Page "The Turk" Paragraph 18

Following word of its debut, interest in the machine grew across Europe.

Kempelen, however, was more interested in his other projects and avoided exhibiting the Turk, often lying about the machine's repair status to prospective challengers.

Von Windisch wrote at one point that Kempelen " refused the entreaties of his friends, and a crowd of curious persons from all countries, the satisfaction of seeing this far-famed machine.

" In the decade following its debut at Schönbrunn Palace the Turk only played one opponent, Sir Robert Murray Keith, a Scottish noble, and Kempelen went as far as dismantling the Turk entirely following the match.

Kempelen was quoted as referring to the invention as a " mere bagatelle ", as he was not pleased with its popularity and would rather continue work on steam engines and machines that replicated human speech.