pillar to commemorate the invention for fecuring buildings from fire.

"The general refpect which I entertain upon all occafions towards the city of London, as the molt important member of the community, and the peculiar propriety of offering an invention to their attention, which above all feems calculated for the fecurity of great cities, were my motives for laying this matter before them. Their approbation of my conduct, and of the fuccefs of my labours, is the higheft fatisfaction to me. As they have been pleafed to recom. mend the ufe of the invention in their own buildings, they may be affured that nothing in my power fhall be wanting to facilitate the

execution.

It has coft me much labour and anxiety to bring the invention into that degree of forwardnefs in which it is at prefent; therefore I do more immediately and perfonally feel the kindness of the city of London, in giving me their affiftance and countenance in the profecution of fo important an object. As I know the public good to be the object of their attention, it is a double fatisfaction to me to labour with them in the common cause, and to contribute my best endeavours under their powerful and refpectful patronage. I beg leave to affure them that the higheft point of my ambition will at all times be, to merit the approbation of my fellow-citizens, and to obtain the good will of my country. I am, Sir,

Your most obedient
Humble Servant,
D. HARTLEY."

(To the Chamberlain of the City of London.)

But, to return to the experiments, Mr. Hartley's fixth and laft, was made on the 11th of November, before feveral of the most refpectable members of both Houfes; and as, befides all his trials being on the fame plan, we may be fure the laft, fuppofing any difference between them, was the fevereft, as calculated to answer all the cavils, and conquer all the objections, which might have been made to his former trials, and obviate all thofe, which he might be apprehenfive of, with regard to his future ones; and facts being moreover, on this occafion particularly, the best, if not the only folid, arguments, we have fixed on this laft trial, as the propereft for our purpose.

On this memorable day, then, Mr. Hartley, after carrying his company, as ufual, round the houfe of trial, in order to fee the marks of between twenty and thirty large fires, which, at former experiments, had been lighted in different parts of it; firft, ordered a fire to be made on the deal flooring of one of the ground-room floors. Then, a large faggot of fhavings, fufpended by iron to the upper part of the fame room, was fet on fire. Thirdly, the ftaircafe was fet on fire, both above and below, without the fire's extending, in either cafe, beyond the fpot on which it was lighted. Laftly, the other room on the ground-floor, filled almoft to the top with faggots, pitch, and other combuftles, was fet fire to; but, though they all burnt with fuch fury, as to vomit forth a perpetual torrent of flame and smoke, and thereby render all approach within thirty yards of the windows, on the outfide, abfolutely impractica

ble,

ble, the room adjoining to, and that immediately over, this little Etna, continued as cool and as acceffible, as if no fire had been in the house. Accordingly, Mr. Hartley and his company feem to have made it a conftant rule to pafs, in thefe very rooms, a great part of the time, during which the fire burned with the greateft fury in the other.

Nor was it walls, and floors, and cielings, alone, which, by means of Mr. Hartley's invention, were enabled to mock the rage of the otherwife all-devouring element; fixtures, and even furniture, were thereby rendered proof against it, though found at the fame time fufficient to prepare iron for the anvil, and water for the tea-pot; and, of courfe, anfwer all the neceffary and useful purposes of life: particularly, a bed being purposely set on fire, little more of it was confumed than what the fire had been immediately applied to.

Astonishing as the effects of this contrivance for fecuring houses, fhips, and other buildings, of the most combustible materials, from fire, must appear, the means perhaps may be thought equally fo. It is only nailing the thinneft plates of iron to the joifts, &c. and these plates may be plain, or painted of any colour. To crown all, as this method must be allowed extremely easy, there is the greateft reafon to believe, that it will be found equally cheap. We are affured, that the additional expence of building, created by the use of this invention, will fcarce exceed three per cent. How would fuch an happy event have rejoiced the good

heart of the Great Berkley, who, in his equally fenfible, ingenious, and benevolent queries, looked upon our houfes, confidering their materials, as fo many fire-fhips; and our towns and villages, as fo many fleets and fquadrons of fuch hips met together for the laudable purpofe of mutual deftruction. But, indeed, to fay any thing of the expence of this method, may be confidered as an infult on the underftandings and feelings of our readers. What is any money to life, to a limb, to health? and, above all, to that fecurity of mind, in which this new method muft enable every man who has recourse to it, to live, and efpecially lie down to fleep, with regard to the fafety of his perfon from the most painful of all deaths; and, of his property, from the most abfolute of all destructions; not to mention records, deeds, and other manufcripts, with feveral highly useful and curious productions of nature and art, which on account of the uncommon hazard from fire attending them in every other mode of prefervation, are not to be infured at any price; and, as fingle in their kinds, not to be replaced by any induftry? We could fay a great deal more on the fubject, but that we find, on looking back upon what we have already faid, that our astonishment at the grandeur, usefulness, and fingularity, of Mr. Hartley's invention, our zeal for the welfare of mankind, and our gratitude, as making fome part of it, to Mr. Hartley, has already hurried us beyond our usual bounds. Still, we cannot prevail on ourfelves to ftop, without making one remark more; viz. that, next to

[2] 4

the

the arts of fupplying man with food, this of defending him against fire, must be ranked among the moft capital; nay, we need not fcruple giving it the fuperiority over that of fecuring him from water, fince he can do infinitely better without expofing himself to danger from the laft, than from the firft, of thefe elements. Ac

cordingly, we should have given an account of this noble invention, at the head of our article of Projects; but that we expected fomething on the fubject from the ingenious and beneficent Inventor's own pen, till, through the nature of our publication, the opportunity of placing it there flipt out of our hands.

TABLE,