ThisdiplomapieceofworksecuredMaudslay’sfooting，andnextMondaymorninghecameonasoneoftheregularhands。
Hesoontookrankintheshopasafirst-classworkman。Lovinghisart，heaimedatexcellenceinit，andsucceeded。Foritmustbeunderstoodthatthehandicraftsmanwhoseheartisinhiscalling，feelsasmuchhonestprideinturningoutapieceofthoroughlygoodworkmanship，asthesculptororthepainterdoesinexecutingastatueorapicture。Incourseoftime，themostdifficultanddelicatejobscametobeentrustedtoMaudslay；andnothinggavehimgreaterpleasurethantobesettoworkuponanentirelynewpieceofmachinery。Andthusherose，naturallyandsteadily，fromhandtoheadwork。Forhismanualdexteritywastheleastofhisgifts。Hepossessedanintuitivepowerofmechanicalanalysisandsynthesis。Hehadaquickeyetoperceivethearrangementsrequisitetoeffectgivenpurposes；andwheneveradifficultyarose，hisinventivemindsettoworktoovercomeit。
Hisfellow-workmenwerenotslowtorecognisehismanyadmirablequalities，ofhand，mind，andheart；andhebecamenotonlythefavourite，buttheherooftheshop。Perhapsheowedsomethingtohisfinepersonalappearance。Henceongala-days，whenthementurnedoutinprocession，”Harry”wasusuallyselectedtomarchattheirheadandcarrytheflag。Hisconductasason，also，wasasadmirableashisqualitiesasaworkman。HisfatherdyingshortlyafterMaudslayenteredBramah’sconcern，hewasaccustomedtowalkdowntoWoolwicheverySaturdaynight，andhandovertohismother，forwhomhehadthetenderestregard，aconsiderableshareofhisweek’swages，andthishecontinuedtodoaslongasshelived。
Notwithstandinghisyouth，hewasraisedfromoneposttoanother，untilhewasappointed，byunanimousconsent，theheadforemanoftheworks；andwasrecognisedbyallwhohadoccasiontodobusinessthereas”Bramah’sright-handman。”Henotonlywontheheartofhismaster，but——whatprovedoffargreaterimportancetohim——healsowontheheartofhismaster’sprettyhousemaid，SarahTindelbyname，whomhemarried，andshewenthand-in-handwithhimthroughlife，anadmirable”helpmeet，”ineverywayworthyofthenoblecharacterofthegreatmechanic。Maudslaywasfoundespeciallyusefulbyhismasterindevisingthetoolsformakinghispatentlocks；andmanywerethebeautifulcontrivanceswhichheinventedforthepurposeofensuringtheirmoreaccurateandspeedymanufacture，withaminimumdegreeoflabour，andwithouttheneedofanylargeamountofmanualdexterityonthepartoftheworkman。Thelockwassodelicateamachine，thattheidentityoftheseveralpartsofwhichitwascomposedwasfoundtobeanabsolutenecessity。Merehandicraft，howeverskilled，couldnotsecuretherequisiteprecisionofworkmanship；norcouldthepartsbeturnedoutinsufficientquantitytomeetanylargedemand。Itwasthereforerequisitetodevisemachine-toolswhichshouldnotblunder，norturnoutimperfectwork；——machines，inshort，whichshouldbeinagreatmeasureindependentofthewantofdexterityofindividualworkmen，butwhichshouldunerringlylabourintheirprescribedtrack，anddotheworksetthem，evenintheminutestdetails，afterthemethodsdesignedbytheirinventor。InthisdepartmentMaudslaywaseminentlysuccessful，andtohislaboriousingenuity，asfirstdisplayedinBramah’sworkshops，andafterwardsinhisownestablishment，weunquestionablyowemuchofthepowerandaccuracyofourpresentself-actingmachines。
BramahhimselfwasnotbackwardinadmittingthattoHenryMaudslay’spracticalskillincontrivingthemachinesformanufacturinghislocksonalargescale，thesuccessofhisinventionwasinagreatdegreeattributable。Infurtherproofofhismanualdexterity，itmaybementionedthatheconstructedwithhisownhandstheidenticalpadlockwhichsoseverelytestedthepowersofMr。Hobbsin1851。Andwhenitisconsideredthatthelockhadbeenmadeformorethanhalfacentury，anddidnotembodyanyofthemodernimprovements，itwillperhapsberegardednotonlyascreditabletotheprinciplesonwhichitwasconstructed，buttotheworkmanshipofitsmaker，thatitshouldsolonghavewithstoodthevariousmechanicaldexteritytowhichitwasexposed。
Besidestheinventionofimprovedmachine-toolsforthemanufactureoflocks，MaudslaywasoffurtherservicetoBramahinapplyingtheexpedienttohisfamousHydraulicPress，withoutwhichitwouldprobablyhaveremainedanimpracticablethoughahighlyingeniousmachine。Asinotherinstancesofgreatinventions，thepracticalsuccessofthewholeisoftenfoundtodependupontheactionofsomeapparentlytriflingdetail。Thiswasespeciallythecasewiththehydraulicpress；towhichMaudslayaddedtheessentialfeatureoftheself-tighteningcollar，abovedescribedinthememoirofBramah。Mr。
JamesNasmythisourauthorityforascribingthisinventiontoMaudslay，whowascertainlyquitecompetenttohavemadeit；anditisamatteroffactthatBramah’sspecificationofthepresssaysnothingofthehollowcollar，*
[footnote……
ThewordsBramahusesindescribingthispartofhispatentof1795
arethese——”Thepistonmustbemadeperfectlywatertightbyleatherorothermaterials，asusedinpump-making。”Heelsewherespeaksofthepiston-rod”workingthroughthestuffing-box。”Butinpractice，aswehaveaboveshown，thesemethodswerefoundtobealtogetherinefficient。
onwhichitsefficientactionmainlydepends。Mr。Nasmythsays——”Maudslayhimselftoldme，orledmetobelieve，thatitwashewhoinventedtheself-tighteningcollarforthehydraulicpress，withoutwhichitwouldneverhavebeenaserviceablemachine。Astheself-tighteningcollaristothehydraulicpress，soisthesteamblasttothelocomotive。Itistheonethingneedfulthathasmadeiteffectiveinpractice。IfMaudslaywastheinventorofthecollar，thatonecontrivanceoughttoimmortalizehim。Heusedtotellmeofitwithgreatgusto，andIhavenoreasontodoubtthecorrectnessofhisstatement。”Whoeverreallystruckouttheideaofthecollar，displayedtheinstinctofthetrueinventor，whoinvariablyseekstoaccomplishhisobjectbytheadoptionofthesimplestpossiblemeans。
DuringthetimethatMaudslayheldtheimportantofficeofmanagerofBramah’sworks，hishighestwageswerenotmorethanthirtyshillingsa-week。Hehimselfthoughtthathewasworthmoretohismaster——asindeedhewas，——andhefeltsomewhatmortifiedthatheshouldhavetomakeanapplicationforanadvance；buttheincreasingexpensesofhisfamilycompelledhiminameasuretodoso。Hisapplicationwasrefusedinsuchamannerasgreatlytohurthissensitivefeelings；
andtheresultwasthathethrewuphissituation，anddeterminedtobeginworkingonhisownaccount。
Hisfirststartinbusinesswasintheyear1797，inasmallworkshopandsmithysituatedinWellsStreet，OxfordStreet。Itwasinanawfulstateofdirtanddilapidationwhenhebecameitstenant。HeenteredtheplaceonaFriday，butbytheSaturdayevening，withthehelpofhisexcellentwife，hehadtheshopthoroughlycleaned，whitewashed，andputinreadinessforbeginningworkonthenextMondaymorning。Hehadthenthepleasureofhearingtheroarofhisownforge-fire，andthecheeringringofthehammeronhisownanvil；
andgreatwasthepridehefeltinstandingforthefirsttimewithinhisownsmithyandexecutingordersforcustomersonhisownaccount。
Hisfirstcustomerwasanartist，whogavehimanordertoexecutetheironworkofalargeeasel，embodyingsomenewarrangements；andtheworkwaspunctuallydonetohisemployer’ssatisfaction。Otherordersfollowed，andhesoonbecamefullyemployed。Hisfameasafirst-rateworkmanwasalmostasgreatasthatofhisformermaster；
andmanywhohadbeenaccustomedtodobusinesswithhimatPimlicofollowedhimtoWellsStreet。Longyearsafter，thethoughtoftheseearlydaysofself-dependenceandhardworkusedtosethiminaglow，andhewoulddilatetohisintimatefriendsuponhisearlystrugglesandhisfirstsuccesses，whichweremuchmorehighlyprizedbyhimthanthoseofhismatureryears。
Withatrueloveofhiscraft，Maudslaycontinuedtoapplyhimself，ashehaddonewhilstworkingasBramah’sforeman，tothebestmethodsofensuringaccuracyandfinishofwork，soasinameasuretobeindependentofthecarelessnessorwantofdexterityoftheworkman。Withthisobjectheaimedatthecontrivanceofimprovedmachine-tools，whichshouldbeasmuchself-actingandself-regulatingaspossible；anditwaswhilepursuingthisstudythathewroughtouttheimportantmechanicalinventionwithwhichhisnameisusuallyidentified——thatoftheSlideRest。Itcontinuedtobehisspecialdelight，whenengagedintheexecutionofanypieceofworkinwhichhetookapersonalinterest，tointroduceasystemofidentityofparts，andtoadaptforthepurposesomeoneorotherofthemechanicalcontrivanceswithwhichhisfertilebrainwasalwaysteeming。Thusitwasfromhisdesiretoleavenothingtothechanceofmereindividualdexterityofhandthatheintroducedthesliderestinthelathe，andrendereditoneofthemostimportantofmachine-tools。ThefirstdeviceofthiskindwascontrivedbyhimforBramah，inwhoseshopsitcontinuedinpracticaluselongafterhehadbegunbusinessforhimself。”Ihaveseenthesliderest，”saysMr。JamesNasmyth，”thefirstthatHenryMaudslaymade，inuseatMessrs。Bramah’sworkshops，andinitwereallthosearrangementswhicharetobefoundinthemostmodernsliderestofourownday，*
[footnote……
Inthislathethesliderestandframeweremoveablealongthetraversing-bar，accordingtothelengthofthework，andcouldbeplacedinanypositionandsecuredbyahandleandscrewunderneath。
TheRest，however，afterwardsunderwentmanyimportantmodifications；
buttheprincipleofthewholemachinewasthere。
allofwhicharethelegitimateoffspringofMaudslay’soriginalrest。Ifthistoolbeyetextant，itoughttobepreservedwiththegreatestcare，foritwasthebeginningofthosemechanicaltriumphswhichgivetothedaysinwhichwelivesomuchoftheirdistinguishingcharacter。”
AveryfewwordsofexplanationwillservetoillustratetheimportanceofMaudslay’sinvention。Everypersonisfamiliarwiththeusesofthecommonturning-lathe。Itisafavouritemachinewithamateurmechanics，anditsemploymentisindispensablefortheexecutionofallkindsofroundedworkinwoodandmetal。Perhapsthereisnocontrivancebywhichtheskillofthehandicraftsmanhasbeenmoreeffectuallyaidedthanbythismachine。Itsoriginislostintheshadesofantiquity。Itsmostancientformwasprobablythepotter’swheel，fromwhichitadvanced，bysuccessiveimprovements，toitspresenthighlyimprovedform。Itwasfoundthat，bywhatevermeansasubstancecapableofbeingcutcouldbemadetorevolvewithacircularmotionroundafixedrightlineasacentre，acuttingtoolappliedtoitssurfacewouldremovetheinequalitiessothatanypartofsuchsurfaceshouldbeequidistantfromthatcentre。Suchisthefundamentalideaoftheordinaryturning-lathe。Theingenuityandexperienceofmechanicsworkingsuchaninstrumentenabledthemtoaddmanyimprovementstoit；untiltheskilfulartisanatlengthproducednotmerelycircularturningofthemostbeautifulandaccuratedescription，butexquisitefigure-work，andcomplicatedgeometricaldesigns，dependinguponthecycloidalandeccentricmovementswhichwerefromtimetotimeaddedtothemachine。
TheartisansoftheMiddleAgeswereveryskilfulintheuseofthelathe，andturnedoutmuchbeautifulscreenandstallwork，stilltobeseeninourcathedrals，aswellastwistedandswash-workforthebalustersofstaircasesandotherornamentalpurposes。Englishmechanicsseemearlytohavedistinguishedthemselvesasimproversofthelathe；andinMoxon’s’TreatiseonTurning，’publishedin1680，wefindMr。ThomasOldfield，atthesignoftheFlower-de-Luce，neartheSavoyintheStrand，namedasanexcellentmakerofoval-enginesandswash-engines，showingthatsuchmachinesweretheninsomedemand。TheFrenchwriterPlumier*
[footnote……
PLUMIER，L’ArtdeTourner，Paris，1754，p。155。
alsomentionsaningeniousmodificationofthelathebymeansofwhichanykindofreticulatedformcouldbegiventothework；and，fromit’sbeingemployedtoornamentthehandlesofknives，itwascalledbyhimthe”MachineamanchedeCouteaud’Angleterre。”ButtheFrenchartisanswereatthattimemuchbetterskilledthantheEnglishintheuseoftools，anditismostprobablethatweowetotheFlemishandFrenchProtestantworkmenwhoflockedintoEnglandinsuchlargenumbersduringthereligiouspersecutionsofthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies，theimprovement，ifnottheintroduction，oftheartofturning，aswellasmanyotherartshereaftertobereferredto。ItiscertainthatattheperiodtowhichwerefernumeroustreatiseswerepublishedinFranceontheartofturning，someofthemofamostelaboratecharacter。SuchweretheworksofDelaHire，*
[footnote……
Machinesapprouveesparl’Academie，1719。
whodescribedhoweverykindofpolygonmightbemadebythelathe；
DelaCondamine，*
[footnote……
Machinesapprouveesparl’Academie，1733。
whoshowedhowalathecouldturnallsortsofirregularfiguresbymeansoftracers；andofGrandJean，Morin，*
[footnote……
L’ArtdeTournerenperfection，49。