This wonderful artist was born at La Chaux de Fonds (Switzerland) on the
28^{th} of July 1721. His parents, rich peasants, seeing the great
dispositions of their Child for Study, had projected to make a clergyman
of him, and consequently sent him to study theology at Neuchâtel.
During his holidays, which he used to spend at one of his sisters, who,
having abandoned the old industry of this city, which was lacemaking,
married a watchmaker, the young Peter was deeply interested in all
mechanics, and spent all his time working at his sister’s workshop. He
soon became so industrious that everybody induced him to leave Theology
and become a watchmaker.
His improvement astonished even the oldest and very best workmen, and he
soon became their master.
It was about the year 1752, the year of his marriage, that he made his
first singing bird,—in a gold snuff box, the bird appearing and singing
when opening the box to take snuff.—
His fame became so universal, that in 1758 he was summoned by the King
of Spain, for whom he worked, and made such marvellous automata that the
Santa Inquisition, at a certain time wanted to condemn him as a
“Sorcier,” a very terrible charge at that time.
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