Passages from the Life of a Philosopher

Statement relative to the Difference Engine, drawn up by the late Sir H. Nicolas from the Author’s Papers. THE following statement was drawn up by the late Sir Harris Nicolas, G.S.M. & G., from papers and documents in my possession relating to the Difference Engine. I believe every paper I possessed at all bearing on the subject was in his hands for several months. For some time previous to 1822, Mr. Babbage had been engaged in contriving machinery for the execution of extensive arithmetical operations, and in devising mechanism by which the machine that made the calculations might also print the results. On the 3rd of July, 1822, he published a letter to Sir Humphry Davy, President of the Royal Society, containing a statement of his views on that subject; and more par­tic­u­lar­ly describing an Engine for calculating astronomical, nautical, and other Tables, by means of the “method of differences.” In that letter it is stated that a small Model, consisting of six figures, and capable of working two orders of differences, had been constructed; and that it performed its work in a sat­is­fac­tory manner. The concluding paragraph of that letter is as follows:— “Whether I shall construct a larger Engine of this kind, and bring to {69} perfection the others I have described, will, in a great measure, depend on the nature of the encouragement I may receive. “Induced, by a conviction of the great utility of such Engines, to withdraw, for some time, my attention from a subject on which it has been engaged during several years, and which possesses charms of a higher order, I have now arrived at a point where success is no longer doubtful. It must, however, be attained at a very considerable expense, which would not probably be replaced, by the works it might produce, for a long period of time; and which is an undertaking I should feel unwilling to commence, as altogether foreign to my habits and pursuits.” The Model alluded to had been shown to a large number of Mr. Babbage’s acquaintances, and to many other persons; and copies of his letter having been given to several of his friends, it is probable that one of the copies was sent to the Treasury. On the 1st of April, 1823, the Lords of the Treasury referred that Letter to the Royal Society, requesting— “The opinion of the Royal Society on the merits and utility of this invention.” On the 1st of May the Royal Society reported to the Treasury, that— “Mr. Babbage has displayed great talent and ingenuity in the construction of his Machine for Computation, which the Committee think fully adequate to the attainment of the objects proposed by the inventor; and they consider Mr. Babbage as highly deserving of public encouragement, in the prosecution of his arduous undertaking.”15 On the 21st of May these papers were ordered to be printed by the House of Commons. In July, 1823, Mr. Babbage had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Robinson16 ), to ascertain if it was the wish of the Government that he should construct a large Engine of the kind, which would also print the results it calculated. {70} 15 Parliamentary Paper, No. 370, printed 22nd May, 1823. 16 Afterwards Lord Goderich, now Earl of Ripon. From the conversation which took place on that occasion, Mr. Babbage apprehended that such was the wish of the Government. The Chancellor of the Exchequer remarked that the Government were in general unwilling to make grants of money for any inventions, however meritorious; because, if they really possessed the merit claimed for them, the sale of the article produced would be the best, as well as largest reward of the inventor: but that the present case was an exception; it being apparent that the construction of such a Machine could not be undertaken with a view to profit from the sale of its produce; and that, as math­e­mat­i­cal Tables were peculiarly valuable for nautical purposes, it was deemed a fit object of encouragement by the Government. The Chancellor of the Exchequer mentioned two modes of advancing money for the construction:—either through the recommendation of a Committee of the House of Commons, or by taking a sum from the Civil Contingencies: and he observed that, as the Session of Parliament was near its termination, the latter course might, perhaps, be the most convenient. Mr. Babbage thinks the Chancellor of the Exchequer also made some ob­ser­va­tion, indicating that the amount of money taken from the Civil Contingencies would be smaller than that which might be had by means of a Committee of the House of Commons: and he then proposed to take 1,000 l. as a commencement from the Civil Contingencies Fund. To this Mr. Babbage replied, in words which he distinctly remembers, “Would it be too much, in the first instance, to take 1,500 l.?” The Chancellor of the Exchequer immediately answered, that 1,500 l. should be advanced. Mr. Babbage’s opinion at that time was, that the Engine would be completed in two, or at the most in three years; and that by having 1,500 l. in the first instance, he would be {71} enabled to advance, from his own private funds, the residue of the 3,000 l., or even 5,000 l., which he then imagined the Engine might possibly cost; so that he would not again have occasion to apply to Government until it was completed. Some ob­ser­va­tions were made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the mode of accounting for the money received, as well as about its expenditure; but it seemed to be admitted that it was not possible to prescribe any very definite system, and that much must be left to Mr. Babbage’s own judgment. Very unfortunately, no Minute of that conversation was made at the time, nor was any sufficiently distinct understanding between the parties arrived at. Mr. Babbage’s conviction was, that whatever might be the labour and difficulty of the undertaking, the Engine itself would, of course, become the property of the Government, which had paid for its construction. Soon after this interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a letter was sent from the Treasury to the Royal Society, informing that body that the Lords of the Treasury “Had directed the issue of 1,500 l. to Mr. Babbage, to enable him to bring his invention to perfection, in the manner recommended.” These latter words, “in the manner recommended,” can only refer to the previous recommendation of the Royal Society; but it does not appear, from the Report of the Royal Society, that any plan, terms, or conditions had been pointed out by that body. Towards the end of July, 1823, Mr. Babbage took measures for the construction of the present Difference Engine,* and it was regularly proceeded with for four years. {72} * NOTE.—It will be convenient to distinguish between— 1. The small Model of the original or Difference Engine. 2. The Difference Engine itself, belonging to the Government, a part only of which has been put together. 3. The designs for another Engine, which in this Statement is called the Analytical Engine. dftnt In October, 1827, the expense incurred had amounted to 3,475 l.; and Mr. Babbage having suffered severe domestic affliction, and being in a very ill state of health, was recommended by his medical advisers to travel on the Continent. He left, however, sufficient drawings to enable the work to be continued, and gave an order to his own banker to advance 1,000 l. during his absence: he also received, from time to time, drawings and inquiries relating to the mechanism, and returned in­struc­tions to the engineer who was constructing it. As it now appeared probable that the expense would much exceed what Mr. Babbage had originally anticipated, he thought it desirable to inform the Government of that fact, and to procure a further grant. As a preliminary step, he wrote from Italy to his brother-in-law, Mr. Wolryche Whitmore, to request that he would see Lord Goderich upon the subject of the interview in July, 1823; but it is probable that he did not sufficiently inform Mr. Whitmore of all the circumstances of the case. Mr. Whitmore, having had some conversation with Lord Goderich on the subject, addressed a letter, dated on the 29th of February, 1828, to Mr. Babbage, who was then at Rome, stating that “That interview was unsat­is­fac­tory; that Lord Goderich did not like to admit that there was any understanding, at the time the 1,500 l. was advanced, that more would be given by Government.” On Mr. Babbage’s return to England, towards the end of {73} 1828, he waited in person upon Lord Goderich, who admitted that the understanding of 1823 was not very definite. He then addressed a statement to the Duke of Wellington, as the head of the Government, explaining the previous steps in the affair; stating the reasons for his inferences from what took place at the interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in July, 1823; and referring his Grace for further information to Lord Goderich, to whom also he sent a copy of that statement. The Duke of Wellington, in consequence of this application, requested the Royal Society to inquire— “Whether the progress of the Machine confirms them in their former opinion, that it will ultimately prove adequate to the important object it was intended to attain.” The Royal Society reported, in February, 1829, that— “They had not the slightest hesitation in pronouncing their decided opinion in the affirmative.” The Royal Society also expressed their hope that— “Whilst Mr. Babbage’s mind is intensely occupied in an undertaking likely to do so much honour to his country, he may be relieved, as much as possible, from all other sources of anxiety.” On the 28th of April, 1829, a Treasury Minute directed a further payment to Mr. Babbage of “1,500 l. to enable him to complete the Machine by which such important benefit to Science might be expected.” At that time the sum expended on the Engine amounted to 6,697 l. 12 s., of which 3,000 l. had been received from the Treasury; so that Mr. Babbage had provided 3,697 l. 12 s. from his own private funds. Under these circumstances, by the advice of Mr. Wolryche Whitmore, a meeting of Mr. Babbage’s personal friends was held on the 12th of May, 1829. It consisted of— {74} THE DUKE OF SOMERSET, LORD ASHLEY, SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, MR. WOLRYCHE WHITMORE, DR. FITTON, MR. FRANCIS BAILY, MR. (now SIR JOHN) HERSCHEL. Being satisfied, upon inquiry, of the following facts, they came to the annexed resolutions:— “1st. That Mr. Babbage was originally induced to take up the work, on its present extensive scale, by an understanding on his part that it was the wish of Government that he should do so, and by an advance of 1,500 l., at the outset; with a full impression on his mind, that such further advances would be made as the work might require. “2nd. That Mr. Babbage’s expenditure had amounted to nearly 7,000 l., while the whole sum advanced by Government was 3,000 l. “3rd. That Mr. Babbage had devoted the most assiduous and anxious attention to the progress of the Engine, to the injury of his health, and the neglect and refusal of other profitable occupations. “4th. That a very large expense remained to be incurred; and that his private fortune was not such as would justify his completing the Engine, without further and effectual assistance from Government. “5th. That a personal application upon the subject should be made to the Duke of Wellington. “6th. That if such application should be unsuccessful in procuring effectual and adequate assistance, they must regard Mr. Babbage (considering the great pecuniary and personal sacrifices he will then have made; the entire expenditure of all he had received from the public on the subject of its destination; and the moral certainty of completing it, to which it was, by his exertions, reduced) as no longer called on to proceed with an undertaking which might destroy his health, and injure, if not ruin, his fortune. “7th. That Mr. Wolryche Whitmore and Mr. Herschel should request an interview with the Duke of Wellington, to state