rudest form. Not until the long-case
(or grandfather) clock made its advent into England did the pendulum,
scientifically applied, come into being; and before that era many years
intervened during which bracket clocks held the center of the stage."

"Clocks like Richard Parsons'!" interrupted Christopher triumphantly.

"Yes, the very same. These were better yet because they had no weights
hanging down and so could be put on a table, a shelf, or mantelpiece. In
the meantime, somewhere about the year 1500, a Nurenburg locksmith named
Peter Henlien had made a clock so small that it could be carried in
one's pocket--if that pocket was of pretty ample size. It had works of
iron, one hand, and no crystal, and was, to be sure, both thick and
clumsy, but it boasted one amazing feature. Since it was too small to
depend on weights, it contained a coiled mainspring--something entirely
new to the clockmaking world. Now this article fashioned by Peter
Henlien cannot be termed a watch as we know watches; but still it was
the nearest approach to one that had yet been produced. The fact that
this egg-shaped concoction was no great timekeeper was a secondary
matter. The important thing was that a small, compact article that would
keep some sort of time had been made, and a coiled mainspring was inside
it."

"How funny to have a blacksmith--or rather a locksmith, making a watch!"

"Not at all. Records show that a great many of the best clockmakers
belonging to the Clockmakers' Company were, or had formerly been,
blacksmiths."

"But it seems odd, doesn't it?" mused Christopher. "And did everybody
start making watches after this queer article of Peter Henlien's was
produced?"

"Not very extensively. Indeed, there was nothing very appealing or
attractive in Peter Henlien's watch. Moreover, since such objects failed
to keep good time, what earthly inducement was there for owning one?
Nevertheless horologers themselves were not discouraged. They kept right
on trying to turn out something better, and in 1525 Jacob Zech, a Swiss
mechanic from Prague, hit on a remedy to prevent these crude watches
from running fast when first wound up and slower when they began to run
down. In other words he discovered something that would equalize the
mechanism."

"And what was that?"

"A fusee."

"I'm afraid that doesn't help me much," was Christopher's rueful plaint.

"Well, a fusee was a short cone having a spiral groove round it, with a
cord or