Genre:

Essay, Drollery

Subjects:

Invention, Progress, Military Technology, Light, Technology, Steam-power, Aeronautics

    Observes that the 'inventions actually produced and perfected by men of genius are by no means as numerous as their plans'. Explores the effects on existing technologies, and on those with interests in such technologies, of such new inventions as Samuel A Warner's 'long range' device, balloons, and steam-carriages. Argues for the 'pace of improvement' of invention to be 'as a slow as scarcely to be felt'.