This book is a 1767 reprint of Edward Somerset, 2^nd Marquess of Worcester’s (1601-67) description of his inventions. First written in 1655, Worcester did not publish his work until 1663. One of the wealthiest landowners in England, prior to the Civil War, Somerset (he would only become Marquess on the death of his father in 1646) spent much of his time conducting his experiments with the assistance of the Dutch engineer Caspar Calthoff. He was a royalist and, in 1653 was imprisoned in the Tower. Following his release the following year, he took up residence at Vauxhall and resumed experimenting, once again with Calthoff’s assistance.

Among the inventions listed in this work is a precursor of the steam engine, which Worcester named a ‘water-commanding engine’. It was a hydraulic engine constructed from the barrel of a cannon and Worcester hoped that it could be used in farming to speed up irrigation. It is uncertain whether a prototype of this engine was ever constructed, and many of the other inventions listed in the book appear to be rather fanciful and were unlikely to have worked.