AFTERTHEveryminuteandelaboratepaperbyArago，tosaynothingofthesummaryin’Silliman’sJournal，’withthedetailedstatementjustpublishedbyLieutenantMaury，itwillnotbesupposed，ofcourse，thatinofferingafewhurriedremarksinreferencetoVonKempelen’sdiscovery，Ihaveanydesigntolookatthesubjectinascientificpointofview。Myobjectissimply，inthefirstplace，tosayafewwordsofVonKempelenhimselfwithwhom，someyearsago，Ihadthehonorofaslightpersonalacquaintance，sinceeverythingwhichconcernshimmustnecessarily，atthismoment，beofinterest；and，inthesecondplace，tolookinageneralway，andspeculatively，attheresultsofthediscovery。
　　Itmaybeaswell，however，topremisethecursoryobservationswhichIhavetooffer，bydenying，verydecidedly，whatseemstobeageneralimpressiongleaned，asusualinacaseofthiskind，fromthenewspapers，viz。：thatthisdiscovery，astoundingasitunquestionablyis，isunanticipated。
　　Byreferencetothe’DiaryofSirHumphreyDavy’CottleandMunroe，London，pp。150，itwillbeseenatpp。53and82，thatthisillustriouschemisthadnotonlyconceivedtheideanowinquestion，buthadactuallymadenoinconsiderableprogress，experimentally，intheveryidenticalanalysisnowsotriumphantlybroughttoanissuebyVonKempelen，whoalthoughhemakesnottheslightestallusiontoit，is，withoutdoubtIsayitunhesitatingly，andcanproveit，ifrequired，indebtedtothe’Diary’foratleastthefirsthintofhisownundertaking。
　　Theparagraphfromthe’CourierandEnquirer，’whichisnowgoingtheroundsofthepress，andwhichpurportstoclaimtheinventionforaMr。Kissam，ofBrunswick，Maine，appearstome，Iconfess，alittleapocryphal，forseveralreasons；althoughthereisnothingeitherimpossibleorveryimprobableinthestatementmade。Ineednotgointodetails。Myopinionoftheparagraphisfoundedprincipallyuponitsmanner。Itdoesnotlooktrue。Personswhoarenarratingfacts，areseldomsoparticularasMr。Kissamseemstobe，aboutdayanddateandpreciselocation。Besides，ifMr。Kissamactuallydidcomeuponthediscoveryhesayshedid，attheperioddesignatednearlyeightyearsagohowhappensitthathetooknosteps，ontheinstant，toreaptheimmensebenefitswhichthemerestbumpkinmusthaveknownwouldhaveresultedtohimindividually，ifnottotheworldatlarge，fromthediscovery？ItseemstomequiteincrediblethatanymanofcommonunderstandingcouldhavediscoveredwhatMr。
　　Kissamsayshedid，andyethavesubsequentlyactedsolikeababy
　　solikeanowlasMr。Kissamadmitsthathedid。By-the-way，whoisMr。Kissam？andisnotthewholeparagraphinthe’CourierandEnquirer’afabricationgotupto’makeatalk’？Itmustbeconfessedthatithasanamazinglymoon-hoaxy-air。Verylittledependenceistobeplaceduponit，inmyhumbleopinion；andifIwerenotwellaware，fromexperience，howveryeasilymenofsciencearemystified，onpointsoutoftheirusualrangeofinquiry，IshouldbeprofoundlyastonishedatfindingsoeminentachemistasProfessorDraper，discussingMr。Kissam’sorisitMr。Quizzem’s？pretensionstothediscovery，insoseriousatone。
　　Buttoreturntothe’Diary’ofSirHumphreyDavy。Thispamphletwasnotdesignedforthepubliceye，evenuponthedeceaseofthewriter，asanypersonatallconversantwithauthorshipmaysatisfyhimselfatoncebytheslightestinspectionofthestyle。Atpage13，forexample，nearthemiddle，weread，inreferencetohisresearchesabouttheprotoxideofazote：’Inlessthanhalfaminutetherespirationbeingcontinued，diminishedgraduallyandweresucceededbyanalogoustogentlepressureonallthemuscles。’Thattherespirationwasnot’diminished，’isnotonlyclearbythesubsequentcontext，butbytheuseoftheplural，’were。’Thesentence，nodoubt，wasthusintended：’Inlessthanhalfaminute，therespiration[beingcontinued，thesefeelings]diminishedgradually，andweresucceededby[asensation]analogoustogentlepressureonallthemuscles。’AhundredsimilarinstancesgotoshowthattheMS。
　　soinconsideratelypublished，wasmerelyaroughnote-book，meantonlyforthewriter’sowneye，butaninspectionofthepamphletwillconvincealmostanythinkingpersonofthetruthofmysuggestion。
　　Thefactis，SirHumphreyDavywasaboutthelastmanintheworldtocommithimselfonscientifictopics。Notonlyhadheamorethanordinarydisliketoquackery，buthewasmorbidlyafraidofappearingempirical；sothat，howeverfullyhemighthavebeenconvincedthathewasontherighttrackinthematternowinquestion，hewouldneverhavespokenout，untilhehadeverythingreadyforthemostpracticaldemonstration。Iverilybelievethathislastmomentswouldhavebeenrenderedwretched，couldhehavesuspectedthathiswishesinregardtoburningthis’Diary’fullofcrudespeculationswouldhavebeenunattendedto；as，itseems，theywere。Isay’hiswishes，’
　　forthathemeanttoincludethisnote-bookamongthemiscellaneouspapersdirected’tobeburnt，’Ithinktherecanbenomannerofdoubt。Whetheritescapedtheflamesbygoodfortuneorbybad，yetremainstobeseen。Thatthepassagesquotedabove，withtheothersimilaronesreferredto，gaveVonKempelenthehint，Idonotintheslightestdegreequestion；butIrepeat，ityetremainstobeseenwhetherthismomentousdiscoveryitselfmomentousunderanycircumstanceswillbeofserviceordisservicetomankindatlarge。
　　ThatVonKempelenandhisimmediatefriendswillreaparichharvest，itwouldbefollytodoubtforamoment。Theywillscarcelybesoweakasnotto’realize，’intime，bylargepurchasesofhousesandland，withotherpropertyofintrinsicvalue。
　　InthebriefaccountofVonKempelenwhichappearedinthe’HomeJournal，’andhassincebeenextensivelycopied，severalmisapprehensionsoftheGermanoriginalseemtohavebeenmadebythetranslator，whoprofessestohavetakenthepassagefromalatenumberofthePresburg’Schnellpost。’’Viele’hasevidentlybeenmisconceivedasitoftenis，andwhatthetranslatorrendersby’sorrows，’isprobably’lieden，’which，initstrueversion，’sufferings，’wouldgiveatotallydifferentcomplexiontothewholeaccount；but，ofcourse，muchofthisismerelyguess，onmypart。
　　VonKempelen，however，isbynomeans’amisanthrope，’inappearance，atleast，whateverhemaybeinfact。Myacquaintancewithhimwascasualaltogether；andIamscarcelywarrantedinsayingthatIknowhimatall；buttohaveseenandconversedwithamanofsoprodigiousanotorietyashehasattained，orwillattaininafewdays，isnotasmallmatter，astimesgo。
　　’TheLiteraryWorld’speaksofhim，confidently，asanativeofPresburgmisled，perhaps，bytheaccountin’TheHomeJournal’butIampleasedinbeingabletostatepositively，sinceIhaveitfromhisownlips，thathewasborninUtica，intheStateofNewYork，althoughbothhisparents，Ibelieve，areofPresburgdescent。Thefamilyisconnected，insomeway，withMaelzel，ofAutomaton-chess-playermemory。Inperson，heisshortandstout，withlarge，fat，blueeyes，sandyhairandwhiskers，awidebutpleasingmouth，fineteeth，andIthinkaRomannose。Thereissomedefectinoneofhisfeet。Hisaddressisfrank，andhiswholemannernoticeableforbonhomie。Altogether，helooks，speaks，andactsaslittlelike’amisanthrope’asanymanIeversaw。Wewerefellow-sojounersforaweekaboutsixyearsago，atEarl’sHotel，inProvidence，RhodeIsland；andIpresumethatIconversedwithhim，atvarioustimes，forsomethreeorfourhoursaltogether。Hisprincipaltopicswerethoseoftheday，andnothingthatfellfromhimledmetosuspecthisscientificattainments。Heleftthehotelbeforeme，intendingtogotoNewYork，andthencetoBremen；itwasinthelattercitythathisgreatdiscoverywasfirstmadepublic；or，rather，itwastherethathewasfirstsuspectedofhavingmadeit。
　　ThisisaboutallthatIpersonallyknowofthenowimmortalVonKempelen；butIhavethoughtthateventhesefewdetailswouldhaveinterestforthepublic。
　　Therecanbelittlequestionthatmostofthemarvellousrumorsafloataboutthisaffairarepureinventions，entitledtoaboutasmuchcreditasthestoryofAladdin’slamp；andyet，inacaseofthiskind，asinthecaseofthediscoveriesinCalifornia，itisclearthatthetruthmaybestrangerthanfiction。Thefollowinganecdote，atleast，issowellauthenticated，thatwemayreceiveitimplicitly。
　　VonKempelenhadneverbeeneventolerablywelloffduringhisresidenceatBremen；andoften，itwaswellknown，hehadbeenputtoextremeshiftsinordertoraisetriflingsums。WhenthegreatexcitementoccurredabouttheforgeryonthehouseofGutsmuth&Co。，suspicionwasdirectedtowardVonKempelen，onaccountofhishavingpurchasedaconsiderablepropertyinGasperitchLane，andhisrefusing，whenquestioned，toexplainhowhebecamepossessedofthepurchasemoney。Hewasatlengtharrested，butnothingdecisiveappearingagainsthim，wasintheendsetatliberty。Thepolice，however，keptastrictwatchuponhismovements，andthusdiscoveredthathelefthomefrequently，takingalwaysthesameroad，andinvariablygivinghiswatcherstheslipintheneighborhoodofthatlabyrinthofnarrowandcrookedpassagesknownbytheflashnameofthe’Dondergat。’Finally，bydintofgreatperseverance，theytracedhimtoagarretinanoldhouseofsevenstories，inanalleycalledFlatzplatz，and，cominguponhimsuddenly，foundhim，astheyimagined，inthemidstofhiscounterfeitingoperations。Hisagitationisrepresentedassoexcessivethattheofficershadnottheslightestdoubtofhisguilt。Afterhand-cuffinghim，theysearchedhisroom，orratherrooms，foritappearsheoccupiedallthemansarde。
　　Openingintothegarretwheretheycaughthim，wasacloset，tenfeetbyeight，fittedupwithsomechemicalapparatus，ofwhichtheobjecthasnotyetbeenascertained。Inonecorneroftheclosetwasaverysmallfurnace，withaglowingfireinit，andonthefireakindofduplicatecrucibletwocruciblesconnectedbyatube。Oneofthesecrucibleswasnearlyfullofleadinastateoffusion，butnotreachinguptotheapertureofthetube，whichwasclosetothebrim。
　　Theothercruciblehadsomeliquidinit，which，astheofficersentered，seemedtobefuriouslydissipatinginvapor。Theyrelatethat，onfindinghimselftaken，Kempelenseizedthecrucibleswithbothhandswhichwereencasedinglovesthatafterwardsturnedouttobeasbestic，andthrewthecontentsonthetiledfloor。Itwasnowthattheyhand-cuffedhim；andbeforeproceedingtoransackthepremisestheysearchedhisperson，butnothingunusualwasfoundabouthim，exceptingapaperparcel，inhiscoat-pocket，containingwhatwasafterwardascertainedtobeamixtureofantimonyandsomeunknownsubstance，innearly，butnotquite，equalproportions。Allattemptsatanalyzingtheunknownsubstancehave，sofar，failed，butthatitwillultimatelybeanalyzed，isnottobedoubted。
　　Passingoutoftheclosetwiththeirprisoner，theofficerswentthroughasortofante-chamber，inwhichnothingmaterialwasfound，tothechemist’ssleeping-room。Theyhererummagedsomedrawersandboxes，butdiscoveredonlyafewpapers，ofnoimportance，andsomegoodcoin，silverandgold。Atlength，lookingunderthebed，theysawalarge，commonhairtrunk，withouthinges，hasp，orlock，andwiththetoplyingcarelesslyacrossthebottomportion。Uponattemptingtodrawthistrunkoutfromunderthebed，theyfoundthat，withtheirunitedstrengththerewerethreeofthem，allpowerfulmen，they’couldnotstiritoneinch。’Muchastonishedatthis，oneofthemcrawledunderthebed，andlookingintothetrunk，said：
　　’Nowonderwecouldn’tmoveitwhyit’sfulltothebrimofoldbitsofbrass！’
　　Puttinghisfeet，now，againstthewallsoastogetagoodpurchase，andpushingwithallhisforce，whilehiscompanionspulledwithantheirs，thetrunk，withmuchdifficulty，wasslidoutfromunderthebed，anditscontentsexamined。Thesupposedbrasswithwhichitwasfilledwasallinsmall，smoothpieces，varyingfromthesizeofapeatothatofadollar；butthepieceswereirregularinshape，althoughmoreorlessflat-looking，uponthewhole，’verymuchasleadlookswhenthrownuponthegroundinamoltenstate，andtheresufferedtogrowcool。’Now，notoneoftheseofficersforamomentsuspectedthismetaltobeanythingbutbrass。Theideaofitsbeinggoldneverenteredtheirbrains，ofcourse；howcouldsuchawildfancyhaveenteredit？Andtheirastonishmentmaybewellconceived，whenthenextdayitbecameknown，alloverBremen，thatthe’lotofbrass’whichtheyhadcartedsocontemptuouslytothepoliceoffice，withoutputtingthemselvestothetroubleofpocketingthesmallestscrap，wasnotonlygoldrealgoldbutgoldfarfinerthananyemployedincoinage-gold，infact，absolutelypure，virgin，withouttheslightestappreciablealloy。