260 To George Montagu, Esq.  Strawberry Hill, Saturday night, Sept, 3, 1748.