On Automata, or Self-Moving Machines

Petrus Ramus, in his Mathematical Schools, sharply rebukes him for it. Now, that in the times of Aristotle they were already discovered, and that many in that age applied themselves to this species of machines, is seen at the beginning of his Mechanics, speaking of the wonders of the circular figure, from which, according to him, the forces of all machines have their beginning, where he says:

“Serving themselves, therefore, of this nature which is found in the circle, craftsmen fabricate instruments, hiding the principle, so that only the part of the machine which is apparent remains marvelous, and the cause is not manifested.”

It appears also from his making use of it in more than one place; for example, as there in the Second Book of Generation, wishing to teach us how the male gives the principle of motion to the seed, where he says this happens exactly as in machines that move by themselves, in which the Master, having given the principle of motion by pulling a small cord, departs and leaves the machine to move by itself; which passage of Aristotle is explained by John the Grammarian with these words:

“Marvels (he says) that move by themselves Aristotle calls those wooden images which used to be introduced at weddings; because, just as in these the operator of marvels gives motion to this wood and then draws away, and this moves by a force given to it with the help of a certain machine, [it] moves another, and that another, and that the image, which then appears to move and dance by itself; nevertheless, it does not move by itself, but is moved by him who in the beginning gave it motion, thus in these things.”

And that which follows. The same Philosopher likewise makes mention of it in his little book On the Motion of Animals, where he says that the soul, which has its seat in the heart, gives motion to the limbs, just as happens to the...