accurate　description；　but　exquisite　figure…work；　and　complicated
  geometrical　designs；　depending　upon　the　cycloidal　and　eccentric
  movements　which　were　from　time　to　time　added　to　the　machine。
  The　artisans　of　the　Middle　Ages　were　very　skilful　in　the　use　of　the
  lathe；　and　turned　out　much　beautiful　screen　and　stall　work；　still　to
  be　seen　in　our　cathedrals；　as　well　as　twisted　and　swash…work　for　the
  balusters　of　staircases　and　other　ornamental　purposes。　　English
  mechanics　seem　early　to　have　distinguished　themselves　as　improvers　of
  the　lathe；　and　in　Moxon's　'Treatise　on　Turning；'　published　in　1680；
  we　find　Mr。　Thomas　Oldfield；　at　the　sign　of　the　Flower…de…Luce；　near
  the　Savoy　in　the　Strand；　named　as　an　excellent　maker　of　oval…engines
  and　swash…engines；　showing　that　such　machines　were　then　in　some
  demand。　　The　French　writer　Plumier*
  ＇footnote。。。
  PLUMIER；　L'Art　de　Tourner；　Paris；　1754；　p。　155。　　。。。＇
  also　mentions　an　ingenious　modification　of　the　lathe　by　means　of
  which　any　kind　of　reticulated　form　could　be　given　to　the　work；　and；
  from　it's　being　employed　to　ornament　the　handles　of　knives；　it　was
  called　by　him　the　　〃Machine　a　manche　de　Couteau　d'Angleterre。〃　　But
  the　French　artisans　were　at　that　time　much　better　skilled　than　the
  English　in　the　use　of　tools；　and　it　is　most　probable　that　we　owe　to
  the　Flemish　and　French　Protestant　workmen　who　flocked　into　England　in
  such　large　numbers　during　the　religious　persecutions　of　the　sixteenth
  and　seventeenth　centuries；　the　improvement；　if　not　the　introduction；
  of　the　art　of　turning；　as　well　as　many　other　arts　hereafter　to　be
  referred　to。　　It　is　certain　that　at　the　period　to　which　we　refer
  numerous　treatises　were　published　in　France　on　the　art　of　turning；
  some　of　them　of　a　most　elaborate　character。　　Such　were　the　works　of
  De　la　Hire；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Machines　approuvees　par　l'　Academie；　1719。
  。。。＇
  who　described　how　every　kind　of　polygon　might　be　made　by　the　lathe；
  De　la　Condamine；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Machines　approuvees　par　l'　Academie；　1733。
  。。。＇
  who　showed　how　a　lathe　could　turn　all　sorts　of　irregular　figures　by
  means　of　tracers；　and　of　Grand　Jean；　Morin；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  L'Art　de　Tourner　en　perfection；　49。
  。。。＇
  Plumier；　Bergeron；　and　many　other　writers。
  The　work　of　Plumier　is　especially　elaborate；　entering　into　the
  construction　of　the　lathe　in　its　various　parts；　the　making　of　the
  tools　and　cutters；　and　the　different　motions　to　be　given　to　the
  machine　by　means　of　wheels；　eccentrics；　and　other　expedients；　amongst
  which　may　be　mentioned　one　very　much　resembling　the　slide　rest　and
  planing…machine　combined。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  It　consisted　of　two　parallel　bars　of　wood　or　iron　connected　together
  at　both　extremities　by　bolts　or　keys　of　sufficient　width　to　admit　of
  the　article　required　to　be　planed。　　A　moveable　frame　was　placed
  between　the　two　bars；　motion　being　given　to　it　by　a　long　cylindrical
  thread　acting　on　any　tool　put　into　the　sliding　frame；　and；
  consequently；　causing　the　screw；　by　means　of　a　handle　at　each　end　of
  it；　to　push　or　draw　the　point　or　cutting…edge　of　the　tool　either
  way。Mr。　George　Rennie's　Preface　to　Buchanan's　Practical　Essays　on
  Mill　Work；　3rd　Ed。　xli。
  。。。＇
  From　this　work　it　appears　that　turning　had　long　been　a　favourite
  pursuit　in　France　with　amateurs　of　all　ranks；　who　spared　no　expense
  in　the　contrivance　and　perfection　of　elaborate　machinery　for　the
  production　of　complex　figures。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Turning　was　a　favourite　amusement　amongst　the　French　nobles　of　last
  century；　many　of　whom　acquired　great　dexterity　in　the　art；　which　they
  turned　to　account　when　compelled　to　emigrate　at　the　Revolution。　　Louis
  XVI。　himself　was　a　very　good　locksmith；　and　could　have　earned　a　fair
  living　at　the　trade。　　Our　own　George　III。　was　a　good　turner；　and　was
  learned　in　wheels　and　treadles；　chucks　and　chisels。　　Henry　Mayhew
  says；　on　the　authority　of　an　old　working　turner；　that；　with　average
  industry；　the　King　might　have　made　from　40s。　to　50s。　a…week　as　a　hard
  wood　and　ivory　turner。　　Lord　John　Hay；　though　one…armed；　was　an　adept
  at　the　latter；　and　Lord　Gray　was　another　capital　turner。　　Indeed　the
  late　Mr。　Holtzapffel's　elaborately　illustrated　treatise　was　written
  quite　as　much　for　amateurs　as　for　working　mechanics。　　Among　other
  noble　handicraftsmen　we　may　mention　the　late　Lord　Douglas；　who
  cultivated　bookbinding。　　Lord　Traquair's　fancy　was　cutlery；　and　one
  could　not　come　to　him　in　a　more　welcome　fashion　than　with　a　pair　of
  old　razors　to　set　up。
  。。。＇
  There　was　at　that　time　a　great　passion　for　automata　in　France；　which
  gave　rise　to　many　highly　ingenious　devices；　such　as　Camus's　miniature
  carriage　（made　for　Louis　XIV。　when　a　child）；　Degennes'　mechanical
  peacock；　Vancanson's　duck；　and　Maillardet's　conjuror。　　It　had　the
  effect　of　introducing　among　the　higher　order　of　artists　habits　of
  nice　and　accurate　workmanship　in　executing　delicate　pieces　of
  machinery；　and　the　same　combination　of　mechanical　powers　which　made
  the　steel　spider　crawl；　the　duck　quack；　or　waved　the　tiny　rod　of　the
  magician；　contributed　in　future　years　to　purposes　of　higher
  import；the　wheels　and　pinions；　which　in　these　automata　almost
  eluded　the　human　senses　by　their　minuteness；　reappearing　in　modern
  times　in　the　stupendous　mechanism　of　our　self…acting　lathes；
  spinning…mules；　and　steam…engines。
  〃In　our　own　country；〃　says　Professor　Willis；　〃the　literature　of　this
  subject　is　so　defective　that　it　is　very　difficult　to　discover　what
  progress　we　were　making　during　the　seventeenth　and　eighteenth
  centuries。〃*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Professor　WILLIS；　Lectures　on　the　Results　of　the　Great　Exhibition　of
  1851；　lst　series；　p。　306。
  。。。＇
  We　believe　the　fact　to　be；　that　the　progress　made　in　England　down　to
  the　end　of　last　century　had　been　very　small　indeed；　and　that　the
  lathe　had　experienced　little　or　no　improvement　until　Maudslay　took　it
  in　hand。　　Nothing　seems　to　have　been　known　of　the　slide　rest　until　he
  re…invented　it　and　applied　it　to　the　production　of　machinery　of　a　far
  more　elaborate　character　than　had　ever　before　been　contemplated　as
  possible。　　Professor　Willis　says　that　Bramah's；　in　other　words
  Maudslay's；　slide　rest　of　1794　is　so　different　from　that　described　in
  the　French　'Encyclopedie　in　1772；　that　the　two　could　not　have　had　a
  common　origin。　　We　are　therefore　led　to　the　conclusion　that　Maudslay's
  invention　was　entirely　independent　of　all　that　had　gone　before；　and
  that　he　contrived　it　for　the　special　purpose　of　overcoming　the
  difficulties　which　he　himself　experienced　in　turning　out　duplicate
  parts　in　large　numbers。　　At　all　events；　he　was　so　early　and　zealous　a
  promoter　of　its　use；　that　we　think　he　may；　in　the　eyes　of　all
  practical　mechanics；　stand　as　the　parent　of　its　introduction　to　the
  workshops　of　England。
  It　is　unquestionable　that　at　the　time　when　Maudslay　began　the
  improvement　of　machine…tools；　the　methods　of　working　in　wood　and
  metals　were　exceedingly　imperfect。　　Mr。　William　Fairbairn　has　stated
  that　when　he　first　became　acquainted　with　mechanical　engineering；
  about　sixty　years　ago；　there　were　no　self…acting　tools；　everything
  was　executed　by　hand。　　There　were　neither　planing；　slotting；　nor
  shaping　machines；　and　the　whole　stock　of　an　engineering　or　machine
  establishment　might　be　summed　up　in　a　few　ill…constructed　lathes；　and
  a　few　drills　and　boring　machines　of　rude　construction。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Address　delivered　before　the　British　Association　at　Manchester　in
  1861；　and　Useful　Information　for　Engineers；　1st　series；　p。　22。
  。。。＇
  Our　mechanics　were　equally　backward　in　contrivances　for　working　in
  wood。　　Thus；　when　Sir　Samuel　Bentham　made　a　tour　through　the
  manufacturing　districts　of　England　in　1791；　he　was　surprised　to　find
  how　little　had　been　done　to　substitute　the　invariable　accuracy　of
  machinery　for　the　uncertain　dexterity　of　the　human　hand。　　Steam…power
  was　as　yet　only　employed　in　driving　spinning…machines；　rolling
  metals；　pumping　water；　and　such　like　purposes。　　In　the　working　of　wood
  no　machinery　had　been　introduced　beyond　the　common　turning…lathe　and
  some　saws；　and　a　few　boring　tools　used　in　making　blocks　for　the　navy。
  Even　saws　worked　by　inanimate　force　for　slitting　timber；　though　in
  extensive　use　in　foreign　countries；　were　nowhere　to　be　found　in　Great
  Britain。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Life　of　Sir　Samuel　Bentham；　97…8。
  。。。＇
  As　everything　depended　on　the　dexterity　of　hand　and　correctness　of
  eye　of　the　workmen；　the　work　turned　out　was　of　very　unequal　merit；
  besides　being　exceedingly　costly。　　Even　in　the　construction　of
  comparatively　simple　machines；　the　expense　was　so　great　as　to　present
  a　formidable　obstacle　to　their　introduction　and　extensive　use；　and
  but　for　the　invention　of　　machine…making　tools；　the　use　of　the
  steam…engine　in　the　various　forms　in　which　it　is　now　applied　for　the
  production　of　power　could　never　have　become　general。
  In　turning　a　piece　of　work　on　the　old…fashioned　lathe；　the　workman