The Timepiece of Shadows —— A History of the Sun Dial

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ISBN: 9781333395056 出版年：2016 页码：109 Henry Spencer Spackman Forgotten Books

Though clocks have long ago driven the sun dial from the busy Work a-day world, and now occupy their former place on the walls of our pub lic buildings and proclaim the hour with brazen tongue from our church towers, may we not still find room for the sun dial among the flowers of Our gardens or on the walls of our country homes? If we no longer con sult them as oracles and rarely seek from their carven face to learn the hour, there will ever be about the sun dial, with its old-world associa tions and romantic memories, a beauty of sunshine and shadow that will far more than repay the trouble of erection. To discard the sun dial entirely or allow the many beautiful thoughts and fancies to which it has given rise to be forgotten, would seem like turning our backs on an old friend or wantonly neglecting a part of the beauty and learning of the past, and it is with the hope of preventing this if possible that the following pages have been written. Frankly disclaiming all pretense to originality, I have Without hesitation adopted and copied from the works of older writers. But, not wishing to fatigue the general reader with notes and references, I have purposely abstained from giving authorities, though careful in every instance to verify as far as practicable each statement. But for the information of those who may wish to pursue the study further, I mention the following books from which the bulk of this work was taken.