ere drawn, was only
painted on the outside thinly with white colour, so that the sun-light
passing through the star might be seen, and show the hour.

The fourth piece stood on the globe, had 4 iron supporters, and was a
table about 20 inches in diameter, and 6 in thickness! The edge was cut
into 12 concave superficies like so many half-cylinders; on each of
which was a dial showing the hour by the shade of a fleur-de-lis fixed
at the top of each half-cylinder. From the top of this table issued
4 iron branches, with glass bowls, like those of the first, second,
and third pieces, though proportionally less. The dials on these bowls
showed only the usual hour, and otherwise differed from the third piece;
here the hour-lines being left clear for the sunbeams to pass through,
that by so passing, they might exhibit the same dial on the opposite
side of the bowl, which was thinly painted white, that the said hours
might be seen, and show the hour by their passing over a little star
painted in the middle.

The fifth piece likewise upon 4 iron supporters, was a globe of about
12 inches diameter, cut into 14 planes, viz. 8 triangles, equal and
equilateral; and the other 6 were equal squares. The dials on these
planes showed the usual hour by the shade of a fleur-de-lis fastened
to the top or bottom of each plane.

The last, or top piece of the pyramid, was a glass bowl of 7 inches
diameter, upon a foot of iron. The north side of this piece was thinly
painted over white, that the shade of a little golden ball, placed in
the middle of the bowl, might be seen to pass over the hour-lines which
were drawn upon the white colour, and noted the hour. The bowl was
included between two circles of iron gilt, with a cross on the top.

Such is a general description of the parts or divisions of this very
curious Dial. To which may be added that the first four pieces had all
their sides covered with little plates of black glass, first cemented to
the said pieces, except those places whereon the dials were drawn; which
being also covered with plates of polished glass, nearly the whole of
the outside of the dial appeared to be glass; the angles or corners
being elegantly gilt, as were in part the iron work of the pyramid,
supporters, branches, styles, &c.

We have abridged and in part rewritten this explanation from upwards of
six closely-printed 4to. pages. After the general description, in the
original tract, the different sections or par