1ſhip, in the firſt place, with the Hint I
had of the Engine I am to entertain you
of. You may be pleaſ'd to remember,
that a while before our ſeparation in Eng
land, I told you of a Book that I had
heard of, but not peruſ'd, publiſh'd by
the induſtrious Jeſuit Schottus, wherein
'twas ſaid, He related how that ingenious
Gentleman Otto Gericke, Conſul of Mag
deburg, had lately practiced in Germany a
way of emptying Glaſs Veſſels, by ſuck
ing out the Ayr at the mouth of the Veſ
ſel, plung'd under water: And you may
alſo perhaps remember, that I expreſſ'd
my ſelf much delighted with this Expe
riment, ſince thereby the great force of
the external Air (either ruſhing in at the
open'd Orifice of the empty'd Veſſel, or
violently forcing up the Water into it)
was rendred more obvious and conſpicu
ous, than in any Experiment that I had
formerly ſeen. And though it may appear
by ſome of thoſe Writings I ſometimes
fhew'd your Lordſhip, that I had been ſol
licitous to try things upon the ſame
ground; yet in regard this Gentleman
was before-hand with me in producing
ſuch conſiderable effects, by means of the
exſuction of Air, I think my ſelf oblig'd
had of the Engine I am to entertain you
of. You may be pleaſ'd to remember,
that a while before our ſeparation in Eng
land, I told you of a Book that I had
heard of, but not peruſ'd, publiſh'd by
the induſtrious Jeſuit Schottus, wherein
'twas ſaid, He related how that ingenious
Gentleman Otto Gericke, Conſul of Mag
deburg, had lately practiced in Germany a
way of emptying Glaſs Veſſels, by ſuck
ing out the Ayr at the mouth of the Veſ
ſel, plung'd under water: And you may
alſo perhaps remember, that I expreſſ'd
my ſelf much delighted with this Expe
riment, ſince thereby the great force of
the external Air (either ruſhing in at the
open'd Orifice of the empty'd Veſſel, or
violently forcing up the Water into it)
was rendred more obvious and conſpicu
ous, than in any Experiment that I had
formerly ſeen. And though it may appear
by ſome of thoſe Writings I ſometimes
fhew'd your Lordſhip, that I had been ſol
licitous to try things upon the ſame
ground; yet in regard this Gentleman
was before-hand with me in producing
ſuch conſiderable effects, by means of the
exſuction of Air, I think my ſelf oblig'd