Thus it would seem that, hunting back in history, there were
three main ideas on which would-be aeronauts of old exercised
their ingenuity. There was the last-mentioned method, which,
by the way, Jules Verne partly relies on when he takes his
heroes to the moon, and which in its highest practical
development may be seen annually on the night of "Brock's
Benefit" at the Crystal Palace. There is, again, the "tame
goose" method, to which we must return presently; and, lastly,
there is a third method, to which, as also to the brilliant
genius who conceived it, we must without further delay be
introduced. This may be called the method of "a hollow globe."

Roger Bacon, Melchisedeck-fashion, came into existence at
Ilchester in 1214 of parentage that is hard to trace. He was,
however, a born philosopher, and possessed of intellect and
penetration that placed him incalculably ahead of his
generation. A man of marvellous insight and research, he
grasped, and as far as possible carried out, ideas which dawned
on other men only after centuries. Thus, many of his utterances
have been prophetic. It is probable that among his chemical
discoveries he re-invented gunpowder. It is certain that he
divined the properties of a lens, and diving deep into
experimental and mechanical sciences, actually foresaw the time
when, in his own words, "men would construct engines to traverse
land and water with great speed and carry with them persons and
merchandise." Clearly in his dreams Bacon saw the Atlantic not
merely explored, but on its bosom the White Star liners breaking
records, contemptuous of its angriest seas. He saw, too, a
future Dumont circling in the air, and not only in a dead calm,
but holding his own with the feathered race. He tells his