OTHER WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
One Volume 8vo., of 650 pages, illustrated with Steel Engravings of two unpublished Portraits and 45 Wood Engravings, price 24s,
THE LIFE, TIMES, AND SCIENTIFIC LABOURS OF
EDWARD SOMERSET,
sixth earl and second
MARQUIS OF WORCESTER,
To which is added,
A REPRINT OF HIS CENTURY OF INVENTIONS (1663),
with a commentary thereon.
⁂ Thirty copies are printed on Large Paper, 1 vol. 4to. with India Proofs before the Letters of the Portraits, price £3. 3s.
"A monument raised late, it is true, but not too late, to a great and modest genius. A national biography which illustrates and elevates our ideas of the past, and a contribution which the world will recognize to the European history of Science."—Dublin University Magazine, September, 1865.
"A work which displays a high order of literary ability, careful antiquarian research, much ingenuity, and withal thorough honesty of purpose.
"[Lord Worcester], his life, told as Mr. Dircks has told it, is one of much interest.
"Here we have an elaborate—although of course not a completely exhaustive—account of his life; at any rate the most complete account of him ever likely to be written—a work filled with abundant evidence of the most painstaking research, a work written in a generous and sympathising spirit, and with every attribute of conscientiousness."—Engineering, 5th January, 1866.
"The production of this volume is no common achievement; Mr. Dircks has undertaken to write the life of a man about whom the public know very little.
"He has, we think, collected some curious information, and established the claim of the Marquis to be the first constructor of a steam-engine. The reprint of the celebrated Century of Inventions adds greatly to the interest of the volume."—The Spectator, 14th September, 1867.
One Volume, 8vo., price 21s, only 100 copies printed,
WORCESTERIANA;
A COLLECTION OF
BIOGRAPHICAL AND OTHER NOTICES, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, RELATING TO EDWARD SOMERSET, SECOND
MARQUIS OF WORCESTER,
AND HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY CONNECTIONS; WITH OCCASIONAL NOTES.
"The present volume is, as it were, a supplement. [To. Mr. Dircks's Life of the Marquis of Worcester.] It contains what the French call 'pièces justificatives,' on which that biography was founded; and such other materials connected with the history of Lord Worcester's family and his invention of the steam-engine as will prevent, as far as possible, a repetition of the gross errors hitherto promulgated on these subjects."— Notes and Queries, February 3, 1866.
One Volume, post 8vo., with 130 wood engravings, price 10s 6d,
PERPETUUM MOBILE;
OR,
HISTORY OF THE SEARCH FOR SELF-MOTIVE POWER DURING THE 17TH, 18TH, AND 19TH CENTURIES,
With an Introductory Essay.
"The literature of this subject [Perpetual Motion] is very extensive, but scattered mainly through Patent Records and ephemeral pamphlets. We would especially refer the curious reader to a recent work by Mr. Dircks, entitled Perpetuum Mobile, to which we have been indebted for historical notices. It is extremely complete and interesting as a history."— Chambers's Encyclopædia, Part 15, 1865.
"A very useful collection on the history of the attempts at perpetual motion, that is, of obtaining the consequences of power without any power to produce them."—Professor De Morgan's Budget of Paradoxes, No. 28.—Athenæum, July 15, 1865.
One Volume, post 8vo., with portrait, price 3s 6d,
CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS A HISTORY OF
ELECTRO-METALLURGY,
ESTABLISHING THE ORIGIN OF THE ART.
"In his Introduction, Mr. Dircks has clearly stated the claims of invention, and fairly discussed the only just grounds that can give claim to priority of invention."—The Mining Journal, February 7, 1863.
"In the collection of chronological and other data for the history of various branches and application of science, Mr. Dircks appears to be indefatigable."—The Electrician, February 27.
"It is a useful and clear digest of evidence, and apparently impartially put together."—The Practical Mechanics' Journal (Glasgow), July.
One Volume, post 8vo., with two portraits, price 4s,
INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS,
IN THREE PARTS.
I. The Philosophy of Invention, considered strictly in relation to Ingenious Contrivances tending to facilitate Scientific Operations, to extend Manufacturing Skill, or to originate New Sources of Industry.—II. The Rights and Wrongs of Inventors, Legally and Politically Examined.—III. Early Inventors' Inventories of Secret Inventions, employed from the 13th to the 17th Century, in substitution of Letters Patent.
"The author enters fully and effectually into the claims and grievances of the inventor. He discusses the arguments for and against the concession of patent right, and examines very ably leaders in the Times on patent monopoly; very clearly dissipating the sophism of the opponents of patent right; also Sir William Armstrong's evidence regarding 'patent monopoly,' &c., affording an interesting and useful publication from its many excellences."—The Scientific Review, September 2, 1867.
"The second part of the volume discusses the right of inventors to a property in their inventions, and thus raises the question of the patent laws, and the twofold issue, whether it will be better to retain them and reform them, or to sweep them away altogether. We are bound to admit that he treats this topic in a fair spirit, and without any taint of bigotry. Mr. Dircks is a man whose opinions are entitled to a hearing."— The London Review, September 21.
"Mr. Dircks treats the real problem and discusses the comparative merits of the existing system, and the advantages which he, together with many others, hopes would follow on the establishment of some judicial council of inventions. The difficulties of the question are enormous, and no one will think the less of them after having gone through this volume.
"The third part, or the lists of their inventions left by many great and some ingenious persons, is interesting and curious."— The Westminster Review, October.
One Volume, post 8vo., price 3s 6d,
A BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF
SAMUEL HARTLIB,
MILTON'S FAMILIAR FRIEND,
With Bibliographical Notices of Works published by him; and a reprint of his Pamphlet entitled
"AN INVENTION OF ENGINES OF MOTION."
"Mr. Dircks's is the first careful attempt to make posterity his (Hartlib's) friend."—The Examiner, 18th February, 1865.
"A scholar-like little monograph, giving all the information that can be given about a man whose name occurs in the correspondence of almost every eminent literary or scientific person of the time of the Commonwealth."—The Spectator, 20th May.
One Volume, post 8vo., with engravings, price 2s,
THE GHOST!
AS PRODUCED IN THE SPECTRE DRAMA,
POPULARLY ILLUSTRATING THE MARVELLOUS OPTICAL ILLUSIONS OBTAINED BY THE APPARATUS CALLED THE DIRCKSIAN PHANTASMAGORIA.
"Mr. Dircks gives us the benefit of all his progressive discoveries in the matter, from the paper first read at the British Association Meeting at Leeds, in 1858, to the more recent improvements, with full explanations of the machinery, apparatus, and processes adopted in these ghost dramas, and further favours the public with a number of new adaptations. As a curious description of these spectral illustrations, the book is most interesting."—The Technologist, January, 1864.
"A volume explanatory of the uncommonly clever and scientific "spectral illusion" which has of late fairly turned the public head."— The Dublin Builder, January 1.
"A few months ago all London was rushing off to see Professor Pepper's Ghost, as it was called, but which it now appears was the property of Mr. Dircks, and from which his good name was filched in a very unhandsome manner. Here then he tells us all about it, how the spectre was raised, and how we may ourselves at pleasure call spirits from the vasty deep."—The Bookseller, February 29.
Transcriber's Notes
Page [36]: changed "Sorbiere" to "Sorbière" (15. Samuel Sorbière visited the works at Vauxhall)
Page [61]: changed "Jupiper" to "Jupiter" (of cloves, &c. to Jupiter;)
Page [83]: changed "BD2" to "BG2" ({AG2 + CB2 + 4(OF2)} = {AC2 + CG2 + BG2 + AB2.})
Page [83]: changed "sqrt(102 52)" to "sqrt(102) + 52" ( ... = {52 + sqrt(102) + sqrt(102) + 52,})
Page [84]: changed closing parenthesis to closing braces ( ... 9}={25 + 10 + 10 + 25} = 70)
Page [84]: changed "tangental" to "tangential" (tangential to the circle X)
Page [84]: changed "Q" to "2" (making G n equal to 2AG - GD)
Page [84]: added missing opening parenthesis in "(I have indicated this square by dotted lines.)"
Page [84]: changed "+ 1'25}" to "× 25" ({76'5625 + 1'5625} = {3'125 × 25})
Page [84]: changed "hypothenuse" to "hypotenuse" (the area of a square on the hypotenuse)