was invented by one Francis Hall, alias Line, a Jesuit, and
Professor of Mathematics at Liege, in Germany. It was set up, as the
old books have it, in the year 1669, by order of Charles II.; and in
addition to the parts represented in the cut, the inventer intended to
place a water-dial at each corner, which he had nearly completed when
the original Dial for want of a cover, as he quaintly observes, (which
according to his Majestie's Gracious Order should have been set over it
in the Winter) was much injured by the snow lying frozen upon it. But
there was no chance of obtaining this out of Charles's coffers, and the
Dial soon became useless. Its explanation was, however, considered by
many mathematical men of the period as too valuable to be lost, and the
Professor accordingly printed the description at Liege, in 1673, in
which were plates and diagrams of the several parts. The matter was too
grave for pleasant, anecdotical Pennant, who, speaking of the Dial, in
his _London_, says "the description surpasses my powers:" he refers the
reader to the above work, a "very scarce book" in his time, and we have
been at some pains to obtain the reprint, (London, 1685,) appended to
Holwell's _Clavis Horologiae; or Key to the whole art of Arithmetical
Dialling_, small 4to. 1712.[3]

[3] For the loan of which we thank our esteemed correspondent, P.T.W.

The whole Dial stood on a stone pedestal, and consisted of six[4] parts,
rising in a pyramidal form, as represented in the Cut.

[4] It need hardly be explained that the above is a section, or only
one half of the dial.

The base, or first piece, was a table of about 40 inches in diameter,
and 8 or 9 inches thick, in the edge of which were 20 glazed dials,
with the Jewish, Babylonian, Italian, Astronomical, and usual European
methods of counting the hours: they were all vertical or declining
Dials, the style or gnomon being a lion's paw, unicorn's horn, or some
emblem from the royal arms. On the upper part of the Table were 8
reclining dials, glazed, and showing the hour in different ways--as
by the shade of the style falling upon the hour-lines, the hour-lines
falling on the style, or without any shade of hour-lines or style, &c.
Upon this piece or table stood also 4 globes, cut into planes, with
geographical, astronomical, and astrological dials. From the table also,
east, west, north, and south, were four iron branches supporting glass
bowls, showing th