1. "_Fine_ apparition".--_Tempest_, Act i. sc. 2.
4. "And, for thou wast a spirit too _delicate_, To act her _earthy_ and abhorred commands." Ditto.
6. "My _delicate_ Ariel."--Ditto. Act iv. sc. 1.
7. "Why that's my _dainty_ Ariel."--Ditto. Act v. sc. 1.
I do not know the precise nature of the "old authorities" which MR. SINGER opposes to my conjecture: but may we not demur to the conclusiveness of any "old authorities" on such a point? Etymology seems to be one of the developing sciences, in which we know more, and better, than our forefathers, as our descendants will know more, and better, than we do.
To end with a brace of queries. Are not _delicioe_, _delicatus_, more probably from _deligere_ than from _delicere_? And whence comes the word _dainty_? I cannot believe in the derivation from _dens_, "a tooth."
Your correspondent C.B.M. (Vol. ii., p 199.) will find a long article on _AÎrostation_ in Rees' _CyclopÊdia_; but his inquiry reminds me of a conversation I had with the late Sir Anthony Carlisle, about a year before his death. He wished to consult me on the subject of flying by mechanical means, and that I should assist him in some of his arrangements. He had devoted many years of his life to the consideration of this subject, and made numerous experiments at great cost, which induced him to believe in the possibility of enabling man to fly by means of artificial wings. However visionary this idea might be, he had collected innumerable and extremely interesting data, having examined the anatomical structure of almost every winged thing in the creation, and compared the weight of the body with the area of the wings when expanded in the act of volitation as well as the natural habits of birds, insects, bats, and fishes, with reference to their powers of flying and duration of flight.
These notes would form a valuable addition to natural history, whatever might be thought of the purpose for which they were collected, during a period of thirty years; and it is much to be regretted they were never published. His own opinion was, that the publication, during his life would injure his practice as a physician. It would be impossible without the aid of diagrams, and I do not remember sufficient, to explain his mechanical contrivances; but the general principle was, to suspend the man under a kind of flat parachute of extremely thin _feather-edge_ boards, with a power of adjusting the angle at which it was placed, and allowing the man the full use of his arms and legs to work any machinery placed beneath; the area of the parachute being proportioned, as in birds to the weight of the man, who was to start from the top of a high tower, or some elevated position, flying against the wind.