II. had reigned and died; and now, in the reign of George
III.--thirty-five years after Harrison had begun his labours, and after
he had constructed four several marine chronometers, each of which was
entitled to win the full prize,--an Act of Parliament was passed
enabling the inventor to obtain the sum of 5000L. as part of the
reward. But the Commissioners still hesitated. They differed about
the tempering of the springs. They must have another trial of the
timekeeper, or anything with which to put off a settlement of the
claim. Harrison was ready for any further number of trials; and in the
meantime the Commissioners merely paid him a further sum on account.

Two more dreary years passed. Nothing was done in 1763 except a
quantity of interminable talk at the Board of Commissioners. At
length, on the 28th of March, 1764, Harrison's son again departed with
the timekeeper on board the ship Tartar for Barbadoes. He returned in
about four months, during which time the instrument enabled the
longitude to be ascertained within ten miles, or one-third of the
required geographical distance. Harrison memorialised the
Commissioners again and again, in order that he might obtain the reward
publicly offered by the Government.

At length the Commissioners could no longer conceal the truth. In
September,1764, they virtually recognised Harrison's claim by paying
him 1000L. on account; and, on the 9th of February,1765, they passed a
resolution setting forth that they were "unanimously of opinion that
the said timekeeper has kept its time with sufficient correctness,
without losing its longitude in the voyage from Portsmouth to Barbadoes
beyond the nearest limit required by the Act 12th of Queen Anne, but
even considerably within the same." Yet they would not give Harrison
the necessary certificate, though they were of opinion that he was
entitled to be paid the full reward!

It is pleasant to contrast the generous conduct of the King of Sardinia
with the procrastinating and illiberal spirit which Harrison met with
in his own country. During the same year in which the above resolution
was passed, the Sardinian minister ordered four of Harrison's
timekeepers at the price of 1000L. each, at the special instance of the
King of Sardinia "as an acknowledgement of Mr. Harrison's ingenuity,
and as some recompense for the time spent by him for the general good
of mankind." This grateful attention was all the more praiseworthy, as