speaking　of　the　difficulty　of　introducing　improvements　in　the　arts
  and　manufactures；　and　of　the　prejudices　entertained　for　old
  practices；　that；　in　Normandy；　the　farmers　had　been　so　long　accustomed
  to　the　use　of　plough's　whose　shares　were　made　entirely　of　WOOD　that
  they　could　not　be　prevailed　on　to　make　trial　of　those　with　IRON；　that
  they　considered　them　to　be　an　idle　and　useless　innovation　on　the
  long…established　practices　of　their　ancestors；　and　that　they　carried
  these　prejudices　so　far　as　to　force　the　government　to　issue　an　edict
  on　the　subject。　　And　even　to　the　last　they　were　so　obstinate　in　their
  attachment　to　ploughshares　of　wood　that　a　tumultuous　opposition　was
  made　to　the　enforcement　of　the　edict；　which　for　a　short　time
  threatened　a　rebellion　in　the　province。　PARKES；　Chemical　Essays；
  4th　Ed。　473。
  。。。＇
  It　is；　no　doubt；　natural　that　the　ordinary　class　of　workmen　should
  regard　with　prejudice；　if　not　with　hostility；　the　introduction　of
  machines　calculated　to　place　them　at　a　disadvantage　and　to　interfere
  with　their　usual　employments；　for　to　poor　and　not　very　far…seeing　men
  the　loss　of　daily　bread　is　an　appalling　prospect。　　But　invention　does
  not　stand　still　on　that　account。　　Human　brains　WILL　work。　　Old　tools
  are　improved　and　new　ones　invented；　superseding　existing　methods　of
  production；　though　the　weak　and　unskilled　may　occasionally　be　pushed
  aside　or　even　trodden　under　foot。　　The　consolation　which　remains　is；
  that　while　the　few　suffer；　society　as　a　whole　is　vastly　benefitted　by
  the　improved　methods　of　production　which　are　suggested；　invented；　and
  perfected　by　the　experience　of　successive　generations。
  The　living　race　is　the　inheritor　of　the　industry　and　skill　of　all
  past　times；　and　the　civilization　we　enjoy　is　but　the　sum　of　the
  useful　effects　of　labour　during　the　past　centuries。　　Nihil　per　saltum。
  By　slow　and　often　painful　steps　Nature's　secrets　have　been　mastered。
  Not　an　effort　has　been　made　but　has　had　its　influence。　　For　no　human
  labour　is　altogether　lost；　some　remnant　of　useful　effect　surviving
  for　the　benefit　of　the　race；　if　not　of　the　individual。　　Even　attempts
  apparently　useless　have　not　really　been　so；　but　have　served　in　some
  way　to　advance　man　to　higher　knowledge；　skill；　or　discipline。　　〃The
  loss　of　a　position　gained；〃　says　Professor　Thomson；　〃is　an　event
  unknown　in　the　history　of　man's　struggle　with　the　forces　of　inanimate
  nature。〃　　A　single　step　won　gives　a　firmer　foothold　for　further
  effort。　　The　man　may　die；　but　the　race　survives　and　continues　the
  work；to　use　the　poet's　simile；　mounting　on　stepping…stones　of　dead
  selves　to　higher　selves。
  Philarete　Chasles；　indeed；　holds　that　it　is　the　Human　Race　that　is
  your　true　inventor：　　〃As　if　to　unite　all　generations；〃　he　says；　〃and
  to　show　that　man　can　only　act　efficiently　by　association　with　others；
  it　has　been　ordained　that　each　inventor　shall　only　interpret　the
  first　word　of　the　problem　he　sets　himself　to　solve；　and　that　every
  great　idea　shall　be　the　RESUME　of　the　past　at　the　same　time　that　it
  is　the　germ　of　the　future。〃　　And　rarely　does　it　happen　that　any
  discovery　or　invention　of　importance　is　made　by　one　man　alone。　　The
  threads　of　inquiry　are　taken　up　and　traced；　one　labourer　succeeding
  another；　each　tracing　it　a　little　further；　often　without　apparent
  result。　　This　goes　on　sometimes　for　centuries；　until　at　length　some
  man；　greater　perhaps　than　his　fellows；　seeking　to　fulfil　the　needs　of
  his　time；　gathers　the　various　threads　together；　treasures　up　the　gain
  of　past　successes　and　failures；　and　uses　them　as　the　means　for　some
  solid　achievement；　Thus　Newton　discovered　the　law　of　gravitation；　and
  thus　James　Watt　invented　the　steam…engine。　　So　also　of　the　Locomotive；
  of　which　Robert　Stephenson　said；　〃It　has　not　been　the　invention　of
  any　one　man；　but　of　a　race　of　mechanical　engineers。〃　　Or；　as　Joseph
  Bramah　observed；　in　the　preamble　to　his　second　Lock　patent；　〃Among
  the　number　of　patents　granted　there　are　comparatively　few　which　can
  be　called　original　so　that　it　is　difficult　to　say　where　the　boundary
  of　one　ends　and　where　that　of　another　begins。〃
  The　arts　are　indeed　reared　but　slowly；　and　it　was　a　wise　observation
  of　Lord　Bacon　that　we　are　too　apt　to　pass　those　ladders　by　which　they
  have　been　reared；　and　reflect　the　whole　merit　on　the　last　new
  performer。　　Thus；　what　is　hailed　as　an　original　invention　is　often
  found　to　be　but　the　result　of　a　long　succession　of　trials　and
  experiments　gradually　following　each　other；　which　ought　rather　to　be
  considered　as　a　continuous　series　of　achievements　of　the　human　mind
  than　as　the　conquest　of　any　single　individual。　　It　has　sometimes　taken
  centuries　of　experience　to　ascertain　the　value　of　a　single　fact　in
  its　various　bearings。　　Like　man　himself；　experience　is　feeble　and
  apparently　purposeless　in　its　infancy；　but　acquires　maturity　and
  strength　with　age。　　Experience；　however；　is　not　limited　to　a　lifetime；
  but　is　the　stored…up　wealth　and　power　of　our　race。　　Even　amidst　the
  death　of　successive　generations　it　is　constantly　advancing　and
  accumulating；　exhibiting　at　the　same　time　the　weakness　and　the　power；
  the　littleness　and　the　greatness　of　our　common　humanity。　　And　not　only
  do　we　who　live　succeed　to　the　actual　results　of　our　predecessors'
  labours；to　their　works　of　learning　and　of　art；　their　inventions　and
  discoveries；　their　tools　and　machines；　their　roads；　bridges　；　canals；
  and　railways；but　to　the　inborn　aptitudes　of　blood　and　brain　which
  they　bequeath　to　us；　to　that　〃educability；〃　so　to　speak；　which　has
  been　won　for　us　by　the　labours　of　many　generations；　and　forms　our
  richest　natural　heritage。
  The　beginning　of　most　inventions　is　very　remote。　　The　first　idea；　born
  within　some　unknown　brain；　passes　thence　into　others；　and　at　last
  comes　forth　complete；　after　a　parturition；　it　may　be；　of　centuries。
  One　starts　the　idea；　another　developes　it；　and　so　on　progressively
  until　at　last　it　is　elaborated　and　worked　out　in　practice；　but　the
  first　not　less　than　the　last　is　entitled　to　his　share　in　the　merit　of
  the　invention；　were　it　only　possible　to　measure　and　apportion　it
  duly。　　Sometimes　a　great　original　mind　strikes　upon　some　new　vein　of
  hidden　power；　and　gives　a　powerful　impulse　to　the　inventive　faculties
  of　man；　which　lasts　through　generations。　　More　frequently；　however；
  inventions　are　not　entirely　new；　but　modifications　of　contrivances
  previously　known；　though　to　a　few；　and　not　yet　brought　into　practical
  use。　　Glancing　back　over　the　history　of　mechanism；　we　occasionally　see
  an　invention　seemingly　full　born；　when　suddenly　it　drops　out　of
  sight；　and　we　hear　no　more　of　it　for　centuries。　　It　is　taken　up　de
  novo　by　some　inventor；　stimulated　by　the　needs　of　his　time；　and
  falling　again　upon　the　track；　he　recovers　the　old　footmarks；　follows
  them　up；　and　completes　the　work。
  There　is　also　such　a　thing　as　inventions　being　born　before　their　time
  the　advanced　mind　of　one　generation　projecting　that　which　cannot　be
  executed　for　want　of　the　requisite　means；　but　in　due　process　of　time；
  when　mechanism　has　got　abreast　of　the　original　idea；　it　is　at　length
  carried　out；　and　thus　it　is　that　modern　inventors　are　enabled　to
  effect　many　objects　which　their　predecessors　had　tried　in　vain　to
  accomplish。　　As　Louis　Napoleon　has　said；　〃Inventions　born　before　their
  time　must　remain　useless　until　the　level　of　common　intellects　rises
  to　comprehend　them。〃　　For　this　reason；　misfortune　is　often　the　lot　of
  the　inventor　before　his　time；　though　glory　and　profit　may　belong　to
  his　successors。　　Hence　the　gift　of　inventing　not　unfrequently　involves
  a　yoke　of　sorrow。　　Many　of　the　greatest　inventors　have　lived　neglected
  and　died　unrequited；　before　their　merits　could　be　recognised　and
  estimated。　　Even　if　they　succeed；　they　often　raise　up　hosts　of　enemies
  in　the　persons　whose　methods　they　propose　to　supersede。　　Envy；　malice；
  and　detraction　meet　them　in　all　their　forms；　they　are　assailed　by
  combinations　of　rich　and　unscrupulous　persons　to　wrest　from　them　the
  profits　of　their　ingenuity；　and　last　and　worst　of　all；　the　successful
  inventor　often　finds　his　claims　to　originality　decried；　and　himself
  branded　as　a　copyist　and　a　pirate。
  Among　the　inventions　born　out　of　time；　and　before　the　world　could
  make　adequate　use　of　them；　we　can　only　find　space　to　allude　to　a　few；
  though　they　are　so　many　that　one　is　almost　disposed　to　accept　the
  words　of　Chaucer　as　true；　that　〃There　is　nothing　new　but　what　has
  once　been　old；〃　or；　as　another　writer　puts　it；　〃There　is　nothing　new
  but　what　has　before　been　known　and　forgotten；〃　or；　in　the　words　of
  Solomon；　〃The　thing　that　hath　been　is　that　which　shall　be；　and　there
  is　no　new　thing　under　the　sun。〃　　One　of　the　most　important　of　these　is
  the　use　of　Steam；　which　was　well　known　to　the　ancients；　but　though　it
  was　used　to　grind　drugs；　to　turn　a　spit；　and　to　excite　the　wonder　and
  fear　of　the　credulous；　a　long　time　elapsed　before　it　became　employed
  as　a　useful　mot