ssed from one spectator to
another previous to their exhibition on the rope, it would be difficult
to convince any assemblage of persons that these wooden automata were
not living creatures. We cannot, therefore, doubt Mr. Maelzel's ability,
and we must necessarily suppose that he intentionally suffered his Chess
Player to remain the same artificial and unnatural figure which Baron
Kempelen (no doubt also through design) originally made it. What this
design was it is not difficult to conceive. Were the Automaton life-like
in its motions, the spectator would be more apt to attribute its
operations to their true cause, (that is, to human agency within) than
he is now, when the awkward and rectangular manoeuvres convey the idea
of pure and unaided mechanism.

7. When, a short time previous to the commencement of the game, the
Automaton is wound up by the exhibiter as usual, an ear in any degree
accustomed to the sounds produced in winding up a system of machinery,
will not fail to discover, instantaneously, that the axis turned by the
key in the box of the Chess-Player, cannot possibly be connected with
either a weight, a spring, or any system of machinery whatever. The
inference here is the same as in our last observation. The winding up
is inessential to the operations of the Automaton, and is performed with
the design of exciting in the spectators the false idea of mechanism.

8. When the question is demanded explicitly of Maelzel--"Is the
Automaton a pure machine or not?" his reply is invariably the same--"I
will say nothing about it." Now the notoriety of the Automaton, and the
great curiosity it has every where excited, are owing more especially
to the prevalent opinion that it is a pure machine, than to any other
circumstance. Of course, then, it is the interest of the proprietor
to represent it as a pure machine. And what more obvious, and more
effectual method could there be of impressing the spectators with this
desired idea, than a positive and explicit declaration to that effect?
On the other hand, what more obvious and effectual method could there be
of exciting a disbelief in the Automaton's being a pure machine, than by
withholding such explicit declaration? For, people will naturally
reason thus,--It is Maelzel's interest to represent this thing a pure
machine--he refuses to do so, directly, in words, although he does not
scruple, and is evidently anxious to do so, indirectly by actions--were
it actually w