The Century of Inventions of the Marquis of Worcester / from the Original MS., with Historical and Explanatory Notes and a Biographical Memoir

by Marquis of Edward Somerset Worcester

No. LXXXVIII.

How to make a brazen or stone head, in the midst of a great field or garden, so artificial and natural, that though a man speak never so softly, and even whispers into the ear thereof, it will presently open its mouth, and resolve the question in French, Latin, Welsh, Irish, or English, in good terms, uttering it out of his mouth, and then shut it until the next question be asked.

NOTE.

Albertus Magnus, a celebrated philosopher of the thirteenth century, is said to have constructed an automaton which not only performed all the apparent motions of life, but absolutely answered questions. It is recorded of Thomas Aquinas, that, having accidentally seen the head, he was so terrified that he broke it in pieces, upon which Albert exclaimed: Periit opus triginta annorum! Though this appears one of the earliest instances of a speaking automaton constructed by one of the laity, there is no doubt but that the method of conveying answers to various interrogatories, by the agency of concealed pipes or a speaking trumpet, was practised at a very early period. That the impostor Alexander, however, caused his Æsculapius to speak in this manner is expressly related by Lucan. He took, says this author, instead of a pipe, the gullet of a crane, and transmitted the voice through it to the mouth of the statue. But the invention of the invisible girl, which may be considered as an improvement on the oracular responses of the darker ages, infinitely surpassed any of those hitherto recorded.

This very ingenious apparatus was publicly exhibited both at Bristol and in London for a considerable period, during which time no discovery was made of its internal mechanism; and it is probable that its construction would have remained a secret to all but the exhibitors, but for the ingenuity of Mr. (now Professor) Millington, who, in a course of Lectures delivered in the winter of 1806, explained the manner in which it was performed.

The visible part of the apparatus connected with the invisible girl was thus constructed: first a mahogany frame resembling a bedstead, having at the corners four upright posts about five feet high, was united by a cross-rail near the top, and two or more cross-rails near the bottom, to strengthen the frame, which was about four feet square. The frame thus constructed was placed upon the floor, and to the top of each of the four pillars were attached as many strong bent brass wires converging towards the top, where they were secured by a crown and other ornaments. From these wires a hollow copper ball was suspended by slight ribbons, so as to cut off all possible communication with the frame. The globe thus supported was supposed to contain the invisible being, as the voice apparently proceeded from the interior of it: and for this purpose, it was equipped with four trumpets, placed round it in a horizontal direction, and at right angles to each other; the trumpet mouths coming to within about half an inch of the respective cross-rails of the frame surrounding them.

When a question was proposed, it was asked from any side of the frame, and spoken into one of the trumpets, and an answer immediately proceeded from the whole of them, so loud as to be distinctly heard by the inquirer, and yet so distant and feeble, that it appeared as if coming from a very diminutive being. In this the whole of the artifice consisted; and the variations were so contrived that the answer might be returned in several languages, a kiss might be returned, the breath producing the voice was felt, and songs were sung, accompanied by the piano-forte, &c. To produce this illusion, the sound was conveyed by a tube, in a manner similar to the old and well known contrivance of the speaking bust; the invisible girl only differing in one circumstance; that an artificial echo was produced by means of the trumpets and hollow globe, in consequence of which the sound was completely reversed.

In the invisible girl the orifice of the tube was in one of the handrails just opposite the mouth of one of the trumpets, the opening being concealed by reeds and other mouldings; the tube itself, which was about half an inch in diameter, ran through half the handrail, then down one of the corner posts, and from thence under the floor till it reached a large deal case almost similar to an inverted funnel, along the side of which it rose till it came nearly into contact with the ear of the confederate, who with a piano-forte, &c. was concealed in this case. Any question asked by a voice directed into one of the trumpets was immediately reflected back from the concave interior surface of the globe to the orifice of the tube, along which it was conveyed so as to be distinctly heard by the person in the deal case, who returned the requisite answer, which appeared to come precisely from the interior of the globe. A small hole closed with glass was likewise left through the deal case and side wall of the apartment, by means of which the concealed person had an opportunity of observing and commenting upon any circumstance which occurred in the room.