Theater of Machines, Volume 4

2. Mechanopoeotica machine-making art, the invention of water-works: such as seeking the veins of water springs in the depths of the earth, leading wells from one place to another in manifold ways, also lifting them upwards, containing and damming ponds and lakes, draining and drying out deep swamps and bogs, irrigating fields, directing the strong flow of water into certain banks, and using their course and drive as one pleases in many ways, securing the shores with ports and sea harbors, building special bridges over large and small water-flows, likewise constructing artificial hand-, wind-, horse-, and water-mills, and various other water-works, etc.

3. Organopoeotica instrument-making art, the art by which all manner of artificial war-instruments are made: such as various projectiles, throwing engines, drawbridges, scaling ladders, crossbows, guns, mortars, battering rams, war-chariots, and all such war-equipment, which the Greeks call Poliorcetica siege-craft.

4. Thaumanturgica wonder-working art, from which all kinds of artificial works from air and water are invented: such as organs and positives; likewise water-organs and water-cannons, all manner of bird-song; item, musical instruments that have their movement and drive through weight and air and play songs by themselves. Item, water-squirts against fire-conflagrations, flying pigeons, flies, and eagles, self-jumping balls, cupping glasses that apply themselves, bellows that blow by themselves, etc. This species is also otherwise called Automatopoeotica the art of self-moving things, to which also belong striking- and alarm-clocks, the Sphaeropoea sphere-making, self-rotating celestial globes, and clocks that indicate the course of the heavens.

And finally, there belongs here also the art of ascending and pulling (Scanforia &