,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic text is   
denoted by underscores1  and            
superscripted text is preceded by a     
caret 774                               
,,lives                                 
,,of                                    
,,boulton ,,and ,,watt4          ,,by   
,,the ,,same ,,author4        ,,lives   
,,of ,,british ,,engineers1 from the    
,earliest ,times to the ,death        of
 ,robert ,stephenson2 with an ,account  
of their ,principal ,works1        and a
 ,,history ,,of ,,inland ,,communication
 ,,in ,,britain4 ,with ,portraits       
and #bgj ,woodcuts4 #c ,vols4 #hvo4     
#fcs4      ,,self-,,help2 ,,with        
,,illustrations ,,of ,,character ,,and  
,,conduct4 ,post #hvo4        #fs4      
#8,,self-,,help1' ,,ou ,,caract,,re1    
,,conduite ,,et ,,pers,v,,rance1        
,illustrs         l'aide de ,biographie4
 ,traduit de l',anglais par ,,alfred    
,,talandier        sur le texte revu et 
corrig par l',auteur4 ,post #hvo4 #es4  
,,industrial ,,biography3               

,,iron-,,workers ,,and ,,tool-,,makers4 
,a ,companion        ,volume to         
#8,self-,help4' ,post #hvo4 #fs4        
,,james ,,brindley ,,and ,,the ,,early  
,,engineers4 ,abridged from #8,lives of 
the ,engineers4' ,with ,illustrations4  
,post #hvo4 #fs4      ,,story ,,of ,,the
 ,,life ,,of ,,george ,,stephenson      
,,including ,a ,,memoir ,,of ,,his      
,,son ,,robert ,,stephenson4 ,abridged  
from #8,lives of the ,engineers4'       
,with ,illustrations4 ,post #hvo4 #fs4  
,,workmen',s                            
,,earnings1--,,savings1--,,and          
,,strikes3 ,reprinted from the          
#8,quarterly ,review4' ,post #hvo4 #as4 
#f;d4                          ,,john   
,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,street4         
,illustration3 ,james ,watt ,f4,r4,s4   
,engraved by ,w4 ,holl1 after the       
portrait by ,sir ,w4 ,beechy1 ,r4,a4    
,published by ,john ,murray1 ,albemarle 
,street1 #ahfe4                         
,,lives                                 
,,of                                    

,,boulton ,,and ,,watt4                 
,,principally ,,from ,,the ,,original   
,,soho ,,mss4                           
,,comprising ,,also                     
,a ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,invention     
,,and ,,introduction                    
,,of ,,the ,,steam-,,engine4            
,,by ,,samuel ,,smiles1                 
,,author ,,of #8,,industrial            
,,biography1' ,,etc4                    
,,london3                               
,,john ,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,street4  
#ahfe4                        ,the right
 of ,translation is reserved4           
,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,william      
,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,stamford       
,,street1                               
,,and ,,charing ,,cross4                
,,preface4      ,the present volume     
concludes the author's #8,lives of the  
,engineers4' ,its  preparation was begun
 many years since4 ,the favourable      
reception given to  the #8,life of      
,george ,stephenson1' the principal     
improver and introducer  of the         

locomotive engine1 encouraged the author
 to follow it by a ,life  of ,james     
,watt1 the principal inventor and       
introducer of the condensing  engine4   
,on making inquiries1 however1 he found 
that the subject had  already been taken
 in hand by ,j4 ,p4 ,muirhead1 ,esq41   
the literary executor  of the late ,mr4 
,watt1 of ,aston ,hall1 near            
,birmingham4 ,as ,mr4 ,muirhead was  in 
all respects entitled to precedence1 and
 was1 moreover1 in possession  of the   
best sources of information1 the        
author's contemplated ,life of ,watt    
was abandoned1 and he satisfied himself 
with embodying the substance of  the    
materials he had collected in a review  
of ,mr4 ,muirhead's work1 which         
appeared in the #8,quarterly ,review'   
for ,july1 #aheh4    ,having recently1  
however1 through the kindness of ,m4 ,p4
 ,w4 ,boulton1 ,esq41  of ,tew ,park1   
,oxon1 been enabled to examine the      
extensive collection of  documents      
brought from ,soho1 including the       

original correspondence between  ,watt  
and ,small1 between ,watt and ,boulton1 
and between the latter and his  numerous
 intimate friends and business          
correspondents1 it has appeared  to the 
author that1 notwithstanding the        
valuable publications of ,mr4           
,muirhead1 the story of the life of     
,watt is one that will well bear to be  
told again1 in connexion with the life  
and labours of ,matthew ,boulton of     
,soho4 ,the two men were so intimately  
related during the most important       
period of their lives1 and their        
biographies so closely intermingle1 that
  it is almost impossible to separate   
them4 ,they are therefore treated       
conjointly in the present volume1 under 
the title of #8,boulton and  ,watt1' the
 name of the old ,soho firm which so    
long enjoyed a world-wide  reputation4  
,but though the name of ,boulton takes  
priority in the title1  that of ,watt   
will be found in many respects the most 
prominent in the  narrative4    ,the    

,,ms4 papers which have been consulted  
for the purposes of the present  volume 
are of an unusually complete and varied 
character4 ,they consist  of several    
thousand documents selected from the    
tons of business books  and             
correspondence which had accumulated at 
,soho4 ,the most important  were        
selected and arranged by the late ,m4   
,robinson ,boulton1 ,esq41 who          
entertained the highest regard for his  
father's memory2 and1 from the          
character of the collection1 the author 
inclines to the opinion that  it must   
have been made with a view to the       
preparation and publication  of a ,life 
of ,matthew ,boulton1--which has not1   
however1 until now been  undertaken4    
,thus1 among sundry papers endorsed 8,m4
 ,boulton--,biographical  ,memoirs10 is 
found a ,,ms4 memoir in the handwriting 
of ,james ,watt1 entitled  8,memorandum 
concerning ,mr4 ,boulton1 commencing    
with my first acquaintance  with him10  
and another of a similar character1 by  

,mr4 ,james ,keir1--both  written       
shortly after ,mr4 ,boulton's death4    
,another collection1 endorsed           
8,familiarum ,epistol et ,select1 #agee 
to #ahjh10 contains letters received    
from various distinguished personages in
 the course of ,mr4 ,boulton's  long and
 interesting career4 ,the number of     
original documents is indeed  so large1 
that1 but for a rigid exclusion of      
non-essential matter1 these  ,lives must
 have expanded into several volumes1    
instead of being compressed  into one4  
,but the author believes labour to be   
well bestowed in practising  the art of 
condensation1 and that the interest of  
biography gains much by  judicious      
rejection4 ,what ,watt said to ,murdock 
as to the production of  a machine1     
holds equally true as to the production 
of a book1--8,it is a  great thing10    
said ,watt1 8to know what to do         
without40    ,besides the memoirs of    
,boulton and ,watt1 which occupy the    
principal places  in the following      

volume1 it will also be found to contain
 memoirs of the  other inventors who    
have at various times laboured at the   
invention and  application of the       
steam-engine1--of the ,marquis of       
,worcester1 ,dionysius  ,papin1 ,thomas 
,savery1 and ,thomas ,newcomen4 ,the    
author has also been  enabled to gather 
from the ,boulton papers a memoir of    
,william ,murdock1  which probably      
contains all that is likely to be       
collected respecting that  excellent and
 most ingenious mechanic4    ,in        
addition to the essential assistance    
received from ,m4 ,p4 ,w4 ,boulton1     
,esq41 in preparing the present book1   
without which it would not have been    
undertaken1 the author desires to record
 his acknowledgments to ,j4 ,w4  ,gibson
 ,watt1 ,esq41 for information relative 
to ,james ,watt2--to ,charles  ,savery1 
,esq41 ,clifton1 ,j4 ,t4 ,savery1 ,esq41
 ,modbury1 ,lieutenant-,colonel         
,yolland1 ,r4,e41 and ,quartermaster    
,connolly1 ,r4,e41 for various facts as 

to the family history and professional  
career of ,thomas ,savery1 inventor  of 
the 8,fire ,engine20--and to ,thomas    
,pemberton1 ,esq41 ,heathfield2 ,w4 ,c4 
,aitkin1 ,esq41 ,coventry2 ,george      
,williamson1 ,esq41 ,greenock2 the late 
,j4  ,murdock1 ,esq41 ,handsworth2 and  
the late ,mr4 ,william ,buckle1 of the  
,royal  ,mint1 formerly of ,soho1--for  
various information as to the lives and 
labours of ,boulton and ,watt4    ,in   
his treatment of the subject1 it will be
 observed that the author has           
endeavoured1 as much as possible1 to    
avoid introducing technical details     
relating to the steam-engine4 ,those who
 desire further information  on such    
points1 are referred to the works of    
,farey1 ,tredgold1 ,bourne1  ,scott     
,russell1 ,muirhead 7#8,mechanical      
,inventions of ,james ,watt'71 and      
other technical treatises on the        
subject1 where they will find detailed  
particulars of the various inventions   
which are only incidentally referred  to

 in the following pages4        ,london1
 ,october1 #ahfe4          ,,contents4  
,,chapter ,i4      ,anecdote of ,matthew
 ,boulton and ,george ,,iii4--,roger    
,bacon on steam      power--,early      
inventors1 their steam machines and     
apparatus--,hero      of ,alexandria1   
,branca1 ,de ,caus--,the ,marquis of    
,worcester--,his      water-works--,his 
imprisonment--,his difficulties--,the   
water-commanding engine--,his 8,century 
of ,inventions0--,obscurity      of     
descriptions of his                     
steam-engine--,persevering              
struggles--,his      later years and    
death                                   
,page #a-bf                             
,,chapter ,,ii4      ,zeal of the       
,marchioness of ,worcester--,sir ,samuel
 ,morland--,his      pumps and          
fire-engines--,his privations and       
death--,dr4      ,dionysius ,papin--,his
 digester--,experiments on the power of 
steam--,his steam-engine--,proposed     
steamboat--,early schemes      of       

paddle-boats--,blasco ,garay--,papin's  
model engine and      boat--,destroyed  
by boatmen--,papin's death              
#bg-ch                                  
,,chapter ,,iii4      ,thomas           
,savery--,the ,savery family--,savery's 
mechanical experiments      and         
contrivances--,his                      
paddle-boat--,treatise on #8,navigation 
,improved'--,cornish mines and the early
 pumping machinery--,savery's           
8,fire-engine0--,exhibition of his      
model--,explanations in the             
#8,miner's ,friend'--,the engine tried  
in ,cornwall--,its failure at           
,broadwaters1 ,staffordshire--,savery's 
later years--,his death and             
testament                               
#ci-eh                                  
,,chapter ,,iv4      ,slow progress in  
invention of the steam-engine--,thomas  
,newcomen      of ,dartmouth--,his study
 of steam-power--,correspondence with   
,dr4      ,hooke of the ,royal          
,society--,newcomen's                   

experiments--,assisted      by ,john    
,calley--,newcomen's atmospheric        
engine--,newcomen and      ,calley erect
 their first engine--,humphrey ,potter  
the turn-cock      boy's                
contrivance--,engines erected at        
,newcastle-on-,tyne1 ,leeds1      and   
,cornwall--,wheal ,fortune engine--,mr4 
,william ,lemon--,joseph                
,hornblower--,jonathan ,hulls and steam 
propulsion of ships--,his               
steamboat--,extended use of the         
,newcomen engines in ,cornwall and      
northern mining counties--,payne1       
,brindley1 and ,smeaton1 improvers      
of the steam-engine                     
#ei-gf                                  
,,chapter ,v4      ,james ,watt1 his    
birthplace and lineage--,his grandfather
 the      mathematician--,cartsdyke and 
,greenock in the last century--,james   
,watt's father--,his multifarious       
occupations--,his mother--,watt's       
early years--,his fragile               
constitution--,sent to school--,his     

first      visit to ,glasgow--,his      
indulgence in storytelling--,his boyish 
ingenuity--,his home education--,the    
,stuart rebellion--,watt's love      of 
scientific pursuits--,sent to ,glasgow  
to learn the trade of                   
mathematical-instrument maker           
#gg-ie                                  
,,chapter ,,vi4      ,glasgow in        
#aged--,the ,glasgow tobacco lords--,the
 early clubs1      and social habits of 
the merchants--,watt's master--,leaves  
,glasgow1 and proceeds to ,london on    
horseback--,is placed with      a       
mathematical-instrument maker--,his     
progress in learning the                
trade--,frugal living in                
,london--,danger from pressgangs--,his  
infirm health--,returns to              
,scotland--,refused permission to begin 
business in ,glasgow--,gains asylum in  
the ,college--,his workshop             
there--,makes musical instruments--,his 
various reading and                     
studies--,intercourse with the          

professors--,intimate relations of      
,watt with ,robison--,robison's estimate
 of ,watt                #if-aaf        
,,chapter ,,vii4      ,robison and      
,watt's conferences on the power of     
steam--,dr4 ,black      and latent      
heat--,watt's experiments on steam--,his
 apparatus--,the      college model of  
the ,newcomen engine arrives from       
,london--,watt's      experiments upon  
it--,his difficulties and               
perseverance--,his                      
instrument-making business              
improves--,takes a partner and opens    
a shop in the ,salt ,market--,his       
marriage--,continued experiments      on
 steam--,his ,sunday walk on ,glasgow   
,green1 and his first idea      of the  
condensing engine--,his experiments with
 the model1 and      successive         
difficulties--,anecdote of ,watt and    
,robison and the      new               
apparatus--,the model engine--,removes  
to a cellar and erects      a working   
engine--,mechanical and financial       

difficulties     #aah-acg               
,,chapter ,,viii4      ,watt's          
introduction to ,dr4 ,roebuck--,begins  
business as      surveyor--,surveys     
canals--,partnership with ,roebuck in   
the      engine--,difficulties in       
constructing the engine--,watt's visit  
to      ,kinneil--,a patent determined  
on--,watt's despondency--,continues     
his improvements--,learns               
,german--,correspondence with ,dr4      
,small--,specification of patent        
lodged--,watt erects a trial            
engine--,the washhouse behind           
,kinneil--,the engine completed--,its   
defects--,roebuck's                     
embarrassments--,watt accepts engagement
 to      superintend canal              
works--,employed in various             
surveys--,designs      ,hamilton        
,bridge--,supplies plans for dock and   
pier at ,port ,glasgow      and harbour 
at ,ayr--,illness and death of ,mrs4    
,watt--,dr4 ,roebuck's                  
ruin--,turning point in ,watt's fortunes

                      #ach-aeh          
,,chapter ,,ix4      ,birmingham in     
early times--,its                       
industry--,roads--,william ,hutton--,the
      ,boulton family--,matthew ,boulton
 begins business--,his trade            
correspondence--,his marriage--,his love
 of business--,snow-hill      and       
,soho--,partnership with                
,fothergill--,aims at excellence      in
 his productions--,emulates             
,wedgwood--,surpasses ,french           
art-manufacturers--,his royal and noble 
patrons--,employs the      best         
artists--,visits of foreigners at       
,soho--,extension of                    
business--,promotes canals--,his vast   
business--,commercial                   
panic--,boulton's scientific pursuits   
#afa-aha                                
,,chapter ,x4      ,water- and          
horse-power at ,soho--,boulton's        
correspondence      with ,benjamin      
,franklin concerning                    
fire-engine--,boulton's                 

model--,correspondence with ,dr4 ,darwin
 and ,dr4 ,roebuck--,watt      visits   
,soho--,first meeting of ,boulton and   
,watt--,correspondence      of ,boulton 
and ,watt1 and of ,dr4 ,small and       
,watt--,dr4 ,roebuck      visits        
,boulton--,watt's anxiety for ,boulton  
to join him--,watt's                    
discouragements--,his continued         
experiments and their failure--,watt    
engineer for the ,monkland              
,canal--,commercial panic--,watt loses  
employment as canal engineer--,roebuck's
 failure--,terms of proposed            
partnership between ,watt1 ,small1 and  
,boulton--,roebuck's share in           
,watt's engine transferred to           
,boulton--,watt's arrival at            
,birmingham                             
#ahb-aih                                
,,chapter ,,xi4      ,characteristics of
 ,matthew ,boulton--,contrast between   
him and      ,watt--,boulton's          
friends--,watt's engine at              
,soho--,boulton's      views of engine  

business--,the ,kinneil engine          
re-erected      at ,soho--,works        
successfully--,inquiries for            
pumping-engines      from the mining    
districts--,proposed extension of patent
 by      an ,act--,watt in              
,london--,death of ,dr4 ,small--,watt   
invited to      ,russia--,application to
 ,parliament for extension of engine    
patent--,application opposed--,watt's   
arguments--,act obtained--,watt         
returns to ,birmingham--,the manufacture
 of engines begun--,the                 
,wilkinsons--,first iron vessel         
#aii-bac                                
,,chapter ,,xii4      ,watt's house1    
,harper's ,hill--,first order for       
engines--,boulton's      activity--,the 
,london engineers prophesy the failure  
of ,watt's      engine--,watt revisits  
,glasgow--,his second marriage--,terms  
of      partnership between ,boulton and
 ,watt--,orders from ,scotland for      
engines--,boulton pressed with work and 
anxiety--,watt returns      to ,soho    

with his wife--,order for engine for    
,tingtang and      ,chacewater mines1   
,cornwall--,watt and the ,shadwell      
,waterworks                             
,committee--,stratford-le-,bow          
engine--,difficulties with workmen at   
,soho1 and with unskilled               
enginemen--,expansive working           
#bad-bbi                                
,,chapter ,,xiii4      ,inefficiency of 
the ,newcomen pumping-engines--,more    
orders from      ,cornwall--,watt in    
,cornwall--,united ,mines               
district--,mines      drowned--,watt and
 ,jonathan ,hornblower--,mrs4 ,watt's   
account of ,cornwall--,chacewater engine
 finished--,its      successful         
working--,watt's embarrassments and     
financial      difficulties--,boulton's 
courage and perseverance1 and           
,fothergill's despondency--,fire at     
,soho--,engine royalty on      savings  
of fuel--,altercations with             
adventurers--,watt's frequent      calls
 for ,boulton's help--,boulton's        

harassments--,proceeds to               
,cornwall--,watt's return to            
,birmingham--,his despondency--,boulton 
sustains the firm--,orders for engines  
from abroad--,william      ,murdock1 his
 excellencies of character and          
ability--,first      interview with     
,boulton and engagement--,sent to       
,cornwall--,his      mode of dealing    
with the captains--,watt's altercations 
with the      ,cornishmen--,his reliance
 on ,boulton--,altercation with         
,trevithick                             
#bcj-bfj                                
,,chapter ,,xiv4      ,lieutenant       
,henderson in ,cornwall--,boulton's     
financial embarrassments                
increase--,boulton and ,fothergill--,the
 8,soho pictures0--,watt's              
letter-copying machine--,boulton pushes 
the machine--,demand for                
copying-presses--,more financial        
difficulties--,watt's sufferings        
and melancholy--,more ,cornish engines  
wanted--,engine-dues--,boulton          

cheers ,watt--,mining adventurers'      
meetings--,boulton and      ,watt take  
shares--,the mines--,boulton organises  
the mining      business--,boulton's    
house at ,cosgarne1 ,cornwall--,mrs4    
,watt      describes her husband's      
miseries and weakness--,the engine      
patent threatened by the ,cornish       
men--,watt on patent right--,the        
,birmingham ,copper ,company--,boulton  
improves engine-boilers by              
introducing tubes--,his ,,mss4 and      
drawings concerning mechanical      and 
scientific experiments--,his            
indefatigable industry      #bfa-bhd    
,,chapter ,,xv4      ,watt again visits 
,cornwall--,rotary motion--,the         
crank-engine at      ,soho--,theft of   
the invention--,matthew                 
,washborough--,smeaton      and         
steam-power--,rotary-motion             
engine--,boulton and ,watt's            
cares--,evasions of the engine          
patent--,the ,hornblowers'              
engine--,watt's new                     

inventions--,boulton's confidence in the
      engine--,air-engine--,watt's fears
 for the patent--,the rotary engine     
invented--,new improvements             
introduced--,the equalising             
beam--,watt's      ill health and       
humour--,various expedients for         
producing circular                      
motion--,murdock's sun-and-planet       
motion--,patent taken for the           
reciprocating expansive                 
engine--,troubles with                  
workmen--,murdock's      efficiency and 
popularity--,watt's despondency--,the   
firm's ,london      agent's house       
burnt--,gloomy prospects of the mining  
trade   #bhe-caf                        
,,chapter ,,xvi4      ,financial        
position of the firm--,rotary engines   
for mills--,boulton's      battles with 
the ,cornish adventurers--,his life in  
,cornwall--,murdock and the miners--,the
 ,hornblowers' engine at                
,radstoke--,watt at ,bristol--,major    
,tucker--,steam mills--,rotary          

motion applied--,the first rotative     
engines--,pumping-engines for      the  
,fens--,boulton's health fails--,he     
visits ,scotland1 ,carron               
ironworks1 ,lord ,dundonald--,his       
extensive correspondence--,grumbling    
in ,cornwall--,concessions to the       
miners--,press of work      at          
,soho--,watt's invention of the parallel
 motion and the                         
governor--,murdock's model              
locomotive--,boulton's praise of        
,murdock--,more pumping-engines         
wanted--,boulton's affection for his    
children--,letter to his son--,his      
scientific recreations--,domestic       
enjoyment at ,cosgarne                  
#cag-cda                                
,,chapter ,,xvii4      ,boulton's action
 in commercial politics--,his interview 
with      ,pitt--,agitation against     
,pitt's commercial policy--,the 8,irish 
resolutions0--,watt on free             
commerce--,is opposed to political      
agitation--,combination against         

patents--,fluctuations in the           
business at ,soho--,engine orders from  
various quarters--,the      ,cornish    
copper-miners--,the ,copper ,company    
formed1 and ,boulton's      part in     
it--,riots in ,cornwall--,boulton's life
 threatened--,the      esteem in which  
he was held in ,cornwall--,his intimacy 
with      the ,quakers--,the ,albion    
,mill scheme--,the double-acting        
engines for the mill--,ill-success of   
the undertaking--,albion      ,mill     
burnt down--,demand for rotative        
engines--,want of      skill and        
misconduct of workmen--,wedgwood's      
advice to      ,watt--,speculativeness  
of ,boulton--,his                       
embarrassments--,watt's      caution in 
investing--,boulton's health fails--,his
 depressed      spirits--,generosity to 
,watt                                   
#cdb-cff                                
,,chapter ,,xviii4      ,friends of     
,boulton and ,watt--,the ,lunar         
,society--,provincial      scientific   

societies--,distinguished associates of 
the      ,lunar ,society--,dr4          
,darwin--,dr4 ,priestley1 his gifts and 
accomplishments--,josiah                
,wedgwood--,meetings and discussions    
of the ,lunar ,society--,dr4            
,priestley's speculations and           
experiments--,composition of water1     
,watt and ,cavendish--,bleaching      by
 chlorine--,sun-pictures--,saint-,fond  
at ,birmingham1 his      descriptions of
 ,watt and ,priestley--,decline of the  
,lunar      ,society                    
#cfg-che                                
,,chapter ,,xix4      ,increasing       
debasement of the coinage--,punishments 
for      counterfeiting--,birmingham    
coiners--,boulton refuses orders        
for base money--,executes a contract for
 coin for the ,east      ,india         
,company--,applies the steam-engine to  
coining--,improves      the coining     
apparatus--,political action in relation
 to      base coin--,strikes model coins
 for inspection of the ,privy           

,council--,opposed by the ,mint         
authorities--,presents model coins to   
the king--,executes coinage orders for  
foreign governments--,his               
success--,medalling--,description of the
 ,soho mint--,large      consumption of 
copper in coining--,threatened attack on
 ,soho      by a mob--,boulton executes 
the new copper coinage for ,great       
,britain--,erects the new ,government   
,mint on ,tower ,hill1 and mints        
for foreign countries--,watt's estimate 
of ,boulton's improvements      in      
coining                                 
#chf-cii                                
,,chapter ,,xx4      ,prosperity of     
,soho--,relaxed strain upon ,boulton and
 ,watt--,watt's      pleasure           
tours--,his interview with the king at  
,windsor--,matthew      ,robinson       
,boulton1 and ,james ,watt1 jun41 join  
their fathers      in the               
business--,their character and          
attainments--,boulton      and young    
,watt--,young ,boulton's return from    

,paris--,the      ,french               
revolution--,the ,birmingham            
riots--,priestley's house               
destroyed--,unpopularity of the         
8,philosophers0--,young ,watt and       
the ,jacobins--,watt's flight from      
,paris--,denounced by ,burke--,mr4      
,watt's fear for his son's safety--,the 
sons join their fathers in              
partnership--,important services of the 
young partners--,evasion of             
engine-dues1 resistance of the ,cornish 
mining companies--,legal                
proceedings and favourable              
judgments--,progress of the engine      
business--,william ,murdock--,his       
valuable services--,his engine          
improvements--,return to ,soho--,invents
 gas-lighting--,winsor's      wonderful 
schemes--,murdock's various             
inventions--,substitute      for        
isinglass1 his idea of power wasted in  
streets1 atmospheric      railway1      
c4--,his death                          
#djj-dcc                                

,,chapter ,,xxi4      ,first attempts to
 construct steamboats--,all attempts    
fail until      ,watt's condensing      
engine invented--,the locomotive of     
,watt and      ,murdock--,william       
,symington--,his model                  
locomotive--,symington      at          
,edinburgh--,steam-engine for           
canal-boats proposed by                 
,symington--,miller's                   
paddle-boats--,symington1 ,miller1 and  
,taylor co-operate to produce a         
steamboat--,sir ,john ,dalrymple's      
inquiries of ,boulton on the same       
subject--,boulton's                     
reply--,symington's engine finished and 
fitted in ,miller's                     
boat--,successful experiment--,symington
 makes another engine1      further     
experiments--,miller applies to ,boulton
 and ,watt to join                      
speculation--,watt's reply--,symington's
 engine for the #8,charlotte            
,dundas'--,symington's success          
frustrated--,fulton and ,bell inspect   

the #8,charlotte ,dundas'--,fulton's    
steamboat on the ,seine--,his           
#8,nautilus'--,his application to ,james
 ,watt1 jun4--,boulton's      caution1  
his letter to ,lord ,hawkesbury--,fulton
 orders an engine      from ,soho for   
the #8,clermont'--,its success--,henry  
,bell's steamboat                       
#8,comet'--,development of              
steam-navigation--,first rendered       
practicable through ,watt's inventions  
#dcd-dee                                
,,chapter ,,xxii4      ,watt withdraws  
from ,soho--,boulton continues his      
interest in      business--,his patent  
for raising water--,the burglary at     
,soho--,sir ,walter ,scott and          
,boulton--,watt in retirement--,search  
for investments--,purchases land--,makes
 a foreign tour--,death of      ,mrs4   
,keir--,painful bereavements--,death of 
,dr4 ,black--,deaths of      members of 
the ,lunar ,society--,watt's family     
bereavements--,watt's      studies on   
the inhalation of gas--,gregory ,watt1  

his brilliant      talents--,his        
friendship with ,humphry ,davy--,his    
excursions and      tours--,his         
scientific pursuits--,his illness and   
death--,davy on      ,gregory's         
death--,death of ,professor             
,robison--,watt's estimate      of      
,robison--,boulton's last days1 his     
death and funeral--,his                 
character--,opinions of his             
contemporaries1 ,boswell and others1    
concerning him--,attachment of the      
workmen--,his ,mutual ,assurance        
,society for the workmen--,his powers of
 organisation--,his business            
qualities--,his strength1 courage1 and  
perseverance in fighting the      battle
 of the steam-engine--,watt's estimate  
of ,boulton--,boulton's      generosity 
#def-dhg                                
,,chapter ,,xxiii4      ,watt's closing 
years--,his pursuits--,his machine for  
copying      statuary--,medallions of   
his friends--,his garret workshop--,mrs4
      ,watt's rule over her             

husband--,tenacious retention of his    
faculties--,is consulted by the ,glasgow
 ,waterworks ,company--,his      visits 
to ,cheltenham and other places--,growth
 and improvement      of                
,glasgow--,watt's interview with the    
brothers ,hart--,his      conversational
 powers--,sir ,walter ,scott's panegyric
 on      ,watt--,his extensive and      
varied knowledge--,his anecdotal        
powers--,fondness for                   
novels--,description of him by visitors 
at ,heathfield--,his last improvements  
in the sculpture-copying                
machine--,his last illness and peaceful 
death--,monumental      honours--,lord  
,brougham's inscription--,his qualities 
and      genius--,his modesty--,his     
close observation--,facts and           
theory--,watt and ,smeaton              
compared--,universal application of     
the steam-engine--,conclusion           
#dhh-ead        ,,index                 
#eae          ,,list ,,of               
,,illustrations4        ,,portrait ,,of 

,,james ,,watt                          
to face ,title-page                     
,,matthew ,,boulton                     
to face page #aei                       
,,page    ,edward1 second ,marquis of   
,worcester                              
#b    ,ancient ,greek olipile           
#c    ,branca's ,machine                
#g    ,de ,caus's ,steam ,apparatus     
#i    ,ruins of ,raglan ,castle         
#bf    ,dionysius ,papin                
#ca    ,ancient ,paddle-,boat           
#cf    ,thomas ,savery                  
#da    ,section of ,savery's            
,paddle-,boat                           
#dc    ,savery's ,fire-,engine          
#eb    ,huel ,vor                       
#ee    ,newcomen's ,house1 ,dartmouth   
#fj    ,newcomen's ,atmospheric ,engine 
#fg    ,ruins of ,wheal ,fortune        
#gj    ,polgooth                        
#ga    ,jonathan ,hull's ,steam-,boat   
#gc    ,dartmouth from the ,harbour     
#gf    ,greenock and the ,clyde1 #ahfe  
#gh    ,greenock ,harbour1 #agfh        

#gi    ,crawfordsburn ,house1 ,greenock 
#hj    ,james ,watt ,tavern1 ,greenock  
#hg    ,trongate1 ,glasgow              
#ig    ,inner ,quadrangle1 ,glasgow     
,college                                
#ajg    ,isometric ,view of ,glasgow    
,college1 #afic                         
#ajh    ,the ,broomielaw in #agfj       
#aaf    ,professor ,robison             
#aag    ,papin's ,digester              
#abj    ,the ,newcomen ,model           
#aba    ,watt's ,house1 ,delftfield     
,lane                                   
#abf    ,watt's first ,improved         
,apparatus                              
#acj    ,dr4 ,joseph ,black             
#acb    ,kinneil ,house                 
#adb    ,outhouse behind ,kinneil       
#adh    ,hamilton ,bridge               
#aef    ,port ,glasgow                  
#aeh    ,birmingham                     
#afj    ,soho ,manufactory              
#afi    ,soho ,house                    
#agg    ,watt's ,house1 ,harper's ,hill 
#bad    ,map of ,united ,mines ,district

                                    #bca
    ,watt's ,pumping-,engine for ,mines 
#bcf    ,redruth1 ,high ,street         
#bch    ,cardozos ,pumping-,engine      
#bfj    ,united ,mines ,district and    
,st4 ,day                               
#bfa    ,cosgarne ,house                
#bge    ,entrance to ditto              
#bhd    ,the 8,waggon and ,horses10     
,handsworth                             
#bhe    ,the ,crank as applied in the   
,foot-,lathe                            
#bhg    ,interior of the 8,waggon and   
,horses0                                
#bhh    ,old ,engine-,house1 ,dalcoath  
#cjf    ,sun-and-,planet ,motion        
#cji    8,old ,bess0 ,engine            
#cbf    ,the parallel ,motion           
#ccd    ,the ,governor                  
#cce    ,polgooth ,engine-,house        
#cci    ,double ,acting ,engine1 ,albion
 ,mill                                  
#cee    ,dr4 ,priestley                 
#cgj    ,site of ,soho ,mint            
#cii    ,burning of ,dr4 ,priestley's   

,house                                  
#daa    ,william ,murdock               
#dbb    ,murdock's ,house1 ,handsworth  
#dcc    ,miller's ,triple ,vessel       
#dcg    ,symington's first              
,steamboat-,engine                      
#dda    ,miller's ,experimental         
,steamboat                              
#ddb    ,machinery of the #8,charlotte  
,dundas'                                
#ddg    ,the 8,comet0 passing ,dumbarton
                                   #dec 
,watt's ,house1 ,heathfield             
#def    ,boulton's ,monument in         
,handsworth ,church                     
#dgh    ,the ,garret at ,heathfield     
#did    ,water-,pipe in the ,bed of the 
,clyde                              #dig
    ,watt's ,chapel and ,monument1      
,handsworth ,church                     
#ejh    ,handsworth ,church             
#ead          ,,beginnings ,,of ,,the   
,,steam-,,engine3    ,,the ,,early      
,,inventors4    ,illustration3 ,,edward1
 ,,second ,,marquis ,,of ,,worcester4   

,by ,t4 ,d4 ,scott after ,vandyck4      
,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,greek        
,,olipile4    ,,beginnings ,,of ,,the   
,,steam-,,engine3    ,,the ,,early      
,,inventors4          ,,chapter ,i4     
,,dawnings ,,of ,,steam ,,power--,,the  
,,marquis ,,of ,,worcester4      ,when  
,matthew ,boulton entered into          
partnership with ,james ,watt1 he gave  
up the ormolu business in which he had  
before been principally engaged4  ,he   
had been accustomed to supply ,george   
,,iii4 with articles of this            
manufacture1 but ceased to wait upon the
 ,king for orders after embarking  in   
his new enterprise4 ,some time after1 he
 appeared at the ,royal ,levee  and was 
at once recognised by the ,king4 8,ha6  
,boulton10 said he1 8it is  long since  
we have seen you at ,court4 ,pray1 what 
business are you now  engaged in80 8,i  
am engaged1 your ,majesty1 in the       
production of a commodity  which is the 
desire of kings40 8,and what is that8   
what is that80 asked  the ,king4        

8,,power1 your ,majesty10 replied       
,boulton1 who proceeded to give  a      
description of the great uses to which  
the steam-engine was capable of  being  
applied4    ,if the theory of ,james    
,mill#a be true1 that government is     
founded on  the desire which exists     
among men to secure and enjoy the       
products of  labour1 by whatsoever means
 produced1 probably the answer of       
,boulton  to ,george ,,iii4 was not far 
from correct4 ,in the infancy of nations
 this  desire manifested itself in the  
enforcement of labour by one class upon 
another1 in the various forms of slavery
 and serfdom4 ,to evade the more        
onerous and exhausting kinds of bodily  
toil1 men were impelled to exercise     
their ingenuity in improving old tools  
and inventing new ones1--while1 to      
increase production1 they called the    
powers of nature to their aid4 ,they    
tamed the horse1 and made him their     
servant2 they caught the winds as they  
blew1 and the waters as they fell1 and  

applied their powers to the driving  of 
mills and machines of various kinds4    
,but there was a power greater by far   
than that of horses1 wind1 or  water1--a
 power of which poets and philosophers  
had long dreamt1--capable  of being     
applied alike to the turning of mills1  
the raising of water1 the  rowing of    
ships1 the driving of wheel-carriages1  
and the performance of  labour in its   
severest forms4 ,as early as the        
thirteenth century1 ,roger  ,bacon      
described this great new power in terms 
which1 interpreted by the  light of the 
present day1 could only apply to the    
power of ,steam4 ,he  anticipated that  
8chariots may be made so as to be moved 
with incalculable  force1 without any   
beast drawing them10 and that 8engines  
of navigation  might be made without    
oarsmen1 so that the greatest river and 
sea ships1  with only one man to steer  
them1 may sail swifter than if they were
 fully  manned40 ,but ,bacon was a seer 
rather than an expounder1 a philosophic 

poet  rather than an inventor2 and it   
was left to men of future times to find 
out the practical methods of applying   
the wonderful power which he had        
imagined and foretold4        #a        
,article 8,government10 in              
#8,encyclopdia ,britannica4'    ,the    
enormous power latent in water exposed  
to heat had long been known4  ,its      
discovery must have been almost         
contemporaneous with that of fire4  ,the
 expansive force of steam would be      
obvious on setting the first            
partially-closed pipkin upon the fire4  
,if closed1 the lid would be blown  off2
 and even if the vessel were of iron1 it
 would soon burst with  appalling force4
 ,was it possible to render so furious  
and apparently  unmanageable an agent1  
docile and tractable8 ,even in modern   
times1 the  explosive force of steam    
could only be compared to that of       
gunpowder2  and it is a curious fact1   
that both ,de ,hautefeuille and ,papin  
proposed to  employ gunpowder in        

preference to steam in driving a piston 
in a cylinder1  considering it to be the
 more manageable power of the two4      
,although it appears from the writings  
of the ,greek physician1 ,hero1 who     
flourished at ,alexandria more than a   
century before ,christ1 that steam  was 
well known to the ancients1 it was      
employed by them merely as a toy1  or as
 a means of exciting the wonder of the  
credulous4 ,in his treatise on          
,pneumatics1 ,hero gives descriptions of
 various methods of employing steam  or 
heated air for the purpose of producing 
apparently magical effects2  from which 
we infer that the agency of heat was    
employed by the heathen  priests in the 
performance of their rites4 ,by one of  
the devices which he  describes1 water  
was apparently changed into wine2 by    
another1 the temple  doors were opened  
by fire placed on the sacrificial altar2
 while by a  third1 the sacrificial     
vessel was so contrived as to flow only 
when the  money of the votary was cast  

into it4 ,another ingenious device      
consisted  in the method employed to    
pour out libations4 ,upon the altar-fire
 being  kindled1 the air in the interior
 became expanded and1 pressing upon the 
surface of the liquid which it          
contained1 forced it up a               
connecting-pipe1  and so out of the     
sacrificial cup4 ,the libation was made1
 and the people  cried1 8,a miracle60   
,but ,hero knew the trick1 and explained
 the arrangement  by which it was       
accomplished3 it forms the subject of   
his eleventh  theorem4    ,the most     
interesting of the other devices        
described by ,hero is the  whirling     
olipile1 or ball of olus1 which1 though 
but a toy1 possessed  the properties of 
a true steam-engine1 and was most       
probably the first  ever invented4 ,as  
,hero's book professes to be1 for the   
most part1 but  a collection of the     
devices handed down by former writers1  
and as he  does not lay claim to its    
invention1 it is probable the olipile   

may  have been known long before his    
time4 ,the machine consisted of a hollow
  globe of metal1 moving on its axis1   
and communicating with a caldron of     
water placed underneath4 ,the globe was 
provided with one or more tubes         
projecting from it1 closed at the ends1 
but open on one side4 ,when a fire  was 
lit under the caldron1 and the steam was
 raised1 it filled the globe1  and1     
projecting itself against the air       
through the openings in the tubes1  the 
reactive force thus produced caused the 
globe to spin round upon its  axis 8as  
if it were animated from within by a    
living spirit40#b    ,the mechanical    
means by which these various objects    
were accomplished1  as explained by     
,hero1 show that the ancients were      
acquainted with the  ordinary expedients
 for communicating motion1 such as the  
wheel and  axle1 spur-wheels1 toothed   
pinions and sectors1 the lever-beam1 and
 other  well-known expedients2 while    
they also knew of the cylinder and      

piston1  the three-way cock1            
slide-valves and valve-clacks1#c and    
many other  ingenious mechanical details
 which have been reinvented in modern   
times4          #b ,the principle of the
 olipile is the same as that embodied   
in ,avery and ,ruthven's engines for the
 production of rotary        motion4    
8,these engines10 says ,bourne1 8are    
more expensive in        steam than     
ordinary engines1 and travel at an      
inconvenient        speed2 but in other 
respects they are quite as effectual1   
and        their construction is        
extremely simple and inexpensive40      
,illustration3 ,,branca',s ,,machine4   
,hero's book lay hidden in manuscript   
and buried in libraries1 until the      
revival of learning in ,italy in the    
sixteenth century1 when a translation   
of it appeared at ,bologna in #aedg4 ,by
 that time printing had been  invented2 
and the multiplication of copies being  
thereby rendered easy1  the book was    
soon brought under the notice of        

inquiring men throughout  ,europe4 ,the 
work must1 indeed1 have excited an      
extraordinary degree of  interest2 in   
proof of which it may be mentioned that 
eight different  editions1 in different 
languages1 were published within a      
century4 ,the  minds of the curious and 
the scientific were thus directed to the
 subject  of steam as a motive power4   
,but for a long time they never got     
beyond  the idea of ,hero's olipile1    
though they endeavoured to apply the    
rotary  motion produced by it in        
different ways4 ,thus1 a ,german writer 
suggested  that it should be used to    
turn spits1 instead of turnspit dogs2   
and  ,branca1 the ,italian architect1   
used the steam jet projected from a     
brazen  head to drive an apparatus      
contrived by him for pounding drugs4    
,the jet  forced round the vanes of a   
wheel1 so as to produce a rotary motion1
 and  this1 being communicated to other 
wheels1 set in motion a rod and stamper1
  after the manner shown in the         

preceding cut4        #c ,see ,bennet   
,woodcroft's #8,pneumatics of ,hero of  
,alexandria1'        from the original  
,greek4 ,london1 #ahea4    ,solomon de  
,caus was another of the speculative    
inquirers whose attention  was drawn to 
the subject of steam by the publication 
of ,hero's book4 ,de  ,caus was a native
 of ,normandy1 and for some time studied
 the profession  of an architect in     
,italy2 from whence he returned to      
,france early in the  seventeenth       
century4 ,religious persecution was then
 raging1 and1 being  a ,protestant1 he  
was glad to take refuge from it in      
,england4 ,he entered  the service of   
the ,prince of ,wales1 by whom he was   
for a time employed  in designing       
grottoes1 fountains1 and hydraulic      
ornaments for the ,palace  ,gardens at  
,richmond4 ,while occupied in that      
capacity he gave lessons  in design to  
the ,princess ,elizabeth2 and on her    
marriage to the ,elector  ,palatine he  
accompanied her to ,heidelberg1 to take 

charge of the ,castle  gardens there4   
,it was while residing at ,heidelberg   
that ,de ,caus wrote  his well-known    
book on hydraulics1 which was published 
at ,frankfort in  #afae4d        #d ,les
 ,raisons des ,forces ,mouvantes1 avec  
diverses machines tant        utiles que
 plaisantes1 c41 par ,solomon de ,caus1 
,ingnieur et        ,architecte du ,roy4
 ,frankfort1 #afae4    ,one of ,de      
,caus's expedients for raising water    
consisted of an apparatus in  which he  
proposed to employ the expansive power  
of steam for the purpose4  ,in ,hero's  
book it is shown how a column of water  
may be thrown up by means  of compressed
 air2 and ,de ,caus merely proposed to  
employ steam instead of  air4 ,his      
apparatus was very simple4 ,it consisted
 of a spherical vessel  fitted with two 
pipes1 one of them provided with a cock 
and funnel2 the  other1 which reached   
down to near the bottom of the vessel1  
being open at  the top to the external  
air4 ,when the vessel was filled with   

water and  a fire lit underneath1 the   
water was forced up the open tube in a  
jet1  greater or less in proportion to  
the elasticity of the steam4 ,when both 
tubes were tightly closed1 so that      
neither steam nor water could escape1   
the heat1 says ,de ,caus1 would shortly 
cause a compression from within so      
violent that 8the ball will burst in    
pieces1 with a noise like a petard40    
,illustration3 ,,de ,,caus',s ,,steam   
,,apparatus4    ,it will be observed    
that there was little mechanical        
contrivance1 and  no practical use in   
this apparatus2 it merely furnished an  
illustration  of the extraordinary force
 of pent-up steam1 and that was all4    
,though  ,de ,caus made many experiments
 with his steam-vessel1 he never        
succeeded  in making--if1 indeed1 he    
ever attempted to make--a working       
steam-engine  of any kind4 ,it is not   
improbable that he was dismayed1 as     
others were1  by the apparent violence  
of the imprisoned monster2 and it needed

 a more  ingenious head than his to     
contrive a method of rendering him      
docile1 and  making him go quietly in   
harness4#e        #e ,de ,caus          
eventually returned to ,france1 and was 
appointed        engineer to the ,king4 
,during the later years of his life he  
was employed in carrying out plans for  
the better supply of        ,paris with 
water4 ,the story so often told of ,de  
,caus having        been shut up in the 
,bictre turns out to be a fiction4      
,though        a ,huguenot1 he was not  
persecuted by ,richelieu1 but was1 on   
the contrary1 employed by him2 and in   
#afbd he dedicated to        that       
prelate his treatise entitled           
#8,horologes ,solitaires4' ,mr4         
,charles ,read1 editor of several       
interesting memoirs of early            
,french ,protestants1 has recently      
brought to light and published        in
 the #8,gazette des ,tribunaux' the     
proofs of the patronage of        ,de   
,caus by ,richelieu1 and reproduced the 

original documents1        which he     
discovered slumbering in the dust of the
 ,state ,records        at ,paris4 ,in  
#afba ,de ,caus is found proposing to   
,louis ,,xiii4 to        adopt measures 
for cleansing ,paris and the faubourgs  
of dirt and        uncleanness1 by a    
system of reservoirs established at     
elevated        points1 and by fountains
 at various places which he indicated4  
,the king and his council sent the      
propositions to the chief               
magistrate of ,paris1 and ,mr4 ,read    
transcribes the deliberation            
which took place on the subject at the  
,city ,council1 as handed        down in
 the records deposited in the ,imperial 
,archives4 ,de ,caus        died at     
,paris1 and was buried in the church of 
,la ,trinit in        ,february1 #afbf4 
,it is probable that the first contriver
 of a working steam-engine was  ,edward1
 second ,marquis of ,worcester1 one of  
the first and most illustrious  of a    
long line of unfortunate inventors4 ,the

 career of that nobleman--born  though  
he was to high rank and great           
estate--was chequered and sad in no     
ordinary degree4 ,edward ,somerset was  
the eldest son of ,henry ,lord ,herbert1
  afterwards ,earl of ,worcester1 and   
consequently heir to that title4 ,he was
  born in ,london in #afja4 ,his early  
years were principally spent at ,raglan 
,castle1 his father's country seat1     
where his education was carefully       
attended to4 ,in the course of his      
pupilage he made occasional visits to   
the continent1 accompanied by his tutor1
 for the purpose of acquiring  that     
degree of polish and culture considered 
necessary for a person of  his social   
position4 ,on the accession of his      
father to the ,earldom of  ,worcester1  
in #afbg1 ,edward became ,lord ,herbert 
by courtesy2 and in the  following year 
he married1 and went to reside at       
,raglan ,castle4    ,from an early      
period of his life ,lord ,herbert took  
especial pleasure in  mechanical        

studies1 and in the course of his       
foreign tours he visited and  examined  
the famous works of construction abroad2
 for as yet there were  none such in    
,england4 ,on settling down at ,raglan1 
he proceeded to set  up a laboratory1 or
 workshop1 wherein to indulge his       
mechanical tastes1  and perhaps to while
 away the tedium of a country life4 ,to 
assist him in  his labours1 he engaged a
 clever foreign mechanic1 named ,caspar 
,kaltoff1  who remained in his service  
for many years1 and materially helped   
him in  his various contrivances4 ,among
 the works executed by ,lord ,herbert   
and  his assistant at ,raglan1 was the  
hydraulic apparatus by means of which   
the castle was supplied with water4     
,from an incidental reference to the    
8water-works0 by a contemporary writer1 
we learn that they consisted of a       
series of engines and wheels1 by means  
of which water was raised through  pipes
 to a cistern placed on the summit of   
the central tower4#f ,it is  probable   

that the planning and construction of   
these works induced ,lord  ,herbert to  
prosecute the study of hydraulics1 and  
to enter upon that  series of           
experiments as to the power of steam    
which eventually led to  the contrivance
 of his 8,water-commanding ,engine40    
,in pursuits and studies such as these1 
,lord ,herbert spent about seven  years 
at ,raglan ,castle4 ,but his wife dying 
in #afce1 the place became  connected in
 his mind with too painful associations1
 and he shortly after  left it to reside
 in ,london4 ,on his arrival there1 he  
proceeded to put to  the practical test 
a plan of perpetual motion which he had 
long studied1  and now thought he had   
brought to perfection4 ,he accordingly  
had his  self-moving wheel#g set up in  
the ,tower2 but though it moved1 its    
motion  did not prove perpetual1 and it 
shortly dropped out of sight1 to be no  
more heard of4        #f ,dr4 ,bayly1 in
 his #8,apothegms' 7#afhb71 p4 #hg1     
describes the        fright given to    

some ,puritan visitors on the occasion  
of their        searching ,raglan       
,castle for arms1 the ,marquis of       
,worcester        being a known ,papist4
 8,having carried them up and down the  
castle1 his lordship at length brought  
them over a high bridge        that     
arched over the moat between the castle 
and the great        tower1 wherein the 
,lord ,herbert had lately contrived     
certain        water-works1 which1 when 
the several engines and wheels were set 
agoing1 much quantity of water through  
the hollow conveyances        of the    
aqueducts was to be let down from the   
top of an high        tower40 ,when all 
was ready for the surprise1 the water   
was let        in1 and it made such a   
hideous and fearful noise by reason of  
the hollowness of the tower1 and the    
neighbouring echoes of        the       
castle1 that the men stood amazed and   
terror-struck4 ,at        this point up 
came a man staring and running1 who     
exclaimed1        8,look to yourselves1 

my masters1 for the lions are got       
loose40        ,whereupon the ,puritans 
fled down the narrow staircase in such  
haste that they lost footing and fell1  
tumbling one over the        other1 and 
never halted until they had got the     
castle out of        sight4 ,mr4        
,dircks1 in his able and exhaustive     
#8,life1 ,times1 and        ,scientific 
,labours of the ,marquis of ,worcester1'
 ,london1 #ahfe1        says that this  
hydraulic apparatus 8probably depended  
for its        operation on the         
influence of heat from burning fuel     
acting on        a suitably constructed 
boiler1 and so arranged as to be able   
to apply the expansive force of steam to
 the driving of water        through    
vertical pipes to a considerable        
elevation40 ,but it does        not seem
 to us that the facts stated are        
sufficient to warrant        this       
assumption4        #g ,mr4 ,dircks says 
8it was a machine consisting of a wheel 
#ad        feet in diameter1 carrying   

forty weights of forty pounds each1     
and is supposed to have rotated on an   
axle supported on two        pillars or 
upright frames10 as indicated in the    
#8,century of        ,inventions1' ,art4
 #ef4    ,after the lapse of four years1
 ,lord ,herbert again married1 taking to
  wife the ,lady ,margaret1 second      
daughter of the ,earl of ,thomond4 ,in  
the  year after his second marriage1 the
 celebrated ,long ,parliament began  its
 sittings4 ,questions of great public   
import were agitating the minds  of     
thinking men1 and the nation was        
gradually becoming divided into two     
hostile parties1 soon to be arrayed     
against each other in deadly strife4 ,a 
,royalist and a ,roman ,catholic like   
his father1 ,lord ,herbert at once      
ranged  himself on the side of the      
,king4 ,on the outbreak of the ,civil   
,war1 we find  both father and son      
actively employed in mustering forces1  
and preparing  to hold the western      
counties against the ,parliament4       

,raglan ,castle was  strongly           
garrisoned1 and fortifications were     
thrown up around it1 so as  to render it
 secure against assault4 ,the ,earl1 now
 ,marquis of ,worcester1  was appointed 
,generalissimo of the ,western ,forces1 
while his son1 ,lord  ,herbert1 was made
 ,general of ,south ,wales4 ,from this  
office he was shortly  after called by  
the ,king1 who1 creating him ,earl of   
,glamorgan1 despatched  him on a mission
 to ,ireland1 with the object of        
stirring up the loyalists  of that      
kingdom1 and inducing them to come to   
his help4 ,this delicate  office he is  
said to have performed with more zeal   
than discretion4  ,indeed1 the studious 
habits of his early life must in a      
measure have  unfitted him for the      
conduct of so important an affair2 and  
the bungle  he made of it was such that 
the ,king felt himself under the        
necessity of  repudiating the acts which
 the ,earl had done in his name4    ,it 
is unnecessary that we should follow the

 fortunes of the house of  ,raglan in   
the course of the civil war4 ,suffice it
 to say that the ,king's  cause was     
utterly lost2 that ,raglan ,castle was  
besieged1 taken1 and  dismantled2 that  
the ,marquis of ,worcester1 having      
advanced to the ,king  at different     
times as much as #abb1ejjl41 had        
completely impoverished  himself2 and   
that when the ,earl succeeded to his    
father's title1 and  became second      
,marquis of ,worcester1 in #afdf1 he    
inherited an exhausted  exchequer1 a    
confiscated estate1 and a ruined home4  
,the services he  had rendered to the   
,king were remembered against him2 and  
to escape the  vengeance of his         
political enemies he took refuge in     
,france4 ,there he  lived in poverty and
 in exile for a period of about five    
years4 ,at length1  drawn to ,england by
 the powerful attractions of wife and   
family1 and  probably also commissioned 
to perform a service for the exiled     
,charles  ,,ii41 the ,marquis secretly  

visited ,london in #afee1 where he was  
shortly  after detected1 apprehended1   
and imprisoned in the ,tower4 ,he sought
  and found solace1 during his          
confinement1 in study and contemplation1
  reverting to his early experiments in 
mechanics2 and he occupied the long  and
 weary hours in committing to paper     
descriptions of his many ingenious      
devices1 which he afterwards published  
in his #8,century of ,inventions4' ,the 
,marquis's old and skilled mechanic1    
,caspar ,kaltoff1 continued faithful to 
him in his adversity1 and was permitted 
to hold free communication with  him2   
from which we infer that his            
imprisonment was not of a very rigid    
character4    ,after lying in the ,tower
 for about two years1 the ,marquis was  
liberated  on bail1 in ,october1 #afed1 
when he proceeded to take steps to erect
 his  long-contemplated                 
,water-commanding ,engine4 ,even while a
 prisoner1 we find  him negotiating with
 the then owner of ,vauxhall for its    

purchase1 with  a view to the           
establishment there of a school of      
skilled industry2 thus  anticipating by 
nearly two centuries the ,school of     
,mines and ,manufactures  at ,south     
,kensington4 ,in the month preceding his
 enlargement we find  ,hartlib writing  
to the ,hon4 ,robert ,boyle1--8,the     
,earl of ,worcester is  buying ,fauxhall
 from ,mr4 ,trenchard1 to bestow the use
 of that house upon  ,caspar ,calchoff  
and his son as long as they shall live1 
for he intends to  make it a ,college of
 ,artizans40#h ,his main difficulty1    
however1 consisted  in raising the      
necessary means for carrying his        
excellent project into  effect4 ,he was1
 indeed1 so reduced in his circumstances
 as to be under  the necessity of       
petitioning his political enemies for   
the bare means  of living2 and we find  
,cromwell1 in the course of the year    
following his  liberation from prison1  
issuing a warrant for the payment to him
 of three  pounds a week 8for his better

 maintenance40 ,the ,marquis also tried 
the  experiment of levying contributions
 from his friends2 but they were1 for   
the most part1 as poor as himself4 ,he  
next tried the wealthy men of the       
,parliamentary party1 and succeeded in  
obtaining several advances of money     
from ,colonel ,copley1 who took an      
active interest in the prosecution of   
various industrial undertakings4#i ,the 
following letter from the ,marquis  to  
,copley shows the straits to which he   
was reduced3--      8,,dear             
,,friend1--,i knowe not with what face  
to desire a curtesie    from you1 since 
,i have not yet payed you the five      
powndes1 and    the mayne businesse soe 
long protracted1 whereby my reality and 
kindnesse should with thankfullnesse    
appeare2 for though the    least ,i     
intende you is to make up the somme     
already promised to    a thousand       
powndes yearly1 or a share ammounting to
 four more1    which1 to nominate before
 the perfection of the woorke1 were but 

an individuum vagum1 and1 therefore1 ,i 
deferre it1 and upon    noe other score4
 ,yet in this interim1 my               
disappointments are soe    great1 as    
that ,i am forced to begge1 if you could
 possible1 eyther    to helpe me with   
tenne powndes to this bearer1 or to make
 use of    the coache1 and to goe to    
,mr4 ,clerke1 and if he could this day  
help me to fifty powndes1 then to paye  
your selfe the five powndes    ,i owe   
you out of them4 ,the ,alderman has     
taken three days' time    to consider of
 it4 ,pardon the great trouble ,i give  
you1 which ,i    doubt not but in time  
to deserve1 by really appearing         
8,your most thankfull friend1           
8,,worcester4      8#bhth ,march1 #afef4
    8,to my honoured friend1 ,collonel  
,,christopher ,,coppley1 these40    ,the
 original of this letter is endorsed    
8,my ,lord of ,worcester's letter  about
 my share in his engine10 from which it 
would appear that the ,marquis  induced 
his friends to advance him money on the 

promise of a certain  proportion of     
shares in the undertaking4 ,he also     
pressed his invention  upon the notice  
of ,government1 representing that he was
 in a position  to do his ,highness the 
,protector 8more service than any one   
subject of  his three nations40 ,but    
neither the ,protector nor his          
,ministers took any  further notice of  
the ,marquis or his project4 ,it is     
probable that they  regarded him as a   
bore1 and his water-commanding engine as
 the mere dream  of a projector4        
#h #8,weld's ,royal ,society1' i4 #ec4  
#i #8,industrial ,biography1' p4 #eg4   
,the ,marquis himself continued to be as
 confident as ever of the ultimate      
success of his scheme4 ,he believed that
 it would yet realise him an  immense   
fortune4 ,writing of the engine to the  
,earl of ,lotherdale1 he  described it  
as 8the greatest invention for profit   
that ,i ever yet heard  of vouchsafed to
 a man1 especially so unworthy and      
ignorant as ,i am40 ,but  the ,marquis  

was not so humble as he affected to be1 
believing in his heart  that he had     
invented1 without exception1 the most   
wonderful machine of  the age4 ,still it
 remained a mere project4 ,without the  
means of erecting  an engine1 it        
promised to remain such2 and all his    
efforts to raise the  necessary funds   
had thus far proved unavailing4    ,the 
,restoration of ,charles ,,ii41 in      
#affj1 revived his hopes4 ,now that the 
,king enjoyed his own again1 the        
,marquis believed that he1 too1 would   
come  into possession of the means for  
carrying out his project4 ,for thirteen 
years he had lived in exile1 in prison1 
and in poverty3 but brighter days  had  
dawned at last2 and he indulged in the  
hope that compensation would  at length 
be made to him for his sufferings in the
 cause of the ,stuarts1  and that he    
would now bask in the sunshine of ,royal
 favour4 ,he made all  haste to         
represent his case to the king1 and to  
claim restitution for his  heavy losses 

in the late war4 ,but there were        
thousands of like suppliants  all over  
the kingdom1 and redress came slowly4   
,the ,marquis was1 however1  shortly put
 in possession of such parts of his     
estates as had not been  sold by the    
,protector2 but he found them for the   
most part cleared of  their timber1 and 
comparatively valueless4 ,the castle at 
,raglan was in  ruins4 ,he himself was  
heavily burdened with debt1 and his     
creditors were  becoming increasingly   
importunate for money4 ,it was thus long
 before he  could shake himself clear of
 his embarrassments1 and devote himself 
to the  great object of his life1 the   
prosecution of his water-commanding     
engine4    ,one of his first cares1 on  
the partial recovery of his property1   
was to obtain a legal protection for his
 inventions2 and in the year  following 
the ,restoration we find him taking out 
a patent for four of his  schemes1--a   
watch or clock1 guns or pistols1 an     
engine to give security  to a coach1 and

 a boat to sail against wind and tide4  
,in the session of  ,parliament1        
#affb-c1 he obtained an ,act securing to
 himself the profits  of the            
water-commanding engine4 ,about the same
 time he gave to the world  his famous  
#8,century1'#aj which contains his own  
account of his various  inventions4 ,in 
the second dedication of the book to the
 members of both  ,houses of ,parliament
 he states that he had already expended 
the large sum  of #aj1jjjl4 on          
experiments2 but he professed that he   
esteemed himself  sufficiently rewarded 
by the passing of 8the ,act of the      
,water-commanding  ,engine10 and1 his   
debts once paid1 he intended to devote  
the rest of  his life to the service of 
his ,king and country4 ,the #8,century' 
is a mere  summary of things alleged to 
have been tried and perfected1 conveyed 
in  vague and mysterious language1 and  
calculated rather to excite wonder  than
 to furnish information4 ,the           
descriptions were unaccompanied by plans

  or drawings1 so that we can only      
surmise the means by which he proposed  
to carry his schemes into effect4 ,it is
 possible that he purposely left  the   
descriptions of his inventions vague1 in
 order that he might not  be anticipated
 in their application2 for it is certain
 that at the time  the book was written 
the ,marquis had not taken out his first
 patent1 nor  obtained the ,act securing
 to him the profits of his engine4      
#aj #8,a ,century of the ,names and     
,scantlings of such ,inventions         
as at present ,i can call to mind to    
have tried and perfected1        which  
7my former ,notes being lost7 ,i have1  
at the instance of        a powerful    
,friend1 endeavoured now1 in the year   
#afee1 to set        these down in such 
a way as may sufficiently instruct me to
 put        any of them in practice4'   
,london1 #affc4    ,there can1 however1 
be no doubt that1 vague and mysterious  
though the  #8,scantlings' be1 they     
indicate a knowledge of mechanical      

principles  considerably in advance of  
the age1 as well as a high degree of    
mechanical ingenuity4 ,the hundred      
,articles into which the book is divided
  contain suggestions1 in shorthand     
descriptions1 of things so various  as  
ship-destroying machines1 telegraphs1   
combination and escutcheon  locks1#aa   
improvements in fire-arms1 universal    
alphabets1 seals and  watches1 various  
kinds of cipher1 a boat rowing against  
wind and tide1  automata1 and mechanical
 appliances of different kinds1         
including  the 8stupendious and         
semi-omnipotent0 engine4 ,some of them  
read like  descriptions of conjuring    
tricks1 such as the artificial bird1 the
 hour  water-ball1 the flying man1 the  
brazen head1 the dicing-box1 and various
  automata4 ,others are full of         
prophetic insight1 and contain          
anticipations  of mechanical marvels1   
which1 however wonderful they may at    
that time  have appeared1 have since    
been fully realised4 ,the style in which

 the  treatise was written1 however1    
presented so remarkable a contrast to   
the  contemporary writings of ,newton1  
,boyle1 ,pascal1 ,guericke1 and others1 
that it is not improbable it had the    
effect of prejudicing the minds of      
scientific men against the writer1 and  
led them to regard his schemes  as those
 of a wild projector1 and hence to treat
 his propositions with  neglect1 if not 
with contumely4        #aa ,the writer  
of the elaborate article 8,lock10 in the
 supplement        to the #8,penny      
,cyclopdia' 7ii4 #bag71 in describing   
the        combination lock1 says3 8,the
 ,marquis of ,worcester1 in whose       
#8,century of ,inventions' several      
different kinds of lock1 which          
lay claim to the most marvellous        
properties1 are enumerated1        would
 appear1 from his #gbnd article1 to have
 devised an        improvement on this  
apparatus2 as he refers to #8an         
escutcheon        to be placed before   
any of these locks1' one of the         

properties        of which he describes 
as being that #8the owner1 though a     
woman1        may1 with her delicate    
hand1 vary the ways of coming to open   
the lock ten millions of times beyond   
the knowledge of the        smith that  
made it1 or of me who invented it4' ,the
 details        of this invention are   
not given2 but in the third volume of   
the #8,transactions of the ,society of  
,arts1' pp4 #afj-e1 is an               
escutcheon of similar character1        
invented by ,mr4 ,marshall1 and         
rewarded by the ,society in #aghd4 ,the 
details of this ingenious               
contrivance are fully given in the      
volume referred to40    ,so soon as the 
,marquis had become possessed of the    
requisite funds1 he  proceeded to erect 
an engine at ,vauxhall to illustrate the
 uses of his  principal invention4 ,he  
was assisted1 as before1 by his old     
workman1  ,caspar ,kaltoff4 ,it is      
probable that the engine was erected by 
the  beginning of #affc2 for in the     

course of that year ,m4 ,sorbire paid   
his  visit to ,england1 and found the   
,marquis's 8hydraulic machine0 at work4 
,he describes it as capable of raising1 
by the strength of one man only1  within
 a minute of time1 four large buckets of
 water to a height of forty  feet1      
through a pipe eight inches in diameter4
 ,he proceeds to compare  it with       
another machine at ,somerset ,house1    
worked by one or two horses1  which he  
considers the more effective machine of 
the two4#ab ,this account  of the       
,marquis's invention is confirmed by    
another brief description of  it1 which 
occurs in the narrative of the travels  
of ,cosmo1 ,grand ,duke  of ,tuscany1 in
 ,england1 some years later4 ,count     
,magalotti1 the narrator1  says1 8,it   
raises water more than forty geometrical
 feet1 by the power of  one man only2   
and in a very short space of time will  
draw up four vessels  of water through a
 tube or channel not more than a span in
 width1 on  which account it is         

considered to be of greater service to  
the public than  the other machine at   
,somerset ,house40 ,it will thus be     
observed that the  ,duke's secretary    
entertained a different opinion from    
that expressed by  ,m4 ,sorbire as to   
the comparative merits of the two       
engines spoken of4        #ab ,his words
 are these3--8,one of the most curious  
things that        ,i wished to see was 
an hydraulic machine which the ,marquis 
of        ,worcester has invented1 and  
of which he is making trial4 ,i went    
with all speed to ,fox-hall1 on the     
other side of the ,thames1 a            
little below ,lambeth1 which is the     
,palace of the ,archbishop of           
,canterbury1 in sight of ,london4 ,this 
machine will raise to the        height 
of forty feet1 by the strength of one   
man only1 and in a        minute of     
time1 four large buckets of water       
through a pipe of        eight inches4  
,but what will be the most powerful help
 to the        wants of the public is   

the work which is performed by another  
ingeniously-constructed machine1 which  
can be seen raised on a        wooden   
tower on the top of ,somerset ,house1   
which supplies that        part of the  
town with water1 but with some          
difficulty1 and a        smaller        
quantity than could be desired4 ,it is  
somewhat like our        ,samaritane    
water-work on the ,pont ,neuf2 and on   
the raising-pump        they have added 
an impulsion which increases the force2 
but for        what we obtain by the    
power of the ,seine1 they employ one or 
two        horses1 which incessantly    
turn the machine1 as the river changes  
its course twice a day1 and the spring  
or wheels which are        used for the 
ebbing tide would not do for the        
flow40--,sorbire1        #8,relation    
d'un ,voyage en ,angleterre4'    ,it is 
worthy of remark that the incidental    
accounts of these two  foreigners       
contain almost the only contemporary    
information we possess  as to the       

character of the ,marquis's invention4  
,english writers of the  time are almost
 entirely silent about it2 and when ,dr4
 ,hooke1 the learned  ,secretary of the 
,royal ,society1 refers to the          
contrivance1 it is in a  tone of        
ridicule rather than of praise4 ,writing
 to ,mr4 ,boyle1 in #affg1  he          
characterises the definition or         
description of the water-commanding     
engine as 8so purely romantic that it   
would serve one rarely to fill up  half 
a dozen pages in the #8,history of      
,fortunatus his ,wishing ,cap4'0 444 8,i
  was10 he adds1 8since my return to    
,london to see this engine1 when ,i     
found  ,caltrop ,kaltoff1 his chief     
engineer1 to laugh at it2 and as far as 
,i was  able to see it1 it seemed one of
 the perpetual-motion fallacies2 of     
which  kind ,caltrop himself1 and two or
 three others that ,i know1 are         
labouring  at this time in vain to make1
 but after several ways2 and nothing but
  costly experience will make them      

desist40#ac        #ac ,the ,works of   
the ,hon4 ,robert ,boyle1 v4 #ecb4      
,it is difficult to gather from the     
statements of ,sorbire and ,cosmo de    
,medici what was the precise nature of  
the ,marquis's hydraulic apparatus4     
,there is no mention whatever of steam1 
either in their accounts or in that  of 
,dr4 ,hooke2 but the latter does not    
seem to have been allowed to examine    
the details of the machine4 ,from the   
mention by ,sorbire of the 8four  large 
buckets of water10 and by ,cosmo's      
secretary1 of 8four vessels of  water10 
it might possibly have been only an     
improved hydraulic apparatus1  worked by
 a man instead of a horse4 ,in order1   
therefore1 to obtain a clue  to the real
 nature of the machine we find it       
necessary to resort to the  ,marquis's  
#8,scantlings' for his own account of   
its action1 and we find it  in article  
,no4 #fh1 which runs as follows3--      
8#fh4 ,an admirable and most forcible   
way to drive up water by    fire1 not by

 drawing or sucking it upwards1 for that
 must be as    the ,philosopher calleth 
it1 ,intra sphram activitatis1 which    
is but at such a distance4 ,but this way
 hath no ,bounder1 if the    ,vessels be
 strong enough2 for ,i have taken a     
piece of a whole    ,cannon1 whereof the
 end was burst1 and filled it           
three-quarters    full of water1        
stopping and scruing up the broken end2 
as also    the ,touch-hole2 and making a
 constant fire under it1 within         
twenty-four hours it burst and made a   
great crack3 ,so that having    a way to
 make my ,vessels1 so that they are     
strengthened by the    force within     
them1 and the one to fill after the     
other1 ,i have    seen the water run    
like a constant ,fountaine-stream forty 
foot    high2 one ,vessel of water      
rarified by fire driveth up forty of    
cold water4 ,and a man that tends the   
work is but to turn two    ,cocks1 that 
one ,vessel of water being consumed1    
another begins to    force and refill   

with cold water1 and so successively1   
the fire    being tended and kept       
constant1 which the self-same ,person   
may    likewise abundantly perform in   
the interim between the necessity    of 
turning the said ,cocks40    ,from this 
account we gather that the ,marquis had 
contrived a plan for  raising water by  
the expansive force of steam1 after the 
manner of ,de  ,caus1 but with important
 modifications and improvements4 ,it had
 obviously  occurred to him1 that by    
generating the steam in a separate      
vessel1  and conveying it by means of a 
suitable pipe to a second closed vessel1
  he could thereby make it expel the    
water which the latter contained by     
pressing upon its surface1 as in ,de    
,caus's apparatus4 ,the admission of    
the steam could easily be regulated by  
the turning of two cocks2 one to  admit 
the steam from the boiler1 and the other
 to allow the exit of the  water4 ,on   
the expulsion of the water1 and the     
production of a vacuum by  the          

condensation of the contained steam1 the
 empty vessel would at once be  refilled
 by the action of the atmospheric       
pressure on the surface of the  water to
 be raised4 ,it is probable that this   
engine was--in the absence of  a        
feed-pump1 of which there is no         
mention--provided with two boilers as   
well as with the two cisterns in which  
the 8forcing and refilling0 went  on1 so
 as to maintain the 8constant           
fountain-stream0 which the ,marquis     
describes4 ,but the precise arrangement 
of parts by which he accomplished  this 
object must ever remain a matter of mere
 conjecture4    ,we have other distinct 
indications of a steam-engine in the    
,marquis's  #ihth1 #iith1 and #ajjth    
,articles1 which ought to be read in    
connection with  the #fhth ,article3    
they run as follows3--      8#ih4 ,an   
,engine so contrived1 that working the  
,primum mobile    forward or backward1  
upward or downward1 circularly or       
cornerwise1    to and fro1 streight1    

upright or downright1 yet the pretended 
,operation continueth1 and advanceth    
none of the motions    above-mentioned1 
hindering1 much less stopping the other2
 but    unanimously1 and with harmony   
agreeing they all augment and           
contribute strength unto the intended   
work and operation3 ,and    therefore ,i
 call this ,a ,semi-omnipotent ,engine1 
and do intend    that a ,model thereof  
be buried with me40      8#ii4 ,how to  
make one pound weight to raise an       
hundred as high as    one pound falleth1
 and yet the hundred pound descending   
doth what    nothing less than one      
hundred pound can effect40      8#ajj4  
,upon so potent a help as these two     
last-mentioned    ,inventions a         
,waterwork is by many years experience  
and labour so    advantageously by me   
contrived1 that a ,child's force        
bringeth    up an hundred foot high an  
incredible quantity of water1 even      
two foot ,diameter1 so naturally1 that  
the work will not be heard    even into 

the next ,room2 and with so great ease  
and ,geometrical    ,symmetry1 that     
though it work day and night from one   
end of the    year to the other1 it will
 not require forty shillings reparation 
to the whole ,engine1 nor hinder ones   
day-work4 ,and ,i may boldly    call it 
,the most stupendious ,work in the whole
 world3 not    onely with little charge 
to drein all sorts of ,mines1 and       
furnish    ,cities with water1 though   
never so high seated1 as well to keep   
them sweet1 running through several     
streets1 and so performing    the work  
of ,scavengers1 as well as furnishing   
the ,inhabitants    with sufficient     
water for their private occasions2 but  
likewise    supplying ,rivers with      
sufficient to maintaine and make them   
portable from ,towne to ,towne1 and for 
the bettering of ,lands all    the way  
it runs2 with many more advantageous1   
and yet greater    effects of ,profit1  
,admiration1 and ,consequence4 ,so that 
deservedly    ,i deem this ,invention to

 crown my ,labours1 to reward my        
,expences1    and make my ,thoughts     
acquiesce in way of further ,inventions3
 ,this    making up the whole ,century1 
and preventing any further trouble to   
the ,reader for the present1 meaning to 
leave to ,posterity a ,book1    wherein 
under each of these ,heads the means to 
put in execution    and visible trial   
all and every of these ,inventions1 with
 the    shape and form of all things    
belonging to them1 shall be ,printed    
by ,brass-plates40    ,the promised book
 was never written1 and we are          
accordingly left in  uncertainty as to  
the precise character of the ,marquis's 
inventions4 ,that  he had a full        
conviction of the great powers of steam1
 as well as of its  manageability and   
extensive practical uses1 is            
sufficiently clear2 but  that he ever   
erected any engines after the plans thus
 summarily described  is matter of      
considerable doubt4 ,it is remarkable   
that1 notwithstanding  the number and   

variety of his suggested inventions1 not
 a single model  or machine constructed 
by the ,marquis or his skilled workmen  
has been  preserved4 ,mr4 ,dircks1 who  
has collected and published all that is 
likely to be brought to light relative  
to the life and works of the  ,marquis1 
and has laboured at his task with a rare
 love and enthusiasm  for his subject1  
naturally expresses surprise that 8none 
of the many  cabinets of the curious    
seem to have possessed any model or work
 of his  production2 not even the       
indefatigable ,tradescant1 although his 
museum  was at ,lambeth40#ad ,but it is 
probable1 as we have already observed1  
that the ,marquis's #8,scantlings1'     
notwithstanding his statement that he   
had 8tried and perfected0 the inventions
 of which he speaks1 were rather  the   
foreshadowings of things to come than   
the descriptions of things  that had    
actually been executed4 ,thus1 no one   
pretends that the ,marquis  ever        
constructed a steamboat1 and yet his    

description of a vessel 8to  work itself
 against wind and tide1 yea1 both1      
without the help of man  or beast10 can 
apply to nothing else4#ae 8,this        
engine10 said he1 8is  applicable to any
 vessel or boat whatsoever1 without     
being therefore made  on purpose1 and   
worketh these effects3 it roweth1 it    
draweth1 it driveth1  7if need be7 to   
pass ,london ,bridge against the stream 
at low-water1 and a  boat laying at     
anchor1 the engine may be used for      
loading or unloading40  ,but it would   
not be possible for any one to make an  
engine after the  description given in  
the #8,scantlings2' and to a generation 
unacquainted  with the powers of steam1 
his suggestions would be altogether     
without  meaning4        #ad ,dircks's  
#8,life and ,times1' c41 #cef4    ,the  
strongest evidence which could be       
adduced of the ambiguity of the         
,marquis's #8,articles' is to be found  
in the fact that the various ingenious  
writers who have given plans of his     

supposed engine have represented it  in 
widely different forms4 ,farey assumes  
that it worked by the expansive  force  
of steam2 ,bourne1 that it worked by    
condensation and atmospheric  pressure2 
,dircks infers that it included such    
ingenious expedients  as valves and even
 a four-way cock1 worked by a           
lever-handle2 ,stuart1  that it         
contained a cylinder and piston1 and    
was1 in fact1 a complete  high-pressure 
lever-engine4 ,again1 the drawings of   
the various writers  on engineering who 
have attempted to reproduce the         
engine--of ,stuart1  ,galloway1         
,millington1 and ,dircks--differ in     
essential respects4        #ae ,mr4     
,woodcroft is1 however1 of opinion that 
the ,marquis's        contrivance was   
but a boat with paddle-wheels1 with an  
axis        across it1 which axis was   
turned by the action of the stream      
on the paddles1 and thus wound up a rope
 and dragged the        boat onward to  
the other end of the rope fixed by an   

anchor2        certainly a more clumsy  
and less notable contrivance than that  
of a steamboat4    ,when ,watt was on   
one occasion asked for his opinion as to
 the precise  nature of the ,marquis's  
contrivance1 his answer was1 that the   
descriptions  given were too obscure to 
enable any definite opinion to be formed
 on  the subject2 but he thought that   
the expansive power of steam was the    
principle on which the engine worked4   
,he added1 that no one could possibly   
erect an engine after the ,marquis's    
#8,scantlings1' and that any inventor   
desirous of constructing a steam-engine 
would have to begin again at the        
beginning4 ,but though the ,marquis did 
not leave the steam-engine in such  a   
state as to be taken up and adopted as a
 practicable working power1 he  at least
 advanced it several important steps4   
,in this world1 it is not  given to man 
to finish2 to persevere1 to improve1 and
 to advance1 are all  that can be hoped 
for2 and these are enough for the real  

philosopher4    ,little remains to be   
told of the unfortunate ,marquis's      
history4 ,his  water-commanding engine  
proved of no service to him4 ,it only   
increased  his embarrassments by        
involving him in further debts4 ,the    
,restoration1  though it gave him back  
his estates1 did not mend his fortunes1 
and he  continued to importune his      
friends for loans4 ,he sought access to 
the  ,king by petition2 but it became   
more and more difficult to approach him4
  ,on one occasion he tried to          
accomplish his purpose through the      
influence  of his ,majesty's mistress1  
,lady ,castlemaine4 ,provided she could 
persuade  the king to grant his request1
 he offered to present to her 8a        
thousand  pieces to buy her a little    
jewel1 which she deserves to wear every 
day  of the week4 ,and if it please ,god
 ,i live but two years10 he added1 8,i  
will1 out of the profits of my          
water-commanding engine1 appropriate    
four  hundred pounds yearly1 for ever1  

to her ,grace's disposal 444 all which1 
as  ,i am a gentleman and a ,christian1 
shall be faithfully and most thankfully 
performed2 though the benefit ,i pretend
 to by my petition will not amount  to  
what my gratitude obliges1 yet the      
satisfaction which it will be to  my    
mind1 and my credit therein at stake1 ,i
 value at ten times as much4  ,and this 
will enable me to place my              
,water-commanding ,engine1 when ,i am   
certained of an hundred pounds a day    
profit1 without further troubling  the  
king or anybody40#af    ,all his piteous
 importunity proved of no avail4 ,his   
friends turned  aside from his          
petitionings1 and the king would give   
him no help4 ,he  came to be regarded as
 a crack-brained enthusiast1 and a wild 
projector  of impracticable things4 ,he 
could not find any one to believe in his
  water-commanding engine1 though he    
himself regarded it as of greater worth 
than either his titles or his estates4  
,it had been his own creation--the      

child of his brain--the product of      
studies and experiments extending over  
nearly forty years4 ,but what signified 
all this if no one would make use  of   
the invention8    ,his difficulties and 
embarrassments grew from day to day2 and
 his projects  met with increased       
contumely and even contempt4 ,none      
valued them1 because  none understood   
them4 ,it was even proposed to          
appropriate to other  purposes the      
premises at ,vauxhall1 on which he so   
much plumed himself1 but  which he had  
been unable to purchase4 ,to prevent    
this1 he again petitioned  the king in  
#afff1 representing that he had expended
 #ijjjl4 in building  the house he      
occupied there as 8an operatory for     
engineers and artists to  make public   
works in10 and 8above #ej1jjjl4 trying  
conclusions of arts in  that operatory  
which may be useful to his ,majesty and 
his kingdom20 and he  concluded by      
praying that ,vauxhall might be granted 
to him at a fee-farm  rent4 ,the        

,marchioness1 his wife1 at the same time
 petitioned the ,house of  ,lords1      
representing the state of poverty to    
which her husband had been  reduced1 and
 that1 in consequence of an execution   
having been put in at  ,worcester       
,house1 through a debt of #fjjjl4 which 
the ,marquis had incurred  in #afdb to  
pay the garrison of ,monmouth1 then in a
 state of mutiny1 he  was actually      
threatened to be turned out of house and
 home4 ,it is not  known what came of   
this petition2 but shortly after its    
presentation the  poor ,marquis was     
beyond all worldly help4 ,broken in     
health1 harassed1  embarrassed1 and     
disappointed1 he died in ,april1 #affg1 
in the sixty-sixth  year of his age1 and
 his remains were conveyed to ,raglan   
for interment in  the family vault4     
#af ,letter to some person unknown1     
quoted by ,mr4 ,dircks from the         
,badminton ,,mss4--,dircks's #8,life1   
,times1' c41 #bgf4    ,it will be       
remembered that the ,marquis concluded  

the #ihth article of his  #8,century'   
with the words1 8,i call this a         
semi-omnipotent engine1 and do  intend  
that a model thereof be buried with me40
 ,a diligent search for the  model has  
recently been made in the vault under   
,raglan church1 under the  direction of 
,mr4 ,bennet ,woodcroft1 whose          
enthusiasm as a collector of  primitive 
engines and machines is so well known2  
but the search proved  unsuccessful1 and
 no traces of the ,marquis's model could
 be found4    ,illustration3 ,,ruins    
,,of ,,raglan ,,castle4    ,by ,percival
 ,skelton4          ,,chapter ,,ii4     
,,sir ,,samuel ,,morland--,,dr4         
,,dionysius ,,papin4      ,after the    
death of the ,marquis of ,worcester1 the
 ,marchioness1 his  widow1 made various 
efforts to turn his inventions to       
account4 ,sceptical  though the world   
was as to their utility1 she fully      
believed in them2  and now that he was  
gone1 it would have been dishonouring to
 his memory  to entertain a doubt as to 

his engine being able to do all that he 
had  promised4 ,the ,marchioness had not
 only to maintain the fame of her dear  
husband1 but to endeavour1 if possible1 
to pay the debts he had contracted  in  
prosecuting his inventions4 ,she        
accordingly sought to interest persons  
of authority and influence in the       
water-commanding engine1 and seized     
every opportunity of bringing it into   
notice4    ,to such an extent did the   
,marchioness carry her zeal1 that her   
friends began to fear lest her mind was 
becoming disordered2 and  her           
father-confessor was requested to       
expostulate with her as to the          
impropriety of her conduct4 ,he         
accordingly implored her to desist from 
her vain endeavours to get 8great sums  
of money from the ,king to pay her      
deceased lord's debts1 enriching herself
 by the great machine1 and the  like40  
,he added that he feared 8the devil1 to 
make his suggestions the  more          
prevalent1 doth make use of some motives

 that seem plausible1 as of  paying your
 lord's debts1 of founding monasteries1 
and the like20 pointing  out that the   
end did not justify the means1 and that 
such undertakings  were improper for her
 ladyship1 and by no means likely to be 
attended  with success4 ,it is not      
improbable that these representations   
had their  effect2 the more especially  
as the ,marchioness was no more         
successful in  inducing the public to   
adopt the invention than the ,marquis   
himself had  been4 ,accordingly1 the    
water-commanding engine very shortly    
dropped out  of sight1 and in the course
 of a few years was almost entirely     
forgotten4    ,the steam-engine project1
 however1 did not die2 it only slept4   
,it had  been the fruit thus far of     
noble effort1 of persevering            
self-denial1 and  unquestionable skill4 
,what was good in it would yet live1 and
 reappear  perhaps in other forms1 to   
vindicate the sagacity and foresight of 
its  inventor4 ,even during the         

,marquis's lifetime other minds besides 
his were  diligently pursuing the same  
subject4 ,indeed1 his enthusiasm was of 
a  kind especially calculated to inflame
 other minds2 and the success he had    
achieved with his engine1 imperfect     
though it might be1 was of so novel  and
 original a character that it could not 
fail to excite a warm interest  amongst 
men of like mechanical genius4    ,one  
of the most distinguished of these was  
,sir ,samuel ,morland1 appointed        
,master of ,mechanics to ,charles ,,ii4 
immediately after the ,restoration4 ,he 
had been for some time previously in the
 employment of the ,protectorate4  ,he  
formed one of the embassy to ,sweden1   
with ,whitlocke1 in #afec4 ,some  years 
later he took an active part in the     
relief of the sufferings of  the        
persecuted ,protestants of              
,piedmont--whose history he afterwards  
wrote1--having been appointed           
,commissioner ,extraordinary for the    
distribution of the collected moneys4   

,for some time he officiated as         
assistant to ,thurloe1 ,cromwell's      
secretary2 and it was while acting  in  
this capacity that he became cognisant  
of a plot against the life  of ,charles 
,,ii41 then in exile4 ,morland divulged 
the plot to the king's  friends1 and    
thereby perhaps saved his life4 ,for    
this service1 ,charles1  on his         
,restoration1 presented him with a      
medal1 as a badge of his signal         
loyalty1 and also appointed him ,master 
of ,mechanics4    ,from that time until 
the close of his life1 ,morland devoted 
himself  entirely to mechanical studies4
 ,among his various inventions may be   
mentioned the speaking-trumpet2#ag two  
arithmetical machines1 of which  he     
published an illustrated description2   
the capstan to heave ships'  anchors2   
and various kinds of pumps and water    
engines4 ,his pumps were of  a very     
powerful and effective kind4 ,one of    
them1 worked by eight men1  forced water
 from the ,thames at ,blackmoor ,park1  

near ,winkfield1 to the  top of ,windsor
 ,castle4 ,he also devoted himself to   
the improvement of  the fire-engine1 in 
which he employed a cylinder and piston1
 as well as  a stuffing-box4 ,towards   
the later years of his life1 he applied 
himself  more particularly to the study 
of the powers and uses of steam4#ah ,in 
#afgg1 we find him taking a lease of    
,vauxhall1 most probably the identical  
house occupied by the ,marquis of       
,worcester1 where he conducted a series 
of experiments as to the power requisite
 to raise water by cylinders of         
different dimensions4#ai ,it is not1    
however1 known that he ever erected  a  
steam-engine4 ,if he did1 no account of 
its performances has been  preserved4   
#ag ,we are informed that ,morland's    
,tuba ,stentorphornica1 or              
speaking-trumpet1 is still to be seen at
 ,trinity ,college1        ,cambridge4  
,butler1 in his #8,hudibras1' alludes to
 the        invention3--            8,i 
heard a formidable voice          ,loud 

as the stentorphornic noise40        #ah
 ,his first idea seems to have been to  
employ gunpowder for        the         
production of motive power1 for in the  
#8,calendar of ,state        ,papers'   
7,dom7 we find the following            
entry3--8,decr4 #aath1                  
#afia4--,warrant for a grant to ,sir    
,samuel ,morland of the sole use        
for #ad years of his invention for      
raising water out of pits1        c41 to
 a reasonable height1 by the force of   
powder and air                          
conjointly40--7#8,entry ,book1' ,v41 p4 
#he47 ,in vol4 ,,xlvi41 p4 #di1         
we find this entry under the same       
date3--8,warrant for a grant        to  
,sir ,s4 ,morland of the sole making of 
an engine invented by        him for    
raising water in mines or pits1 draining
 marshes1 or        supplying buildings 
with water40        #ai ,the #8,harleian
 ,miscellany' 7,brit4 ,mus471 ,no4      
#egga1 contains        the following    
brief tract in ,french1 written by      

,morland in #afhb4        ,it is on     
vellum1 and entitled #8,les ,principes  
de la ,nouvelle        ,force de        
,feu3'--8,l'eau estant evapore par la   
force de feu1 ces        vapeurs        
demandent incontinant une plus          
grand'espace environ        deux mille  
fois que l'eau n'occupoiet auparavant1  
et plus tost        que d'etre toujours 
emprisonns1 feroient crever une piece   
de canon4 ,mais estant bien gouvernes   
selon les regles de la        statique1 
et par science reduites a la mesure au  
poids1 et  la        balance1 alors     
elles portent paisiblement leurs        
fardeaux comme        des bons chevaux  
et ainsy seroient elles du grand usage  
au        gendre humain1 particulirement
 pour l'elevation des eaux1 selon       
la table suivante que marque les nombres
 des livres qui pourrant        estre   
levs #ahjj fois par heure1  #f pouces de
 leve1 par de        cylindres  moitie  
remplies d'eau1 ausi bien que les divers
        diametres et profondeurs des dit

 cylindres40 ,tables are then           
given1 showing the power requisite to   
raise given quantities of        water  
to certain heights by cylinders of      
different dimensions4    ,morland's     
inventions proved of no greater         
advantage to him than those of  the     
,marquis of ,worcester had done4 ,his   
later years were spent in poverty  and  
blindness1 and he must have perished but
 for the charitable kindness  of        
,archbishop ,tenison and a few other    
friends4 ,evelyn gives the following    
interesting account of a visit to him in
 ,october1 #afie1 two months before  his
 death3--8,the ,archbishop and myself   
went to ,hammersmith to visit  ,sir     
,samuel ,morland1 who was entirely      
blind2 a very mortifying sight4 ,he     
showed me his invention of writing1     
which was very ingenious2 also his      
wooden calendar1 which instructed him   
all by feeling1 and other pretty  and   
useful inventions of mills1 pumps1 c41  
and the pump he had erected  that serves

 water to his garden1 and to passengers1
 with an inscription1  and brings from a
 filthy part of the ,thames now near it1
 a most perfect  and pure water4 ,he had
 newly buried #bjjl4 worth of music     
books1 being1  as he said1 love songs   
and vanity4 ,he plays himself psalms and
 religious  hymns on the theorbo40 ,the 
inscription to which ,evelyn refers was 
on a  stone tablet fixed on the wall of 
his house1 still preserved1 which runs  
thus3--8,,sir ,,samuel ,,morland',s     
,,well1 the use of which he freely gives
 to  all persons3 hoping that none who  
shall come after him1 will adventure  to
 incur ,god's displeasure1 by denying a 
cup of cold water 7provided  at         
another's cost and not their own7 to    
either neighbour1 stranger1  passenger1 
or poor thirsty beggar4 ,july #h1       
#afie40    ,illustration3 ,,dionysius   
,,papin1 ,m4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4    ,the next 
prominent experimenter on the powers of 
steam was ,dr4 ,dionysius  ,papin4 ,he  
was born at ,blois about the middle of  

the seventeenth century1  and educated  
to the profession of medicine4 ,after   
taking his degree  at ,paris1 he turned 
his attention more particularly to the  
study of  physics1 which soon occupied  
his whole attention2 and under the      
celebrated  ,huyghens1 then resident in 
that city1 he made rapid progress4 ,he  
would1  doubtless1 have risen to great  
distinction in his own country1 but for 
the circumstance of his being a         
,protestant4 ,to escape the persecutions
  to which all members of that          
persuasion were then subject1 ,papin    
fled  from ,france in #afha1 together   
with thousands of his countrymen1 a few 
years before the ,revocation of the     
,edict of ,nantes4 ,he took refuge in   
,london1 where he was welcomed by men of
 science1 and more especially by  the   
celebrated ,boyle1 under whose auspices 
he was introduced to the ,royal         
,society1 of which he was appointed     
,curator at an annual salary4    ,it    
formed part of ,papin's duty1 in        

connection with his new office1  to     
produce an experiment at each meeting of
 the ,society4 ,he was thus  induced to 
prosecute the study of physical science2
 and in order to  stimulate the interest
 of the members1 he sought to introduce 
new subjects  from time to time to their
 notice4 ,one of the greatest novelties 
of  his 8entertainments0 was the        
production of his well-known ,digester1 
which excited a considerable degree of  
interest2 and on one occasion  a        
philosophical supper1 cooked by the     
,digester1 was served up to the         
,fellows1 of which ,evelyn gives an     
amusing account in his ,diary4    ,he   
was led to the invention of the         
,digester by certain experiments which  
he made for ,boyle4 ,he discovered that 
if the vapour of boiling water could  be
 prevented escaping1 the temperature of 
the water would be raised much  above   
the boiling point2 and it occurred to   
him to employ this increased  heat in   
more effectually extracting nutritious  

matter from the bones of  animals1 until
 then thrown away as useless4 ,the great
 strength required  for his ,digester1  
and the means he was obliged to adopt   
for the purpose  of securely confining  
the cover1 must have early shown him    
what a powerful  agent he was           
experimenting on4 ,to prevent the       
bursting of the vessel from  the        
internal pressure1 he was led to the    
invention of the safety-valve1  which   
consisted of a small moveable plate1 or 
cylinder1 fitted into an  opening in the
 cover of the boiler1 and kept shut by a
 lever loaded with  a weight1 capable of
 sliding along it in the manner of a    
steel yard4 ,the  pressure of the weight
 upon the valve could thus be regulated 
at pleasure4  ,when the pressure became 
so great as to endanger the safety of   
the boiler1  the valve was forced up1   
and so permitted the steam to escape4   
,although  ,papin was thus the inventor 
of the safety-valve1 it is a curious    
fact that  he did not apply it to the   

steam-machine which he subsequently     
invented1  but adopted another          
expedient4    ,the reputation of ,papin 
having extended to ,germany1 he was1 in 
#afhg1  invited to fill the office of   
,professor of ,mathematics in the       
,university  of ,marburg1 and accepted  
the appointment4 ,he continued1 however1
 to  maintain a friendly correspondence 
with his scientific friends in ,england1
  and communicated to the ,royal        
,society the results of the experiments 
in physics which he continued to pursue4
 ,in the same year in which he  settled 
at ,marburg1 he submitted to the        
,society an important paper1 which      
indicated the direction in which his    
thoughts were then running4 ,it had     
occurred to him1 as it had before done  
to ,hautefeuille1 that the explosion  of
 gunpowder presented a ready means of   
producing a power to elevate a  piston  
in a tube or cylinder1 and that1 when so
 raised1 a vacuum could  be formed under
 the piston by condensing the vapour1   

and so ensuring its  return by the      
pressure of the atmosphere4 ,he thought 
that he might thus be  enabled to secure
 an efficient moving force4 ,but it was 
found in practice1  that the proposed   
power was too violent as well as        
uncertain1 and it was  shortly given up 
as impracticable4    ,papin next        
inquired whether his proposed elastic   
force and subsequent  vacuum might not  
better be produced by means of steam4   
,he accordingly  entered upon a series  
of experiments1 which gradually led him 
to the  important conclusions published 
in his celebrated paper on 8,a ,new     
,method  of ,obtaining very ,great      
,moving ,powers at ,small ,cost10 which 
appeared in  the #8,acta ,eruditorum' of
 ,leipsic1 in #afij4 8,i felt           
confident10 he there  observes1 8that   
machines might be constructed wherein   
water1 by means of  no very intense     
heat1 and at small cost1 might produce  
that perfect vacuum  which had failed to
 be obtained by means of gunpowder40 ,he

 accordingly  contrived a machine to    
illustrate this idea1 but it was very   
imperfect and  slow in its action1 as   
may well be imagined from the           
circumstance that to  produce the       
condensation he did not apply cold1 but 
merely took away the  fire6 ,still he   
was successfully working out1 step by   
step1 the important  problem of steam   
power4 ,he clearly perceived that a     
piston might be raised  in a cylinder by
 the elastic force of steam1 and that on
 the production  of a vacuum by its     
condensation1 the piston might be driven
 home again by  the pressure of the     
atmosphere4 ,the question was1 how was  
this idea to be  realised in a          
practicable working machine8 ,after many
 experiments1 ,papin  had the courage to
 make the attempt to pump water by      
atmospheric pressure  on a large scale4 
,he was employed to erect machines after
 his principle1  for the purpose of     
draining mines in ,auvergne and         
,westphalia2 but from  the difficulty he

 experienced in procuring and preserving
 a vacuum1 and  the tediousness of the  
process1 his enterprise proved abortive4
    ,the truth is1 that fertile though  
,papin was in conception1 he laboured   
under the greatest possible disadvantage
 in not being a mechanic4 ,the  eyes and
 hands of others are not to be relied on
 in the execution of new  and untried   
machines4 ,unless eyes and hands be     
disciplined by experience  in skilled   
work1 and inspired by intelligence1 they
 are comparatively  useless4 ,the       
chances of success are vastly greater   
when mind1 eyes1 and  hands1 are        
combined in one person4 ,hence the      
unquestionable fact that  though the    
motive power of steam had long been the 
subject of ingenious  speculation and   
elaborate experiment amongst scientific 
men1 it failed  to be adopted as a      
practicable working power until it was  
taken in  hand by mechanics--by such men
 as ,newcomen1 the blacksmith2 ,potter1 
the  engine-driver2 ,brindley1 the      

millwright2 and1 above all1 by ,james   
,watt1  the mathematical instrument     
maker4    ,the sagacious foresight of   
,papin as to the extensive applicability
 of  steam-power as a motive agent1 is  
strikingly shown by the following       
passage in the paper above referred     
to3--8,if any one10 says he1 8will      
consider the magnitude of the forces to 
be obtained in this way 7i4 e41  by the 
atmospheric high-pressure engine he was 
suggesting71 and the  trifling expense  
at which a sufficient quantity of fuel  
can be procured1  he will certainly     
admit that this very method is far      
preferable to the use  of gunpowder     
above spoken of1 especially as in this  
way a perfect vacuum  is obtained1 and  
so the inconveniences above recounted   
are avoided4 ,in  what manner that power
 can be applied to draw water or ore    
from mines1  to discharge iron bullets  
to a great distance1 to propel ships    
against  the wind1 and to a multitude of
 other similar purposes1 it would be too

  long here to detail2 but each         
individual1 according to the particular 
occasion1 must select the construction  
of machinery appropriate to his         
purpose40 ,this last was1 however1 the  
real difficulty to be overcome4  ,steam1
 doubtless1 contained a power to do all 
these things2 but as for  the machine   
that would work quietly1 docilely1 and  
effectively1 in pumping  water1         
discharging bullets1 or propelling      
ships1 the mechanic had not yet         
appeared that was able to make one4     
,papin was1 however1 a man of great     
perseverance2 and1 strong in his faith  
as to the power of steam to propel      
ships1 he gradually worked his way  to  
the contrivance of a model steamboat4   
,when in ,london1 he had seen an        
experiment tried by the ,prince         
,palatine ,rupert on the ,thames1 in    
which  a boat fitted with revolving     
paddles attached to the two ends of an  
axle which received its motion from a   
trundle working on a wheel turned  round

 by horses1 went with such rapidity as  
to leave the king's barge1  manned by   
sixteen rowers1 far behind in the race4 
,the idea which occurred  to ,papin was1
 to apply a steam machine to drive the  
paddles1 and thus  ensure a ship's      
motion independent of wind or tide4 ,for
 this purpose1 it  was necessary to     
convert the alternate motion of the     
piston-rod into a  continuous rotary    
one2 and this he proposed to effect 8by 
having the rods  of the pistons fitted  
with teeth1 which would force round     
small wheels1  toothed in like manner1  
fastened to the axis of the paddles40   
,illustration3 ,,ancient                
,,paddle-,,boat4    ,the use of         
paddle-wheels in propelling boats had   
long been known4  ,the ,harleian ,,mss4 
contain an ,italian book of sketches1   
attributed to  the fifteenth century1 in
 which there appears the annexed sketch 
of a  paddle-boat4 ,this boat was       
evidently intended to be worked by two  
men  turning the crank by which the     

paddles were made to revolve4 ,there    
were  many other early schemes of       
paddle-boats1 some of which were        
proposed  to be worked by horse-power4  
,the name of ,blasco ,garay has often   
been  mentioned as the first who applied
 the power of steam to the driving  of  
paddle-boats2 but for this there is not 
the slightest foundation4 ,m4           
,bergenroth informs us that he has      
carefully examined all the documents    
relating to the trials of ,blasco ,garay
 in the archives at ,simancas1 but  has 
found no reference whatever to steam as 
the power employed in causing  the      
paddles to revolve4#bj ,the experiments 
were made at ,malaga and  ,barcelona    
respectively1 in the years #aedj and    
#aedc3 in one the vessel was  propelled 
by a paddle-wheel on each side worked by
 twenty-five men1 and  in the other by a
 paddle-wheel worked by forty men4      
#bj ,m4 ,bergenroth says the documents  
at ,simancas consist of--#a4 ,a         
holograph letter of ,blasco ,garay to   

the ,emperor1 dated ,malaga1            
#ajth ,sept41 #aedj1 containing his     
report on the trial trip of        one  
of his paddle-wheel ships2 #b4 ,the     
report of the ,captain        ,antonio  
,destigarura on the same trial trip2 #c4
 ,the report of        the ,provcedores 
of ,malaga concerning the same trip1    
dated #bgth        ,july1 #aedj2 #d4    
,the report of ,blasco ,garay to the    
,emperor1 dated        #fth ,july1      
#aedc1 concerning the trial trip of     
another of his        paddle-wheel ships
 made at ,barcelona in ,june1 #aedc2 #e4
 ,a letter        of ,blasco ,garay to  
,carrs1 dated #bjth ,june1 #aedc4 ,in   
none of        these is there to be     
found any reference to steam-power2 but 
only to the power of men employed in    
driving the paddle-wheels4        ,this 
is confirmed by the independent         
examination of the same        documents
 by ,j4 ,macgregor1 ,esq41 of the       
,temple1 who gives the        result in 
a ,letter to ,bennet ,woodcroft1 ,esq41 

inserted as a        note to the        
#8,abridgments of the ,specifications   
relating to ,steam        ,propulsion1' 
pp4 #aje-g4    ,it appears probable that
 although others before ,papin had      
speculated  as to the possibility of    
constructing a boat to be driven by the 
power  of steam1 he was the first to    
test the theory by actual experiment2   
the  first to construct a model         
steamboat4 ,his first experiments were  
doubtless  failures4 ,the engine        
contrived by himself was found          
inapplicable to the  driving of ships1  
as it had been to the pumping of mines2 
and it was  not until he saw the model  
of ,savery's engine exhibited to the    
,royal  ,society of ,london1 in #afih1  
and witnessed the trial of the same     
inventor  s paddle-wheel boat on the    
,thames in the course of the same year  
that it  occurred to him to combine the 
two contrivances in one1 and apply      
,savery's  engine to drive ,savery's    
paddle-wheels4 ,returning to ,marburg1  

he proceeded  with his experiments1 and 
informed ,liebnitz that he had employed 
both  suction and pressure by steam2    
that he had made a model of a carriage  
propelled by this force1 which          
succeeded2 and he hoped that the same   
power would answer for boats4 ,papin    
prosecuted his idea with great zeal1    
trying many expedients1 encountering    
many difficulties1 and meeting with     
many disappointments4 ,at length1 after 
about fifteen years' labour1 he         
succeeded in constructing a model       
engine1 fitted in a boat--8une petite   
machine d'un vaisseau  roues0--which    
worked to his satisfaction4 ,his next   
object was to get his model transported 
to ,london1 to exhibit it on the        
,thames4 8,it is important10 he writes  
to ,liebnitz 7#gth ,july1 #agjg71 8that 
my new construction of vessel should be 
put to the proof in a seaport like      
,london1 where there is depth enough to 
apply the new invention1 which1  by     
means of fire1 will render one or two   

men capable of producing more  effect   
than some hundreds of rowers40 ,papin   
had considerable difficulty  in         
obtaining the requisite permission from 
the authorities to enable his  model to 
pass from the ,fulda to the ,weser2 but 
at length he succeeded1  and the little 
vessel reached ,mnden1 when1 to ,papin's
 great grief1 it  was seized by the     
boatmen of the river1 and barbarously   
destroyed4    ,the year after this      
calamity befell ,papin's machine he     
wrote an urgent  letter to his old      
friends of the ,royal ,society at       
,london1 asking them to  advance him    
sufficient money to construct another   
engine 8and to fit it so  that it might 
be applied for the rowing of ships40    
,the ,society1 however1  did not see    
their way to assisting ,papin in the    
manner proposed1 most  likely because of
 the expense as well as uncertainty of  
the experiment4  ,two years later1 worn 
out by work and anxiety1 the illustrious
 exile died2  and it was left for other 

labourers to realise the great ideas he 
had  formed as to locomotion by         
steam-power4    ,the apparently         
resultless labours of these men will    
serve to show what a  long1 anxious1 and
 toilsome process the invention of the  
steam-engine has  been4 ,the early      
inventors had not the gratification of  
seeing their toils  rewarded by even the
 faintest glimmering of practical       
success4 ,one after  another1 they took 
up the subject1 spent days and nights of
 study over  it1 and1 laying down their 
lives1 there left it4 ,to many the study
 brought  nothing but anxiety1 toil1    
distress1 and sometimes ruin2 while some
 fairly  broke their hearts over it4    
,but it was never abandoned4            
,disregarding  the fate of their        
predecessors1 one labourer after another
 resumed  the investigation1 advancing  
it by further stages1 until at length   
the  practicable working steam-engine   
was invented1 presenting1 perhaps1 the  
most remarkable illustration of the     

power of human skill and perseverance   
to be found in the whole history of     
civilisation4          ,,chapter ,,iii4 
,,captain ,,savery--,,his               
,,fire-,,engine4      ,the attempts     
hitherto made to invent a working       
steam-engine1 it will  be observed1 had 
not been attended with much success4    
,the most that  could be said of them   
was1 that1 by demonstrating the         
impracticable1  they were gradually     
leading other experimenters in the      
direction of  the practicable4 ,although
 the progress made seemed but slow1 the 
amount  of net result was by no means   
inconsiderable4 ,men were becoming      
better  acquainted with the elastic     
force of steam4 ,the vacuum produced by 
its  condensation in a closed vessel1   
and the consequent atmospheric pressure1
  had been illustrated by repeated      
experiments2 and many separate and minor
  inventions1 which afterwards proved of
 great value1 had been made1 such as    
the four-way cock1 the safety-valve1 and

 the piston moving in a cylinder4  ,the 
principle of a true steam-engine had not
 only been demonstrated1 but  most of   
the separate parts of such an engine had
 been contrived by various  inventors4  
,it seemed as if all that was now       
wanting was a genius of more  than      
ordinary power to combine them in a     
complete and effective whole4    ,to    
,thomas ,savery is usually accorded the 
merit of having constructed the  first  
actual working steam-engine4 ,little is 
known of his early history2  and various
 surmises have been formed as to his    
origin and calling4  ,some writers have 
described him as the captain of a       
tin-mine2 others as  a naval captain2   
while a third says he was an immigrant  
,frenchman4#ba  ,we are1 however1       
enabled to state1 from information      
communicated by his  descendants1 that  
he was the scion of a well-known        
,devonshire family4  ,john ,savery1 of  
,halberton1 or ,harberton1 afterwards of
 ,great ,totness1  was a gentleman of   

considerable property in the reign of   
,henry ,,viii4 ,in  the sixteenth       
century the ,saverys became connected by
 marriage with the  ,servingtons of     
,tavistock1 another old county family1  
one of whom served as  sheriff in the   
reign of ,edward ,,iii4 ,in #aehh1      
,christopher ,savery1 the head  of the  
family1 resided in ,totness ,castle1 of 
which he was the owner2 and  for a      
period of nearly forty years the town   
was represented in ,parliament  by      
members of the ,savery family4 ,sir     
,charles served as ,sheriff of ,devon in
  #afai4 ,though the ,saverys took the  
side of the ,parliament1 in resisting   
the  despotic power assumed by ,charles 
,i41 they nevertheless held a moderate  
course2 for we find ,colonel ,savery1 in
 #afdc1 attaching his name to the       
famous 8round robin0 presented to       
,parliament4 ,richard ,savery1 the      
youngest  son of the ,colonel1 was      
father of ,thomas ,savery1 the inventor 
of the  8fire-engine40 ,other members of

 the ,savery family1 besides ,thomas1   
were  distinguished for their           
prosecution of physical science4 ,thus  
we find from  the family ,,mss41        
,servington ,savery corresponding with  
,dr4 ,jurin1 ,secretary  to the ,royal  
,society1 respecting an improvement     
which he had made in the  barometer1 and
 communicating the results of some      
magnetic experiments of  a novel kind1  
which he had recently performed4#bb     
#ba ,burn1 #8,history of ,foreign       
,protestant ,refugees1' #bfa4        #bb
 ,in a letter1 dated ,shilston1 ,august 
#ith1 #agbg1 he        writes3--8,the   
late ,mr4 ,thomas ,savery1 inventor of  
the engines        for rowing1 and      
raising water by fire1 was1 ,i believe1 
well        known to several of the     
,royal ,society1 perhaps to the         
,president2        but as ,i am a       
perfect stranger1 do acquaint you that  
his father        was youngest brother  
to my grandfather4 ,the late ,servington
        ,savery1 ,m4,d41 of             

,marlborough1 was one of my family1     
viz41 a        brother to my deceased   
father40    ,illustration3 ,,thomas     
,,savery1 ,f4,r4,s4    ,thomas ,savery  
was born at ,shilston1 near ,modbury1 in
 ,devon1 about  the year #afej4 ,nothing
 is known of his early life1 beyond that
 he was  educated to the profession of a
 military engineer1 and in course of    
time  duly reached the rank of          
,trench-master4 ,the corps of engineers 
was not1  however1 regarded as an       
essential part of the military force    
until the  year #aghg1 when the officers
 ranked with those of the ,royal        
,artillery4  ,the pursuit of his        
profession1 as well as his natural      
disposition1 led  ,savery to the study  
of mechanics1 and he became well        
accomplished in the  physical knowledge 
of his time4 ,he occupied much of his   
spare time in  mechanical experiments1  
and in projecting and executing         
contrivances of  various sorts4 ,one of 
his early works was a clock1 still      

preserved in the  family1#bc which until
 lately kept very good time2 and when   
last repaired  by a watchmaker of       
,modbury was pronounced to be a piece of
 very good work1  of a peculiar         
construction1 displaying much ingenuity4
    ,another of ,savery's early         
contrivances was a machine for polishing
  plate-glass1 for which he obtained a  
patent4 ,he was occupied about the  same
 time with an invention for rowing ships
 in calms by the mechanical  apparatus  
subsequently described in his treatise1 
entitled #8,navigation  ,improved4' ,he 
there relates how it troubled his       
thoughts and racked  his brains to find 
out this invention1 which he            
accomplished after many  experiments1   
conducted 8with great charge40 ,he      
naturally set much value  on the product
 of so much study and labour2 and he was
 proportionately  vexed on finding that 
others regarded it with indifference4   
,he professed  to have had 8promises of 
a great reward from the ,court1 if the  

thing would  answer the end for which he
 proposed it20 but instead of a reward1 
,savery  received only contumely and    
scorn4 ,he attributed his want of       
success to  the ill-humour of the then  
,surveyor of the ,navy1 who reported    
against  his engine1 because1 said he1  
8it's the nature of some men to decry   
all  inventions that are not the product
 of their own brains40 ,he only asked   
for a fair trial of his paddle-boat1    
believing in its efficiency and         
utility2 declaring1 that it was not his 
8fondness for his own bratt that  made  
him think so10 but the favourable       
opinions of several very judicious      
persons in town1 that encouraged him to 
urge his invention for public  adoption4
        #bc ,it is now in the possession
 of ,capt4 ,lowe1 of the #bfth          
,regiment1 whose grand-aunt was a ,miss 
,savery of ,shilston4    ,the invention 
in question consisted of a boat mounted 
with two  paddle-wheels1 one on each    
side1 worked by a capstan placed in the 

centre  of the vessel4 ,the annexed cut 
will show the nature of the arrangement1
  which probably did not differ much    
from the scheme of ,blasco ,garay1 above
  referred to4    ,illustration3        
,,section ,,of ,,savery',s              
,,paddle-,,boat4    ,savery says he was 
led to make the invention through the   
difficulty  which had been experienced  
in getting ships in motion so as to     
place them  alongside of the enemy in   
sea-fights1 especially during calm      
weather4 ,he  thought that if our       
fighting-ships could be made to move    
independent of  the winds1 we should    
thereby possess an advantage of         
essential consequence  to the public    
service4 8,the gentlemen10 said he1     
8that were on the ,brest  expedition    
with my ,lord ,caermarthen must know how
 useful this engine would  have been2   
for had they had them there on board    
each ship1 they might have  moved       
themselves where they had pleased40 ,he 
also urged the usefulness of  the engine

 for packet-boats1 bomb-vessels1 and    
sloops1 and especially for  use in      
sea-fights1 in bringing off disabled    
ships4 ,when he had completed  his      
invention1 he took steps to bring it    
under the notice of ,mr4 ,secretary     
,trenchard4 ,the plan was shown to the  
,king1 who thought highly of it1 and    
referred ,savery to the ,admiralty4     
,when he went there he was told that he 
should have gone to the ,navy ,board4   
,at the ,navy ,board he was told that   
certain objections to the adoption of   
his scheme had already been sent to  the
 ,admiralty4    ,savery having          
ascertained that the ,surveyor was      
himself the author of the  objections1  
proceeded to discuss the matter with    
him4 ,but the ,surveyor  was not a man  
to be argued out of his views by an     
inventor2 and he shut  up ,savery with  
the remark3 8,what have interloping     
people1 that have no  concern with us1  
to do to pretend to contrive or invent  
things for us80  ,savery was highly     

indignant at the official snub1 and     
published the  conversation in his      
,treatise4 8,though one has found out10 
said he1 8an  improvement as great to   
shipping as turning to windward or the  
,compass1  unless you can sit round the 
,green ,table in ,crutched ,friars1 your
  invention is damned1 of course20 and  
the testy inventor concluded3 8,all ,i  
have now to add is1 that whoever is     
angry with the ,truth for appearing in  
mean language may as well be angry with 
an honest man for his plain habit2  for1
 indeed1 it is as common for ,lyes and  
,nonsense to be disguised by a  jingle  
of words as for a ,blockhead to be hid  
by abundance of ,peruke40#bd        #bd 
#8,navigation ,improved2 or the ,art of 
,rowing ,ships of all rates        in   
calms1 with a more easy1 swift and      
steady motion than oars        can4     
,also1 a description of the engine that 
performs it2 and the        ,author's   
answer to all ,mr4 ,drummer's objections
 that have been        made against it4 

,by ,tho4 ,savery1 ,gent4 ,london1      
#afih4'    ,notwithstanding his rebuff  
by the ,navy ,surveyor1 ,savery         
proceeded to  fit up a small yacht with 
his engine1 and tried an experiment with
 it  on the ,thames1 in sight of many   
thousands of spectators4 ,the experiment
  was1 in his opinion1 entirely         
successful4 ,the yacht1 manned by eight 
sailors working the capstan1 passed a   
ketch with all its sails spread1  as    
well as other vessels4 8,all people10   
said ,savery1 8seemed to like the       
demonstration of the use of my engine1  
the public newspapers speaking  very    
largely of it1 yet all to no purpose40  
,savery had already expended  #bjjl4 in 
his experiments on the paddle-wheel     
boat1 and was not disposed  to go any   
further1 now that ,government had       
decided not to take up the  invention4  
,indeed1 its practical utility was      
doubtful4 ,the power of the  wind was1  
after all1 better than hand-labour for  
working large ships2  and it continued  

to maintain its superiority until the   
steam-engine was  brought to perfection4
    ,it is curious that it should not   
have occurred to ,savery1 who invented  
both a paddle-wheel boat and a          
steam-engine1 to combine the two in one 
machine2 but he was probably sick of the
 former invention1 which had given  him 
so much vexation and annoyance1 and gave
 it up in disgust1 leaving  it to       
,papin1 who saw both his inventions at  
work1 to hit upon the grand  idea of    
combining the two in a                  
steam-vessel1--the only machine capable 
of effectually and satisfactorily rowing
 ships in a calm1 or against wind  and  
tide4    ,it is probable that ,savery   
was led to enter upon his next and most 
important invention by the circumstance 
of his having been brought up  in the   
neighbourhood of the mining districts1  
and being well aware  of the great      
difficulty experienced by the miners in 
keeping their  pits clear of water1 to  
enable them to proceed with their       

underground  operations4 ,the early     
tin-mining of ,cornwall was for the most
 part  what was called 8stream-work10   
being confined mainly to washing and    
collecting the diluvial deposits of the 
ore4 ,mines usually grew out of  these  
stream-works2 the ground was laid open  
at the back of the lodes1  and the ore  
was dug out as from a quarry4 ,some of  
these old openings1  called 8coffins10  
are still to be met with in different   
parts of ,cornwall4  ,the miners did not
 venture much below the surface1 for    
fear of the  water1 by which they were  
constantly liable to be drowned out4    
,but as  the upper strata became        
exhausted1 they were tempted to go      
deeper in  search of the richer ores4   
,shafts were sunk to the lodes1 and they
 were  followed underground4 ,then it   
was that the difficulty of water had to 
be  encountered and overcome2 for unless
 it could be got rid of1 the deeper     
ores of ,cornwall were as so much buried
 treasure4 ,when the mines were of  no  

great depth1 it was possible to bale out
 the water by hand-buckets4  ,but this  
expedient was soon exhausted2 and the   
power of horses was then  employed to   
draw the buckets4 ,where the lodes ran  
along a hill-side1 it  was possible1 by 
driving an adit from a lower point1 to  
let off the water  by natural drainage4 
,but this was not often found           
practicable1 and in most  cases it had  
to be raised directly from the shafts by
 artificial methods4  ,as the quantity  
increased1 a whim or gin moving on a    
perpendicular axis  was employed to draw
 the water4#be ,an improvement on this  
was the rack  and chain pump1 consisting
 of an endless iron chain mounted with  
knobs  of cloth stiffened with leather1 
inclosed in a wooden pump of from six   
to eight inches bore1 the lower part of 
which rested in the well of the  mine4  
,the chain was turned round by a wheel  
two or three feet in diameter1  usually 
worked by men1 and the knobs with which 
it was mounted brought up  a stream of  

water according to the dimensions of the
 pump4 ,another method1  considered the 
most effectual of all1 was known as 8the
 water-wheel and  bobs10 consisting of a
 powerful pump1 or series of pumps1     
worked by  a water-wheel4 ,but although 
there is no want of water underground in
  ,cornwall1 and no want of rain above  
ground1 there are few or no great       
water-courses capable of driving        
machinery2 besides1 as the mines are for
  the most part situated on high ground1
 it will be obvious that water-power    
was available to only a very limited    
extent for this purpose4        #be ,mr4
 ,davies ,gilbert says even this method 
was comparatively        modern1 as he  
remembered a carpenter who used to boast
 that        he had assisted in making  
the first whim ever seen westward of    
,hayle4--,davies1 #8,parochial ,history 
of ,cornwall1' ,london1 #ahch1          
ii4 #hc4    ,it is also worthy of notice
 that the early mining of ,cornwall was 
carried  on by men of small capital1    

principally by working men1 who were    
unable  to expend any large amount of   
money in forming artificial reservoirs1 
or in erecting the powerful pumping     
machinery necessary for keeping the     
deeper mines clear of water4 ,the       
,cornish miners1 like the ,whitstable   
oyster-dredgers1 worked upon the        
principle of co-operation4 ,this        
doctrine1  now taught as a modern one1  
was practised by them almost time out of
 mind4  ,the owner of the land gave the 
use of his land1 the adventurers gave   
their  money1 and the miners their      
labour2 all sharing in the proceeds     
according  to ancient custom4 ,for the  
use of his land1 and for the ore taken  
from  the mine1 the lord usually took a 
sixth part2 but in consideration of     
draining the mine1 and in order to      
encourage the adventure1 he was often   
content with an eighth1 or it might be  
only a tenth part of the produce4  ,the 
miners1 on their part1 agreed to divide 
in the proportions in which  they took  

part in the work4 ,their shares of the  
ore raised were measured  by barrows1   
and parcelled into heaps2 8and it is    
surprising10 says  ,borlase1 8to see how
 ready and exact the reckoners are in   
dividing1 though  oftentimes they can   
neither write nor read4 ,the parcels    
being laid forth1  lots are cast1 and   
then every parcel has a distinct mark   
laid on it with  one1 two1 or three     
stones1 and sometimes a bit of stick or 
turf stuck up  in the middle or side of 
the pile2 and when these marks are laid 
on1 the  parcels may continue there half
 a year or more unmolested40#bf         
#bf ,borlase1 #8,natural ,history of    
,cornwall1' #age-f4    ,these were1     
however1 the early and primitive days of
 mining1 when the  operations were      
carried on comparatively near the       
surface1 and the capital  invested in   
pumping-machinery was comparatively     
small in amount4 ,as the  miners went   
deeper and deeper into the ground1 and  
the richer lodes were  struck and       

followed1 the character of mining became
 considerably changed4  ,larger capitals
 were required to sink the shafts and   
keep them clear  of water until the ore 
was reached2 and a new class of men1    
outside the  mining districts1 was      
induced to venture their money in the   
mines as a  speculation4 ,yet the system
 above described1 though greatly        
modified by  altered circumstances1     
continues to this day2 and the mining of
 ,cornwall  continues to be carried on  
mainly upon the co-operative or         
joint-stock  system4    ,when the       
surface lodes became exhausted1 the     
necessity of employing some  more       
efficient method of pumping the water   
became more and more urgent4  ,in one   
pit after another the miners were being 
drowned out1 and the  operations of an  
important branch of national industry   
were in danger of  being brought to a   
complete standstill4 ,it was under these
 circumstances  that ,captain ,savery   
turned his attention to the contrivance 

of a more  powerful engine for the      
raising of water2 and after various     
experiments1  he became persuaded that  
the most effective agency for the       
purpose was  the power of steam4 ,it is 
very probable that he was aware of the  
attempts  that had been previously made 
in the same direction1 and he may have  
gathered many useful and suggestive     
hints from the ,marquis of ,worcester's 
#8,century2' but as that book contained 
no plans nor precise definitions  of the
 methods by which the ,marquis had      
accomplished his objects1 it  could have
 helped him but little towards the      
contrivance of a practicable  working   
engine4#bg        #bg ,the absurd story 
is told by ,dr4 ,desaguliers            
7#8,experimental        ,philosophy1'   
ii4 #dfe7 that ,savery1 having read the 
,marquis's        book1 8was the first  
to put in practice the raising of water 
by        fire1 which he proposed for   
the draining of mines20 and having      
copied the ,marquis's engine1 8the      

better to conceal the matter1           
bought up all the ,marquis of           
,worcester's books that he could        
purchase in ,paternoster-row and        
elsewhere1 and burned 'em in        the 
presence of the gentleman1 his friend1  
who told me this60        ,it need      
scarcely be said that it was very       
unlikely that ,savery        should have
 attempted thus to conceal an invention 
recorded in        a printed book which 
had been in circulation for more than   
forty        years4    ,how ,savery was 
led to the study of the power of steam  
has been differently  stated4           
,desaguliers says his own account was   
this1--that having drunk a  flask of    
,florence at a tavern1 and thrown the   
empty flask on the fire1 he  called for 
a basin of water to wash his hands1 and 
perceiving that the  little wine left in
 the flask had changed to steam1 he took
 the vessel  by the neck and plunged its
 mouth into the water in the basin1     
when1 the  steam being condensed1 the   

water was immediately driven up into the
 flask  by the pressure of the          
atmosphere4 ,desaguliers disbelieved    
this account1  but admits that ,savery  
made many experiments upon the powers of
 steam1  and eventually succeeded in    
making several engines 8which raised    
water  very well40 ,switzer1 who was on 
intimate terms with ,savery1 gives      
another  account4 ,he says the first    
hint from which he took the engine was  
from  a tobacco-pipe1 which he immersed 
in water to wash or cool it2 when he    
discovered by the rarefaction of the air
 in the tube by the heat or steam1  and 
the gravitation or pressure of the      
exterior air on the condensation  of the
 latter1 that the water was made to     
spring through the tube of the  pipe in 
a most surprising manner2#bh and that   
this phenomenon induced  him to search  
for the rationale1 and to prosecute a   
series of experiments  which issued in  
the invention of his fire-engine4       
,however ,savery may have obtained his  

first idea of the expansion and         
condensation of steam1 and of           
atmospheric pressure1 it is certain that
  the subject occupied his attention for
 many years4 ,he had the usual          
difficulties to encounter in dealing    
with a wholly new and untried power1  in
 contriving the novel mechanism through 
which it was to work1 and of  getting   
his contrivances executed by the hands  
of mechanics necessarily  unaccustomed  
to such kind of work4 8,though ,i was   
obliged10 he says1 8to  encounter the   
oddest and almost insuperable           
difficulties1 ,i spared neither  time1  
pains1 nor money1 till ,i had absolutely
 conquered them40        #bh ,switzer1  
#8,system of ,hydrostaticks and         
,hydraulicks1' ,london1        #agbi4   
,having sufficiently matured his design1
 he had a model of his new 8,fire       
,engine10 as he termed it1 made for     
exhibition before the ,king at ,hampton 
,court in #afih4 ,william ,,iii41 who   
was himself of a mechanical turn1 was   

highly pleased with the ingenuity       
displayed in ,savery's engine1 as well  
as  with its efficient action1 and he   
permitted the inventor to dedicate to   
him #8,the ,miner's ,friend1' containing
 the first published description of  his
 invention4 ,the ,king also promoted    
,savery's application for a ,patent1    
which was secured in ,july1 #afih1bi and
 an ,act confirming it was passed  in   
the following year4    ,savery's next   
step was to bring his invention under   
the notice of the  ,royal ,society1     
whose opinion on all matters of science 
was listened to  with profound respect4 
,he accordingly exhibited his model at a
 meeting  held on the #adth of ,june1   
#afii1 and it is recorded in the minutes
 of that  date1 that 8,mr4 ,savery      
entertained the ,society with showing   
his engine  to raise water by the force 
of fire4 ,he was thanked for showing the
  experiment1 which succeeded according 
to expectation1 and was approved  of40  
,the inventor presented the ,society    

with a drawing of his engine1           
accompanied by a description1 which was 
printed in the #8,transactions4'#cj     
#bi ,the patent is dated the #beth      
,july1 #afih1 and is entitled1          
8,a grant to ,thomas ,savery1 ,gentl41  
of the sole exercise of        a new    
invencon1 by him invented1 for raiseing 
of water1 and        occasioning mocon  
to all sort of mill works1 by the       
impellant        force of fire1 which   
will be of great use for draining mines1
        serving towns with water1 and   
for the working of all sorts        of  
mills when they have not the benefit of 
water nor constant        winds2 to hold
 for #ad years2 with usual clauses40    
#cj #8,philosophical ,transactions1'    
,no4 #beb4 ,weld's #8,royal             
,society1' i4 #ceg4    ,savery next     
endeavoured to bring his invention into 
practical use1 but  this was a matter of
 much greater difficulty4 ,so many      
schemes with a like  object had been    
brought out and failed1 that the mining 

interest came to  regard new projects   
with increasing suspicion4 ,to persuade 
them that he  was no mere projector1 but
 the inventor of a practicable working  
engine1  ,savery wrote and published his
 #8,miner's ,friend4' 8,i am not very   
fond10 he  there said1 8of lying under  
the scandal of a bare projector1 and    
therefore  present you here with a      
draught of my machine1 and lay before   
you the uses  of it1 and leave it to    
your consideration whether it be worth  
your while  to make use of it or no40   
,inventors before ,savery's time were   
wont to make a great mystery of their   
inventions2 but he proclaimed that there
 was no mystery whatever about  his     
machine1 and he believed that the more  
clearly it was understood1  the better  
it would be appreciated4 ,he            
acknowledged that there had been  many  
pretenders to new inventions of the same
 sort1 who had excited hopes  which had 
never been fulfilled2 but this invention
 which he had made was  a thing the uses

 of which were capable of actual        
demonstration4 ,he urged  that the old  
methods of raising water could not be   
carried further2 and  that an entirely  
new power was needed to enable the miner
 to prosecute  his underground labours4 
8,i fear10 said he1 8that whoever by the
 old  causes of motion pretends to      
improvements within the last century    
does  betray his knowledge and judgment4
 ,for more than a hundred years since1  
men and horses would raise by engines   
then made as much water as they  have   
ever done since1 or ,i believe ever     
will1 or1 according to the law of       
nature1 ever can do4 ,and1 though my    
thoughts have been long employed about  
water-works1 ,i should never have       
pretended to any invention of that kind1
  had ,i not happily found out this new1
 but yet a much stronger and cheaper    
force or cause of motion than any before
 made use of40 ,he proceeded to  show   
how easy it was to work his             
engine1--boys of thirteen or fourteen   

years being able to attend and work it  
to perfection after a few days'         
teaching1--and how he had at length1    
after great difficulty1 instructed      
handicraft artificers to construct the  
engine according to his design1 so      
that1 after much experience1 said he1   
8they are become such masters of  the   
thing that they oblige themselves to    
deliver what engines they make  exactly 
tight and fit for service1 and as such  
,i dare warrant them to  anybody that   
has occasion for them40#ca    ,savery's 
engine1 as described by himself1        
consisted of a series of  boilers1      
condensing vessels1 and tubes1 the      
action of which will be  readily        
understood with the help of the annexed 
drawing4#cb    ,illustration3           
,,savery',s ,,engine4        #ca #8,the 
,miner's ,friend1 or an ,engine to      
,raise ,water by ,fire1                 
described1 and of the manner of fixing  
it in ,mines1 with an        account of 
the several uses it is applicable unto2 

and an        answer to the objections  
made against it4 ,by ,tho4 ,savery1     
,gent4'        ,london1 #agjb4          
#cb ,two boilers1 a large1 ,a1 and a    
smaller1 ,b1 were fixed in        a     
furnace1 and connected together at the  
top by a pipe1 ,c4        ,the larger   
boiler was filled two-thirds full1 and  
the smaller        quite full of water4 
,when that in the larger one was raised 
to        the boiling-point1 the handle 
of the regulator1 ,d1 was thrust        
back as far as it would go1 by which the
 steam forced itself        through the 
pipe connected with the vessel ,e1      
expelling the        air it contained   
through the clack at ,f4 ,the handle of 
the        regulator being then drawn   
towards you1 the communication          
between the boiler and the vessel1 ,e1  
was closed1 and that        between the 
boiler and the second vessel1 ,g1 was   
opened1 which        latter was also    
filled with steam1 the air being in like
 manner        discharged through the   

clack1 ,h4 ,cold water was then poured  
from the water-cock1 ,i1 on to the      
vessel ,e1 by which the steam        was
 suddenly condensed1 and a vacuum being 
thereby caused1 the        water to be  
raised was drawn up through the         
sucking-pipe1 ,j1        its return     
being prevented by a clack or valve at  
,k4 ,the handle        of the regulator 
,d being again thrust back1 the steam   
was again        admitted1 and pressing 
upon the surface of the water in ,e1    
forced it out at the bottom of the      
vessel and up through the        pipe   
,l1 from which it was driven into the   
open air4 ,the handle        of the     
regulator was then reversed1 on which   
the steam was again        admitted to  
,g1 and the water in like manner        
expelled from it1        while ,e1 being
 again dashed with cold water1 was      
refilling from        below4 ,then the  
cold water was turned upon ,g1 and thus 
alternate        filling and forcing    
went on1 and a continuous stream of cold

        water kept flowing from the     
upper opening4 ,the large boiler was    
replenished with water by shutting off  
the connection of the        small      
boiler with the cold water pipe1 ,m1    
which supplied it from        above1 on 
which the steam contained in the latter 
forced the        water through the     
connecting pipe1 ,c1 into the large     
boiler1        and kept it running in a 
continuous stream until the surface of  
the water in the smaller boiler was     
depressed below the opening        of   
the connecting pipe1 which was indicated
 by the noise of        the clack1 when 
it was refilled from the cold water     
pipe1 ,m1 as        before4    ,its     
principal features were two large       
cylindrical vessels1 which were         
alternately filled with steam from an   
adjoining boiler and with cold water    
from the well or mine out of which the  
water had to be raised4 ,when either  of
 the hollow vessels was filled with     
steam1 and then suddenly cooled by  a   

dash of cold water1 a vacuum was thereby
 created1 and1 the vessel being  closed 
at the top and open at the bottom1 the  
water was at once forced  up into it    
from the well by the pressure of the    
atmosphere4 ,the steam1  being then let 
into the vessel from the top1 pressed   
upon the surface of  the water1 and     
forced it out at the bottom by another  
pipe 7its return  into the well being   
prevented by a clack71 and so up the    
perpendicular  pipe which opened into   
the outer air4 ,the second vessel being 
treated in  the same manner1 the same   
result followed2 and thus1 by alternate 
filling  and forcing1 a continuous      
stream of water was poured out from the 
upper  opening4 ,the whole of the labour
 required to work the engine was capable
  of being performed by a single man1 or
 even by a boy1 after very little       
teaching4    ,although ,savery's plans  
and descriptions of the arrangement and 
working  of his engines are clear and   
explicit1 he does not give any          

information as  to their proportions1   
beyond stating that an engine employed  
in raising a  column of water #c inches 
in diameter #fj feet high1 requires a   
fireplace  #bj inches deep4 ,speaking of
 their performances1 he says1 8,i have  
known1  in ,cornwall1 a work with three 
lifts of about #ah feet each1 lift and  
carry a #c-;inch bore1 that cost #dbs4 a
 day 7reckoning #bd a day7 for  labour1 
besides the wear and tear of engines1   
each pump having four men  working eight
 hours1 at #ad;d4 a man1 and the men    
obliged to rest at  least a third part  
of that time40 ,he pointed out that at  
least one-third  part of the then cost  
of raising water might be saved by the  
adoption  of his invention1 which on    
many mines would amount to 8a brave     
estate0  in the course of a year4 ,in   
estimating the power of his engine1     
,savery  was accustomed to compare it   
with the quantity of work that horses   
could  perform1 and hence he introduced 
the term 8horse power10 which is still  

in use4    ,although1 in the treatise   
referred to1 ,savery describes an engine
 with  two furnaces1 the drawing which  
he presented to the ,royal ,society     
showed  only one2 and it appears that in
 another of his designs he showed only  
one cylindrical vessel instead of two4  
,in order to exhibit the working  of his
 engine on a larger scale than in the   
model1 he proceeded to erect  one in a  
potter's house at ,lambeth1 where1      
,switzer says1 though it was a  small   
engine1 the water struck up the tiles   
and forced its way through the  roof in 
a manner that surprised all the         
spectators4 ,switzer mentions other     
engines erected after ,savery's designs 
for the raising of water at ,camden     
,house and ,sion ,house1 which proved   
quite successful4 ,the former1 he says1 
was the plainest and best proportioned  
engine he had seen3 it had only a       
single condensing vessel2 and 8though   
but a small one in comparison with  many
 others of the kind that are made for   

coal-works1 it is sufficient for  any   
reasonable family1 and other uses       
required for it in watering middling    
gardens40#cc ,four receivers full of    
water1 or equal to #eb gallons1 were    
raised every minute1 or #caaj gallons in
 the hour2 whilst1 in the case  of the  
larger engines with double receivers1   
#fbdj gallons an hour might  easily be  
raised4 ,the cost of the smaller engine 
was about fifty pounds1  and the        
consumption of coal about a bushel in   
the twenty-four hours1  supposing it was
 kept constantly at work during that    
time4        #cc ,switzer1              
#8,introduction to a ,general ,system of
 ,hydrostaticks        and              
,hydraulicks1' #bcg4    ,illustration3  
,,huel ,,vor1 ,,with ,,remains ,,of     
,,the ,,old ,,works4    ,by ,r4 ,p4     
,leitch4    ,the uses to which ,savery  
proposed to apply his engine were       
various4  ,one was to pump water into a 
reservoir1 from which1 by falling on a  
water-wheel1 it might produce a         

continuous rotary motion4 ,another was  
to  raise water into cisterns for the   
supply of gentlemen's houses1 and for   
use in fountains and as an extinguisher 
in case of fire4 ,a third was to  raise 
water for the supply of towns1 and a    
fourth to drain fens and marsh  lands4  
,but the most important1 in the         
inventor's estimation1 was its          
employment in clearing drowned mines and
 coal-pits of water4 ,he showed  how    
water might be raised from deep mines by
 using several engines1 placed  at      
different depths1 one over the other4   
,thus by three lifts1 each of #hj  feet1
 water might be raised from a mine about
 #bdj feet--then considered a  very     
great depth4 ,from ,savery's own        
account1 it is evident that several  of 
his engines were erected in ,cornwall2  
and it is said that the first  was tried
 at ,huel ,vor1 or 8,the ,great ,work in
 ,breage10 a few miles from  ,helstone1 
then considered the richest tin mine in 
the county4 ,the engine  was found to be

 an improvement on the methods formerly 
employed for  draining the mine1 and    
sent the miners to considerably greater 
depths4 ,but  the great pressure of     
steam required to force up a high column
 of water  was such as to strain to the 
utmost the imperfect boilers and        
receivers  of those early days2 and the 
frequent explosions which attended its  
use  eventually led to its              
discontinuance in favour of the superior
 engine of  ,newcomen1 which was shortly
 after invented4    ,savery also        
endeavoured to introduce his engine in  
the coal-mining  districts1 but without 
success1 and for the same reason4 ,the  
demand for  coal in connection with the 
iron manufacture having greatly         
increased  in the county of ,stafford1  
and the coal which lay nearest the      
surface  having been for the most part  
8won10 the mining interest became very  
desirous of obtaining some more         
efficient means of clearing the pits of 
water1 in order to send the miners      

deeper into the ground4 ,windlass and   
buckets1 wind-mills1 horse-gins1        
rack-and-chain pumps1 adits1 and all    
sorts of contrivances had been tried1   
and the limit of their powers had  been 
reached4 ,the pits were fast becoming   
drowned out1 and the ironmasters  began 
to fear lest their manufacture should   
become lost through want of  fuel4      
,under these circumstances they were    
ready to hail the invention of  ,captain
 ,savery1 which promised to relieve them
 of their difficulty4 ,he  was          
accordingly invited to erect one of his 
engines over a coal-mine at  the        
,broadwaters1 near ,wednesbury4 ,the    
influx of water1 however1 proved  too   
much for the engine2 the springs were so
 many and so strong1 that all  the means
 which ,savery could employ failed to   
clear the mine of water4 ,to  increase  
the forcing power he increased the      
pressure of steam2 but neither  boiler  
nor receiver could endure it1 and the   
steam 8tore the engine to  pieces2 so   

that1 after much time1 labour1 and      
expense1 ,mr4 ,savery gave up  the      
undertaking1 and the engine was laid    
aside as useless40#cd        #cd ,dr4   
,wilkes in #8,shaw's ,history of        
,staffordshire1' i4 #he1 #aai4    ,he   
was no more successful with the engine  
which he erected at  ,york-buildings to 
pump water from the ,thames for the     
supply of the western  parts of ,london4
 ,bradley says that to increase its     
power he doubled  every part1 but 8it   
was liable to so many disorders1 if a   
single mistake  happened in the working 
of it1 that at length it was looked upon
 as a  useless piece of work1 and       
rejected40#ce ,savery's later engines   
thus  lost him much of the credit which 
he had gained by those of an earlier    
and simpler construction4 ,it became    
clear that their application was  very  
limited4 ,they involved much waste of   
fuel through the condensation  of the   
hot steam pressing upon the surface of  
the cold water1 previous  to the        

expulsion of the latter from the vessel2
 and eventually their  use was confined 
to the pumping of water for fountains   
and the supply  of gentlemen's houses1  
and in some cases to the raising of     
water for the  purpose of working an    
overshot water-wheel4 ,various attempts 
were made to  improve the engine by     
,bradley1 by ,papin1 by ,desaguliers1   
and others2 but  no great advance was   
made in its construction and method of  
working until  it was taken in hand by  
,newcomen and ,calley1 whose conjoint   
invention  marks an important epoch in  
the history of the steam-engine4        
#ce ,bradley1 #8,discourses on ,earth   
and ,water1 c4' ,westminster1           
#agbg4    ,not much is known of the     
later years of ,savery's life4 ,we find 
him a  ,captain of ,military ,engineers 
in #agjb2cf and in #agje1 with the view 
of advancing knowledge in his special   
branch of military science1 he  gave to 
the world a translation1 in folio1 of   
,cohorn's celebrated work  on           

fortification4 ,the book was dedicated  
to ,prince ,george of ,denmark1  to whom
 he was indebted1 in the same year1 for 
his appointment to the  office of       
,treasurer of the ,hospital for ,sick   
and ,wounded ,seamen4 ,various  letters 
and documents are still to be found in  
the ,transport ,office1  ,somerset      
,house1 addressed to him in that        
capacity4#cg ,in #agad he was  further  
indebted to ,prince ,george for the     
appointment of ,surveyor to  the        
,waterworks at ,hampton ,court2 but he  
did not live to enjoy it1 as he  died in
 the course of the following year4 ,he  
is said to have accumulated             
considerable property1 which he         
bequeathed to his wife1 together with   
all  interest in his inventions4 ,his   
will was executed on the day of his     
death1  the #aeth of ,may1 #agae1 and   
was proved four days after in the       
,prerogative  ,court of ,canterbury4 ,he
 there described himself as 8of the     
parish of ,saint  ,margaret1 at         

,westminster1 ,esquire40 ,his widow     
herself died before all his  effects    
were administered4 ,there was a         
considerable amount of unclaimed  stock1
 which the ,savery family were prevented
 from claiming1 as it had  passed to the
 widow2 and it has since been           
transferred to the credit of  the       
,national ,debt4        #cf ,we are     
informed by ,quartermaster ,conolly1    
,r4,e41 who has given        much       
attention to the early history of the   
,royal ,engineers1        that the book 
of ,warrants and ,appointments1 anno    
#agab1 ,no4 #agb1        in the ,tower  
,record-room1 contains the following    
memorandum in        pencil on the      
inside cover3--,thomas 8,savery1        
,engineer officer1        #agjb-ad40    
#cg ,a pamphlet published in #agab1     
entitled #8,an ,impartial ,inquiry      
into the ,management of the ,war in     
,spain1' contains the following         
reference to ,savery3--8,sums allowed by
 ,parliament for carrying        on the 

war in ,spain 444 for the year #agaj4   
,to ,thomas ,savery1        ,esq41 for  
,thomas ,cale1 surgeon1 for care of     
disabled soldiers1        #cjfl4 #fs4   
#d;d40          ,,chapter ,,iv4         
,,thomas ,,newcomen--,,the ,,atmospheric
 ,,engine4      ,the invention of the   
steam-engine had advanced thus far with 
halting  steps4 ,a new power had been   
discovered1 but it was so dangerous and 
unmanageable that it was still doubtful 
whether it could be applied to  any     
useful purpose4 ,what was still wanting 
was an engine strong enough to  resist  
the internal pressure of highly-heated  
steam1 and so constructed  as to work   
safely1 continuously1 and economically4 
,many attempts had been  made to        
contrive such a machine2 but1 as we have
 shown1 the results were  comparatively 
barren4 ,savery's small engine could    
raise water in moderate  quantities to  
limited heights2 but the pumping of deep
 mines was beyond  its power4 ,it could 
force water to a height of about sixteen

 fathoms2 but  as the depth of mines at 
that time was from fifty to a hundred   
yards1  it was obviously incompetent for
 their drainage4 ,it is true1 ,savery   
proposed to overcome the difficulty by  
erecting a series of engines1  placed   
one over another in the shaft of the    
mine2 but the expense of their          
attendants1 the great consumption of    
fuel1 the cost of wear and tear1 the    
constant danger of explosion1 and the   
risk of the works being stopped by  any 
one of the engines becoming temporarily 
deranged1 rendered it clear  that the   
use of his engine for ordinary mining   
purposes was altogether  impracticable4 
,such was the state of affairs when     
,thomas ,newcomen of ,dartmouth took up 
the subject4 ,comparatively little is   
known of the personal history of  this  
ingenious man4 ,mechanical inventors    
excited little notice in those  days2   
they were looked upon as schemers1 and  
oftener regarded as objects  of         
suspicion than of respect4 ,thomas      

,newcomen was by trade an ironmonger    
and a blacksmith4 ,the house in which he
 lived and worked stood1 until  quite   
recently1 in ,lower ,street1 ,dartmouth4
 ,like many of the ancient  timber      
houses of that quaint old town1 it was a
 building of singularly  picturesque    
appearance4 ,lower ,street is very      
narrow2 the houses in it are  tall and  
irregular1 with overhanging peaked      
gable-ends4 ,a few years since1         
,newcomen's house began to show         
indications of decay2 the timber        
supports  were fast failing2 and for    
safety's sake it was determined to pull 
it to  the ground4    ,illustration3    
,,newcomen',s ,,house1 ,,dartmouth4     
,by ,r4 ,p4 ,leitch4#ch        #ch      
,newcomen's house occupies the centre of
 the above        engraving--the house  
with the peaked gable-end supported by  
timbers4    ,the ,newcomen family have  
long since become extinct in ,dartmouth4
 ,they are  said to have left the place 
long ago1 and gone northward2 but we    

have been  unable to trace them4 ,the   
,newcomens appear to have occupied a    
respectable  position in ,dartmouth down
 to about the middle of the last        
century4 ,their  burying-place was in   
the north-side chapel of the fine old   
parish church  of the town1 where       
several tablets are erected to their    
memory4 ,amongst  others1 there is one  
to ,william ,newcomin1                  
,attorney-at-,law1 who died  the #bdth  
of ,august1 #agde1 aged #eg1 supposed to
 have been a brother1 and  another of   
the same name1 who died in #aghg1 aged  
#fe1 supposed to have been  a son of the
 ironmonger4    ,thomas ,newcomen was a 
man of strong religious feelings1 and   
from an early  period of his life       
occupied his leisure in voluntary       
religious teaching4  ,he belonged to the
 sect of ,baptists2 and the place was   
standing until  recently in which he    
regularly preached4 ,when he afterwards 
went into  distant parts of the country 
on engine business1 he continued to     

devote  his ,sundays to the same work4  
,how he first came to study the subject 
of  steam is not known4 ,mr4 ,holdsworth
 says a story was current in ,dartmouth 
in his younger days1 and generally      
believed1 that ,newcomen conceived  the 
idea of the motive power to be obtained 
from steam by watching the  tea-kettle1 
the lid of which would frequently rise  
and fall when boiling2  and1 reasoning  
upon this fact1 he contrived1 by filling
 a cylinder with  steam1 to raise the   
piston1 and by immediately injecting    
some cold water1  to create a vacuum1   
which allowed the weight of the         
atmosphere to press  the piston down1   
and so give motion to a pump by means of
 a beam and  rods4#ci        #ci        
,pamphlet on #8,dartmouth3 the          
advantages of its ,harbour as        a  
,station for ,foreign ,mail ,packets1   
and a ,short ,notice of its             
,ancient and ,present ,condition4' ,by  
,a4 ,h4 ,holdsworth4 ,london1           
#ahda4    ,it is probable that ,newcomen

 was well aware of the experiments of   
,savery  on steam while the latter was  
living at ,modbury1 about fifteen miles 
distant4 ,it will be remembered that    
,savery was greatly hampered in his     
earlier contrivances by the want of     
skilled workmen2 and as ,newcomen had   
the reputation of being one of the      
cleverest blacksmiths in the county1  it
 is supposed that he was employed to    
make some of the more intricate  parts  
of ,savery's engine4 ,at all events1 he 
could scarcely fail to hear  from the   
men of his trade in the neighbourhood1  
what his speculative  neighbour at      
,modbury was trying to compass in the   
invention of an engine  for the purpose 
of raising water by fire4 ,he was       
certainly occupied in  studying the     
subject about the same time as ,savery2 
and ,switzer says he  was well informed 
that 8,mr4 ,newcomen was as early in his
 invention as ,mr4  ,savery was in his1 
only the latter being nearer the ,court1
 had obtained  the patent before the    

other knew it2 on which account ,mr4    
,newcomen was  glad to come in as a     
partner to it40#dj    ,another          
account#da states that a draft of       
,savery's engine having come  under     
,newcomen's notice1 he proceeded to make
 a model of it1 which he  fixed in his  
garden1 and soon found out its          
imperfections4 ,he entered  into a      
correspondence on the subject with the  
learned and ingenious ,dr4  ,hooke1 then
 ,secretary to the ,royal ,society1 a   
man of remarkable ingenuity1  and of    
great mechanical sagacity and insight4  
,newcomen had heard or read  of ,papin's
 proposed method of transmitting motive 
power to a distance by  creating a      
vacuum under a piston in a cylinder1 and
 transmitting the power  through pipes  
to a second cylinder near the mine4 ,dr4
 ,hooke dissuaded  ,newcomen from       
erecting a machine on this principle1 as
 a waste of time and  labour2 but he    
added the pregnant suggestion1 8could he
 7meaning ,papin7  make a speedy vacuum 

under your piston1 your work were done40
        #dj ,switzer1 #8,introduction to
 a ,system of ,hydrostatics and         
,hydraulics1' p4 #cdb4        #da       
,harris1 #8,lexicon ,technicum4'    ,the
 capital idea thus cursorily thrown     
out--of introducing a moveable          
diaphragm between the active power and  
the vacuum--set ,newcomen at  once upon 
the right track4 ,though the suggestion 
was merely that of a  thoughtful        
bystander1 it was a most important step 
in the history of the  invention1 for it
 contained the very principle of the    
atmospheric engine4  ,savery created his
 vacuum by the condensation of steam in 
a closed vessel1  and ,papin created his
 by exhausting the air in a cylinder    
fitted with a  piston1 by means of an   
air-pump4 ,it remained for ,newcomen to 
combine the  two expedients--to secure a
 sudden vacuum by the condensation of   
steam2  but1 instead of employing       
,savery's closed vessel1 he made use of 
,papin's  cylinder fitted with a piston4

 ,after long scheming and many failures1
  he at length succeeded1 in the year   
#agje1db in contriving a model that     
worked with tolerable precision2 after  
which he sought for an opportunity  of  
exhibiting its powers in a full-sized   
working engine4 ,it ought to be         
mentioned1 that in the long course of   
experiments conducted by ,newcomen  with
 the object of finding out the new      
motive power1 he was zealously  assisted
 throughout by one ,john ,calley1 a     
glazier of ,dartmouth1 of whom  nothing 
further is known than that he was       
,newcomen's intimate friend1  of the    
same religious persuasion1 and          
afterwards his partner in the           
steam-engine enterprise4        #db ,it 
has been stated that ,newcomen took out 
a patent for his        invention in    
#agje2 but this is a mistake1 as no     
patent was        ever taken out by     
,newcomen4 ,it is supposed that ,savery1
 having        heard of his invention1  
gave him notice that he would regard    

his method of producing a speedy vacuum 
by condensation1 as        an           
infringement of his patent1 and that    
,newcomen accordingly        agreed to  
give him an interest in the new engine  
during the        term of ,savery's     
patent4 ,it will1 however1 be observed  
that        the principle on which      
,newcomen's engine worked was entirely  
different from that of ,savery4         
,newcomen's engine may be thus briefly  
described3--,the steam was generated  in
 a separate boiler1 as in ,savery's     
engine1 from which it was conveyed  into
 a vertical cylinder underneath a piston
 fitting it closely1 but  moveable      
upwards and downwards through its whole 
length4 ,the piston was  fixed to a rod1
 which was attached by a joint or a     
chain to the end of  a lever vibrating  
upon an axis1 the other end being       
attached to a rod  working a pump4 ,when
 the piston in the cylinder was raised1 
steam was let  into the vacated space   
through a tube fitted into the top of   

the boiler1  and mounted with a         
stopcock4 ,the pump-rod at the further  
end of the lever  being thus depressed1 
cold water was applied to the sides of  
the cylinder1  on which the steam within
 it was condensed1 a vacuum was         
produced1 and the  external air1        
pressing upon the top of the piston1    
forced it down into  the empty cylinder4
 ,the pump-rod was thereby raised2 and  
the operation  of depressing and raising
 it being repeated1 a power was thus    
produced  which kept the pump           
continuously at work4 ,such1 in a few   
words1 was the  construction and action 
of ,newcomen's first engine4    ,it will
 thus be observed that this engine was  
essentially different in  principle from
 that of ,savery4 ,while the latter     
raised water partly by  the force of    
steam and partly by the pressure of the 
atmosphere1 that  of ,newcomen worked   
entirely by the pressure of the         
atmosphere1 steam  being only used as   
the most expeditious method of producing

 a vacuum4  ,the engine was1 however1   
found to be very imperfect4 ,it was     
exceedingly  slow in its motions2 much  
time was occupied in condensing the     
contained  steam by throwing cold water 
on the outside of the cylinder2 and as  
the  boiler was placed immediately under
 the cylinder1 it was not easy to       
prevent the cold water from splashing   
it1 and thus leading to a further  loss 
of heat4 ,to remedy these imperfections1
 ,newcomen and ,calley altered  the     
arrangement2 and1 instead of throwing   
cold water on the outside of  the       
cylinder1 they surrounded it with cold  
water4 ,but this expedient was  also    
found inconvenient1 as the surrounding  
water shortly became warm1  and ceased  
to condense until replaced by colder    
water2 but the colder it  was the       
greater was the loss of heat by         
condensation1 before the steam  was     
enabled to fill the cylinder again on   
each ascent of the piston4    ,clumsy   
and comparatively ineffective though the

 engine was in this form1  it was1      
nevertheless1 found of some use in      
pumping water from mines4  ,in #agaa    
,newcomen and ,calley made proposals to 
the owners of a colliery  at ,griff1 in 
,warwickshire1 to drain the water from  
their pits1 which  until then had been  
drained by the labour of horses2 but1   
the owners not  believing in the        
practicability of the scheme1 their     
offer was declined4  ,in the following  
year1 however1 they succeeded in        
obtaining a contract  with ,mr4 ,back1  
for drawing the water from a mine       
belonging to him near  ,wolverhampton4  
,the place where the engine was to be   
erected being near to  ,birmingham1 the 
ironwork1 the pump-valves1 clacks1 and  
buckets1 were for  the most part made   
there1 and removed to the mine1 where   
they were fitted  together4 ,newcomen   
had great difficulty at first in making 
the engine go2  but after many laborious
 attempts he at last partially          
succeeded4 ,it was  found1 however1 that

 the new method of cooling the cylinder 
by surrounding  it with cold water did  
not work so well in practice as had been
 expected4  ,the vacuum produced was    
very imperfect1 and the action of the   
engine was  both very slow and very     
irregular4    ,while the engine was     
still in its trial state1 a curious     
accident occurred  which led to another 
change in the mode of condensation1 and 
proved of  essential importance in      
establishing ,newcomen's engine as a    
practicable  working power4 ,the        
accident was this3 in order to keep the 
cylinder as  free from air as possible1 
great pains were taken to prevent it    
passing  down by the side of the piston1
 which was carefully wrapped with cloth 
or  leather2 and1 still further to keep 
the cylinder air-tight1 a quantity  of  
water was kept constantly laying on the 
upper side of the piston4 ,at  one of   
the early trials the inventors were     
surprised to see the engine  make       
several strokes in unusually quick      

succession2 and on searching for  the   
cause1 they found it to consist in a    
hole in the piston1 which had  let the  
cold water in a jet into the inside of  
the cylinder1 and thereby  produced a   
rapid vacuum by the condensation of the 
contained steam4 ,a new  light suddenly 
broke upon ,newcomen4 ,the idea of      
condensing by injection  of cold water  
directly into the cylinder1 instead of  
applying it on the  outside1 at once    
occurred to him2 and he proceeded to    
embody the expedient  which had thus    
been accidentally suggested1 as part of 
his machine4 ,the  result was the       
addition of the injection-pipe1 through 
which1 when the  piston was raised and  
the cylinder was full of steam1 a jet of
 cold water  was thrown in1 and the     
steam being suddenly condensed1 the     
piston was at  once driven down by the  
pressure of the atmosphere4    ,an      
accident of a different kind shortly    
after led to the improvement of         
,newcomen's engine in another respect4  

,to keep it at work1 one man was        
required to attend the fire1 and another
 to turn alternately the two  cocks1 one
 admitting the steam into the cylinder1 
the other admitting  the jet of cold    
water to condense it4 ,the turning of   
these cocks was easy  work1 usually     
performed by a boy4 ,it was1 however1 a 
very monotonous duty1  though requiring 
constant attention4 ,to escape the      
drudgery and obtain an  interval for    
rest1 or perhaps for play1 a boy named  
,humphrey ,potter1 who  turned the      
cocks1 set himself to discover some     
method of evading his task4  ,he must   
have been an ingenious boy1 as is clear 
from the arrangement he  contrived with 
this object4 ,observing the alternate   
ascent and descent  of the beam above   
his head1 he bethought him of applying  
the movement  to the alternate raising  
and lowering of the levers which        
governed the  cocks4 ,the result was the
 contrivance of what he called the      
scoggan1#dc  consisting of a catch      

worked by strings from the beam of the  
engine4 ,this  arrangement1 when tried1 
was found to answer the purpose         
intended4 ,the  action of the engine was
 thus made automatic2 and the           
arrangement1 though  rude1 not only     
enabled ,potter to enjoy his play1 but  
it had the effect of  improving the     
working power of the engine itself2 the 
number of strokes  which it made being  
increased from six or eight to fifteen  
or sixteen in  the minute4 ,this        
invention was afterwards greatly        
improved by ,mr4 ,henry  ,beighton1 of  
,newcastle-on-,tyne1 who added the      
plug-rod and hand-gear4 ,he  did away   
with the catches and strings of the boy 
,potter's rude apparatus1  and          
substituted a rod suspended from the    
beam1 which alternately opened  and shut
 the tappets attached to the steam and  
injection cocks4    ,illustration3      
,,newcomen',s ,,engine4#dd        #dc   
,scogging is a north country word1      
meaning skulking one's        work1 from

 which probably the boy gave the        
contrivance its name4        ,potter1   
however1 grew up to be a highly-skilled 
workman4 ,he went        abroad about   
the year #agbj1 and erected an engine at
 a mine in        ,hungary1 described by
 ,leupold in his #8,theatrum            
,machinarum1' with        many encomiums
 upon ,potter1 who was considered the   
inventor4        #dd ,the illustration  
shows the several parts of ,newcomen's  
atmospheric engine4 a is the boiler2 b1 
the piston moving        up and down2 c1
 the cylinder2 d1 a pipe proceeding from
 the        top of the boiler1 and      
inserted into the bottom of the         
cylinder1        having a cock1 e1 to   
interrupt the flow of steam at pleasure2
        f1 cold-water cistern1 from     
which the cold water is conveyed        
by the pipe g1 called the               
injection-pipe1 and thrown in a jet     
into the cylinder1 b1 on turning the    
injection-cock1 h2        the           
snifting-valve1 i1 enables the air to   

escape from the        cylinder1 while  
the siphon-pipe1 j1 enables the         
condensed        steam to flow from the 
same cavity in the form of water2 k1    
the main lever beam2 l1 the counterpoise
 or weight hung on the                  
balance-beam1 or on m1 the pump-rod     
which works the pump1 n4    ,thus1 step 
by step1 ,newcomen's engine grew in     
power and efficiency1  and became more  
and more complete as a self-acting      
machine4 ,it will be  observed that1    
like all other inventions1 it was not   
the product of any  one man's ingenuity1
 but of many4 ,one contributed one      
improvement1 and  another another4 ,the 
essential features of the atmospheric   
engine were  not new4 ,the piston and   
cylinder had been known as long ago as  
the time  of ,hero4 ,the expansive force
 of steam and the creation of a vacuum  
by its  condensation had been known to  
the ,marquis of ,worcester1 ,savery1    
,papin1  and many more4 ,newcomen merely
 combined in his machine the result of  

their  varied experience1 and1 assisted 
by the persons who worked with him1 down
  to the engine-boy ,potter1 he advanced
 the invention several important        
stages2 so that the steam-engine was no 
longer a toy or a scientific  curiosity1
 but had become a powerful machine      
capable of doing useful work4      ,the 
comparative success which attended the  
working of ,newcomen's first  engine at 
the colliery near ,wolverhampton1       
shortly induced other owners of         
coal-mines to adopt it4 ,there were     
great complaints in the north1 of the   
deeper mines having become unworkable4  
,all the ordinary means of pumping  them
 clear of water had failed4 ,in their   
emergency1 the colliery-owners  called  
,newcomen and ,calley to their aid4     
,they were invited down to              
,newcastle-upon-,tyne1 in the           
neighbourhood of which town they erected
 their  second and third engines4 ,they 
were next summoned to ,leeds1 and       
erected  their fourth engine at         

,austhorpe1 in #agad4 ,it was the sight 
of this engine  at work which first     
induced ,smeaton1 when a boy1 to turn   
his attention to  mechanics1 and        
eventually led him to study the         
atmospheric-engine1 with a  view to its 
improvement4 ,the cylinder of the engine
 erected at ,austhorpe1  like those     
which had preceded it1 was about #bc    
inches in diameter1 and  made about     
fifteen strokes a minute4 ,the pumps1   
which were in two lifts1  and of #i     
inches bore1 drew the water from a depth
 of #cg yards4 ,the  patentees had      
#bejl4 a year for working and keeping   
the engine in order4  ,calley           
superintended its erection1 and         
afterwards its working2 but he did  not 
long survive its completion1 as he died 
at ,austhorpe in #agag4    ,the next    
engines were erected by ,newcomen in    
,cornwall1 where there was as  great a  
demand for increased pumping-power as in
 any of the collieries of  the north4   
,the first of ,newcomen's construction  

in ,cornwall was erected  in #agbj1 at  
the ,wheal ,fortune tin mine1 in the    
parish of ,ludgvan1 a  few miles        
north-east of ,penzance4 ,the mine was  
conducted by ,mr4 ,william  ,lemon1 the 
founder of the fortunes of the          
well-known ,cornish family4 ,he  was    
born in a humble station in life1 from  
which he honourably raised  himself by  
his great industry1 ability1 and energy4
 ,he began his career  as a mining-boy2 
was at an early age appointed one of the
 managers of a  tin-smelting house at   
,chiandower1 near ,penzance2 and after  
the experience  gained by him in that   
capacity he engaged in the working of   
the ,wheal  ,fortune mine4 ,with the    
help of ,newcomen's engine1 the         
enterprise proved  completely           
successful2 and after realising a       
considerable sum he removed  to ,truro1 
and began working the great ,gwennap    
mines on such a scale as  had never     
before been known in ,cornwall4#de      
#de ,mr4 ,lemon eventually became the   

principal merchant and                  
tin-smelter of ,cornwall4 ,mr4 ,davies  
,gilbert says3--8,the energies        of
 his mind were not limited to these     
undertakings1 great        though they  
were4 ,he cultivated a taste for        
literature1 and1        which is        
extremely unusual1 acquired1 amidst     
business1 and at a        middle age1   
the power of reading the classic authors
 in their        original language4444  
,he was distinguished in his district as
        8the great ,mr4 ,lemon10 but    
such were the impressions of his        
abilities1 his exertions1 and general   
merit1 that a progress so        rapid  
and unexampled does not appear to have  
excited envy1 or        any of those bad
 passions which usually alloy the       
enjoyment of                            
prosperity40--#8,history of ,cornwall1' 
ii4 #hd4    ,the ,wheal ,fortune engine 
was on a larger scale than any that had 
yet been  erected1 the cylinder being   
#dg inches in diameter1 making about    

fifteen  strokes a minute4 ,it drew     
about a hogshead of water at each       
stroke1 from  a pump #cj fathoms deep1  
through pit-barrels #ae inches in       
diameter1 and  its performances were on 
the whole regarded as very              
extraordinary4 ,the  principal objection
 to its use consisted in the very large 
quantity of  coal that it consumed and  
the heavy cost of maintaining it in     
working  order4 ,there was a great      
waste1 especially in boilers1 the making
 of which  was then ill understood4     
,smeaton relates that in the course of  
four years'  working of the first       
,austhorpe engine1 not fewer than four  
boilers were  burnt out4 ,the ,wheal    
,fortune engine1 however1 answered its  
purpose4 ,it  kept down the water       
sufficiently to enable ,mr4 ,lemon to   
draw up his tin1  and on leaving the    
mine1 he took with him to ,truro a clear
 sum of ten  thousand pounds4 ,the      
engine-house is now in ruins1 and       
presents a highly  picturesque          

appearance1 as seen from the heights of 
,trewal1 reminding one  of a ,border    
,peel rather than of a mining           
engine-house4    ,illustration3 ,,ruins 
,,of ,,wheal ,,fortune4    ,by ,r4 ,p4  
,leitch4    ,another of ,newcomen's     
engines was erected about the same time 
at the  ,wheal ,rose mine1 a few miles  
north of ,redruth4 ,the engineer        
appointed  to superintend its erection  
was ,joseph ,hornblower1 who came from  
,staffordshire for the purpose about the
 year #agbe4 ,mr4 ,cyrus ,redding1 one  
of ,hornblower's descendants1 says1 8how
 he became in any way connected  with   
,newcomen must have arisen from the     
latter being at ,bromsgrove1 when  he   
visited ,mr4 ,potter1 who got him to    
build one of his newly-invented  engines
 at ,wolverhampton in #agab40df ,another
 engine was afterwards  erected by      
,hornblower at ,wheal ,busy1 or         
,chacewater1 and a third at             
,polgooth--all rich and well-known mines
 in ,cornwall4    ,illustration3        

,,polgooth4        #df 8,it may be      
interesting to know that it required    
three hands        to work ,newcomen's  
first engines4 ,i have heard it said    
that        when the engine was stopped1
 and again set at work1 the words       
were passed 8,snift ,benjy60 8,blow the 
fire1 ,pomery60 8,work        away1     
,joe60 ,the last let in the condensing  
water4 ,lifting the        condensing   
clack was called 8snifting10 because on 
opening        the valve1 the air       
rushing through it made a noise like a  
man        snifting4 ,the fire was      
increased through artificial means by   
another hand1 and all being ready1 the  
machine was set in motion        by a   
third40--,cyrus ,redding1 #8,yesterday  
and ,to-day4' ,london1        #ahfc4    
,the 8snifting clack0 was a valve in the
 cylinder opening        outwards1 which
 permitted the escape of air or         
permanently        elastic fluid1 which 
could not be condensed by cold and run  
off        through the eduction-pipe4   

,though the use of ,newcomen's engine   
rapidly extended1 nothing is known of   
the man himself during this time4 ,all  
over the mining districts his name  was 
identified with the means employed for  
pumping the mines clear of  water1 and  
thereby enabling an important branch of 
the national industry  to be carried on2
 but of ,newcomen's personal history1   
beyond what has  been stated above1 we  
can gather nothing4 ,it is not known    
when or where  he died1 whether rich or 
poor4 ,the probability is that1 being a 
person  of a modest and retiring        
disposition1 without business energy1   
and having  secured no protection for   
his invention1 it was appropriated and  
made use  of by others1 without any     
profit to him1 whilst he quietly        
subsided into  private life4 ,it is     
supposed that he died at ,dartmouth     
about the middle  of last century2 but  
no stone marks the place where he was   
laid4 ,the  only memorial of ,newcomen  
to be found at his native place is the  

little  steam-boat called by his name1  
which plies between ,totness and        
,dartmouth4    ,during ,newcomen's      
lifetime the proposal was revived of    
applying the  steam-engine to the       
propelling of ships4 ,since ,papin's    
time nothing  had been accomplished in  
this direction4 ,now that the           
steam-engine was  actively employed in  
pumping mines1 it was natural enough    
that the idea  should be revived of     
applying it to navigation4 ,the most    
enthusiastic  advocate of the new power 
was ,jonathan ,hulls1 a native of       
,campden1 in  ,gloucestershire1 where he
 was born in #afii4 ,he married a wife  
in #agai1  before he was out of his     
teens2 an act of indiscretion in which1 
however1  he had the example of one no  
less distinguished than ,shakspeare4    
,living  as he did in an inland country 
place1 it seems remarkable that he      
should  have directed his attention to  
the subject of steam-navigation4 ,we    
find him making experiments with models 

of boats on the river ,avon1 at         
,evesham1 and in course of time he duly 
matured his ideas and embodied  them in 
his patent of #agcf4dg ,he proposed to  
place a ,newcomen engine  on board a    
tow-boat1 and by its means to work a    
paddle-wheel placed at  the stern4 ,his 
method of converting the rectilinear    
motion of his piston  into a rotary one 
was ingenious1 but1 like ,savery1 he    
missed the crank  on the paddle-shaft1  
and many years passed before this simple
 expedient  was adopted4#dh 8,the work  
to be done by this machine10 said he1   
8will be  upon particular occasions1    
when all other means yet found out are  
wholly  insufficient4 ,how often does a 
merchant wish that his ship were on the 
ocean1 when1 if she were there1 the wind
 would serve tolerably well to  carry   
him on his intended voyage1 but does not
 serve at the same time to  carry him   
out of the river he happens to be in1   
which a few hours' work  of the machine 
would do4 ,besides1 ,i know engines that

 are driven by the  same power as this  
is1 where materials for the purpose are 
dearer than in  any navigable river in  
,england2 therefore experience          
demonstrates that the  expense will be  
but a trifle to the value of the work   
performed by those  sort of machines1   
which any person that knows the nature  
of those things  may easily calculate40 
,his treatise was illustrated by a      
drawing1 of which  the following is a   
copy on a reduced scale4        #dg ,in 
#agcg he published a ,treatise on the   
subject entitled1 #8,a                  
description and ,draught of a           
new-invented ,machine for carrying      
,vessels or ,ships out of or into any   
,harbour1 ,port1 or ,river1             
against ,wind or ,tide1 and in a ,calm1'
 by ,jonathan ,hulls4    ,illustration3 
,,jonathan ,,hulls',s ,,steam-,,boat4   
#dh ,in describing his mode of obtaining
 rotary motion by ratchet        wheels1
 a weight1 and ropes1 ,hulls states that
 he uses two        axes1 one behind the

 other1 each of which is essential to   
the        object2 and he then adds1    
that when his tow-boat is to be used    
in shallow rivers1 the machine works by 
two cranks fixed to the                 
hindermost axis2 to which cranks are    
fixed two shafts 7or poles7        of   
proper length to reach the bottom of the
 river1 and which        move           
alternately forward from the motion of  
the wheels by which        the vessel is
 carried on3 so that the cranks1 as     
described        by ,hulls1 receive     
rotary motion from the axis on which    
they        are placed1 and do not1 as  
has been erroneously stated1 impart     
that motion to it4--,bennet ,woodcroft1 
#8,sketch of the ,origin and            
,progress of ,steam ,navigation4'       
,london1 #ahdh4    ,the inventor1 aware 
of the novelty of his proposal and of   
the readiness of  the public to ridicule
 novelties1 deprecated rash censure of  
his project1  and only claimed for it a 
fair and unprejudiced trial4 ,in order  

to exhibit  the powers of his           
steam-boat1 he constructed an engine in 
#agcg1 and had it  fixed on board a     
little vessel for trial in the river    
,avon at ,evesham4 ,the  trial was not  
satisfactory1 and the engine was taken  
on shore again4 8,a  failure6 ,a        
failure60 cried the spectators1 who     
stigmatised the projector  as an ass4   
,the prophet had1 indeed1 no honour     
whatever in his own country4  ,long     
after his steam-boat experiment had been
 forgotten1 these lines about  him were 
remembered3--        8,jonathan ,hull1  
,with his paper skull1      ,tried hard 
to make a machine    ,that should go    
against wind and tide3        ,but he1  
like an ass1        ,couldn't bring it  
to pass1      ,so at last was ashamed to
 be seen40#di    ,not much more is known
 of ,jonathan ,hulls's history4 ,in     
#aged he published1  in conjunction with
 two others1 a treatise on #8,the ,art  
of ,measuring  made ,easy1 by the help  
of a new ,sliding-rule2' and shortly    

after #8,the  ,malt-maker's             
,instructor2' but nothing more was heard
 of ,jonathan ,hulls's  steam-boat4     
#di ,there are several versions of the  
same satire current to this        day  
in the villages of ,campden and ,hanging
 ,aston4    ,we return to the ,newcomen 
engine1 which became increasingly       
employed as  a pumping power in all the 
mining districts4 ,borlase1 writing in  
#ageh1  says that 8fire-engines0 were   
then in regular use at ,north ,downs    
near  ,redruth1 ,pitt-louarn1 ,polgooth1
 ,wheal-rith1 ,pool1 ,dolcoath1         
,herland1 and  many other places4#ej    
,indeed there was scarcely a tin or     
copper mine of  any importance in       
,cornwall that had not one or more of   
,newcomen's engines  at work4 ,they were
 also in general use in ,staffordshire1 
,yorkshire1  ,lancashire1 and           
,northumberland4 ,in the latter         
counties1 where they  were principally  
used for pumping water out of the coal  
mines1 fuel was  ready at hand1 cheap   

and abundant4 ,but in ,cornwall it was  
otherwise4 ,the  coal had to be brought 
thither from a great distance1 partly by
 sea and  partly by land1 and the cost  
of carriage was very heavy4 ,it1        
therefore1  became an object of much    
importance to reduce the consumption of 
fuel1  to prevent the profits of the    
mines being absorbed by the heavy cost  
of  working the pumps4 ,this1 indeed1   
was the great objection to ,newcomen's  
engine1 especially in ,cornwall4 ,the   
consumption of fuel at some mines  was  
so enormous1 that it was doubtful       
whether the cost of steam did not       
exceed that of an equal amount of horse 
power1 and it became more and  more     
difficult to realise even a bare margin 
of profit4 ,the two engines at  ,wheal  
,rose and ,wheal ,busy1 near            
,chacewater1 of #ff and #gb inches      
diameter1  consumed each about thirteen 
tons of coal daily4 ,to relieve the     
mining  interest1 in some measure1 from 
this charge1 government allowed a       

drawback  of five shillings a chaldron  
on coal2 but in some cases this was     
found  insufficient1 and it began to be 
complained that the consumption of coal 
was so great1 that the mines were barely
 paying4        #ej ,borlase1 #8,natural
 ,history of ,cornwall1' p4 #age4       
,invention1 however1 was constantly at  
work1 and new improvements were  from   
time to time introduced1 with the object
 of economising fuel and  increasing the
 efficiency of the engine4 ,among the   
ingenious men who  devoted themselves to
 this work1 were ,payne1 ,brindley1 and 
,smeaton4 ,of  these1 the last          
especially distinguished himself by his 
improvements of  the ,newcomen engine1  
which he may be said to have carried to 
the highest  perfection of which it was 
capable4 ,his famous ,chacewater engine 
was  the finest and most powerful work  
of the kind which had until then been   
constructed1 and it remained unrivalled 
until superseded by the invention  of   
,watt1 to whose life and labours we now 

proceed to direct the attention  of the 
reader4    ,illustration3 ,,dartmouth1  
,,from ,,the ,,harbour4    ,by ,r4 ,p4  
,leitch4          ,,james ,,watt3       
,,his ,,boyhood ,,and ,,early ,,life3   
,,mechanical ,,instrument ,,maker1      
,,surveyor1 ,,and  ,,inventor4          
,illustration3 ,,greenock ,,and ,,the   
,,clyde1 #ahfe4    ,by ,r4 ,p4 ,leitch1 
after a sketch by ,j4 ,s4 ,smiles4      
,illustration3 ,,greenock ,,harbour1    
#agfh4    ,fac-simile of an old print4  
,,chapter ,v4    ,,james                
,,watt--,,lineage ,,and                 
,,birthplace--,,boyhood ,,and           
,,apprenticeship4      ,james ,watt was 
born at ,greenock1 on the ,clyde1 on the
 #aith of ,january1  #agcf4 ,his parents
 were of the middle class1 industrious1 
intelligent1 and  religious people1 with
 a character for probity which had      
descended to them  from their           
8forbears10 and was cherished as their  
proudest inheritance4  ,james ,watt was 
thus emphatically well-born4 ,his father

 and grandfather  both held local       
offices of trust1 and honourable mention
 is made of them  in the records of     
,greenock4 ,his grandfather1 ,thomas    
,watt1 was the first  of the family who 
lived in that neighbourhood4 ,he had    
migrated thither  from the county of    
,aberdeen1 where his father was a small 
farmer in the  time of ,charles ,i4 ,it 
is supposed that he took part with the  
,covenanters  in resisting the ,marquis 
of ,montrose in his sudden descent upon 
,aberdeen  at the head of his wild      
,highlanders in the autumn of #afdd2 and
 that  the ,covenanting farmer was      
killed in one of the battles that       
ensued4  ,the district was ravaged by   
the victorious ,royalists2 the crops    
were  destroyed1 cattle lifted1         
dwellings burnt2 and many of the        
inhabitants  fled southwards for refuge 
in more peaceful districts4 ,hence      
,thomas  ,watt's migration to           
,cartsdyke1 where we find him settled as
 a teacher of  navigation and           

mathematics1 about the middle of the    
seventeenth century4    ,illustration3  
,,crawfordsburn ,,house1 ,,near         
,,greenock4    ,cartsdyke1 or           
,crawfordsdyke1 was then a village      
situated a little to the  east of       
,greenock1 though now forming part of   
it4 ,crawfordsburn ,house1  still       
standing1 was the residence of the lord 
of the manor1 and is a good  specimen of
 the old-fashioned country mansion4 ,it 
is beautifully situated  on the high    
ground overlooking the ,clyde4 ,in      
former times a green slope  stretched   
down from it towards the beach1 along   
which lay the village1  consisting of   
about a hundred cottages1 mostly        
thatched4 ,cartsdyke was1  however1 in  
early times1 a place of greater         
importance than ,greenock4  ,it had a   
pier1 which ,greenock as yet had not2   
and from this pier the  first ,clyde    
ship which crossed the ,atlantic sailed 
for ,darien in #afig4  ,what little     
enterprise existed in the neighbourhood 

was identified with  ,cartsdyke rather  
than with ,greenock2 and hence ,thomas  
,watt's preference  for it1 in setting  
up there as a teacher4 ,he1 too1 like   
his sire1 seems to  have been a sturdy  
,covenanter2 for we find him1 in #afhc1 
refusing to take  the test in favour of 
prelacy1 and he was consequently        
proclaimed to be  a 8disorderly         
schoolmaster officiating contrary to    
law40 ,he nevertheless  continued the   
teaching of the mathematics1 in which he
 seems to have  prospered1 as1 besides  
marrying a wife1 he shortly after bought
 the house  and garden which he         
occupied1 and subsequently added to his 
possessions  a tenement in the          
neighbouring village of ,greenock4      
,from the nature of his calling1 it is  
obvious that he must have been a        
thoughtful and intelligent person2#ea   
and that he was a man of excellent      
character is clear from the confidence  
he inspired in those who had the  best  
opportunities of knowing him4 ,when     

,william and ,mary were confirmed  in   
their occupancy of the ,british throne1 
shortly after the ,revolution of  #afhh1
 one of the first acts of ,mr4          
,crawford1 of ,crawfordsburn1 the feudal
  superior1 was to appoint ,thomas ,watt
 baillie of the barony--a position  of  
local importance1 involving the         
direction of public affairs within the  
limits of his jurisdiction4        #ea  
,among the few household articles       
belonging to him which        descended 
to his son1 and afterwards to his       
grandson the        engineer1 were two  
portraits1 one of ,sir ,isaac ,newton1  
and the        other of ,john ,napier1  
the inventor of ,logarithms4    ,a few  
years later1 the ,kirk ,session of      
,greenock1 having found him  8blameless 
in life and conversation10 appointed him
 an ,elder of the  parish1 when it      
became part of his duty to overlook not 
only the religious  observances1 but the
 manners and morals1 of the little      
community4 ,kirk  ,sessions did not then

 confine themselves to ecclesiastical   
affairs1 but  assumed the function of   
magistrates1 and almost exercised the   
powers of  an inquisition4 ,one of their
 most important duties was to provide   
for  the education of the rising        
generation1 in pursuance of the         
injunction of  ,john ,knox1 8that no    
father1 of what estate or condition that
 ever he may  be1 use his children at   
his own fantasie1 especially in their   
youthhead2  but all must be compelled to
 bring up their children in learning and
  virtue10--words which lie at the root 
of much of ,scotland's mental  culture1 
as well as1 probably1 of its material   
prosperity4 ,in #afif the  ,act was     
passed by the ,scotch ,parliament which 
is usually regarded as the  charter of  
the ,scotch parish-school system2 and in
 the following year the  ,kirk ,session 
of ,greenock proceeded to make provision
 for the establishment  of their parish 
school1 which continued until the ,town 
,council superseded  it by the ,grammar 

,school1 at which ,james ,watt1 the     
future engineer1  received the best part
 of his school education4    ,after     
holding the offices of ,presbytery      
,elder and ,kirk ,treasurer for  some   
time1 ,thomas ,watt craved leave to     
retire into private life4 ,he was       
seventy years old1 and felt infirmities 
growing upon him4 ,the plea was         
acknowledged1 and the request granted2  
and on his retirement from office  the  
,kirk ,session recorded on their minutes
 that ,thomas ,watt had been  found     
8diligent and faithful in the management
 of his trust40 ,he died at  the age of 
#ib1 and was buried in the old kirkyard 
of ,greenock1 where his  tombstone is   
still to be seen4 ,he is there described
 as 8,professor of  ,mathematics in     
,crawfordsdyk40 ,not far from his grave 
lie1 8mouldering in  silent dust10 the  
remains of ,burns's ,highland ,mary1 who
 died while on a  visit to a relative at
 ,greenock4    ,two sons survived the   
8,professor10 ,john and ,james1 who were

 well settled  in life when the old man 
died4 ,john1 the elder1 was trained by  
his father  in mathematics and          
surveying2 for some time officiating    
under him as clerk  to the barony of    
,cartsdyke1 and afterwards removing to  
,glasgow1 where he  began business on   
his own account4 ,in the year that his  
father died 7#agcd7  he made the first  
survey of the river ,clyde2 but he died 
shortly after1  and the map was         
published by his nephew4 ,james1 the    
engineer's father1  was bound apprentice
 to a carpenter and shipwright at       
,cartsdyke1 and on  the expiry of his   
term he set up business for himself in  
the same line at  ,greenock4    ,about  
the beginning of the last century1      
,greenock1 now one of the busiest  ports
 in the kingdom1 was but a little       
fishing-village1 consisting of a  single
 row of thatched cottages lying parallel
 with the sandy beach of the  ,frith of 
,clyde1 in what was then known as 8,sir 
,john's little bay40 ,sir  ,john ,shaw  

was the superior1 or lord of the manor1 
his mansion standing  on a height       
overlooking the town1#eb and commanding 
an extensive view  of the ,clyde1 from  
,roseneath to ,dumbarton4 ,across the   
water lay the  beautiful north shore1   
broken by the long narrow sea-lochs     
running far  away among the ,argyleshire
 hills4 ,their waters1 now plashed by   
the paddles  of innumerable ,clyde      
steamers1 were then only disturbed by   
the passing  of an occasional ,highland 
coble2 whilst their shores1 now fringed 
with  villages1 villas1 and mansions1   
were as lonely as ,glencoe4        #eb  
,the mansion house of the ,shaws is now 
principally occupied as        manorial 
offices4 ,the fine old garden and       
pleasure-grounds have        been       
presented by ,sir ,john ,shaw to the    
people of ,greenock as a        public  
park for ever4 ,it is now called 8,the  
,watt ,park10 and a        more         
beautiful spot 7bating the smoke of the 
busy town below7        is scarcely to  

be found in ,britain4    ,greenock was  
in a great measure isolated from other  
towns by impassable  roads4 ,the only   
route to ,greenock1 on the west1 lay    
along the beach1  and when strong winds 
raised a high tide the communication was
 entirely  cut off4 ,greenock was       
separated from ,cartsdyke1 on the east1 
by the ,ling  ,burn1 which was crossed  
by a plank1 afterwards supplanted by an 
old ship's  rudder2 and it was about the
 middle of the century before a bridge  
was  built across the stream4 ,the other
 provisions of the place for public     
service and convenience were of a like  
rude and primitive character3  thus1    
,greenock could not boast of a public   
clock until about the middle  of the    
last century1 when a town clock was     
mounted in a wooden steeple4  ,till     
then1 a dial1 still standing1 marked the
 hours when the sun shone1  and a bell  
hung upon a triangle summoned the people
 to kirk and market4  ,besides the kirk1
 however1 there was another public      

building--the ,black  ,hole1 or prison1 
which1 like the other houses in the     
place1 was covered  with thatch4 ,before
 the prison were placed the 8jougs10 as 
a terror to  evil-doers1 as well as a   
few old pieces of cannon1 taken from one
 of the  ships of the ,spanish ,armada  
wrecked near ,pencores ,castle4 ,the    
,black ,hole1  the jougs1 and the cannon
 were thought necessary precautions     
against  the occasional visits to which 
the place was subject from the hungry   
,highlandmen on the opposite shores of  
the firth4#ec        #ec ,in #agae the  
,greenock and ,cartsdyke men kept strict
 watch and        ward for eighty days  
against a threatened visit of ,rob ,roy 
and        his caterans4 ,the conduct of
 these unruly neighbours continued      
to cause apprehensions amongst the      
townspeople until a much        later   
period1 especially during fair time1    
then the great event        of the year4
 ,the fair was the occasion of the      
annual gathering        of the people   

from the neighbouring country to buy and
 to sell4        ,highlandmen came from 
the opposite shores and from the lochs  
down the ,clyde1 men caring little for  
,lowland law1 but duly        impressed 
by a display of force4 ,their boats were
 drawn up on        the beach with their
 prows to the ,high ,street1 the north  
side        of which at that time lay   
open to the sea4 ,the ,highland folk    
lived and slept on board1 each boat     
having a plank or gangway        between
 it and the shore4 ,on the first day of 
the fair ,sir ,john        ,shaw1 the   
feudal superior1 convened the local     
dignitaries1 the        deacons and the 
trades1 and after drinking the ,king's  
health        and throwing the glasses  
amongst the populace1 they formed in    
procession and perambulated the town4   
,the prosperity of ,greenock dates from 
the year #agjg1 shortly after the       
,union with ,england4 ,the ,british     
,parliament then granted what the       
,scottish  ,parliament had refused--the 

privilege of constructing a harbour4    
,before  that time there was no         
pier1--only a rude landing-stage which  
,sir ,john  ,shaw had provided for his  
barge in the 8,little ,bay20 but the    
fishermen's  boats and other small craft
 frequenting the place were beached in  
the  usual primitive way4 ,vessels of   
burden requiring to load or unload      
their cargoes did so at the pier at     
,cartsdyke above referred to4 ,when  the
 necessary powers were granted to make a
 harbour at ,greenock1 the  inhabitants 
proceeded to tax themselves to provide  
the necessary means1  paying a shilling 
and fourpence for every sack of malt    
brewed into ale  within the barony2 ale1
 not whisky1 being then the popular     
drink of  ,scotland4 ,the devotion of   
the townspeople to their 8yill caups0   
must have  been considerable1 as the    
harbour was finished and opened in      
#agaj1 and in  thirty years the         
principal debt was paid off4    ,in     
course of time ,greenock was made a     

custom-house port1 and its trade        
rapidly increased4 ,the first solitary  
vessel1 freighted with ,glasgow         
merchandise for the ,american colonies1 
sailed from the new harbour in  #agai2  
and now the custom-house dues collected 
there amount to more than  six times the
 whole revenue of ,scotland in the time 
of the ,stuarts4    ,here ,james ,watt1 
son of the ,cartsdyke teacher of        
mathematics1 and father  of the         
engineer1 began business about the year 
#agcj4 ,his occupation was of  a very   
miscellaneous character1 and embraced   
most branches of carpentry4  ,he was a  
housewright1 shipwright1 carpenter1 and 
undertaker1 as well as  a builder and   
contractor1 having in the course of his 
life enlarged the  western front of ,sir
 ,john ,shaw's mansion-house1 and       
designed and built  the ,town-hall and  
,council-chambers4 ,to these various    
occupations ,mr4 ,watt  added that of a 
general merchant4 ,he supplied the ships
 frequenting the  port with articles of 

merchandise as well as with ships'      
stores4 ,he also  engaged in foreign    
mercantile ventures1 and held shares in 
several ships4    ,three months after   
the death of his father1 to a share of  
whose property  he succeeded1 ,mr4 ,watt
 purchased a house on the ,mid-,quay    
,head1 at the  lower end of             
,william-street1 with a piece of ground 
belonging to it1 which  extended to the 
beach4 ,on this piece of ground stood   
,watt's carpenter's  shop1 in which a   
great deal of miscellaneous work was    
executed--household  furniture and      
ships' fittings1 chairs1 tables1        
coffins1 and capstans1 as  well as the  
ordinary sorts of joinery2 while from   
his stores he was ready  to supply      
blocks1 pumps1 gun-carriages1 dead-eyes1
 and other articles used  on board ship4
 ,he was ready to 8touch0 ships'        
compasses1 and to adjust  and repair    
nautical instruments generally2 while on
 an emergency he could  make a crane for
 harbour uses--the first in ,greenock   

having been executed  in his shops1 and 
erected on the pier for the convenience 
of the ,virginia  tobacco-ships         
beginning to frequent the harbour4      
,these multifarious  occupations were   
necessitated by the smallness of the    
place1 the business  of a single calling
 being as yet too limited to yield a    
competency to an  enterprising man1 or  
sufficient scope for his powers4        
,being a person of substance and        
respectability1 ,mr4 ,watt was elected  
by  his fellow townsmen to fill various 
public offices1 such as trustee for  the
 burgh fund1 town councillor1 treasurer1
 and afterwards baillie or  chief       
magistrate4 ,he also added to his       
comfort as well as to his dignity  by   
marrying a wife of character1 ,agnes    
,muirhead1 a woman esteemed by  her     
neighbours for her graces of person1 as 
well as of mind and heart4  ,she is said
 to have been not less distinguished for
 her sound sense and  good manners than 
for her cheerful temper and excellent   

housewifery4#ed  ,such was the mother of
 ,james ,watt4 ,three of her five       
children died in  childhood2 ,john1 her 
fifth son1 perished at sea when on a    
voyage to  ,america in one of his       
father's ships2 and ,james1 the fourth  
of the family1  remained her only       
surviving child4 ,he was born in the    
house which stood  at the corner between
 the present ,dalrymple-street and      
,william-street1  since taken down and  
replaced by the building now known as   
the 8,james ,watt  ,tavern40        #ed 
,some of her neighbours thought her     
stately and unbending1 and        that  
she affected a superior style of living4
 ,in the #8,memorials        of ,watt1' 
by the late ,george ,williamson1 ,esq41 
,greenock1 are        to be found many  
curious and interesting details as to   
the        ,watt family2 collected      
partly from tradition and partly from   
local records4 ,of ,mrs4 ,watt's        
8superior style of living10             
compared with the custom of the period1 

the following anecdote        is        
given3--8,one of the author's informants
 on such points1        a venerable lady
 in her eightieth year1 was wont to     
speak of        the worthy baillie's    
wife with much characteristic interest  
and animation4 ,as illustrative of the  
internal economy of the        family1  
the old lady related an occasion on     
which she had spent        an evening1  
when a girl1 at ,mrs4 ,watt's house1 and
 remembered        expressing with much 
navet to her mother on returning home1  
her childish surprise that #8,mrs4 ,watt
 had two lighted candles        on the  
table4' ,among these and other          
reminiscences of her youth1        our  
venerable informant described ,james    
,watt's mother1 in her        expressive
 ,doric1 as #8a braw1 braw woman--none  
now to be seen        like her4'0 p4    
#abh-i4    ,illustration3 ,,james ,,watt
 ,,tavern1 ,,greenock4    ,by ,r4 ,p4   
,leitch4    ,from his earliest years    
,james ,watt was of an extremely fragile

  constitution1 requiring the tenderest 
nurture4 ,struggling as it were for     
life all through his childhood1 he      
acquired an almost feminine delicacy    
and sensitiveness1 which made him shrink
 from the rough play of robust          
children2 and hence1 during his early   
years1 his education was entirely       
conducted at home4 ,his mother taught   
him reading1 and his father a little    
writing and arithmetic4 ,his mother1 to 
amuse him1 encouraged him to draw  with 
a pencil on paper1 or with chalk upon   
the floor2 and his father  supplied him 
with a few tools from the carpenter's   
shop1 which he soon  learnt to handle   
with expertness4 ,in such occupations he
 found the best  resource against ennui4
 ,he took his toys to pieces1 and out of
 the parts  ingeniously constructed new 
ones4 ,the mechanical dexterity which he
 thus  cultivated even as a child was   
probably in a great measure the         
foundation  upon which he built the     
speculations to which he owes his glory2

 nor1  without his early mechanical     
training1 is there reason to believe    
that  he would afterwards become the    
improver and almost the creator of the  
steam-engine4    ,the invalid thus      
passed his early years almost entirely  
in the society  of his mother1 whose    
gentle nature1 strong good sense1 and   
unobtrusive  piety1 exercised a most    
beneficial influence in the formation of
 his  character4 ,nor were his parents  
without their reward2 for as the boy    
grew  up to manhood he repaid their     
anxious care with obedience1 respect1   
and  affection4 ,mrs4 ,watt was in after
 life accustomed to say that the loss of
  her only daughter1 which she had felt 
so severely1 had been fully made up  to 
her by the dutiful attentions of her    
son4    ,spending his life indoors1     
without exercise1 his nervous system    
became  preternaturally sensitive4 ,he  
was subject to violent sick headaches1  
which  confined him to his room for     
weeks together2 and it almost seems a   

marvel  that1 under such circumstances1 
he should have survived his boyhood4 ,it
 is  in such cases as his that          
indications of precocity are generally  
observed2  and parents would be less    
gratified at their display if they knew 
that  they are usually the symptoms of  
disease4 ,several remarkable instances  
of  this precocity are related of ,watt4
 ,on one occasion1 when he was bending  
over the hearth with a piece of chalk in
 his hand1 a friend of his father  said1
 8,you ought to send that boy to a      
public school1 and not allow him to     
trifle away his time at home40 8,look   
how my child is occupied10 said the     
father1 8before you condemn him40       
,though only six years old1 it is said  
he was found trying to solve a problem  
in geometry4    ,on another occasion he 
was reproved by ,mrs4 ,muirhead1 his    
aunt1 for his  indolence at the         
tea-table4 8,james ,watt10 said the     
worthy lady1 8,i never  saw such an idle
 boy as you are3 take a book or employ  

yourself usefully2  for the last hour   
you have not spoken one word1 but taken 
off the lid  of that kettle and put it  
on again1 holding now a cup and now a   
silver  spoon over the steam1 watching  
how it rises from the spout1 catching   
and  counting the drops it falls into40 
,in the view of ,m4 ,arago1 the little  
,james before the tea-kettle becomes    
8the great engineer1 preparing the      
discoveries which were soon to          
immortalize him40 ,in our opinion the   
judgment of the aunt was the truest4    
,there is no reason to suppose that  the
 mind of the boy was occupied with      
philosophical theories on the           
condensation of steam1 which he         
compassed with so much difficulty in his
  maturer years4 ,this is more probably 
an afterthought borrowed from his       
subsequent discoveries4 ,nothing is     
commoner than for children to be amused 
with such phenomena1 in the same way    
that they will form air-bubbles in a    
cup of tea1 and watch them sailing over 

the surface till they burst4 ,the       
probability is that little ,james was   
quite as idle as he seemed4    ,when he 
was at length sent to ,mr4 ,m#8,adam's  
commercial school1 the change  caused   
him many trials and much suffering4 ,he 
found himself completely  out of place  
in the midst of the boisterous juvenile 
republic4 ,against  the tyranny of the  
elders he was helpless2 their wild play 
was most  distasteful to him2 he could  
not join in their sports1 nor roam with 
them along the beach1 nor shy stones    
into the water1 nor take part in  their 
hazardous exploits in the harbour4      
,accordingly they showered upon  him    
contemptuous epithets2 and the school   
being composed of both sexes1  the girls
 joined in the laugh4 ,he shone as      
little in the class as in  the          
playground4 ,he did not possess that    
parrot power of learning and  confidence
 in self necessary to achieve           
distinction at school2 and he was  even 
considered dull and backward for his    

age4#ee ,his want of progress  may1     
however1 in some measure be accounted   
for by his almost continual  ailments1  
which sometimes kept him for weeks      
together at home4 ,it was  not until he 
reached the age of about thirteen or    
fourteen1 when he was  put into the     
mathematical class1 that his powers     
appeared to develop  themselves1 and    
from that time he made rapid progress4  
#ee ,the truth in regard to young       
,watt's first years in the        public
 school is1 that1 owing doubtless to    
infirm health1 to        the suffering  
and depression which affected his whole 
powers1        he was prevented for a   
considerable time displaying even a     
very ordinary and moderate aptitude for 
the common routine of        school     
lessons2 and during those years he was  
regarded by his        schoolmasters as 
slow and inapt4 ,although to some minds 
facts        of such a nature may be    
conceived to mar the romance of a great 
man's history1 yet1 seeing they rest on 

authenticity which        cannot be     
impugned1 there appears no reasonable   
ground on which        it may be thought
 that they ought to be passed over as if
 they        had not existed1 or were   
altogether unfounded4--,williamson's    
#8,memorials of ,watt1' p4 #acj4        
,when not quite fourteen1 he was taken  
by his mother for change of air  to     
,glasgow1 then a quiet place without a  
single long chimney1 somewhat           
resembling a rural market-town of the   
present day4 ,he was left in charge  of 
a relation1 and his mother returned to  
,greenock4 ,but he proved so  wakeful   
during the visit1 and so disposed to    
indulge in that habit of  storytelling1 
which even ,sir ,walter ,scott could    
afterwards admire in him1  that ,mr4    
,watt was very soon written to by his   
friend1 and entreated to  return to     
,glasgow and take home his son4 8,i     
cannot stand the excitement  he keeps me
 in10 said ,mrs4 ,campbell2 8,i am worn 
out for want of sleep4  ,every evening1 

before retiring to rest1 he contrives to
 engage me in  conversation1 then begins
 some striking tale1 and whether        
humorous or  pathetic1 the interest is  
so overpowering1 that the family all    
listen to  him with breathless          
attention1 and hour after hour strikes  
unheeded40  ,he was taken back to       
,greenock accordingly1 and1 when well   
enough1 was  sent to the ,grammar       
,school of the town1 then kept by ,mr4  
,robert ,arrol4  ,under him1 ,watt made 
fair progress in the rudiments of ,latin
 and ,greek2  but he was still more     
successful in the study of mathematics1 
which he  prosecuted under ,mr4 ,john   
,marr4 ,it was only when he entered on  
this branch  of learning that he        
discovered his strength1 and he very    
soon took the  lead in his class4       
,when at home the boy continued to spend
 much of his time in drawing1 or  in    
cutting or carving with his penknife1 or
 in watching the carpenters  at work in 
his father's shop1 sometimes trying his 

own hand at making  little articles with
 the tools which lay about4 ,in this he 
displayed a  degree of dexterity which  
seemed so remarkable that the journeymen
 were  accustomed to say of him that    
8little ,jamie had gotten a fortune at  
his  fingers' ends40 ,even when he had  
grown old he would recall to mind the   
pleasure as well as the profit which he 
had derived from working in his         
shirt-sleeves in his father's shop4 ,he 
was1 in fact1 educating himself  in the 
most effectual manner in his own way2   
learning to use his hands  dexterously2 
familiarising himself with the art of   
handling tools2 and  acquiring a degree 
of expertness in working with them in   
wood and metal1  which eventually proved
 of the greatest value to him4 ,at the  
same time he  was training himself in   
habits of application1 industry1 and    
invention4  ,most of his spare time was 
thus devoted to mechanical adaptations  
of his  own contrivance4 ,a small forge 
was erected for him1 and a bench fitted 

up for his special use2 and there he    
constructed many ingenious little       
objects1 such as miniature cranes1      
pulleys1 pumps1 and capstans4 ,out of a 
large silver coin he fabricated a       
punch-ladle1 which is still preserved4  
,but the kind of work which most        
attracted him was the repairing of      
ships'  compasses1 quadrants1 and       
nautical instruments1 in executing which
 he  exhibited so much neatness1        
dexterity1 and accuracy1 that it        
eventually  led to his selection of the 
business he determined to follow1--that 
of a  mathematical instrument maker4    
,the boy at the same time prosecuted his
 education at school2 his improving     
health enabling him to derive more      
advantage from the instructions of his  
masters than in the earlier part of his 
career4 ,not the least influential  part
 of his training1 as regarded the       
formation of his character1  consisted1 
as already observed1 in the example and 
conversation of his  parents at home4   

,his frequent illnesses brought him more
 directly and  continuously under their 
influence than is the case with most    
boys of  his age2 and reading became one
 of his chief sources of recreation and 
enjoyment4 ,his fathers library-shelf   
contained well-thumbed volumes of       
,boston1 ,bunyan1 and #8,the ,cloud of  
,witnesses1' with ,henry the ,rymer's   
#8,life  of ,wallace1' and other old    
ballads1 tattered by frequent use4      
,these he  devoured greedily1 and       
re-read until he had most of them by    
heart4 ,his  father would also recount  
to him the sufferings of the            
,covenanters1--the  moors and mosses    
which lay towards the south of ,greenock
 having been  among their retreats      
during the times of the persecution4    
,then there  were the local and         
traditionary stories of the             
neighbourhood1--such as  the exploits of
 the ,greenock men under ,sir ,john     
,shaw1 at ,worcester1 in                
#afea1ef--together with much of that    

unwritten history1 heard only around    
firesides1 which kindles the            
,scotchman's nationality1 and influences
 his  future life4        #ef ,the ,shaw
 baronetcy was the reward of the feudal 
superior's        services on the       
occasion4 ,the banner carried by the    
tenantry in        the civil war was    
long preserved in ,greenock1 and was    
hung up        with the other town flags
 in one of the public rooms4    ,we may 
here mention1 in passing1 that one of   
the most vividly-remembered  incidents  
of ,james ,watt's boyhood was the       
,stuart rebellion of the  8,forty-five10
 which occurred when he was about ten   
years old4 ,watt himself  is so         
intimately identified with the material 
progress of the nineteenth  century1    
that it strikes one almost with surprise
 that he should have  been a spectator1 
in however remote a degree1 of incidents
 belonging to  an altogether different  
age4 ,the ,stuart ,rebellion may be said
 to have  been the end of one epoch and 

the beginning of another2 for certain it
 is  that the progress of ,scotland as  
an integral part of the ,british empire1
  and the growth of its skilled         
industry--which the inventions of ,watt 
did  so much to develop--appeared as if 
to spring from the very ashes of the    
rebellion4 ,like other lowland towns1   
,greenock was greatly alarmed at the    
startling news from the ,highlands of   
the threatened descent of the clans4    
,sir ,john ,shaw had the trades mustered
 for drill on the green in front of  his
 mansion1 and held them in readiness for
 defence of the town1 in case  of       
attack4 ,greenock was otherwise secure1 
being protected against the  ,highlands 
by the ,clyde2 besides1 the western     
clans were either neutral  or adhered to
 the house of ,hanover4 ,the ,pretender 
with his followers  passed southward by 
,stirling1 and only approached ,greenock
 on their return  from ,england1--a     
half-starved and ill-clad1 though still 
unbroken army4  ,they halted at         

,glasgow1 where they levied a heavy     
contribution on the  inhabitants1 and   
sent out roving parties to try their    
fortunes in the  neighbouring towns4 ,a 
small detachment one day approached     
,greenock1 and  came as near as the     
,clune ,brae2 but the townspeople were  
afoot1 and on  guard2 signal was given  
to the ships of war moored near the old 
battery1  and a few well-directed shots 
speedily sent the ,highlanders to the   
right-about4 ,the alarm was over for the
 present2 but it was renewed in the     
following year1 when the rumour reached 
,edinburgh that ,prince ,charles1       
hunted from the ,highlands1 had landed  
at ,greenock1 and lay concealed  there4 
,the consequence was that a strict      
search was made throughout the  town1   
and ,mr4 ,watt's premises were searched 
like the others2 but the  ,pretender had
 contrived to escape in another         
direction4 ,such was one of  the most   
memorable incidents in the boy-life of  
,james ,watt1 so strangely  in contrast 

with the later events of his industrial 
career4    ,during holiday times1 the   
boy sometimes indulged in rambles along 
the  ,clyde1 occasionally crossing to   
the north shore1 and strolling up the   
,gare  ,loch and ,holy ,loch1 and even  
as far as ,ben ,lomond4 ,he was of a    
solitary  disposition1 and loved to     
wander by himself at night amidst the   
wooded  pleasure-grounds which          
surrounded the old mansion-house        
overlooking the  town1 watching through 
the trees the mysterious movements of   
the stars4  ,he became fascinated by the
 wonders of astronomy1 and was          
stimulated to  inquire into the science 
by the examination of the nautical      
instruments  which he found amongst his 
father's shop-stores4 ,for it was a     
peculiarity  which characterised him    
through life1 that he could not look    
upon any  instrument or machine without 
being seized with a desire to understand
 its  meaning1 to unravel its mystery1  
and master the rationale of its uses4   

,before he was fifteen he had twice gone
 through with great attention           
,s',gravande's #8,elements of ,natural  
,philosophy1' a book belonging to his   
father4 ,he performed many little       
experiments in chemistry1 and even      
contrived to make an electrical machine1
 much to the marvel of those  who felt  
its shocks4 ,like most invalids1 he read
 eagerly such books on  medicine and    
surgery as came in his way4 ,he went so 
far as to practise  dissection2 and on  
one occasion he was found carrying off  
for this purpose  the head of a child   
who had died of some uncommon disease4  
8,he told his  son10 says ,mr4          
,muirhead1 8that1 had he been able to   
bear the sight of the  sufferings of    
patients1 he would have been a surgeon40
    ,in his solitary rambles1 his love  
of wild-flowers and plants lured him  on
 to the study of botany4 ,ever observant
 of the aspects of nature1 the  violent 
upheavings of the mountain-ranges on the
 north shores of ,loch  ,lomond directed

 his attention to geology4 ,he was a    
great devourer of  books2 reading all   
that came in his way4 ,on a friend once 
advising him  to be less indiscriminate 
in his reading1 he replied1 8,i have    
never yet  read a book without gaining  
information1 instruction1 or amusement40
 ,this  was no answer to the admonition 
of his friend1 who merely recommended   
him to bestow upon the best books the   
time he devoted to the worse4 ,but  the 
appetite for knowledge in inquisitive   
minds is1 during youth1 when  curiosity 
is fresh and unslacked1 too insatiable  
to be fastidious1 and  the volume which 
gets the preference is usually the first
 which comes in  the way4    ,watt was  
not1 however1 a mere bookworm4 ,in his  
solitary walks through the  country he  
would enter the cottages of the         
peasantry1 gather their local           
traditions1 and impart to them          
information of a similar kind from his  
own  ample stores4 ,fishing1 which      
suited his tranquil nature1 was his     

single  sport4 ,when unable to ramble   
for the purpose1 he could still indulge 
the  pursuit from his father's yard1    
which was open to the sea1 and the water
  of sufficient depth at high-tide to   
enable vessels of fifty or sixty tons   
to lie alongside4    ,but ,james ,watt  
had now arrived at a suitable age to    
learn a trade2 and  his rambles must    
come to a close4 ,his father had        
originally intended him  to follow his  
own business2 but having sustained some 
heavy losses about  this time--one of   
his ships having foundered at sea1--and 
observing the  strong bias of his son   
towards manipulative science and exact  
mechanics1  he at length decided to send
 him to ,glasgow1 in the year #aged1    
when he  was eighteen years old1 to     
learn the trade of a mathematical       
instrument  maker4          ,,chapter   
,,vi4    ,,james ,,watt1 ,,mathematical 
,,instrument ,,maker4      ,when ,james 
,watt1 a youth of eighteen1 went to     
,glasgow in #aged to learn  his trade1  

the place was very different from the   
,glasgow of to-day4 ,not a  steam-engine
 was then at work in the town2 not a    
steam-boat disturbed the  quiet of the  
,clyde4 ,there was a rough quay along   
the ,broomielaw1 then1  as the name     
implies1 partly covered with broom4 ,the
 quay was furnished  with a solitary    
crane1 for which there was very little  
use1 as the river  was full of          
sandbanks1 and boats and gabberts of    
only six tons burden  and under could   
then ascend the ,clyde4#eg ,often for   
weeks together not a  single masted     
vessel was to be seen in the river4 ,the
 principal buildings  in the town were  
the ,cathedral and the ,university4 ,the
 west port1 now in  the centre of       
,glasgow1 was then a real barrier       
between the town and the  country4 ,the 
ground on which ,enoch-square stands    
consisted chiefly of  gardens4 ,a thick 
wood occupied the site of the present   
,custom-house and  of that part of      
,glasgow situated behind ,west          

,clyde-street4 ,blythswood  was         
grazing-ground4 ,not a house had yet    
been erected in ,hutchinson-town1       
,laurieston1 ,tradeston1 or ,bridgeton4 
,the land between ,jamaica-street on    
the east1 and ,stobcross on the west1   
and south from ,anderston-road to  the  
river1 now the most densely populated   
parts of ,glasgow1 consisted  of fields 
and cabbage-gardens4 ,the town had but  
two main streets1 which  intersected    
each other at the ,cross or             
,market-place1 and the only paved  part 
of them was known as 8,the              
,plainstanes10 which extended for a few 
hundred yards in front of the public    
offices and the ,town-hall4 ,the two    
main streets contained some stately     
well-built houses--,flemish-looking     
tenements with crow-stepped gables1--the
 lower stories standing on  ,doric      
columns1 under which were the principal 
booths or shops--small1  low-roofed1 and
 dismal4 ,but the bulk of the houses had
 only wooden fronts  and thatched roofs1

 and were of a very humble character4   
,the traffic along  the unpaved streets 
was so small1 that the carts were left  
standing in  them at night4 ,the town   
was as yet innocent of police2#eh it    
contained  no ,irish immigrants1 and    
very few ,highlanders4 ,the latter then 
thought it  beneath them to engage in   
any pursuit connected with commerce2 and
 ,rob  ,roy's contempt for the wabsters 
of ,glasgow1 as described by ,sir       
,walter  ,scott in the novel1 was no    
exaggeration4 ,no ,highland gentleman1  
however  poor1 would dream of condemning
 his son to the drudgery of trade2 and  
even the poorest ,highland cottar would 
shrink with loathing from the  life of a
 weaver or a shopkeeper4 ,he would be a 
hunter1 a fisher1 a  cattle-lifter1 or a
 soldier2 but trade he would not        
touch--that he left  to the             
,lowlanders4#ei    ,illustration3       
,,trongate1 ,,glasgow4        #eg       
,according to ,smeaton's report in      
#agee1 there were in spring        tides

 only #c feet #h inches water at        
,pointhouse ,ford4 ,measures        were
 taken to deepen the river1 and         
operations with that        object were 
begun in #agfh4 ,salmon abounded in the 
,clyde1 and        was so common that   
servants and apprentices were accustomed
 to        stipulate that they should   
not have salmon for dinner more than    
a certain number of days in the week4   
#eh ,the 8middens0 in the street were   
sometimes complained of as        a     
nuisance2 and in #aggf1 the magistrate  
threatened a penalty        of #es4 if  
middens of which complaint had been made
 were not        removed within #dh     
hours4        #ei ,the ,highland gentry 
and people regarded the ,lowlanders as  
their natural enemies1 fair subjects for
 plunder at all times as                
opportunities offered4 ,the ,lowlanders1
 on their part1 regarded        the     
,highlanders very much as the primitive 
settlers of ,north        ,america      
regarded the ,cherokee and ,chocktaw    

,indians4 ,sometimes a        band of   
uncouth half-clad ,highlandmen would    
suddenly rush down        upon the      
,lowlands1 swoop up all the cattle      
within their reach1        and drive    
them off into the mountains4 ,hence the 
,lowlanders and        the ,highlanders 
were always in a state of feud4 ,long   
after the        '#de a ,highlandman    
would 8thank ,god that he had not a drop
 of        ,lowland blood in his veins40
    ,the principal men of business in   
,glasgow at the time of which we speak  
were the tobacco lords--importers of    
that article from the plantations in    
,virginia1#fj--who were often to be seen
 strutting along the ,plainstanes1      
dressed in scarlet cloaks1 cocked hats1 
and powdered wigs2 the 8boddies0  who   
kept the adjoining shops eying them over
 their half-closed doors1  and humbly   
watching for a nod of recognition from  
the mighty potentates4  ,yet even the   
greatest of the tobacco lords only lived
 in flats1 entering  from a common      

stair2 and the domestic accommodation   
was so scanty and so  primitive1 that   
visitors were of necessity received in  
the bedrooms4 ,this  circumstance seems 
to have had some influence in the       
formation of the  ,clubs1#fa which then 
formed a curious feature of society in  
most ,scotch  towns4 ,they consisted of 
knots of men of like tastes and         
pursuits1 who  met in the evenings at   
public-houses for purposes of gossip and
 social  drinking4 ,there they made new 
and cultivated old acquaintanceships1   
and exchanged news with each other4 ,the
 ,club combined the uses of the         
newspaper and the newsroom1 which now   
accomplish the same objects without  the
 drinking4 ,but ,glasgow had then no    
newspaper2 and a ,london news-sheet  of 
a week old was looked upon as a novelty4
 ,there was no coffee-room nor  public  
library in the town2 no theatre#fb nor  
place of resort open1  except the       
8,change-house20 so that the ,club was  
regarded as a social  necessity4 ,the   

drinking was sometimes moderate1 and    
sometimes 8hard40  ,the better class    
confined themselves to claret and other 
,french wines1  which were then cheap1  
being free from duty4 ,those disposed to
 indulge  in more frugal fare confined  
themselves to oat-cake and small-beer4  
,it  was not until heavy taxes were laid
 on foreign wines and malt that the     
hard whisky-drinking of ,scotland set   
in4 ,whisky was introduced from the     
,highlands shortly after the            
8,forty-five20 and it soon became the   
popular  drink4 ,by #aghj the drinking  
of raw whisky in ,glasgow at midday had 
become  general4#fc        #fj ,the only
 trade which ,glasgow carried on with   
foreign        countries previous to the
 ,union1 was in coal1 grindstones1 and  
fish1--,glasgow-cured herrings being in 
much repute abroad4 ,after        the   
,union partnerships were formed2 vessels
 were built down the        ,clyde1 and 
chartered for carrying on the trade with
 ,virginia1        ,maryland1 and       

,carolina4 ,the first honest vessel     
crossed        the ,atlantic from the   
,clyde in #agai2 in #agce the ,virginia 
merchants in ,glasgow had fifteen       
vessels engaged in the trade1        and
 the town shortly after became the great
 mart for tobacco4        ,of the       
#ij1jjj hogsheads imported into the     
,united ,kingdom in        #aggb1       
,glasgow alone imported #di1jjj1 or more
 than one-half4        ,the ,american   
,revolution had the effect of completely
 ruining        the tobacco trade of    
,glasgow1 after which the merchants were
        compelled to turn to other      
fields of enterprise and industry4      
,the capital which they had accumulated 
from tobacco enabled        them to     
enter upon their new undertakings with  
spirit1 and the        steam-engine     
which had by that time been invented by 
their        townsman ,james ,watt1     
proved their best helper in advancing   
the prosperity of modern ,glasgow4 ,the 
rapidity of its progress        may be  

inferred from the following facts4 ,in  
#agce1 though the        ,glasgow       
merchants owned half the entire tonnage 
of ,scotland1 it        amounted to only
 #efjj tons4 ,in that year the whole    
shipping of        ,scotland was only   
one-fortieth part of that of ,england3  
it is        now about one-fifth4 ,from 
#ageb to #aggj the total tonnage dues   
of the harbour of ,glasgow amounted to  
only #adgl41 or equal to        an      
average of about #hl4 per annum4 ,in    
#aghj1 the ,clyde having        been    
deepened in the interval1 they reached  
#aeael42 and in        #ahed1 they      
amounted to #hf1ehjl4 ,the increase has 
been quite        as great in later     
years4 ,in point of value of exports1   
,glasgow        ranks fourth among the  
ports of the ,united ,kingdom2 and      
,greenock        now takes precedence of
 ,bristol4        #fa ,for many curious 
particulars of ,old ,glasgow and its    
society1        see ,dr4 ,strang's      
#8,glasgow and its ,clubs4'        #fb a

 temporary wooden theatre was run up in 
#ageb1 but the        religious         
prejudices of the population were       
violently excited        by the         
circumstance1 and the place was attacked
 by a mob and        seriously damaged4 
,the few persons who went there had to  
be        protected from insults4 ,in   
#agfb1 when some persons proposed       
to build a theatre1 not a single        
individual who had ground        within 
the burgh would grant them a site4 ,two 
years later the        theatre was      
erected outside the precincts1 and on   
the night on        which it was opened 
it was wilfully set on fire by some     
persons        instigated by the        
preaching of a neighbouring methodist1  
when        it narrowly escaped         
destruction4        #fc ,when the       
,lowlanders want to drink a cheering    
cup1 they go        to the public-house1
 called the ,change-house1 and call for 
a        chopin of twopenny1 which is   
their yeasty beverage1 made of          

malt1 not quite so strong as the        
table-beer of ,england4444 ,the         
,highlanders1 on the contrary1 despise  
the liquor1 and regale        themselves
 with whisky1 or malt spirit1 as strong 
as ,geneva1        which they swallow in
 great quantities1 without any signs of 
inebriation3 they are used to it from   
the cradle1 and find it        an       
excellent preservative against the      
winter cold1 which must        be       
extreme on these mountains4--,smollett1 
#8,expedition of ,humphry               
,clinker4'    ,when young ,watt arrived 
in ,glasgow he carried with him but a   
small  quantity of baggage2 the articles
 in his trunk including amongst other   
things a quadrant1--probably a specimen 
of his own handiwork1--a leather  apron1
 about a score of carpenters' and other 
tools1 and 8a pair of  bibels40 ,on     
making inquiry for a proper master1     
under whom to learn the  business of    
mathematical instrument making1 it was  
found that there was  no such person in 

,glasgow4 ,there was1 however1 a        
mechanic in the town1 who  dignified    
himself with the name of 8optician10    
under whom ,watt was placed  for a time4
 ,he was a sort of ,jack-of-all-trades1 
who sold and mended  spectacles1        
repaired fiddles1 tuned spinets1 made   
and repaired the simpler  instruments   
used in mechanical drawing1 and eked out
 a slender living by  making and selling
 fishing-rods and fishing-tackle4 ,watt 
was as handy at  dressing trout and     
salmon flies as at most other things1   
and his master1  no doubt1 found him    
useful enough2 but there was nothing to 
be learnt in  return for his services4  
,though his master was an ingenious     
workman1 in a  small way1 and could turn
 his ready hand to anything1 it soon    
became clear  to ,watt's relations1 the 
,muirheads1 with whom he lived during   
his stay1  that the instructions of such
 an artist were little likely to advance
 him  in mathematical instrument making4
 ,among the gentlemen to whom ,watt was 

introduced by his relatives was ,dr4    
,dick1 ,professor of ,natural           
,philosophy  in ,glasgow ,college1 who  
strongly recommended him to proceed to  
,london1  and there place himself under 
the instruction of some competent       
master4  ,watt consulted his father on  
the subject1 who readily gave his       
sanction  to the proposal2 and1 with a  
letter of introduction from ,dr4 ,dick  
in his  pocket1 he set out for the great
 city accordingly4    ,no stage-coach   
then ran between ,glasgow and ,london2  
so it was determined  that young ,watt  
should proceed on horseback1 then the   
most convenient  and speedy mode of     
travelling4 ,his chest was sent by sea4 
,old ,mr4 ,watt's  memorandum-book at   
,heathfield contains the following      
entry1 under date  the #fth ,june1      
#agee3--      8,to send ,james ,watt's  
chist to the care of ,mr4 ,william      
,oman1    ,ventener in ,leith1 to be    
shypt for ,london to ye care of ,captain
    ,william ,watson1 at the ,hermitage1

 ,london4        8,pd4 #cs4 #f;d4 for   
wagon carage to ,edenbrough of chist4   
,pd4 to son ,james #bl4 #bs4      ,pd4  
,plaster and ,pomet1 #as4 #d;d4         
,pd4 #d doz4 pencels1 #as4 #f;d40       
,the 8plaster and pomet0 may possibly   
have been provided in view of the  long 
journey on horseback and its            
contingencies4 ,it was arranged that the
  youth should travel in the company of 
a relative1 ,mr4 ,marr1 a sea-captain1  
who was on his way to join his ship1    
then lying in the ,thames4 ,they set    
out on the #gth of ,june1 travelling by 
way of ,coldstream and ,newcastle1      
where they joined the great north road1 
then comparatively practicable to  the  
south of ,durham4 ,they reached ,london 
safely on the #aith1 having been  about 
a fortnight on the road4    ,mr4 ,marr  
immediately proceeded to make inquiries 
for a mathematical  instrument maker    
with whom to place his young friend4    
,but it was found  that a serious       
obstacle presented itself in the rules  

of the trade1 which  prescribed that    
those employed must either be           
apprentices serving under  a seven      
years' apprenticeship1 or1 if           
journeymen1 that they should have       
served for that term4 ,watt1 however1   
had no intention of binding himself  to 
serve for so long a period1 and he had  
no pretensions to rank as a  journeyman4
 ,his object was to learn the business  
in the shortest possible  time1 and then
 return to ,glasgow and set up for      
himself4 ,the two went  about from shop 
to shop1 but only met with rebuffs4 8,i 
have not yet got  a master10 ,watt wrote
 to his father about a fortnight after  
his arrival2  8we have tried several1   
but they all made some objection or     
other4 ,i find  that1 if any of them    
agree with me at all1 it will not be for
 less than  a year2 and even for that   
time they will be expecting some money40
    ,mr4 ,marr continued to exert       
himself on behalf of the youth4 ,anxious
 to  be employed in any way rather than 

not at all1 ,watt offered his services  
gratuitously to a watchmaker named      
,neale1 with whom ,mr4 ,marr did        
business1  and he was allowed to occupy 
himself in his shop for a time1 cutting 
letters and figures in metal4 ,at length
 a situation of a more permanent        
character was obtained for him2 and he  
entered the shop of ,mr4 ,john  ,morgan1
 a respectable mathematical instrument  
maker in ,cornhill1 on the  terms of    
receiving a year's instruction in return
 for a fee of twenty  guineas and the   
proceeds of his labour during that time4
 ,he soon proved  himself a ready       
learner and skilful workman4 ,that      
division of labour1  the result of an   
extensive trade1 which causes the best  
,london carriages  to be superior to any
 of provincial construction1 was even   
then applied  to mathematical           
instruments4 8,very few here10 wrote    
,watt1 8know any more  than how to make 
a rule1 others a pair of dividers1 and  
such like40 ,his  first employment was  

in making brass scales1 rules1          
parallels1 and the  brass-work of       
quadrants2 and by the end of a month he 
was able to finish  a ,hadley's quadrant
 in better style than any apprentice in 
the shop4 ,from  rule and quadrant      
making he proceeded to azimuth          
compasses1 brass sectors1  theodolites1 
and the more delicate kinds of          
instruments4 ,at the end of the  year he
 wrote home to his father that he had   
made 8a brass sector with a  ,french    
joint1 which is reckoned as nice a piece
 of framing-work as is in  the trade20  
and he expressed the hope that he would 
soon be able to work  for himself1 and  
earn his bread by his own industry4     
,up to this time he had necessarily been
 maintained by his father1 on whom  he  
drew from time to time4 ,mr4 ,watt's    
memorandum-books show that on the  #bgth
 of ,june he remitted him #ajl42 on the 
#bdth of ,august following he  enters3  
8,sent ,george ,anderson by post #hl4 to
 buy a bill of #gl4 or  #hl4 to send    

,wheytbread and ,gifferd1 and ballance  
of my son's bill1 #bl4  #bs4 #c;d41 for 
which ame to remite him more20 and on   
the #aath ,september  following1 the    
balance was forwarded through the same  
channel4 ,on the #bdth  ,october1 #dl4  
#ajs4 was in like manner sent to ,george
 ,anderson 8on son  ,james's second     
bill20 and on the #cast ,december1 #ajl4
 was remitted1 8to  be put to the credit
 of son ,james's last bill40 ,to relieve
 his father as  much as possible for the
 cost of his maintenance in ,london1    
,watt lived in  a very frugal style1    
avoiding all unnecessary expenses4 ,his 
living cost  him only eight shillings a 
week2 and he could not reduce it below  
that1  he wrote to his father1 8without 
pinching his belly40 ,he also sought for
  some remunerative work on his own     
account2 and when he could obtain it he 
sat up at night to execute it4          
,during ,watt's stay in ,london he was  
in a great measure prevented from       
stirring abroad by the hot press for    

sailors which was then going on4 ,as    
many as forty pressgangs were at work1  
seizing all able-bodied men they  could 
lay hands on4 ,in one night they took   
not fewer than a thousand  men4 ,nor    
were the kidnappers idle4 ,these were   
the agents of the ,east  ,india         
,company1 who had crimping-houses in    
different parts of the city  for        
receiving the men whom they had seized  
upon for service in the  ,indian army4  
,even when the demand for soldiers      
abated1 the kidnappers  continued their 
trade1 and sold their unhappy victims to
 the planters in  ,pennsylvania and     
other ,north ,american colonies4        
,sometimes severe fights  took place    
between the pressgangs and the          
kidnappers for possession of  those who 
had been seized1 the law and police     
being apparently powerless  to protect  
them4 8,they now press anybody they can 
get10 ,watt wrote in the  spring of     
#agef1 8landsmen as well as seamen1     
except it be in the liberties  of the   

city1 where they are obliged to carry   
them before the ,lord ,mayor  first2 and
 unless one be either a prentice or a   
creditable tradesman1  there is scarce  
any getting off again4 ,and if ,i was   
carried before my  ,lord ,mayor1 ,i     
durst not avow that ,i wrought in the   
city1 it being against  their laws for  
any unfreeman to work even as a         
journeyman within the  liberties40#fd   
,what a curious glimpse does this give  
us into the practice  of man-hunting in 
,london in the eighteenth century6      
#fd ,letter to his father quoted in     
,muirhead's #8,life of ,watt1' p4       
#ci4    ,watt's enforced confinement1   
together with his sedentary habits and  
unremitting labour1 soon told upon his  
weak frame4 ,when he hurried to  his    
lodgings at night1 his body was wearied1
 and his nerves exhausted1 so  that his 
hands shook like those of an old man2   
yet he persevered with the  extra work  
which he imposed upon himself1 in order 
to earn a little honest  money to help  

to pay for his living4 ,his seat in ,mr4
 ,morgan's shop being  placed close to  
the door1 which was often opened and    
shut in the course of  the day1 he      
caught a severe cold in the course of   
the winter2 and he was  afflicted by a  
racking cough and severe rheumatic      
pains1 from the effects  of which he    
long continued to suffer4 ,distressed by
 a gnawing pain in his  back1 and       
greatly depressed in spirits1 he at     
length1 with his father's  sanction1    
determined to return to ,greenock1 to   
seek for renewal of health  in his      
native air4 ,his father made him a      
further remittance to enable  him to    
purchase some of the tools required for 
his trade1 together with  materials for 
making others1 and a copy of ,bion's    
work on the construction  and use of    
,mathematical ,instruments4 ,having     
secured these1 he set out on  his return
 journey for ,scotland1 and reached     
,greenock in safety in the  autumn of   
#agef4 ,there his health soon became    

sufficiently restored to  enable him to 
return to work2 and with the concurrence
 and help of his  father1 he shortly    
after proceeded to ,glasgow1 in his     
twentieth year1 to  begin business on   
his own account4    ,in endeavouring to 
establish himself in his trade1 ,watt   
encountered  the same obstacle which in 
,london had almost prevented his        
learning it4  ,although there were no   
mathematical instrument makers in       
,glasgow1 and it  must have been a      
public advantage to have so skilled a   
mechanic settled in  the place1 ,watt   
was opposed by the corporation of       
hammermen on the ground  that he was    
neither the son of a burgess nor had    
served an apprenticeship  within the    
borough4#fe ,failing in his endeavours  
to open a place of  business1 he next   
tried to prevail on the corporation to  
allow him to  make use of a small       
workshop wherein to make experiments2   
but this also  was peremptorily refused4
 ,the hammermen were doubtless acting in

 a very  narrow spirit1 in thus         
excluding the young mechanic from the   
privileges  of citizenship2 but such was
 the custom of the times1--those who    
were  within the favoured circles       
usually putting their shoulders together
 to  exclude those who were without4    
,watt had1 however1 already been        
employed  by ,dr4 ,dick1 ,professor of  
,natural ,philosophy1 to repair some    
mathematical  instruments which had been
 bequeathed to the ,university by a     
gentleman in  the ,west ,indies2 and the
 professors1 having an absolute         
authority within  the area occupied by  
the college buildings1 determined to    
give him an  asylum there1 and thus free
 him from the incubus of the guilds4    
#fe ,the following 8letter of ,guildry0 
embodied the local        regulations   
which existed for the purpose of        
preventing 8loss        and skaith0 to  
the burgesses and craftsmen of ,glasgow 
by the        intrusion of              
8strangers03--8,the ,dean of ,guild and 

his ,council        shall have full     
power to discharge1 punish1 and unlaw   
all        persons1 unfreemen1 using the
 liberty of a freeman within the        
burgh1 as they shall think fit1 ay and  
while the said unfreemen        be put  
off the town1 and restrained1 or else be
 made free with        the town and     
their crafts2 and sic like1 to pursue1  
upon the        judges competent1 all   
persons dwelling within this burgh1 and 
usurping the liberty thereof1 obtain    
decrets against them1 and        cause  
the same to be put to speedy execution40
    ,illustration3 ,,inner ,,quadrangle1
 ,,glasgow ,,college4    ,in the heart  
of old ,glasgow city1 not far from the  
cathedral of ,st4  ,mungo1 which ,knox  
with difficulty preserved from the fury 
of the ,scotch  iconoclasts1 stands the 
venerable ,university1 a curiously black
 and  sombre building1 more than #djj   
years old4 ,inside the entrance1 on the 
right-hand side1 is a stone staircase1  
guarded by fabulous beasts in  stone4   

,the buildings consist of several       
quadrangles2 but there is not much      
regularity in their design1 each part   
seeming to stand towards the other      
parts1 in a state of independent        
crookedness and irregularity4 ,there are
  turrets in the corners of the         
quadrangles1--turrets with peaked tops1 
like witches' caps4 ,in the inner       
quadrangle1 entered from the left-hand  
side of the outer court1 a workshop was 
found for our mechanician1 in  which he 
was securely established by the         
midsummer of #ageg4 ,the apartment      
appropriated to ,watt by the professors 
is still to be seen in nearly the  same 
rude state in which he left it4 ,it is  
situated on the first floor of  the     
range of building forming the north-west
 side of the inner quadrangle1          
immediately under the gallery of the    
,natural ,philosophy class1 with which  
it communicates4 ,it is lighted by three
 windows1 two of which open into  the   
quadrangle1 and the third1 at the back1 

into the ,professors' court4  ,there is 
a small closet in the corner of the     
room1 where some students  have cut     
their names in the plaster1--date       
8#agac40 ,the access to the room  used  
to be from the court by a spiral stone  
staircase2 but that entrance  is now    
closed4 ,the apartment is only about    
twenty feet square2 but it  served      
,watt1 as it has since served others1   
for high thinking and noble  working4#ff
        #ff ,when we visited the room   
some years since1 we found laid         
there the galvanic apparatus employed by
 ,professor ,thomson for                
perfecting the invention of his delicate
 process of signalling        through   
the wires of the ,atlantic ,telegraph4  
,in addition to his workshop under the  
,natural ,philosophy class1 a shop  for 
the sale of his instruments was also    
appropriated to ,watt by the            
,professors4 ,it formed the ground-floor
 of the house situated next to the      
,principal's ,gate1 being part of the   

,university ,buildings1 and was entered 
directly from the pavement of the ,high 
,street4 ,it has been described to  us1 
on the authority of ,professor ,fleming1
 as an old house1 with a sort of  arcade
 in front1 supported on pillars4 ,in    
making some alterations in the  building
 the pillars were too much weakened1 and
 the house1 excepting the  basement1 had
 to be taken down4 ,the shop occupied by
 ,watt is the little  tenement shown on 
the right hand of the following         
engraving2 but the lower  story of the  
building has since been altered and     
repaired1 and is now  totally different 
from what it was in ,watt's time4       
,illustration3 ,,isometric ,,view ,,of  
,,glasgow ,,college1 #afic1 ,,from      
,,sleyer',s  #8,,theatrum ,,scoti4'#fg  
#fg ,the illustration does not show the 
,inner ,quadrangle1 situated        to  
the left of the ,main ,court1 that part 
of the building having        been added
 since the view was published4          
,though his wants were few1 and he lived

 on humble fare1 ,watt found it  very   
difficult to earn a subsistence by his  
trade4 ,his father sent him  remittances
 from time to time2 but the old man had 
suffered serious losses  in his own     
business1 and had become much less able 
to help his son with  money4 ,after a   
year's trial1 ,watt wrote to his father1
 that 8unless it be  the ,hadley's      
instruments there is little to be got by
 it1 as at most other  jobs ,i am       
obliged to do the most of them myself2  
and1 as it is impossible  for one person
 to be expert at everything1 they often 
cost me more time  than they should do40
 ,of the quadrants1 he could make three 
in a week1  with the help of a lad2 but 
the profit upon the three was not more  
than  #djs4 ,the customers for these    
were very few in number1 as seagoing    
ships  with their captains could not yet
 reach ,glasgow4#fh        #fh ,the     
author of #8,glasgow1 ,past and         
,present' thus writes3--8,last          
week 7,nov4 #ahea7 ,i was crossing the  

ferry at the west end of                
,tradeston1 and in the course of our    
passage over we turned        round the 
bow of a large ship4 ,the ferryman1     
looking up to her        leviathan      
bulwarks1 exclaimed1 #8,she came up here
 yesterday1        drawing eighteen feet
 water6' ,now1 upon this very spot      
seventy        years ago1 when a very   
little boy1 ,i waded across the river1  
my feet never being off the ground1 and 
the water not reaching        above my  
arm-pits4 ,the depth at that time could 
not have been        much more than     
three feet40    ,failing sufficient     
customers for his instruments1 ,watt    
sent those which  he had made to ,port  
,glasgow and ,greenock1 where his father
 helped him to  dispose of them4 ,he    
also bethought him of taking a journey  
to ,liverpool  and ,london1 for the     
purpose of obtaining orders for         
instruments2  though1 for some reason or
 other--most probably because he was    
averse to  8pushing10 and detested the  

chaffering of trade--his contemplated   
journey  was not undertaken4 ,he        
therefore continued to execute only such
 orders as  came to him1 so that his    
business remained very small4 ,he began 
to fear  that he must give up the trade 
that would not keep him1 and he wrote to
  his father3 8,if this business does   
not succeed1 ,i must fall into some     
other40 ,to eke out his income1 he took 
to map and chart selling1 and1  amongst 
other things1 offered for sale the ,map 
of the ,river ,clyde1#fi  originally    
surveyed by his uncle ,john4        #fi 
,the #8,glasgow ,courant' of ,oct4 #bb1 
#agei1 contains the        following    
advertisement3--                        
8,just ,published1            8,and to  
be ,sold by ,james ,watt1 at his ,shop  
in the ,college            of ,glasgow1 
price #bs4 #f;d41            8,a large  
,sheet ,map of the ,river ,clyde1 from  
,glasgow to            ,portincross1    
from an ,actual ,survey4                
8,to which is added1            8,a     

,draught of ,part of the ,north         
,channel1 with the ,frith            of 
,clyde according to the best            
authorities40    ,it is well for the    
world at large that ,watt's maps and    
quadrants remained  on his hands unsold4
 ,the most untoward circumstances in    
life have often  the happiest results4  
,it is not ,fortune that is blind1 but  
man4 ,had his  instrument-making        
business prospered1 ,watt might have    
become known as a  first-class maker of 
quadrants1 but not as the inventor of   
the condensing  steam-engine4 ,it was   
because his own special business failed 
that he was  driven to betake himself to
 other pursuits1 and eventually to      
prosecute  the invention on which his   
fame mainly rests4 ,at first he employed
 part  of his leisure in making chemical
 and other experiments2 but as these    
yielded him no returns in the shape of  
money1 he was under the necessity  of   
making some sort of article that was in 
demand1 and for which he could  find    

customers4 ,although he had no ear for  
music1 and scarcely knew one  note from 
another1 he followed the example of the 
old spectacle-maker1  his first master1 
in making fiddles1 flutes1 and guitars1 
which met with  a readier sale than his 
quadrants4 ,these articles were what    
artists call  8pot-boilers10 and kept   
him in funds until a maintenance could  
be earned  by higher-class work4 ,we are
 informed1 through a lady at ,glasgow1  
that her  father bought a flute from    
,watt1 who said to him1 in selling it3  
8,woe be  to ye1 ,tam1 if you're no guid
 luck2 for this is the first ,i've      
sold60    ,his friend ,dr4 ,black1      
probably to furnish him with some       
profitable  employment1 asked ,watt to  
make a barrel-organ for him1 which he at
 once  proceeded to construct4 ,watt was
 not the man to refuse work of any kind 
requiring the exercise of constructive  
skill4 ,he first carefully studied  the 
principles of harmony1--making science1 
in a measure1 the substitute  for want  

of ear1#gj and took for his guide the   
profound but obscure  work on           
#8,harmonics1' published by ,dr4 ,r4    
,smith of ,cambridge4 ,he next  made a  
model of the instrument2 after which he 
constructed the organ1  which1 when     
finished1 was considered a great        
success4 ,about the same time  the      
office-bearers of a ,mason's ,lodge in  
,glasgow sent to ask him if he  would   
undertake to build for them a           
finger-organ4 ,as he had successfully   
repaired an instrument of the same kind1
 besides making the barrel-organ1  he   
readily accepted the order4 ,watt was   
always1 as he said1 dissatisfied  with  
other people's work1 as well as his own2
 and this habit of his mind  made him   
study to improve upon whatever came     
before him4 ,thus1 in the  process of   
building this organ1 he devised a number
 of novel expedients1  such as a        
sustained monochord1 indicators and     
regulators of the strength  of the      
blast1 means of tuning the instrument   

according to any system of  temperament1
 with sundry contrivances for improving 
the efficiency of the  stops4 ,the      
qualities of the organ when finished are
 said to have elicited  the surprise and
 admiration of musicians4#ga        #gj 
,general ,t4 ,perronet ,thompson is     
another remarkable instance        of a 
person without ear for music1 who has   
mastered the        principles of       
harmony and applied them in the         
invention of his        8,enharmonic    
,organ40        #ga ,watt seems to have 
made other organs besides those above   
mentioned4 ,not long since a            
barrel-organ of his construction        
was offered for sale at ,glasgow4 ,it   
was originally in the form        of a  
table1 about three feet square1 having  
no appearance of        a musical       
instrument externally4 ,at this table1  
when ,watt and        his friends were  
seated1 he would set the concealed      
mechanism        in action1 and surprise
 them with the production of the music4 

,it has since been mounted with an organ
 front and sides1 with        gilt      
pipes4 ,when in proper tune it is of    
considerable power and        pleasing  
harmony2 and continues orthodox in its  
psalm tunes1        which range from    
8,martyrs0 to the 8,old ,hundred40 ,a   
correspondent        writes as          
follows3--8,a large organ made and used 
by ,watt when        he had his shop in 
,glasgow1 was disposed of by him1 when  
he        finally left this city4 ,it   
came into the possession of the late    
,mr4 ,archibald ,m#8,lellan1            
coach-builder1 ,miller ,street1         
,glasgow1        and he had it fitted up
 in his elegant residence in that fine  
old street4 ,i have heard it played by  
,mr4 ,m#8,lellan4 ,after his            
death it was sold1 and purchased by ,mr4
 ,james ,g4 ,adam of the        ,denny  
print-works4 ,mr4 ,adam died1 and the   
organ was advertised        for sale1 in
 #ahfd1 and purchased for #ajl41 by     
,adam ,sim1 ,esq41        of ,coulter   

,mains1 in whose possession it now is4  
,mr4 ,sim has        authentic documents
 to prove that this organ was really    
,james        ,watt's40    ,the leisure 
time which ,watt did not occupy with    
miscellaneous work of  this sort1 he    
spent in reading4 ,he did not want for  
books1 as the ,college  library was near
 at hand2 and the professors as well as 
students were  willing to lend him from 
their stores4 ,he was not afraid of     
solid1 heavy1  dry books1 provided he   
could learn something from them4 ,all   
were alike  welcome2 and one of his     
greatest pleasures was in devouring a   
novel1  when it fell in his way4 ,he is 
even said to have occupied himself in   
writing tales and verses when he had    
nothing else to do4 ,as none of his     
attempts have been preserved1 we cannot 
offer an opinion upon them2 but  it is  
doubtful whether ,watt's poetry and     
fiction would display the same          
originality and power of invention as   
his steam-engine4 ,the only youthful    

exercises of his which have been        
preserved are anything but poetical4    
,one  of them1 at ,heathfield1 is a     
#8,treatise on ,practical               
,megethometry2' and  another is a       
#8,compendium of ,definitions1' in      
,latin1 by ,gerard de ,vries1  both     
written in a neat round hand4    ,like  
most of the ,glasgow citizens of that   
time1 ,watt occasionally visited  his   
club1 where he cultivated the society of
 men of greater culture and  experience 
than himself4#gb ,as he afterwards      
observed to a friend1 8,our             
conversations then1 besides the usual   
subjects with young men1 turned         
principally on literary topics1         
religion1 morality1 belles-lettres1  c42
 and to those conversations my mind owed
 its first bias towards  such subjects1 
in which they were all much my          
superiors1 ,i never having  attended a  
college1 and being then but a mechanic40
        #gb ,the club he frequented was 
called the ,anderston ,club1 of         

which ,mr4 7afterwards ,professor7      
,millar1 ,dr4 ,robert ,simson1 the      
mathematician1 ,dr4 ,adam ,smith1 ,dr4  
,black1 and ,dr4 ,cullen1 were          
members4 ,the standing dish of the club 
was hen-broth1 consisting        of a   
decoction of 8how-towdies0 7fowls71     
thickened with black        beans1 and  
seasoned with pepper4 ,dr4 ,strang says 
,professor        ,simson was in the    
habit of counting the steps from his    
house to        the club1 so that he    
could tell the distance to the fraction 
of        an inch4 ,but it is not stated
 whether he counted the steps on        
his return1 and found the number of     
steps the same4    ,there was another   
circumstance connected with his         
situation at this time  which must have 
been peculiarly agreeable to a young man
 of his character1  aspirations1 and    
thirst for knowledge4 ,his shop1 being  
conveniently  situated within the       
,college1 was a favourite resort of the 
professors and  the students4 ,they were

 attracted by the ingenious instruments 
and models  which the shop contained1   
and the pleasure always felt in         
witnessing the  proceedings of a skilful
 mechanic at his work1 but more         
particularly by  the easy1 unaffected1  
and original conversation of ,watt      
himself4 ,though  a comparative youth1  
the professors were usually glad to     
consult him on  points of mechanical    
knowledge and practice2 and the         
acuteness of his  observation1 the      
accuracy of his knowledge1 and the      
readiness with which  he communicated   
what he knew1 soon rendered him a       
general favourite4  ,among his most     
frequent visitors were ,dr4 ,joseph     
,black1 the distinguished  professor of 
chemistry1 who there contracted a       
friendship with ,watt which  lasted1    
uninterrupted1 for a period of forty    
years1 until the ,doctor's  death2      
,professor ,simson1 one of the most     
eminent men of his day1 whom ,lord      
,brougham has described as the restorer 

of the science of geometry2 ,dr4  ,dick1
 the ,professor of ,natural ,philosophy2
 and ,professor ,anderson4#gc  ,dr4     
,moor and ,dr4 ,adam ,smith were also   
frequent callers4 ,but of all ,watt's   
associates1 none is more closely        
connected with his name and history than
  ,john ,robison1 then a student at     
,glasgow ,college1 and afterwards       
,professor  of ,natural ,philosophy at  
,edinburgh4        #gc ,john ,anderson  
was a native of ,greenock1 and an       
intimate        friend of ,james ,watt4 
,he was appointed professor of ,hebrew  
in        his twenty-seventh year1 and  
succeeded ,dr4 ,dick as professor of    
,natural ,philosophy in #ageg4 ,watt    
spent many of his evenings at        his
 residence within the ,college1 and had 
the free use of his        excellent    
private library4 ,professor ,anderson is
 entitled to the        honour of being 
the first to open classes for the       
instruction        of working           
men--8anti-toga classes10 as he called  

them--in the        principles of       
,natural ,philosophy2 and at his death  
he bequeathed        his property for   
the purpose of founding an institution  
with        the same object4 ,the       
,andersonian ,university was opened in  
#agif1        long before the age of    
,mechanics' ,institutes4    ,robison was
 nearer ,watt's age than the rest1 and  
stood in the intimate  relation to him  
of bosom friend1 as well as fellow      
inquirer in science4  ,he was handsome  
and prepossessing in appearance1 frank  
and lively1 full of  fancy and humour1  
and a general favourite in the ,college4
 ,he was a capital  talker1 an          
accomplished linguist1 and a good       
musician2 yet1 with all his             
versatility1 he was a profound thinker  
and a diligent student1 especially  in  
mathematical and mechanical science1 as 
he afterwards proved in his  elaborate  
#8,system of ,mechanical ,philosophy1'  
edited by ,sir ,david ,brewster1  and   
his many able contributions to the      

#8,encyclopdia ,britannica1' of which   
he was the designer and editor4         
,robison's introduction to ,watt has    
been described by himself4 ,after       
feasting his eyes on the                
beautifully-finished instruments in his 
shop1  ,robison entered into            
conversation with him4 ,expecting to    
find only a  workman1 he was surprised  
to discover a philosopher4 8,i had the  
vanity10  says ,robison1 8to think      
myself a pretty good proficient in my   
favourite  study 7mathematical and      
mechanical philosophy71 and was rather  
mortified  at finding ,mr4 ,watt so much
 my superior4 ,but his own high relish  
for  these things made him pleased with 
the chat of any person who had the  same
 tastes with himself2 and his innate    
complaisance made him indulge  my       
curiosity1 and even encourage my        
endeavours to form a more intimate      
acquaintance with him4 ,i lounged much  
about him1 and1 ,i doubt not1 was       
frequently teasing him4 ,thus our       

acquaintance began40    ,in ,watt's     
workshop also1 ,robison first met ,dr4  
,black1 and there initiated  a          
friendship which ended only with death4 
8,my first acquaintance with  him10     
,robison afterwards wrote ,watt1 8began 
in your rooms when you were  rubbing up 
,macfarlane's instruments4 ,he used to  
come in1 and1 standing  with his back to
 us1 amuse himself with ,bird's         
quadrant1 whistling softly  to himself1 
in a manner that thrilled me to the     
heart40    ,in #ageg ,robison applied   
for the office of assistant to ,dr4     
,dick1 ,professor  of ,natural          
,philosophy1 in the place of the son of 
that gentleman1 who  had just died2 but 
though he had already taken the degree  
of ,master of  ,arts1 he was thought too
 young to hold so important an office1  
being  only about nineteen years old4   
,his friends wished him to study for the
  church2 but1 preferring some          
occupation in which his mechanical      
tastes  might be indulged1 he turned his

 eyes to ,london4 ,furnished with       
letters  from ,professor ,dick and ,dr4 
,simson1 he obtained an introduction to 
,admiral ,knowles1 who engaged him to   
take charge of his son's instruction    
while at sea4 ,in that capacity he      
sailed from ,spithead in #agei1 with the
  fleet which assisted the land forces  
in the taking of ,quebec2 he and his    
pupil being rated as midshipmen in the  
,admiral's ship4 ,robison was on  duty  
in the boat which carried ,wolfe to the 
point where the army scaled  the heights
 of ,montcalm the night before the      
battle2 and as the sun was  setting in  
the west1 the ,general1 doubtless from  
an association of ideas  suggested by   
the dangers of the coming struggle1     
recited1 in an under  tone1 ,gray's     
#8,elegy on a ,country ,churchyard2' and
 when he had finished1  said1 8,now1    
gentlemen1 ,i would rather have been the
 author of that poem  than take         
,quebec40    ,when ,robison returned    
from his voyagings in #agfc1 a travelled

 man1--having  had the advantage1 during
 his absence1 of acting as confidential 
assistant  of ,admiral ,knowles in his  
marine surveys and observations1--he    
reckoned  himself more than on a par    
with ,watt2 but he soon found that1     
during the  period of his absence from  
,glasgow1 his friend had been even      
busier than  himself4 ,when they entered
 into conversation1 he found ,watt      
continually  striking into new paths    
where he was obliged to be his follower4
 ,the  extent of the mathematical       
instrument maker's investigations was no
 less  remarkable than the depth to     
which he had pursued them4 ,not only had
 he  mastered the principles of         
engineering1 civil and military1 but    
diverged  into studies in antiquity1    
natural history1 languages1 criticism1  
and  art4 ,every pursuit became science 
in his hands1 and he made use of his    
subsidiary knowledge for the purpose of 
helping him towards his favourite       
objects4    ,before long1 ,watt became  

to be regarded as one of the ablest men 
about  college4 8,when to the           
superiority of knowledge in his own     
line10 said  ,robison1 8which every man 
confessed1 there was joined the nave    
simplicity  and candour of his          
character1 it is no wonder that the     
attachment of  his acquaintances was so 
strong4 ,i have seen something of the   
world10 he  continued1 8and ,i am       
obliged to say that ,i never saw such   
another instance  of general and cordial
 attachment to a person whom all        
acknowledged to be  their superior4 ,but
 this superiority was concealed under   
the most amiable  candour1 and liberal  
allowance of merit to every man4 ,mr4   
,watt was the  first to ascribe to the  
ingenuity of a friend things which were 
very often  nothing but his own surmises
 followed out and embodied by another4  
,i am  well entitled to say this1 and   
have often experienced it in my own     
case40    ,there are few traits in      
biography more charming than this       

generous  recognition of merit mutually 
attributed by the one friend to the     
other4  ,arago1 in quoting the words of 
,robison1 has well observed that it is  
difficult to determine whether the      
honour of having thus recorded them be  
not as great as that of having inspired 
them4    ,illustration3 ,,the           
,,broomielaw ,,in #agfj4                
,illustration3 ,,professor ,,robison1 t4
 #fj4    ,by ,t4 ,d4 ,scott1 after      
,raeburn4          ,,chapter ,,vii4     
,,watt',s ,,experiments ,,on            
,,steam--,,invents ,,the ,,separate     
,,condenser4      ,it was in the year   
#agei that ,robison first called the    
attention of his  friend ,watt to the   
subject of the steam-engine4 ,robison   
was then only  in his twentieth1 and    
,watt in his twenty-third year4         
,robison's idea was  that the power of  
steam might be advantageously applied to
 the driving of  wheel-carriages1 and he
 suggested that it would be the most    
convenient  for the purpose to place the

 cylinder with its open end downwards to
  avoid the necessity of using a working
 beam4 ,watt admits that he was very    
ignorant of the steam-engine at the     
time2 nevertheless1 he began making  a  
model with two cylinders of tinplate1   
intending that the pistons and  their   
connecting-rods should act alternately  
on two pinions attached  to the axles of
 the carriage-wheels4 ,but the model1   
being slightly and  inaccurately made1  
did not answer his expectations4 ,other 
difficulties  presented themselves1 and 
the scheme was laid aside on ,robison   
leaving  ,glasgow to go to sea4 ,indeed1
 mechanical science was not yet ripe for
  the locomotive4 ,robison's idea had1  
however1 dropped silently into the  mind
 of his friend1 where it grew from day  
to day1 slowly and at length            
fruitfully4    ,at his intervals of     
leisure and in the quiet of his         
evenings1 ,watt  continued to prosecute 
his various studies4 ,he was shortly    
attracted  by the science of chemistry1 

then in its infancy4 ,dr4 ,black was at 
that  time occupied with the            
investigations which led to his         
discovery of the  theory of latent heat1
 and it is probable that his familiar   
conversations  with ,watt on the subject
 induced the latter to enter upon a     
series of  experiments with the view of 
giving the theory some practical        
direction4  ,his attention again and    
again reverted to the steam-engine1     
though he  had not yet seen even a model
 of one4 ,steam was as yet almost       
unknown in  ,scotland as a working      
power4 ,the first engine was erected at 
,elphinstone  ,colliery1 in             
,stirlingshire1 about the year #agej2   
and the second more than  ten years     
later1 at ,govan ,colliery1 near        
,glasgow1 where it was known  by the    
startling name of 8,the ,firework40     
,this had not1 however1 been  set up at 
the time ,watt began to inquire into the
 subject4 ,but he found  that the       
,college possessed the model of a       

,newcomen engine for the use of  the    
,natural ,philosophy class1 which had   
been sent to ,london for repair4  ,on   
hearing of its existence1 he suggested  
to his friend ,dr4 ,anderson1           
,professor of ,natural ,philosophy1 the 
propriety of getting back the model2    
and a sum of money was placed by the    
,senatus at the ,professor's disposal   
8to recover the steam-engine from ,mr4  
,sisson1 instrument maker1 in  ,london40
    ,in the mean time ,watt sought to   
learn all that had been written on  the 
subject of the steam-engine4 ,he        
ascertained from ,desaguliers1  from    
,switzer1 and other writers1 what had   
been accomplished by ,savery1           
,newcomen1 ,beighton1 and others3 and he
 went on with his own independent       
experiments4 ,his first apparatus was of
 the simplest possible kind4 ,he  used  
common apothecaries' phials for his     
steam reservoirs1 and canes  hollowed   
out for his steam pipes4#gd ,in #agfa he
 proceeded to experiment  on the force  

of steam by means of a small ,papin's   
digester and a syringe4  ,the syringe   
was only the third of an inch in        
diameter1 fitted with a  solid piston2  
and it was connected with the digester  
by a pipe furnished  with a stopcock1 by
 which the steam was admitted or shut   
off at will4 ,it  was also itself       
provided with a stopcock1 enabling a    
communication to be  opened between the 
syringe and the outer air to permit the 
steam in the  syringe to escape4 ,the   
apparatus1 though rude1 enabled the     
experimenter to  ascertain some         
important facts4 ,when the steam in the 
digester was raised  and the cock       
turned1 enabling it to rush against the 
lower side of the  piston1 he found that
 the expansive force of the steam raised
 a weight of  fifteen pounds with which 
the piston was loaded4 ,then1 on turning
 the cock  and shutting off the         
connexion with the digester at the same 
time that a  passage was opened to the  
air1 the steam was allowed to escape1   

when the  weight upon the piston1 being 
no longer counteracted1 immediately     
forced  it to descend4        #gd ,at a 
meeting held in ,glasgow in #ahci to    
erect a monument        to ,watt1 ,dr4  
,ure observed3--8,as to the latent heat 
of steam10        said ,mr4 ,watt to me1
 8it was a piece of knowledge essential 
to        my inquiries1 and ,i worked it
 out myself in the best way that        
,i could4 ,i used apothecaries' phials  
for my apparatus1 and by        means of
 them ,i got approximations sufficient  
for my purpose at        the time40 ,the
 passage affords a striking illustration
 of the        large results that may be
 arrived at by means of the humblest    
instruments4 ,in like manner ,cavendish1
 when asked by a foreigner        to be 
shown over his laboratories1 pointed to 
an old tea-tray        on the table1    
containing a few watch-glasses1 test    
papers1        a balance1 and a         
blowpipe1 and observed1 8,there is all  
the        laboratory ,i possess40      

,illustration3 ,,papin',s ,,digester4   
,watt saw that it would be easy to      
contrive that the cocks should be turned
  by the machinery itself instead of by 
the hand1 and the whole be made  to work
 by itself with perfect regularity4 ,but
 there was an objection to  this method4
 ,water is converted into vapour as soon
 as its elasticity is  sufficient to    
overcome the weight of the air which    
keeps it down4 ,under  the ordinary     
pressure of the atmosphere water        
acquires this necessary  elasticity at  
#bab2 but as the steam in the digester  
was prevented  from escaping1 it        
acquired increased heat1 and by         
consequence increased  elasticity4      
,hence it was that the steam which      
issued from the digester  was not only  
able to support the piston and the air  
which pressed upon  its upper surface1  
but the additional load with which the  
piston was  weighted4 ,with the         
imperfect mechanical construction1      
however1 of those  days1 there was a    

risk lest the boiler should be burst by 
the steam1 which  was apt to force its  
way through the ill-made joints of the  
machine4 ,this1  conjoined with the     
great expenditure of steam on the       
high-pressure system1  led ,watt to     
abandon the plan2 and the exigencies of 
his business for a  time prevented him  
pursuing his experiments4 ,watt's own   
account of his  early experiments will  
be found appended as notes to           
,brewster's edition  of the articles    
#8,steam and ,steam-engines1' written by
 ,dr4 ,robison for the  #8,encyclopdia  
,britannica1' and afterwards published  
in a separate form4    ,illustration3   
,,the ,,newcomen ,,model4    ,at length 
the ,newcomen model arrived from        
,london2 and1 in #agfc1 the little      
engine1 which was destined to become so 
famous1 was put into the hands of       
,watt4 ,the boiler was somewhat smaller 
than an ordinary tea-kettle4 ,the       
cylinder of the engine was only of two  
inches diameter and six inches  stroke4 

,watt at first regarded it as merely 8a 
fine plaything40 ,it was1  however1     
enough to set him upon a track of       
thinking which led to the most          
important results4 ,when he had repaired
 the model and set it to work1 he  found
 that the boiler1 though apparently     
large enough1 could not supply  steam in
 sufficient quantity1 and only a few    
strokes of the piston could  be         
obtained1 when the engine stopped4 ,the 
fire was urged by blowing1 and  more    
steam was produced1 but still it would  
not work properly4 ,exactly  at the     
point at which another man would have   
abandoned the task in  despair1 the mind
 of ,watt became thoroughly roused4     
8,everything10 says  ,professor         
,robison1 8was to him the beginning of a
 new and serious study2  and ,i knew    
that he would not quit it till he had   
either discovered its  insignificance1  
or had made something of it40 ,thus it  
happened with the  phenomena presented  
by the model of the steam-engine4 ,watt 

referred to  his books1 and endeavoured 
to ascertain from them by what means he 
might  remedy the defects which he found
 in the model2 but they could tell him  
nothing4 ,he then proceeded with an     
independent course of experiments1      
resolved to work out the problem for    
himself4 ,in the course of his          
inquiries he came upon a fact which1    
more than any other1 led his mind  into 
the train of thought which at last      
conducted him to the invention of  which
 the results were destined to prove so  
stupendous4 ,this fact was the          
existence of ,latent ,heat4    ,in order
 to follow the track of investigation   
pursued by ,watt1 it  is necessary for a
 moment to revert to the action of the  
,newcomen  pumping-engine4 ,a beam1     
moving upon a centre1 had affixed to one
 end  of it a chain attached to the     
piston of the pump1 and at the other a  
chain attached to a piston that fitted  
into the steam cylinder4 ,it was  by    
driving this latter piston up and down  

the cylinder that the pump was  worked4 
,to communicate the necessary movement  
to the piston1 the steam  generated in a
 boiler was admitted to the bottom of   
the cylinder1 forcing  out the air      
through a valve1 when its pressure on   
the under side of the  piston           
counterbalanced the pressure of the     
atmosphere on its upper side4  ,the     
piston1 thus placed between two equal   
forces1 was drawn up to the top  of the 
cylinder by the greater weight of the   
pump-gear at the opposite  extremity of 
the beam4 ,the steam1 so far1 only      
discharged the office which  was        
performed by the air it displaced2 but1 
if the air had been allowed  to remain1 
the piston once at the top of the       
cylinder could not have  returned1 being
 pressed as much by the atmosphere      
underneath as by the  atmosphere above  
it4 ,the steam1 on the contrary1 which  
was admitted by  the exclusion of the   
air1 could be condensed1 and a vacuum   
created1 by  injecting cold water       

through the bottom of the cylinder4 ,the
 piston being  now unsupported1 was     
forced down by the pressure of the      
atmosphere on its  upper surface4 ,when 
the piston reached the bottom1 the steam
 was again let  in1 and the process was 
repeated4 ,such was the engine in       
ordinary use for  pumping water at the  
time that ,watt begun his               
investigations4    ,among his other     
experiments1 he constructed a boiler    
which showed by  inspection the quantity
 of water evaporated in any given time1 
and the  quantity of steam used in every
 stroke of the engine4 ,he was          
astonished  to discover that a small    
quantity of water in the form of steam1 
heated  a large quantity of cold water  
injected into the cylinder for the      
purpose of cooling it2 and upon further 
examination he ascertained that  steam  
heated six times its weight of cold     
water to #bab1 which was  the           
temperature of the steam itself4 8,being
 struck with this remarkable  fact10    

says ,watt1 8and not understanding the  
reason of it1 ,i mentioned it  to my    
friend ,dr4 ,black1 who then explained  
to me his doctrine of latent  heat1     
which he had taught for some time before
 this period 7the summer of  #agfd72 but
 having myself been occupied by the     
pursuits of business1 if ,i  had heard  
of it ,i had not attended to it1 when ,i
 thus stumbled upon one  of the material
 facts by which that beautiful theory is
 supported40#ge        #ge ,watt's notes
 to ,robison's ,articles on #8,steam and
        ,steam-engines4'    ,when ,watt 
found that water1 in its conversion into
 vapour1 became such a  reservoir of    
heat1 he was more than ever bent on     
economising it2 for the  great waste of 
heat involving so heavy a consumption of
 fuel1 was felt  to be the principal    
obstacle to the extended employment of  
steam as a  motive power4 ,he           
accordingly endeavoured1 with the same  
quantity of fuel1  at once to increase  
the production of steam1 and to diminish

 its waste4  ,he increased the heating  
surface of the boiler1 by making flues  
through  it2 he even made his boiler of 
wood1 as being a worse conductor of heat
  than the brickwork which surrounds    
common furnaces2 and he cased the       
cylinders and all the conducting-pipes  
in materials which conducted heat  very 
slowly4 ,but none of these contrivances 
were effectual2 for it turned  out that 
the chief expenditure of steam1 and     
consequently of fuel1 in the  ,newcomen 
engine1 was occasioned by the reheating 
of the cylinder after  the steam had    
been condensed1 and the cylinder was    
consequently cooled by  the injection   
into it of the cold water4 ,nearly      
four-fifths of the whole  steam employed
 was condensed on its first admission1  
before the surplus  could act upon the  
piston4 ,watt therefore came to the     
conclusion1 that to  make a perfect     
steam-engine1 it was necessary that the 
cylinder should be  always as hot as the
 steam that entered it2 but it was      

equally necessary  that the steam should
 be condensed when the piston           
descended1--nay1 that  it should be     
cooled down below #ajj1 or a            
considerable amount of vapour  would be 
given off1 which would resist the       
descent of the piston1 and  diminish the
 power of the engine4 ,thus the cylinder
 was never to be at a  less temperature 
than #bab1 and yet at each descent of   
the piston it was  to be less than #ajj2
 conditions which1 on the very face of  
them1 seemed  to be wholly incompatible4
    ,we revert for a moment to the      
progress of ,watt's instrument-making   
business4 ,the shop in the ,college was 
not found to answer1 being too  far from
 the principal thoroughfares4 ,if he    
wanted business he must go  nearer to   
the public1 for it was evident that they
 would not come to him4  ,but to remove 
to a larger shop1 in a more central     
quarter1 involved an  expenditure of    
capital for which he was himself        
unequal4 ,his father had  helped him    

with money as long as he could1 but     
could do so no longer4  ,though he was  
as much respected by his neighbours as  
ever1 he had grown  poor by his losses2 
and1 instead of giving help1 himself    
needed it4 ,watt  therefore looked about
 him for a partner with means1 and      
succeeded in  finding one in a ,mr4     
,john ,craig1 in conjunction with whom  
he opened a  retail shop in the         
,salt-market1 nearly opposite ,st4      
,andrew's ,street1 about  the year      
#agfj2 removing from thence to          
,buchanan's ,land1 on the north side  of
 the ,trongate1 a few years later4#gf   
,watt's partner was not a mechanic1  but
 he supplied the requisite capital1 and 
attended to the books4 ,the  partnership
 was on the whole successful1 as we     
infer from the increased  number of     
hands employed4 ,at first ,watt could   
execute all his orders  himself1 and    
afterwards by the help of a man and a   
boy2 but by the end of  #agfd1 the      
number of hands employed by the firm had

 increased to sixteen4          #gf ,the
 following advertisement in the         
#8,glasgow ,journal' of the        #ast 
,dec41 #agfc1 fixes the date of this    
last removal3--          8,james ,watt  
has removed his shop from the           
,saltmercat to ,mr4        ,buchanan's  
land in the ,trongate1 where he sells   
all sorts of        ,mathematical and   
,musical ,instruments1 with variety of  
toys1 and        other goods40    ,his  
improving business brought with it an   
improving income1 and  ,watt--always a  
frugal and thrifty man--began to save a 
little money4 ,he  was encouraged to    
economise by another circumstance--his  
intended marriage  with his cousin1     
,margaret ,miller4 ,in anticipation of  
this event1 he had  removed from his    
rooms in the ,college to a house in     
,delftfield ,lane--a  narrow passage    
then parallel with ,york ,street1 but   
now converted into  the spacious        
thoroughfare of ,watt ,street4 ,having  
furnished his house in a  plain yet     

comfortable style1 he brought home his  
young wife1 and installed  her there in 
,july1 #agfd4 ,the step was one of much 
importance to his  personal wellbeing4  
,mrs4 ,watt was of a lively1 cheerful   
temperament2 and  as ,watt himself was  
of a meditative disposition1 prone to   
melancholy1 and  a frequent sufferer    
from nervous headache1 her presence at  
his fireside  could not fail to have a  
beneficial influence upon his health and
 comfort4    ,illustration3 ,,watt',s   
,,house1 ,,delftfield ,,lane4    ,watt  
continued to pursue his studies as      
before4 ,though still occupied  with his
 inquiries and experiments as to steam1 
he did not neglect his  proper business1
 but was constantly on the look-out for 
improvements in  instrument making4 ,a  
machine which he invented for drawing in
 perspective  proved a success2 and he  
made a considerable number of them to   
order1  for customers in ,london as well
 as abroad4 ,he was also an             
indefatigable  reader1 and continued to 

extend his knowledge of chemistry and   
mechanics  by perusal of the best books 
on these sciences4    ,above all other  
subjects1 however1 the improvement of   
the steam-engine  continued to keep the 
fastest hold upon his mind4 ,he still   
brooded over  his experiments with the  
,newcomen model1 but did not seem to    
make much  way in introducing any       
practical improvement in its mode of    
working4 ,his  friend ,robison says he  
struggled long to condense with         
sufficient rapidity  without injection1 
trying one expedient after another1     
finding out what  would do by what would
 not do1 and exhibiting many beautiful  
specimens  of ingenuity and fertility of
 resource4 ,he continued1 to use his own
  words1 8to grope in the dark1 misled  
by many an ignis fatuus40 ,it was a     
favourite saying of his1 that 8,nature  
has a weak side1 if we can only find  it
 out20 and he went on groping and       
feeling for it1 but as yet in vain4  ,at
 length light burst upon him1 and all at

 once the problem over which he  had    
been brooding was solved4    ,one       
,sunday afternoon1 in the spring of     
#agfe1 he went to take an afternoon     
walk on the ,green1 then a quiet1 grassy
 meadow1 used as a bleaching and        
grazing-ground4 ,on week-days the       
,glasgow lasses came thither with their 
largest kail-pots1 to boil their clothes
 in2 and sturdy queans might be  seen1  
with coats kilted1 tramping blankets in 
their tubs4 ,on ,sundays the  place was 
comparatively deserted1 and hence ,watt1
 who lived close at hand1  went there to
 take a quiet afternoon stroll4 ,his    
thoughts were as usual  running on the  
subject of his unsatisfactory           
experiments with the ,newcomen  engine1 
when the first idea of the separate     
condenser suddenly flashed  upon his    
mind4 ,but the notable discovery is best
 told in his own words1  as related to  
,mr4 ,robert ,hart1 many years after3-- 
8,i had gone to take a walk on a fine   
,sabbath afternoon4 ,i had entered the  

,green by the gate at the foot of       
,charlotte ,street1 and had passed the  
old  washing-house4 ,i was thinking upon
 the engine at the time1 and had gone as
  far as the herd's house1 when the idea
 came into my mind that as steam was  an
 elastic body it would rush into a      
vacuum1 and if a communication were     
made between the cylinder and an        
exhausted vessel1 it would rush into it1
  and might be there condensed without  
cooling the cylinder4 ,i then saw that  
,i must get rid of the condensed steam  
and injection-water if ,i used a jet1   
as in ,newcomen's engine4 ,two ways of  
doing this occurred to me4 ,first1 the  
water might be run off by a descending  
pipe1 if an off-let could be got  at the
 depth of #ce or #cf feet1 and any air  
might be extracted by a small  pump4    
,the second was to make the pump large  
enough to extract both water  and air4  
,he continued3 ,i had not walked further
 than the ,golf-house#gg  when the whole
 thing was arranged in my mind40#gh     

#gg ,about the site of the ,humane      
,society's ,house4        #gh ,mr4      
,robert ,hart's #8,reminiscences of     
,james ,watt1' in        #8,transactions
 of the ,glasgow ,archological ,society1
 #ahei4'    ,great and prolific ideas   
are almost always simple4 ,what seems   
impossible  at the outset appears so    
obvious when it is effected that we are 
prone to  marvel that it did not force  
itself at once upon the mind4 ,late in  
life  ,watt1 with his accustomed        
modesty1 declared his belief that if he 
had  excelled1 it had been 8by chance   
and the neglect of others40 ,to         
,professor  ,jardine he said 8that when 
it was analysed the invention would not 
appear  so great as it seemed to be4 ,in
 the state10 said he1 8in which ,i found
 the  steam-engine1 it was no great     
effort of mind to observe that the      
quantity  of fuel necessary to make it  
work would for ever prevent its         
extensive  utility4 ,the next step in my
 progress was equally easy--to inquire  

what  was the cause of the great        
consumption of fuel3 this1 too1 was     
readily  suggested1 viz41 the waste of  
fuel which was necessary to bring the   
whole  cylinder1 piston1 and adjacent   
parts from the coldness of water to the 
heat of steam1 no fewer than from       
fifteen to twenty times in a minute40   
,the question then occurred1 how was    
this to be avoided or remedied8 ,it was 
at this stage that the idea of carrying 
on the condensation in a separate       
vessel flashed upon his mind1 and solved
 the difficulty4#gi        #gi 8,the    
last step of all10 says ,professor      
,jardine1 8was more                     
difficult--the forming of the separate  
condensing vessel4        ,the great    
knowledge he had acquired of the        
mechanical powers        enabled him to 
construct it1 but ,i have often heard   
him say        this was a work of great 
difficulty1 and that he met with many   
disappointments before he succeeded4 ,i 
have often made use        of this      

beautiful analysis received from ,mr4   
,watt1 in another        department in  
which ,i have been long engaged1 to     
illustrate and        encourage the     
progress of genius in youth1 to show1   
that once        in possession of a     
habit of attention1 under proper        
direction1        it may be carried from
 one easy step to another1 till the mind
        becomes qualified and           
invigorated for uniting and             
concentrating        effort--the highest
 exertion of genius40    ,mankind has   
been more just to ,watt than he was to  
himself4 ,there was no  accident in the 
discovery4 ,it had been the result of   
close and continuous  study2 and the    
idea of the separate condenser was      
merely the last step  of a long         
journey--a step which could not have    
been taken unless the  road which led to
 it had been traversed4 ,dr4 ,black     
says1 8,this capital  improvement       
flashed upon his mind at once1 and      
filled him with rapture20 a  statement  

which1 spite of the unimpassioned nature
 of ,watt1 we can readily  believe4     
,on the morning following his ,sunday   
afternoon's walk on ,glasgow ,green1    
,watt was up betimes making arrangements
 for a speedy trial of his new  plan4   
,he borrowed from a college friend a    
large brass syringe1 an inch and  a     
third in diameter1 and ten inches long1 
of the kind used by anatomists  for     
injecting arteries with wax previous to 
dissection4 ,the body of the  syringe   
served for a cylinder1 the piston-rod   
passing through a collar of  leather in 
its cover4 ,a pipe connected with the   
boiler was inserted at  both ends for   
the admission of steam1 and at the upper
 end was another  pipe to convey the    
steam to the condenser4 ,the axis of the
 stem of the  piston was drilled with a 
hole1 fitted with a valve at its lower  
end1 to  permit the water produced by   
the condensed steam on first filling the
  cylinder to escape4 ,the first        
condenser made use of was an improvised 

cistern of tinned plate1 provided with a
 pump to get rid of the water  formed by
 the condensation of the steam1 both the
 condensing-pipes and  the air-pump     
being placed in a reservoir of cold     
water4      8,the steam-pipe10 says     
,watt1 8was adjusted to a small boiler4 
,when steam was produced1 it was        
admitted into the cylinder1 and    soon 
issued through the perforation of the   
rod1 and at the valve    of the         
condenser2 when it was judged that the  
air was expelled1    the steam-cock was 
shut1 and the air-pump piston-rod was   
drawn    up1 which leaving the small    
pipes of the condenser in a state    of 
vacuum1 the steam entered them and was  
condensed4 ,the piston    of the        
cylinder immediately rose and lifted a  
weight of about    #ah lbs41 which was  
hung to the lower end of the piston-rod4
    ,the exhaustion-cock was shut1 the  
steam was readmitted into the           
cylinder1 and the operation was         
repeated4 ,the quantity of steam        

consumed and the weights it could raise 
were observed1 and1    excepting the    
non-application of the steam-case and   
external    covering1 the invention was 
complete1 in so for as regarded the     
savings of steam and fuel40             
,illustration3 ,,watt',s ,,apparatus4   
,but1 although the invention was        
complete in ,watt's mind1 it took him   
many long and laborious years to work   
out the details of the engine4  ,his    
friend ,robison1 with whom his intimacy 
was maintained during these  interesting
 experiments1 has given a graphic       
account of the difficulties  which he   
successively encountered and overcame4  
,he relates that on his  return from the
 country1 after the ,college vacation in
 #agfe1 he went  to have a chat with    
,watt and communicate to him some       
observations he  had made on            
,desaguliers' and ,belidor's account of 
the steam-engine4 ,he  went straight    
into the parlour1 without ceremony1 and 
found ,watt sitting  before the fire    

looking at a little tin cistern which he
 had on his knee4  ,robison immediately 
started the conversation about steam1   
his mind1 like  ,watt's1 being occupied 
with the means of avoiding the excessive
 waste of  heat in the ,newcomen engine4
 ,watt1 all the while1 kept looking into
 the  fire1 and after a time laid down  
the cistern at the foot of his chair1   
saying nothing4 ,it seems that ,watt    
felt rather nettled at ,robison having  
communicated to a mechanic of the town a
 contrivance which he had hit upon  for 
turning the cocks of his engine4 ,when  
,robison therefore pressed his  inquiry1
 ,watt at length looked at him and said 
briskly1 8,you need not fash  yourself  
any more about that1 man2 ,i have now   
made an engine that shall  not waste a  
particle of steam4 ,it shall all be     
boiling hot1--ay1 and hot  water        
injected1 if ,i please40 ,he then pushed
 the little tin cistern with  his foot  
under the table4    ,robison could learn
 no more of the new contrivance from    

,watt at that time2  but on the same    
evening he accidentally met a mutual    
acquaintance1 who1  supposing he knew as
 usual the progress of ,watt's          
experiments1 observed to  him1 8,well1  
have you seen ,jamie ,watt80 8,yes40    
8,he'll be in fine spirits  now with his
 engine80 8,yes10 said ,robison1 8very  
fine spirits40 8,gad60  said the other1 
8the separate condenser's the thing3    
keep it but cold  enough1 and you may   
have a perfect vacuum1 whatever be the  
heat of the  cylinder40 ,this was       
,watt's secret1 and the nature of the   
contrivance was  clear to ,robison at   
once4    ,illustration3 ,,dr4 ,,joseph  
,,black4    ,it will be observed that   
,watt had not made a secret of it to his
 other  friends4 ,indeed ,robison       
himself admitted that one of ,watt's    
greatest  delights was to communicate   
the results of his experiments to       
others1 and  set them upon the same road
 to knowledge with himself2 and that no 
one  could display less of the small    

jealousy of the tradesman than he did4  
,to  his intimate friend1 ,dr4 ,black1  
he communicated the progress made by him
  at every stage2 and the ,doctor kindly
 encouraged him in his struggles1       
cheered him in his encounter with       
difficulty1 and1 what was of still more 
practical value at the time1 he helped  
him with money to enable him to         
prosecute his invention4 ,communicative 
though ,watt was disposed to be1 he     
learnt reticence when he found himself  
exposed to the depredations of the      
smaller fry of inventors4 ,robison says 
that had he lived in ,birmingham  or    
,london at the time1 the probability is 
that some one or other of the  numerous 
harpies who live by sucking other       
people's brains1 would have  secured    
patents for his more important          
inventions1 and thereby deprived  him of
 the benefits of his skill1 science1 and
 labour4 ,as yet1 however1  there were  
but few mechanics in ,glasgow capable of
 understanding or  appreciating the     

steam-engine2 and the intimate friends  
to whom he freely  spoke of his         
discovery were too honourable-minded to 
take advantage  of his confidence4      
,shortly after1 ,watt fully communicated
 to ,robison  the different stages of   
his invention1 and the results at which 
he had  arrived1 much to the delight of 
his friend4    ,it will be remembered   
that in the ,newcomen engine the steam  
was only  employed for the purpose of   
producing a vacuum1 and that its working
 power  was in the down stroke1 which   
was effected by the pressure of the air 
upon the piston2 hence it is now usual  
to call it the atmospheric engine4      
,watt perceived that the air which      
followed the piston down the cylinder   
would cool the latter1 and that steam   
would be wasted in re-heating it4  ,in  
order1 therefore1 to avoid this loss of 
heat1 he resolved to put an  air-tight  
cover upon the cylinder1 with a hole and
 stuffing-box for the  piston-rod to    
slide through1 and to admit steam above 

the piston1 to act  upon it instead of  
the atmosphere4 ,when the steam had done
 its duty in  driving down the piston1 a
 communication was opened between the   
upper  and lower part of the cylinder1  
and the same steam1 distributing itself 
equally in both compartments1 sufficed  
to restore equilibrium4 ,the piston  was
 now drawn up by the weight of the      
pump-gear2 the steam beneath it  was    
then condensed in the separate vessel so
 as to produce a vacuum1 and  a fresh   
jet of steam from the boiler was let in 
above the piston1 which  forced it again
 to the bottom of the cylinder4 ,from an
 atmospheric it had  thus become a true 
steam-engine1 and with a much greater   
economy of steam  than when the air did 
half the duty4 ,but it was not only     
important to  keep the air from flowing 
down the inside of the cylinder3 the air
 which  circulated within cooled the    
metal and condensed a portion of the    
steam  within2 and this ,watt proposed  
to remedy by a second cylinder1         

surrounding  the first with an interval 
between the two which was to be kept    
full of  steam4    ,one by one these    
various contrivances were struck out1   
modified1 settled1  and reduced to      
definite plans2 the separate condenser1 
the air and water  pumps1 the use of fat
 and oil 7instead of water as in the    
,newcomen engine7  to keep the piston   
working in the cylinder air-tight1 and  
the enclosing  of the cylinder itself   
within another to prevent the loss of   
heat4 ,they  were all but emanations    
from the first idea of inventing an     
engine working  by a piston1 in which   
the cylinder should be kept continually 
hot and  perfectly dry4 8,when once10   
says ,watt1 8the idea of separate       
condensation  was started1 all these    
improvements followed as corollaries in 
quick  succession2 so that in the course
 of one or two days the invention was   
thus far complete in my mind40    ,the  
next step was to construct a model      
engine for the purpose of embodying  the

 invention in a working form4 ,with this
 object ,watt hired an old  cellar1     
situated in the first wide entry to the 
north of the beef-market  in ,king      
,street1 and there proceeded with his   
model4 ,he found it much  easier1       
however1 to prepare his plan than to    
execute it4 ,like most  ingenious and   
inventive men1 ,watt was extremely      
fastidious2 and this  occasioned        
considerable delay in the execution of  
the work4 ,his very  inventiveness to   
some extent proved a hinderance2 for new
 expedients were  perpetually occurring 
to him1 which he thought would be       
improvements1 and  which he1 by turns1  
endeavoured to introduce4 ,some of these
 expedients  he admits proved fruitless1
 and all of them occasioned delay4      
,another  of his chief difficulties was 
in finding competent workmen to execute 
his plans4 ,he himself had been         
accustomed only to small metal work1    
with  comparatively delicate tools1 and 
had very little experience 8in the      

practice of mechanics in great10 as he  
termed it4 ,he was therefore  under the 
necessity of depending1 in a great      
measure1 upon the handiwork  of others4 
,but mechanics capable of working out   
,watt's designs in metal  were then with
 difficulty to be found4 ,the beautiful 
self-acting tools  and workmanship which
 have since been called into being1     
principally by  his own invention1 did  
not then exist4 ,the only available     
hands in ,glasgow  were the blacksmiths 
and tinners1 little capable of          
constructing articles  out of their     
ordinary walks2 and even in these they  
were often found  clumsy1 blundering1   
and incompetent4 ,the result was1 that  
in consequence  of the malconstruction  
of the larger parts1 ,watt's first model
 was only  partially successful4 ,the   
experiments made with it1 however1      
served to  verify the expectations he   
had formed1 and to place the advantages 
of the  invention beyond the reach of   
doubt4 ,on the exhausting-cock being    

turned1  the piston1 when loaded with   
#ah lbs41 ascended as quick as the blow 
of  a hammer2 and the moment the        
steam-cock was opened1 it descended with
  like rapidity1 though the steam was   
weak1 and the machine snifted at many   
openings4    ,satisfied that he had laid
 hold of the right principle of a       
working  steam-engine1 ,watt felt       
impelled to follow it to an issue4 ,he  
could give  his mind to no other        
business in peace until this was done4  
,he wrote  to a friend that he was quite
 barren on every other subject4 8,my    
whole  thoughts10 said he1 8are bent on 
this machine4 ,i can think of nothing   
else40#hj ,he proceeded to make another 
and bigger1 and1 he hoped1 a  more      
satisfactory engine1 in the following   
,august2 and with that object  he       
removed from the old cellar in          
,king-street to a larger apartment in   
the then disused pottery or delftwork   
near the ,broomielaw4 ,there he shut    
himself up with his assistant1 ,john    

,gardiner1 for the purpose of erecting  
his engine4 ,the cylinder was five or   
six inches in diameter1 with a  two-feet
 stroke4 ,the inner cylinder was        
enclosed in a wooden steam-case1  and   
placed inverted1 the piston working     
through a hole in the bottom of  the    
steam-case4 ,after two months'          
continuous application and labour it    
was finished and set to work2 but it    
leaked in all directions1 and the       
piston was far from air-tight4 ,the     
condenser also was in a bad way1 and    
needed many alterations4 ,nevertheless1 
the engine readily worked with #aj  lbs4
 pressure on the inch1 and the piston   
lifted a weight of #ad lbs4 ,the        
improvement of the cylinder and piston  
continued ,watt's chief difficulty1  and
 taxed his ingenuity to the utmost4 ,at 
so low an ebb was the art of  making    
cylinders that the one he used was not  
bored but hammered1 the  collective     
mechanical skill of ,glasgow being then 
unequal to the boring of  a cylinder of 

the simplest kind2 nor1 indeed1 did the 
necessary appliances  for the purpose   
then exist anywhere else4 ,in the       
,newcomen engine a little  water was    
poured upon the upper surface of the    
piston1 and sufficiently  filled up the 
interstices between the piston and the  
cylinder4 ,but when  ,watt employed     
steam to drive down the piston1 he was  
deprived of this  resource1 for the     
water and the steam could not coexist4  
,even if he had  retained the agency of 
the air above1 the drip of water from   
the crevices  into the lower part of the
 cylinder would have been incompatible  
with  keeping the surface hot and dry1  
and1 by turning into vapour as it fell  
upon the heated metal1 it would have    
impaired the vacuum during the  descent 
of the piston4        #hj 8,i have now  
7,april1 #agfe7 almost a certainty of   
the        facturum of the fire-engine1 
having determined the following         
particulars3 ,the quantity of steam     
produced2 the ultimatum of        the   

lever engine2 the quantity of steam     
destroyed by the cold        of its     
cylinder2 the quantity destroyed in     
mine2 and if there        be not some   
devil in the hedge1 mine ought to raise 
water to        #dd feet with the same  
quantity of steam that theirs does to   
#cb 7supposing my cylinder as thick as  
theirs71 which ,i think ,i        can   
demonstrate4 ,i can now make a cylinder 
#b feet diameter and        #c feet     
high1 only a #djth of an inch thick1 and
 strong enough        to resist the     
atmosphere2 sed tace4 ,in short1 ,i can 
think of        nothing else but this   
machine40--,watt to ,dr4 ,lind1 quoted  
in        ,muirhead's #8,life of ,watt1'
 #id-e4    ,while he was occupied with  
this difficulty1 and striving to        
overcome it  by the adoption of new     
expedients1 such as leather collars and 
improved  workmanship1 he wrote to a    
friend1 8,my old white-iron man is      
dead20 the  old white-iron man1 or      
tinner1 being his leading mechanic4     

,unhappily1  also1 just as he seemed to 
have got the engine into working order1 
the  beam broke1 and having great       
difficulty in replacing the damaged     
part1 the  accident threatened1 together
 with the loss of his best workman1 to  
bring  the experiment to an end4 ,but   
though discouraged by these             
misadventures1  he was far from         
defeated1 but went on as before1        
battling down difficulty  inch by inch1 
and holding good the ground he had won1 
becoming every  day more strongly       
convinced that he was in the right      
track1 and that  the important uses of  
the invention1 could he but find time   
and means to  perfect it1 were beyond   
the reach of doubt4    ,but how to find 
the means6 ,watt himself was a          
comparatively poor  man2 having no money
 but what he earned by his business of  
mechanical  instrument making1 which he 
had for some time been neglecting       
through his  devotion to the            
construction of his engine4 ,what he    

wanted was capital1  or the help of a   
capitalist willing to advance him the   
necessary funds to  perfect his         
invention4 ,to give a fair trial to the 
new apparatus would  involve an         
expenditure of several thousand pounds2 
and who on the spot  could be expected  
to invest so large a sum in trying a    
machine so entirely  new1 depending for 
its success on physical principles very 
imperfectly  understood8    ,there was  
no such help to be found in ,glasgow4   
,the tobacco lords1 though  rich1 took  
no interest in steam power1 and the     
manufacturing class1 though  growing in 
importance1 had full employment for     
their little capital in  their own      
concerns4          ,,chapter ,,viii4    
,,watt',s ,,connexion ,,with ,,dr4      
,,roebuck--,,watt ,,acts ,,as ,,surveyor
 ,,and ,,engineer4      ,dr4 ,black     
continued to take a lively interest in  
,watt's experiments1  and lent him      
occasional sums of money from time to   
time to enable him  to prosecute them to

 an issue4 ,but the ,doctor's means were
 too limited  to permit him to do more  
than supply ,watt's more pressing       
necessities4  ,meanwhile1 the debts     
which the latter had already incurred1  
small though  they were in amount1 hung 
like a millstone round his neck4 ,black 
then  bethought him whether it would not
 be possible to associate ,watt with    
some  person possessed of sufficient    
means1 and of an active commercial      
spirit1  who should join as a partner in
 the risk1 and share in the profits of  
the enterprise4 ,such a person1 he      
thought1 was ,dr4 ,roebuck1 the founder 
of the ,carron ,iron ,works1 an         
enterprising man1 of undaunted spirit1  
not  scared by difficulties1 nor a      
niggard of expense when he saw before   
him  any reasonable prospect of         
advantage4#ha        #ha ,for ,memoir of
 ,roebuck1 see #8,industrial            
,biography1' p4 #acc4    ,roebuck was at
 that time engaged in sinking for coal  
on a large scale near  ,boroughstoness1 

where he experienced considerable       
difficulty in keeping  the shafts clear 
of water4 ,the ,newcomen engine1 which  
he had erected1 was  found comparatively
 useless1 and he was ready to embrace   
any other scheme  which held out a      
reasonable prospect of success4         
,accordingly1 when his  friend ,dr4     
,black informed him of an ingenious     
young mechanic at ,glasgow  who had     
invented a steam-engine1 capable of     
working with increased power1  speed1   
and economy1 ,roebuck immediately felt  
interested1 and entered  into           
correspondence with ,watt on the        
subject4 ,he was at first somewhat      
sceptical as to the practicability of   
the new engine1 so different in  its    
action from that of ,newcomen2 and he   
freely stated his doubts to ,dr4        
,black4 ,he was under the impression    
that condensation might in some way  be 
effected in the cylinder without        
injection2 and he urged ,watt to try    
whether this might not be done4         

,contrary to his own judgment1 ,watt    
tried  a series of experiments with this
 object1 and at last abandoned them1    
,roebuck himself admitting his error4   
,up to this time ,watt and ,roebuck had 
not met1 though they carried on a  long 
correspondence on the subject of the    
engine4 ,in ,september1 #agfe1 we  find 
,roebuck inviting ,watt to come over    
with ,dr4 ,black to ,kinneil 7where     
,roebuck lived71 and discuss with him   
the subject of the engine4 ,watt  wrote 
to say that 8if his foot allowed him0 he
 would visit ,carron on a  certain day1 
from which we infer that he intended to 
walk4 ,but the way  was long and the    
road miry1 and ,watt could not then     
leave his instrument  shop1 so the visit
 was postponed4 ,in the mean time       
,roebuck urged ,watt to  press forward  
his invention with all speed1 8whether  
he pursued it as a  philosopher or as a 
man of business40    ,in the month of   
,november following1 ,watt forwarded to 
,roebuck the detailed  drawings of a    

covered cylinder and piston to be cast  
at the ,carron ,works4  ,though the     
cylinder was the best that could be made
 there1 it was very  ill-bored1 and was 
eventually laid aside as useless4 ,the  
piston-rod was  made at ,glasgow1 under 
,watt's own supervision2 and when it was
 completed  he was afraid to send it on 
a common cart1 lest the workpeople      
should see  it1 which would 8occasion   
speculation40 8,i believe10 he wrote in 
,july1  #agff1 8it would be best to send
 it in a box40 ,these precautions would 
seem to have been dictated1 in some     
measure1 by fear of piracy2 and it is   
obvious that the necessity of acting by 
stealth increased the difficulty  of    
getting the various parts of the        
proposed engine constructed4 ,watt's    
greatest obstacle continued to be the   
clumsiness and inexpertness of his      
mechanics4 8,my principal hinderance in 
erecting engines10 he wrote to          
,roebuck1 8is always the smith-work40   
,in the mean time it was necessary for  

,watt to attend to the maintenance  of  
his family4 ,he found that the          
steam-engine experiments brought nothing
  in1 while they were a constant source 
of expense4 ,besides1 they diverted  him
 from his retail business1 which needed 
constant attention4 ,it ought  also to  
be mentioned that his partner having    
lately died1 the business  had been     
somewhat neglected and had consequently 
fallen off4 ,at length he  determined to
 give it up altogether1 and begin the   
business of a surveyor4  ,he accordingly
 removed from the shop in ,buchanan's   
,land to an office on  the east side of 
,king-street1 a little south of         
,prince's-street4 ,it would  appear that
 he succeeded in obtaining a fair share 
of business in his new  vocation4 ,he   
already possessed a sufficient knowledge
 of surveying from  the study of the    
instruments which it had been his       
business to make2 and  application and  
industry did the rest4 ,his first jobs  
were in surveying  lands1 defining      

boundaries1 and surveyor's work of the  
ordinary sort2 from  which he gradually 
proceeded to surveys of a more important
 character4    ,it affords some         
indication of the local estimation in   
which ,watt was  held1 that the         
magistrates of ,glasgow should have     
selected him as a proper  person to     
survey a canal for the purpose of       
opening up a new coal-field  in the     
neighbourhood1 and connecting it with   
the city1 with a view to a  cheaper and 
more abundant supply of fuel4 ,he also  
surveyed a ditch-canal  for the purpose 
of connecting the rivers ,forth and     
,clyde1 by what was  called the ,loch   
,lomond passage2 though the scheme of   
,brindley and ,smeaton  was eventually  
preferred as the more direct line4 ,watt
 came up to ,london  in #agfg1 in       
connexion with the application to       
,parliament for powers to  construct his
 canal2 and he seems to have been very  
much disgusted with  the proceedings    
before 8the confounded committee of     

,parliament10 as he  called it2 adding1 
8,i think ,i shall not long to have     
anything to do with  the ,house of      
,commons again4 ,i never saw so many    
wrong-headed people on  all sides       
gathered together40 ,the fact1 however1 
that they had decided  against him had  
probably some share in leading him to   
form this opinion  as to the            
wrong-headedness of the ,parliamentary  
,committee4    ,though interrupted by   
indispensable business of this sort1    
,watt proceeded  with the improvement of
 his steam-engine whenever leisure      
permitted4  ,roebuck's confidence in its
 eventual success was such that in #agfg
 he  undertook to pay debts to the      
amount of #ajjjl4 which ,watt had       
incurred  in prosecuting his project up 
to that time1 and also to provide the   
means  of prosecuting further           
experiments1 as well as to secure a     
patent for  the engine4 ,in return for  
this outlay ,roebuck was to have        
two-thirds of  the property in the      

invention4 ,early in #agfh ,watt made   
trial of a new  and larger model1 with a
 cylinder of seven or eight inches      
diameter4 ,but  the result was not very 
satisfactory4 8,by an unforeseen        
misfortune10 he  wrote ,roebuck1 8the   
mercury found its way into the cylinder1
 and played  the devil with the solder4 
,this throws us back at least three     
days1 and  is very vexatious1 especially
 as it happened in spite of the         
precautions  ,i had taken to prevent    
it40 ,roebuck1 becoming impatient1 urged
 ,watt to  meet him to talk the matter  
over2 and suggested that as ,watt could 
not  come as far as ,carron1 they should
 meet at ,kilsyth1 about fifteen miles  
from ,glasgow4 ,watt replied1 saying he 
was too unwell to be able to ride  so   
far1 and that his health was such that  
the journey would disable him  from     
doing anything for three or four days   
after4 ,but he went on with  his        
experiments1 patching up his engine1 and
 endeavouring to get it into  working   

condition4 ,after about a month's       
labour1 he at last succeeded to  his    
heart's content2 and he at once         
communicated the news to his partner1   
intimating his intention of at last     
paying his long-promised visit to       
,roebuck at ,kinneil4 8,i sincerely wish
 you joy of this successful result10  he
 said1 8and hope it will make some      
return for the obligations ,i owe  you40
    ,illustration3 ,,kinneil ,,house4   
,kinneil ,house1 to which ,watt hastened
 to pay his visit of congratulation  to 
,dr4 ,roebuck1 is an old-fashioned      
building1 somewhat resembling an old    
,french chteau4 ,it was a former        
country-seat of the ,dukes of ,hamilton1
  and is finely situated on the shores  
of the ,frith of ,forth4 ,the mansion   
is rich in classical associations1      
having been inhabited1 since ,roebuck's 
time1 by ,dugald ,stewart1 who wrote in 
it his #8,philosophy of the ,human      
,mind4'#hb ,there he was visited by     
,wilkie1 the painter1 when in search  of

 subjects for his pictures2 and ,dugald 
,stewart found for him1 in an  old      
farmhouse in the neighbourhood1 the     
cradle-chimney introduced in the        
8,penny ,wedding40 ,but none of these   
names can stand by the side of that  of 
,watt2 and the first thought at         
,kinneil1 of every one who is familiar  
with his history1 would be of the       
memorable day when he rode over in      
exultation to wish ,dr4 ,roebuck joy of 
the success of the steam-engine4  ,his  
note of triumph was1 however1 premature4
 ,he had yet to suffer many  sickening  
delays and bitter disappointments2 for1 
though he had contrived  to get his     
model executed with fair precision1 the 
skill was still wanting  to manufacture 
the parts of their full size with the   
requisite unity2 and  his present       
elation was consequently doomed to be   
succeeded by repeated  discomfiture4    
#hb ,when we visited the place many     
years ago1 ,miss ,stewart's             
spinnet still stood in the drawing-room1

 but there was not a        tone left in
 it4 ,like many other old houses1       
,kinneil has the        reputation of   
being haunted4 ,the ghost is that of a  
8,lady        ,lilburne10 wife of the   
,parliamentary ,general1 who is said    
to have thrown herself out of one of the
 windows during her        husband's    
absence4    ,the model went so well1    
however1 that it was determined at once 
to take  out a patent for the engine4   
,the first step was to secure its       
provisional  protection1 and with that  
object ,watt went to                    
,berwick-upon-,tweed1 and made  a       
declaration before a ,master in         
,chancery of the nature of the          
invention4  ,in ,august1 #agfh1 we find 
him in ,london on the business of the   
patent4 ,he  became utterly wearied with
 the delays interposed by sluggish      
officialism1  and disgusted with the    
heavy fees which he was required to pay 
in order  to protect his invention4 ,he 
wrote home to his wife at ,glasgow in a 

very  desponding mood4 ,knowing her     
husband's diffidence and modesty1 but   
having  the fullest confidence in his   
genius1 she replied1 8,i beg that you   
will  not make yourself uneasy1 though  
things should not succeed to your wish4 
,if it the condensing engine will not   
do1 something else will2 never          
despair40 ,watt must have felt cheered  
by these brave words of his noble       
helpmate1 and encouraged to go onward   
cheerfully in hope4    ,he could not1   
however1 shake off his recurring fits of
 despondency1 and  on his return to     
,glasgow1 we find him occasionally in   
very low spirits4  ,though his head was 
full of his engine1 his heart ached with
 anxiety  for his family1 who could not 
be maintained on hope1 already so often 
deferred4 ,the more sanguine ,roebuck   
was elated with the good working of  the
 model1 and impatient to bring the      
invention into practice4 ,he wrote      
,watt in ,october1 #agfh1 8,you are now 
letting the most active part of your    

life insensibly glide away4 ,a day1 a   
moment1 ought not to be lost4 ,and  you 
should not suffer your thoughts to be   
diverted by any other object1  or even  
improvement of this1 but only the       
speediest and most effectual  manner of 
executing an engine of a proper size1   
according to your present  ideas40      
,watt1 however1 felt that his invention 
was capable of many improvements1  and  
he was never done introducing new       
expedients4 ,he proceeded1 in the       
intervals of leisure which he could     
spare from his surveying business1  to  
complete the details of the drawings and
 specification1--making  various trials 
of pipe-condensers1 plate-condensers1   
and  drum-condensers1--contriving       
steam-jackets to prevent the waste of   
heat  and new methods for securing      
greater tightness of the                
piston1--inventing  condenser-pumps1    
oil-pumps1 gauge-pumps1                 
exhausting-cylinders1  loading-valves1  
double cylinders1 beams1 and cranks4    

,all these  contrivances had to be      
thought out and tested1 elaborately and 
painfully1  amidst many failures and    
disappointments2 and ,dr4 ,roebuck began
 to fear  that the fresh expedients     
which were always starting up in ,watt's
 brain1  would endlessly protract the   
consummation of the invention4 ,watt1 on
  his part1 felt that he could only     
bring the engine nearer to perfection   
by never resting satisfied with         
imperfect devices1 and hence he left no 
means untried to overcome the many      
practical defects in it of which he  was
 so conscious4 ,long after1 when a noble
 lord was expressing to him the         
admiration with which he regarded his   
great achievement1 ,watt replied3  8,the
 public only look at my success1 and not
 at the intermediate failures  and      
uncouth constructions which have served 
me as so many steps to climb  to the top
 of the ladder40    ,as to the lethargy 
from which ,roebuck sought to raise     
,watt1 it was merely  the temporary     

reaction of a mind strained and wearied 
with long-continued  application to a   
single subject1 and from which it seemed
 to be  occasionally on the point of    
breaking down altogether4 ,to his       
intimate  friends1 ,watt bemoaned his   
many failures1 his low spirits1 his bad 
health1  and his sleepless nights4 ,he  
wrote to his friend ,dr4 ,small#hc in   
,january1  #agfi1 8,i have many things  
,i could talk to you about--much        
contrived1 and  little executed4 ,how   
much would good health and spirits be   
worth to me60  ,a month later he wrote1 
8,i am still plagued with headaches1 and
 sometimes  heart-aches40        #hc    
,dr4 ,small was born in #agcd at        
,carmylie1 ,angus1 ,scotland1 of        
which parish his father was the         
minister4 ,he had been for some         
time the professor of ,natural          
,philosophy in the ,university of       
,williamsburg1 ,virginia1 from whence he
 returned to ,england and        settled
 at ,birmingham4    ,it is nevertheless 

a remarkable proof of ,watt's           
indefatigable perseverance  in his      
favourite pursuit1 that at this very    
time1 when apparently sunk in  the      
depths of gloom1 he learnt ,german for  
the purpose of getting at the  contents 
of a curious book1 the ,theatrum        
,machinarum of ,leupold1 which  just    
then fell into his hands1 and contained 
an account of the machines1  furnaces1  
methods of working1 profits1 c41 of the 
mines in the ,upper  ,hartz4 ,his       
instructor in the language was a ,swiss 
dyer1#hd settled in  ,glasgow4 ,with the
 like object of gaining access to       
untranslated books  in ,french and      
,italian--then the great depositories of
 mechanical and  engineering            
knowledge--,watt had already mastered   
both those languages4        #hd 8,i    
have10 he writes1 8just now got a       
curious book1 being        an account of
 all the machines1 furnaces1 methods of 
working1        profits1 c41 of the     
mines of the ,upper ,hartz4 ,it is      

unluckily        in ,german1 which ,i   
understand little of1 but am improving  
in by        the help of a truly        
,chymical ,swiss ,dyer1 who is come here
 to dye        standing red on linen and
 cotton1 in which he is successful4 ,he 
is according to the custom of           
philosophers ennuy to a great           
degree1 but seems to be more modest than
 is usual with them2        and1 what is
 still more unusual1 is attached only to
 his dyeing1        though he has a     
tolerable knowledge of chymestry4 ,he   
promises        to make me a coat that  
will not wet though boiled in water4    
,this        would be of great use to a 
hundred people ,i see just now running  
by1 wet to the skin4444 ,i verily       
believe the drops are an inch        in 
diameter6 ,to return to the book--it    
contains an account of        all the   
unsuccessful experiments that have been 
tried in the        ,hartz1 and ,i      
assure you it gives me some consolation 
to see        the great ,liebnitz1 the  

rival of ,newton1 bungling repeatedly1  
applying wind mills to raise ore while  
water ran idle past him4        ,there  
is among other machines the fellow of   
,blackie's1 only        worked by water1
 and a full and true account of why it  
did not        succeed1 which he should 
read4 ,their machines in general display
        great ingenuity though ignorance
 of principles40--,watt to ,small1      
,may #bh1 #agfi4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,in 
preparing his specification1 ,watt      
viewed the subject in all its  bearings4
 ,the production of power by steam is a 
very large one1 but ,watt  grasped it   
thoroughly4 ,the insight with which he  
searched1 analysed1  arranged1 and even 
provided for future modifications1 was  
the true insight  of genius4 ,he seems  
with an almost prophetic eye to have    
seen all that  steam was capable of     
accomplishing4 ,this is well illustrated
 by his early  plan of working steam    
expansively by cutting it off at about  
half-stroke1  thereby greatly           

economising its use2#he as well as by   
his proposal to  employ high-pressure   
steam where cold water could not be used
 for purposes  of condensation4#hf ,the 
careful and elaborate manner in which he
 studied  the specification1 and the    
consideration which he gave to each of  
its  various details1 are clear from his
 correspondence with ,dr4 ,small1 which 
is peculiarly interesting1 as showing   
,watt's mind actively engaged in  the   
very process of invention4 ,at length   
the necessary specification and         
drawings were completed and lodged early
 in #agfi1--;a year also remarkable  as 
that in which ,arkwright took out the   
patent for his spinning-machine4        
#he 8,i mentioned to you a method of    
still doubling the effect of        the 
steam1 and that tolerably easy1 by using
 the power of steam        rushing into 
a vacuum1 at present lost4 ,this would  
do a little        more than double the 
effect1 but it would too much enlarge   
the        vessels to use it all4 ,it is

 peculiarly applicable to wheel         
engines1 and may supply the want of a   
condenser where force        of steam is
 only used2 for1 open one of the steam  
valves and        admit steam1 until    
one-fourth of the distance between it   
and the        next valve is filled with
 steam1 shut the valve1 and the steam   
will continue to expand and to press    
round the wheel with a                  
diminishing power1 ending in one-fourth 
of its first exertion4        ,the sum  
of this series you will find greater    
than one-half1        though only       
one-fourth steam was used4 ,the power   
will indeed be        unequal1 but this 
can be remedied by a fly1 or in several 
other        ways40--,watt to ,small1   
#bhth ,may1 #agfi4 ,boulton ,,mss4      
#hf ,he anticipated the use of          
high-pressure steam1 as afterwards      
employed in the locomotive by           
,trevithick1 in the following           
passage3--8,i intend10 he said1 8in many
 cases to employ the        expansive   

force of steam to press on the piston1  
or whatever        is used instead of   
one1 in the same manner as the weight of
 the        atmosphere is now employed  
in common fire-engines4 ,in some cases  
,i intend to use both the condenser and 
this force of steam1        so that the 
powers of these engines will as much    
exceed those        pressed only by the 
air1 as the expansive power of the steam
 is        greater than the weight of   
the atmosphere4 ,in other cases1 when   
plenty of cold water cannot be had1 ,i  
intend to work the engines        by the
 force of steam only1 and to discharge  
it into the air by        proper outlets
 after it has done its office40--,watt  
to ,small1        ,march1 #agfi4        
,boulton ,,mss4    ,in order to master  
thoroughly the details of the ordinary  
,newcomen  engine1 and to ascertain the 
extent of its capabilities as well as of
 its  imperfections1 ,watt undertook the
 erection of several engines of this    
construction2 and during his residence  

at ,kinneil took charge of the          
,schoolyard engine near ,boroughstoness1
 in order that he might thereby  acquire
 a full practical knowledge of its      
working4 ,mr4 ,hart1 in his  interesting
 #8,reminiscences of ,james ,watt1'     
gives the following account3  8,my late 
brother had learned from an old man who 
had been a workman at ,dr4  ,roebuck's  
coal-works when ,mr4 ,watt was there1   
that he had erected a small  engine on a
 pit they called ,taylor's ,pit4 ,the   
workman could not remember  what kind of
 engine it was1 but it was the          
fastest-going one he ever saw4  ,from   
its size1 and from its being placed in a
 small timber-house1 the  colliers      
called it #8the ,box ,bed4' ,we thought 
it likely to have been the  first of the
 patent engines made by ,mr4 ,watt1 and 
took the opportunity  of mentioning this
 to him at our interview4 ,he said he   
had erected that  engine1 but he did not
 wish at the time to venture on a patent
 one until  he had a little more        

experience40#hg        #hg ,mr4 ,hart's 
8,reminiscences of ,james ,watt10 in    
#8,transactions        of the ,glasgow  
,archological ,society1' ,part ,i4      
#ahei4    ,at length he proceeded to    
erect the trial engine after his new    
patent1 and  made arrangements to stay  
at ,kinneil until the work was finished4
 ,it had  been originally intended to   
erect it in the little town of          
,boroughstoness2  but as prying eyes    
might have there watched his            
proceedings1 and as he  wished to avoid 
display1 being determined1 as he said1  
8not to puff10  he fixed upon an        
outhouse behind ,kinneil1 close by the  
burn-side in the  glen1 where there was 
abundance of water and secure privacy4  
,the materials  were brought to the     
place1 partly from ,watt's small works  
at ,glasgow1  and partly from ,carron1  
where the cylinder--of eighteen inches  
diameter  and five feet stroke--had been
 cast2 and a few workmen were placed at 
his  disposal4    ,illustration3 ,,the  

,,outhouse ,,behind ,,kinneil4    ,the  
process of erection was very tedious1   
owing to the clumsiness of  the         
mechanics employed on the job4 ,watt was
 occasionally compelled to be  absent on
 other business1 and on his return he   
usually found the men at a  standstill1 
not knowing what to do next4 ,as the    
engine neared completion1  his 8anxiety 
for his approaching doom0 kept him from 
sleep2 for his fears1  as he said1 were 
at least equal to his hopes4 ,he was    
easily cast down by  little             
obstructions1 and especially discouraged
 by unforeseen expense4  ,roebuck1 on   
the contrary1 was hopeful and energetic1
 and often took  occasion to rally the  
other on his despondency under          
difficulties1 and  his almost painful   
want of confidence in himself4 ,roebuck 
was1 doubtless1  of much service to     
,watt in encouraging him to proceed with
 his invention1  and also in suggesting 
some important modifications in the     
construction  of the engine4 ,it is     

probable1 indeed1 that but for his help1
 ,watt could  not have gone on4 ,robison
 says1 8,i remember ,mrs4 ,roebuck      
remarking one  evening1 #8,jamie is a   
queer lad1 and1 without the ,doctor1 his
 invention  would have been lost2 but   
,dr4 ,roebuck won't let it perish4'0    
,the new engine1 on which ,watt had     
expended so much labour1 anxiety1 and   
ingenuity1 was completed in ,september1 
#agei1 about six months from the  date  
of its commencement4 ,but its success   
was far from decided4 ,watt  himself    
declared it to be 8a clumsy job40 ,his  
new arrangement of the  pipe-condenser  
did not work well2 and the cylinder     
having been badly cast1  was found      
almost useless4 ,one of his greatest    
difficulties consisted in  keeping the  
piston tight4 ,he wrapped it round with 
cork1 oiled rags1 tow1  old hat1 paper1 
horse-dung1 and other things1 but still 
there were open  spaces left1 sufficient
 to let the air in and the steam out4   
,watt was  grievously depressed by his  

want of success1 and he had serious     
thoughts  of giving up the thing        
altogether4 ,before abandoning it1      
however1 the  engine was again          
thoroughly overhauled1 many improvements
 were introduced  in it1 and a new trial
 was made of its powers4 ,but this      
proved not more  successful than the    
earlier ones had been4 8,you cannot     
conceive10 he  wrote to ,small1 8how    
mortified ,i am with this               
disappointment4 ,it is a  damned thing  
for a man to have his all hanging by a  
single string4 ,if ,i  had wherewithal  
to pay the loss1 ,i don't think ,i      
should so much fear a  failure2 but ,i  
cannot bear the thought of other people 
becoming losers  by my schemes2 and ,i  
have the happy disposition of always    
painting the  worst40    ,watt was      
therefore bound to prosecute his project
 by honour not less than  by interest2  
and summoning up his courage1 he went on
 with it anew4 ,he  continued to have   
the same confidence as ever in the      

principles of his  engine3 where it     
broke down was in workmanship4 ,could   
mechanics but be  found capable of      
accurately executing its several parts1 
he believed that  its success was       
certain4 ,but there were no such        
mechanics then at ,carron4    ,by this  
time ,roebuck was becoming embarrassed  
with debt1 and involved in  various     
difficulties4 ,the pits were drowned    
with water1 which no existing  machinery
 could pump out1 and ruin threatened to 
overtake him before  ,watt's engine     
could come to his help4 ,he had sunk in 
the coal-mine1 not  only his own        
fortune1 but much of the property of his
 relatives2 and  he was so straitened   
for money that he was unable to defray  
the cost of  taking out the engine      
patent according to the terms of his    
engagement1 and  ,watt had accordingly  
to borrow the necessary money from his  
never-failing  friend1 ,dr4 ,black4 ,he 
was thus adding to his own debts1       
without any  clearer prospect before him

 of ultimate relief4 ,no wonder that he 
should1  after his apparently fruitless 
labour1 express to ,small his belief    
that1  8of all things in life1 there is 
nothing more foolish than inventing40   
,the unhappy state of his mind may be   
further inferred from his lamentation   
expressed to the same friend on the     
#cast of ,january1 #aggj4 8,to-day10    
said  he1 8,i enter the thirty-fifth    
year of my life1 and ,i think ,i have   
hardly  yet done thirty-five pence worth
 of good in the world2 but ,i cannot    
help  it40    ,notwithstanding the      
failure of his engine thus far1 and the 
repeated  resolution expressed to ,small
 that he would invent no more1 leading1 
as  inventing did1 to only vexation1    
failure1 loss1 and increase of headache1
  ,watt could not control his           
irrepressible instinct to invent2 and   
whether  the result might be profitable 
or not1 his mind went on as before1     
working1 scheming1 and speculating4     
,thus1 at different times in the course 

of his correspondence with ,small1 who  
was a man of a like ingenious turn  of  
mind1 we find him communicating various 
new things1 8gimcracks10 as he  termed  
them1 which he had contrived4 ,he was   
equally ready to contrive a  cure for   
smoky chimneys1 a canal sluice for      
economising water1 a method  of         
determining 8the force necessary to     
dredge up a cubic foot of mud  under any
 given depth of water10 and a means of  
8clearing the observed  distance of the 
moon from any given star of the effects 
of refraction and  parallax20           
illustrating his views by rapid but     
graphic designs embodied  in the text of
 his letters to ,small and other        
correspondents4 ,one of his  minor      
inventions was a new method of readily  
measuring distances by means  of a      
telescope4#hh ,at the same time he was  
occupied in making experiments  on      
kaolin1 with the intention of           
introducing the manufacture of porcelain
  in the pottery work on the            

,broomielaw1 in which he was a partner4 
,he was  also concerned with ,dr4 ,black
 and ,dr4 ,roebuck in pursuing          
experiments with  the view of           
decomposing sea-salt by lime1 and       
thereby obtaining alkali  for purposes  
of commerce4 ,a patent for the process  
was taken out by ,dr4  ,roebuck1 but    
eventually proved a failure1 like most  
of his other projects4  ,we also find   
,watt inventing a muffling furnace for  
melting metals1 and  sending the        
drawings to ,mr4 ,boulton at ,birmingham
 for trial4 ,at other  times he was     
occupied with ,chaillet1 the ,swiss     
dyer1 experimenting on  various chemical
 substances2 corresponding with ,dr4    
,black as to the new  fluoric or spar   
acid2 and at another time making        
experiments to ascertain  the heats at  
which water boils at every inch of      
mercury from vacuo to  air4 ,later we   
find him inventing a prismatic          
micrometer for measuring  distances1    
which he described in considerable      

detail in his letters  to ,small4#hi ,he
 was at the same time busy inventing and
 constructing  a new surveying quadrant 
by reflection1 and making improvements  
in  barometers and hygrometers4 8,i     
should like to know10 he wrote to       
,small1  8the principles of your        
barometer3 ,de ,luc's hygrometer is     
nonsense4  ,probavi40 ,another of his   
contrivances was his dividing-screw1 for
  dividing an inch accurately into #ajjj
 equal parts4 ,he states that he found  
this screw exceedingly useful1 as it    
saved him much needless compass-work1   
and1 moreover1 enabled him to divide    
lines into the ordinates of any curve   
whatsoever4        #hh ,the telescope   
was mounted with two parallel horizontal
 hairs        in the focus of the       
eyeglass1 crossed by one perpendicular  
hair4 ,the measuring pole was divided   
into feet and inches1 so        that1   
wrote ,watt1 8if the hairs comprehend   
one foot at one chain        distance1  
they will comprehend ten feet at ten    

chains10 and so        on4 ,this        
invention ,watt made in #aggj1 and used 
the telescope        in his various     
surveys4 ,eight years later1 in #aggh1  
the ,society        of ,arts awarded to 
a ,mr4 ,green a premium for precisely   
the same        invention4        #hi   
,letter to ,small1 #bdth ,nov4 #aggb4   
,watt1 however1 took no        steps to 
bring this invention before the public1 
and in #aggg1        a similar          
instrument having been invented by ,dr4 
,maskelyne1 was        presented by him 
to the ,royal ,society4 ,thus ,watt also
 lost the        credit of this         
invention4    ,such were the            
multifarious pursuits in which this     
indefatigable student  and inquirer was 
engaged2 all tending to cultivate his   
mind and advance  his education1 but    
comparatively unproductive1 so far as   
regarded  pecuniary return4 ,so         
unfortunate1 indeed1 had ,watt's        
speculations proved1  that his friend   
,dr4 ,hutton1 of ,edinburgh1 addressed  

to him a ,new-year's  day letter1 with  
the object of dissuading him from       
proceeding further with  his            
unprofitable brain-distressing work4 8,a
 happy new year to you60 said  ,hutton2 
8may it be fertile to you in lucky      
events1 but no new inventions60  ,he    
went on to say that invention was only  
for those who live by the  public1 and  
those who from pride choose to leave a  
legacy to the public4  ,it was not a    
thing likely to be well paid for under a
 system where the  rule was to be the   
best paid for the work that was easiest 
done4 ,it was  of no use1 however1      
telling ,watt that he must not invent4  
,one might as  well have told ,burns    
that he was not to sing because it would
 not pay1  or ,wilkie that he was not to
 paint1 or ,hutton himself that he was  
not to  think and speculate as to the   
hidden operations of nature4 ,to invent 
was  the natural and habitual operation 
of ,watt's intellect1 and he could not  
restrain it4    ,watt had already been  

too long occupied with this profitless  
work3 his  money was all gone2 he was in
 debt2 and it behoved him to turn to    
some  other employment by which he might
 provide for the indispensable wants  of
 his family4 ,having now given up the   
instrument-making business1 he  confined
 himself almost entirely to surveying4  
,among his earliest surveys  was one of 
a coal canal from ,monkland to ,glasgow1
 in #agfi2 and the ,act  authorising its
 construction was obtained in the       
following year4 ,watt was  invited to   
superintend the execution of the works1 
and he had accordingly  to elect whether
 he would go on with the engine         
experiments1 the event  of which was    
doubtful1 or embrace an honourable and  
perhaps profitable  employment1 attended
 with much less risk and uncertainty4   
,his necessities  decided him4 8,i had10
 he said1 8a wife and children1 and saw 
myself  growing grey without having any 
settled way of providing for them40 ,he 
accordingly accepted the appointment    

offered him by the directors of  the    
canal1 and undertook to superintend the 
construction of the works at  a salary  
of #bjjl4 a year4 ,at the same time he  
determined not to drop  the engine1 but 
to proceed with it at such leisure      
moments as he could  command4    ,the   
,monkland ,canal was a small concern1   
and ,watt had to undertake a  variety of
 duties4 ,he acted at the same time as  
surveyor1 superintendent1  engineer1 and
 treasurer1 assisted only by a clerk4   
,but the appointment  proved useful to  
him4 ,the salary he earned placed his   
family above want1  and the out-doors   
life he was required to lead improved   
his health and  spirits4 ,after a few   
months he wrote ,dr4 ,small that he     
found himself more  strong1 more        
resolute1 less lazy1 and less confused1 
than when he began  the occupation4 ,his
 pecuniary affairs were also more       
promising4 8,supposing  the engine to   
stand good for itself10 he said1 8,i am 
able to pay all my  debts and some      

little thing more1 so that ,i hope in   
time to be on a par  with the world40   
,but there was a dark side to the       
picture4 ,his occupation  exposed him to
 fatigue1 vexation1 hunger1 wet1 and    
cold4 ,then1 the quiet  and secluded    
habits of his early life did not fit him
 for the out-door  work of the engineer4
 ,he was timid and reserved1 and had    
nothing of the  navvy in his nature4 ,he
 had neither the roughness of tongue nor
 stiffness  of back to enable him to    
deal with rude labour gangs4 ,he was    
nervously  fearful lest his want of     
practical experience should betray him  
into  scrapes1 and lead to impositions  
on the part of his workmen4 ,he hated   
higgling1 and declared that he would    
rather 8face a loaded cannon than       
settle an account or make a bargain40   
,he had been 8cheated10 he said1 8by    
undertakers1 and was unlucky enough to  
know it40    ,watt continued to act as  
engineer for the ,monkland ,canal       
,company for about  a year and a        

half1#ij during which he was employed in
 other engineering  works4 ,among these 
was a survey of the river ,clyde1 with a
 view to the  improvement of the        
navigation4 ,watt sent in his report2   
but no steps were  taken to carry out   
his suggestions until several years     
later1 when the  beginning was made of a
 series of improvements1 which have     
resulted in the  conversion of the      
,clyde from a pleasant trouting and     
salmon stream into  one of the busiest  
navigable highways in the world4#ia     
#ij ,the ,company afterwards came to    
grief4 ,the original        subscription
 list was not filled up1 and the        
stagnation in trade        which took   
place at the outbreak of the ,american  
war1 brought        the works to a      
standstill4 ,in #aghb the concern was   
sold to the        ,messrs4 ,stirling1  
who eventually became the sole          
proprietors        and finished the     
undertaking4        #ia ,there was then 
a ford at ,dumbuck1 a few miles below   

,glasgow1        which prevented boats  
of more than ten tons burden ascending  
to the ,broomielaw4 ,this was shortly   
after removed by the ,clyde             
,trust1 who have expended #c1efd1cigl4  
in improvement of the        navigation 
between #aggj and #ahfc1 the revenue    
collected during        the same time in
 dues having been #b1bhh1jjjl4 ,vessels 
drawing        #ba feet can now ascend  
to the ,broomielaw2 and when the present
        improvements are completed the  
depth at high water is expected         
to be upwards of #bd feet4    ,among    
,watt's other labours about the same    
period may be mentioned his  survey of a
 canal between ,perth and ,cupar ,angus1
 through ,strathmore2 of  the ,crinan   
,canal1 afterwards carried out by       
,rennie2 and other projects in  the     
western highlands4 ,the ,strathmore     
,canal survey was conducted at the      
instance of the ,commissioners of       
,forfeited ,estates4 ,it was forty miles
  long1 through a very rough country4   

,watt set out to make it in ,september1 
#aggj1 and was accompanied by snowstorms
 through almost the entire  survey4 ,he 
suffered severely from the cold3 the    
winds swept down from  the ,grampians   
with fury and chilled him to the bone4  
,the making of this  survey occupied him
 forty-three days1 and the remuneration 
he received  for it was only eighty     
pounds1 which included expenses4 ,the   
small pay of  engineers at that time may
 be further illustrated by the fee paid 
him in  the same year for supplying the 
magistrates of ,hamilton with a design  
for  the proposed new bridge over the   
,clyde at that town4 ,it was originally 
intended to employ ,mr4 ,smeaton2 but as
 his charge was ten pounds1 which  was  
thought too high1 ,watt was employed in 
his stead4 ,the ,burgh minutes  record  
that1 after the ,act had been obtained  
in #aggj1 ,baillie ,naismith  was       
appointed to proceed to ,glasgow to see 
,mr4 ,watt on the subject of a  design1 
and his charge being only #gl4 #gs41 he 

was requested to supply  it accordingly4
 8,i have lately10 wrote ,watt to       
,small1 8made a plan and  estimate of a 
bridge over our river ,clyde1 eight     
miles above this3 it is  to be of five  
arches and #bbj feet waterway1 founded  
upon piles on a muddy  bottom40#ib ,the 
bridge1 after ,watt's plan1 was begun in
 #agga1 but it was  not finished until  
#aghj4ic        #ib ,watt to ,small1    
#bast ,dec4 #aggj4 ,boulton ,,mss4      
#ic ,the bridge was partially destroyed 
by a flood in #ahjf1 when        one of 
the central piers was thrown down4 ,two 
of the arches        fell1 and were     
rebuilt1 but the others stand as        
originally        constructed4          
,illustration3 ,,hamilton ,,bridge4     
,about the same time ,watt prepared     
plans of docks and piers at ,port       
,glasgow1 and of a new harbour at ,ayr4 
,the ,port ,glasgow works were carried  
out1 but those at ,ayr were postponed4  
,when ,rennie came to examine the       
design for the improvement of the ,ayr  

navigation1 of which the new  harbour   
formed part1 he took objections to it1  
principally because of  the parallelism 
of the piers1 and another plan was      
eventually adopted4  ,his principal     
engineering job1 and the last of the    
kind on which ,watt was  engaged in     
,scotland1 was a survey of the          
,caledonian ,canal1 long afterwards     
carried out by ,telford4 ,the survey was
 made in the autumn of #aggc1 through  a
 country without roads4 8,an incessant  
rain10 said he1 8kept me for three  days
 as wet as water could make me2 ,i could
 hardly preserve my journal  book40     
,in the midst of this dreary work1 ,watt
 was summoned to ,glasgow by the        
intelligence which reached him of the   
illness of his wife2 and when  he       
reached home he found that she had died 
in childbed4#id ,of all the  heavy blows
 he had suffered1 this he felt to be the
 worst4 ,his wife had  struggled with   
him through poverty2 she had often      
cheered his fainting  spirit when borne 

down by doubt1 perplexity1 and          
disappointment2 and now  she was gone1  
without being able to share in his good 
fortune as she had  done in his         
adversity4 ,for some time after1 when   
about to enter his humble  dwelling1 he 
would pause on the threshold1 unable to 
summon courage to  enter the room where 
he was never more to meet 8the comfort  
of his life40  8,yet this misfortune10  
he wrote to ,small1 8might have fallen  
upon me when  ,i had less ability to    
bear it1 and my poor children might have
 been left  suppliants to the mercy of  
the wide world40        #id ,the child  
was stillborn4 ,of four other children  
who were        the fruit of this       
marriage1 two died young4 ,a son and    
daughter        survived2 the son1      
,james1 succeeded his father1 and died  
unmarried1 at ,aston ,hall1 near        
,birmingham1 in #ahdh4 ,the daughter    
married ,mr4 ,miller1 of ,glasgow1 whose
 grandson1 the present ,j4        ,w4   
,gibson ,watt1 ,esq41 succeeded to the  

,watt property4    ,watt tried to forget
 his sorrow1 as was his custom1 in      
increased  application to work1 though  
the recovery of the elasticity of his   
mind was  in a measure beyond the power 
of his will4 ,there were1 at that time1 
very  few bright spots in his life4 ,a  
combination of unfortunate circumstances
  threatened to overwhelm him4 ,no      
further progress had yet been made with 
his steam-engine1 which he almost cursed
 as the cause of his misfortunes4  ,dr4 
,roebuck's embarrassments had reached   
their climax4 ,he had fought  against   
the water which drowned his coal until  
he could fight no more1  and he was at  
last delivered into the hands of his    
creditors a ruined man4  8,my heart     
bleeds for him10 said ,watt1 8but ,i can
 do nothing to help him4  ,i have stuck 
by him1 indeed1 till ,i have hurt       
myself40    ,but the darkest hour is    
nearest the dawn4 ,watt had passed      
through a long  night1 and a gleam of   
sunshine at last beamed upon him4       

,matthew ,boulton1  of ,birmingham1 was 
at length persuaded to take up the      
invention on  which ,watt had expended  
so many of the best years of his life1  
and the  turning-point in ,watt's       
fortunes had arrived4    ,illustration3 
,,port ,,glasgow4    ,by ,r4 ,p4        
,leitch4          ,illustration3 ,mathew
 ,boulton1 ,f4,r4,s4    ,engraved by ,w4
 ,hall1 after the portrait by ,sir ,w4  
,beechy1 ,r4,a4    ,published by ,john  
,murray ,albemarle ,street4 #ahfe4      
,,boulton ,,and ,,watt1 ,,engineers1    
,,birmingham4      ,illustration3       
,,birmingham4    ,by ,percival ,skelton4
          ,,chapter ,,ix4               
,,birmingham--,,matthew ,,boulton4      
,from an early period1 ,birmingham has  
been one of the principal centres  of   
mechanical industry in ,england4 ,the   
neighbourhood abounds in coal  and iron1
 and has long been famous for the skill 
of its artisans4 ,swords  were forged   
there in the time of the ,ancient       
,britons4 ,the first guns made  in      

,england bore the ,birmingham mark4 ,in 
#aech ,leland found 8many smiths  in the
 town that use to make knives and all   
manner of cutting tools1  and many      
loriners that make bittes1 and a great  
many nailers40 ,about a  century later  
,camden described the place as 8full of 
inhabitants1 and  resounding with       
hammers and anvils1 for the most part of
 them smiths40  ,as the skill of the    
,birmingham artisans increased1 they    
gradually gave  up the commoner kinds of
 smithery1 and devoted themselves to    
ornamental  metal-work1 in brass1 steel1
 and iron4 ,they became celebrated for  
their  manufacture of buckles1 buttons1 
and various fancy articles2 and they    
turned out such abundance of toys that  
towards the close of last century       
,burke characterised ,birmingham as 8the
 great toy-shop of ,europe40    ,the    
ancient industry of ,birmingham was of a
 staid and steady character1  in keeping
 with the age4 ,each manufacturer kept  
within the warmth of his  own forge4 ,he

 did not go in search of orders1 but    
waited for the orders to  come to him4  
,ironmongers brought their money in     
their saddle-bags1 took  away the goods 
in exchange1 or saw them packed ready   
for the next waggon  before they left4  
,notwithstanding this quiet way of doing
 business1 many  comfortable fortunes   
were made in the place2 the             
manufacturers1 like their  buttons1     
moving off so soon as they had received 
the stamp and the gilt4  ,hutton1 the   
,birmingham bookseller1 says he knew men
 who left the town in  chariots who had 
first approached it on foot4 ,hutton    
himself entered the  town a poor boy1   
and lived to write its history1 and make
 a fortune by  his industry4    ,until  
towards the end of last century the town
 was not very easy of  approach from any
 direction4 ,the roads leading to it had
 become worn by  the traffic of many    
generations4 ,the hoofs of the          
pack-horses1 helped  by the rains1 had  
deepened the tracks in the sandy soil1  

until in many  places they were twelve  
or fourteen feet deep1 so that it was   
said of  travellers that they approached
 the town by sap4 ,one of these old     
hollow  roads1 still called             
,holloway-head1 though now filled up1   
was so deep that  a waggon-load of hay  
might pass along it without being seen4 
,there was  no direct communication     
between ,birmingham and ,london until   
about the  middle of the century4       
,before then1 the ,great ,road from     
,london to ,chester  passed it four     
miles off1 and the ,birmingham          
manufacturer1 when sending  wares to    
,london1 had to forward his package to  
,castle ,bromwich1 there to  await the  
approach of the packhorse train or the  
stage-waggon journeying  south4 ,the    
,birmingham men1 however1 began to wake 
up1 and in #agdg a coach  was advertised
 to run to ,london in two days 8if the  
roads permit40 ,twenty  years later a   
stage-waggon was put on1 and the        
communication by coach  became gradually

 improved4    ,when ,hutton entered     
,birmingham in #agdj1 he was struck by  
the activity of  the place and the      
vivacity of the inhabitants1 which      
expressed itself  in their looks as he  
passed them in the streets4 8,i had10 he
 says1  8been among dreamers1 but now ,i
 saw men awake4 ,their very step showed 
alacrity4 ,every man seemed to know and 
to prosecute his own affairs40  ,the    
,birmingham men were indeed as alert as 
they looked--steady workers  and clever 
mechanics--men who struck hard on the   
anvil4 ,the artisans of  the place had  
the advantage of a long training in     
mechanical skill4 ,it  had been bred in 
their bone1 and descended to them from  
their fathers as  an inheritance4#ie ,in
 no town in ,england were there then to 
be found so  many mechanics capable of  
executing entirely new work2 nor1       
indeed1 has  the ability yet departed   
from them1 the ,birmingham artisans     
maintaining  their individual           
superiority in intelligent execution of 

skilled work to  the present day4 ,we   
are informed that inventors of new      
machines1 foreign  as well as ,english1 
are still in the practice of resorting  
to them for  the purpose of getting     
their inventions embodied in the best   
forms1 with  greater chances of success 
than in any other town in ,england4     
#ie ,there seems reason to believe that 
the capacity for        skilled industry
 is to a certain extent transmissible2  
and        that the special aptitude for
 mechanics which characterises          
the population of certain districts1 is 
in a great measure        the result of 
centuries of experience1 transmitted    
from one        generation to another4  
,mr4 ,morell takes the same view3 8,we  
have every reason to believe10 he says1 
8that the power of        specialised   
instincts is transmitted1 and when the  
circumstances        favour it1 goes on 
increasing from age to age in intensity1
        and in a particular adaptation  
to the purposes demanded4 ,all          

confirmed habits which become a part of 
the animal nature1 seem        to be    
imparted by hereditary descent2 and thus
 what seems to        be an original    
instinct may1 after all1 be but the     
accumulated        growth and experience
 of many generations40    ,about the    
middle of last century the two          
,boultons1 father and son1 were         
recognised as among the most            
enterprising and prosperous of          
,birmingham  manufacturers4 ,the father 
of the elder ,matthew ,boulton was ,john
 ,boulton  of ,northamptonshire1 in     
which county ,boultons or ,boltons have 
been  settled for a long period1 and    
where there are records of many         
clergymen  of the name4 ,about the end  
of the seventeenth century1 this ,john  
,boulton  settled at ,lichfield1 where  
he married ,elizabeth1 heir of ,matthew 
,dyott of  ,stitchbrooke1 by whom he    
obtained considerable property4 ,his    
means must1  however1 have become       
reduced2 in consequence of which his son

 ,matthew was  sent to ,birmingham to   
enter upon a career of business1 and    
make his own  way in the world4 ,he     
became established in the place as a    
silver stamper  and piecer1 to which he 
added other branches of manufacture1    
which his  son ,matthew afterwards      
largely extended4    ,matthew ,boulton  
the younger was born at ,birmingham on  
the #crd ,september1  #agbh4 ,little is 
known of his early life1 beyond that he 
was a bright1  clever boy1 and a general
 favourite with his companions4 ,he     
received his  principal education at a  
private academy at ,deritend1 kept by   
the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,ansted1 under whom he  
acquired the rudiments of a good        
ordinary ,english  education4 ,though he
 left school early for the purpose of   
following his  father's business1 he    
nevertheless continued the work of      
self-instruction1  and afterwards       
acquired considerable knowledge of      
,latin and ,french1  as well as of      
drawing and mathematics4 ,but his chief 

pleasure was in  pursuing the study of  
chemistry and mechanics1 in which1 as we
 shall  shortly find1 he became         
thoroughly accomplished4 ,long after he 
joined his  father in business1 he      
delighted to revert to his classical    
favourites4  ,from an entry in his      
private memorandum-book of expenses at  
the age of  about thirty1 though then   
very economical in other respects1 we   
find him  expending considerable sums in
 experiments on electricity1 and on one 
occasion laying out a guinea on a copy  
of ,virgil1 from which it appears  that 
trade had not spoilt his taste for      
either science or letters4    ,young    
,boulton appears to have engaged in     
business with much spirit4 ,by the  time
 he was seventeen he had introduced     
several important improvements in  the  
manufacture of buttons1 watch-chains1   
and other trinkets2 and he had  invented
 the inlaid steel buckles which shortly 
after became the fashion4  ,these       
buckles were exported in large          

quantities to ,france1 from whence  they
 were brought back to ,england and sold 
as the most recent productions  of      
,french ingenuity4 ,the elder ,boulton1 
having every confidence in his  son's   
discretion and judgment1 adopted him as 
a partner so soon as he came  of age1   
and from that time forward he took      
almost the entire management of  the    
concern4 ,although in his letters he    
signed 8for father and self10 he  always
 spoke in the first person of matters   
connected with the business4  ,thus1 in 
#ageg1 we find him writing to ,timothy  
,holles1 ,london1 as to the  prices of  
8coat-link and vest buttons10 intimating
 that to lower them  would be to beat   
down price and quality until it became  
no business at  all2 8yet10 said he1 8as
 ,i have put myself to greater expense  
than anybody  else in erecting the best 
conveniences and the completest tools   
for the  purpose1 ,i am not willing that
 any interlopers should run away with   
it40  ,we find him at the same time     

carrying on a correspondence with       
,benjamin  ,huntsman1 of ,sheffield1 the
 celebrated inventor of cast-steel4#if  
,on  the #aith ,january1 #ageg1 he sends
 ,huntsman 8a parcel of goods of the    
newest patterns10 and at the same time  
orders a quantity of ,huntsman's  steel4
 8,when thou hast some of a proper size 
and quality for me1 and an  opportunity 
of sending it1 thou may'st1 but ,i      
should be glad to have it  a little     
tougher than the last40 ,he             
concludes--8,i hope thy ,philosophic    
,spirit still laboureth within thee1 and
 may it soon bring forth ,fruit  useful 
to mankind1 but more particularly to    
thyself1 is the sincere wish  of ,thy   
,obliged ,friend40 ,with a view to      
economy1 ,boulton in course of time     
erected a steel-house of his own for the
 purpose of making steel2 and he        
frequently used it to convert the       
cuttings and scraps of the small iron   
wares which he manufactured1 into       
ordinary steel1 afterwards melting and  

converting it into cast-steel in the    
usual way4        #if ,for ,memoir of   
,huntsman1 see #8,industrial            
,biography1' #ajb-aaj4    ,from the     
earliest glimpses we can get of ,boulton
 as a man of business1 it  would appear 
to have been his aim to be at the top of
 whatsoever branch  of manufacture he   
undertook4 ,he endeavoured to produce   
the best possible  articles in regard of
 design1 material1 and workmanship4     
,taste was then  at a low ebb1 and      
8,brummagem0 had become a byword for    
everything that was  gaudy1 vulgar1 and 
meretricious4 ,boulton endeavoured to   
get rid of this  reproach1 and aimed at 
raising the standard of taste in        
manufacture to the  highest point4 ,with
 this object1 he employed the best      
artists to design  his articles1 and the
 cleverest artisans to manufacture them4
 ,apart from  the question of elevating 
the popular taste1 there can be no doubt
 that  this was good policy on his part1
 for it served to direct public         

attention  to the superior and honest   
quality of the articles produced by his 
firm1  and eventually brought him a     
large accession of business4    ,in     
#agei1 ,boulton's father died1          
bequeathing to him the considerable     
property which he had accumulated by his
 business4 ,the year following1  when   
thirty-two years of age1 ,matthew       
married ,anne1 the daughter of ,luke    
,robinson1 ,esq41 of ,lichfield4 ,the   
lady was a distant relation of his own2 
the ,dyotts of ,stitchbrooke1 whose heir
 his grandfather had married1 being     
nearly related to the ,babingtons of    
,curborough1 from whom ,miss ,robinson  
was lineally descended--,luke ,robinson 
having married the daughter and  co-heir
 of ,john ,babington of ,curborough and 
,patkington4 ,considerable  opposition  
was offered to the marriage by the      
lady's friends1 on account  of ,matthew 
,boulton's occupation2 but he pressed   
his suit1 and with good  looks and a    
handsome presence to back him1 he       

eventually succeeded  in winning the    
heart and hand of ,anne ,robinson4 ,he  
was now1 indeed1  in a position to have 
retired from business altogether4 ,but a
 life of  inactivity had no charms for  
him4 ,he liked to mix with men in the   
affairs  of active life1 and to take his
 full share in the world's business4    
,indeed1 he hated ease and idleness1 and
 found his greatest pleasure in         
constant occupation4    ,instead1       
therefore1 of retiring from trade1 he   
determined to engage in it  more        
extensively4 ,he entertained the        
ambition of founding a manufactory  that
 should be the first of its kind1 and   
serve as a model for the  manufacturers 
of his neighbourhood4 ,his premises on  
,snow-hill1#ig  ,birmingham1 having     
become too small for his purpose1 he    
looked about  him for a suitable spot on
 which to erect more commodious         
workshops2  and he was shortly attracted
 by the facilities presented by the     
property  afterwards so extensively     

known as the famous ,soho4        #ig   
,while on ,snow-hill1 ,mr4 ,boulton's   
business was principally        confined
 to the making of buttons1 shoe-buckles1
 articles in        steel1 and various  
kinds of trinkets4 ,his designation was 
that        of 8toymaker10 as is shown  
by the following document copied        
from the original3--8,received of       
,matthew ,boulton1 toymaker1            
,snow-hill1 three shillings and         
sixpence1 for which sum ,i              
solemnly engage1 if he should be chosen 
by lot to serve in        the militia   
for this parish1 at the first meeting   
for that        purpose1 to procure a   
substitute that shall be approved of4   
,birmingham1 ,january #aa1 #agfb1 ,henry
 ,brookes1 ,sergt40 ,the                
,birmingham toymaker was1 however1 often
 a man doing a large        business1   
producing articles of utility as well as
 ornament4        ,mr4 ,osler1 the      
,birmingham manufacturer of glass beads 
and other        toys1 when examined    

before a ,committee of the ,house of    
,commons        many years since1       
astonished the members by informing them
 that        trifling though dolls' eyes
 might appear to be as an article of    
manufacture1 he had once obtained an    
order for #ejjl4 worth of        the    
article4 8,eighteen years ago10 said he1
 8on my first going        to ,london1 a
 respectable-looking man in the city    
asked me if ,i        could supply him  
with dolls' eyes2 and ,i was foolish    
enough to        feel half offended2 ,i 
thought it derogatory to my dignity as a
        manufacturer to make dolls'     
eyes4 ,he took me into a room quite     
as wide1 and perhaps twice the length of
 this1 and we had just        room to   
walk between the stacks1 from the floor 
to the ceiling1        of parts of      
dolls4 ,he said1 #8,these are only the  
legs and the        arms2 the trunks are
 below4' ,but ,i saw enough to convince 
me1 that he wanted a great many eyes4444
 ,he ordered various        quantities1 

and of various sizes and qualities4 ,on 
returning        to the ,tavistock      
,hotel1 ,i found that the order amounted
 to        upwards of #ejjl4444         
,calculating on every child in this     
country        not using a doll till two
 years old1 and throwing it aside at    
seven1 and having a new one annually1 ,i
 satisfied myself that        the eyes  
alone would produce a circulation of a  
great many        thousand pounds4 ,i   
mention this merely to show the         
importance        of                    
trifles40--,babbage1 #8,economy of      
,machinery and ,manufactures1'          
#bdc-e4    ,soho is about two miles     
north of ,birmingham1 on the            
,wolverhampton road4  ,it is not in the 
parish of ,birmingham1 nor in the county
 of ,warwick1 but  just over the border1
 in the county of ,stafford4 ,down to   
the middle of  last century the ground  
on which it stands was a barren heath1  
used only  as a rabbit-warren4 ,the sole
 dwelling on it was the warrener's hut1 

which  stood near the summit of the     
hill1 on the spot afterwards occupied by
  ,soho ,house2 and the warrener's well 
is still to be found in one of the      
cellars of the mansion4 ,in #agef1 ,mr4 
,edward ,ruston took a lease of the     
ground for ninety-nine years from ,mr4  
,wyerley1 the lord of the manor1  with  
liberty to make a cut about half a mile 
in length for the purpose  of turning   
the waters of ,hockley ,brook into a    
pool under the brow of the  hill4 ,the  
head of water thus formed was used to   
drive a feeble mill below1  which ,mr4  
,ruston had established for laminating  
metals4 ,he also built  a small         
dwelling-house about #aej yards from the
 mill1 and expended upon  the place a   
sum of about #ajjjl4 in all4 ,when ,mr4 
,boulton was satisfied  that the place  
would suit his purpose1 he entered into 
arrangements with  ,mr4 ,ruston for the 
purchase of his lease1#ih on the        
completion of which  he proceeded to    
rebuild the mill on a large scale1 and  

in course of time  removed thither the  
whole of his tools1 machinery1 and      
workmen4 ,the new  manufactory1 when    
finished1 consisted of a series of roomy
 workshops  conveniently connected with 
each other1 and capable of accommodating
  upwards of a thousand workmen4 ,the   
building and stocking of the premises   
cost upwards of #bj1jjjl4        #ih    
,mr4 ,boulton afterwards purchased the  
fee simple of the        property1      
together with much of the adjoining     
land4 ,the nature        of his tenure  
caused him to take a lively interest in 
the        question of common lands     
enclosure1 and at a much later period   
7#agth ,april1 #agij7 we find him       
writing to the ,right ,hon4 ,lord       
,hawkesbury as follows3--8,the argument 
of robbing the poor by        enclosures
 of wastes is fallacious4 ,they have no 
legal title        to the common land2  
and the more of it that is cultivated1  
the        more work and the more bread 
there will be for them4 ,i speak        

from experience2 for ,i founded my      
manufactory upon one of the        most 
barren commons in ,england1 where there 
existed but a few        miserable huts 
filled with idle beggarly people1 who by
 the        help of the common land and 
a little thieving made shift to         
live without working4 ,the scene is now 
entirely changed4 ,i have               
employed a thousand men1 women1 and     
children1 in my aforesaid               
manufactory for nearly thirty years     
past4 ,the ,lord of the ,manor          
hath exterminated these very poor       
cottages1 and hundreds of        clean  
comfortable cheerful houses are found   
erected in their        place4 ,thus the
 inhabitants of the parish have been    
trebled        without at all increasing
 the poor levies4 ,i am more confirmed  
in this view when ,i turn my eyes to a  
neighbouring parish        7,sutton     
,colefield71 where there are #aj1jjj    
acres of common land                    
uncultivated1 and yet the poor rates are

 very high4 ,let this        land be    
divided1 enclosed1 cultivated1 and      
rendered saleable to        active1     
industrious1 and spirited men2 and the  
poor will then        have plenty of    
work1 and the next generation of them   
will be        fully reconciled to      
earning their bread instead of begging  
for        it40--,boulton ,,mss4        
,illustration3 ,,soho ,,manufactory4    
,before removing to ,soho1 ,mr4 ,boulton
 took into partnership ,mr4 ,john       
,fothergill1 with the object of more    
vigorously extending his business       
operations4 ,mr4 ,fothergill possessed a
 very limited capital1 but he was a  man
 of good character and active habits of 
business1 with a considerable  knowledge
 of foreign markets4 ,on the occasion of
 his entering the concern1  stock was   
taken of the warehouse on ,snow ,hill2  
and some idea of the extent  of         
,boulton's business at the time may be  
formed from the fact1 that his  manager1
 ,mr4 ,zaccheus ,walker1 assisted by    

,farquharson1 ,nuttall1 ,frogatt1  and  
half-a-dozen labourers1 were occupied   
during eight days in weighing  metals1  
counting goods1 and preparing an        
inventory of the effects and  stock in  
trade4 ,the partnership commenced at    
midsummer1 #agfb1 and shortly  after the
 principal manufactory was removed to   
,soho4    ,steps were immediately taken 
to open up new connexions and agencies  
at  home and abroad2 and a large        
business was shortly established with   
many  of the principal towns and cities 
of ,europe1 in filagree and inlaid work1
  livery and other buttons1 buckles1    
clasps1 watch-chains1 and various  kinds
 of ornamental metal wares4 ,the firm   
shortly added the manufacture  of silver
 plate and plated goods to their other  
branches1#ii and turned  out large      
quantities of candlesticks1 urns1       
brackets1 and various articles  in      
ormolu4 ,the books of the firm indicate 
the costly nature of their  productions1
 #ejj ounces of silver being given out  

at a time1 besides  considerable        
quantities of gold and platina for      
purposes of fabrication4  ,boulton      
himself attended to the organization and
 management of the works  and to the    
extension of the trade at home1 while   
,fothergill devoted  himself to         
establishing and superintending the     
foreign agencies4        #ii ,mr4 ,keir1
 in a ,,ms4 memoir of ,mr4 ,boulton now 
before us1        says he was the first 
to introduce the silver plate business  
at        ,birmingham1 and to make      
complete services in solid silver4 ,but 
the business was not profitable1 in     
consequence of the great        value of
 the material1 the loss of interest upon
 which was not        compensated by the
 additional price put upon it for       
workmanship4        ,one good           
consequence of the silver plate         
business1 however1        was the       
establishment of an assay office in     
,birmingham1 the        necessary ,act  
for which was obtained at ,mr4          

,boulton's expense1        and proved of
 much advantage to the town4    ,from   
the first1 ,boulton aimed at            
establishing a character for the        
excellence of his productions4 ,they    
must not only be honest in  workmanship1
 but tasteful in design4 ,he determined1
 so far as in him  lay1 to get rid of   
the 8,brummagem0 reproach4 ,thus we find
 him writing to  his partner from       
,london3--8,the prejudice that          
,birmingham hath so justly  established 
against itself makes every fault        
conspicuous in all articles  that have  
the least pretensions to taste4 ,how can
 ,i expect the public to  countenance   
rubbish from ,soho1 while they can      
procure sound and perfect  work from any
 other quarter80    ,he frequently went 
to town for the express purpose of      
reading and making  drawings of rare    
works in metal in the ,british ,museum1 
sending the  results down to ,soho4     
,when rare objects of art were offered  
for sale1 he  endeavoured to secure     

them4 8,i bid five guineas10 he wrote   
his partner on  one occasion1 8for the  
,duke of ,marlborough's great blue vase1
 but it sold  for ten4444 ,i bought two 
bronzed figures1 which are sent         
herewith40 ,he  borrowed antique        
candlesticks1 vases1 and articles in    
metal from the ,queen  and from various 
members of the nobility4 8,i wish ,mr4  
,eginton10 he wrote1  8would take good  
casts from the ,hercules and the ,hydra1
 and then let it  be well gilt and      
returned with the seven vases2 for 'tis 
the ,queen's4 ,i  perceive we shall want
 many such figures1 and therefore we    
should omit  no opportunity of taking   
good casts40 ,the ,duke of              
,northumberland lent  ,boulton many of  
his most highly-prized articles for     
imitation by his  workmen4 ,among his   
other liberal helpers in the same way1  
we find the ,duke  of ,richmond1 ,lord  
,shelburne1 and the ,earl of ,dartmouth4
 ,the ,duke gave  him an introduction to
 ,horace ,walpole1 for the purpose of   

enabling him  to visit and examine the  
art treasures of ,strawberry ,hill4     
8,the vases10  said he1 in writing to   
,boulton1 8are1 in my opinion1 better   
worth your  seeing than anything in     
,england1 and ,i wish you would have    
exact drawings  of them taken1 as ,i may
 very possibly like to have them copied 
by you40  ,lord ,shelburne's opinion of 
,boulton may be gathered from his letter
 to  ,mr4 ,adams1 the architect1 in     
which he said3--8,mr4 ,boulton is the   
most  enterprising man in different ways
 in ,birmingham1 and is very desirous   
of cultivating ,mr4 ,adams's taste in   
his productions1 and has bought his     
,dioclesian by ,lord ,shelburne's       
advice40    ,boulton1 however1 did not  
confine himself to ,england2 he searched
  the ,continent over for the best      
specimens of handicraft as models for   
imitation2 and when he found them he    
strove to equal1 if not to excel them   
in style and quality4 ,he sent his      
agent1 ,mr4 ,wendler1 on a special      

mission  of this sort1 to ,venice1      
,rome1 and other ,italian cities1 to    
purchase  for him the best specimens of 
metal-work1 and obtain for him designs  
of  various ornaments--vases1 cameos1   
intaglios1 and statuary4 ,on one        
occasion  we find ,wendler sending him  
#def prints1 ,boulton acknowledging that
 they  will prove exceedingly useful for
 the purposes of his manufacture4 ,at   
the  same time1 ,fothergill was         
travelling through ,france and ,germany 
with a  like object1 while he was also  
establishing new connexions with a view 
to  extended trade4#ajj        #ajj     
8,if1 in the course of your future      
travelling10 he wrote        ,mr4       
,wendler 7,july1 #agfg71 8you can pick  
up for me any metallic        ores or   
fossil substances1 or any other curious 
natural        productions1 ,i should be
 much obliged to you1 as ,i am fond of  
all those things that have a tendency to
 improve my knowledge in                
mechanical arts1 in which my manufactory

 will every year become        more and 
more general1 and therefore wish to know
 the taste1 the        fashions1 the    
toys1 both useful and ornamental1 the   
implements1        vessels1 c41 that    
prevail in all the different parts of   
,europe1        as ,i should be glad to 
work for all ,europe in all things that 
they may have occasion for--gold1       
silver1 copper1 plated1 gilt1           
pinchbeck1 steel1 platina1              
tortoiseshell1 or anything else that    
may become an article of general demand4
 ,i have lately begun to        make    
snuff-boxes1 instrument-cases1          
tooth-picks1 c41 in metal1        gilt1 
and in tortoiseshell inlaid1 likewise   
gilt and pinchbeck        watch-chains4 
,we are now being completely fixed at   
,soho1 and        when ,mr4 ,fothergill 
returns 7which will not be for six      
months71        ,i shall then have more 
time to attend to improvements than ,i  
have at present40--,boulton ,,mss4      
,while ,boulton was ambitious of        

reaching the highest excellence in his  
own  line of business1 he did not       
confine himself to that1 but was feeling
 his  way in various directions outside 
of it4 ,thus to his friend ,wedgwood he 
wrote on one occasion1 that he admired  
his vases so much that he 8almost       
wished to be a potter40 ,at one time1   
indeed1 he had serious thoughts of      
beginning the fictile manufacture2 but  
he rested satisfied with mounting  in   
metal the vases which ,wedgwood made4   
8,the mounting of vases10 he wrote1  8is
 a large field for fancy1 in which ,i   
shall indulge1 as ,i perceive it        
possible to convert even a very ugly    
vessel into a beautiful vase40#aja      
#aja ,boulton to ,wedgwood1 ,january1   
#agfi4--,wedgwood was one of        his 
most intimate friends2 the two alike    
aiming at excellence in        their    
respective branches of production4      
,their kindred efforts        seem to   
have excited the ire of some satirist1  
whose effusion        against them in   

the #8,public ,ledger' is thus referred 
to in the        postscript of a letter 
from ,wedgwood to ,boulton1 dated #aith 
,february1 #agga3--8;,if you take in the
 #8,public ,ledger' you'll see          
that ,mr4 ,antipuffado has done me the  
honour to rank me with the        most  
stupendous geniuses of the age1 and has 
really cut me        up very cleanly4   
,he talks1 too1 that he should not      
wonder if        some surprising genius 
at ,birmingham should be tempted to make
        ,roman medals and tenpenny      
nails1 or ,corinthian knives and        
daggers1 and style himself ,roman medal 
and ,etruscan tenpenny        nail-maker
 to the ,empress of ,abyssinia4 ,but see
 the paper3 ,i        believe it is the 
first week in ,february1 and is one of  
the        better sort of this          
class40--,boulton ,,mss4    ,another    
branch of business that he sought to    
establish was the manufacture  of       
clocks4 ,it was one of his leading      
ideas1 that articles in common  use     

might be made much better and cheaper if
 manufactured on a large  scale with the
 help of the best machinery2 and he     
thought this might be  successfully done
 in the making of clocks and timepieces4
 ,the necessary  machinery was erected  
accordingly1 and the new branch of      
business was  started4 ,some of the     
timepieces were of an entirely novel    
arrangement4  ,one of them1 invented by 
,dr4 ,small1 contained but a single     
wheel1 and was  considered a piece of   
very ingenious construction4 ,boulton   
also sought  to rival the ,french makers
 of ornamental timepieces1 by whom the  
,english  markets were then almost      
entirely supplied2 and some of the      
articles of  this sort turned out by him
 were of great beauty4 ,one of his most 
ardent  encouragers and admirers1 the   
,hon4 ,mrs4 ,montagu1 wrote to him1--8,i
 take  greater pleasure in our victories
 over the ,french in the contention of  
arts than of arms4 ,the achievements of 
,soho1 instead of making widows  and    

orphans1 make marriages and             
christenings4 ,your noble industry1     
while  elevating the public taste1      
provides new occupations for the poor1  
and  enables them to bring up their     
families in comfort4 ,go on1 then1 sir1 
to triumph over the ,french in taste1   
and to embellish your country with      
useful inventions and elegant           
productions40    ,boulton's efforts to  
improve the industrial arts did not1    
however1 always  meet with such glowing 
eulogy as this4 ,two of his most highly 
finished  astronomical clocks could not 
find purchasers at his ,london sale2 on 
which he wrote to his wife at ,soho1 8,i
 find philosophy at a very low ebb  in  
,london1 and ,i have therefore brought  
back my two fine clocks1 which ,i  will 
send to a market where common sense is  
not out of fashion4 ,if ,i had  made the
 clocks play jigs upon bells1 and a     
dancing bear keeping time1 or  if ,i had
 made a horse-race upon their faces1 ,i 
believe they would have  had better     

bidders4 ,i shall therefore bring them  
back to ,soho1 and some  time this      
summer will send them to the ,empress of
 ,russia1 who1 ,i believe1  would be    
glad of them40#ajb ,during the same     
visit to ,london1 he was more           
successful with the king and queen1 who 
warmly patronised his productions4      
8,the king10 he wrote to his wife1 8hath
 bought a pair of cassolets1 a  ,titus1 
a ,venus clock1 and some other things1  
and inquired this morning how           
yesterday's sale went4 ,i shall see him 
again1 ,i believe4 ,i was with them1    
the queen and all the children1 between 
two and three hours4 ,there were1       
likewise1 many of the nobility present4 
,never was man so much complimented  as 
,i have been2 but ,i find that          
compliments don't make fat nor fill the 
pocket4 ,the queen showed me her last   
child1 which is a beauty1 but none  of  
'em are equal to the ,general of ,soho  
or the fair ,maid of the ,mill4#ajc     
,god bless them both1 and kiss them for 

me40        #ajb ,the clocks1 with      
several other articles1 were sent out to
        ,russia1 and submitted to the   
,empress through the kindness of        
,earl ,cathcart4 ,his lordship1 in      
communicating the result to        ,mr4 
,boulton1 said--8,i have the pleasure to
 inform you that her        ,imperial   
,majesty not only bought them all1 last 
week1 but did        me the honour to   
tell me that she was extremely pleased  
with        them1 and thought them      
superior in every respect to the        
,french1        as well as cheaper1     
which entitled them in all lights to a  
preference40    ,in another letter he   
described a subsequent visit to the     
palace4 8,i am to  wait upon their      
majesties again so soon as our ,tripod  
,tea-kitchen arrives1  and again upon   
some other business4 ,the queen1 ,i     
think1 is much improved  in her person1 
and she now speaks ,english like an     
,english lady4 ,she  draws very finely1 
is a great musician1 and works with her 

needle better  than ,mrs4 ,betty4       
,however1 without joke1 she is extremely
 sensible1 very  affable1 and a great   
patroness of ,english manufactures4 ,of 
this she gave  me a particular instance2
 for1 after the king and she had talked 
to me for  nearly three hours1 they     
withdrew1 and then the queen sent for me
 into  her boudoir1 showed me her       
chimneypiece1 and asked me how many     
vases it  would take to furnish it2     
#8for1' said she1 #8all that china shall
 be taken  away4' ,she also desired that
 ,i would fetch her the two finest steel
 chains  ,i could make4 ,all this she   
did of her own accord1 without the      
presence of  the king1 which ,i could   
not help putting a kind construction    
upon40#ajd        #ajc ,pet names of his
 two children1 ,matthew ,robinson and   
,anne        ,boulton4        #ajd      
,these letters are without date1 but we 
infer that they were        written in  
the summer of #agfg4    ,thus stimulated
 by royal and noble patronage1 ,boulton 

exerted himself  to the utmost to       
produce articles of the highest         
excellence4 ,like his  friend ,wedgwood1
 he employed ,flaxman and other ,london 
artists to design  his choicer goods2   
but he had many foreign designers and   
skilled workmen1  ,french and ,italian1 
in his regular employment4 ,he attracted
 these men  by liberal wages1 and kept  
them attached to him by kind and        
generous  treatment4 ,on one occasion we
 find the ,duke of ,richmond applying to
 him to  recommend a first-class artist 
to execute some special work in metal   
for  him4 ,boulton replies that he can  
strongly recommend one of his own men1  
an honest1 steady workman1 an excellent 
metal turner4 8,he hath made for  me    
some exceeding good achromatic          
telescopes another branch of ,boulton's 
business4444 ,i give him two guineas a  
week and a house to live in4 ,he is  a  
,frenchman1 and formerly worked with the
 famous ,m4 ,germain2 he afterwards     
worked for the ,academy of ,sciences at 

,berlin1 and he hath worked upwards  of 
two years for me40#aje    ,before many  
years had passed1 ,soho was spoken of   
with pride1 as one  of the best schools 
of skilled industry in ,england4 ,its   
fame extended  abroad as well as at     
home1 and when distinguished foreigners 
came into  ,england1 they usually       
visited ,soho as one of the national    
sights4 ,when  the manufactory was      
complete#ajf and in full work1 ,boulton 
removed from  his house on ,snow-hill to
 the mansion of ,soho1 which he had by  
this time  considerably enlarged and    
improved4 ,there he continued to live   
until the  close of his life1           
maintaining a splendid hospitality4 ,men
 of all nations1  and of all classes and
 opinions1 were received there by       
turns1--princes1  philosophers1 artists1
 authors1 merchants1 and poets4 ,in     
,august1 #agfg1  while executing the two
 chains for the queen1 we find him      
writing to  his ,london agent as his    
excuse for a day's delay in forwarding  

it3 8,i  had lords and ladies to wait on
 yesterday2 ,i have ,french and         
,spaniards  to-day2 and to-morrow ,i    
shall have ,germans1 ,russians1 and     
,norwegians40  ,for many years the      
visitors at ,soho ,house were so        
numerous and arrived in  such constant  
succession1 that it more resembled an   
hotel than a private  mansion4          
#aje ,boulton to the ,duke of ,richmond1
 ,april #h1 #aggj4 ,the ,duke        was
 engaged at the time in preparing a set 
of machines for        making the       
various experiments in ,natural         
,philosophy described        in         
,s',gravande's book4 ,the ,duke was     
himself a good turner and        worker 
in metal4        #ajf ,the manufactory  
was complete so far as regarded the     
hardware        manufacture4 ,but       
additions were constantly being made to 
it2        and1 as other branches of    
industry were added1 it became more     
than doubled in extent and              
accommodation4    ,illustration3 ,,soho 

,,house4    ,the rapid extension of the 
,soho business necessarily led to the   
increase  of the capital invested in it4
 ,boulton had to find large sums of     
money  for increased stock1 plant1 and  
credits4 ,he raised #cjjjl4 on his      
wife's  estate2 he borrowed #ejjjl4 from
 his friend ,baumgarten2 and he sold    
considerable portions of the property   
left him by his father1 by which  means 
he was enabled considerably to extend   
his operations4 ,there were  envious    
busybodies about who circulated rumours 
to his discredit1 and  set the report on
 foot1 that to carry on a business on so
 large a scale  would require a capital 
of #hj1jjjl4 8,their evil speaking10    
said he to  a correspondent1 8will avail
 but little1 as our house is founded on 
so  firm a rock that envy and malice    
will not be able to shake it2 and ,i am 
determined to spare neither pains nor   
money to establish such a house  as will
 acquire both honour and wealth40 ,the  
rapid strides he was making  may be     

inferred from the statement made to the 
same correspondent1 which  showed that  
the gross returns of the firm1 which    
were #gjjjl4 in #agfc1  had advanced to 
#cj1jjjl4 in #agfg1 with orders still   
upon the increase4      ,though he had a
 keen eye for business1 ,boulton        
regarded character  more than profit4   
,he would have no connexion with any    
transaction of a  discreditable kind4   
,orders were sent to him from ,france   
for base money1  but he spurned them    
with indignation4 8,i will do anything10
 he wrote to  ,m4 ,motteaux1 his ,paris 
agent1 8short of being common informer  
against  particular persons1 to stop the
 malpractices of the ,birmingham        
coiners40  ,he declared he was as ready 
to do business on reasonable terms as   
any  other person1 but he would not     
undersell2 8for10 said he1 8to run down 
prices would be to run down quality1    
which could only have the effect of     
undermining confidence1 and eventually  
ruining trade40 ,his principles  were   

equally honourable as regarded the      
workmen of rival employers4 8,i  have   
had many offers and opportunities10 he  
said to one1 8of taking your  people1   
whom ,i could1 with convenience to      
myself1 have employed2 but it is  a     
practice ,i abhor4 ,nevertheless1       
whatever game we play at1 ,i shall      
always  avail myself of the rules with  
which 'tis played1 or ,i know ,i shall  
make  but a very indifferent figure in  
it40#ajg    ,he was frequently asked to 
take gentlemen apprentices into his     
works1 but  declined to receive them1   
though hundreds of pounds' premium were 
in many  cases offered with them4 ,he   
preferred employing the humbler class of
 boys1  whom he could train up as       
skilled workmen4 ,he was also induced to
 prefer  the latter for another reason1 
of a still more creditable kind4 8,i    
have10  said he1 in answer to a         
gentleman applicant1 8built and         
furnished a house  for the reception of 
one kind of apprentices--fatherless     

children1 parish  apprentices1 and      
hospital boys2 and gentlemen's sons     
would probably find  themselves out of  
place in such companionship40           
#ajg ,boulton to ,john ,taylor1 #bcrd   
,january1 #agfi4 ,boulton ,,mss4        
,while occupied with his own affairs1   
and in conducting what he described  as 
8the largest hardware manufactory in the
 world10 ,boulton found time to  take an
 active part in promoting the measures  
then on foot for opening up  the        
internal navigation of the country4 ,he 
was a large subscriber to the  ,grand   
,trunk and ,birmingham ,canal schemes1  
the latter of which was of the  greater 
importance to him personally1 as it     
passed close by ,soho1 and thus  placed 
his works in direct communication both  
with ,london and the northern  coal and 
manufacturing districts4#ajh        #ajh
 ,when the canal came to be constructed 
at the point at which        it passed  
,soho1 it occasioned him great anxiety  
through the        leakage of the canal 

banks and loss of water for the purposes
        of his manufactory4 ,the supply1
 especially in dry summers1        was  
already too limited2 but the canal      
threatened to destroy        it         
altogether4 ,writing to ,mr4 ,thomas    
,gilbert1 ,m4,p41 on the        subject 
in ,february1 #agfi1 he said1 8,the very
 holes which ,mr4        ,smeaton hath  
dug to try the ground1 drink up the     
water nearly        as fast as you can  
pour it in4444 ,let ,smeaton or         
,brindley1 or        all the engineers  
upon earth give what evidence they will 
before        ,parliament1 ,i am        
convinced by last summer's experience   
that if        the proprietors of the   
canal continue to take the two streams  
on which my mill depends1 it is ruined4 
,i might as well have        built it   
upon the summit of the hill40 ,after the
 act had passed        he wrote his     
friend ,garbett1 8,i have seen the      
testimony of the        two engineers1  
,smeaton and ,yeoman1 but ,i value the  

opinions        of neither of them1 nor 
of ,brindley nor ,simcox 7in this case71
        nor of the whole tribe of       
jobbing ditchers1 who are retained as   
evidence on any side which first applies
 for them40 ,his alarms1        however1
 proved unfounded1 as the leakage of the
 canal was        eventually remedied2  
and in ,november1 #aggb1 we find him    
writing        to the ,earl of ,warwick1
 8,our navigation goes on prosperously2 
the junction with the ,wolverhampton    
,canal is complete2 and we              
already sail from ,birmingham to        
,bristol and to ,hull40--,boulton       
,,mss4    ,coming down to a few years   
later1 in #aggj1 we find his business   
still  growing1 and his works and plant 
absorbing still more capital1           
principally  obtained by borrowing4 ,in 
a letter to ,mr4 ,adams1 the celebrated 
architect1  requesting him to prepare   
the design of a new sale-room in        
,london1 he  described the manufactory  
at ,soho as in full progress1 from #gjj 

to #hjj  persons being employed as      
metallic artists and workers in         
tortoiseshell1  stones1 glass1 and      
enamel4 8,i have almost every machine10 
said he1 8that  is applicable to those  
arts2 ,i have two water-mills employed  
in rolling1  polishing1 grinding1 and   
turning various sorts of lathes4 ,i have
 trained  up many1 and am training up   
more plain country lads into good       
workmen2  and wherever ,i find          
indications of skill and ability1 ,i    
encourage them4  ,i have likewise       
established correspondence with almost  
every mercantile  town in ,europe1 and  
am thus regularly supplied with orders  
for the grosser  articles in common     
demand1 by which ,i am enabled to employ
 such a number  of hands as to provide  
me with an ample choice of artists for  
the finer  branches of work2 and ,i am  
thereby encouraged to erect and employ a
 more  extensive apparatus than it would
 be prudent to provide for the          
production  of the finer articles only40

    ,it is indeed probable--though      
,boulton was slow to admit it--that he  
had been extending his business more    
rapidly than his capital would          
conveniently allow2 for we find him     
becoming more and more pressed for      
means to meet the interest on the       
borrowed money invested in buildings1   
tools1 and machinery4 ,he had obtained  
#aj1jjjl4 from a ,mr4 ,tonson of        
,london2 and on the death of that       
gentleman1 in #aggb1 he had considerable
  difficulty in raising the means to pay
 off the debt4 ,his embarrassment  was  
increased by a serious commercial panic1
 aggravated by the failure  of ,fordyce 
brothers1 by which a considerable sum   
deposited with them  remained locked up 
for some time1 and he was eventually a  
loser to the  extent of #bjjjl4 ,other  
failures and losses followed2 and trade 
came  almost to a standstill4 ,yet he   
bravely held on4 8,we have a thousand   
mouths  at ,soho to feed10 he says2 8and
 it has taken so much labour and pains  

to  get so valuable and well-organised a
 staff of workmen together1 that the    
operations of the manufactory must be   
carried on at whatever risk40 ,he       
continued to receive distinguished      
visitors at his works4 8,last week10 he 
wrote ,mr4 ,ebbenhouse1 8we had ,prince 
,poniatowski1 nephew of the ,king of    
,poland1 and the ,french1 ,danish1      
,sardinian1 and ,dutch ,ambassadors2    
this  week we have had ,count ,orloff1  
one of the five celebrated brothers who 
are such favourites with the ,empress of
 ,russia2 and only yesterday ,i had  the
 ,viceroy of ,ireland1 who dined with   
me4 ,scarcely1 a day passes without  a  
visit from some distinguished           
personage40    ,besides carrying on the 
extensive business connected with his   
manufactory  at ,soho1 this             
indefatigable man found time to         
prosecute the study of  several         
important branches of practical science4
 ,it was scarcely to be  supposed that  
he had much leisure at his disposal2 but

 in life it often  happens that the     
busiest men contrive to find the most   
leisure2 and he  who is 8up to the ears0
 in work1 can1 nevertheless1 snatch     
occasional  intervals to devote to      
inquiries in which his heart is engaged4
 ,hence we  find ,boulton ranging at    
intervals over a wide field of inquiry2 
at one  time studying geology1 and      
collecting fossils1 minerals1 and       
specimens  for his museum2 at another1  
reading and experimenting on fixed air2 
and at  another studying ,newton's works
 with the object of increasing the force
 of  projectiles4#aji ,but the subject  
which perhaps more than all interested  
him was the improvement of the ,steam   
,engine1 which shortly after led to  his
 introduction to ,james ,watt4          
#aji ,among ,boulton's scientific       
memoranda1 we find some curious         
speculations1 bearing the date of #agfe1
 relative to improvements        which  
he was trying to work out in gunnery4   
,he proposed the        truer boring of 

the guns1 the use of a telescopic sight1
 and a        cylindrical shot with its 
end of a parabolic form as presenting   
in his opinion the least resistance to  
the air4          ,,chapter ,x4         
,,boulton ,,and ,,the ,,steam           
,,engine--,,correspondence ,,with       
,,watt4      ,want of water-power was   
one of the great defects of ,soho as a  
manufacturing establishment1 and for a  
long time ,boulton struggled with  the  
difficulty4 ,the severe summer droughts 
obliged him to connect a  horse-mill    
with the water-wheel4 ,from six to ten  
horses were employed as  an auxiliary   
power1 at an expense of from five to    
eight guineas a week4  ,but this        
expedient1 though costly1 was found very
 inconvenient4 ,boulton  next thought of
 erecting a pumping-engine after ,savery
 or ,newcomen's  construction1 for the  
purpose of raising the water from the   
mill-stream  and returning it back into 
the reservoir--thereby maintaining a    
head of  water sufficient to supply the 

water-wheel and keep the mill in regular
  work4 8,the enormous expense of the   
horse-power10 he wrote to a friend1     
8put me upon thinking of turning the    
mill by fire1 and ,i made many          
fruitless experiments on the subject40  
,in #agff we find him engaged in a      
correspondence with the distinguished   
,benjamin ,franklin as to steam power4  
,eight years before1 ,franklin had      
visited ,boulton at ,birmingham and made
 his acquaintance4 ,they were  mutually 
pleased with each other1 and continued  
to correspond during  ,franklin's stay  
in ,england1 exchanging their views on  
magnetism1  electricity1 and other      
subjects4#aaj ,when ,boulton began to   
study the  fire-engine with a view to   
its improvement1 ,franklin was one of   
the first  whom he consulted4 ,writing  
him on the #bbnd ,february1 #agff1 he   
said1--      8,my engagements since     
,christmas have not permitted me to make
 any    further progress with my        
fire-engine2 but1 as the thirsty season 

is approaching apace1 necessity will    
oblige me to set about it    in good    
earnest4 ,query1--,which of the         
steam-valves do you like    best8 ,is it
 better to introduce the jet of cold    
water at the    bottom of the receiver1 
or at the top8 ,each has its advantages 
and disadvantages4 ,my thoughts about   
the secondary or mechanical             
contrivances of the engine are too      
numerous to trouble you with    in this 
letter1 and yet ,i have not been lucky  
enough to hit upon    any that are      
objectionless4 ,i therefore beg1 if any 
thought occurs    to your fertile genius
 which you think may be useful1 or      
preserve    me from error in the        
execution of this engine1 you'll be so  
kind    as to communicate it to me1 and 
you'll very greatly oblige me40         
#aaj ,on the #bbnd ,may1 #agfe1         
,franklin writes ,boulton1--8,mr4       
,baskerville informs me that you have   
lately had a considerable               
addition to your fortune1 on which ,i   

sincerely congratulate        you4 ,i   
beg leave to introduce my friend ,doctor
 ,small to your        acquaintance1 and
 to recommend him to your civilities4 ,i
 would        not take this freedom1 if 
,i were not sure it would be agreeable  
to you2 and that you will thank me for  
adding to the number of        those who
 from their knowledge of you must       
respect you1 one who        is both an  
ingenious philosopher and a most worthy 
honest man4        ,if anything new in  
magnetism or electricity1 or any other  
branch        of natural knowledge1 has 
occurred to your fruitful genius since  
,i last had the pleasure of seeing you1 
you will by communicating        it     
greatly oblige me40    ,from a          
subsequent letter it appears that       
,boulton1 like ,watt--who was  about the
 same time occupied with his invention  
at ,glasgow--had a model  constructed   
for experimental purposes1 and that this
 model was now with  ,franklin in       
,london2 for we find ,boulton requesting

 the latter to 8order a  porter to nail 
up the model in the box again and take  
it to the ,birmingham  carrier at the   
,bell ,inn1 ,smithfield40 ,after a      
silence of about a month  ,franklin     
replied1--      8,you will1 ,i trust1   
excuse my so long omitting to answer    
your kind    letter1 when you consider  
the excessive hurry and anxiety ,i have 
been engaged in with our ,american      
affairs4444 ,i know not which of    the 
valves to give the preference to1 nor   
whether it is best to    introduce your 
jet of cold water above or below4       
,experiments will    best decide in such
 cases4 ,i would only repeat to you the 
hint ,i    gave1 of fixing your grate in
 such a manner as to burn all your      
smoke4 ,i think a great deal of fuel    
will then be saved1 for two    reasons4 
,one1 that smoke is fuel1 and is wasted 
when it escapes    uninflamed4 ,the     
other1 that it forms a sooty crust on   
the bottom    of the boiler1 which crust
 not being a good conductor of heat1    

and preventing flame and hot air coming 
into immediate contact    with the      
vessel1 lessens their effect in giving  
heat to the water4    ,all that is      
necessary is1 to make the smoke of fresh
 coals pass    descending through those 
that are already thoroughly ignited4 ,i 
sent the model last week1 with your     
papers in it1 which ,i hope    got safe 
to hand40#aaa        #aaa ,franklin to  
,boulton1 ,march #ai1 #agff4 ,boulton   
,,mss4    ,the model duly arrived at    
,soho1 and we find ,boulton shortly     
after occupied  in making experiments   
with it1 the results of which are duly  
entered in  his note-books4 ,dr4        
,erasmus ,darwin1 with whom he was on   
very intimate  terms1 wrote him from    
,lichfield1 inquiring what ,franklin    
thought of the  model and what          
suggestions he had made for its         
improvement4 8,your model  of a         
steam-engine1 ,i am told10 said he1 8has
 gained so much approbation  in ,london1
 that ,i cannot but congratulate you on 

the mechanical fame you  have acquired  
by it1 which1 assure yourself1 is as    
great a pleasure to me  as it could     
possibly be to yourself40#aab ,another  
letter of ,darwin to  ,boulton is       
preserved1 without date1 but apparently 
written earlier than  the preceding1 in 
which the ,doctor lays before the       
mechanical philosopher  the scheme of 8a
 fiery chariot0 which he had            
conceived1--in other words1  of a       
locomotive steam-carriage4 ,he proposed 
to apply an engine with a  pair of      
cylinders working alternately1 to drive 
the proposed vehicle2#aac  and he sent  
,boulton some rough diagrams            
illustrative of his views1 which  he    
begged might be kept a profound secret1 
as it was his intention1 if  ,boulton   
approved of his plan and would join him 
as a partner1 to endeavour  to build a  
model engine1 and1 if it answered1 to   
take out a joint patent  for it4 ,but   
,dr4 ,darwin's scheme was too crude to  
be capable of being  embodied in a      

working model2 and nothing more was     
heard of his fiery  chariot4        #aab
 ,darwin to ,boulton1 ,march #aa1 #agff4
 ,boulton ,,mss4        #aac ,the       
following passage occurs in his         
letter3--8,suppose one        piston up1
 and the vacuum made under it by the jet
 d'eau froid4        ,that piston cannot
 yet descend1 because the cock is not   
yet        opened which admits the steam
 into its antagonist cylinder4          
,hence the two pistons are in           
equilibrio1 being either of them        
pressed by the atmosphere4 ,then1 ,i    
say1 if the cock which admits        the
 steam into the antagonist cylinder be  
opened gradually        and not with a  
jerk1 that the first mentioned piston in
 the        cylinder will descend       
gradually and yet not less forcibly4    
,hence by the management of the steam   
cocks the motion may be                 
accelerated1 retarded1 destroyed1       
revived1 instantly and easily4          
,and if this answers in practice as it  

does in theory1 the        machine      
cannot fail of success6 ,eureka60       
,another of ,boulton's numerous         
correspondents about the same time was  
,dr4  ,roebuck1 of ,kinneil1 then       
occupied with his enterprise at ,carron1
 and  about to engage in working the    
,boroughstoness coal mines1 of the      
results  of which he was extremely      
sanguine4 ,he also wished ,boulton to   
join him  as a partner1 offering a tenth
 share in the concern1 and to take back 
the  share if the result did not answer 
expectations4 ,but ,boulton's hands were
  already full of business nearer home1 
and he declined the venture4 ,roebuck   
then informed him of the invention made 
by his ingenious friend ,watt1  and of  
the progress of the model engine4 ,this 
was a subject calculated  to excite the 
interest of ,boulton1 himself occupied  
in studying the  same subject1 and he   
expressed a desire to see ,watt1 if he  
could make it  convenient to visit him  
at ,soho4    ,it so happened that ,watt 

had occasion to be in ,london in the    
summer of  #agfg1 on the business       
connected with the ,forth and ,clyde    
,canal ,bill1 and  he determined to take
 ,soho on his way home4 ,when ,watt paid
 his promised  visit1 ,boulton was      
absent2 but he was shown over the works 
by his friend  ,dr4 ,small1 who had     
settled in ,birmingham as a physician1  
and already  secured a high place in    
,boulton's esteem4 ,watt was much struck
 with  the admirable arrangements of the
 ,soho manufactory1 and recognised at a 
glance the admirable power of           
organisation which they displayed4      
,still  plodding wearily with his model1
 and contending with the 8villanous bad 
workmanship0 of his ,glasgow artisans1  
he could not but envy the precision  of 
the ,soho tools and the dexterity of the
 ,soho workmen4 ,some conversation  on  
the subject must have occurred between  
him and ,small1 to whom he  explained   
the nature of his invention2 for we find
 the latter shortly  after writing      

,watt1 urging him to come to ,birmingham
 and join partnership  with ,boulton and
 himself in the manufacture of          
steam-engines4#aad  ,although nothing   
came of this proposal at the time1 it   
had probably some  effect1 when         
communicated to ,dr4 ,roebuck1 in       
inducing him to close with  ,watt as a  
partner1 and thus anticipate his        
,birmingham correspondents1 of  whose   
sagacity he had the highest opinion4    
#aad ,small wrote ,watt from            
,birmingham1 on the #gth ,january1      
#agfh3--8,our friend ,boulton will by   
this post send letters both        to   
you and ,dr4 ,roebuck4 ,i know not well 
how to resolve without        seeing    
you4 ,i have not the pleasure of being  
enough acquainted        with ,dr4 ,r4  
to judge whether we should all suit one 
another4        ,his integrity and      
generosity everybody agrees are great4  
,you        certainly know the proposal 
he has made to ,boulton1 who will       
tell you his determination about it4    

,before ,i knew of your        connexion
 with ,dr4 ,r4 my idea was that you     
should settle here1        and that     
,boulton and ,i should assist you as    
much as we could1        which in any   
case we will most certainly do4 ,i have 
no kind of        doubt of your success1
 nor of your acquiring fortune1 if you  
proceed upon a proper plan as to the    
manner of doing business2        which1 
if you do1 you will be sole possessor of
 the affair even        after your      
patent has expired4 ,i had not          
thoroughly considered        this part  
of the matter when you left me4 ,in a   
partnership that        ,i liked1 ,i    
should not hesitate to employ any sum of
 money ,i can        command on your    
scheme1 and ,i am certain it may be     
managed with        only a moderate     
capital4 ,whether it would be possible  
to manage        the wheel and          
reciprocating engines by separate       
partnerships        without their       
interfering ,i am not certain4 ,if it   

is1 ,boulton        and ,i would engage 
with you in either1 provided you will   
live        here40--,boulton ,,mss4     
,in the following year ,watt visited    
,london on the business connected with  
the engine patent4 ,small wrote to him  
there1 saying1 8,get your patent  and   
come to ,birmingham1 with as much time  
to spend as you can40 ,watt  accordingly
 again took ,birmingham on his way home4
 ,there he saw his  future partner for  
the first time1 and they at once        
conceived a hearty  liking for each     
other4 ,they had much conversation about
 the engine1 and it  greatly cheered    
,watt to find that the sagacious and    
practical ,birmingham  manufacturer     
should augur so favourably of its       
success as he did4 ,shortly  after1 when
 ,dr4 ,robison visited ,soho1 ,boulton  
told him that although  he had begun the
 construction of his proposed           
pumping-engine1 he had  determined to   
proceed no further with it until he saw 
what came of ,watt  and ,roebuck's      

scheme4 8,in erecting my proposed       
engine10 said he1 8,i would  necessarily
 avail myself of what ,i learned from   
,mr4 ,watt's conversation2  but this    
would not now be right without his      
consent40 ,boulton's conduct in  this   
proceeding was thoroughly characteristic
 of him1 and merely affords  another    
illustration of the general fairness and
 honesty with which he  acted in all his
 business transactions4    ,watt        
returned to ,glasgow to resume his      
engine experiments and to proceed  with 
his canal surveys4 ,he kept up a        
correspondence with ,boulton1 and       
advised him from time to time of the    
progress made with his model4 ,towards  
the end of the year we find him sending 
,boulton a package from ,glasgow        
containing 8one dozen ,german flutes at 
#es41 and a copper digester #al4  #ajs40
 ,he added1 8,i have almost finished a  
most complete model of my               
reciprocating-engine3 when it is tried1 
,i shall advise the success40 ,to  ,dr4 

,small he wrote more confidentially1    
sending him in ,january1 #agfi1 a  copy 
of the intended specification of his    
steam-engine4 ,he also spoke  of his    
general business3 8,our pottery10 said  
he1 8is doing tolerably1  though not as 
,i wish4 ,i am sick of the people ,i    
have to do with1 though  not of the     
business1 which ,i expect will turn out 
a very good one4 ,i  have a fine scheme 
for doing it all by fire or water mills1
 but not in  this country nor with the  
present people40#aae ,later1 he wrote3  
8,i have  had another three days of     
fever1 from which ,i am not quite       
recovered4  ,this cursed climate and    
constitution will undo me40 ,watt must  
have told  ,small when at ,birmingham of
 the probability of his being able to   
apply  his steam-engine to locomotion2  
for the latter writes him1 8,i told ,dr4
  ,robison and his pupil that ,i hoped  
soon to travel in a fiery chariot of    
your invention40 ,later1 ,small wrote3  
8,a linendraper at ,london1 one ,moore1 

has taken out a patent for moving       
wheel-carriages by steam4 ,this comes   
of thy delays4 ,i dare say he has heard 
of your inventions4444 ,do come to      
,england with all possible speed4 ,at   
this moment1 how ,i could scold you  for
 negligence6 ,however1 if you will come 
hither soon1 ,i will promise to  be very
 civil1 and buy a steam-chaise of you   
and not of ,moore4 ,and yet it  vexes me
 abominably to see a man of your        
superior genius neglect to avail        
himself properly of his great talents4  
,these short fevers will do you         
good40#aaf ,watt replied3 8,if          
linendraper ,moore does not use my      
engines  to drive his chaises1 he can't 
drive them by steam4 ,if he does1 ,i    
will  stop them4 ,i suppose by the      
rapidity of his progress and puffing he 
is  too volatile to be dangerous4444    
,you talk to me about coming to         
,england1  just as if ,i was an ,indian 
that had nothing to remove but my       
person4 ,why  do we encumber ourselves  

with anything else8 ,i can't see you    
before ,july  at soonest1 unless you    
come here4 ,if you do ,i can recommend  
you to a  fine sweet girl1 who will be  
anything you want her to be if you can  
make  yourself agreeable to her40       
,badinage apart1 however1 there was one 
point  on which ,watt earnestly         
solicited the kind services of his      
friend4 ,he had  become more than ever  
desirous of securing the powerful       
co-operation of  ,matthew ,boulton in   
introducing his invention to public     
notice3--      8,seriously10 says he1   
8you will oblige me if you will         
negotiate    the following affair3--,i  
find that if the engine succeeds my     
whole time will be taken up in planning 
and erecting ,reciprocating    engines1 
and the ,circulator must stand still    
unless ,i do what ,i    have done too   
often1 neglect certainty for hope4 ,now1
 ,mr4 ,boulton    wants one or more     
engines for his own use4 ,if he will    
make a    model of one of #bj inches    

diameter at least1 ,i will give him my  
advice and as much assistance as ,i can4
 ,he shall have liberty    to erect one 
of any size for his own use4 ,if he     
should choose    to have more the terms 
will be easy1 and ,i shall consider     
myself    much obliged to him4 ,if it   
should answer1 and he should not think  
himself repaid for his trouble by the   
use of it1 he shall make    and use it  
until he is repaid4 ,if this be         
agreeable to him let me    know1 and ,i 
will propose it to the ,doctor ,roebuck1
 and doubt    not of his consent4 ,i    
wish ,mr4 ,boulton and you had entered  
into    some negotiation with the       
,doctor about coming in as partners4    
,i am afraid it is now too late2 for the
 nearer it approaches to    certainty1  
he grows the more tenacious of it4#aag  
,for my part1 ,i    shall continue to   
think as ,i did1 that it would be for   
our mutual    advantage4 ,his           
expectations are solely from the        
,reciprocator4    ,possibly he may be   

tempted to part with the half of the    
,circulator    to you4 ,this ,i say of  
myself4 ,mr4 ,boulton asked if the      
,circulator    was contrived since our  
agreement4 ,it was2 but it is a part of 
the scheme1 and virtually included in   
it40#aah        #aae ,watt to ,small1   
,january #bh1 #agfi4 ,boulton ,,mss4    
#aaf ,small to ,watt1 #ahth ,april1     
#agfi4 ,boulton ,,mss4        #aag      
,roebuck was at this time willing to    
admit ,boulton as a        partner in   
the patent1 but only as respected the   
profits of        engines sold in the   
counties of ,warwick1 ,stafford1 and    
,derby4        ,this ,boulton declined1 
saying1 8,it would not be worth my while
        to make engines for three       
counties only2 but it might be worth    
my while to make for all the world40    
#aah ,watt to ,small1 #bhth ,april1     
#agfi4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,from this it 
will be seen how anxious ,watt was to   
engage ,boulton in taking  an interest  
in his invention4 ,but though the fly   

was artfully cast over  the nose of the 
fish1 still he would not rise4 ,the     
times were out of  joint1 business was  
stagnant1 and ,boulton was of necessity 
cautious about  venturing upon new      
enterprises4 ,small doubtless           
communicated the views  thus            
confidentially conveyed to him by ,watt2
 and in his next letter he  again       
pressed him to come to ,birmingham and  
have a personal interview with  ,boulton
 as to the engine1 adding1 8bring this  
pretty girl with you when  you come40   
,but1 instead of ,watt1 ,roebuck himself
 went to see ,boulton on  the subject4  
,during the time of this visit1 ,watt   
again communicated to  ,small his       
anxiety that ,boulton should join in the
 partnership4 8,as for  myself10 said   
he1 8,i shall say nothing2 but if you   
three can agree among  yourselves1 you  
may appoint me what share you please1   
and you will find  me willing to do my  
best to advance the good of the whole2  
or1 if this  the engine should not      

succeed1 to do any other thing ,i can to
 make you  all amends1 only reserving to
 myself the liberty of grumbling when ,i
 am  in an ill humour40#aai    ,small's 
reply was discouraging4 ,both ,boulton  
and he had just engaged in  another     
scheme1 which would require all the     
ready money at their command4  ,possibly
 the ill-success of the experiment ,watt
 had by this time made with  his new    
model at ,kinneil may have had some     
influence in deterring them  from       
engaging in what still looked a very    
unpromising speculation4 ,watt  was     
greatly cast down at this intelligence1 
though he could not blame his  friend   
for the caution he displayed in the     
matter4#abj ,he nevertheless  again     
returned to the subject in his letters  
to ,small2 and at last ,boulton  was    
persuaded to enter into a conditional   
arrangement with ,roebuck1 which  was   
immediately communicated to ,watt1 who  
received the intelligence with  great   
exultation4 8,i shake hands10 he wrote  

to ,small1 8with you and ,mr4  ,boulton 
in our connexion1 which ,i hope will    
prove agreeable to us all40  ,his joy1  
however1 proved premature1 as it turned 
out that the agreement  was only to the 
effect1 that if ,boulton thought proper 
to exercise the  option of becoming a   
partner in the engine to the extent of  
one-third1  he was to do so within a    
period of twelve months1 paying ,roebuck
 a sum  of #ajjjl42 but this option     
,boulton never exercised1 and the engine
  enterprise seemed to be as far from   
success as ever4        #aai ,watt to   
,small1 #bjth ,september1 #agfi4        
,boulton ,,mss4        #abj 8,i am      
really very sorry on my own account10 he
 wrote1 8that        your engagements   
hinder you from entering into our       
scheme1 for        that ought to be the 
result of your deliberation4 ,though    
there        are few things ,i have     
wished more for than being connected    
with        you on many accounts1 yet ,i
 should be very loath to purchase       

that pleasure at the expense of your    
quiet1 which might be the        case if
 you involved yourself in more business 
than you could        easily manage1 or1
 what is worse1 find money for4         
,besides1 this        is not a trade1   
but a project2 and no man should risk   
more money        on a project than he  
can afford to lose40--,watt to ,small1  
#bast        ,october1 #agfi4 ,boulton  
,,mss4    ,in the mean time ,watt became
 increasingly anxious about his own     
position4  ,he had been spending more   
money on fruitless experiments1 and     
getting  into more debt4 ,the six months
 he had been living at ,kinneil had     
brought  him in nothing4 ,he had been   
neglecting his business1 and could not  
afford  to waste more time in           
prosecuting an apparently hopeless      
speculation4 ,he  accordingly returned  
to his regular work1 and proceeded with 
the survey  of the river ,clyde1 at the 
instance of the ,glasgow ,corporation4  
8,i would  not have meddled with this10 

he wrote to ,dr4 ,small1 8had ,i been   
certain of  being able to bring the     
engine to bear4 ,but ,i cannot1 on an   
uncertainty1  refuse every piece of     
business that offers4 ,i have refused   
some common  fire-engines1 because they 
must have taken my attention so up as to
 hinder  my going on with my own4       
,however1 if ,i cannot make it answer   
soon1 ,i  shall certainly undertake the 
next that offers1 for ,i cannot afford  
to  trifle away my whole life1          
which--,god knows--may not be long4 ,not
 that ,i  think myself a proper hand for
 keeping men to their duty2 but ,i must 
use  my endeavours to make myself square
 with the world1 though ,i much fear ,i 
never shall40#aba        #aba ,watt to  
,small1 #bjth ,september1 #agfi4        
,small lamented this apparent           
abandonment of the engine to its fate4  
,but though he had failed in inducing   
,boulton heartily to join ,watt in  the 
enterprise1 he did not yet despair4 ,he 
continued to urge ,watt to  complete his

 engine1 as the fourteen years for which
 the patent lasted  would soon be gone4 
,at all events he might send drawings of
 his engine  to ,soho2 and ,mr4 ,boulton
 and he would undertake to do their best
 to have  one constructed for the       
purpose of exhibiting its powers4#abb   
,to this  ,watt agreed1 and about the   
beginning of #aggj1 the necessary       
drawings were  sent to ,soho1 and an    
engine was immediately put in course of 
execution4  ,patterns were made and sent
 to ,coalbrookdale to be cast2 but when 
the  castings were received1 they were  
found exceedingly imperfect1 and were   
thrown aside as useless4 ,they were then
 sent to an ironfounder at ,bilston  to 
be executed2 but the result was only    
another failure4        #abb ,small     
informed ,watt that it was intended to  
make an engine        for the purpose of
 drawing canal boats4 8,what ,mr4       
,boulton and        ,i10 he wrote1 8are 
very desirous of is1 to move canal boats
 by        this engine2 so we have made 

this model of a size sufficient for     
that purpose4 ,we propose first to      
operate without any condenser1          
because coals are here exceedingly      
cheap1 and because you can1        more 
commodiously than we1 make experiments  
on condensers1        having several    
already by you4 ,above #aej boats are   
now employed        on these new        
waveless canals1 so if we can succeed1  
the field        is not narrow40 ,this  
suggestion of working canal boats by    
steam        immediately elicited a     
reply from ,watt on the subject4        
,invention        was so habitual to him
 that a new method of employing power   
was        no sooner hinted than his    
active mind at once set to work to      
solve the problem4 8,have you ever10 he 
wrote ,small1 8considered        a      
spiral oar for that purpose1 or are you 
for two wheels80 ,and        to make his
 meaning clear1 he sketched out a rough 
but graphic        outline of a screw   
propeller4 ,small's reply was           

unfavourable3        he replied1 8,i    
have tried models of spiral oars1 and   
have        found them all inferior to  
oars of either of the other forms2      
,i believe because a cylinder of water  
immersed in water can be        easily  
turned round its own axis4 ,we propose  
to try gun-lock        springs with the 
fixed part longer than the moving4 ,if  
we cannot        succeed1 we will have  
recourse to what you have so obligingly 
and clearly described40 ,finally ,watt  
writes a fortnight later1               
8concerning spirals1 ,i do not continue 
fond of them40    ,about the beginning  
of #aggj1 another unsuccessful          
experiment was made  by ,watt and       
,roebuck with the engine at ,kinneil4   
,the cylinder had been  repaired and    
made true by beating1 but as the metal  
of which it was  made was soft1 it was  
feared that the working of the piston   
might throw  it out of form4 ,to prevent
 this1 two firm parallel planes were    
fixed1  through which the piston worked1

 in order to prevent its vibration4 8,if
  this should fail10 ,roebuck wrote to  
,boulton1 in giving an account of the   
intended trial1 8then the cylinder must 
be made of cast-iron4 ,but ,i have      
great confidence that the present engine
 will work completely1 and by this  day 
se'nnight you may expect to hear the    
result of our experiments40#abc  ,the   
good news1 however1 never went to       
,birmingham2 on the contrary1 the  trial
 proved a failure4 ,there was some more 
tinkering at the engine1 but  it would  
not work satisfactorily2 and ,watt went 
back to ,glasgow with a  heavy heart4   
#abc ,roebuck to ,boulton1 ,february    
#ab1 #aggj4    ,small again endeavoured 
to induce ,watt to visit ,birmingham1 to
 superintend  the erection of the       
engine1 the materials for which were now
 lying at  ,soho4 ,he also held out to  
,watt the hope of obtaining some        
employment  for him in the midland      
counties as a consulting engineer4 ,but 
,watt could  not afford to lose more    

time in erecting trial-engines2 and he  
was too  much occupied at ,glasgow to   
leave it for the proposed uncertainty at
  ,birmingham4 ,he accordingly declined 
the visit1 but invited ,small to        
continue the correspondence2 8for10 said
 he1 8we have abundance of matters  to  
discuss1 though the damned engine sleep 
in quiet40 ,small wrote back1           
professing himself satisfied that ,watt 
was so fully employed in his  own       
profession at ,glasgow4 8,let nothing10 
he said1 8divert you from the  business 
of engineering4 ,you are sensible that  
both ,boulton and ,i engaged  in the    
patent scheme much more from inclination
 to be in some degree  useful to you    
than from any other principle2 so that  
if you are prosperous  and happy1 we do 
not care whether you find the scheme    
worth prosecuting or  not40#abd         
,replying to ,small's complaint of      
himself1 that he felt ennuy  and stupid1
 taking pleasure in nothing but sleep1  
,watt said3 8,you complain  of physic2  

,i find it sufficiently stupifying to be
 obliged to think on  any subject but   
one's hobby2 and ,i really am become    
monstrously stupid1  and can seldom     
think at all4 ,i wish to ,god ,i could  
afford to live without  it2 though ,i   
don't admire your sleeping scheme4 ,i   
must fatigue myself1  otherwise ,i can  
neither eat nor sleep4 ,in short1 ,i    
greatly doubt whether  the silent       
mansion of the grave be not the happiest
 abode4 ,i am cured of  most of my      
youthful desires1 and if ambition or    
avarice do not lay hold  of me1 ,i shall
 be almost as much ennuy as you say you 
are40#abe        #abd ,small to ,watt1  
#agth ,september1 #aggj4 ,boulton ,,mss4
    ,small again recurred to the subject
 of ,watt's removal to ,birmingham1     
informing him that he had provided      
accommodation for him1 8having kept a   
whole house in my power1 in hopes you   
may come to live here40    ,watt's      
prospects were1 however1 brightening4   
,he was then busily occupied  in        

superintending the construction of the  
,monkland ,canal4 ,he wrote ,small  that
 he had a hundred men working under him1
 who had 8made a confounded  gash in a  
hill10 at which they had been working   
for twelve months2 that  by frugal      
living he had contrived to save money   
enough to pay his debts1  and that he   
had plenty of remunerative work before  
him4 ,he had also become  concerned in a
 pottery1 which1 he said1 8does very    
well1 though we make  monstrous bad     
ware40#abf ,he had not1 indeed1 got rid 
of his headaches1  though he was not so 
much afflicted by low spirits as he had 
been4 ,but he  confessed that after all 
he hated the business of engineering1   
and wished  himself well rid of it1 for 
the reasons stated in a preceding       
chapter4        #abe ,watt to ,small1   
#bjth ,october1 #aggj4 ,boulton ,,mss4  
#abf ,he then held an eighth share in   
the pottery1 which brought        him in
 about #gjl4 a year clear4    ,this     
comparatively prosperous state of       

,watt's affairs did not1 however1  last 
long4 ,the commercial panic of #aggb put
 a sudden stop to most of  the canal    
schemes then on foot4 ,the proprietors  
of the ,monkland ,canal  could not find 
the necessary means for carrying on the 
works1 and ,watt  consequently lost his 
employment as their engineer4 ,he was   
thus again  thrown upon the world1 and  
where was he to look for help8          
,naturally  enough1 he reverted to his  
engine4 ,but it was in the hands of ,dr4
 ,roebuck1  who was overwhelmed with    
debt1 and upon the verge of insolvency4 
,it  was clear that no help was to be   
looked for in that quarter4 ,again he   
bethought him of ,small's invitations to
 ,birmingham1 and of the interest  that 
,boulton had taken in the engine scheme4
 ,could he be induced at last  to become
 a partner8 ,he again broached the      
subject to ,small1 telling him  how     
business had failed him2 that he was now
 ready to go to ,birmingham  and engage 
in ,english surveys1 or do anything that

 would bring him in an  honest income4  
,but1 above all1 would ,boulton and     
,small1 now that ,roebuck  had failed1  
join him as partners in the engine      
business8    ,by this time ,boulton     
himself had become involved in          
difficulties arising  out of the        
commercial pressure of the time1 and was
 more averse than ever  to enter upon   
such an enterprise4 ,but having lent    
,roebuck a considerable  sum of money1  
it occurred to ,watt that the amount    
might be taken as part  of the price of 
,boulton's share in the patent1 if he   
would consent to  enter into the        
proposed partnership4 ,he represented to
 ,small the great  distress of          
,roebuck's situation1 which he had done 
all that he could to  relieve4 8,what   
little ,i can do for him10 he said1 8is 
purchased by denying  myself the        
conveniences of life my station         
requires1 or by remaining in  debt1     
which it galls me to the bone to owe40  
,reverting to the idea of a  partnership

 with ,boulton1 he added1 8,i shall be  
content to hold a very  small share in  
it1 or none at all1 provided ,i am to be
 freed from my  pecuniary obligations to
 ,roebuck1 and have any kind of         
recompense for  even a part of the      
anxiety and ruin it has involved me in40
 ,and again3  8,although ,i am out of   
pocket a much greater sum upon these    
experiments  than my proportion of the  
profits of the engine1 ,i do not look   
upon that  money as the price of my     
share1 but as money spent on my         
education4 ,i  thank ,god ,i have now   
reason to believe that ,i can never1    
while ,i have  health1 be at any loss to
 pay what ,i owe1 and to live at least  
in a decent  manner2 more1 ,i do not    
violently desire40#abg    ,in a         
subsequent letter ,watt promised ,small 
that he would pay an early  visit to    
,birmingham1 and added1 8there is       
nowhere ,i so much wish to be40  ,in    
replying1 ,small pointed out a          
difficulty in the way of the proposed   

partnership3 8,it is impossible10 he    
wrote1 8for ,mr4 ,boulton and me1 or any
  other honest man1 to purchase1        
especially from two particular friends1 
what has no market price1 and at a time 
when they might be inclined  to part    
with the commodity at an under          
value40#abh ,he added that the          
high-pressure wheel-engine constructing 
at ,soho1 after ,watt's plans1 was      
nearly ready1 and that ,wilkinson1 of   
,bradley1 had promised that the boiler  
should be sent next week4 8,should the  
experiment succeed1 or seem likely  to  
succeed10 he said1 8you ought to come   
hither immediately upon receiving  the  
notice1 which ,i will instantly send4   
,in that case we propose to unite  three
 things under your direction1 which     
would altogether1 we hope1 prove        
tolerably satisfactory to you1 at least 
until your merit shall be better        
known40#abi        #abg ,watt to ,small1
 #cjth ,august1 #aggb4 ,boulton ,,mss4  
#abh ,small to ,watt1 #afth ,november1  

#aggb4 ,boulton ,,mss4        #abi      
,about this time1 in order to bring     
himself and his engine        into      
notice1 ,watt contemplated writing a    
treatise on steam and        its        
applications4 8,i have some thoughts10  
he wrote to ,small1 8of        writing a
 book on the elements of the theory of  
steam-engines1        in which1 however1
 ,i shall only give the enunciation of  
the        perfect engine4 ,this book   
might do me and the scheme good4        
,it would still leave the world in the  
dark as to the true        construction 
of the engine4 ,something of this kind  
is necessary1        as ,smeaton is     
labouring hard at the subject1 and if ,i
 can        make no profit1 at least ,i 
ought not to lose the honour of my      
experiments40--,watt to ,small1 #agth   
,august1 #aggc4 ,boulton ,,mss4         
,to this letter ,small replied1 8,the   
more ,i consider the propriety        of
 your publishing about steam1 the more  
,i wish you to publish4        ,smeaton 

has only trifled hitherto1 though he may
 perhaps        discover something4 ,he 
told ,boulton some time ago that the    
circular engine would not do4 ,he said  
he had considered it1 and        was    
sure of this4 ,as ,b4 does not much     
respect his genius1 this        had no  
effect40 ,watt's treatise was1 however1 
never written2 his        attention     
being shortly after fully occupied by   
other and more        engrossing        
subjects4    ,but before the experiment 
with the wheel-engine could be tried at 
,soho1  the financial ruin of ,dr4      
,roebuck brought matters to a crisis4   
,he was  now in the hands of his        
creditors1 who found his affairs in     
inextricable  confusion4 ,he owed some  
#abjjl4 to ,boulton1 who1 rather than   
claim  against the estate1 offered to   
take ,roebuck's two-thirds share in the 
engine patent in lieu of the debt4 ,the 
creditors did not value the engine  as  
worth one farthing1 and were but too    
glad to agree to the proposal4  ,as     

,watt himself said1 it was only 8paying 
one bad debt with another40  ,boulton   
wrote to ,watt requesting him to act as 
his attorney in the matter4  ,he        
confessed that he was by no means       
sanguine as to the success of the       
engine1 but1 being an assayer1 he was   
willing 8to assay it and try how  much  
gold it contains40 8,the thing10 he     
added1 8is now a shadow2 'tis  merely   
ideal1 and will cost time and money to  
realise it4 ,we have made  no experiment
 yet that answers my purpose1 and the   
times are so horrible  throughout the   
mercantile part of ,europe1 that ,i have
 not had my thoughts  sufficiently      
disengaged to think of new schemes40#acj
        #acj ,boulton to ,watt1 #bith   
,march1 #aggc4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,so   
soon as the arrangement for the transfer
 of ,roebuck's share to ,boulton  was   
concluded1 ,watt ordered the engine in  
the outhouse at ,kinneil to be  taken to
 pieces1 packed up1 and sent to         
,birmingham4#aca ,small again  pressed  

him to come and superintend the work in 
person4 ,but before he  could leave     
,scotland it was necessary that he      
should complete the survey  of the      
,caledonian ,canal1 which was still     
unfinished4 ,this done1 he  promised at 
once to set out for ,soho4 ,in any case1
 he had made up his mind  to leave his  
own country1 of which he declared       
himself 8heart-sick40#acb  ,he hated its
 harsh climate1 so trying to his fragile
 constitution4  ,moreover1 he disliked  
the people he had to deal with4 ,he was 
also badly  paid for his work1 a whole  
year's surveying having brought him in  
only  about #bjjl4 ,out of this he had  
paid some portion to ,dr4 ,roebuck to   
help  him in his necessity1 8so that10  
he said1 8,i can barely support myself  
and  keep untouched the small sum ,i    
have allotted for my visit to you40#acc 
,watt's intention was either to try to  
find employment as a surveyor or        
engineer in ,england1 or obtain a       
situation of some kind abroad4 ,he was1 

however1 naturally desirous of          
ascertaining whether it was yet possible
 to  do anything with the materials     
which now lay at ,soho2 and with the    
object  of visiting his friends there   
and superintending the erection of the  
trial-engine1 he at length made his     
final arrangements to leave ,glasgow4   
,we find him arrived in ,birmingham in  
,may1 #aggd1 where he at once entered   
on a new and important phase of his     
professional career4        #aca 8,as ,i
 found the engine at ,kinneil perishing1
 and as it is        from circumstances 
highly improper that it should continue 
there        longer1 and as ,i have     
nowhere else to put it1 ,i have this    
week        taken it to pieces and      
packed up the ironwork1 cylinder1 and   
pump1 ready to be shipped for ,london on
 its way to ,birmingham1        as the  
only place where the experiments can be 
completed with        propriety4 ,i     
suppose the whole will not weigh above  
four tons4        ,i have left the whole

 of the woodwork until we see what we   
are        to do40--,watt to ,small1    
#bjth ,may1 #aggc4 ,boulton ,,mss4      
#acb ,in a letter to ,small1 ,watt      
wrote1 8,i begin now to see             
daylight through the affairs that have  
detained me so long1 and        think of
 setting out for you in a fortnight at  
furthest4 ,i am        monstrously      
plagued with my headaches1 and not a    
little with        unprofitable         
business4 ,i don't mean my own whims3   
these ,i never        work at when ,i   
can do any other thing2 but ,i have got 
too many        acquaintances2 and there
 are too many beggars in this country1  
which ,i am afraid is going to the devil
 altogether4 ,provisions        continue
 excessively dear1 and laws are made to 
keep them so4        ,but luckily the   
spirit of emigrating rises high1 and the
 people        seem disposed to show    
their oppressive masters that they can  
live without them4 ,by the time some    
twenty or thirty thousand        more   

leave the country1 matters will take a  
turn not much to the        profit of   
the landholders40--,watt to ,small1     
#bith ,april1 #aggd4        ,boulton    
,,mss4        #acc ,watt to ,small1     
#beth ,july1 #aggc4 ,boulton ,,mss4     
,,chapter ,,xi4    ,,boulton ,,and      
,,watt--,,their ,,partnership4          
,watt had now been occupied for about   
nine years in working out the details   
of his invention4 ,five of these had    
passed since he had taken out his       
patent1 and he was still struggling with
 difficulty4 ,several thousand  pounds  
had been expended on the engine1 besides
 much study1 labour1  and ingenuity2 yet
 it was still1 as ,boulton expressed it1
 8a shadow1 as  regarded its practical  
utility and value40 ,so long as ,watt's 
connexion  with ,roebuck continued1     
there was indeed very little chance of  
getting  it favourably introduced to    
public notice4 ,what it was yet to      
become as a  working power depended in  
no small degree upon the business       

ability1 the  strength of purpose1 and  
the length of purse of his new partner4 
,had ,watt searched ,europe through1    
probably he could not have found a man  
better fitted than ,matthew ,boulton for
 bringing his invention fairly  before  
the world4 ,many would have thought it  
rash on the part of the  latter1        
burdened as he was with heavy           
liabilities1 to engage in a new         
undertaking of so speculative a         
character4 ,feasible though the scheme  
might be1 it was an admitted fact that  
nearly all the experiments with  the    
models heretofore made had proved       
failures4 ,it is true ,watt firmly      
believed that he had hit upon the right 
principle1 and he was as sanguine  as   
ever of the eventual success of his     
engine4 ,but though inventors are       
usually sanguine1 men of capital do not 
take up their schemes on that  account4 
,capitalists are rather disposed to     
regard sanguine inventors  as           
visionaries1 full of theories of what is

 possible rather than of  well-defined  
plans of what is practicable and useful4
    ,boulton1 however1 amongst his many 
other gifts possessed an admirable      
knowledge of character4 ,his judgment of
 men was almost unerring4 ,in  ,watt he 
had recognised at his first visit to    
,soho1 not only a man of  original      
inventive genius1 but a plodding1       
earnest1 intent1 and withal  an         
exceedingly modest man2 not given to    
puff1 but on the contrary rather        
disposed to underrate the merit of his  
inventions4 ,different though  their    
characters were in most respects1       
,boulton at once conceived a  hearty    
liking for him4 ,the one displayed in   
perfection precisely those  qualities   
which the other wanted4 ,boulton was a  
man of ardent and  generous temperament1
 bold and enterprising1 undaunted by    
difficulty1 and  possessing an almost   
boundless capacity for work4 ,he was a  
man of great  tact1 clear perception1   
and sound judgment4 ,moreover1 he       

possessed that  indispensable quality of
 perseverance1 without which the best   
talents  are of comparatively little    
avail in the conduct of important       
affairs4  ,while ,watt hated business1  
,boulton loved it4 ,he had1 indeed1 a   
genius  for business1--a gift almost as 
rare as that for poetry1 for art1 or for
  war4 ,he possessed a marvellous power 
of organisation4 ,with a keen eye  for  
details he combined a comprehensive     
grasp of intellect4 ,while his  senses  
were so acute1 that when sitting in his 
office at ,soho he could  detect the    
slightest stoppage or derangement in the
 machinery of that  vast establishment1 
and send his message direct to the spot 
where it had  occurred1 his power of    
imagination was such as enabled him to  
look clearly  along extensive lines of  
possible action in ,europe1 ,america1   
and the ,east4  ,for there is a poetic  
as well as a commonplace side to        
business2 and the  man of business      
genius lights up the humdrum routine of 

daily life by  exploring the boundless  
region of possibility wherever it may   
lie open  before him4    ,boulton had   
already won his way to the very front   
rank in his calling1  honestly and      
honourably2 and he was proud of it4 ,he 
had created many  new branches of       
industry1 which gave regular employment 
to hundreds of  families4 ,he had       
erected and organised a manufactory     
which was looked upon  as one of the    
most complete of its kind in ,england1  
and was resorted to  by visitors from   
all parts of the world4 ,but ,boulton   
was more than a man  of business3 he was
 a man of culture1 and the friend of    
cultivated men4  ,his hospitable mansion
 at ,soho was the resort of persons     
eminent in art1  in literature1 and in  
science2 and the love and admiration    
with which  he inspired such men affords
 one of the best proofs of his own      
elevation  of character4 ,among the most
 intimate of his friends and associates 
were  ,richard ,lovell ,edgeworth1#acd a

 gentleman of fortune1 enthusiastically 
devoted to his long-conceived design of 
moving land-carriages by steam2         
,captain ,keir1 an excellent practical  
chemist1 a wit and a man of learning2   
,dr4 ,small1 the accomplished physician1
 chemist1 and mechanist2 ,josiah        
,wedgwood1 the practical philosopher and
 manufacturer1 founder of a new and     
important branch of skilled industry2   
,thomas ,day1 the ingenious author of   
#8,sandford and ,merton2' ,dr4 ,darwin1 
the poet-physician2 ,dr4 ,withering1 the
  botanist2 besides others who          
afterwards joined the ,soho circle1--not
 the  least distinguished of whom were  
,joseph ,priestley and ,james ,watt4#ace
        #acd ,mr4 ,edgeworth was first  
introduced to the notice of ,mr4        
,boulton in the following letter from   
,dr4 ,darwin 7#agfg73--8;,dear          
,boulton1 ,i have got with me a         
mechanical friend1 ,mr4 ,edgeworth1     
from ,oxfordshire1--the greatest        
conjurer ,i ever saw4 ,god send         

fine weather1 and pray come to my       
assistance1 and prevail on        ,dr4  
,small and ,mrs4 ,boulton to attend you 
to-morrow morning1        and we will   
reconvey you to ,birmingham if the devil
 permit4 ,e4        has the principles  
of nature in his palm1 and moulds them  
as he        pleases1--can take away    
polarity1 or give it to the needle by   
rubbing it thrice on the palm of his    
hand6 ,and can see through        two   
solid oak boards without glasses6       
,wonderful6 astonishing66               
diabolical666 ,pray tell ,dr4 ,small he 
must come to see these        miracles4 
,adieu1 ,e4 ,darwin40        #ace       
,richard ,lovell ,edgeworth says of this
 distinguished        coterie1--8,by    
means of ,mr4 ,keir ,i became acquainted
 with ,dr4        ,small of ,birmingham1
 a man esteemed by all who knew him1 and
        by all who were admitted to his 
friendship beloved with no        common
 enthusiasm4 ,dr4 ,small formed a link  
which combined ,mr4        ,boulton1    

,mr4 ,watt1 ,dr4 ,darwin1 ,mr4          
,wedgwood1 ,mr4 ,day1 and myself        
together--men of very different         
characters1 but all devoted        to   
literature and science4 ,this mutual    
intimacy has never        been broken   
but by death1 nor have any of the number
 failed to        distinguish themselves
 in science or literature4 ,some may    
think        that ,i ought with due     
modesty to except myself4 ,mr4 ,keir    
with        his knowledge of the world  
and good sense2 ,dr4 ,small1 with his   
benevolence and profound sagacity2      
,wedgwood1 with his increasing          
industry1 experimental variety1 and calm
 investigation2 ,boulton1        with   
his mobility1 quick perception1 and bold
 adventure2 ,watt1        with his      
strong inventive faculty1 undeviating   
steadiness1        and bold resources2  
,darwin1 with his imagination1 science1 
and        poetical excellence2 and     
,day1 with his unwearied research after 
truth1 his integrity and                

eloquence2--proved altogether such a    
society as few men have had the good    
fortune to live with2 such        an    
assemblage of friends1 as fewer still   
have had the happiness        to        
possess1 and keep through               
life40--,memoirs1 i4 #ahf4    ,boulton  
could not have been very sanguine at    
first as to the success of  ,watt's     
engine4 ,there were a thousand          
difficulties in the way of getting  it  
introduced to general use4 ,the         
principal one was the difficulty of     
finding workmen capable of making it4   
,watt had been constantly worried  by   
8villanous bad workmen10 who failed to  
make any model that would go  properly4 
,it mattered not that the principle of  
the engine was right2  if its           
construction was beyond the skill of    
ordinary handicraftsmen1  the invention 
was practically worthless4 ,the great   
,smeaton was of this  opinion4 ,when he 
saw the first model working at ,soho1 he
 admitted the  excellence of the        

contrivance1 but predicted its failure1 
on the ground  that it was too          
complicated1 and that workmen were not  
to be found capable  of manufacturing it
 on any large scale for general uses4   
,watt himself felt that1 if the engine  
was ever to have a fair chance1  it was 
now2 and that if ,boulton1 with his     
staff of skilled workmen at  command1   
could not make it go1 the scheme must be
 abandoned henceforward  as             
impracticable4 ,boulton must1 however1  
have seen the elements of success  in   
the invention1 otherwise he would not   
have taken up with it4 ,he knew  the    
difficulties ,watt had encountered in   
designing it1 and he could well         
appreciate the skill with which he had  
overcome them2 for ,boulton himself1  as
 we have seen1 had for some time been   
occupied with the study of the  subject4
 ,but the views of ,boulton on entering 
into his new branch of  business1 cannot
 be better expressed than in his own    
words1 as stated in  a letter written by

 him to ,watt in #agfi1 when then       
invited to join the  ,roebuck           
partnership3--      8,the plan proposed 
to me10#acf said he1 8is so very        
different    from that which ,i had     
conceived at the time ,i talked with you
    upon the subject1 that ,i cannot    
think it a proper one for me to         
meddle with1 as ,i do not intend turning
 engineer4 ,i was excited    by two     
motives to offer you my                 
assistance--which were1 love of    you1 
and love of a money-getting ingenious   
project4 ,i presumed    that your engine
 would require money1 very accurate     
workmanship1    and extensive           
correspondence1 to make it turn out to  
the best    advantage2 and that the best
 means of keeping up our reputation     
and doing the invention justice1 would  
be to keep the executive    part out of 
the hands of the multitude of empirical 
engineers1    who1 from ignorance1 want 
of experience1 and want of necessary    
convenience1 would be very liable to    

produce bad and inaccurate              
workmanship2 all which deficiencies     
would affect the reputation of    the   
invention4 ,to remedy which1 and to     
produce the most profit1    my idea was 
to settle a manufactory near my own1 by 
the side of    our canal1 where ,i would
 erect all the conveniences necessary   
for    the completion of engines1 and   
from which manufactory we would    serve
 the world with engines of all sizes4   
,by these means and your    assistance  
we could engage and instruct some       
excellent workmen1    who 7with more    
excellent tools than would be worth any 
man's while    to procure for one single
 engine7 could execute the invention #bj
    per cent4 cheaper than it would be  
otherwise executed1 and with as    great
 a difference of accuracy as there is   
between the blacksmith    and the       
mathematical instrument maker40         
#acf ,dr4 ,roebuck proposed to confine  
,boulton's profits to the        engine 
business done only in three counties4   

,it will be observed        that        
,boulton declined to negotiate on such a
 basis4    ,he went on to state that he 
was willing to enter upon the           
speculation  with these views1          
considering it well worth his while 8to 
make engines  for all the world10 though
 it would not be worth his while 8to    
make for  three counties only20 besides1
 he declared himself averse to embark in
 any  trade that he had not the         
inspection of himself4 ,he concluded by 
saying1  8,although there seem to be    
some obstructions to our partnership in 
the  engine trade1 yet ,i live in hopes 
that you or ,i may hit upon some scheme 
or other that may associate us in this  
part of the world1 which would  render  
it still more agreeable to me than it   
is1 by the acquisition of  such a       
neighbour40#acg    ,five years had      
passed since this letter was written1   
during which the  engine had made no way
 in the world4 ,the partnership of      
,roebuck and ,watt  had yielded nothing 

but vexation and debt2 until at last1   
fortunately for  ,watt--though at the   
time he regarded it as a terrible       
calamity--,roebuck  broke down1 and the 
obstruction was removed which had       
prevented ,watt and  ,boulton from      
coming together4 ,the latter at once    
reverted to the plan  of action which he
 had with so much sagacity laid down in 
#agfi2 and he  invited ,watt to take up 
his abode at ,soho until the necessary  
preliminary  arrangements could be made4
 ,he thought it desirable1 in the first 
place1  to erect the engine1 of which   
the several parts had been sent to ,soho
 from  ,kinneil1 in order1 if possible1 
to exhibit a specimen of the invention  
in actual work4 ,boulton undertook to   
defray all the necessary expenses1  and 
to find competent workmen to carry out  
the instructions of ,watt1  whom        
,boulton was also to maintain until the 
engine business had become              
productive4#ach        #acg ,boulton to 
,watt1 #gth ,february1 #agfi4 ,boulton  

,,mss4        #ach ,in a statement      
prepared by ,mr4 ,boulton for the       
consideration        of the arbitrators 
between himself and ,fothergill as to   
the        affairs of that firm1 the    
following passage occurs3--8,the first  
engine that was erected at ,soho ,i     
purchased of ,mr4 ,watt and        ,dr4 
,roebuck4 ,the cylinder was cast of     
solid grain tin1 which        engine1   
with the boiler1 the valves1 the        
condenser1 and the        pumps1 were   
all sent from ,scotland to ,soho4 ,this 
engine was        erected for the use of
 the ,soho manufactory1 and for the     
purpose        of making experiments    
upon by ,mr4 ,watt1 who occupied two    
years        of his time at ,soho with  
that object3 and lived there at ,mr4    
,boulton's expense4 ,nevertheless ,mr4  
,watt often assisted ,boulton        and
 ,fothergill in anything in his power1  
and made one journey        to ,london  
upon their business1 when he worked at  
adjusting and        marking weights    

manufactured by ,boulton and            
,fothergill40 ,in        another        
statement of a similar kind1 ,mr4       
,boulton says1--8,the        only       
fire-engine that was erected at ,soho   
prior to ,boulton and        ,watt      
obtaining the ,act of ,parliament1 was  
entirely made and        erected in     
,scotland1 and was removed here by sea1 
being a part        of my bargain with  
,roebuck4 ,all that were afterwards     
erected        were for persons that    
ordered them1 and were at the expense of
        erecting them40--,boulton ,,mss4
    ,the materials brought from ,kinneil
 were accordingly put together with as  
little delay as possible2 and1 thanks to
 the greater skill of the workmen  who  
assisted in its erection1 the engine1   
when finished1 worked in a more         
satisfactory manner than it had ever    
done before4 ,in ,november1 #aggd1 ,watt
  wrote ,dr4 ,roebuck1 informing him of 
the success of his trials2 on which  the
 ,dr4 expressed his surprise that the   

engine should have worked at all1       
8considering the slightness of the      
materials and its long exposure to the  
injuries of the weather40 ,watt also    
wrote to his father at ,greenock4 8,the 
business ,i am here about has turned out
 rather successful2 that is to say1  the
 fire-engine ,i have invented is now    
going1 and answers much better than  any
 other that has yet been made2 and ,i   
expect that the invention will be  very 
beneficial to me40#aci ,such was ,watt's
 modest announcement of the  successful 
working of the engine on which such     
great results depended4        #aci     
,quoted in ,muirhead's #8,mechanical    
,inventions of ,james ,watt1'        ii4
 #gi4    ,much1 however1 remained to be 
done before either ,watt or ,boulton    
could  reap any benefit from the        
invention4 ,six years out of the        
fourteen for  which the patent was      
originally taken had already expired2   
and all that  had been accomplished was 
the erection of this experimental engine

 at  ,soho4 ,what further period might  
elapse before capitalists could be      
brought  to recognise the practical uses
 of the invention could only be guessed 
at2 but the probability was that the    
patent right would expire long before   
such a demand for the engines arose as  
should remunerate ,boulton and ,watt    
for their investment of time1 labour1   
and capital4 ,and the patent once       
expired1 the world at large would be    
free to make the engines1 though ,watt  
himself had not recovered one farthing  
towards repaying him for the long  years
 of experiment1 study1 and ingenuity    
bestowed by him in bringing his         
invention to perfection4 ,these         
considerations made ,boulton hesitate   
before  launching out the money         
necessary to provide the tools1         
machinery1 and  buildings1 for carrying 
on the intended manufacture on a large  
scale and  in the best style4    ,when  
it became known that ,boulton had taken 
an interest in a new engine  for pumping

 water1 he had many inquiries about it  
from the mining  districts4 ,the need of
 a more effective engine than any then  
in use  was every year becoming more    
urgent4 ,the powers of ,newcomen's      
engine  had been tried to the utmost4   
,so long as the surface-lodes were      
worked1  its power was sufficient to    
clear the mines of water2 but as they   
were  carried deeper1 it was found      
totally inadequate for the work1 and    
many  mines were consequently becoming  
gradually drowned out and abandoned4    
,the excessive consumption of coals by  
the ,newcomen engines was another       
serious objection to their use1         
especially in districts such as         
,cornwall1  where coal was very dear4   
,when ,small was urging ,watt to come to
 ,birmingham  and make engines1 he      
wrote3 8,a friend of ,boulton's1 in     
,cornwall1 sent  us word a few days ago 
that four or five copper-mines are just 
going to  be abandoned because of the   
high price of coals1 and begs us to     

apply to  them instantly4 ,the ,york    
,buildings ,company delay rebuilding    
their engine1  with great inconvenience 
to themselves1 waiting for yours4       
,yesterday  application was made to me  
by a ,mining ,company in ,derbyshire to 
know when  you are to be in ,england    
about the engines1 because they must    
quit their  mine if you cannot relieve  
them40 ,the necessity for an improved   
pumping  power had set many inventors to
 work besides ,watt1 and some of the    
less  scrupulous of them were already   
trying to adopt his principle in such a 
way as to evade his patent4 ,moore1 the 
,london linendraper1 and ,hatley1  one  
of ,watt's ,carron workmen1 had brought 
out and were pushing engines  similar to
 ,watt's2 the latter having stolen and  
sold for a considerable  sum working    
drawings of the ,kinneil engine4        
,from these signs ,boulton saw that1 in 
the event of the engine proving         
successful1 he and his partner would    
have to defend the invention against  a 

host of pirates2 and he became persuaded
 that he would not be justified  in     
risking his capital in the establishment
 of a steam-engine manufactory  unless a
 considerable extension of the          
patent-right could be secured4 ,to      
ascertain whether this was practicable1 
,watt proceeded to ,london in the       
beginning of #agge1 to confer with his  
patent agent and take the opinion of    
counsel on the subject4 ,mr4            
,wedderburn1 who was advised with1      
recommended  that the existing patent   
should be surrendered1 and in that case 
he did  not doubt that a new one would  
be granted4 ,while in ,london1 ,watt    
looked  out for possible orders for his 
engine3 8,i have10 he wrote ,boulton1 8a
  prospect of two orders for            
fire-engines here1 one to water         
,piccadilly1 and  the other to serve the
 south end of ,blackfriars ,bridge with 
water4 ,i have  taken advice of several 
people whom ,i could trust about the    
patent4 ,they  all agree that an ,act   

would be much better and cheaper1 a     
patent being  now #acjl41 the ,act1 if  
obtainable1 #aajl4 ,the present patent  
has eight  years still to run1 bearing  
date ,january1 #agfi4 ,i understand     
there will  be an almost unlimited sale 
for wheel-engines to the ,west ,indies1 
at the  rate of #ajjl4 for each horse's 
power40#adj        #adj ,watt to        
,boulton1 #cast ,january1 #agge4        
,boulton ,,mss4    ,watt also occupied  
some of his time in ,london in          
superintending the  adjustment of       
weights manufactured by ,boulton and    
,fothergill1 then sold  in considerable 
quantities through their ,london agent4 
,that he continued  to take an interest 
in his old business of mathematical     
instrument making  is apparent from the 
visits which he made to several         
well-known shops4  ,one of the articles 
which he examined with most interest was
 ,short's  ,gregorian telescope4 ,at    
other times1 by ,boulton's request1 he  
went to see  the few steam-engines then 

at work in ,london and the              
neighbourhood1 and  make inquiries as to
 their performances4 ,with that object  
he examined the  engines at the ,new    
,river1 ,hungerford1 and ,chelsea4 ,at  
the latter place1 he  said1 8it was     
impossible to try the quantity of       
injection1 and the fellow  told me lies 
about the height of the column of       
water40 ,but ,watt soon grew  tired of  
,london1 8running from street to street 
all day about gilding10  inquiring after
 metal-rollers1 silver-platers1 and     
button-makers4 ,he did  his best1       
however1 to execute the commissions     
which ,boulton from time to  time sent  
him2 and when these were executed1 he   
returned to ,birmingham to  confer with 
his friends as to the steps to be taken 
with respect to the  patent4 ,the result
 of his conferences with ,boulton and   
,small was1 that it  was determined to  
take steps to apply for an ,act for its 
extension in the  ensuing session of    
,parliament4    ,watt went up to ,london

 a second time for the purpose of having
 the ,bill  drawn4 ,he had scarcely     
arrived there when the sad intelligence 
reached  him of the death of ,dr4       
,small4 ,he had long been ailing1 yet   
the event  was a shock alike to himself 
and ,boulton4 ,the latter wrote ,watt in
 the  bitterness of his grief1 8,if     
there were not a few other objects yet  
remaining for me to settle my affections
 upon1 ,i should wish also to  take up  
my abode in the mansions of the dead40  
,watt replied1 reminding  him of the    
sentiments of their departed friend1 as 
to the impropriety of  indulging in     
unavailing sorrow1 the best refuge from 
which was the more  sedulous performance
 of duty4 8,come1 my dear sir10 said he1
 8and immerse  yourself in this sea of  
business as soon as possible4 ,pay a    
proper respect  to your friend by       
obeying his precepts4 ,i wait for you   
with impatience1  and assure yourself no
 endeavour of mine shall be wanting to  
render life  agreeable to you40    ,it  

had been intended to include ,small in  
the steam-engine partnership  on the    
renewal of the patent4 ,he had been     
consulted in all the stages of  the     
proceedings1 and one of the last things 
he did was to draw up ,watt's  petition 
for the ,bill4 ,no settled arrangement  
had yet been made--not even  between    
,boulton and ,watt4 ,everything depended
 upon the success of the  application   
for the extension of the patent4        
,meanwhile1 through the recommendation  
of his old friend ,dr4 ,robison1 then   
in ,russia officiating as ,mathematical 
,professor at the ,government ,naval    
,school at ,cronstadt1 ,watt was offered
 an appointment under the ,russian      
,government1 at a salary of about       
#ajjjl4 a year4 ,he was thus presented  
with a means of escape from his         
dependence upon ,boulton1 and for the   
first time in his life had the prospect 
before him of an income that to  him    
would have been affluence4 ,but he      
entertained strong objections to        

settling in ,russia3 he objected to its 
climate1 its comparative barbarism1     
and1 notwithstanding the society of his 
friend ,robison1 to the limited  social 
resources of ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,besides1
 ,boulton's favours were so  gracefully 
conferred1 that the dependence on him   
was not felt2 for he made  the recipient
 of his favours feel as if the          
obligation were entirely on  the side of
 the giver4 8,your going to ,russia     
staggers me10 he wrote to  ,watt2 8the  
precariousness of your health1 the      
dangers of so long a journey  or voyage1
 and my own deprivation of consolation1 
render me a little  uncomfortable2 but  
,i wish to assist and advise you for the
 best1 without  regard to self40 ,the   
result was1 that ,watt determined to    
wait the issue  of the application for  
the extension of his patent4    ,the    
,bill was introduced to ,parliament on  
the #bhth of ,february1 #agge1 and  it  
was obvious from the first that it would
 have considerable opposition  to       

encounter4 ,the mining interest had     
looked forward to ,watt's invention  as 
a means of helping them out of their    
difficulties and giving a new  value to 
their property by clearing the drowned  
mines of water4 ,they  therefore desired
 to have the free use of the engine at  
the earliest  possible period2 and when 
it was proposed to extend the patent by 
,act of  ,parliament1 they set up with  
one accord the cry of 8,no monopoly40   
,up to  the present time1 as we have    
seen1 the invention had been productive 
to  ,watt of nothing but loss1 labour1  
anxiety1 and headaches2 and it was only 
just that a reasonable period should be 
allowed to enable him to derive  some   
advantage from the results of his       
application and ingenuity4 ,but the     
mining interest took a different view of
 the matter4 ,they did not see the      
necessity of recognising the rights of  
the inventor beyond the term of  his    
existing patent1 and they held that the 
public interests would suffer  if the   

proposed 8monopoly0 were granted4 ,nor  
were they without supporters  in        
,parliament1 for among the most         
strenuous we find the name of ,edmund   
,burke1--influenced1 it is supposed1 by 
certain mining interests in the         
neighbourhood of ,bristol1 which city he
 then represented4    ,there is no doubt
 that the public would have benefited by
 ,watt's invention  having been made    
free to all4 ,but it was not for the    
public merely that  ,watt had been      
working at his engine for fifteen long  
years4 ,he was a man  of comparatively  
small means1 and had been buoyed up and 
stimulated to  renewed exertion during  
that time by the hope of ultimate reward
 in the  event of its success4 ,if      
labour could give a man a title to      
property in  his invention1 ,watt's     
claim was clear4 ,the condensing-engine 
had been  the product of his own skill1 
contrivance1 and brain-work4 ,but there 
has always been a difficulty in getting 
the claims of mere brain-work           

recognised4 ,had he expended his labour 
in building a house instead of  in      
contriving a machine1 his right of      
property would at once have been        
acknowledged4 ,as it was1 he had to     
contend for justice and persuade the    
legislature of the reasonableness of    
granting his application for an         
extension of the patent4 ,in the 8,case0
 which he drew up for distribution      
amongst the members of the ,lower       
,house1 on the motion being carried  for
 the recommittal of the ,bill1 he set   
forth that having1 after great  labour  
and expense extending over many years1  
succeeded in completing  working engines
 of each of the two kinds he had        
invented1 he found that  they could not 
be carried into profitable execution    
without the further  expenditure of     
large sums of money in erecting mills1  
and purchasing the  various materials   
and utensils necessary for making them2 
and from the  reluctance with which the 
public generally adopt new inventions1  

he was  afraid that the whole term      
granted by his patent would expire      
before the  engines should have come    
into general use and any portion of his 
expenses  be repaid3--      8,the       
inventor of these new engines10 said he1
 8is sorry that    gentlemen of         
knowledge1 and avowed admirers of his   
invention1    should oppose the ,bill by
 putting it in the light of a monopoly4 
,he never had any intention of          
circumscribing or claiming the          
inventions of others2 and the ,bill is  
now drawn up in such a    manner as     
sufficiently guards those rights1 and   
must oblige him    to prove his own     
right to every part of his invention    
which may    at any time be disputed4444
 ,if the invention be valuable1 it has  
been made so by his industry1 and at his
 expense2 he has struggled    with bad  
health1 and many other inconveniences1  
to bring it to    perfection1 and all he
 wishes is to be secured in the profits 
which he may reasonably expect from     

it1--profits which he cannot    obtain  
without an exertion of his abilities to 
bring it into    practice1 by which the 
public must be the greatest gainers1 and
    which are limited by the performance
 of the common engines2 for    he cannot
 expect that any person will make use of
 his contrivance1    unless he can prove
 to them that savings will take place1  
and that    his demand for the privilege
 of using the invention will amount     
only to a reasonable part of them4 ,no  
man will lay aside a known    engine1   
and stop his work to erect one of a new 
contrivance1    unless he is certain to 
be a very great gainer by the exchange2 
and if any contrivance shall so far     
excel others as to enforce the    use of
 it1 it is reasonable that the author of
 such a contrivance    should be        
rewarded40    ,these weighty arguments  
could not fail to produce an impression 
on the  minds of all reasonable men1 and
 the result was1 that ,parliament passed
  an ,act extending ,watt's patent right

 for the further term of twenty-four    
years4 ,watt wrote ,boulton on the #bgth
 ,may1--8,i hope to be clear to come    
away by ,wednesday or ,thursday4 ,i am  
heartily sick of this town and fort     
ennuye since you left it4 ,dr4 ,roebuck 
is likely to get an order1 out of       
,smeaton's hands1 for an engine in      
,yorkshire that1 according to ,smeaton's
  calculation1 will burn #abjjl4 per    
annum in coals4 ,but this has had one   
bad effect4 ,it has made the ,doctor    
repent of his bargain and wish again  to
 be upon the #a-ajth profits2 but we    
must see to keep him right if  possible1
 so don't vex yourself about it40 ,dr4  
,roebuck had been finally  settled with 
before the passing of the ,act4 ,it had 
been arranged that  ,boulton should pay 
him #ajjjl4 out of the first profits    
arising from  his share in the engine1  
making about #bbjjl4 in all paid by     
,boulton to  ,roebuck for his two-thirds
 of the patent4#ada        #ada ,bonds  
were given for the #ajjjl41 but the     

assignees of        ,roebuck becoming   
impatient for the money1 ,boulton       
discharged        them to get rid of    
their importunity1 long before any      
profits        had been derived from the
 manufacture of the engines4    ,watt   
returned to ,birmingham to set about the
 making of the engines for  which orders
 had already been received4 ,boulton had
 been busily occupied  during his       
absence in experimenting on the ,soho   
engine4 ,a new #ah-;inch  cylinder had  
been cast for it at ,bersham by ,john   
,wilkinson1 the great  ironfounder1#adb 
who had contrived a machine for boring  
it with accuracy4  ,this cylinder was   
substituted for the tin one brought from
 ,kinneil1  and other improvements      
having been introduced1 the engine was  
again set  to work with very            
satisfactory results4 ,watt found his   
partner in good  spirits2 not less      
elated by the performances of the model 
than by the  passing of the ,act2 and   
arrangements were at once set on foot   

for carrying  on the manufacture of     
engines upon an extensive scale4        
,applications for  terms1 followed by   
orders1 shortly came in from the mining 
districts2 and  before long the works at
 ,soho were resounding with the clang of
 hammers  and machinery employed in     
manufacturing steam-engines for all     
parts of  the civilised world4          
#adb ,john ,wilkinson1 the 8father of   
the iron-trade0 as he styled            
himself1 was a man of extraordinary     
energy of character4        ,he was     
strong-headed and strong-tempered and of
 inflexible        determination4 ,his  
father1 ,isaac ,wilkinson1 who          
originally        started the iron trade
 at ,wrexham1 was a man possessed of    
quick discernment and versatile talents1
 though he wanted        that firmness  
and constancy of purpose which so       
eminently        distinguished his son4 
,isaac ,wilkinson used thus to tell his 
own history3--8,i worked10 said he1 8at 
a forge in the north4        ,my masters

 gave me #abs4 a week3 ,i was content4  
,they raised        me to #ads43 ,i did 
not ask them for it4 ,they went on to   
#afs41 #ahs43 ,i never asked them for   
the advances4 ,they gave        me a    
guinea a week6 ,said ,i to myself1 if ,i
 am worth a guinea        a week to you1
 ,i am worth more to myself6 ,i left    
them1 and        began business on my   
own account--at first in a small way4 ,i
        prospered4 ,i grew tired of my  
leathern bellows1 and determined        
to make iron ones4 ,everybody laughed at
 me4 ,i did it1 and        applied the  
steam-engine to blow them2 and they all 
cried1        #8,who could have thought 
it6'0 ,his son ,john carried on the     
operations connected with the iron      
manufacture on a far more               
extensive scale than his father at      
,bradley1 ,willey1 ,snedshill1          
and ,bersham4 ,his castings were the    
largest until then attempted1        and
 the boring machinery which he invented 
was the best of its        kind4 ,all   

the castings for ,boulton and ,watt's   
large ,cornish        engines were      
manufactured by him1 previous to the    
erection        of the ,soho foundry4   
,he also bored cannon for the government
        on a large scale4 ,amongst his  
other merits1 ,john ,wilkinson        is
 clearly entitled to that of having     
built the first iron        vessel4 ,it 
was made to bring peat-moss to his iron 
furnace at        ,wilson ,house1 near  
,castle ,head1 in ,cartmel1 in order to 
smelt        the hematite iron-ore of   
,furness4 ,this was followed by other   
larger iron vessels1 one of which was of
 #dj tons burden1 and        used to    
carry iron down the ,severn4 ,before    
,wilkinson's first        iron boat was 
launched1 people laughed at the idea of 
its        floating1--as it was so well 
known that iron immediately sank        
in water6 ,in a letter to ,mr4          
,stockdale1 of ,carke1 ,cartmel1 the    
original of which is before us1 dated   
,broseley1 #adth ,july1        #aghg1   

,mr4 ,wilkinson says1 8,yesterday week  
my iron boat was                        
launched1--answers all my expectations1 
and has convinced the                   
unbelievers1 who were #iii in #ajjj4 ,it
 will be only a nine days'              
wonder1 and afterwards a ,columbus's    
egg40 ,in another letter1        dated  
,bradley ,iron ,works1 #bdth ,oct41     
#aghh1 he writes to the                 
same1--8,there have been two iron       
vessels launched in my service          
since #ast ,september4 ,one is a        
canal-boat for this navigation1         
the other a barge of #dj tons1 for the  
river ,severn4 ,the last was            
floated on ,monday1 and is1 ,i expect1  
now at ,stourport1 a-lading        with 
bar-iron4 ,my clerk at ,broseley advises
 me that she swims        remarkably    
light1 and exceeds even my own          
expectations40 ,for        further      
notice of ,john ,wilkinson1 see #8,lives
 of the ,engineers1'        ii4 #ccg1   
#cef4          ,illustration3 ,,watt',s 

,,house1 ,,harper',s ,,hill1            
,,birmingham4    ,,chapter ,,xii4       
,,boulton ,,and ,,watt ,,begin ,,the    
,,manufacture ,,of ,,steam-,,engines4   
,watt now arranged to take up his       
residence in ,birmingham until the issue
  of the steam-engine enterprise could  
be ascertained1 and he went down  to    
,glasgow to bring up his two children1  
whom he had left in charge of  their    
relatives4 ,boulton had taken a house on
 ,harper's ,hill1 which was in          
readiness for the reception of the      
family on their arrival about the end   
of ,august1 #agge4 ,regent's-place1     
,harper's ,hill1 was then the nearest   
house  to ,soho on that side of         
,birmingham4 ,it was a double house1    
substantially  built in brick1 with     
stone facings1 standing on the outskirts
 of the town1  surrounded by fields and 
gardens4 ,st4 ,paul's1 the nearest      
church1 was not  built until four years 
after ,watt took up his abode there4    
,but the house  at ,harper's ,hill is in

 the country no longer3 it is now       
surrounded in  all directions by dense  
masses of buildings1 and is itself      
inhabited by  working people4    ,the   
first engine made at ,soho was one      
ordered by ,john ,wilkinson to  blow the
 bellows of his ironworks at ,broseley4 
,great interest was1  of course1 felt in
 the success of this engine4 ,watt took 
great pains  with the drawings2 the     
workmen did their best to execute the   
several  parts accurately1 for it was   
understood that many orders depended    
upon  whether it worked satisfactorily  
or not4 ,wilkinson's iron-manufacturing 
neighbours1 who were contemplating the  
erection of ,newcomen engines1          
suspended their operations until they   
had an opportunity of seeing  what      
,boulton and ,watt's engine could do2   
and all looked forward to its           
completion with the most eager interest4
 ,when all was ready at ,soho1 the      
materials were packed up and sent to    
,broseley1 ,watt accompanying them  to  

superintend the erection4 ,he had as yet
 no assistant to whom he could  intrust 
such a piece of work1 on which so much  
depended4 ,the engine was  erected and  
ready for use about the beginning of    
#aggf4 ,as it approached  completion    
,watt became increasingly anxious to    
make a trial of its powers4  ,but       
,boulton wrote to him not to hurry--not 
to let the engine make a stroke  until  
every possible hinderance to its        
successful action had been removed2     
8and then10 said he1 8in the name of    
,god1 fall to and do your best40 ,the   
result of the extreme care taken with   
the construction and erection of  the   
engine was entirely satisfactory4 ,it   
worked to the admiration of all  who saw
 it1 and the fame of ,boulton and ,watt 
became great in the midland  counties4  
,while ,watt was thus occupied1 ,boulton
 was pushing on the new buildings  at   
,soho4 ,he kept his partner fully       
advised of all that was going on4  8,the
 new forging-shop10 he wrote1 8looks    

very formidable3 the roof is  nearly put
 on1 and the hearths are both built40   
,tools and machinery were  being        
prepared1 and all looked hopeful for the
 future4 ,orders were coming  in for    
engines4 ,one in hand for ,bloomfield   
,colliery was well advanced4  ,many     
inquiries had come from ,cornwall4 ,mr4 
,papps1 of ,truro1 was anxious  to      
introduce the engine in that county4    
,out of forty engines there1  only      
eighteen were in work2 so that there was
 a fine field for future  operations4   
8,pray tell ,mr4 ,wilkinson10 ,boulton  
added1 8to get a dozen  cylinders cast  
and bored1 from #ab to #ej inches       
diameter1 and as many  condensers of    
suitable sizes4 ,the latter must be sent
 here1 as we will  keep them ready      
fitted up1 and then an engine can be    
turned out of hand  in two or three     
weeks4 ,i have fixed my mind upon making
 from twelve to  fifteen reciprocating  
and fifty rotative engines per annum4 ,i
 assure you  that of all the toys and   

trinkets which we manufacture at ,soho1 
none shall  take the place of           
fire-engines in respect of my           
attention40#adc    ,boulton was not1    
however1 exclusively engrossed by engine
 affairs4 ,among  other things he       
informed ,watt that he had put his      
little boy ,jamie to a  good school1 and
 that he was very much occupied1 as     
usual1 in entertaining  visitors4 8,the 
,empress of ,russia10 he wrote1 8is now 
at my house1  and a charming woman she  
is40 ,the ,empress afterwards sent      
,boulton her  portrait1 and it was long 
one of the ornaments of ,soho4 ,amidst  
his various  occupations he contrived to
 find leisure for experiments on        
minerals1  having received from a       
correspondent in ,wales a large         
assortment of  iron-ores to assay4 ,he  
was also trying experiments on the model
 engine1  the results of which were duly
 communicated to his partner4#add       
#adc ,boulton to ,watt1 #bdth ,february1
 #aggf4 ,boulton ,,mss4        #add     

,watt was himself occupied1 during his  
temporary residence at        ,broseley1
 in devising improvements in the details
 of his engine4        ,boulton         
says--8,i observe you are thinking of   
making an inverted        cylinder4     
,pray how are you to counterbalance the 
descent of        the piston and pump   
rods1 which will be a vast weight8 ,if  
by a        counterweight you gain      
nothing4 ,but if you can employ the     
power        that arises from the       
descent of that vast weight to strain a 
spring that will repay its debts--if by 
it you can compress        air in an    
iron cylinder which in its return will  
contribute to        overcome the vis   
inerti of the column of water to be     
raised1        you will thereby get rid 
of that unmechanical tax1 and very      
much improve the reciprocating          
engine40--,boulton to ,watt1 #bdth      
,february1 #aggf4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,on
 ,watt's return to ,soho1 ,boulton      
proceeded to ,london on financial       

affairs1 as well as to look after engine
 orders4 ,he there found reports  in    
circulation among the engineering class 
that the new engine had proved  a       
failure4 ,the ,society of ,engineers in 
,holborn1 of which ,smeaton was the     
great luminary1 had settled it that     
neither the tools nor the workmen       
existed that could manufacture so       
complex a machine with sufficient       
precision1 and it was asserted that all 
the ingenuity and skill of ,soho  had   
been unable to conquer the defects of   
the piston4 8,so said ,holmes1 the      
clockmaker10 wrote ,boulton1--,holmes   
being the intimate friend of ,smeaton2  
8but no language will be sufficiently   
persuasive on that head except the  good
 performance of the engines             
themselves40#ade ,boulton1 therefore1   
urged the completion of the engine then 
in hand for ,cooke and ,company's       
distillery at ,stratford-le-,bow1 near  
,london4 8,wilby10 the managing         
partner1 said he1 8seems very impatient1

 and so am ,i1 both for the sake  of    
reputation as well as to begin to turn  
the tide of money10--the current  of    
which had as yet been all outwards4     
,boulton went to see the ,york          
,buildings engine1 which had been       
reconstructed by ,smeaton1 and was then 
reckoned one of the best on the         
,newcomen plan4 ,the old man who tended 
it  lauded the engine to the skies1 and 
notwithstanding ,boulton's description  
of the new engines at work in           
,staffordshire1 he would not believe    
that  any engine in existence could     
excel his own4        #ade ,boulton to  
,watt1 #bcrd ,april1 #aggf4 ,boulton    
,,mss4    ,in the course of the summer  
,watt again visited ,glasgow1--this time
 for the  purpose of bringing back a    
wife4 ,the lady he proposed to marry was
 ,miss  ,anne ,macgregor1 daughter of a 
respectable dyer4 ,the young lady's     
consent  was obtained1 as well as her   
father's1 to the proposed union2 but the
  latter1 before making any settlement  

on his daughter1 intimated to ,watt     
that he desired to see the partnership  
agreement between him and ,boulton4     
,now1 although the terms of partnership 
had been generally arranged1 they  had  
not yet been put into legal form1 and   
,watt asked that this should be  done   
for the cautious old gentleman's        
satisfaction without delay4#adf  ,about 
his love affair ,watt wrote1--          
8,whether a man of the world1 such as   
you1 look upon my present    love as the
 folly of youth or the dotage of age    
,watt was then in    his fortieth year1 
,i find myself in no humour to lay it   
aside1 or    to look upon it in either  
of these lights1 but consider it as one 
of the wisest of my actions1 and should 
look upon a disappointment    in it as  
one of the greatest of my               
misfortunes4444 ,i have had    better   
health since ,i left you than has been  
my lot for years1 and    my spirits have
 borne me through my vexations          
wonderfully4 ,i have    lost all dread  

of any future connexion with ,monsieur  
la ,verole1    and1 if ,i carry my point
 in this matter1 ,i hope to be very much
    more useful to you than has hitherto
 been in my power4 ,the spur    will be 
greater40#adg        #adf ,the          
arrangement between the partners is     
indicated by the        following       
passage of ,watt's letter to            
,boulton3--8,as you may have            
possibly mislaid my missive to you      
concerning the contract1 ,i        beg  
just to mention what ,i remember of the 
terms4          8#a4 ,i to assign to you
 two-thirds of the property of the      
invention4          8#b4 ,you to pay all
 expenses of the ,act or others incurred
 before        ,june1 #agge 7the date of
 the ,act71 and also the expense of     
future        experiments1 which money  
is to be sunk without interest by you1  
being the consideration you pay for your
 share4          8#c4 ,you to advance   
stock in trade bearing interest1 but    
having no        claim on me for any    

part of that1 further than my           
intromissions2        the stock itself  
to be your security and property4       
8#d4 ,i to draw one-third of the profits
 so soon as any arise        from the   
business1 after paying the workmen's    
wages and goods        furnished1 but   
abstract from the stock in trade1       
excepting the        interest thereof1  
which is to be deducted before a balance
 is        struck4          8#e4 ,i to  
make drawings1 give directions1 and make
 surveys1 the        company paying the 
travelling expenses to either of us when
 upon        engine business4           
8#f4 ,you to keep the books and balance 
them once a year4          8#g4 ,a book 
to be kept wherein to be marked such    
transactions as        are worthy of    
record1 which1 when signed by both1 to  
have the        force of the contract4  
8#h4 ,neither of us to alienate our     
share without consent of the            
other1 and if either of us by death or  
otherwise shall be        incapacitated 

from acting for ourselves1 the other of 
us to be        the sole manager without
 contradiction or interference of heirs1
        executors1 assignees1 or others2
 but the books to be subject to         
their inspection1 and the acting partner
 of us to be allowed a        reasonable
 commission for extra trouble4          
8#i4 ,the contract to continue in force 
for twenty-five years1        from the  
#ast of ,june1 #agge1 when the          
partnership commenced1                  
notwithstanding the contract being of   
later date4          8#aj4 ,our heirs1  
executors1 and assignees1 bound to      
observance4          8#aa4 ,in case of  
demise of both parties1 our heirs1 c41  
to succeed        in same manner1 and if
 they all please1 they may burn the     
contract4          8,if anything be very
 disagreeable in these terms1 you will  
find me disposed to do everything       
reasonable for your                     
satisfaction40--,boulton ,,mss4         
#adg ,watt to ,boulton1 #crd ,july1     

#aggf4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,while in     
,scotland ,watt obtained orders for     
several engines2 amongst  others1 he    
undertook to supply one for the         
,torryburn ,colliery1 in ,fife1 on  the 
terms of receiving one-third of the     
savings effected by it compared  with   
the engine then at work1 with such      
further sum as might be judged  fair4   
,another was ordered by ,sir ,archibald 
,hope for his colliery near  ,edinburgh1
 on similar terms4 ,at the same time    
,watt proceeded with the  collection of 
his old outstanding debts1 though these 
did not amount to  much4 8,i believe10  
he wrote to ,boulton1 8,i shall have no 
occasion to draw  on you for any money1 
having got in some of my old scraps1    
which will  serve1 or nearly serve1 my  
occasions here40    ,the deed of        
partnership not arriving1 ,watt wrote   
again1 pressing ,boulton  for some      
communication from him to satisfy the   
old gentleman as to his  situation4     
8,don't let me be detected in a         

falsehood10 said he1 8or accused of     
imprudence4 ,the thing which sticks most
 in his ,mr4 ,macgregor's    stomach is1
 that somehow or other1 in case of the  
failure of    success1 ,i may be brought
 into a load of debt which may totally  
ruin me4 ,i hope you will excuse his    
caution in this matter1 as ,i    do1    
when you consider that he is disposing  
of a favourite child1    and            
consequently must expect all the        
security possible for her    wellbeing4 
,i must also do him the justice to say  
that he has    behaved to me in a very  
open and friendly manner2 and1 when he  
found that his daughter's affections    
were engaged beyond recall1    gave his 
consent with a good grace4444 ,i have   
nothing to write    you in the way of   
news4 ,i am bandied about like a        
football1 and    perfectly impatient to 
leave this country1 but do not care to  
come away without my errand4 ,i long    
vastly to hear from you1 how    you all 
are1 and how matters go on4 ,i hope     

,jemmy is minding his    school and is  
well3 you need not tell him nor anybody 
else that    ,i am going to bring him   
home a mamma40#adh    ,boulton's reply  
was perfectly satisfactory4 ,he         
confirmed the heads of  the agreement1  
as sketched out by ,watt himself1       
adopting his own words4  ,he warmly     
congratulated him on his approaching    
marriage1 being convinced  that it was  
the goddess of wisdom that had led him  
to the altar of love4  ,but he thought  
,watt might be over delicate as to money
 matters4      8,you certainly10 said   
he1 8have a right to expect from the    
lady's    father a child's share1 both  
present and reversionary2 and you       
certainly have a right to expect some   
ready money1 as a small sum    may be of
 more importance to you in the meridian 
of life than a    large one at the close
 of it4 ,i have always heard you speak  
of    the old gentleman as a man of     
exceeding good sound sense1 and         
therefore ,i should think you will have 

the less difficulty in    settling      
matters with him4 ,no doubt he will     
expect some settlement    to be made    
upon his daughter1 and all that ,i      
advise is1 that you    do not undervalue
 7according to your custom7 your own    
abilities    or your property4 ,it may  
be difficult to say what is the value of
    your property in partnership with   
me4 ,however1 ,i will give it a    name1
 and ,i do say that ,i would willingly  
give you two or perhaps    three        
thousand pounds for the assignment of   
your third part of    the ,act of       
,parliament2 but ,i should be sorry to  
make you so bad    a bargain1 or to make
 any bargain at all that tended to      
deprive    me of your friendship1       
acquaintance1 and assistance1--hoping1  
as    ,i do1 that we shall harmoniously 
live to wear out the twenty-five        
years together1 which ,i had rather do  
than gain a ,nabob's fortune    by being
 the sole proprietor4444 ,i wish ,i had 
more time to tell    you all the        

circumstances that have occurred in the 
engine trade2    but that shall be the  
subject of my next4 ,all is well1 and   
when    you return you'll be quite      
charmed at the simplicity and quietness 
of the ,soho engine40#adi        #adh   
,watt to ,boulton1 #hth ,july1 #aggf4   
,boulton ,,mss4        #adi ,boulton to 
,watt1 #aeth ,july1 #aggf4 ,boulton     
,,mss4    ,with his usual want of       
confidence in himself1 ,watt urged      
,boulton to  come down to ,glasgow and  
assist him in concluding matters with   
the old  gentleman4      8,i am afraid10
 he wrote1 8that ,i shall otherwise make
 a very bad    bargain in money matters1
 which wise men like you esteem the most
    essential part1 and ,i myself1      
although ,i be an enamoured swain1    do
 not altogether despise4 ,you may       
perhaps think it odd that in    the     
midst of my friends here ,i should call 
for your help2 but the    fact is1 that 
from several reasons ,i do not choose to
 place that    confidence in any of my  

friends here that would be necessary in 
such a case1 and ,i do not know any of  
them that have more to say    with the  
gentleman in question than ,i have      
myself4 ,besides1 you    are the only   
person who can give him satisfactory    
information    concerning my situation40
    ,but ,boulton was too busy at the   
time to go down to ,glasgow to the help 
of his partner4 ,he was full of work1   
full of orders1 full of ,soho4 ,he      
replied1--      8,although ,i have added
 to the list of my bad habits by joking 
upon matrimony1 yet my disposition and  
my judgment would lead me    to marry   
again were ,i in your case4 ,i know you 
will be happier as    a married man than
 as a single one1 and therefore it is   
wisdom    in you to wed2 and if that    
could not be done without my coming     
to ,scotland1 ,i certainly would come if
 it were as far again2    but ,i am so  
beset with difficulties1 that nothing   
less than the    absolute loss of your  
life1 or wife--which is virtually the   

same    thing--could bring me40    ,he  
further explained that a good deal of   
extra work had fallen upon  him1 through
 the absence of some of his most        
important assistants4 ,mr4  ,matthews1  
his ,london financial agent1 like ,watt1
 was about to be married1  and would be 
absent abroad for a tour on a wedding   
trip1 in which he was  to be accompanied
 by ,fothergill1 ,boulton's partner in  
the toy and button  trade4 ,mr4 ,scale1 
the manager1 was also absent1 added to  
which the button  orders were in arrear 
some #af1jjj gross2 so that1 said       
,boulton1 8,i have  more real           
difficulties to grapple with than ,i    
hope ever to have in any  other year in 
my life40    ,there were also constant  
visitors arriving at ,soho3 among others
 the ,duke  of ,buccleuch1 who had      
called to see the works and inquire     
after ,mr4 ,watt2  and ,mr4 ,moor1 of   
the ,society of ,engineers in the       
,adelphi1 who had come to  see with his 
own eyes whether the reports in         

circulation against the new  engine were
 true or false4 ,the perfecting of the  
details of the engine  also required    
constant attention4      8,our copper   
bottom10 said ,boulton1 8hath plagued us
 very much    by steam leaks1 and       
therefore ,i have had one cast 7with its
    conducting pipe7 all in one piece2  
since which the engine doth    not take 
more than #aj feet of steam1 and ,i hope
 to reduce that    quantity1 as we have 
just received the new piston1 which     
shall be    put in and at work          
to-morrow4 ,our ,soho engine never was  
in such    good order as at present4    
,bloomfield and ,willey engines are both
    well1 and ,i doubt not but ,bow     
engine will be better than any of       
'em40    ,boulton was almost as full of 
speculation as ,watt himself as to the  
means  of improving the engine4 8,i did 
not sleep last night10 he wrote1 8my    
mind  being absorbed by steam40 ,one of 
his speculations was as to the means of 
increasing the heating surface1 and with

 that object he proposed to apply  the  
fire 8in copper spheres within the      
water40 ,his mind was also running  on  
economising power by working steam      
expansively1 8being clear that the      
principle is sound40    ,later1 he wrote
 ,watt that he had an application from a
 distiller at  ,bristol for an engine to
 raise #ae1jjj gallons of ale per hour  
#ae feet  high2 another for a coal mine 
in ,wales1 and two others for ,london   
distilleries4 ,to add to his anxieties1 
one ,humphry ,gainsborough1 a           
dissenting minister at                  
,henley-on-,thames1 had instituted      
proceedings  against ,watt for an       
alleged piracy of his invention6 ,on    
this ,boulton  wrote to his             
partner1--8,i have just received a      
summons to attend the                   
,solicitor-,general next week in        
opposition to ,gainsborough1 otherwise  
the solicitor will make his report4     
,this is a disagreeable circumstance1   
particularly at this season1 when you   

are absent4 ,joseph ,harrison is in     
,london1 and idleness is in our         
engine-shop40 ,there was therefore every
  reason why ,watt should make haste to 
get married1 and return to ,soho as     
speedily as possible4 ,on the #bhth     
,july1 #aggf1 ,watt wrote to apologise  
for his long absence1 and to say that   
the event was to come off on the        
following ,monday1 after which he would 
set out immediately for ,liverpool1     
where he proposed to meet ,boulton1     
unless countermanded4 ,he also intimated
  that he had got another order for an  
engine at ,leadhills4#aej ,arrived  at  
,liverpool1 a letter from ,boulton met  
him1 saying he had been under the       
necessity of proceeding to ,london4     
8,gainsborough10 said he1 8hath         
appointed to meet me at ,holt's1    his 
attorney1 on ,monday1 when ,i shall say 
little besides    learning his          
principles and invention4 ,if we had a  
hundred wheels    wheel-engines ready   
made1 and a hundred small engines1 like 

,bow engine1 and twenty large ones      
executed1 we could readily    dispose of
 them4 ,therefore let us make hay while 
the sun shines1    and gather our barns 
full before the dark cloud of age lowers
    upon us1 and before any more ,tubal 
,cains1 ,watts1 ,dr4 ,faustuses1    or  
,gainsboroughs1 arise with serpents like
 ,moses's to devour    all others4444   
,as to your absence1 say nothing about  
it4 ,i will    forgive it this time1    
provided you promise me never to marry  
again40#aea        #aej ,during his     
,scotch visit1 ,watt spent much of his  
time in        arranging his father's   
affairs1 which had got into confusion4  
,he was now seventy-five years old1 and 
grown very infirm4 8,he        is       
perfectly incapable10 wrote his son1 8of
 giving himself the        least help1  
and the seeing him in such a situation  
has much hurt        my spirits40--,watt
 to ,boulton1 #bhth ,july1 #agff4       
,boulton ,,mss4        #aea ,boulton to 
,watt 7without date71 #aggf4 ,boulton   

,,mss4 ,in        this letter1 ,boulton 
throws out a suggestion for ,watt's     
consideration--8,when10 he says1 8we    
have got our two-foot pumps        up1  
,i think it would be right to try our   
,soho engine with a        steam strong 
enough to work the pumps with the axis  
in the        centre of the beam1 which 
will be almost #ai lb4 upon the inch40  
,watt hastened back to ,birmingham1 and 
after settling his wife in her new      
home1 proceeded with the execution of   
the orders for engines which had  come  
in during his two months' absence4 ,mr4 
,wilby was impatient for the  delivery  
of the ,bow engine1 and as soon as it   
was ready1 which was early  in          
,september1 the materials were forwarded
 to ,london with ,joseph ,harrison1  to 
be fitted and set to work4 ,besides     
careful verbal instructions1 ,watt      
supplied ,joseph with full particulars  
in writing of the measures he was to    
adopt in putting the engine together4   
,not a point in detail was neglected1   

and if any difficulty arose1 ,joseph was
 directed at once to communicate  with  
him by letter4 ,when the engine was set 
to work1 it was found that  the steam   
could not be kept up1 on which ,watt    
suggested that as it had  been          
calculated to make only ten strokes per 
minute--that being enough  to raise the 
quantity of water desired--the reason of
 the defect must be  that1 as it was    
going at fourteen or fifteen strokes the
 minute1 it must  be going too fast4 ,he
 also pointed out that probably the     
piston was not  quite good1 and perhaps 
there was some steam-leak into the inner
 cylinder1  or by the regulators into   
the condenser2 or it was possible that  
the  injection might spout too far up   
the horizontal steam-pipe and throw     
water  into the inner nozzle4 ,all these
 points ,joseph must carefully look to4 
,on  further trials the engine improved2
 still its performances did not come  up
 to ,watt's expectations1 and there were
 consequently more directions  from him 

as to the packing of the pistons and    
measures for the prevention  of leaks4  
,but to see that his suggestions were   
properly carried out1 ,watt  himself    
went up to town in ,november1 and had   
the machine put in complete  working    
trim4 ,his partner1 however1 could not  
spare him long1 as other  orders were   
coming in4 8,we have a positive order10 
wrote ,boulton1 8for an  engine for     
,tingtang mine1 and1 from what ,i heard 
this day from ,mr4 ,glover1  we may soon
 expect other orders from ,cornwall4    
,our plot begins to thicken  apace1 and 
if ,mr4 ,wilkinson don't bustle a       
little1 as well as ourselves1  we shall 
not gather our harvest before sunset40  
444 8,i hope to hear10 he  added1 8that 
,joseph hath made a finish1 for he is   
much wanted here4444 ,i  perceive we    
shall be hard pushed in engine-work2 but
 ,i have no fears of  being distanced   
when once the exact course or best track
 is determined  on40#aeb ,joseph        
,harrison got quite knocked up and ill  

through his anxiety  about the ,bow     
engine1 on which ,boulton wrote ,watt to
 send at once for ,dr4  ,fordyce to     
attend him1 8let the expense be what it 
will1 until you think  him safe landed40
        #aeb ,boulton to ,watt1 #crd    
,november1 #aggf4 ,in the same letter   
,boulton informs ,watt that ,perrins1   
another fireman1 had returned           
from ,bedworth1 and had not a stroke to 
do1 the fittings for the        second  
engine not having arrived4 ,the first   
engine was working        twenty-four   
hours a day1 but the pit was so full of 
water that        the owners feared they
 would before long be drowned out2 and  
if the work was stopped1 the loss would 
be far greater than the        whole    
value of the engine4 ,but the sales of  
coal1 though large1        were but 8a  
small consideration in comparison with  
the starving        to death of the poor
 ribbon-weavers of ,coventry and a great
 part        of ,oxfordshire4444 ,coals 
are #i;d4 and #aj;d4 per cwt41 and 'tis 

said they will be a shilling at         
,birmingham on ,monday40    ,a letter   
reached ,soho from the ,shadwell        
,waterworks ,company relative to a      
pumping-engine1 and ,boulton asked      
,watt1 while in town1 to wait upon them 
on the subject2 but he cautioned ,watt  
that he 8never knew a ,committee  but1  
in its corporate capacity1 was both     
rogue and fool1 and that the  ,shadwell 
,committee were rich rogues40 ,watt1 by 
his own account1 treated  them very     
cavalierly4 8,yesterday10 said he1 8,i  
went again to ,shadwell  to meet the    
deputies of the ,committee1 and to      
examine their engines when  going4 ,we  
came to no terms further than what we   
wrote them before1 which ,i  confirmed1 
and offered moreover to keep the engine 
in order for one year4  ,they modestly  
insisted that we should do so for the   
whole twenty-five  years1 which ,i      
firmly refused4 ,they seemed to doubt   
the reality of the  performances of the 
,bow engine2 so ,i told them we did not 

solicit their  orders and would wait    
patiently until they were               
convinced1--moreover1 that  while they  
had any doubts remaining1 we would not  
undertake their business  on any terms4 
,i should not have been so sharp with   
them had they not begun  with bullying  
me1 selon la mode de ,londres4 ,but the 
course ,i took was  not without its     
effect1 for in proportion as they found 
,i despised their  job1 they grew more  
civil4 ,after parting with these heroes 
,i went down  to ,stratford1 where ,i   
found that the engine had gone very     
well4 ,i caused  it to be kept going all
 the afternoon1 and this morning ,i     
new-heat the  piston and kept it going  
till dinner time at about fifteen       
strokes per  minute1 with a steam of one
 inch or at most two inches strong1 and 
the  longer it went the better it       
grew4444 ,i propose that ,joseph should 
not  leave it for a few days1 until both
 his health and that of the engine be   
confirmed4 ,a relapse of the engine     

would ruin our reputation here1 and     
indeed elsewhere40#aec        #aec ,watt
 to ,boulton1 #crd ,december1 #aggf4    
,boulton ,,mss4    ,the ,bow engine had1
 however1 a serious relapse in the      
following spring1  and it happened in   
this way3--,mr4 ,smeaton1 the engineer1 
having heard  of its success1 which he  
doubted1 requested ,hadley1 ,boulton's  
agent1 to  go down with him to          
,stratford-le-,bow to witness its       
performances4 ,he  carefully examined   
the engine1 and watched it while at     
work1 and the  conclusion he arrived at 
was1 that it was a pretty engine1 but   
much  too complex for practical uses4   
,on leaving the place ,smeaton gave the 
engineman some money to drink1 and he   
drank so much that next day he let  the 
engine run quite wild1 and it was thrown
 completely out of order4 ,mr4  ,wilby1 
the manager1 was very wroth at the      
circumstance4 ,he discharged the        
engineman and called upon ,hadley to    
replace the valves1 which had been      

broken1 and make good the other damage  
that had been done to the engine4  ,when
 the repairs were made1 everything went 
satisfactorily as before4    ,watt had  
many annoyances of this sort to         
encounter1 and one of his  greatest     
difficulties was the incapacity and     
unsteadiness of his workmen4  ,although 
the original ,soho men were among the   
best of their kind1 the  increasing     
business of the firm necessarily led to 
the introduction of  a large number of  
new hands1 who represented merely the   
average workmen  of the day4 ,they were 
for the most part poor mechanics1 very  
inexpert at  working in metal1 and      
greatly given to drink4#aed        #aed 
,fire-engines at work were objects of   
curiosity in those        days1 and had 
many visitors4 ,the engineman at the    
,york ,buildings        reminded those  
who went to see his engine that         
something was        expected1 placing  
over the entrance to the engine room the
        following distich3--            

8,whoever wants to see the engine here1 
,must give the engine-man a drop of     
beer40    ,in organising the works at   
,soho1 ,boulton and ,watt found it      
necessary  to carry division of labour  
to the farthest practicable point4      
,there  were no slide-lathes1           
planing-machines1 or boring-tools1 such 
as now  render mechanical accuracy of   
construction almost a matter of         
certainty4  ,everything depended upon   
the individual mechanic's accuracy of   
hand and  eye2 and yet mechanics        
generally were then much less skilled   
than they are  now4 ,the way in which   
,boulton and ,watt contrived partially  
to get over the  difficulty was1 to     
confine their workmen to special classes
 of work1 and  make them as expert in   
them as possible4 ,by continued practice
 in handling  the same tools and        
fabricating the same articles1 they thus
 acquired great  individual proficiency4
 8,without our tools and our workmen10  
said ,watt1  8very little could be      

done40    ,but when the men got well    
trained1 the difficulty was to keep     
them4  ,foreign tempters were constantly
 trying to pick up ,boulton and ,watt's 
men1  and induce them by offers of      
larger wages to take service abroad4    
,the two  fitters sent up to ,london to 
erect the ,bow engine were strongly     
pressed  to go out to ,russia4#aee      
,there were also ,french agents in      
,england at the  same time1 who tried to
 induce certain of ,boulton and ,watt's 
men to go  over to ,paris and           
communicate the secret of making the new
 engines to ,m4  ,perrier1 who had      
undertaken to pump water from the ,seine
 for the supply  of ,paris4 ,the ,german
 ,states also sent over emissaries with 
a like object1  ,baron ,stein having    
been specially commissioned by his      
,government to master  the secret of    
,watt's engine--to obtain working plans 
of it and bring away  workmen capable of
 making it1--the first step taken being 
to obtain access  to the engine-rooms by

 bribing the workmen4        #aee 8,mr4 
,white told me this morning as a great  
secret10 wrote        ,boulton's ,london
 agent1 8that he has reason to believe  
that        ,carless and ,webb were     
going beyond sea1 for ,carless had told 
him        he had #ajjjl4 offered for   
six years1 and he overheard ,webb say   
that he was ready at an hour's warning40
 ,carless and ,webb were                
immediately ordered back to ,soho1 and  
the firm obtained warrants        for   
the apprehension of the men as well as  
of the person who        had bribed     
them1 if they attempted to abscond 8even
 though10        said ,watt to ,boulton1
 8,carless be a drunken and             
comparatively        useless fellow40   
,later he wrote1 8,i think there is no  
risk of        ,webb's leaving us soon1 
and he offers to re-engage4 ,carless has
        been working very diligently    
this week1 and is well on with his      
nozzle patterns4 ,i mentioned to        
,william the story of ,sir ,john        

,fielding's warrant1 to show him that we
 are determined to act        with      
spirit in case of interlopers40--,watt  
to ,boulton1 ,may #c1        #aggg4     
,besides the difficulties ,boulton and  
,watt had to encounter in training  and 
disciplining their own workmen1 they had
 also to deal with the want  of skill on
 the part of those to whom the working  
of their engines  was intrusted after   
they had been delivered and fixed       
complete4 ,they  occasionally supplied  
trustworthy men of their own2 but they  
could not  educate mechanics fast       
enough1 and needed all the best men for 
their own  work4 ,they were therefore   
compelled to rely on the average        
mechanics of  the day1 the greater part 
of whom were comparatively unskilled and
 knew  nothing of the steam-engine4     
,hence such mishaps as those which      
befell the  ,bow engine1 through the    
engineman getting drunk and reckless1 as
 above  described4 ,to provide for this 
contingency ,watt endeavoured to        

simplify  the engine as much as         
possible1 so as to bring its working and
 repair  within the capacity of the     
average workman4    ,at a very early    
period1 while experimenting at ,kinneil1
 he had formed the  idea of working     
steam expansively1 and altered his model
 from time to time  with that object4   
,boulton had taken up and continued the 
experiments at  ,soho1 believing the    
principle to be sound and that great    
economy would  attend its adoption4 ,the
 early engines were accordingly made so 
that the  steam might be cut off before 
the piston had made its full stroke1 and
  expand within the cylinder1 the heat  
outside it being maintained by the      
expedient of the steam-case4 ,but it was
 shortly found that this method of      
working was beyond the capacity of the  
average engineman of that day1 and  it  
was consequently given up for a time4   
8,we used to send out10 said ,watt to   
,robert ,hart1 8a cylinder of    double 
the size wanted1 and cut off the steam  

at half stroke4 ,this    was a great    
saving of steam so long as the valves   
remained as at    first2 but when our   
men left her to the charge of the person
 who    was to keep her1 he began to    
make or try to make improvements1       
often by giving more steam4 ,the engine 
did more work while the    steam lasted1
 but the boiler could not keep up the   
demand4 ,then    complaints came of want
 of steam1 and we had to send a man down
    to see what was wrong4 ,this was so 
expensive that we resolved to    give up
 the expansion of the steam until we    
could get men that    could work it1 as 
a few tons of coal per year was less    
expensive    than having the work       
stopped4 ,in some of the mines a few    
hours'    stoppage was a serious matter1
 as it would cost the proprietor as     
much as #gjl4 per hour40#aef    ,the    
principle was not1 however1 abandoned4  
,it was of great value and  importance  
in an economical point of view1 and was 
again taken up by ,watt  and embodied in

 a more complete form in a subsequent   
invention4 ,since his  time1 indeed1    
expansive working has been carried to a 
much farther extent  than he probably   
ever dreamt of1 and has more than       
realised the beneficial  results which  
his sagacious insight so early          
anticipated4        #aef ,robert ,hart's
 #8,reminiscences of ,james ,watt1'     
cited above4          ,,chapter ,,xiii4 
,,watt ,,in ,,cornwall--,,introduction  
,,of ,,his ,,pumping-,,engines4         
,the ,cornish miners continued baffled  
by their attempts to get rid of the     
water which hindered the working of     
their mines4 ,the ,newcomen engines  had
 been taxed to the utmost1 but were     
unable to send them deeper into  the    
ground1 and they were accordingly ready 
to welcome any invention  that promised 
to relieve them of their difficulty4    
,among the various new  contrivances for
 pumping water1 that of ,watt seemed to 
offer the greatest  advantages2 and if  
what was alleged of it proved true--that

 it was of  greater power than the      
,newcomen engine1 while its consumption 
of fuel was  much less1--then it could  
not fail to prove of the greatest       
advantage to  ,cornish industry4        
,long before ,watt's arrival in         
,birmingham1 the ,cornishmen had been in
  correspondence with ,boulton1 making  
inquiries about the new ,scotch         
invention1 of which they had heard2 and 
,dr4 ,small1 in his letters to  ,watt1  
repeatedly urged him to perfect his     
engine1 with a view to its being        
employed in the drainage of the ,cornish
 mines4 ,now that the engine was at     
work in several places1 ,boulton invited
 his correspondents in ,cornwall  to    
inquire as to its performances1 at      
,soho1 or ,bedworth1 or ,bow1 or any    
other place where it had been erected4  
,the result of the inquiry and          
inspection was satisfactory1 and several
 orders for engines for ,cornwall  were 
received at ,soho by the end of #aggf4  
,the two first that were ready  for     

erection were those ordered for ,wheal  
,busy1 near ,chacewater1 and for        
,tingtang1 near ,redruth4 ,the materials
 for the former were shipped by the     
middle of #aggg2 and1 as much would     
necessarily depend upon the successful  
working of the first engines put up in  
,cornwall1 ,watt himself went to        
superintend their erection in person4   
,illustration3 ,,map ,,of ,,united      
,,mines ,,district4    ,watt reached his
 destination after a long and tedious   
journey over bad  roads4 ,he rode by    
stage as far as ,exeter1 and posted the 
rest of the way4  ,at ,chacewater he    
found himself in the midst of perhaps   
the richest mining  district in the     
world4 ,from thence to ,camborne1 which 
lies to the west1  and ,gwennap to the  
south1 is a constant succession of      
mines4 ,the earth  has been burrowed in 
all directions for many miles in search 
of ore1  principally copper--the surface
 presenting an unnaturally blasted and  
scarified appearance by reason of the   

8deads0 or refuse run out in heaps  from
 the mine-heads4 ,engine-houses and     
chimneys are the most prominent         
features in the landscape1 and dot the  
horizon as far as the eye can  reach4   
,when ,watt arrived at ,chacewater he   
found the materials for the ,wheal ,busy
  engine had come to hand1 and that some
 progress had been made with its        
erection4 ,the materials for the        
,tingtang engine1 however1 had not yet  
been received from ,soho1 and the owners
 of the mine were becoming very         
impatient for it4 ,watt wrote to his    
partner urging despatch1 otherwise  the 
engine might be thrown on their hands1  
especially if the ,chacewater  engine1  
now nearly ready for work1 did not give 
satisfaction4 ,from ,watt's  account1 it
 would appear that the ,cornish mines   
were in a very bad way4  8,the ,tingtang
 people10 he said1 8are now fairly put  
out by water1 and the  works are quite  
at a stand40 ,the other mines in the    
neighbourhood were  in no better plight4

 ,the pumping-engines could not keep    
down the water4  8,poldice has grown    
worse than ,wheal ,virgin was3 they have
 sunk #djjl4 a  month for some months   
past1 and #gjjl4 the last month2 they   
will probably  soon give up4 ,north     
,downs seems to be our next card40#aeg  
,the owners of  the ,wheal ,virgin mine1
 though drowned out1 like many others1  
could not  bring their minds to try     
,watt's engine4 ,they had no faith in   
it1 and stuck  by the old atmospheric of
 ,newcomen4 ,they accordingly erected an
 additional  engine of this kind to     
enable them to go about eight fathoms   
deeper1 8and  they have bought10 wrote  
,watt1 8an old boiler of monstrous size 
at the  ,briggin1 which they have       
offered #ejl4 to get carried to its     
place40        #aeg ,watt to ,boulton1  
#dth ,august1 #aggg4    ,at ,chacewater 
,watt first met ,jonathan ,hornblower1  
son of the ,joseph  ,hornblower who had 
come into ,cornwall from ,staffordshire1
 some fifty years  before1 to erect one 

of the early ,newcomen engines4 ,the son
 had followed  in his father's steps1   
and become celebrated in the ,chacewater
 district  as an engineer4 ,it was      
natural that he should regard with      
jealousy the  patentees of the new      
engine2 for if it proved a success1 his 
vocation as  a maker of atmospheric     
engines would be at an end4 ,watt thus  
referred to  him in a letter to         
,boulton3 8,hornblower seems a very     
pleasant sort of old  ,presbyterian3 he 
carries himself very fair1 though ,i    
hear that he is an  unbelieving         
,thomas40 ,his unbelief strongly showed 
itself on the starting  of the ,wheal   
,busy engine shortly after1 when he     
exclaimed1 8,pshaw6 it's  but a bauble3 
,i wouldn't give twopence halfpenny for 
her40 ,there were  others beside        
,hornblower who disliked and resented   
what they regarded as  the intrusion of 
,boulton and ,watt in their district1   
and indeed never  became wholly         
reconciled to the new engine1 though    

they were compelled  to admit the       
inefficiency of the old one4 ,among     
these was old ,bonze1 the  engineer1 a  
very clever mechanic1 who positively    
refused to undertake the  erection of   
the proposed new engine at ,wheal ,union
 if ,boulton and ,watt  were to be in   
any way concerned with it4 ,but the     
mine-owners had to study  their own     
interest rather than the humour of their
 former engineers1 and  ,watt secured   
the order for the ,wheal ,union engine4 
,several other orders  were promised1   
conditional on the performances of the  
,wheal ,busy engine  proving            
satisfactory4 8,ale and ,cakes10#aeh    
wrote ,watt1 8must wait the  result of  
,chacewater3 several new engines will be
 erected next year1 for  almost all the 
old mines are exhausted1 or have got to 
the full power of  the present engines1 
which are clumsy and nasty1 the houses  
cracked1 and  everything dropping with  
water from their cisterns40#aei         
#aeh ,a mine so-called4 ,many of the    

,cornish mines have very odd            
names4 8,cook's ,kitchen10 near         
,camborne1 is one of the oldest         
and richest4 ,another is called         
8,cupboard40 ,there are also ,wheal     
,fannys and ,wheal ,abrahams2 and ,wheal
 ,fortunes and ,wheal ,virgins        in
 great numbers4        #aei ,watt to    
,boulton1 #adth ,august1 #aggg4    ,watt
 liked the people as little as he did   
their engines4 ,he thought them         
ungenerous1 jealous1 and treacherous4   
8,certainly10 said he1 8they have  the  
most ungracious manners of any people ,i
 have ever yet been amongst40  ,at the  
first monthly meeting of the ,wheal     
,virgin adventurers1 which he  attended1
 he found a few gentlemen1 but 8the bulk
 of them would not be  disgraced by     
being classed with ,wednesbury          
colliers40 ,what annoyed him  most was1 
that the miners invented and propagated 
all sorts of rumours  to his prejudice4 
8,we have been accused10 said he1 8of   
working without  leather upon our       

buckets1 and making holes in the clacks 
in order to  deceive strangers4444 ,i   
choose to keep out of their company1 as 
every word  spoken by me would be       
bandied about and misrepresented4 ,i    
have already  been accused of making    
several speeches at ,wheal ,virgin1     
where1 to the  best of my memory1 ,i    
have only talked about eating1 drinking1
 and the  weather4 ,the greater part of 
the adventurers at ,wheal ,virgin are a 
mean  dirty pack1 preying upon one      
another1 and striving who shall impose  
most  upon the mine40#afj ,watt was of  
too sensitive and shrinking a nature  to
 feel himself at home amongst such      
people4 ,besides1 he was disposed  to be
 peevish and irritable1 easily cast     
down1 and ready to anticipate  the      
worst4 ,it had been the same with him   
when employed amongst the rough         
labourers on the ,monkland ,canal1 where
 he had declared himself as ready to    
face a loaded cannon as to encounter the
 altercations of bargain-making4  ,but  

,watt must needs reconcile himself to   
his post as he best could2 for  none but
 himself could see to the proper        
erection of the ,wheal ,busy engine  and
 get it set to work with any chance of  
success4 ,meanwhile1 the native         
engineers were stimulated by his        
presence1 and by the reputed power of   
the new engine1 to exert themselves in  
improving the old one4 ,bonze was       
especially active in contriving new     
boilers and new arrangements1 by which  
he promised to outstrip all that ,watt  
could possibly accomplish4#afa          
#afj ,watt to ,boulton1 #beth ,august1  
#aggg4 ,boulton ,,mss4        #afa 8,i  
have seen five of ,bonze's engines10    
wrote ,watt1 8but was        far from   
seeing the wonders promised4 ,they were 
#fj1 #fc1 and #gj        inch cylinders4
 ,at ,dalcoath and ,wheal ,chance they  
are said to        use each about #acj  
bushels of coals in the #bd hours1 and  
to make        about #f or #g strokes   
per minute1 the strokes being under #f  

feet        each4 ,they are burdened to 
#f1 #f1 and #g lbs4 per inch4 ,one of   
the #fj inches threw out about two cubic
 feet of hot water per        stroke1   
heated from #fj to #afe4 ,the #fc       
inches1 with a #e feet        stroke1   
threw out #a cubic foot1 heated from #fj
 to #aei10 and        so on with the    
others4--,watt to ,boulton1 #beth       
,august1 #aggg4        ,boulton ,,mss4  
,a letter from ,mrs4 ,watt to ,mrs4     
,boulton1 dated ,chacewater1 ,september 
#ast1  #aggg1 throws a little light on  
,watt's private life during his stay in 
,cornwall4 ,she describes the difficulty
 they had in obtaining accommodation  on
 their arrival1 8no such thing as a     
house or lodging to be had for any      
money within some miles of the place    
where the engine was to be erected20    
hence they had been glad to accept of   
the hospitality of ,mr4 ,wilson1 the    
superintendent of the mine4      8,i    
scarcely know what to say to you of the 
country4 ,the spot we    are at is the  

most disagreeable in the whole county4  
,the face of    the earth is broken up  
in ten thousand heaps of rubbish1 and   
there    is scarce a tree to be seen4   
,but don't think that all ,cornwall     
is like ,chacewater4 ,i have been at    
some places that are very    pleasant1  
nay beautiful4 ,the sea-coast to me is  
charming1 but not    easy to be got at4 
,in some cases my poor husband has been 
obliged    to mount me behind him to go 
to some of the places we have been      
at4 ,i assure you ,i was not a little   
perplexed at first to be set    on a    
great tall horse with a high pillion4   
,at one of our jaunts we    were only   
charged twopence a piece for our dinner4
 ,you may guess    what our fare would  
be from the cost of it2 but ,i assure   
you ,i    never ate a dinner with more  
relish in my life1 nor was ,i ever      
happier at a feast1 than ,i was that day
 at ,portreath4444 ,one thing    ,i must
 tell you of is1 to take care ,mr4      
,boulton's principles    are well fixed 

before you trust him here4 ,poor ,mr4   
,watt is turned    ,anabaptist1 and duly
 attends their meeting2 he is1 indeed1  
and    goes to chapel most devoutly40   
,at last the ,chacewater engine was     
finished and ready for work4 ,great     
curiosity was felt about its            
performances1 and mining men and        
engineers  came from all quarters to see
 it start4 8,all the world are agape10  
said  ,watt1 8to see what it can do40   
,it would not have displeased some of   
the  spectators if it had failed4 ,but  
to their astonishment it succeeded4 ,at 
starting1 it made eleven eight-feet     
strokes per minute2 and it worked  with 
greater power1 went more steadily1 and  
8forked0 more water than  any of the    
ordinary engines1 with only about       
one-third the consumption  of coal4 8,we
 have had many spectators10 wrote ,watt1
 8and several have  already become      
converts4 ,i understand all the         
west-country captains are  to be here   
to-morrow to see the prodigy40#afb ,even

 ,bonze1 his rival1  called to see it1  
and promised not only to read his       
recantation as soon  as convinced1 but  
never to touch a common engine again4   
8,the velocity1  violence1 magnitude1   
and horrible noise of the engine10 ,watt
 added1 8give  universal satisfaction to
 all beholders1 believers or not4 ,i    
have once  or twice trimmed the engine  
to end its stroke gently1 and to make   
less  noise2 but ,mr4 ,wilson cannot    
sleep without it seems quite furious1 so
 ,i  have left it to the engine-men2    
and1 by the by1 the noise seems to      
convey  great ideas of its power to the 
ignorant1 who seem to be no more taken  
with modest merit in an engine than in a
 man40 ,in a later letter he wrote1     
8,the voice of the country seems to be  
at present in our favour2 and ,i hope   
will be much more so when the engine    
gets on its whole load1 which will  be  
by ,tuesday next4 ,so soon as that is   
done1 ,i shall set out for home40       
,illustration3 ,,watt',s                

,,single-,,acting ,,pumping-,,engine    
,,for ,,mines4        #afb ,watt to     
,boulton1 #acth ,september1 #aggg4    ,a
 number of orders for engines had come  
in at ,soho during ,watt's absence2  and
 it became necessary for him to return  
there as speedily as possible1  to      
prepare the plans and drawings1 and put 
the work in hand4 ,there was  no person 
yet attached to the concern who was     
capable of relieving him of  this part  
of his duties2 while ,boulton was fully 
occupied with conducting  the commercial
 part of the business4 ,by the end of   
autumn he was again  at home2 and for a 
week after his return he kept so close  
to his desk in  his house on ,harper's  
,hill1 that he could not even find time 
enough to  go out to ,soho and see what 
had been doing in his absence4 ,at      
length he  felt so exhausted by the     
brain-work and confinement that he wrote
 to his  partner1 8a very little more of
 this hurrying and vexation will knock  
me  up altogether40 ,to add to his      

troubles1 letters arrived from          
,tingtang1  urging his return to        
,cornwall1 to erect the engine1 the     
materials for  which had at last        
arrived4 8,i fancy10 said ,watt1 8that  
,i must be cut in  pieces1 and a portion
 sent to every tribe in ,israel40       
,after four month's labour of this sort1
 during which seven out of the  ten     
engines then in hand were finished and  
erected1 and the others  well advanced1 
,watt again set out for ,cornwall1 which
 he reached by  the beginning of ,june1 
#aggh4 ,he took up his residence at     
,redruth1 as  being more convenient for 
,tingtang than ,chacewater1 hiring a    
house at  ,plengwarry1 a hamlet on the  
outskirts of the town4 ,redruth is the  
capital  of the mining districts of     
,camborne1 ,redruth1 and ,gwennap4 ,it  
is an  ancient town1 consisting for the 
most part of a long street1 which runs  
down one hill and up another4    ,all   
round it the country seems to have been 
disembowelled2 and heaps of  scori1     

8deads10 rubbish1 and granite blocks    
cover the surface4 ,the view  from the  
lofty eminence of ,carn ,brea1 a little 
to the south of ,redruth1  strikingly   
shows the scarified and apparently      
blasted character of the  district1 and 
affords a prospect the like of which is 
rarely to be seen4    ,illustration3    
,,redruth ,,high ,,street4    ,by ,r4   
,p4 ,leitch4    ,on making inquiry as to
 the materials which had arrived during 
his  absence1 ,watt was much mortified  
to find that the ,soho workmen had made 
many mistakes4 8,forbes's               
eduction-pipe10 he wrote1 8is a most    
vile job1  and full of holes4 ,the      
cylinder they have cast for ,chacewater 
is still  worse1 for it will hardly do  
at all4 ,the ,soho people have sent here
  ,chacewater eduction-pipe instead of  
,wheal ,union2 and the gudgeon pipe has 
not arrived with the nozzles4 ,these    
repeated disappointments10 said he1     
8will undoubtedly ruin our credit in the
 country2 and ,i cannot stay here  to   

bear the shame of such failures of      
promise40    ,watt had a hard time of it
 while in ,cornwall1 what with riding   
and walking  from mine to mine1         
listening to complaints of delay in the 
arrival of  the engines from ,soho1 and 
detecting and remedying the blunders and
 bad  workmanship of his mechanics4     
,added to which1 everybody was          
low-spirited  and almost in despair at  
the bad times1--ores falling in price1  
mines  filled with water1 engine-men    
standing idle1 and adventurers bemoaning
  their losses4 ,another source of      
anxiety was the serious pecuniary       
embarrassments in which the ,soho firm  
had become involved4 ,boulton had  so   
many concerns going that a vast capital 
was required for the purpose  of meeting
 current engagements2 and the engine    
business1 instead of  relieving him1 had
 hitherto only proved a source of       
additional outlay1 and  increased his   
difficulties at a time of general       
commercial depression4 ,he  wrote ,watt1

 urging him to send remittances for the 
,cornish engines2 but  the materials1   
though partly delivered1 were not       
erected2 and the miners  demurred to    
paying on account until they were fixed 
complete and at work4  ,boulton then    
suggested to ,watt that he should try to
 obtain an advance  from the ,truro     
bankers1 on security of the engine      
materials4 8,no10 replied  ,watt1 8that 
cannot be done1 as the knowledge of our 
difficulties would  damage our position 
in ,cornwall1 and hurt our credit4      
,besides10 said he1  8no one can be more
 cautious than a ,cornish banker2 and   
the principal of  the firm you name is  
himself exceedingly distressed for      
money40#afc ,nor  was there the least   
chance1 in ,watt's opinion1 even if they
 had the money  to advance1 of their    
accepting any security that ,boulton and
 ,watt had to  offer4 8,such is the     
nature of the people here10 said he1    
8and so little  faith have they in our  
engine1 that very few of them believe it

 to be  materially better than the      
ordinary one1 and so far as ,i can      
judge1 no one  ,i have conversed with   
would advance us #ejjl4 on a mortgage of
 it40#afd        #afc ,watt to ,boulton1
 #bnd ,july1 #aggh4 ,boulton ,,mss4     
#afd ,watt to ,boulton1 #hth ,july1     
#aggh1 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,all that     
,watt could do was to recommend that the
 evil day should be  staved off as long 
as possible1 or at all events until the 
large engines  he was then erecting were
 at work1 when he believed their        
performances  would effect a complete   
change in the views of the adventurers4 
,the  only suggestion he could offer was
 to invite ,john ,wilkinson1 or some    
other moneyed man1 to join them as      
partner and relieve them of their       
difficulties2 for 8rather than founder  
at sea10 said he1 8we had better  run   
ashore40#afe ,meanwhile1 he urged       
,boulton to apply the pruning-knife  and
 cut down expenses1 assuring him that he
 himself was practising all the         

frugality in his power4 ,but as ,watt's 
personal expenses at the time did  not  
amount to #bl4 a week1 it is clear that 
any savings he could effect1  however   
justifiable and laudable1 were but a    
drop in the ocean compared  with the    
liabilities to be met1 and which must be
 provided without delay  to avoid       
insolvency and ruin4        #afe ,watt  
to ,boulton1 #hth ,july1 #aggh4 ,boulton
 ,,mss4    ,fothergill1 ,boulton's other
 partner1 was even more desponding than 
,watt4  ,when ,boulton left ,soho on his
 journeys to raise ways and means1      
,fothergill  pursued him with dolorous  
letters1 telling him of mails that had  
arrived  without remittances1 of bills  
that must be met1 of wages that must be 
paid  on ,saturday night1 and of the    
impending bankruptcy of the firm1 which 
he again and again declared to be       
8inevitable40 8,better stop payment at  
once10 said he1 8call our creditors     
together1 and face the worst1 than  go  
on in this neck-and-neck race with      

ruin40 ,boulton would hurry back to     
,soho1 to quiet ,fothergill1 and keep   
the concern going2 on which another     
series of letters would pour in upon him
 from ,mr4 ,matthews1 the ,london       
financial agent1 pressing for           
remittances1 and reporting the          
increasingly  gloomy and desperate state
 of affairs4    ,boulton himself was1 as
 usual1 equal to the occasion4 ,his     
courage and  determination rose in      
proportion to the difficulties to be    
overcome4 ,he  was borne up by his      
invincible hope1 by his unswerving      
purpose1 and above  all by his unshaken 
belief in the commercial value of the   
condensing  engine4 ,if they could only 
weather the storm until its working     
powers  could be fully demonstrated1 all
 would yet be well4    ,in illustration 
of his hopefulness1 we may mention that 
in the midst  of his troubles a fire    
took place in the engine-room at ,soho1 
which was  happily extinguished1 but not
 before it had destroyed the roof and   

done  serious damage to the engine1     
which was brought to a standstill4      
,boulton  had long been desirous of     
rebuilding the engine-house in a proper 
manner1  but had been hindered by ,watt1
 who was satisfied with alterations     
merely  sufficient to accommodate the   
place to the changes made from time to  
time  in the engine which he called     
8,beelzebub40#aff ,on hearing of the    
damage  done by the fire1 ,boulton1     
instead of lamenting over it1 exclaimed1
 8,now  ,i shall be able at last to have
 the engine-house built as it should    
be40        #aff ,while in ,cornwall in 
the previous year1 ,watt wrote long     
letters to his partner as to certain    
experimental alterations        of      
8,beelzebub40 ,this was the original    
engine brought from        ,kinneil1    
which continued to be the subject of    
constant changes4        8,i send a     
drawing10 he wrote on the #dth ,august1 
#aggg1 8of the        best scheme ,i can
 at present devise for equalising the   

power        of ,beelzebub1 and obliging
 him to save part of his youthful       
strength to help him forward in his old 
age4444 ,as the head of        one of   
the levers will rise higher than the    
roof1 a hole must        be cut for it1 
which may after trial be covered over4  
,if the        new beam answer to be    
centred upon the end wall and to go out 
at a window1 it will make the execution 
easy4444 ,i long 7he        concluded7  
to have some particulars of ,beelzebub's
 doings1 and        to learn whether he 
has got on his jockey coat yet i4 e4 an 
outer cylinder1 for till that be done1  
you can form no idea        of his      
perfection40 ,the engine continued to be
 the subject of        repeated         
alterations1 and was renewed1 as ,watt  
observed1 like        the ,highlandman's
 gun1 in stock1 lock1 and barrel4 ,after
 the        occurrence of the above     
fire1 we learn from ,watt's ,,ms4       
,memoir of        ,boulton1 that        
8,beelzebub0 was replaced by a larger   

engine1 the        first on the         
expansive principle1 afterwards known by
 the name        of 8,old ,bess40 ,this 
engine continued in its place long after
        the career of ,boulton and ,watt
 had come to an end2 and in the         
year #aheg1 the present writer saw 8,old
 ,bess0 working as steadily        as   
ever1 though eighty years had passed    
over her head4 ,the old        engine   
has since found an honourable asylum in 
the ,museum of        ,patents at ,south
 ,kensington4    ,after many            
negotiations1 ,boulton at length        
succeeded in raising a sum of  #gjjjl4  
by granting a ,mr4 ,wiss security for   
the payment of an annuity1  while the   
,london bankers1 ,lowe1 ,vere1 and      
,williams1 allowed an advance  of       
#ad1jjjl4 on security of a mortgage     
granted by ,boulton and ,watt on  the   
royalties derived from the engine       
patent1 and of all their rights and     
privileges therein4 ,though the credit  
of the house was thus saved1 the        

liabilities of ,boulton and his partners
 continued to press heavily upon  them  
for a long time to come4 ,meanwhile1    
however1 a gleam of light came  from    
,cornwall4 ,watt sent the good news to  
,soho that 8both ,chacewater and        
,tingtang engines go on exceedingly     
well1 and give great satisfaction4      
,chacewater goes #ad strokes of #i foot 
long per minute1 and burns about #abh   
bushels per #bd hours4 ,the water has   
sunk #ab fathoms in the mine1 and the   
engine will fork i4 e4 pump out the     
first lift this night4 ,no cross  nor   
accident of any note has happened1      
except the bursting of a pump  at       
,tingtang1 which was soon repaired40    
,four days later ,watt wrote1 8,the     
engines are both going very well1 and   
,chacewater has got the water down  #ah 
fathoms2 but after this depth it must   
make slower progress1 as a very  large  
house of water begins there1 and the    
feeders grow stronger as we go          
deeper40#afg        #afg ,watt to       

,boulton1 #hth ,august1 #aggh4 ,boulton 
,,mss4    ,watt looked upon the         
,chacewater trial as the experimentum   
crucis1  and continued to keep his      
partner duly informed of every          
circumstance  connected with it4 8,they 
say10 he wrote1 8that if the new engine 
can fork  the water from ,chacewater1 it
 can fork anything1 as that is the      
heaviest  to fork in the whole county40 
,on the #aeth of ,august he wrote1      
8,chacewater  is now down to #aj fathoms
 of the second lift1 and works steady   
and well2  it sinks #i feet per day4    
,chacewater people in high spirits3     
,captain  ,mayor furiously in love with 
the engine40 ,on the #bith he wrote     
again1  8,chacewater engine is our      
capital card1 for should it succeed in  
forking  this mine all doubts will then 
be removed40 ,the adventurers of the    
great  ,poldice mine watched the        
operations at ,chacewater with much     
interest4 ,two  common engines1 pumping 
night and day for months1 had failed to 

clear  their mine of water2 and now they
 thought of ordering one of the new     
engines to take their place2 8but all   
this10 said ,watt1 8depends on the      
success of ,chacewater1 which ,god      
protect3 it is now down #ca fathoms1 and
  will be in fork of this lift          
to-morrow1 when it is to be put down    
three  fathoms lower1 and fixed there40 
,on the #agth he wrote1 8,i have been at
  ,chacewater to-day1 where they are in 
fork of the second lift #cd fathoms4    
,the great connexion-rod still          
unbalanced4 ,the engine went yesterday  
#ad  strokes per minute4 ,to-morrow ,i  
go to ,wheal ,union1 and on ,saturday to
  ,truro1 to meet ,poldice              
adventurers4444 ,by attending to the    
business of  this county alone10 said   
he1 8we may at least live comfortably2  
for ,i  cannot suppose that less than   
twelve engines will be wanted in two or 
three years1 but after that very few    
more1 as these will be sufficient  to   
get ore enough2 though you cannot reckon

 the average profits to us at  above    
#bjjl4 per engine40    ,when ,boulton   
and ,watt first started the manufacture 
of steam-engines1  they were mainly     
concerned to get orders1 and were not   
very particular as  to the terms on     
which they were obtained4 ,but when the 
orders increased1  and the merits of the
 invention gradually became recognised1 
they found  it necessary to require     
preliminary agreements to be entered    
into as to  the terms on which the      
patent was to be used4 ,it occurred to  
them1 that  as one of its principal     
merits consisted in the saving of fuel1 
it would  be a fair arrangement to take 
one-third of the value of such saving by
  way of royalty1 leaving the owners of 
the engines to take the benefit  of the 
remaining two-thirds4 ,nothing could be 
fairer than the spirit of  this         
arrangement1 which1 it will be seen1 was
 of even more advantage to  the owners  
of the engines than to the patentees    
themselves4 ,the first  ,cornish engines

 were1 however1 erected without any     
condition as to terms2  and it was only 
after they had proved their power by    
8forking0 the water1  and sending the   
miners twenty fathoms deeper into the   
ground1 that the  question of terms was 
raised4 ,watt proposed that agreements  
should be  entered into on the basis    
above indicated4 ,but the ,cornish men  
did not see  the use of agreements4     
,they had paid for the engines1 which   
were theirs1  and ,boulton and ,watt    
could not take them away4 ,here was the 
beginning of  a long series of          
altercations1 which ended only with the 
patent right  itself4 ,the miners could 
not do without the engine4 ,it was      
admitted to  be of immense value to     
them1 rendering many of their mines     
workable that  would otherwise have been
 valueless4 ,but why should they have to
 pay  for the use of such an invention8 
,this was what they never could clearly 
understand4    ,to prevent              
misunderstandings in future1 ,watt wrote

 to ,boulton1  recommending that no     
further orders for engines should be    
taken unless the  terms for using them  
were definitely settled beforehand4     
8,you must excuse  me10 he added1 8when 
,i tell you that1 for my part1 ,i will  
not put pen to  paper i4 e4 make the    
requisite drawings on a new subject     
until that is  done4 ,until an engine is
 ordered1 our power is greater than that
 of the  ,lord ,chancellor2 as ,i       
believe even he cannot compel us to make
 it unless  we choose4 ,let our terms be
 moderate1 and1 if possible1            
consolidated into  money  priori1 and it
 is certain we shall get some money1    
enough  to keep us out of jail1 in      
continual apprehension of which ,i live 
at  present40#afh        #afh ,watt to  
,boulton1 #bith ,august1 #aggh4 ,later1 
,watt wrote from        ,redruth1       
8,captain ,paul desires me to attend at 
,wheal ,virgin        meeting on        
,thursday1 where several ,tingtang      
people will be2        but ,i shall only

 write1 as ,i know they will be just in 
the        worst of humours about ,wheal
 ,virgin affairs1 and they are          
very disagreeable at the best4 ,every   
article must be settled        and      
sealed with ,cornish adventures before  
we begin1 otherwise        never4444 ,do
 not let ,chelsea begin until signed and
 sealed4 ,i        hope you will not    
take amiss my writing so positively on  
this        subject of agreements2 but  
really my faith in mankind will carry   
me no further1 and if ,i can't get      
money1 ,i'm resolved to save        my  
bacon and to live in hunger and ease4   
,as it is1 we don't get        such a   
share of reputation as our works        
deserve1 for every man        who cheats
 us defames us in order to justify      
himself40--,watt to        ,boulton1    
#fth ,september1 #aggh4 ,boulton ,,mss4 
,to meet the case1 a form of agreement  
was drawn up and required to be         
executed before any future engine was   
commenced4 ,it usually provided that  an

 engine of certain given dimensions and 
power was to be erected at the  expense 
of the owners of the mine2 and that the 
patentees were to take as  their        
recompense for the use of their         
invention1 one-third of the value of    
the fuel saved by it compared with the  
consumption of the ordinary engine4  ,it
 came to be understood that the saving  
of fuel was to be estimated  according  
to the number of strokes made4 ,to      
ascertain this1 ,watt contrived  an     
ingenious piece of clockwork1 termed the
 ,counter1 which1 being attached  to the
 main beam1 accurately marked and       
registered1 under lock and key1  the    
number of its vibrations4 ,thus the work
 done was calculated1 and the           
comparative saving of fuel was          
ascertained4    ,though the ,cornish    
miners had been full of doubts as to the
 successful  working of ,watt's engine1 
they could not dispute the evidence of  
their  senses after it had been erected 
and was fairly at work4 ,there it was1  

8forking water0 as never engine before  
had been known to 8fork40 ,it had       
completely mastered the water at ,wheal 
,busy2 and if it could send the  workmen
 down that mine1 it could in like manner
 send them down elsewhere4  ,wheal      
,virgin was on the point of stopping    
work1 in which case some two  thousand  
persons would be thrown out of bread4   
,bonze's new atmospheric  engine had    
proved a failure1 and the mine continued
 flooded4 ,it had also  failed at       
,poldice1 which was drowned out4        
8,notwithstanding the violence  and     
prejudice against us10 wrote ,watt1     
8nothing can save the mines but our     
engines4444 ,even the infidels of       
,dalcoath are now obliquely inquiring   
after our terms6 ,cook's ,kitchen1 which
 communicates with it1 has been  drowned
 out some time40 ,watt1 accordingly1 had
 many applications about  engines2 and  
on that account he entreated his partner
 to come to his  help4 ,he continued to 
hate all negotiating about terms1 and it

 did not  seem as if he would ever learn
 to like it4 ,he had neither the        
patience  to endure1 nor the business   
tact to conduct a negotiation4 ,he      
wanted  confidence in himself1 and did  
not feel equal to make a bargain4 ,he   
would  almost as soon have wrestled with
 the ,cornish miners as higgled with    
them4 ,they were shrewd1 practical men1 
rough in manner and speech1 yet  honest 
withal2#afi but ,watt would not         
encounter them when he could avoid  it4 
,hence his repeated calls to ,boulton to
 come and help him4 ,writing  to him    
about the proposed ,wheal ,virgin       
engine1 he said1 8,before ,i make  any  
bargain with these people1 ,i must have 
you here40 ,a few days after1  when     
communicating the probability of        
obtaining an order for the ,poldice     
engine1 he wrote1--8,i wish you would   
dispose yourself for a journey here1    
and strike while this iron is hot40 ,a  
fortnight later he said1 8,poldice      
people are now welding hot1 and must not

 be suffered to cool4 ,they are         
exceedingly impatient1 as they lose     
#aejl4 a month until our engine  is     
going4444 ,i hope this will find you    
ready to come away4 ,at ,redruth1       
inquire for ,plengwarry ,green1 where   
you will find me40        #afi 8,with   
all the faults of the ,cornish people1  
,i think we have        a better chance 
for tolerable honesty here than         
elsewhere1 as1        their meetings    
being public1 they will not choose to   
expose        themselves any further    
than strict dealing may justify2 and    
besides1 there are generally too many to
 cabal40--,watt to        ,boulton1     
#bith ,august1 #aggh4 ,boulton ,,mss4   
,boulton must have been greatly harassed
 by the woes of his partners4           
,fothergill was still uttering          
lamentable prophecies of impending ruin2
  his only prospect of relief being in  
the success of the engine4 ,he urged    
,boulton to endeavour to raise money by 
the sale of engine contracts or         

annuities1 in order to avert a crash4   
,matthews1 the ,london agent1 also      
continued to represent the still urgent 
danger of the house1 and pressed        
,boulton to go to ,cornwall and try to  
raise money there upon his engine       
contracts4 ,indeed1 it was clear that   
the firm of ,boulton and ,fothergill    
had been losing money by their business 
for several years past2 and  that1      
unless the engine succeeded1 they must1 
ere long1 go to the wall4  ,but when    
,boulton turned to ,cornwall1 he found  
little comfort4 ,though the  engines    
there were successful1 ,watt could not  
raise money upon them4 ,the  adventurers
 were poor1--were for the most part     
losing by their ventures1  in           
consequence of the low price of the ore2
 and they almost invariably put  off    
payment by excuses4 ,thus1 while        
,boulton was in ,london trying to obtain
  accommodation from his bankers1 the   
groans of his partner in ,birmingham    
were more than re-echoed by the         

lamentations of his other partner in    
,cornwall1 who rang the changes of      
misery through all the notes of the     
gamut4    ,at length1 about the         
beginning of ,october1 #aggh1 ,boulton  
contrived to  make his long-promised    
journey into ,cornwall4#agj ,he went    
round among  the mines1 and had many    
friendly conferences with the managers4 
,he found  the engine had grown in      
public favour1 and that the impression  
prevailed  throughout the mining        
districts that it would before long     
become generally  adopted4 ,encouraged  
by his ,london financial agent1 he took 
steps to turn  this favourable          
impression to account4#aga ,before he   
left ,cornwall1 where  he remained until
 the end of the year1 he succeeded in   
borrowing a sum  of #bjjjl4 from ,elliot
 and ,praed1 the ,truro bankers1 on     
security of the  engines erected in the 
county2 and the money was at once       
forwarded to the  ,london agents for the
 relief of the ,birmingham firm4 ,he    

also succeeded  in getting the terms    
definitely arranged for the use of      
several of the  more important engines  
erected and at work4 ,it was agreed that
 #gjjl4 a  year should be paid as       
royalty in respect of the ,chacewater   
engine1--an  arrangement even more      
advantageous to the owners of the mine  
than to  the patentees1 as it was       
understood that the saving of coals     
amounted to  upwards of #bdjjl4 a year4 
,other agreements were entered into for 
the  use of the engines erected at      
,wheal ,union and ,tingtang1 which      
brought in  about #djjl4 per annum more1
 so that the harvest of profits seemed  
at  length fairly begun4        #agj    
,during his absence ,mr4 ,keir took     
charge of the works at        ,soho4 ,it
 had been intended to introduce him as a
 partner1 and        he left the        
glass-making concern at ,stourbridge1   
into which he        had entered1 for   
the purpose2 but when he came to look   
into the        books of the ,soho firm1

 he was so appalled by their liabilities
        that he eventually declined the 
connexion4        #aga ,matthews wrote  
him on the #hth ,october1 #aggh1 that he
 had met        a ,mr4 ,boldero at the  
,goldsmiths' ,hall1 who had much        
influence in        ,cornwall1 and that 
he expressed the opinion that1 if the   
engines        could do what ,boulton   
and ,watt promised1 they might soon get 
from #dj1jjjl4 to #hj1jjjl4 for them in 
,cornwall4 ,matthews        accordingly 
recommended ,boulton to apply to ,elliot
 and ,praed1        the ,cornish        
bankers1 for an advance on security of  
the engine        contracts4--,it would 
appear from a letter written to ,boulton
 a        few days later1 by ,mr4       
,barton1 ,matthews's partner1 that      
,boulton        was1 amidst his many    
speculations1 engaged in a privateering 
adventure during the war of the         
,american ,revolution3--8,it may        
give you some pleasure10 wrote ,barton1 
8to hear we are likely        to receive

 some produce from our adventure to ,new
 ,york4 ,one        of the vessels our  
little brig took last year was fitted   
out        at ,new ,york1 and in a      
cruise of #ac weeks has taken #ac       
prizes1        #ab of which are carried 
safe in1 and we have advice of #bjj     
hogsheads of tobacco being shipped as   
part of the prizes1 which1        if now
 here1 would fetch us #aj1jjjl4 ,but    
while the embargo on        shipping at 
,new ,york continues1 they cannot stir  
out of port4        ,however1 ,i think  
we shall see them before you raise that 
sum        from your engine concern1 and
 yet ,i hope that is not very far       
off40    ,watt remained at ,cornwall for
 another month1 plodding at ,poldice and
  ,wheal ,virgin engines1 and returned  
to ,birmingham early in ,january1 #aggi4
  ,though the pumping-engine had thus   
far proved remarkably successful1 and   
accomplished all that ,watt had         
promised1 he was in no better spirits   
than  before4 8,though we have1 in      

general1 succeeded in our undertakings10
  he wrote ,dr4 ,black1 8yet that       
success has1 from various unavoidable   
circumstances1 produced small profits to
 us2 the struggles we have  had with    
natural difficulties1 and with the      
ignorance1 prejudices1 and  villanies of
 mankind1 have been very great1 but ,i  
hope are now nearly  come to an end1 or 
vanquished40#agb ,his difficulties were 
not1 however1  nearly at an end1 as the 
heavy liabilities of the firm had still 
to be  met4 ,more money had to be       
borrowed2 and ,watt continued to groan  
under his  intolerable burden4 8,the    
thought of the debt to ,lowe1 ,vere1 and
 ,co410 he  wrote to his partner1 8lies 
too heavy on my mind to leave me the    
proper  employment of my faculties in   
the prosecution of our business2 and1   
besides1 common honesty will prevent me 
from loading the scheme with debts      
which might be more than it could       
pay40#agc        #agb ,watt to ,black1  
#abth ,december1 #aggh4        #agc     

,watt to ,boulton1 #aeth ,jan41 #aggi4  
,a more hopeful man would have borne up 
under these difficulties2 for the       
reputation of the engine was increasing1
 and orders were coming in from  various
 quarters4 ,soho was full of work2 and1 
provided their credit could  be         
maintained1 it was clear that the       
undertaking on which the firm had       
entered could not fail to prove         
remunerative4 ,watt could not see this1 
but his partner did2 and ,boulton       
accordingly strained every nerve to     
keep up the character of the concern4   
,while ,watt was urging upon him to     
curtail the business1 ,boulton sought in
 all ways to extend it4 ,he sent        
accounts of his marvellous engines      
abroad1 and orders for them came in     
from ,france#agd and ,holland4 ,watt was
 more alarmed than gratified by the     
foreign orders1 fearing that the engine 
would be copied and extensively         
manufactured abroad1 where patents had  
not yet been secured4 ,he did not  see  

that the best protection of all was in  
the superiority of his tools  and       
mechanics1 enabling first-class work to 
be turned out1--important  advantages1  
in which the ,soho firm had the start of
 the world4 ,it  is true his mechanics  
were liable to be bribed1 and foreigners
 were  constantly haunting ,soho for the
 purpose of worming out the secrets of  
the  manufacture1 and decoying away the 
best men4 ,against this every precaution
  was taken1 though sometimes in vain4  
,two ,prussian engineers came over from 
,berlin in #aggi1 to whom ,watt showed  
every attention2 after which1 in his    
absence1 they got into the engine-room1 
and carefully examined all the  details 
of 8,old ,bess10 making notes4 ,when    
,watt returned1 he was in high  dudgeon1
 and wrote to his partner that he 8could
 not help it unless by  discountenancing
 every foreigner who does not come      
avowedly to have an  engine40#age       
#agd ,m4 ,perrier1 of ,paris1 ordered an
 engine early in #aggi1 and        the  

materials were despatched to ,nantes by 
the end of ,may in        the same year4
 ,the engine was erected by ,m4 ,jary at
 a colliery        near ,nantes1 but the
 fitting was so bad--the steam-case     
having        been forgotten--that it   
went only four strokes per minute4 ,as  
,boulton and ,watt sought a patent for  
,france1 it was necessary        in the 
first place that ,commissioners should  
certify that the        new engine was  
superior to the common engine4 ,this    
they could        not do1 and the patent
 was not secured4 ,watt feared that     
there        was 8a plot0 against him2  
as ,perrier immediately proceeded with  
a manufacture of steam-engines after the
 alleged invention of        ,m4        
,betancourt1 though this 8invention0    
turned out to be a close        copy of 
the engine ,m4 ,betancourt himself had  
imported from ,soho4    ,their principal
 reliance1 however1 was necessarily on  
home orders1 and  these came in         
satisfactorily4 ,eight more engines were

 wanted for ,cornwall1  those already at
 work continuing to give satisfaction4  
,inquiries were  also made about pumping
 engines for collieries in different    
parts of  ,england4 ,but where coals    
were cheap1 and the saving of fuel was  
of less  consequence1 the patentees were
 not solicitous for orders unless the   
purchasers would fix a fair sum for the 
patent right1 or rate the coals  used at
 a price that would be remunerative in  
proportion to the savings  effected4    
,the orders were1 indeed1 becoming so   
numerous1 that the firm1  beginning to  
feel their power1 themselves fixed the  
annual royalty1 though  it was not      
always so easy to get it paid4          
#age ,watt to ,boulton1 #bgth ,january1 
#aggi4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,the working  
power of ,watt himself was but limited4 
,he still continued to  suffer from     
intense headaches2 and1 as all the      
drawings of new engines  were made by   
his own hands1 it was necessary in some 
measure to limit  the amount of work    

undertaken4 8,i beg10 he wrote to his   
partner in ,may1  #aggi1 relative to    
proposals made for two new engines1     
8that you will  not undertake to do     
anything for them before ,christmas4 ,it
 is1 in fact1  impossible1 at least on  
my part2 ,i am quite crushed40 ,but he  
was not  always so dispirited1 for in   
the following month we find him writing 
,boulton an exultant letter1 announcing 
orders for three new engines from       
,cornwall4#agf        #agf ,the         
following is ,watt's letter1 written in 
a very unusual        style3--          
8,birmingham1 ,june #cjth1 #aggi4       
8,hallelujah6 ,hallelujee6              
,we have concluded with ,hawkesbury1    
#bagl4 per annum from ,lady-day last2   
#bgel4 #es4 for time past2 #aegl4 on    
account4            ,we make them a     
present of #ajj guineas--               
,peace and good-fellowship on earth--   
,perrins and ,evans to be dismissed--   
#c more engines wanted in ,cornwall--   
,dudley repentant and amendant--        

,yours rejoicing1                       
,,james ,,watt40    ,watt continued for 
some time longer to suffer great        
annoyance from the  shortcomings of his 
workmen4 ,he was himself most particular
 in giving  his instructions1 verbally1 
in writing1 and in drawings4 ,when he   
sent  a workman to erect an engine1 he  
sent with him a carefully drawn up      
detail of the step by step proceedings  
he was to adopt in fitting the  parts   
together4 ,where there was a difficulty1
 and likely to be a hitch1  he added a  
pen and ink drawing1 rapid but graphic1 
and pointed out how  the difficulty was 
to be avoided4 ,it was not so easy1     
however1 to find  workmen capable of    
intelligently fitting together the parts
 of a machine  so complicated and of so 
novel a construction4 ,moreover1 the    
first engines  were in a great measure  
experimental1 and to have erected them  
perfectly1  and provided by anticipation
 for their various defects1 would have  
argued  a knowledge of the principles of

 their construction almost as complete  
as  that of ,watt himself4 ,he was not  
sufficiently disposed to make allowances
  for the workmen's want of knowledge   
and want of experience1 and his  letters
 were accordingly full of complaints of 
their shortcomings4 ,he was  especially 
annoyed with the mistakes of a foreman1 
named ,hall1 who had  sent the wrong    
articles to ,cornwall1 and he urged     
,boulton to dismiss him  at once4 ,but  
,boulton knew better4 ,though ,watt     
understood engines1 he did  not so well 
understand men4 ,had ,boulton dismissed 
such as ,hall because  they made        
mistakes1 the shop would soon have been 
empty4 ,the men were as  yet but at     
school1 learning experience1 and        
,boulton knew that in course  of time   
they would acquire dexterity4 ,he was   
ready to make allowance  for their      
imperfections1 but at the same time he  
did not abate in his  endeavours to find
 out and engage the best hands1 wherever
 they were to be  found--in ,wales1 in  

,cornwall1 or in ,scotland4 ,he         
therefore kept on ,hall1                
notwithstanding ,watt's protest1 and the
 latter submitted4#agg        #agg ,watt
 wrote ,boulton1 #bnd ,july1            
#aggh1--8,on the subject of ,mr4        
,hall ,i should not have been so earnest
 had ,i not been urged on        by the 
prospect of impending ruin1 which may be
 much accelerated        by a wicked or 
careless servant in his place40 ,later1 
on the #fth        ,august1 ,watt wrote1
 8,i look upon ,hall as a very great    
blunderer1        and very inattentive  
to everything that has hitherto been    
committed to his care2 but ,i think that
 our present necessities        will    
oblige us to employ him40--,boulton     
,,mss4    ,watt was equally wroth with  
the enginemen at ,bedworth4 8,i beg and 
expect10  he wrote ,boulton1 8that so   
soon as everything is done to that      
engine1  you will instantly proceed to  
trial before creditable witnesses1 and  
if  possible have the whole brood of    

these enginemen displaced1 if any others
  can be procured2 for nothing but      
slovenliness1 if not malice1 is to be   
expected of them40 ,it must1 however1 be
 acknowledged that the ,bedworth  engine
 was at first very imperfect1 having    
been made of bad iron1 in  consequence  
of which it frequently broke down4 ,in  
,cornwall the men were  no better4      
,dudley1 ,watt's erector at ,wheal      
,chance and ,hallamanin1 was  pronounced
 incapable and a blunderer4 8,if        
something be not very bad in  ,london1  
,i wish you would employ ,hadley to     
finish those engines1 and send  ,joseph 
here to receive his instructions and    
proceed to ,cornwall1 otherwise  ,dudley
 will ruin us40#agh    ,the trusty      
8,joseph0 was accordingly despatched to 
,cornwall to look after  ,dudley1 and   
remedy the defects in ,wheal ,chance and
 ,hallamanin engines2 but  when ,watt   
arrived at ,chacewater shortly after1 he
 found that ,joseph1 too1  had proved   
faithless4 ,he wrote to ,boulton1       

8,joseph has pursued his old  practice  
of drinking in the neighbourhood in a   
scandalous manner1 until  the very      
enginemen turned him into ridicule4444  
,i have not heard how he  behaved in the
 west2 but that he gave the ale there a 
bad character40#agi  ,notwithstanding1  
however1 his love of strong potations1  
,joseph was  a first-rate workman4 ,two 
days later1 ,watt wrote1 8,though       
,joseph has  attended to his drinking1  
he has done much good at his leisure    
hours1  and has certainly prevented much
 mischief at ,hallamanin and some at    
,wheal  ,union4 ,he has had some hard   
and long jobs1 and consequently merits  
some  indulgence for his foibles40 ,by  
the end of the month 8,joseph had       
conquered  ,hallamanin engine1 all but  
the boiler10 but ,watt added1 8,his     
indulgence  has brought on a slight fit 
of the jaundice1 and as soon as the     
engine is  finished1 he must be sent    
home40#ahj        #agh ,watt to         
,boulton1 #aath ,august1 #aggi4         

#agi ,watt to ,boulton1 #dth ,october1  
#aggi4        #ahj ,watt to ,boulton1   
#bhth ,october1 #aggi4    ,by this time 
,watt had called to his aid two other   
skilled workmen1 ,law and  ,murdock1 who
 arrived in ,cornwall in the beginning  
of ,september1 #aggi4 ,in  ,watt's      
letters we find frequent allusions to   
,murdock4 ,wherever any work  had to be 
done requiring more than ordinary       
attention1 ,watt specially  directed    
that 8,william0 should be put to it4    
8,let ,william be sent for  from        
,bedworth10 he wrote from ,cornwall in  
#aggh1 8to set the patterns for  nozzles
 quite right for ,poldice40 ,boulton    
wished to send him into ,scotland  to   
erect the engine at ,wenlockhead1 but   
,watt would not hear of it4  8,william0 
was the only man he could trust with the
 nozzles4 ,then ,william  was sent to   
,london to take the charge of ,chelsea  
engine2 next to ,bedworth1  to see to   
the completion of the repairs previous  
to the final trial2 then  to ,birmingham

 again to attend to some further special
 instructions of  ,watt2 and now we find
 him in ,cornwall1 to take charge of the
 principal  engines erecting there4     
,william ,murdock was not only a most   
excellent and steady workman1 but  a man
 of eminent mechanical genius4 ,he was  
the first maker of a model  locomotive  
in this country2 he was the introducer  
of lighting by gas1 and  the inventor of
 many valuable parts of the working     
steam-engine1 hereafter  to be          
described4 ,his father was a millwright 
and miller1 at ,bellow ,mill1  near ,old
 ,cumnock1 in ,ayrshire1 and was much   
esteemed for his probity and  industry1 
as well as for his mechanical skill4 ,he
 was the inventor of  bevelled cast-iron
 gear for mills1 and his son was proud  
to exhibit1 on  the lawn in front of his
 house at ,sycamore ,hill1 ,handsworth1 
a piece of  the first work of the kind  
executed in ,britain4 ,it was cast for  
him at  ,carron ,ironworks1 after the   
pattern furnished by him1 in #agff4     

,william  was born in #aged1 and brought
 up to his father's trade4 ,on arriving 
at  manhood1 he became desirous of      
obtaining a larger experience of        
mill-work  and mechanics than he could  
acquire in his father's little mill4    
,hearing  of the fame of ,boulton and   
,watt1 and the success of their new     
engine1 he  determined to travel south1 
and seek for a job at ,soho4 ,many      
,scotchmen  were accustomed to call     
there on the same errand1 probably      
relying on the  known clanship of their 
countrymen1 and thinking that they would
 find  a friend and advocate in ,watt4  
,but strange to say1 ,watt did not think
  ,scotchmen capable of becoming        
first-class mechanics4#aha        #aha  
,watt told ,sir ,walter ,scott that     
though hundreds probably        of his  
northern countrymen had sought          
employment at his        establishment1 
he never could get one of them to become
 a        first-rate mechanic4 8,many of
 them10 said he1 8were too good         

for that1 and rose to be valuable clerks
 and bookkeepers2        but those      
incapable of this sort of advancement   
had always        the same insuperable  
aversion to toiling so long at any one  
point of mechanism as to gain the       
highest wages among the                 
workmen40--,note to ,lockhart's #8,life 
of ,scott4' ,the fact1 we        suppose
 was1 that the ,scotch mechanics were   
only as yet in        course of         
training1--the ,english having had a    
long start of        them4 ,though      
,watt's statement that ,scotchmen were  
incapable of        being first-class   
mechanics may have been true in his day1
 it        is so no longer1 as the      
workshops of the ,clyde can prove2 some 
of the most highly finished             
steam-engines of modern times having    
been turned out of ,glasgow workshops4  
,when ,murdock called at ,soho1 in the  
year #aggg1 to ask for a job1 ,watt was 
from home1 but he saw ,boulton1 who was 
usually accessible to callers of  every 

rank4 ,in answer to ,murdock's inquiry  
whether he could have a job1  ,boulton  
replied that work was rather slack with 
them then1 and that every  place was    
filled up4 ,during the brief            
conversation that ensued1 the blate     
young ,scotchman1 like most country lads
 in the presence of strangers1 had  some
 difficulty in knowing what to do with  
his hands1 and unconsciously  kept      
twirling his hat with them4 ,boulton's  
attention was directed to the  twirling 
hat1 which seemed to be of a peculiar   
make4 ,it was not a felt  hat1 nor a    
cloth hat1 nor a glazed hat2 but it     
seemed to be painted1 and  composed of  
some unusual material4 8,that seems to  
be a curious sort of  hat10 said        
,boulton1 looking at it more closely2   
8why1 what is it made  of80 8,timmer1   
sir10 said ,murdock1 modestly4 8,timmer6
 ,do you mean to say  that it is made of
 wood80 8,yes1 sir40 8,pray1 how was it 
made80 8,i turned  it mysel'1 sir1 in a 
bit lathey of my own making40 ,boulton  

looked at the  young man again4 ,he had 
risen a hundred degrees in his          
estimation4 ,he was  tall1 good-looking1
 and of open and ingenuous countenance2 
and that he had  been able to turn a    
wooden hat for himself in a lathe of his
 own making  was proof enough that he   
was a mechanic of no mean skill4 8,you  
may call  again1 my man10 said ,boulton4
 8,thank you1 sir10 said ,murdock1      
giving his  hat a final twirl4    ,when 
,murdock called again1 he was at once   
put upon a trial job1  after which he   
was entered as a regular hand4 ,we learn
 from ,boulton's  memorandum-book that  
he was engaged for two years1 at #aes4 a
 week when  at home1 #ags4 when from    
home1 and #ahs4 when in ,london4        
,boulton's  engagement of ,murdock was  
amply justified by the result4          
,beginning as a  common mechanic1 he    
applied himself diligently and          
conscientiously to his  work1 and became
 trusted4 ,more responsible duties were 
confided to him1  and he strove to      

perform them to the best of his power4  
,his industry and  his skilfulness soon 
marked him for promotion1 and he rose   
from grade  to grade until he became    
,boulton and ,watt's most trusted       
co-worker and  adviser in all their     
mechanical undertakings of importance4  
,when ,murdock went into ,cornwall to   
take charge of the engines1 he gave     
himself no rest until he had conquered  
their defects and put them in  thorough 
working order4 ,he devoted himself to   
his duties with a zeal and  ability that
 completely won ,watt's heart4 ,he was  
so filled with his work1  that when he  
had an important job in hand1 he could  
scarcely sleep at  nights for thinking  
of it4 ,when the engine at ,wheal ,union
 was ready for  starting1 the people of 
the house at ,redruth1 in which ,murdock
 lodged1  were greatly disturbed one    
night by a strange noise in his room4   
,several  heavy blows on the floor made 
them start from their beds1 thinking the
  house was coming down4 ,they rushed to

 ,murdock's room1 and there was he  in  
his shirt1 heaving away at the bedpost  
in his sleep1 calling out1 8,now  she   
goes1 lads6 now she goes40    ,murdock  
was not less successful in making his   
way with the ,cornishmen  with whom he  
was brought into daily contact2 indeed1 
he fought his way  to their affections4 
,one day at ,chacewater1 some half-dozen
 of the mining  captains came into the  
engine-room and began bullying him4     
,this he could  not stand1 and adopted a
 bold expedient4 ,he locked the door1   
and said1  8,now1 then1 you shall not   
leave this place until ,i have it fairly
 out with  you40 ,he selected the       
biggest1 and put himself in a fighting  
attitude4  ,the ,cornishmen love fair   
play1 and while the two engaged in      
battle1 the  others1 without            
interfering1 looked on4 ,the contest was
 soon over2 for  ,murdock was a tall1   
powerful fellow1 and speedily vanquished
 his opponent4  ,the others1 seeing the 
kind of man they had to deal with1 made 

overtures  of reconciliation2 and they  
shook hands all round1 and parted the   
best of  friends4#ahb        #ahb ,the  
above anecdotes1 of ,murdock's          
introduction to ,soho1        and the   
fight with the captains1 were           
communicated by his        son1 the late
 ,mr4 ,murdock of ,sycamore ,hill near  
,birmingham4        ,he also informed us
 that ,murdock fought a duel with       
,captain        ,trevithick 7father of  
the ,trevithick of ,locomotive          
celebrity71        in consequence of a  
quarrel between him and ,watt1 in which 
,murdock conceived his master to have   
been unfairly and harshly               
treated4    ,watt continued to have his 
differences and altercations with the   
,cornishmen1 but he had no such way of  
settling them4 ,indeed1 he was  almost  
helpless when he came in contact with   
rough men of business4 ,most  of the    
mines were then paying very badly1 and  
the adventurers raised all  sorts of    
objections to making the stipulated     

payment of the engine dues4  ,under such
 circumstances1 altercations with them  
took place for which  ,watt was         
altogether unprepared4 ,he was under the
 apprehension that they  were constantly
 laying their heads together for the    
purpose of taking  advantage of him and 
his partner4 ,he never looked on the    
bright side  of things1 but always on   
the darkest4 8,the rascality of         
mankind10 said  he to ,dr4 ,black1 8is  
almost beyond belief40 ,though his views
 of science  were large1 his views of   
men were narrow4 ,much of this may have 
been the  result of his recluse habits  
and closet life1 as well as of his      
constant  ill-health4 ,with his racking 
headaches1 it was indeed difficult for  
him  to be cheerful4 ,but no one could  
be more conscious of his own defects--of
  his want of tact1 his want of business
 qualities1 and his want of             
temper--than he was himself4 ,he knew   
his besetting infirmities1 from which   
even the best and wisest are not exempt4

 ,his greatness was mingled with        
imperfections1 and his strength with    
weakness1 else had he been more than    
human4 ,it is not in the order of       
,providence that the gifts and graces of
  life should be concentrated in any one
 perfectly adjusted character4 ,even    
when we inquire into the 8,admirable    
,crichton0 of biography1 and seek to    
trace his life1 it vanishes almost into 
a myth4    ,in the midst of his many    
troubles and difficulties1 ,watt's      
invariable  practice was to call upon   
,boulton for help4 ,boulton was         
satisfied to take  men as he found them1
 and try to make the best of them4 ,watt
 was a man of  the study2 ,boulton a man
 of the world4 ,watt was a master of    
machines2 but  ,boulton1 of men4 ,though
 ,watt might be the brain1 ,boulton was 
the heart  of the concern4 8,if you had 
been here10 wrote ,watt to ,boulton1    
after one  of his disagreeable meetings 
with the adventurers1 8,if you had been 
here1  and gone to that meeting with    

your cheerful countenance and brave     
heart1  perhaps they would not have been
 so obstinate40 ,the scene referred to  
by  ,watt occurred at a meeting of the  
,wheal ,union ,adventurers1 at which the
  savings effected by the new engine    
were to be calculated and settled4 ,here
  is ,watt's own description of the     
affair1 and his feelings on the         
occasion1  which will give a good idea  
of the irksomeness of his position1 and 
the  disagreeable people he had         
occasionally to encounter3--      8,at  
,wheal ,union account our savings were  
ordered to be charged to    the interest
 of ,messrs4 ,edwards and ,phillips2 but
 when to be paid1    ,god knows6 ,bevan 
said in a month4 ,after all this was    
settled1 in    came ,capt4 ,trevithick1 
,i believe on purpose1 as he came late  
and    might have heard that ,i was gone
 there4 ,he immediately fell foul    of 
our account1 in a manner peculiar to    
himself 444 laboured to    demonstrate  
that ,dalcoath engines not only         

surpassed the table1    but even did    
more work with the coals than ,wheal    
,union did1 and    concluded with saying
 that we had taken or got the advantage 
of the adventurers4 ,i think he first   
said the former and then    hedged off  
by the latter statement4 ,mr4 ,phillips 
defended1 and    ,mr4 ,edwards1 ,i      
thought1 seemed staggered1 though       
candid4 ,mr4    ,phillips desired the   
data that he might calculate it over in 
his    way4 ,mr4 ,edwards slipped away1 
but ,i found afterwards that he was     
in another room with ,capt4 ,gundry     
7who1 and ,hodge also1 behaved          
exceedingly well--,i believe ,gundry to 
be a very sincere1 honest    man74 ,i   
went out to speak to ,joseph1 and on my 
return found only    ,trevithick1       
,bevan1 ,hodge1 and some others4 ,soon  
after1 ,mr4 ,edwards    called out      
,trevithick to him and ,gundry4 ,i heard
 them very loud1    and waited their    
return for an hour2 but they not seeming
 ready to    return1 night coming on1   

and feeling myself very uncomfortable1  
,i    came away--so know not what passed
 further4 ,during all this time1    ,i  
was so confounded with the impudence1   
ignorance1 and overbearing    manner of 
the man that ,i could make no adequate  
defence1 and    indeed could scarcely   
keep my temper2 which however ,i did1   
perhaps    to a fault2 for nothing can  
be more grievous to an ingenuous mind   
than the being suspected or accused of  
deceit4 ,to mend the matter1    it had  
been an exceedingly rainy morning1 and  
,i had got a little    wet going        
thither1 which had rather hurt my       
spirits4 ,yesterday ,i    had a violent 
headache and could do nothing4444 ,some 
means must    be taken to satisfy the   
country1 otherwise this malicious man   
will hurt us exceedingly4 ,the point on 
which ,mr4 ,edwards seemed    to lay the
 most stress was the comparing with a   
#gg-a_/aj cylinder1    as he alleged    
they would not have put in so large an  
engine2 and    in this there is some    

reason1 as ,i do not think they believed
    that the engine would be so powerful
 as it is4 ,add to this1 that    the    
mine barely pays its way4 ,trevithick   
made a great noise about    short       
strokes at setting on1 c4 ,the ,captains
 seemed to laugh at    that2 and ,i can 
demonstrate that1 were it allowed for1  
it would    not come to #bs4 #f;d4 per  
month4 ,i believe they can be brought   
to allow that they would have put in a  
#gj-;inch4 ,now1 query if we    ought to
 allow this to be calculated from a #gj 
7at which it will    come to near #djjl4
 a year71 and on making this concession 
insist    on our having a good paymaster
 to pay regularly once a month1    and  
not be obliged to go like beggars to    
their accounts to seek    our due and be
 insulted by such scoundrels into the   
bargain4 ,as    to ,hallamanin1 they    
have not met yet1 and when they do meet1
 ,i    shall not go to them4 ,i cannot  
bear such treatment1 but it is not      
prudent to resent it too warmly just    

now4 ,i believe you must    come here4  
,i think fourteen days would settle     
matters4 ,besides my    inability to    
battle such people1 ,i really have not  
time to bestow    on them40#ahc    ,in  
subsequent letters ,watt continued to   
urge ,boulton to come to him4  ,his     
headaches were constant1 unfitting him  
for work4 ,besides1 he could  scarcely  
stir out of doors for the rain4 8,it    
rains here10 said he1  8prodigiously4   
,when you come1 bring with you a waxed  
linen cloak for  yourself1 and another  
for me1 as there is no going out now for
 a few miles  without getting wet to the
 skin4 ,when it rains in ,cornwall1 and 
it rains  often1 it rains solid40       
,illustration3 ,,cardozos               
,,pumping-,,engine1 ,,united ,,mines4   
#ahc ,watt to ,boulton1 from            
,chacewater1 #afth ,october1 #aggi4     
,boulton ,,mss4          ,illustration3 
,,united ,,mines ,,district--,,st4 ,,day
 ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,distance4    ,by 
,r4 ,p4 ,leitch    ,,chapter ,,xiv4     

,,financial ,,difficulties--,,boulton   
,,in ,,cornwall--,,attack ,,and         
,,defence ,,of ,,the  ,,engine ,,patent4
      ,boulton again went to ,watt's    
help in ,cornwall at the end of autumn1 
#aggi4 ,he could not afford to make a   
long stay1 but left so soon as he  had  
settled several long-pending agreements 
with the mine proprietors4  ,the        
partners then returned to ,birmingham   
together4 ,before leaving1  they        
installed ,lieutenant ,henderson as     
their representative1 to  watch over    
their interests in their absence4       
,henderson was a sort of                
,jack-of-all-trades and master of none4 
,he had been an officer of marines1  and
 afterwards a ,west ,india              
sugar-planter4 ,he lost all that he     
possessed  in ,jamaica1 but gained some 
knowledge of levelling1 draining1 and   
machinery4 ,he was also a bit of an     
inventor1 and first introduced himself  
to ,boulton's notice by offering to sell
 him a circular motion by steam  which  

he alleged he had discovered4 ,this led 
to a correspondence1 which  resulted in 
his engagement to travel for the firm1  
and to superintend the  erection of     
engines when necessary4    ,henderson   
experienced the same difficulty that    
,watt had done in managing  the         
adventurers1 and during his stay in     
,cornwall he was never done calling     
upon ,boulton to hasten to his          
assistance and help him1 as he said1 8to
  put them in good spirits and good     
temper40 ,as the annual meetings drew   
near1 ,henderson anticipated a stormy   
time of it1 and pleaded harder than     
ever for ,boulton to come to him4 ,it   
seemed as if it would be necessary  for 
,boulton to take up his residence in    
,cornwall2 and as the interests at      
stake were great1 it might be worth his 
while to do so4 ,by the summer of       
#aghj1 ,boulton and ,watt had made and  
sold forty pumping-engines1 of which    
number twenty were erected and at work  
in different parts of ,cornwall2  and it

 was generally expected that before long
 there would scarcely be  an engine of  
the old construction at work in the     
county4 ,this was1 in  fact1 the only   
branch of ,boulton's extensive concerns 
that promised to be  remunerative4#ahd  
,he had become loaded with a burden of  
debt1 from which  the success of the    
engine-business seemed to offer the only
 prospect of  relief4        #ahd ,it   
appears from a statement prepared by    
,zaccheus ,walker1        the accountant
 of ,boulton and ,fothergill1 that on an
 invested        capital of about       
#bj1jjjl41 the excess of losses over    
profits        during the eighteen years
 ending #aghj1 had been upwards of      
#aa1jjjl42 and that but for the capital 
and credit of ,matthew        ,boulton1 
that concern must have broken down4     
,boulton's affairs seemed indeed fast   
approaching to a crisis4 ,he had  raised
 money in all directions to carry on his
 extensive concerns4 ,he  had sold the  
,patkington estate1 which came to him by

 his wife1 to ,lord  ,donegal1 for      
#ae1jjjl42 he had sold the greater part 
of his father's  property1 and raised   
further sums by mortgaging the          
remainder2 he had  borrowed largely from
 ,day1#ahe ,wedgwood1 and others of his 
personal  friends1 and obtained heavy   
advances from his bankers2 but all this 
was  found insufficient1 and his        
embarrassments seemed only to increase4 
,watt  could do nothing to help him with
 money1 though he had consented to the  
mortgage of the steam-engine royalties  
to ,mr4 ,wiss1 by which the sum of      
#gjjjl4 had been raised4 ,this liability
 lay heavy on the mind of ,watt1  who   
could never shake himself free of the   
horror of having incurred such a  debt2 
and many were the imploring letters that
 he addressed to ,boulton on  the       
subject4 8,i beg of you10 said he1 8to  
attend to these money affairs4  ,i      
cannot rest in my bed until they i4 e4  
the mortgage and banker's  advance have 
some determinate form4 ,i beg you will  

pardon my importunity1  but ,i cannot   
bear the uneasiness of my own mind1 and 
it is as much your  interest as mine to 
have them settled40#ahf        #ahe     
,thomas ,day1 the eccentric but kindly  
author of #8,sandford        and        
,merton1' lent ,boulton #cjjjl4 at #d   
per cent4 ,when ,boulton        came to 
pay a higher rate of interest on other  
loans1 he wrote        ,day proposing to
 pay him the same rate2 but ,day refused
 to        accept the advance1 as he    
could not make more of his money        
elsewhere4 ,day1 however1 offered him   
some good advice4 8,give me             
leave10 said he1 8with the real interest
 of a sincere friend1        to express 
my wishes that now at last when a       
fortune is within        your power1 you
 will contract that wide sphere of      
business in        which your ingenuity 
has so long kept you engaged1 and which 
has prevented you hitherto1 if ,i may   
believe the words of one        of your 
sincerest friends1 the late ,dr4 ,small1

 from acquiring        that independence
 which you ought to have had long ago4  
,i should        think that now1 like a 
good ,christian1 thoroughly convinced of
        the inutility of other works1   
you ought to attach yourself to         
the one thing needful1 and determine to 
be saved #8even as by        fire4' ,you
 are now1 dear ,sir1 not of an age to   
sport any longer        with fortune4   
,forgive the freedom of these           
sentiments1 and        believe me1 with 
the greatest sincerity and regard1      
,yours1 c41                             
8,,thomas ,,day40        #ahf ,watt to  
,boulton1 #bjth ,january1 #aggi4    ,the
 other partner1 ,fothergill1 was quite  
as downhearted4 ,he urged that  the firm
 of ,boulton and ,fothergill should at  
once stop payment and wind  up2 but as  
this would have seriously hurt the      
credit of the engine firm1  ,boulton    
would not listen to the suggestion4     
,they must hold on as they  had done    
before1 until better days came round4   

,fothergill recommended  that at least  
the unremunerative branches of the      
business should be  brought to a close4 
,the heaviest losses had indeed been    
sustained  through ,fothergill himself1 
whose foreign connexions1 instead of    
being  of advantage to the firm1 had    
proved the reverse2 and ,mr4 ,matthews1 
the  ,london agent1 repeatedly pressed  
,boulton to decline further transactions
  with foreigners4    ,there was one    
branch of the ,boulton and ,fothergill  
business which ,boulton  at once agreed 
to give up4 ,this was the painting and  
japanning business2  by which1 as       
appears from a statement prepared by    
,mr4 ,walker1 now before  us1 the firm  
were losing at the rate of #ejjl4 a     
year4    ,the picture-painting business 
seems to have been begun in #aggg1 and  
was carried on for some years under the 
direction of ,mr4 ,eginton1  who        
afterwards achieved considerable        
reputation at ,birmingham as a          
manufacturer of painted glass4 ,a degree

 of interest has been recently  raised  
on the subject of the ,soho pictures1 in
 consequence of the  statements hazarded
 as to the method by which they are     
supposed to have  been produced4 ,it has
 been surmised that they were taken by  
some process  resembling photography4   
,we have1 however1 been unable to find  
anything  in the correspondence of the  
firm calculated to support this view4   
,on  the contrary1 they are invariably  
spoken of as 8mechanical paintings10    
8pictures10 or 8prints10 produced by    
means of 8paints0 or 8colours40  ,though
 the precise process by which they were 
produced is not now known1  there seems 
reason to believe that they were        
impressions from plates  prepared in a  
peculiar manner4 ,the impressions were  
taken 8mechanically0  on paper2 and both
 oil and water colours#ahg were made use
 of4 ,some  of the pictures were of     
large size--#dj by #ej inches--the      
subjects being  chiefly classical4 ,this
 branch of the business being found     

unproductive1  was brought to a close in
 #aghj1 when the partnership with       
,eginton was at  the same time          
dissolved4        #ahg ,some of the     
specimens in water colour are to be seen
 at the        ,museum of ,patents1     
,south ,kensington4 ,when the paper is  
moistened        with the finger1 the   
colour easily rubs off4 ,the whole      
subject        of these pictures has    
recently been thoroughly sifted by ,m4  
,p4 ,w4 ,boulton1 ,esq41 in his         
#8,remarks on some ,evidence recently   
communicated to the ,photographic       
,society' 7,bradbury and ,evans1        
#ahfd71 apropos of the ,papers of ,mr4  
,w4 ,p4 ,smith on the same              
subject1 in which it was surmised that  
they were the result        of some     
photographic process4 ,mr4 ,boulton     
clearly shows1 from        the original 
correspondence1 that the process was    
mechanical        colour-printing4 ,he  
also adds1--8,from the brief statements 
which ,i remember to have heard from my 

father concerning the        polygraphic
 process1 my impression of it was that  
it copied        colour mechanically1   
not merely chiaro-scuro4 ,and ,i agree  
with        the opinion which has been  
expressed to other persons1 that in     
the coloured specimens in the ,museum1  
there are indications that        the   
colour was laid on mechanically1--not by
 hand or brush40        ,as the process 
of 8dead-colouring0 the pictures is     
occasionally        referred to1 it is  
probable that the pictures passed       
through        more stages than one1 as 
in the case of modern colour-printing4  
,in one of ,eginton's letters1 three    
plates were spoken of as                
necessary for taking impressions of one 
of the pictures4    ,another and more   
fortunate branch of business into which 
,boulton  entered with ,watt and ,keir1 
about the same time1 was the manufacture
  of letter-copying machines4 ,watt made
 the invention1 ,boulton found the      
money for taking out the patent1 and    

,keir conducted the business4 ,watt  was
 a very voluminous correspondent1 and   
the time occupied by him in  copying    
letters1 the contents of which he       
desired to keep secret from  third      
parties1 was such that in order to      
economise it he invented the  method of 
letter-copying in such common use4 ,the 
invention consisted in  the transfer1 by
 pressure1 of the writing made with     
mucilaginous ink1 to  damped and unsized
 transparent copying-paper1 by means    
either of a rolling  press or a screw   
press4 ,though ,watt himself preferred  
the rollers1 the  screw press is now    
generally adopted as the more simple and
 efficacious  process4    ,this         
invention was made by ,watt in the      
summer of #aggh4 ,in ,june we find  him 
busy experimenting on copying-papers of 
different kinds1 requesting  ,boulton to
 send him specimens of 8the most even   
and whitest unsized  paper20 and in the 
following month he wrote ,dr4 ,black1   
8,i have lately  discovered a method of 

copying writing instantaneously1        
provided it has  been written the same  
day1 or within twenty-four hours4 ,i    
send you a  specimen1 and will impart   
the secret if it will be of any use to  
you4 ,it  enables me to copy all my     
business letters40#ahh ,for two years   
,watt kept  his method of copying a     
secret2 but hearing that certain persons
 were  prying into it with the view of  
turning it to account1 he determined to 
anticipate them by taking out a patent1 
which was secured in ,may1 #aghj4 ,by   
that time ,watt had completed the       
details of the press and the            
copying-ink4  ,sufficient mahogany and  
lignum-vit had been ordered for making  
#ejj  machines1 and ,boulton went up to 
,london to try and get the press        
introduced in the public offices4 ,he   
first waited upon several noblemen  to  
interest them in the machine1 amongst   
others on ,lord ,dartmouth1 who         
proposed to show it to ,george ,,iii4   
8,the ,king10 said ,boulton1 in a letter

  to ,watt1 8writes a great deal1 and   
takes copies of all he writes with  his 
own hand1 so that ,lord ,dartmouth      
thinks it will be a very desirable      
thing for ,his ,majesty40 ,several of   
those to whom the machine was first     
shown1 apprehended that it would lead to
 increase of forgery--then a great      
source of terror to commercial men4 ,the
 bankers concurred in this view1  and   
strongly denounced the invention2 and   
they expostulated with ,boulton  and    
,watt's agent for offering the presses  
for sale4 8,mr4 ,woodmason10  wrote     
,boulton1 8says the bankers mob him for 
having anything to do with  it2 they say
 that it ought to be suppressed40       
,boulton was not dismayed by  this      
opposition1 but proceeded to issue      
circulars to the members of the  ,houses
 of ,lords and ,commons1 descriptive of 
the machine1 inviting them  to an       
inspection of it1 after which he        
communicated the results to his         
partner3--      444 8,on ,tuesday       

morning last ,i waited on some          
particular noblemen1    according to    
promise1 at their own houses1 with the  
press1 and    at one o'clock ,i took    
possession of a private room adjoining  
the ,court of ,requests1 ,westminster   
,hall1 where ,i was visited by          
several members of both ,houses1 who in 
general were well pleased    with the   
invention2 but all expressed their fears
 of forgery1    which occasioned and    
obliged me to exercise my lungs very    
much4    ,many of the members tried to  
copy bank notes1 but in vain4 ,i had a  
full audience till half-past eight      
o'clock4444 ,i had quite a mob    of    
members next day2 some of them mobbed me
 for introducing such    wicked arts2   
however1 upon the whole1 ,i had a       
greater majority    than ,lord ,north   
hath had this year4      ,on ,thursday  
444 at half-past two 444 ,i had a       
tolerable good    ,house1 even a better 
than the ,speaker1 who was often obliged
    to send his proper officer to fetch 

away from me the members to    vote1 and
 sometimes to make a ,house4 ,as soon as
 the ,house formed    into a ,committee 
upon the ,malt-tax1 the ,speaker left   
the chair    and sent for me and the    
machine1 which was carried through the  
gallery in face of the whole ,house into
 the ,speaker's ,chamber4    ,i found   
him full of fears about the dreadful    
consequences1    which ,i quieted before
 ,i left him1 and he with his two       
friends    subscribed4 ,i attended again
 on ,friday1 but1 from a very thin      
,house and curiosity abating1 ,i had    
very few subscriptions4 ,mr4    ,banks  
came to see the machine on ,thursday4 ,i
 thought it might be    of service to   
show it to the ,royal ,society that     
evening4444 ,after    the business of   
the ,society was over1 he announced ,mr4
 ,watt's    invention1 and my readiness 
to show it1 and it was accordingly      
brought in and afforded much            
satisfaction to a crowded audience4     
,i did not show the list of subscribers 

and the proposals1 nor    dishonour     
philosophy by trade in that room4444 ,i 
spent ,friday    evening with ,smeaton  
and other engineers at a coffee-house1  
when a    gentleman 7not knowing me7    
exclaimed against the copying-machine1  
and wished the inventor was hanged and  
the machines all burnt1    which brought
 on a laugh1 as ,i was known to most    
present4444 ,there    are great names   
enough already among the subscribers to 
give a    sanction and authority to it1 
as well as to make it fashionable1      
which has more influence upon the minds 
of three-fourths of the    ,londoners   
than the intrinsic merit of the thing1  
and without which    it would have been 
some years in making its way40#ahi      
#ahh ,watt to ,dr4 ,black1 #bdth ,july1 
#aggh4        #ahi ,boulton to ,watt1   
#adth ,may1 #aghj4 ,boulton ,,mss4      
,by the end of the year1 the #aej       
machines first made were sold off1 and  
more orders were coming in4 ,thirty were
 wanted for exportation abroad1  and a  

still greater number were wanted at     
home4 ,the letter-copying  machine      
gradually and steadily made its way1    
until at length there was  scarcely a   
house of any extensive business         
transactions in which it was  not to be 
found4 ,watt himself1 writing of the    
invention some thirty years  later1     
observed that it had proved so useful to
 himself that it had been  worth all the
 trouble of inventing it1 even had it   
been attended with no  pecuniary profit 
whatever4    ,boulton's principal       
business1 however1 while in town1 was   
not so much  to push the letter-copying 
machine1 but to set straight the        
bankers'  account1 which had been       
overdrawn to the amount of #ag1jjjl4 ,he
 was able  to satisfy them to a certain 
extent by granting mortgages on the     
engine  royalties payable in ,cornwall1 
besides giving personal bonds for       
repayment  of the advances within a     
given time4 ,it was necessary to obtain 
,watt's  consent to both these measures2

 but1 though ,watt was willing to agree 
to  the former expedient1 he positively 
refused to be a party to the personal   
bonds4#aij ,boulton was therefore under 
the necessity of arranging the  matter  
himself4 ,he was thereby enabled to meet
 the more pressing claims  upon the     
firm1 and to make arrangements for      
pushing on the engine business  with    
renewed vigour4 ,watt was1 however1 by  
no means so anxious on this  score as   
,boulton was4 ,he was even desirous of  
retiring from the concern1  and going   
abroad in search of health4 8,without ,i
 can spare time this next  summer10 he  
wrote1 8to go to some more healthy      
climate to procure a little  health1 if 
climate will do1 ,i must give up        
business and the world too4 ,my  head is
 good for nothing40#aia ,while ,boulton 
was earnestly pressing the  invention on
 the mining interest1 and pushing for   
orders1 ,watt shuddered  at the prospect
 of one4 ,he saw in increase of business
 only increase of  headaches4 8,the care

 and attention which our business       
requires10 said  he1 8make me at present
 dread a fresh order with as much horror
 as other  people with joy receive one4 
,what signifies it to a man though he   
gain the  whole world1 if he lose his   
health and his life8 ,the first of these
 losses  has already befallen me1 and   
the second will probably be the         
consequence  of it1 without some        
favourable circumstances which at       
present ,i cannot  foresee should       
prevent it40        #aij ,on the #ahth  
,may1 #aghj1 ,watt wrote ,boulton1 then 
in ,london1        as follows3--8,i am  
sorry1 my dear ,sir1 to prove in any    
shape        refractory to what you     
desire1 but my quiet1 my peace of mind1 
perhaps my very existence1 depend on    
what ,i have told you4 ,i        am     
unhappy in not having any person ,i can 
advise with on this        subject2 and 
my own knowledge of it is insufficient4 
,therefore1        if ,i appear too     
rigid1 do not blame me1 but my ignorance

 and        timidity40 ,and again1 on   
the #aith1 on returning the draft       
mortgage1 he wrote3--8,if my executing  
this deed cannot be        dispensed    
with1 ,i will do it1 but will not       
execute any personal        bond for the
 money4 ,i would rather assign you all  
,cornwall on        proper conditions   
than execute this40        #aia ,watt to
 ,boulton1 #aath ,april1 #aghj4         
,judging by the correspondence of ,watt1
 his sufferings of mind and body at     
this time must have been excessive2 and 
the wonder is how he lived through  it4 
,but 8the creaking gate hangs long on   
its hinges10 and he lived to  the age of
 eighty-three1 long surviving his       
stronger and more courageous  partner4  
,intense headache seemed to be his      
normal state1 and his only  tolerable   
moments were those in which the headache
 was less violent than  usual4 ,his son 
has since described how he remembered   
seeing his father  about this time1     
sitting by the fireside for hours       

together1 with his  head leaning on his 
elbow1 suffering from most acute        
sick-headaches1 and  scarcely able to   
give utterance to his thoughts4 8,my    
headache10 he would  write to ,boulton1 
8keeps its week-aversary to-day40 ,at   
another time1  8,i am plagued with the  
blues2 my head is too much confused to  
do any  brain-work40 ,once1 when he had 
engaged to accompany his wife to an     
evening  concert1 he wrote1 8,i am quite
 eat up with the mulligrubs1 and to     
complete  the matter ,i am obliged to go
 to an oratorio1 or serenata1 or some   
other  nonsense1 to-night40 ,mrs4 ,watt 
tried her best to draw him out of       
himself1  but it was not often that she 
could divert him from his misery4 ,what 
relieved him most was sleep1 when he    
could obtain it2 and1 to recruit  his   
powers1 he was accustomed to take from  
nine to eleven hours sleep  at night1   
besides naps during the day4 ,when      
,boulton had erysipelas1 in  ,cornwall1 
and could not stir abroad1 he wrote to  

his partner complaining  of an unusual  
lowness of spirits1 on which ,watt      
undertook to be his  comforter in his   
own peculiar way4 8,there is no pitch of
 low spirits10  said he1 8that ,i have  
not a perfect notion of1 from hanging   
melancholy to  peevish melancholy3      
conquer the devil when he is young40    
,watt experienced  all the tortures of  
confirmed dyspepsia1 which cast its dark
 shadow over  the life of every day4    
,his condition was often most pitiable4 
,it is true1  many of the troubles which
 beset him were imaginary1 but he       
suffered  from them in idea as much as  
if they had been real4 ,small evils     
fretted  him1 and great ones overwhelmed
 him4 ,he met them all more than        
halfway1  and usually anticipated the   
worst4 ,he had few moments of           
cheerfulness1  hopefulness1 or repose4  
,speaking of one of his violent         
headaches1 he said1  8,i believe it was 
caused by something making my stomach   
very acid20 and  unhappily1 as in the   

case of most dyspeptics1 the acidity    
communicated  itself to his temper4     
,when these fits came upon him1 and the 
world was  going against him1 and ruin  
seemed about to swallow him up quick1 he
  would sit down and pen a long gloomy  
letter to his partner1 full of agony    
and despair4 ,his mental condition at   
the time shows at what expense of       
suffering in mind and body the triumphs 
of genius are sometimes achieved4    ,in
 the autumn of #aghj1 ,boulton went into
 ,cornwall for a time to look  after the
 business there4 ,several new engines   
had been ordered1 and were  either      
erected or in progress1 at ,wheal       
,treasury1 ,tresavean1 ,penrydee1       
,dalcoath1 ,wheal ,chance1 ,wheal       
,crenver1 and the ,united ,mines4 ,one  
of the  principal objects of his visit  
was to settle the agreements with the   
mining companies for the use of these   
engines4    ,it had been found difficult
 to estimate the actual savings of fuel1
 and  the settlement of the accounts was

 a constant source of cavil4 ,there was 
so much temptation on the one side to   
evade the payments according to the     
tables prepared by ,watt1 and so much   
occasion for suspicion on the other     
that they had been evaded by unfair     
means1 that it appeared to ,boulton     
that the only practicable method was to 
agree to a fixed annual payment  for    
each engine erected1 according to its   
power and the work it performed4  ,watt 
was very averse to giving up the tables 
which had cost him so much  labour to   
prepare2 but ,boulton more wisely urged 
the adoption of the  plan that would    
work most smoothly1 and get rid of the  
heartburnings on  both sides4 ,boulton  
accordingly sent down to ,watt a draft  
agreement with  the ,wheal ,virgin      
adventurers1 who were prepared to pay   
the large sum of  #bejjl4 a year in     
respect of five new engines erected for 
their firm2  and urged him to agree to  
the terms4 8,you must not be too rigid10
 said  he1 8in fixing the dates of      

payment4 ,a hard bargain is a bad       
bargain40  ,watt replied in a long      
letter1 urging the accuracy of his      
tables1 and  intimating his reluctance  
to depart from them4 ,to this ,boulton  
responded1  8,now1 my dear ,sir1 the way
 to do justice to our own characters1   
and to  trample under our feet envy1    
hatred1 and malice1 is to dispel the    
doubts1  and to clear up the minds of   
the gentlemanly part of this our best of
 all  kingdoms2 for if they think we do 
wrong1 it operates against us although  
we do none1 just as much as if we really
 did the wrong4 ,patience and  candour  
should mark all our actions1 as well as 
firmness in being just to  ourselves and
 others4 ,a fair character and standing 
with the people is  attended with great 
advantage as well as satisfaction1 of   
which you are  fully sensible1 so ,i    
need say no more40#aib        #aib      
,boulton1 at ,plengwarry1 to ,watt1 at  
,birmingham1 #adth        ,september1   
#aghj4 ,this day was ,boulton's         

birthday1 and alluding        to the    
circumstance he wrote1--8,as sure as    
there are #agbh inches        in a cubic
 foot1 so sure was ,i born in that year2
 and as sure        as there are #eb    
weeks in the year and #eb cards in the  
pack1 so        surely am ,i #eb years  
old this very day4 ,may you and ,mrs4   
,watt        live very long and be very 
happy40    ,watt did not give up his    
favourite tables without further        
expostulation  and argument1 but at     
length he reluctantly gave his assent to
 the ,wheal  ,virgin agreement1 by which
 the annual payment of #bejjl4 was      
secured4  ,though this was really an    
excellent bargain1 ,watt seemed to      
regard  it in the light of a calamity4  
,in the letter intimating his reluctant 
concurrence1 he observed3 8,these       
disputes are so very disagreeable to    
me1 that ,i am very sorry ,i ever       
bestowed so great a part of my time and 
money on the steam-engine4 ,i can bear  
with the artifices of the designing     

part of mankind1 but having myself no   
intention to deceive others1 ,i  cannot 
brook the suspicions of the honest part1
 which ,i am conscious  ,i never merited
 even in intention1 far less by any     
actual attempt to  deceive20#aic ,two   
days later ,watt again wrote1 urging the
 superiority of  his tables1 concluding 
thus3 8,i have been so much molested    
with headaches  this week1 that ,i have 
perhaps written in a more peevish strain
 than ,i  should have done if ,i had    
been in better health1 which ,i hope you
 will  excuse40 ,boulton replied1       
expressing regret at his lowness of     
spirits and  bad health1 advising him to
 cheer up4 8,at your leisure10 said he1 
8you may  amuse yourself with a         
calculation of what all the engines we  
shall have  in eighteen months erected  
in ,cornwall will amount to2 you will   
find it  good for low spirits40 8,i     
assure you10 he said at another time1   
8you have  no cause for apprehension as 
to anything in this country2 all is     

going on  well40 ,boulton seemed to     
regard his partner in the light of a    
permanent  invalid1 which he was2 and on
 writing to his various correspondents  
on  matters of business at ,soho1 he    
would abjure them not to cross ,mr4     
,watt4  ,to ,fothergill he wrote        
respecting the execution of an order1   
8the matter  must be managed with some  
delicacy respecting ,mr4 ,watt1 as you  
know that  when he is low-spirited he is
 vexed at trifles40        #aic ,watt to
 ,boulton1 #ajth ,october1 #aghj4       
,boulton ,,mss4    ,another important   
part of ,boulton's business in          
,cornwall1 besides settling  the engine 
agreement1 was to watch the mining      
adventures themselves1 in  which by this
 time ,boulton and ,watt had become     
largely interested4 ,in the  then       
depressed state of the mining interest1 
it was in many cases found  difficult to
 raise the requisite money to pay for   
the new engines2 and the  engineers must
 either go without orders or become     

shareholders to prevent  the            
undertakings dropping through           
altogether4 ,watt's caution impelled him
  at first to decline entering into such
 speculations4 ,he was already in       
despair at what he considered the bad   
fortunes of the firm1 and the load  of  
debts they had incurred in carrying on  
the manufacture of engines4 ,but  there 
seemed to be no alternative1 and he at  
length came to the conclusion  with     
,boulton1 that it was better 8not to    
lose a sheep for a ha'porth of          
tar40#aid        #aid ,watt to ,boulton1
 #bjth ,april1 #aghj4    ,rather than   
lose the orders1 therefore1 or risk the 
losses involved by  the closing of the  
mines worked by their engines1 the      
partners resolved  to incur the risk of 
joining in the adventures1 and in course
 of time they  became largely interested
 in them4 ,they also induced friends in 
the ,north  to join them1 more          
particularly ,josiah ,wedgwood and ,john
 ,wilkinson1 who  took shares to a large

 amount4    ,boulton now made it his    
business to attend the meetings of the  
adventurers1 in the hope of improving   
their working arrangements1 which  he   
believed were very imperfect4 ,he was   
convinced of this after his first       
meeting with the adventurers of the     
,wheal ,virgin mine4 ,he found their    
proceedings conducted without regard to 
order4 ,the principal attention was     
paid to the dining1 and after dinner and
 drink little real business could  be   
done4 ,no minutes were made of the      
proceedings2 half the company were      
talking at the same time on different   
subjects2 no one took the lead in       
conducting the discussions1 which were  
disorderly and anarchical in the        
extreme4 ,boulton immediately addressed 
himself to the work of introducing      
order and despatch4 ,he called upon his 
brother adventurers to do their         
business first1 and dine and talk       
afterwards4 ,he advised them to procure 
a minute-book in which to enter the     

resolutions and proceedings4 ,his       
clear-headed suggestions were at once   
agreed to2 and the next meeting1 for    
which he prepared the agenda1 was so    
entirely different from all that had    
preceded it1 in respect of order1       
regularity1 and the business transacted1
  that his influence with the           
adventurers was at once established4    
8,the  business10 he wrote to ,watt1    
8was conducted with more regularity1 and
  more of it was done1 than was ever    
known at any previous meeting40 ,he     
perceived1 however1 that there was still
 room for great improvements1  and      
added1 8somebody must be here all next  
summer 444 ,i shall be here  myself the 
greater part of it1 for there will want 
more kicking than you  can do4444 ,grace
 au ,dieu6 ,i neither want health1 nor  
spirits1 nor even  flesh1 for ,i grow   
fat40#aie        #aie ,boulton to ,watt1
 #beth and #cjth ,september1 #aghj4     
,boulton ,,mss4    ,to increase his     
influence among the adventurers1 and    

secure the advantages  of a local       
habitation among them1 ,boulton deemed  
it necessary to take  a mansion capable 
of accommodating his family1 and which  
should serve  the same purpose for his  
partner when sojourning in the          
neighbourhood4  ,boulton's first idea   
was to have a portable wooden house     
built and fitted  up in the manner of a 
ship's cabin1 which might readily be    
taken to  pieces and moved from place to
 place as business required4 ,this plan 
was1  however1 eventually abandoned in  
favour of a residence of a more fixed   
kind4 ,after much searching1 a house was
 found which promised to answer  the    
intended purpose1--an old-fashioned1    
roomy mansion1 with a good-sized  garden
 full of fruit trees1 prettily situated 
at ,cosgarne1 in the ,gwennap  valley4  
,though the ,united ,mines district was 
close at hand1 and fourteen  of ,boulton
 and ,watt's engines were at work in the
 immediate neighbourhood1  not an engine
 chimney was to be seen from the house1 

which overlooked  ,tresamble ,common1   
then an unenclosed moor4 ,here the      
partners by turns  spend much of their  
time for several successive years1      
travelling about  from thence on        
horseback from mine to mine to          
superintend the erection  and working of
 their engines4    ,illustration3       
,,cosgarne ,,house4    ,by this time the
 old ,newcomen engines had been almost  
completely  superseded1 only one of that
 construction remaining at work in the  
whole  county of ,cornwall4 ,the        
prospects of the engine business were1  
indeed1 so  promising1 that ,boulton    
even contemplated retiring altogether   
from his  other branches of business at 
,soho1 and settling himself permanently 
in  ,cornwall4#aif        #aif ,his     
partner ,fothergill would not1 however1 
consent to let        ,boulton go1 and  
the ,soho business was continued until  
the death        of ,fothergill         
7bankrupt7 in #aghb1 after which it was 
continued        for some time longer   

under the firm of ,boulton and ,scale4  
,notwithstanding the great demand for   
engines1 the firm continued for some    
time in serious straits for money1 and  
,boulton was under the necessity of     
resorting to all manner of expedients to
 raise it1 sometimes with ,watt's       
concurrence1 but oftener without4       
,watt's inexperience in money matters1  
conjoined with his extreme timidity and 
nervousness1 made him apprehend  ruin   
and bankruptcy from every fresh         
proposition made to him on the  subject 
of raising money4 ,he was kept so       
utterly wretched by his fears as  to be 
on occasions quite unmanned1 and he     
would brood for days together  on the   
accumulation of misery and anxiety which
 his great invention had  brought upon  
him4 ,his wife was kept almost as       
miserable as himself1 and as  ,matthew  
,boulton was the only person1 in her    
opinion1 who could help him  out of his 
troubles1 she privately appealed to him 
in the most pathetic  terms3--      8,i 

know10 she wrote1 8the goodness of your 
heart will readily    forgive me for    
this freedom1 and your friendship for   
,mr4 ,watt    will1 ,i am sure1 excuse  
me for pointing out a few things that   
press upon his mind4 ,i am very sorry to
 tell you that both his    health and   
spirits have been much worse since you  
left ,soho4 ,it    is all that ,i can do
 to keep him from sinking under that    
fatal    depression4 ,whether the       
badness of his health is owing to the   
lowness of his spirits1 or the lowness  
of his spirits to his bad    health1 ,i 
cannot pretend to tell4 ,but this ,i    
know1 that there    are several things  
that prey so upon his mind as to render 
him    perfectly miserable4 ,you know   
the bond that he is engaged in    to    
,vere's house has been the source of    
great uneasiness to him4    ,it is still
 so1 and the thought of it bows him down
 to the very    ground4 ,he thinks that 
company has used both you and him very  
ill    in refusing to release him1 when 

you can give them security for a    vast
 deal more than you are bound for4      
,forgive me1 dear ,sir1 if ,i    express
 myself wrong4 ,it is a subject ,i am   
not used to write on4    ,i know if you 
can you will set his mind at rest on    
this affair4    ,i need not tell you    
that the seeing him so very unhappy must
 of    consequence make me so4 ,there is
 another affair that sits very    heavy 
on his mind2 that is1 some old accounts 
that have remained    unsettled since   
the commencement of the business4 ,they 
never    come across his mind but he is 
rendered unfit for doing anything    for
 a long time4 ,a thousand times have ,i 
begged him to mention    them to you4444
 ,i am sure he would suffer every kind  
of anxiety    rather than ask you to do 
a thing you seemed not to approve of4 ,i
    know the humanity of your nature    
would make you cheerfully give    relief
 to any of the human race that was in   
distress1 as far as    was within your  
power4 ,the knowledge of this makes me  

happy in    the thought that you will   
exert every nerve to give ease to the   
mind of your friend4 ,believe me1 there 
is not on earth a person    who is      
dearer to him than you are4 ,it causes  
him pain to give    you trouble4 ,the   
badness of his constitution1 and his    
natural    dislike to business1 make him
 leave many things undone that he       
knows ought to be done1 and1 when it is 
perhaps too late1 to make    himself    
unhappy at their being neglected4444 ,in
 his present state    of weakness1 every
 ill1 however trifling1 appears of a    
gigantic    size1 while on the other    
hand every good is diminished4 ,again1  
,i repeat1 that from the certain        
knowledge ,i have of his temper1        
nothing could contribute more to his    
happiness and make him go    on         
cheerfully with business than having    
everything finished as    he goes along1
 and have no unsettled scores to look   
back to and    brood over in his        
mind40#aig        #aig ,mrs4 ,watt to   

,mr4 ,boulton1 then in ,london1 #aeth   
,april1 #agha4        ,boulton ,,mss4   
,mrs4 ,watt concluded by entreating that
 no mention would be made to her        
husband of her having written this      
letter1 as it would only give him pain1 
and explaining that she had adopted the 
expedient merely in the hope that       
something might be done to alleviate his
 sufferings4 ,this1 however1 was a  very
 difficult thing to do4 ,boulton could  
remind his hopeless partner of  the     
orders coming in for engines1 and that  
such orders meant prosperity1  not ruin2
 but he could not alter the condition of
 a mind essentially  morbid4 ,boulton   
was himself really in far greater       
straits than ,watt4 ,he  had risked his 
whole fortune on the enterprise2 and    
besides finding money  for buildings1   
plant1 wages1 materials1 and credits1 he
 was maintaining  ,watt until the engine
 business became productive4 ,we find   
from the annual  balance-sheets that    
,watt was regularly paid #ccjl4 a year1 

which was  charged upon the hardware    
business2 and that this continued down  
to the  year #aghe4 ,till then          
everything had been out-go2 the profits 
were all to  come4 ,it was estimated    
that upwards of #dj1jjjl4 were invested 
in the  engine business before it began 
to yield profits2 and all this was found
  by ,boulton4 ,in one of his letters to
 ,matthews he wrote1 8,i find myself  in
 the character of ,p1 pay for all10 but 
so long as his credit held good1        
,watt's maintenance was secure4    ,so  
soon1 however1 as it became clear that  
the enterprise would be a  success1 and 
that the demand for engines must shortly
 become national1 the  firm was         
threatened with a danger of another     
kind1 which occasioned almost  as much  
alarm to ,boulton as it did to ,watt4   
,this was the movement set on  foot in  
,cornwall and elsewhere with the object 
of upsetting their patent4  ,had the    
engine been a useless invention1 no one 
could have questioned  their right of   

property in it2 but1 being recognised as
 of boundless  utility1 it began to be  
urged that the public ought to be free  
to use it  without paying for it4 ,it   
was alleged that it had become          
indispensable  for the proper working of
 the mines1 and that the abolition of   
the patent  right would be an immense   
boon to the mining interest1 and enable 
them to  work the ores at a much reduced
 cost1 while the general industry of the
  country would also be greatly         
benefited4    ,when ,boulton wrote ,watt
 from ,cornwall1 informing him that the 
,cornishmen  were agitating the repeal  
of the special ,act by which their      
patent had  been extended1 and getting  
up petitions with that object1 ,watt    
replied1  8,i suspected some such move  
as this2 and you may depend upon it they
 will  never be easy while they pay us  
anything4 ,this is a match of all       
,cornwall  against ,boulton and ,watt2  
and though we may be the better players1
 yet  they can hold longer out4         

,however1 if we do die1 let us die      
hard40#aih        #aih ,in another      
letter ,watt described himself as       
8worried by the        ,wheal           
,chanceians4444 ,in short10 says he1 8,i
 am at this moment so        provoked at
 the undeserved rancour with which we   
are persecuted        in ,cornwall1     
that1 were it not on account of the     
deplorable        state of debt ,i find 
myself in1 ,i would live on bread and   
cheese1 and suffer the water to run out 
at their adits1 before        ,i would  
relax the slightest iota of what ,i     
thought my right in        their        
favour40--,watt to ,boulton1 #agth      
,october1 #aghj4 ,boulton        ,,mss4 
,but would ,parliament really take away 
that right of property in the  invention
 which they had granted1 and deprive    
,watt and his partner of  the fruits of 
their long labour and anxiety1 and their
 heavy outlay1  now that the superiority
 of the engine had become established8  
,would  the legislature consign them to 

certain ruin because it would be for the
  advantage of the ,cornish miners to   
have the use of the invention without   
paying for it8 ,watt would not for a    
moment believe this1 and both he and    
,boulton felt strong in the conviction  
that their patent right would be        
maintained4    ,time was1 when ,watt    
would have gladly parted with his       
invention for a very  small sum1 and    
made the engine free to all1 so far as  
he was concerned4  ,even after it had   
been perfected at ,soho1 after repeated 
and costly  experiments1 he declared his
 willingness to sell all his interest in
 it  for #gjjjl41 which would have      
barely remunerated him for the time and 
labour he had bestowed upon it1 then    
extending over nearly twenty years of   
the best period of his life4 ,and now1  
after six years of the partnership  had 
run1 and the heavy expenditure incurred 
by ,boulton in introducing  the engine  
was still unproductive1 he regarded it  
as cruel in the extreme  to attempt to  

deprive him of his just reward4 ,to     
,boulton he disburdened  himself fully1 
in strong and sometimes bitter terms4   
8,they charge us10  he said1 8with      
establishing a monopoly1 but if a       
monopoly1 it is one  by means of which  
their mines are made more productive    
than ever they  were before4 ,have we   
not given over to them two-thirds of the
 advantages  derivable from its use in  
the saving of fuel1 and reserved only   
one-third  to ourselves1 though even    
that has been still further reduced to  
meet  the pressure of the times8 ,they  
say it is inconvenient for the mining   
interest to be burdened with the payment
 of engine dues2 just as it is          
inconvenient for the person who wishes  
to get at my purse that ,i should  keep 
my breeches-pocket buttoned4 ,it is     
doubtless also very inconvenient  for   
the man who wishes to get a slice of the
 squire's land1 that there  should be a 
law tying it up by an entail4 ,yet the  
squire's land has not  been of his own  

making1 as the condensing engine has    
been of mine4 ,he has  only passively   
inherited his property1 while this      
invention has been the  product of my   
own labour1 and of ,god knows how much  
anguish of mind and  body20--      8,why
 don't they10 he asked1 8petition       
,parliament to take ,sir    ,francis    
,bassett's mines from him8 ,he          
acknowledges that he has    derived     
great profits from using our engines1   
which is more than    we can say of our 
invention2 for it appears by our books  
that    ,cornwall has hitherto eaten up 
all the profits we have drawn    from   
it1 as well as all that we have got from
 other places1 and    a good sum of our 
own money into the bargain4 ,we have no 
power to    compel anybody to erect our 
engines4 ,what1 then1 will ,parliament  
say to any man who comes there to       
complain of a grievance he can    avoid1
 and which does not exist but in his own
 imagination8 ,will    ,parliament give 
away our property without an equivalent8

 ,will they    not collect that         
equivalent from the county of ,cornwall8
 ,will they    adjudge them to pay us   
any less sum than it has cost ourselves8
    ,will they not further add some     
reward for the quantity of life    that 
has been devoted to the pursuit of what 
is evidently for    the advantage of    
others1 but hitherto has not been for   
our own8    ,lastly1 will ,parliament   
compel us to work for anybody without a 
remuneration adequate to our experience1
 or will they oblige us    to labour for
 any one without our consent8 ,we are in
 the state of    the old ,roman who was 
found guilty of raising better crops    
than    his neighbours1 and was         
therefore ordered to bring before the   
assembly of the people his instruments  
of husbandry1 and to tell    them of his
 art4 ,he complied1 and when he had done
 said1 #8,these    ,o ,romans1 are the  
instruments of our art2 but ,i cannot   
bring into    the forum the labours1 the
 sweats1 the watchings1 the anxieties1  

the cares1 which produced these crops4' 
,so1 every one sees the    reward which 
we may yet probably receive from our    
labours2 but    few consider the price  
we have paid for that reward1 which is  
by    no means a certain annuity1 but a 
return of the most precarious    sort4  
,to put an end1 as far as lies in my    
power1 to all disputes    with the      
people of ,cornwall1 let them pay my    
debts and give me a    reasonable sum   
for the time ,i have lost1 and ,i will  
resign my part    in their favour1 and  
think myself well off by the bargain4   
,or1    if you can find any man who is  
agreeable to yourself1 ,i'll sell    him
 my share on reasonable terms1 and1 like
 the sailor1 ,i will    promise to      
contrive no more fire-engines4 ,in      
short1 my dear ,sir1    with a good     
cause in hand1 ,i do not fear going     
before ,parliament    or anywhere4 ,i am
 sure that if they did anything they    
would put    us in a better position    
than we are in now40#aii        #aii    

,watt to ,boulton1 #cast ,october1      
#aghj4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,the petition 
to ,parliament1 though much talked      
about1 was not1 however1  presented2 and
 the schemers who envied ,boulton and   
,watt the gains which  they had now the 
prospect of deriving from the use of    
their engine1  shortly after resorted to
 other means of participating in them1  
to  which we shall hereafter refer4 ,in 
the mean time ,boulton1 at the urgent   
entreaty of ,watt1 who described himself
 as 8loaded to #ab lbs4 on the  inch10  
returned to ,birmingham2 though he had  
scarcely left before  urgent entreaties 
were sent after him that he must come   
back again to  ,cornwall4#bjj           
#bjj 8,though your long stay1 when you  
were last here10 wrote                  
,henderson1 the resident agent1 8must   
have been attended with        great    
inconveniences1 yet you are now very    
much wanted in ,wheal        ,virgin    
affairs4 ,different interests have      
produced a sort of        anarchy4444   

,were ,mr4 ,watt here now1 ,i don't     
think his health        would allow him 
to stand the battles with the different 
people4        ,i have not written to   
him freely on this subject1 as ,i am    
afraid        it would hurt him4444     
,your authority here as an adventurer   
has        much greater weight than     
anything ,i can propose40--,henderson to
        ,boulton1 #dth ,february1 #agha4
 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,while ,boulton was 
in ,cornwall1 the principal             
manufacturers of ,birmingham1           
dissatisfied with the bad and dear      
supply of copper1 resolved to form      
themselves into a company for the       
purpose of making brass and spelter2    
and they wrote to ,boulton offering to  
raise the requisite means1  provided he 
would take the lead in the management of
 the concern4 ,he  could not but feel   
gratified at this best of all proofs of 
the esteem  in which his townsmen held  
him1 and of their confidence in his     
business  qualities4 ,boulton1 however1 

declined to undertake so large an       
addition  to his labours4 ,he felt that 
he would soon be an old man1 and that it
  would be necessary for him to contract
 rather than extend the field of  his   
operations2 besides1 the engine business
 was already sufficiently  prosperous to
 induce him to devote to it the chief   
share of his attention4  ,but he        
promised to his ,birmingham friends that
 he would always be glad to  give them  
his best advice and assistance4 ,he     
accordingly furnished them  with a plan 
of operations1 and drew up a scheme for 
their consideration1  which was         
unanimously adopted1 and the whole of   
the share capital was at  once          
subscribed for4 ,he also made           
arrangements with his ,cornish friends  
for a regular supply of copper direct   
from the mines on the best terms4 ,on   
his return to ,birmingham1 we find him  
entering upon an elaborate series of    
experiments1 to determine the best      
constituents of brass2 in the course  of

 which he personally visited the        
principal calamine works in ,wales  and 
,derbyshire1 for the purpose of testing 
their different produce4 ,he  diligently
 read all the treatises on the subject1 
and made inquiries as  to the practice  
adopted in foreign countries4 ,finding1 
however1 that the  continuance of his   
connexion with the brass company was    
absorbing more  of his time than he     
could afford to bestow upon it1 he      
shortly withdrew  from the              
concern1--partly also1 because he was   
dissatisfied with what  he considered   
the illiberal manner in which the       
managing committee were  conducting its 
affairs4    ,another subject which      
occupied much of ,boulton's attention   
about the  same time1 was the           
improvement of engine boilers4 ,at an   
early period he  introduced tubes in    
them1 through which the heated air of   
the furnace  passed1 thereby greatly    
increasing the heating surface and      
enabling steam  to be raised more easily

 and rapidly4 ,we find him in           
correspondence with  ,watt on the       
subject1 while residing at ,redruth in  
the autumn of #aghj4 ,he  first         
suggested iron tubes2 but ,watt wrote1  
8,i cannot advise iron for the  tubes of
 boilers1 but they may be thought       
of40#bja ,next ,boulton suggested  the  
employment of copper tubes2 to which    
,watt replied1 8,i approve of what  you 
observe about making copper flanches to 
the boiler pipes in future1  and ,ale   
and ,cakes can easily be converted to   
that way whenever they put up  a second 
boiler40 ,we find ,boulton introducing  
four copper tubes #bj inches  in        
diameter into the ,wheal ,busy boiler1  
which was #bf feet in length1--the  fire
 passing through two of the tubes1 and  
returning through the other  two4 ,here1
 therefore1 we have ,boulton            
anticipating the invention of the       
tubular boiler1 and clearly adopting it 
in practice1 before the existence  of   
the locomotive1 for which it was        

afterwards re-invented4 ,in fact1  the  
multitubular boiler is but a            
modification and extension of ,boulton's
  principle1 as applied by him at so    
early a period in the ,cornish boilers4 
#bja ,watt to ,boulton1 #agth ,october1 
#aghj4    ,the numerous ,,ms4 books left
 by ,boulton show the care with which he
  made his experiments1 and the         
scrupulousness with which he recorded   
the results4 ,copies of his observations
 and experiments on boilers  were sent  
to ,watt1 to be entered by him in 8the  
calculation book10 in  which was        
recorded the tabulated experience of the
 firm4 ,boulton was  also an excellent  
mechanical draughtsman1 as appears from 
his tablets1  which contain a number of 
beautifully executed drawings of engines
  and machinery1 with very copious and  
minutely-written instructions for       
erecting them4 ,some of the drawings of 
sugar-mills are especially well         
executed1 and delicately coloured4 ,a   
rough sketch is given in one of  the    

books1 with a written explanation in    
,boulton's hand1 of a mode of  applying 
power in taking canal-boats through     
tunnels4 ,it consists of  an            
engine-boat1 with toothed claws attached
 to it for the purpose of  catching     
metal racks fastened along the sides of 
the tunnel1 such being  his design for  
working boats upon canals4 ,while in    
,cornwall1 he occupied  his evenings in 
drawing sections of various mines1      
showing the adits1 and  the method of   
applying the pumping machinery1 to which
 were also added  numerous elaborate    
calculations of the results of engine   
working4 ,he  also continued to devise  
improvements in the construction and    
working of  the steam-engine1 on which  
subject he exchanged his views with     
,watt at  great length4 ,in one of his  
letters he says3 8,i like your plan of  
making  all the principal wearing parts 
of tempered steel1 and the racks of best
  ,swedish iron1 with the teeth cut out4
 ,query3 ,would it not be worth while   

to make a machine for dividing and      
cutting the teeth in good form out  of  
sectors8 ,the iron would be less        
strained by that mode of cutting40 ,at  
other times1 when the steam-engine      
subject seemed exhausted1 he proceeded  
with the designing of road-carriages1 in
 which he was an adept1 filling  a      
quarto drawing-book1 entitled           
#8,thoughts on ,carriages1' with        
sketches of  different kinds of         
vehicles1 some in pencil and ,indian    
ink1 and others in  colours1 beautifully
 finished4 ,such were the leisure       
employments of this  indefatigably      
industrious man4    ,illustration3      
,,entrance ,,to ,,cosgarne ,,house4     
,illustration3 ,,the #8,,waggon ,,and   
,,horses1' ,,handsworth4    ,,chapter   
,,xv4    ,,watt ,,again ,,visits        
,,cornwall--,,invention ,,of ,,the      
,,rotary ,,motion--,,the ,,patent       
,,right ,,again ,,assailed4      ,watt's
 presence being much wanted in          
,cornwall1 he again proceeded thither1  

accompanied by his wife and family1 and 
arrived at ,cosgarne towards  the end of
 ,june1 #agha4 ,he found that many      
things had gone wrong for  want of the  
master's eye1 and it was some time      
before he succeeded in  putting affairs 
in order4 ,the men had been neglecting  
their work1 8going  a-drinking40        
,cartwright had 8contracted a fever in  
his working arm1 and  been swallowing   
ale for a cure10 until he heard ,watt   
had come1 when the  fever left him4     
,mrs4 ,watt also found occasion to      
complain of sundry little  grievances1  
and favoured ,boulton with a long       
catalogue of them4 ,gregory  and ,jessy 
had caught cold on the journey1 and     
workmen were hammering about  the house 
making repairs4 ,there was1 however1 one
 gleam of brightness in  her letter3    
8,james's spirits were surprisingly     
mended since his arrival40    ,watt was 
a most voluminous correspondent4 ,he    
wrote ,boulton several times  a week    
great folio sheets1 written close1 in   

small hand4 ,the letters must  have     
occupied much of his time to write1 and 
of ,boulton's to read4 ,the  latter1    
seeing his partner's tendency to indulge
 in 8worrit0 about petty  troubles1     
advised him in a kindly spirit not to   
vex himself so much about  such matters1
 but to call philosophy to his aid4 ,why
 should he not occupy  some of his spare
 time in writing out a history of all   
his steam-engine  contrivances1 to be   
dedicated to ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 and   
published in the  #8,transactions of the
 ,royal ,society'8 ,but ,watt was       
extremely averse to  writing anything   
for publication1 and the suggestion was 
not acted on4  ,then1 knowing ,watt's   
greatest pleasure to be in inventing1   
,boulton in a  subsequent letter advised
 him to take up afresh1 and complete a  
plan which  they had often discussed1 of
 producing rotary motion1 by which the  
engine  might be applied to work mills  
and drive machinery4    ,watt had from  
the first regarded the employment of the

 steam-engine in  producing continuous  
rotary motion as one of its most useful 
applications1  and with this object he  
invented his original wheel-engine4 ,no 
steps were  taken to introduce the      
invention to practical use2 but it      
occurred to ,watt  that the same object 
might be better effected by employing   
the ordinary  engine for the purpose1   
with certain modifications4#bjb ,the    
subject had  partially occupied his     
attention during his first visit to     
,cornwall2 for  we find him writing     
,boulton from ,chacewater1 in #aggi1    
8,as to the circular  motion1 ,i will   
apply it as soon as ,i can1 but foresee 
that ,i shall be  very busy shortly1 and
 much out of doors40 ,on his subsequent 
return to  ,birmingham1 after frequent  
conferences with his partner on the     
subject1 he  proceeded to prepare a     
model1 in which he made use of a crank  
connected  with the working beam of the 
engine to produce the rotary motion4    
,there  was no originality in the       

employment of the crank1 which was an   
expedient  that ,watt had long before   
made use of4#bjc ,the crank was1 indeed1
 one of  the most common of mechanical  
appliances4 ,it was in daily use in     
every  spinning-wheel1 in every         
grindstone turned by hand1 in every     
turner's  and knife-grinder's           
foot-lathe1 and in every potter's wheel4
 ,it was one  of the commonest1 as it   
must have been one of the oldest1 of    
mechanical  expedients4 8,the true      
inventor of the crank rotative motion10 
said ,watt1  8was the man who first     
contrived the common foot-lathe3        
applying it to  the engine was like     
taking a knife to cut cheese which had  
been made to  cut bread40        #bjb   
,in ,june1 #aghj1 we find ,boulton      
describing to ,colonel ,watson          
the progress of the ,soho business1 as  
follows3--8,since ,i had        the     
honour of seeing you in ,england we have
 erected upwards of        #dj of our   
new steam-engines1 and have 7from so    

much experience7        obviated every  
difficulty1 and made it a most          
practicable        and perfect machine4 
,the steam wheel we have not meddled    
with        since you were at ,soho1 as 
we have been fully employed upon        
large beam-engines2 besides1 we have    
applied the beam engine        to       
rotative motions so successfully that   
the wheel engine seems        almost    
unnecessary40        #bjc ,watt had made
 use of the crank at a very early       
period4        ,thus we find him writing
 to ,dr4 ,small on the #bjth ,september1
        #agfi1--8;,as to the condenser1 
,i laid aside the spiral wheels         
because of the noise and thumping1 and  
substituted a crank3 in        other    
respects it performed well enough40     
,illustration3 ,,the ,,crank ,,as       
,,applied ,,in ,,the ,,foot-,,lathe4    
,illustration3 ,,interior ,,of ,,the    
8,,waggon ,,and ,,horses40    ,by       
,percival ,skelton4    ,though ,watt had
 become very reserved1 especially to    

strangers1 about  his inventions1 he    
could not altogether keep from the      
knowledge of his  workmen the           
contrivances on which his thoughts were 
occupied4 ,he was  under the necessity  
of employing them to make patterns after
 his drawings1  from which any ingenious
 man might readily apprehend what he was
 aiming  at4 ,the ,soho workmen were    
naturally curious about the new         
inventions  and adaptations which ,watt 
was constantly producing1 and these     
usually  formed the subject of          
conversation at their by-hours4 ,while  
the model of  the crank engine was under
 construction at ,soho in the summer of 
#aghj1  a number of the workmen met one 
,saturday evening1 according to custom1 
to drink together at the 8,waggon and   
,horses10 a little old-fashioned1       
low-roofed1 roadside public-house1 still
 standing in the village of             
,handsworth4 ,the men were seated round 
the little kitchen-parlour1 talking     
about their work1 and boasting1 as men  

will do over their beer1 of the new  and
 wonderful things which they were       
carrying forward in the shops4 ,dick    
,cartwright1 the pattern maker1 was one 
of the loudest of the party4 ,he was    
occupied upon a model for the purpose of
 producing rotary motion1 which  he     
declared would prove one of the best    
things ,mr4 ,watt had ever brought  out4
 ,the other men were curious to know all
 about it1 and to illustrate  the action
 of the machine1 ,cartwright proceeded  
to make a rude sketch of  the crank upon
 the wooden table with a bit of chalk4  
,a person who sat in  the kitchen corner
 in the assumed garb of a workman1 drank
 in greedily all  that the men had been 
saying2 for there were many             
eavesdroppers constantly  hanging about 
,soho1 some for the purpose of picking  
up surreptitious  information1 and      
others to decoy away skilled workmen who
 were in the  secrets of the            
manufacture4 ,watt himself had never    
thought of taking  out a patent for the 

crank1 not believing it to be           
patentable2 but the  stranger aforesaid 
had no such hesitation1 and it is said  
he posted  straight to ,london and      
anticipated ,watt by securing a         
protection for the  contrivance4#bjd    
#bjd ,the invention was patented by     
,james ,pickard1 a ,birmingham          
button-maker1 on the #bcrd ,august1     
#aghj 7,no4 #abfc74 ,matthew            
,washborough of ,bristol arranged with  
,pickard for employing it        in the 
engine invented by him for securing     
circular motion4        ,washborough's  
own patent has no reference to the      
crank1 though        he is usually named
 as the inventor of it4    ,watt was    
exceedingly wroth when he discovered the
 trick which had been  played him1 and  
he suspected that ,matthew ,washborough 
was at the bottom of  it4 ,washborough  
was a ,bristol mechanic1 who carried on 
several branches of  mechanical trade1  
amongst others that of clock-making on a
 large scale4  ,watt had employed       

,washborough to make nozzles for several
 of the ,cornish  engines1 but was not  
satisfied with his work2 for we find him
 writing  to his partner1 8,if          
,washborough makes no better engines    
than he does  eduction-pipes1 he will   
soon be blown3 the ,wheal ,union pipe is
 the worst  job you ever saw1 being     
worse than ,forbes's1 which was very    
bad2 ,i scarce  know what to do with    
it40 ,it would appear from this that    
,washborough had  begun to make engines1
 thereby turning to account the         
knowledge he had  acquired in ,cornwall4
 ,one of the first he made was for the  
purpose of  driving the lathes of his   
own manufactory at ,bristol2 and it     
affords a  clear proof of ,washborough's
 ingenuity that in this engine he       
employed  both the fly-wheel and the    
crank4 ,he has been styled the inventor 
of  the fly-wheel1 but he was no more   
its inventor than he was of the crank2  
the ,irish ,professor ,fitzgerald having
 proposed to employ it as part of  a    

,papin's engine as early as the year    
#ageg4 ,washborough shortly after       
erected an engine after the same plan   
for a manufacturer on ,snow ,hill1      
,birmingham2 and then it was that ,watt 
learned that he had been 8bolted  out10 
as he termed it1 from making use of the 
crank4    ,at first he was puzzled what 
to do to overcome the difficulty1 but   
his  prolific mind was rarely at a loss1
 and before many months were over he    
had contrived several other methods for 
effecting rotary motion4 8,i dare  not1 
however10 he wrote to ,boulton1 8make my
 new scheme1 lest we be  betrayed again2
 ,i believe we had best take the patent 
first40 ,at the same  time ,watt was    
persuaded that no contrivance could     
surpass the crank#bje  for directness1  
simplicity1 and efficiency4 ,he was     
therefore desirous1  if possible1 of    
making use of it in his rotative engine1
 as originally  proposed2 and he wrote  
to ,boulton1 then at ,redruth1 8,i think
 you ought  to call upon ,washborough as

 you return1 and let him know that we   
will  dispute his having an exclusive   
right to those cranks40#bjf ,boulton    
called upon ,washborough accordingly1   
and gave him notice to this effect4     
,but ,watt hesitated to use the crank   
after all4 ,although the contrivance    
was by no means new1 its application to 
the steam-engine was new2 and1          
notwithstanding the unfair way in which 
,pickard had anticipated him1 ,watt  did
 not like to set the example of         
assailing a patent1 however disputable1 
as it might furnish a handle to those   
who were at the time seeking to  attack 
his own4 ,the proposal was made to him  
that he should allow the  ,washborough  
,company to use his steam-engine in     
exchange for their allowing  him to use 
the crank2 but this he positively       
refused to agree to1 as he  felt        
confident in yet being able to produce a
 circular motion without  employing the 
crank at all4        #bje ,at a later   
date we find him writing to his partner 

thus3--8,i        cannot agree with ,mr4
 ,palmer's notion about the crank       
engine1        as1 though a crank is not
 new1 yet that application of it is     
new and never was practised except by   
us4 ,it is by no means our              
interest to demolish the crank patent1  
because then all our own        machines
 of that kind will be of no use1 and ,i 
am convinced that        the crank can  
be made their superior40--,watt to      
,boulton1 #aeth        ,october1 #agha4 
#bjf ,watt to ,boulton1 #aith ,november1
 #aghj4    ,thus matters stood until the
 beginning of the year #agha1 when      
,washborough1  having entered into an   
arrangement with the ,commissioners of  
the ,navy to  erect an engine for       
grinding flour at the ,deptford         
,victualling ,yard1#bjg  a formal       
application was made to ,boulton and    
,watt to apply their engine  for the    
purpose4 ,watt protested that he could  
not bring himself to submit  to such an 
indignity4 ,if the ,commissioners       

thought proper to employ him  to erect  
the necessary engine1 rotative motion1  
and machinery1 he would  exert every    
faculty which ,god had given him in     
doing so1 but he 8would  never consent  
to hold the candle to ,washborough40    
#bjg ,boulton and ,watt were by this    
time employing their engine        for a
 like purpose1 as appears from a letter 
of ,boulton to ,s4        ,wyatt1 dated 
#bhth ,february1 #agha1 in which he     
says1--8,we are now        applying our 
engines to all kinds of mills1 such as  
corn mills1        rolling iron and     
copper1 winding coals out of the pit1   
and every        other purpose to which 
the wind or water mill is applicable4   
,in        such applications1 one       
hundred weight of coals will produce as 
much mechanical power as is equal to the
 work of ten men for ten        hours1  
and these mills may be made very much   
more powerful than        any           
water-mills in ,england40 ,to ,mr4      
,henderson he wrote at the        same  

date3--8,i make no scruple to say but   
that ,i could readily        build a    
more powerful and in every respect      
better copper-rolling        mill by    
steam than any water-mill now in        
,england4 ,as soon as        the        
,cornish engines are at work1 ,i intend 
to turn millwright        and make our  
steam-mills universally known40         
8,had ,i esteemed him10 he wrote to     
,boulton1 8a man of ingenuity and    the
 real inventor of the thing in question1
 ,i should not have made    any         
objection2 but1 when ,i know that the   
contrivance is my own1    and has been  
stolen from me by the most infamous     
means1 and1 to    add to the            
provocation1 a patent been              
surreptitiously obtained for    it1 ,i  
think it would be descending below the  
character of a man    to be found in any
 way aiding or assisting him in his     
pretended    invention4444 ,i think1    
therefore1 that you should propose to   
the    ,honourable ,board to undertake  

the direction of the whole2 and1        
provided you can agree with them about  
the customary premium    for the savings
 by our engine1 you should do the       
whirligig part    the rotative motion   
for love4 ,if this proposal should not  
be    accepted1 ,i beg of you to decline
 having any concern with it1 and        
leave the field clear to ,washborough4  
,we may perhaps gain more    by so doing
 than we can lose1 as ,i assure you ,i  
have a very mean    opinion of the      
mechanical abilities of our opponents4  
,they have    committed many gross      
errors in such of their works as ,i have
 had    occasion to know about1 and we  
may get honour by rectifying their      
mistakes4 ,perhaps this may seem to you 
to savour of vanity4 ,if    it does1    
excuse it on account of the very        
provoking circumstances    which have   
extorted the confession4 ,if these      
engineers had let us    alone1 ,i should
 not have meddled with them2 but1 as it 
is1 ,i think    we should be wanting in 

common prudence if we suffered a        
marriage    between our machine and     
theirs1 and if we did not do all we     
could    to strip them of their borrowed
 feathers1 which ,i hope there is       
justice enough left in ,england to      
enable us to do40#bjh        #bjh ,watt 
to ,boulton1 #bast ,april1 #agha4 ,on   
the following day        7the #bbnd     
,april7 ,watt wrote another long letter 
to ,boulton on        the same subject4 
,his mind could not be at rest1 and he  
thus        unburdened himself of his   
indignation3--8,if you find yourself    
so circumstanced1 as you say you are1   
that you dare not refuse        to erect
 the proposed engine for the ,navy      
,board1 then let them        pay ,m4    
,washborough and have done with him1 and
 let the engine be        erected under 
our direction or ,mr4 ,smeaton's4 ,with 
the latter        ,i will go hand in    
hand2 nay ,i will do more--,i will      
submit to        him in all mechanical  
matters2 but ,i will by no means submit 

to        go on with thieves and        
puppies1 whose knowledge and integrity  
,i contemn4 ,though ,i am not so saucy  
as many of my countrymen1        ,i have
 enough of innate pride to prevent me   
from doing a mean        action because 
a servile prudence may dictate it4 ,if a
 king were        to think ,matt        
,washborough a better engineer than me1 
,i should        scorn to undeceive him4
 ,i should leave that to ,matthew4 ,the 
connexion would be stronger as the      
evidence would be undeniable4        ,so
 much for heroics6444 ,i will never     
meanly sue a thief to give        me my 
own again1 unless ,i have nothing left  
behind4 ,as it now        stands1 ,i    
have enough left to make their patent   
tremble1 and        shall leave no      
mechanical stone unturned to aggrieve   
them4 ,i        will do more4 ,i will   
publish my inventions1 by which means   
they        will be entirely precluded1 
because they must be fools indeed       
that will pay them for what they can    

have for nothing4 ,i        am very ill 
with a headache1 therefore can write no 
more than        passion dictates40     
,boulton acted on his partner's advice1 
and declined the proposed  connexion4   
,the ,navy ,board were placed in a      
dilemma by this decision4  ,they then   
referred the matter to ,mr4 ,smeaton1   
and requested him to  report to them as 
to the most suitable plan of a          
flour-mill1 and the  steam-engine best  
calculated to drive it4 ,to the great   
surprise of ,watt  as well as           
,washborough1 ,smeaton reported that    
both their engines were  alike unsuited 
for such a purpose4 8,i apprehend10 he  
said1 8that no  motion communicated from
 the reciprocating lever of a           
fire-engine can  ever produce a perfect 
circular motion1 like the regular efflux
 of water  in turning a water-wheel60   
,this report relieved the               
,commissioners4 ,they  abandoned their  
scheme1 and the order for ,washborough's
 engine was at once  countermanded4#bji 

,so soon as ,watt had got fairly settled
 at ,cosgarne1 in the summer of #agha1  
he proceeded to work out the plan of a  
rotary-working engine4 ,boulton was     
making experiments with the same object 
at ,soho1 communicating to him the      
results from day to day4 ,he was        
stimulated to prosecute the inquiry by  
the applications which he received from 
many quarters for steam-engines         
suitable for driving mills4 ,he         
therefore urged ,watt to complete the   
invention1 and to prepare the drawings  
and specification1 declaring his        
readiness at any time to provide the    
money requisite for taking out a        
patent4 8,the people in ,london1        
,manchester1 and ,birmingham10 said he1 
8are steam-mill mad4 ,i don't mean to   
hurry you1 but ,i think that in  the    
course of a month or two we should      
determine to take out a patent  for     
certain methods of producing rotative   
motion from the vibrating or            
reciprocating motion of the             

fire-engine1--remembering that we have  
four  months in which to describe the   
particulars of the invention40#baj      
#bji ,washborough was much mortified by 
the decision of the ,navy        ,board1
 and alleged that he had been badly used
 by them4 ,the        anxieties         
occasioned by his failure1 and the      
pecuniary losses he        had          
sustained1 preyed heavily upon his mind1
 and he was seized        by a fever    
which carried him off in ,october1      
#agha1 when only        in his #bhth    
year4 ,he was unquestionably a young man
 of much        ingenuity and merit1 and
 had he lived would have achieved high  
eminence and distinction as an engineer4
        #baj ,boulton to ,watt1 #bast   
,june1 #agha4    ,watt proceeded to put 
his ideas in a definite shape as fast as
 his bad  health and low spirits would  
allow4 ,every now and then a fit of     
despair  came upon him about his        
liability to the bankers1 and so long as
 it lasted  he was unmanned1 and could  

do nothing4 ,at the very time that      
,boulton was  writing the letter last   
quoted1 ,watt was thus bewailing his    
unhappy lot3--        8,when ,i executed
 the mortgage10 said he1 8my sensations 
were such    as were not to be envied by
 any man who goes to death in a just    
cause2 nor has time lessened the        
acuteness of my feelings4444    ,i      
thought ,i was resigning in one hour the
 fruits of the labour    of my whole    
life1--and that if any accident befell  
you or me1 ,i    should have left a wife
 and children destitute of the means of 
subsistence1 by throwing away the only  
jewel ,fortune had presented    me      
with4444 ,these transactions have been  
such a burden upon my    mind that ,i   
have become in a manner indifferent to  
all other    things1 and can take       
pleasure in nothing until my mind is    
relieved    from them2 and perhaps1 from
 so long a disuse of entertaining       
pleasing ideas1 never may be capable of 
receiving them any    more40#baa        

#baa ,watt to ,boulton1 #bast ,june1    
#agha4    ,boulton made haste to console
 his partner1 and promised to take      
immediate  steps to relieve his mind of 
the anxiety that weighed so heavy upon  
it2 and he was as good as his word4 ,at 
the same time he told ,watt that  he    
must not suppose he was the only man in 
the world who had cares and  troubles to
 endure4 ,boulton himself had1 perhaps1 
more than his share1  but he tried to   
bear them as lightly as he could4 ,with 
his heavy business  engagements to meet1
 his large concerns to keep going1 he   
was not a man  much to be envied2 yet he
 continued to receive his visitors as   
usual at  ,soho1 and to put on a        
cheerful countenance4 8,i am obliged10  
he wrote1 8to  smile1 to laugh1 to be   
good-humoured1 sometimes to be merry1   
and even go  to the play6 ,oh1 that ,i  
were at the ,land's ,end60 ,such was his
 playful way  of reminding ,watt of the 
necessity of cheerfulness to enable one 
to get  through work pleasantly4#bab    

,but ,watt's temperament was wholly     
different4  ,his philosophy never rose  
to the height of taking things easy4 ,he
 could  not cast his cares behind him1  
nor lose sight of them2 but carried them
  about with him by day1 and took them  
to bed with him at night2 thus making   
life a sort of prolonged vexation--a    
daily and nightly misery4        #bab   
,while ,boulton spoke good humouredly to
 his partner in        ,cornwall with   
the object of cheering him up1 he       
privately        unbosomed himself to   
his friend ,matthews in ,london4 ,when  
requesting him to call at once on the   
bankers and get the        account      
reduced to an advance of #ab1jjjl41 and 
thus obtain        ,mr4 ,watt's release1
 he complained of the distress which the
        communications of the latter had
 caused him4 ,he thought his            
conduct ungenerous1 taking all the      
circumstances into account1        and  
considering that the firm were within a 
year of being        tolerably easy in  

money matters4 8,when ,i reflect10 he   
wrote1 8on        his situation in #aggb
 and my own at that time1 and compare   
them        with his and mine now1 ,i   
think ,i owe him little4444 ,i some time
        ago gave him a security of all  
my two-thirds1 after paying off         
,l4 ,v4 and ,w4 the bankers1 from which 
you may judge how little        reason  
he has to complain4 ,he talks of his    
duty to his wife        and children2 by
 the same rule ,i ought not to neglect  
mine4 ,his        wife's fortune joined 
to his own did not amount to sixpence3  
my        wife brought me in money and  
land #bh1jjjl4 ,i advanced him all      
he wanted without a security1 but in    
return he is not content        with an 
ample security for advancing nothing at 
all but what he        derived from his 
connexion with me40--,boulton to        
,matthews1 #bhth        ,june1 #agha4   
,boulton ,,mss4    ,but a new and still 
more alarming source of anxiety occurred
 to disturb  the mind of poor ,watt1 and

 occasion him many more sleepless       
nights4 ,the  movement to abolish the   
patent by repeal of the ,act of         
,parliament having  broken down1        
attempts were now made in many quarters 
to evade it by  ingenious imitations1 in
 which the principle of ,watt's engine  
was adopted  in variously disguised     
forms4 ,but to do this successfully     
would have  required an inventive       
faculty almost as potent as that of     
,watt himself2  and he had drawn the    
specification of his patent too         
carefully to be  easily broken through  
by the clumsy imitators who made the    
attempt4 ,it  was1 however1 only natural
 that the success of the new engine     
should draw  the attention of ingenious 
mechanics to the same subject4 ,watt had
 drawn a  great prize1 and why should   
not they8 though they little knew the   
burden  of sorrow which his prize had   
brought upon him4 ,they only knew of the
  large annual dues--probably           
exaggerated by the tongue of            

rumour--which  were being paid to the   
patentees for the use of their engines2 
and  they not unnaturally sought to     
share in the good fortune4 ,there might 
possibly be other mechanical methods by 
which the same objects were to  be      
accomplished1 without borrowing from    
,watt2 at all events it was worth       
trying4 ,hence the number of mechanical 
schemers who made their appearance      
almost simultaneously in all parts of   
the country1 and the number of new      
methods of various kinds contrived by   
them for the production of motive       
power4    ,watt was very soon informed  
of the schemes which were on foot in his
  immediate neighbourhood--much too soon
 for his peace of mind4 ,he at  once    
wrote to his partner3 8,some ,camborne  
gentlemen 7supposed to be  ,bonze and   
,trevithick7 have invented a new engine 
which they say beats  ours two-thirds1  
and one of the partners has gone to     
,london to procure  a patent for it4 ,a 
,mr4 ,vice says he has also invented a  

new engine1  and that they have stolen  
his and compounded it with ours2 he     
intends  to take out a caveat against   
them40#bac ,though ,bonze was an        
excellent  engineer1 and elicited the   
admiration of ,watt himself1 it turned  
out that  he had no concern with the new
 invention4 ,its projectors proved to be
  the ,hornblowers1 also engineers of   
considerable local repute4 ,watt had    
befriended the family1 and employed them
 in erecting his engines1 by which      
means they became perfectly familiar    
with their construction and mode of     
action4 ,jonathan ,hornblower had a     
large family of sons1 of whom ,jabez1   
,jesse1 ,jethro1 and ,jonathan were     
engineers1 like their father4 ,jabez1   
one of the cleverest1 had spent some    
time in ,holland1 from whence he had    
returned with some grand scheme in his  
head for carrying out an extensive      
system of drainage in that country4     
,like his father and the other sons1  he
 was employed in erecting ,watt's       

engines1#bad which had the effect  of   
directing his attention to the invention
 of a new power which should  supersede 
that of his employer4        #bac ,watt 
to ,boulton1 #bdth ,june1 #agha4        
#bad ,watt befriended ,jabez like the   
other members of his family1        as  
appears from the following passage in a 
letter to ,boulton        7#fth         
,september1 #aggh73--8;,capt4 ,paul has 
turned ,jabez adrift1        having for 
some time taken umbrage at him because  
he would        do his work well and    
therefore expensively4 ,jabez has a bad 
wife1 is poor and unhappy4 ,he is very  
clever1 a good engineer1        and     
industrious1 though he seems not to have
 the faculty of        conciliating     
people's affections4 ,i fear he will go 
to ,holland1        and as he can hurt  
us there being no patent for the engine 
secured there ,i must try to get him    
bread here40 ,later1        ,boulton    
wrote ,watt from ,redruth 7#ahth        
,november1 #aghj71--8,old               

,hornblower has disobliged ,mr4 ,daniel4
 ,i have my fears they will        not  
employ him2 but when our own business is
 sealed to-morrow1        ,i will make a
 push in his favour4 ,that family hath  
not been        successful in           
conciliating the affections of the      
people in this        neighbourhood40   
,it was for some time doubtful what was 
the precise character of the new        
engine4 ,indeed the ,hornblowers        
themselves long remained undecided about
  its actual form1 being still in the   
throes of invention4 ,they knew that    
they must copy discreetly1 so as not to 
lay themselves too open to attack2  and 
though they urged the superiority of    
their engine so strongly as  to induce  
several of the mining companies to      
believe in them1 and even  to withhold  
orders from ,boulton and ,watt1 they    
refrained as yet from  publishing their 
invention4 ,watt wrote to his partner   
that he understood  the ,hornblowers'   
engine was on some new principle1 and   

the only novelty  he could think of was 
a caloric air-engine4 ,he therefore     
asked ,boulton  to make all the         
inquiries he could as to the respective 
bulks and prices  per #ajjj feet of all 
possible kinds of air in their most     
expanded states4  8,i am much vexed10 he
 continued1 8by this affair4 ,jabez does
 not want  abilities3 the rest are      
fools4 ,if they have really found a     
prize1 it will  ruin us4444 ,bankruptcy 
might ensue to both4 ,but ,i don't fear 
getting my  bread independent of        
engines1 though much easier with        
them40#bae ,watt  was1 however1 in error
 as to the nature of the ,hornblowers'  
engine1 which  he discovered three days 
later1 when he wrote ,boulton1--        
#bae ,watt to ,boulton1 #afth ,july1    
#agha4      8,the matter is this3 ,ever 
since the ungrateful1 idle1 insolent    
,hornblowers knew anything about our    
engines1 they have laboured    to evade 
our ,act1 and for that purpose have long
 been possessed    of a copy of our     

specification4 ,they made an attempt at 
,wheal    ,maid two years ago1 by       
connecting two cylinders together and   
injecting into one of them1 which did   
not succeed1 although they    had       
gathered together numbers of their      
friends in order to make    a great     
exhibition4 ,since that1 ,jonathan the  
coppersmith1 who1    like ,alexander of 
the like trade1 hath done me much evil1 
has    laboured close at some more      
successful evasion1 which he says    he 
has now completed and taken a patent    
for1--concerning which    ,i hear as    
follows from public reports1 propagated 
by ,jethro's    confidants3--#ast4 ,that
 ,jonathan ,hornblower is the inventor  
and    patentee2 that ,winwood1 ,jones  
and ,company1 of ,bristol1 are his      
partners and supporters with money 7that
 ,winwood was lately in    this country 
on a sleeveless errand is certain72 that
 they have    made their model work to  
#ad lbs4 on the inch1 and expect it will
    work to #ah lbs4 #bndly4 ,that they 

press the piston down by steam1    and  
maintain they have a right to do so1    
because1 say they1 it    can be proved  
that such was done before my patent4 ,i 
suppose by    this they allude to       
,gainsborough's bauble1 which1          
by-the-by1 was    after the patent4 ,if 
they do not mean this ,i am at a loss1  
as    ,i now declare that ,i do not know
 of any one having done it before    the
 patent except myself4 ,however1 it     
behoves us to inquire into    this1 and 
if the exhibition was not a public one  
it avails not4    #crdly4 ,that they    
pretend to condense the steam in the    
cylinder2    but ,i have heard that they
 do it in a separate vessel within the  
cylinder1 or close to it4 #dthly4 ,that 
they do not use an air or    water pump1
 from which ,i conjecture that they let 
the hot water    down the shaft by a    
pipe more than #cj feet long1 as you    
know ,i    proposed but had several     
objections to4 ,you will remember1 and  
,i    dare say ,joseph and ,peploe also 

do1 that we made the #ah-;inch ,soho    
cylinder work by blowing the hot water  
out of the eduction-pipe    and used no 
air-pump1 but found a waste of steam by 
so doing4    ,there is also some        
confused report about a wheel being     
employed    on their engine1 which makes
 me suspect that ,m4 ,washborough may   
be the ,bristol man concerned with      
them40#baf        #baf ,watt to         
,boulton1 #aith ,july1 #agha4 ,boulton  
,,mss4    ,two days later ,watt         
wrote1--8,my principal hope is that     
almighty ,nature  will prove ,lord      
,chancellor1 and put a negative on their
 scheme4 ,amen1 so  be it6 ,i abhor     
lawsuits1 and reckon a cause half lost  
that is litigated40    ,on the #bcrd of 
,july he returned to the subject3--     
8,the ,horners10 said he1 8continue     
bragging of what they are to    do1 and 
,i hear the country in general takes    
part with them1 as    even the aversion 
they have to the ,horners does not equal
 the    pleasure they would feel at our 

undoing4444 ,the ,horners say they      
can make a common engine equal to ours1 
but that their new engine    is         
one-third better4 ,we must now attend to
 making use of all the    elastic power 
of the steam1 which1 unless ,i am much  
deceived1    will save one-half over our
 best engines1 and at any rate it may   
easily be applied to work the condenser1
 which will save about    one-eighth4 ,i
 will not conceal from you that ,i am   
rendered very    unhappy by one thing   
and another1 but fight with it all ,i   
can40    ,in the mean time ,boulton     
continued to urge ,watt to complete the 
specification and drawings of his       
rotative engine1 informing him of the   
success of the model which he had now   
completed at ,soho3--      8,though you 
studied a thousand years10 said he1 8,i 
do not think    you could make one ten  
per cent4 better than a small model with
    two cones which ,joseph has executed
 after my drawings4 ,it has    little   
friction1 goes sweeter than anything of 

the kind you have    yet touched1 and   
has not the least shake4 ,it is so      
perfect that    ,i don't consider it    
worth while even to think of any other  
for    horizontal motions4 ,i am        
therefore positively decided in my mind 
as to the necessity of taking out a     
patent and including in it    all the   
principles and constructions you please2
 for if it be not    secured soon we may
 lose it40#bag        #bag ,boulton to  
,watt1 #bhth ,june1 #agha4 ,on the #crd 
,july following        he writes1--8,the
 great rotative engine is finished1 and 
,i        expected the union between it 
and the little engine would have        
been performed this evening1 but it     
can't be till to-morrow4        ,robert 
set the elliptic out so true that it had
 no shake and        required no        
alteration4 ,it goes so much better than
 the little        model made by ,joseph
 that ,i am now ashamed to send the     
little        one4 ,the great model     
makes a delightful horizontal           

foot-lathe4 ,i        gave it a few     
strokes with my foot1 and it made #cj   
revolutions        after ,i withdrew it1
 and that in a quiet and peaceable      
manner1        which shows how steady   
and frictionless it is40    ,in the same
 letter1 ,boulton communicated to ,watt 
the rumours that had  reached him from  
,scotland of more inventions of engines 
that were to beat  ,watt's out of the   
field4 8,the cry is still1 they come60  
said he4 8,hatley  from ,scotland is    
going with ,lord ,dunmore to ,virginny2 
says that he and  somebody else in      
,scotland have invented an engine that  
is three times  better than yours40     
,boulton recommended that a search      
should be made at  the ,patent-,office1 
to ascertain what was going on in new   
engine patents4  ,watt entirely approved
 of this1 and urged that the search     
should be made  at once4 8,i do not     
think we are safe a day to an end10 he  
wrote1 8in  this enterprising age4      
,one's thoughts seem to be stolen before

 one speaks  them4 ,it looks as if      
,nature had taken an aversion to        
monopolies1 and put  the same thing into
 several people's heads at once to      
prevent them2 and  ,i begin to fear that
 she has given over inspiring me1 as it 
is with the  utmost difficulty that ,i  
can hatch anything new40                
,notwithstanding this confession on the 
part of ,watt1 his inventive  faculties 
were really never at any period of his  
life more vigorous than  now2 for he was
 rapidly maturing his rotative engine1  
with its various  ingenious methods for 
securing circular motion2 and working   
out the  details of the double-cylinder 
expansion engine1 with its many         
admirable  contrivances hereafter to be 
described4 ,boulton continued to receive
  applications at ,soho1 from various   
quarters1 for engines capable of        
working flour-mills and other machinery1
 and ,watt himself was urged by  like   
inquiries from manufacturers in         
,cornwall4 8,mr4 ,edwards10 he wrote    

,boulton1 8waits impatiently the success
 of our rotative machine4 ,he  wants a  
power able to lift a hammer of #gjj     
lbs41 #b feet high1 #abj times  per     
minute4444 ,in relation to the circular 
engine1 an experiment should  be made on
 a large scale1 and to work a hammer4 ,i
 want your ideas on  that head40#bah ,a 
fortnight later1 ,watt had matured his  
own ideas1 and  made the necessary      
declaration of his invention before a   
magistrate1  preliminary to making the  
usual application for a patent4#bai     
#bah ,watt to ,boulton1 #eth ,july1     
#agha4        #bai 8,yesterday ,i went  
to ,penryn and swore that ,i had        
invented        #8certain new methods of
 applying the vibrating or reciprocating
        motion of steam or fire engines 
to produce a continued rotation         
or circular motion round an axis or     
centre1 and thereby to        give      
motion to the wheels of mills or other  
machines1' which        affidavit and   
petition ,i transmit to ,mr4 ,hadley by 

this post        with directions to get 
it passed with all due                  
expedition40--,watt        to ,boulton1 
#bfth ,july1 #agha4    ,watt was        
exceedingly busy about this time in     
superintending the erection  of new     
engines4 ,no fewer than twelve were in  
progress in different  parts of the     
county4 ,as he travelled about from one 
mine to another on  horseback1 and spent
 a good deal of his time in the open    
air1 his mind  was diverted from preying
 upon itself according to his ordinary  
habit1  and his health and spirits      
improved accordingly4 ,boulton was      
equally  busy at ,soho1 where he was    
erecting a powerful engine for blowing  
the  furnaces at ,walker's ironworks at 
,rotherham1 and another for ,wilkinson's
  forges at ,bradley1 in which he       
proposed to employ a double cylinder1   
with a double crank#bbj and a pair of   
fly-wheels4 ,at intervals he went  into 
,yorkshire1 ,lancashire1 and            
,shropshire1 to look after various other

  engines in progress2 writing ,watt    
cheerful letters as to the improving    
prospects of the firm4 ,he found the    
steam-engine everywhere gaining in      
public estimation4 8,the more it is     
known10 he wrote1 8the more it will be  
in demand4 ,as to the scheme of the     
,hornblowers1 they shall sooner press me
  down into the earth than they shall   
press down a piston with steam40 ,and   
again1 8,give yourself no uneasiness    
about the ,horners' engine4 ,our title  
to the invention is as clear as can be2 
and it is as well secured as an  ,act of
 ,parliament can make it--      8,doubt 
that the sun is fire1    ,doubt all the 
powers of sight1    ,doubt truth to be a
 lyer1    ,but never doubt our right40  
#bbj ,watt suggested caution as to      
making use of the cranks4        8,in   
relation to ,wilkinson's forges1 ,i wish
 you would execute        them without  
the double crank4 ,we shall soon have a 
bad enough        lawsuit on our hands  
without it40--,watt to ,boulton1 #aith  

,july1        #agha4    ,watt's first   
surmise1 that the ,hornblowers intended 
to work their engine  by heated air or  
gas1 had set ,boulton upon a series of  
inquiries and  experiments on the       
subject1 in which he was assisted by    
,dr4 ,priestley1 who  had shortly before
 settled in ,birmingham1 and was a      
willing co-operator  in all             
investigations of this nature4 ,their   
object was to ascertain  whether it was 
practicable to produce mechanical power 
by the absorption  and condensation of  
gas on the one hand1 and by its         
disengagement and  expansion on the     
other4      8,what you propose10 ,watt  
wrote1 8is exceeding probable1 and akin 
to what ,i have long contemplated--the  
use of mixed air and steam1    which    
have a wonderful expansion and          
contraction4 ,nevertheless1    ,i fear  
that there is in all such cases a       
proportional assumption    of latent    
heat2 but be it tried though it be      
beginning a new    series of vexations  

and expense4444 ,i suspect that a       
forcible    compression would hinder the
 gas from separating from the water1    
and on the contrary any tolerable degree
 of vacuum would hinder    the water    
from attracting it2 but perhaps part of 
both may be    used4444 ,my greatest    
hope is in the expansive engine with    
double    or single cylinder1 which ,i  
consider as proved by many facts1    and
 shall send you my ideas of the         
execution of it very soon4    ,at the   
same time ,i am clear to take the air   
patent1 which1 as ,i    have worded the 
petition1 may include some other        
improvements on    the steam-engine4444 
,i hope my last letters have relieved   
you1 as    the knowledge of the         
,horners' being a steam-engine working  
on our    principle relieved me4 ,i have
 some trust in the judges1 though ,i    
have little in the law2 and ,i think    
impartial people will regard    us as   
injured persons1 and not suffer the     
thief of our horse to    escape because 

he has painted him of another           
colour40#bba        #bba ,watt to       
,boulton1 #bhth ,july1 #agha4 ,a few    
days later        ,boulton wrote ,watt  
that ,dr4 ,priestley had proceeded with 
the        experiments1 and that he had 
come to the conclusion that 8there      
is nothing to be feared from any of the 
tribe of gases1 which        cannot be  
produced nearly so cheap as steam2 and  
as to steam        you know its limits  
better than any man40    ,watt's fears  
for his patent were about this time     
excited anew by the  great ,arkwright   
trial1 in which ,arkwright was          
nonsuited1 and compelled  to forego the 
rights derived from his improvements and
 combinations of  spinning-machinery4   
,the principal ground on which the      
patent was set aside  was that the      
specification was unintelligible4 ,on   
this1 ,watt observed1--      8,though ,i
 do not love ,arkwright1 ,i don't like  
the precedent of    setting aside       
patents through default of              

specification4 ,i fear    for our own4  
,the specification is not perfect       
according to the    rules lately laid   
down by the judges4 ,nevertheless1 it   
cannot be    said that we have hid our  
candle under a bushel4 ,we have taught  
all men to erect our engines1 and are   
likely to suffer for our    pains4444 ,i
 begin to have little faith in patents2 
for1 according    to the enterprising   
genius of the present age1 no man can   
have a    profitable patent but it will 
be pecked at1 and no man can write a    
specification of a fire-engine that     
cannot be evaded1 if the words    and   
not the true intent and meaning be      
attended to4 ,as kissing    goes by     
favour1 and as1 in dubious cases1 men   
are actuated by    their prejudices1 so1
 where a blue is very like a green they 
may    decide either way40#bbb          
#bbb ,watt to ,boulton1 #cjth ,july1    
#agha4 ,later he wrote1--8,i am         
tired of making improvements which by   
some quirk or wresting        of the law

 may be taken from us1 as ,i think has  
been done in        the case of         
,arkwright1 who has been condemned      
merely because        he did not specify
 quite clearly4 ,this was injustice1    
because        it is plain that he has  
given this trade a being--has brought   
his invention into use and made it of   
great public utility4        ,wherefore 
he deserved all the money he has got4   
,in my opinion        his patent should 
not have been invalidated without it had
        clearly appeared that he did not
 invent the things in question4         
,i fear we shall be served with the same
 sauce for the good        of the       
public6 and in that case ,i shall       
certainly do what        he threatens4  
,this you may be assured of1 that we are
 as        much envied here as he is at 
,manchester1 and all the bells in       
,cornwall would be rung at our          
overthrow40--,watt to ,boulton1 #acth   
,august1 #agha4    ,watt continued to be
 alarmed by the rumours of the          

forthcoming  ,hornblowers' engine4 8,i  
have heard10 he wrote1 8that a female   
confidant  of ,jonathan's has seen the  
engine1 and says that they evaporate    
half a  hogshead of water with one ounce
 of coals6 444 that in a few days they  
are to publish in print what their      
invention is1 illustrated with a        
copper-plate4 ,then we shall see and    
admire1 if ,god pleaseth2 ,i hope we    
shall not believe and tremble40 ,later  
he wrote1--8,our cause is good1 and  yet
 it has a bad aspect4 ,we are called    
monopolists1 and exactors of money  from
 the people for nothing4 ,would to ,god 
the money and price of the time  the    
engine has cost us were in our pockets  
again1 and the devil might then  have   
the draining of their mines in place of 
me4 ,yet all are not alike4  ,some are  
just1 and ,i believe do not grudge us1  
and some are friendly4 ,all  this is to 
no purpose4 ,the law must decide whether
 we have property in  this affair or    
not1 and we must submit to what we      

cannot help40#bbc    ,at length ,watt   
learnt the precise nature of the        
,hornblowers' invention4  8,it is no    
less10 he wrote ,boulton1 8than our     
double-cylinder engine1  worked upon our
 principle of expansion40 ,this was an  
old idea of ,watt's1  which he had      
pursued while labouring upon his model  
at ,kinneil4 8,it is  fourteen years10  
he said1 8since ,i thought of the       
double-cylinder engine1  and ,i think   
that ,i mentioned it to ,mr4 ,smeaton1  
when ,i explained the  expansion engine 
to him in your parlour1 some years ago4 
,wm4 ,murdock  and ,mr4 ,henderson can  
testify to my having mentioned it to    
them2 but  this of the ,horners seems to
 be a different thing1 being hung on the
  same beam40#bbd ,as early as ,may1    
#agfi1 he had communicated to ,dr4      
,small a clear and explicit description 
of his method of working steam          
expansively2 and he adopted the         
principle in the ,soho engine1 in #aggh1
 as  well as in the ,shadwell engine    

erected in the same year4 ,he was1      
however1  prevented carrying it out     
extensively in practice by the          
inexpertness  of the workmen4 8,though  
the effect of the steam10 he explained  
to a  correspondent1 8is thereby        
increased #ej per cent4 7by theory #ajj 
per  cent471 it cannot be done without  
rendering the machine more complicated  
than we wish2 and simplicity is a most  
essential point in mechanics4  ,there   
are other contrivances known to us which
 would increase the effect  in an       
inferior degree1 say from one-fourth to 
one-sixth1 but they are  all attended   
with peculiar inconveniences which      
forbid their use until  the illiterate  
and obstinate people who are intrusted  
with the care  of the engines become    
more intelligent and better acquainted  
with the  machine40#bbe        #bbc     
,watt to ,boulton1 #acth ,november1     
#agha4        #bbd ,watt to ,boulton1   
#aith ,november1 #agha4        #bbe     
,watt to ,samuel ,ewer1 jun41 #ith      

,july1 #agha4 ,boulton ,,mss4    ,though
 suffering much from his usual          
headaches1 which frequently disabled    
him from thinking1 ,watt finished the   
drawings of the rotary engine in a      
week1 and forwarded them to ,boulton at 
,soho4 8,i believe10 he said in a  later
 letter1 8a well-regulated              
expansive-engine is the ne plus ultra   
of our art40 ,but he intimated that a   
new trouble had come upon him in the    
shape of another inventor of a          
steam-engine in which all the           
distinctive  principles of his own      
invention were embodied4 8,if he be     
engine mad10  said ,watt1 8and if it be 
agreeable to you1 he shall have my share
 of  them1 provided he will come to my  
price4 ,i wish to retire1 and eat my    
cake in peace1 but will not go without  
the cake4 ,all mankind seem to have     
resolved to rob us4 ,right or wrong1    
they will pluck the meal from our       
mouths40#bbf ,boulton1 on his next      
journey to ,london1 called upon the     

alleged inventor1 a ,mr4 ,ewer1 and     
declared to ,watt that the invention1 so
  far as it was new1 was not worth a    
farthing1 and that all that was good in 
it was borrowed from their engine4      
8,though the white marks on your cow or 
your horse10 said he1 8may be changed to
 black1 the cow and horse are not  the  
less your property40 ,he therefore      
counselled ,watt to relieve himself  of 
all anxiety on this account4 ,watt      
replied1 8,ewer seems to have a genius  
more capable of inventing than of       
prudently examining the merits of his   
invention4 ,poets lose half the praise  
they would otherwise get did they  but  
tell us what they discreetly blot4 ,we  
must publish a book of blots40          
#bbf ,watt to ,boulton1 #cjth ,august1  
#agha4    ,illustration3 ,,old          
,,engine-,,house ,,at ,,dalcoath4    ,by
 ,r4 ,p4 ,leitch4    ,meanwhile ,watt   
went on inventing1 even while he was    
complaining of his  inability to invent1
 and of the uselessness of inventing4   

,invention had  grown into a habit with 
him1 which he could not restrain4 ,in   
the very  letter in which he wrote 8,it 
is of no use inventing--everybody is    
seizing  upon our schemes10 he          
communicated to ,boulton that he had    
contrived a  machine1 then erecting at  
,dalcoath1 for the purpose of stopping  
the engine  when at full speed1 when any
 accident happened to the rods or       
outside  chains1--first taking away the 
power1 and then holding the bob fast    
whenever it might be at the turn4#bbg ,a
 few days later he communicated  that he
 had contrived a new way of opening the 
regulators4 ,he was also  finishing his 
plan of the new equalising beam1 and the
 double expansion  engine1 which he     
requested might be proceeded with at    
once4 8,i have shown  the equalising    
beam10 said he1 8to no person whatever4 
,please push it  on4 ,it is our dernier 
ressort1 and may perhaps be all that    
villany will  leave us1 and that not    
long40#bbh ,boulton wrote back1 bidding 

his partner  to be of good heart4 8,if  
our spirits don't fail us10 said he1 8,i
 think  our engine won't40        #bbg  
,watt to ,boulton1 #cjth ,august1 #agha4
 ,in a subsequent letter        he      
explained the invention as              
follows3--8,the method ,i propose       
to stop an engine when the pump rods    
break is by means of an        air      
bellows or forcing pump of a good large 
diameter fixed in        the shaft and  
having a solid piston in it which is    
wrought        constantly by the engine 
and quite easily while it goes at       
its ordinary speed1 because there is a  
large valve open in        its bottom or
 rather top1 which suffers the air to   
pass and        repass easily2 but      
whenever the engine attempts to move    
quick1        that valve shuts and all  
exit from the air is cut off1 and       
it becomes a feather-bed to save the    
blow of the engine4 ,this        is     
exemplified by turning the valve-hole of
 a common bellows        upwards and    

stopping the nozzle1 then working the   
bellows        first slowly and then    
quickly4 ,i think this contrivance will 
be of great use and may prevent damage1 
especially those bangs        which     
occur in setting on an engine40--,watt  
to ,boulton1 #bgth        ,september1   
#agha4        #bbh ,boulton to ,watt1   
#ajth ,september1 #agha4 ,boulton       
immediately        proceeded with the   
erection of the new engine as secretly  
as        possible4 8,the principles of 
the expansion engine10 said he        to
 ,watt1 8you had invented before ,dr4   
,small died1 as ,mr4 ,keir        can   
testify as well as others4 ,however1 it 
is highly proper to        execute every
 kind of beam that can be devised for   
the purpose        of equalising the    
power4 ,i have removed the little       
portions        into the wooden house   
next the smith's shop1 and have blinded 
the window and barred the door4 ,there  
is a convenient well        that can be 
filled from the back brook1 and the     

engine may be        applied to the     
raising of water1 which is the best sort
 of load        to calculate from40     
,at the same time ,watt was inventing   
his new jointed top-working gear1  which
 he reported answered exceedingly well  
with the ,dalcoath engine2 and1  in     
pursuance of an idea thrown out by      
,boulton1 he perfected the model  of a  
horizontal-axled elliptical with one    
pulley1 which he described  as          
performing  merveille1 being free from  
all untoward frictions4 ,he  was also   
busy inventing a new method of an       
equalising beam1 by causing  the gudgeon
 to change its place2 and another by    
means of a roller acting  upon a curve  
in the nature of the working gear4      
,besides his experiments  in mechanics1 
he was prosecuting investigations as to 
the properties of  nutgalls in          
combination with various chemical       
substances1 for the purpose  of         
obtaining the best kind of ink for use  
with his copying machines2 and  at      

another time we find him contriving     
various iron cements for joints1        
confessing that he had 8lost all faith  
in putty20 the result of which was  his 
discovery of the well-known metallic    
cement4    ,in the correspondence       
between the partners on these various   
topics1 we  seem to see the ideas out of
 which so many inventions grew1 in their
  various stages of birth1 growth and   
development4 ,they concealed nothing    
from each other1 but wrote with the most
 perfect unreserve4 ,each improved  on  
the other's ideas1--,watt upon          
,boulton's1 and ,boulton upon ,watt's2  
both  experimenting on the same subject 
at the same time1 and communicating  the
 results in the most elaborate detail4  
,the phrase often occurs in  their      
letters3 8,i write thus fully that you  
may see exactly what is  passing in my  
mind40 ,the letters were sometimes of   
extraordinary length1  one of ,boulton's
 7dated #beth ,september1 #agha7        
extending to eight pages  folio1 closely

 written1 containing upwards of #djjj   
words4 ,scarcely a day  passed without  
their spending several hours in writing 
to each other4  ,boulton also kept up a 
correspondence with ,mrs4 ,watt1 in     
addition to his  elaborate letters to   
her husband4 ,the lady entered into     
various matters  of personal interest1  
describing her occupations and domestic 
pursuits1  and communicating the state  
of her husband's health1 which was a    
matter  of no less interest to ,boulton 
than to herself4    ,as the autumn set  
in with its fogs and rains1 ,watt's     
headaches returned  with increased      
severity1 and he repeatedly complained  
to ,boulton of being  8stupid and ill1  
and scarcely able to think40 8,i        
tremble10 said he1 8at  the thought of  
making a complete set of drawings4 ,i   
wish you could find me  out a           
draughtsman of abilities2 as ,i cannot  
stand it much longer40#bbi  ,watt's     
temper was also affected by the state of
 his health2 and he  confessed that he  

felt himself not at all cut out for the 
work he had  to do1 so far as related to
 business3 8,i am not philosopher       
enough10 he  said1 8to despise the ills 
of life2 and when ,i suffer myself to   
get into  a passion1 ,i observe it hurts
 me more than it does anybody else4 ,i  
never  was cut out for business1 and    
wish nothing so much as not to be       
obliged  to do any2 which perhaps will  
never fall to my lot2 therefore ,i must 
drag  on a miserable existence the best 
way ,i can40#bcj        #bbi ,watt to   
,boulton1 #bjth ,september1 #agha4      
#bcj ,watt to ,boulton1 #ahth ,october1 
#agha4    ,watt was very busy at this   
time in preparing the specification and 
drawings of the circular motion1 which  
he said he found an extremely  difficult
 job owing to the distracted state of   
his head4 ,the letters  patent for the  
invention had been secured on the #beth 
,october1 #agha1  and he had four months
 allowed him in which to prepare and    
lodge the  full description4 ,he        

laboured at his work late and early1 his
 mind being  for months in the throes of
 invention4 ,in the beginning of        
,november we  find him writing to       
,boulton1 sending him the 8first three  
yards of the  specification10 written   
out on folio sheets joined together4    
,watt's  letters to his partner at this 
time contain numerous rough sketches of 
his proposed methods for securing       
circular motion without using the crank1
  from which he conceived himself to be 
in a measure precluded by ,pickard's    
patent4 ,he devised no fewer than five  
distinct methods by which this  object  
might be accomplished1 by means of      
wheels of various sorts rotating  round 
an axis4 ,the method eventually         
preferred was the one invented by  ,wm4 
,murdock1 and commonly known as the sun 
and planet motion4#bca 8,it has  the    
singular property10 said ,watt1 8of     
going twice round for each stroke  of   
the engine1 and may be made to go       
oftener round if required without       

additional machinery40        #bca      
,watt1 in a letter to ,boulton1 dated   
the #crd ,july1 #aghb1        speaks of 
it as an old plan of his own 8revived   
and executed        by ,william         
,murdock20 but we were informed by the  
late ,mr4        ,josiah ,parkes1 that  
at an interview which he had with ,mr4  
,watt        at ,heathfield1 at which   
,murdock was present1 ,murdock spoke of 
the ,sun and ,planet motion as his      
invention1 which ,watt did not          
contradict4 ,boulton also attributed the
 invention to ,murdock1 as              
appears from his letter to ,henderson1  
dated #bbnd ,january1 #aghb2        in  
which he says1--8,mr4 ,watt's packet is 
not ready4 ,i am to wait        till his
 drawings of the rotatory motion are    
completed1 which        he is executing 
himself4 ,there was some informality in 
those        sent from ,soho4 ,besides1 
he has another rotative scheme to add1  
which ,i could have told him of long    
ago1 when first invented        by      

,william ,murdock1 but ,i did not think 
it a matter of much        consequence40
    ,illustration3 ,,sun ,,and ,,planet 
,,motion4    ,rough sketches of these   
various methods were forwarded to ,soho 
in order  that the requisite careful    
drawings of them might be prepared in   
time to  be lodged with the             
specification2 but when they reached    
,watt in ,cornwall1  he declared them to
 be so clumsily executed that he could  
not for very  shame send them in2 and   
though greatly pressed by mining        
business1 and  suffering from 8backache1
 headache1 and lowness of spirits10 he  
set to  work to copy them with his own  
hands4 ,he worked up his spare time so  
diligently1 that in ten days he had the 
plans finished and returned to          
,boulton1 whom he wrote saying that he  
had improved the construction of        
several of the machines1 and 8got one   
copy of the specification drawing       
finished in an elegant manner upon      
vellum1 being the neatest drawing he    

had ever made40#bcb ,the necessary      
measures being then taken to perfect    
the patent1 it was duly enrolled on the 
#bcrd ,february1 #aghb4    ,during the  
time that ,watt was busy completing the 
above specification  and drawings1 his  
mind was full of other projects1 one of 
which was the  perfecting of his new    
expansive engine4#bcc ,it is curious to 
find him1 in  his letters to ,boulton1  
anticipating the plan of superheating   
the steam  before entering the          
cylinders1 which has since been carried 
into effect  with so much success4      
#bcb ,watt to ,boulton1 #bfth ,jan41    
#aghb4        #bcc 8,i have some time   
ago thought10 wrote ,watt1 8of a new    
expansive engine--a reciprocating engine
 with a heavy circular        fly moved 
by a pinion from the end of the beam1 so
 as to        make three turns per      
down-stroke and as many contrariwise per
        return2 so that in the first    
half of the stroke it may acquire       
a momentum which will carry it through  

the last half2 and if a        weight   
equal to half the load be put upon the  
inner end of the        beam1 and the   
engine be made to lift it during the    
return1 by        making a vacuum above 
the piston and using a rack instead of  
a chain1 a cylinder of the present size 
may work to the same        depth by    
half the steam2 and ,i believe the      
engine will work very                   
sweetly40--,watt to ,boulton1 #afth     
,january1 #aghb4    ,by the middle of   
,march he had sufficiently matured his  
ideas of a  reciprocating expansive     
engine to enable him to take out letters
 patent1  and the invention was enrolled
 on the #dth of ,july in the same year4 
,it  included the double engine and     
double-acting engine 7steam pressing    
the piston upwards as well as           
downwards71 the employment of steam on  
the expansive principle1 various methods
 of equalising the power of  the engine1
 the toothed rack and sector for guiding
 the piston-rod1  and a rotative engine 

or steam-wheel4 ,while perfecting these 
beautiful  adaptations1 ,watt was often 
plunged in the depths of distress       
through  many causes1--by sickness1     
headaches1 and low spirits2 by the      
pecuniary  difficulties of the firm2 by 
the repeated attempts of the ,cornish   
miners  to lower their dues2 and by     
threatened invasions of his patent from 
all  quarters4 ,another of his worries  
was the unsteadiness of his workmen4    
,his letters to ,boulton were full of   
complaints on this score4 ,excepting    
,wm4 ,murdock1 who was in constant      
demand1 there was scarcely one of them  
on whom he could place reliance4 8,we   
have very little credit1 indeed10  said 
he1 8in our ,soho workmen4 ,james       
,taylor has taken to dram-drinking  at a
 most violent rate1--is obstinate1      
self-willed1 and dissatisfied40  ,and   
again1 8,cartwright's engine has been a 
continued scene of botching  and        
blunders4 ,j4 ,smith and the rest are   
ignorant1 and all of them must  be      

looked at daily1 or worse follows4 ,had 
,i had any one man of common  prudence  
and experience1 who would have attended 
from morning till night1  these things  
might have been avoided1 and my life    
would have been more  comfortable4 ,as  
things are1 it is much otherwise40#bcd  
,three months  later1 matters had not   
mended4 ,j4 ,smith is pronounced 8a very
 slow  hand10 and 8,j4 ,taylor is       
sometimes three days together at the    
alehouse1  except when he judged ,i     
should be going my rounds4444 ,dick     
,cartwright  also continues too much    
devoted to beer4444 ,i have read all our
 men  lectures upon industry and good   
hours1 though ,i fear it will not be to 
much purpose2 idleness is ingrained in  
their constitution40#bce ,boulton  wrote
 to him to 8send home the most rascally 
of the ,sohoites20 but this  was        
impracticable1 as better men to replace 
them were not at that time  to be had4  
,things were quite as bad at ,soho      
itself2 for early in #aghb we  find     

,boulton writing thus3 8,the            
forging-shop wants a total reformation2 
,peploe and others constantly drunk2    
spoke mildly to them at first1  then    
threatened1 and am now looking out for  
good hands1 which are very  scarce40#bcf
        #bcd ,watt to ,boulton1 #bjth   
,september1 #agha4        #bce ,watt to 
,boulton1 #bjth ,december1 #agha4       
#bcf ,boulton to ,watt1 #bfth ,march1   
#aghb4 ,the following was               
,boulton's method of dealing with a     
refractory and drunken                  
workman3--8,i told you in my former     
letters how ,jim ,taylor had        gone
 on1--that ,i had talked to him in a    
friendly way but all        to no       
purpose4 ,he came last ,monday evening  
to the smith's shop1        drank more  
ale1 was sent for1 and he became abusive
 to the men1        saying we had nobody
 could work well but himself1 and that  
we        could not do without him4 ,the
 next morning ,i went into the          
shop predetermined to part with him4 ,i 

stopped the noise of        bellows and 
hammers1 and appealed to the jury of the
 shop for        the justice of my      
determination1 and made the best use ,i 
could        of the example4 ,i sent    
,taylor off with deserved contempt1 and 
to convince him that we really could do 
without him4 ,however we        are very
 much behind hand in nozzles40--,boulton
 to ,watt1 #aith        ,april1 #aghb4  
,william ,murdock was by far the ablest 
and most efficient of the ,soho  men1   
and won golden opinions in all quarters2
 so much so1 that he was in  constant   
request4 ,we find him described as      
8flying from mine to mine10  putting the
 engines to rights4 ,if anything went   
wrong1 ,murdock was  immediately sent   
for4 ,he was active1 quick-sighted1     
shrewd1 indefatigable1  and an excellent
 workman4 ,his wages1 down to #aghj1    
were only #bjs4 a  week1 and1 thinking  
himself worth more1 he asked for an     
advance to two  guineas4 ,boulton1      
instead of refusing1 adroitly managed to

 obtain a  present of ten guineas from  
the owners of the ,united ,mines1 to    
which he  added other ten1 in           
acknowledgment of the admirable manner  
in which he  had erected their new      
engine2 ,mr4 ,beauchamp1 the ,chairman  
of the ,company1  having publicly       
declared that 8he regarded ,william as  
the most obliging  and industrious      
workman he had ever known40 ,though     
,murdock's wages were  not then raised1 
and though ,bonze1 the ,cornish         
engineer--a man of means  as well as of 
skill and experience--invited him to    
join in an engineering  partnership1    
,william remained loyal to the ,boulton 
and ,watt firm1 and in  due time he had 
his reward4    ,murdock's popularity    
with the ,cornishmen increased so much  
that ,watt  seems to have grown somewhat
 jealous of him1 for when ,william was  
to  be had1 they preferred him to ,watt 
himself4#bcg ,at ,wheal ,virgin1 the    
adventurers insisted upon having him all
 to themselves2 but this was not        

practicable1 as there were other engines
 in progress requiring constant         
attention1--,wheal ,crenver1 which ,watt
 described as 8in the enemy's  country1 
,pool hardly completed yet1 and         
,dalcoath in its childhood40        #bcg
 8,to-day was account day at ,wheal     
,virgin1 when there was        nothing  
remarkable1 only that ,mr4 ,phillips    
insisted upon ,william        ,murdock  
being wholly at ,wheal ,virgin1 which ,i
 told him could        not possibly be  
complied with1 unless ,i went to        
,crenver in his        place1 as ,i had 
nobody else to send thither2            
nevertheless1 that        ,william      
should be here as much as possible4     
,this did not satisfy        him1 and ,i
 know not what to do1 as ,crenver will  
be ready to work        in three weeks  
and must not be delayed4444 ,i think my 
personal        attendance should       
satisfy ,wheal ,virgin adventurers1 but 
as they        seem to have more        
confidence in ,william1 ,i will for     

peace's sake        yield to their will1
 being satisfied that ,william will do  
the        business well40--,watt to    
,boulton1 #aeth ,november1 #agha4       
8,i cannot now leave ,wheal ,virgin a   
single day10 wrote ,watt1    8without   
running the risk of some vile blunder1  
particularly as    the boilers are now  
setting4 ,wm4 ,murdock was at ,wheal    
,virgin one    day this week1 and that  
day was taken up with ,mr4              
,wedgwood1#bch    so that it was partly 
lost4 ,yesterday he was taken away by   
,crenver    people and is not returned4 
,i fear ,i cannot get much of his help1 
and ,i assure you ,i need it much1 for  
there cannot be a greater    plague than
 to have five engines making by ignorant
 men and no    helpmate to look after   
them4 ,i have been tolerably well these 
few    days1 but cannot get up my       
spirits1 from having too much to think  
upon40        #bch ,one of the          
pleasantest events that occurred to     
,watt in the        course of his stay  

in ,cornwall1 was the visit of          
,wedgwood1 who        had come to       
inspect some of the mines in which1 on  
,boulton's        recommendation1 he had
 taken an interest1 and at the same time
        to search for clays for use in  
his earthenware and porcelain           
manufacture at ,etruria4 8,mr4          
,wedgwood10 he wrote ,boulton1 8has     
been in this country some days hunting  
clays and soap rocks1        cobalts1 c4
 ,i have had two visits of him at the   
expense of a        day and a half4     
,nevertheless ,i don't grudge that1 as  
,i am glad        to see a ,christian4  
,he has just left me40--,watt to        
,boulton1 #ahth        ,october1 #agha4 
,combined with the troubles arising out 
of the perversities1 blunderings1  and  
bad conduct of his workmen1 ,watt had   
also to struggle against torment  of    
mind and body1 aggravated by bad news   
from home4 ,boulton was in the  crisis  
of his troubles with his partner        
,fothergill1 from which he was          

desperately struggling to shake himself 
free4#bci        #bci ,fothergill died  
insolvent in #aghb4 ,notwithstanding    
what        he had suffered by the      
connexion1 ,boulton acted with great    
generosity towards ,fothergill's family1
 providing for his        widow and     
orphan children4 8,whatever the conduct 
of any part        of that family       
towards me may have been10 said he1     
8their        present distresses turn   
every passion into tender pity4 ,i      
waited        upon ,mrs4 ,fothergill    
this morning1 and administered all the  
consolation that words could give1 but  
,i must do more1 or their               
distresses will be great indeed4 ,i     
never wished for life and        health 
so fervently as at present2 for ,i      
consider it my duty        to act as a  
father to that family to the best of my 
power1 and        the addition of a     
widow and seven children is no small    
one40        ,boulton was as good as his
 promises2 and he not only helped the   

,fothergill family through their        
difficulties1 but he undertook        to
 pay an annual sum 7though under no     
obligation to do so7        to a ,mrs4  
,swellingrebel--a widowed lady from whom
 ,fothergill        had obtained money  
which he lost2 and who1 but for         
,boulton's        generous help1 must   
have been left destitute4    ,watt was  
made additionally miserable by the state
 of the bankers' account1  which was    
still overdrawn to a very large amount4 
,the bankers were urgent  for repayment1
 but neither of the partners saw where  
the money was to come  from4 ,watt again
 thought of giving up altogether1 and   
selling his share  of the business as   
the only means of relief which presented
 itself4      8,i am almost moved10 he  
wrote1 8if ,lowe1 ,vere1 and ,williams  
will free me from any demands on my     
future industry1 to give    up my       
present property altogether1 and trust  
to ,providence for    my support4 ,i    
cannot live as ,i am with any degree of 

comfort4    ,the want of the            
superfluities of life is a trifle       
compared    with continual anxiety4 ,i  
do not see how you can pay ,l4 ,v4      
,w4 #ajjjl4 per quarter2 ,i am sure it  
cannot be from the engine    business1  
unless we can reduce the amount of our  
general expenses    to #j and live upon 
air ourselves4444 ,though you and ,i    
should    entirely lose this business   
and all its profits1 you will get       
quit of a burdensome debt2 and as both  
of us lived before it had    a being1 so
 we may do afterwards4 ,therefore       
consider what can be    done1 and do it 
without reluctance1 or with as little as
 you can2    and depend upon it that ,i 
am sincerely your friend1 and shall push
    you to nothing that ,i do not think 
to be for your advantage40#bdj    ,two  
days later1 while still in a heavily    
desponding humour1 he wrote  thus3--    
8,if matters were to come to the worst1 
many methods may be fallen    upon      
whereby we may preserve some consequence

 in the world4 ,a    hundred hours of   
melancholy will not pay one farthing of 
debt4    ,summon up your fortitude and  
try to turn your attention to           
business1 and to correct the abuses at  
,soho4444 ,all the idlers    should be  
told that in case they persevere in want
 of attention1    then dismission must  
ensue4444 ,the ,soho part of the        
business has    been somehow a perpetual
 drain to us1 and if it cannot be put on
    a better footing1 must be cut off   
altogether by giving out the    work to 
be done by others40#bda        #bdj     
,watt to ,boulton1 #afth ,march1 #aghb4 
#bda ,watt to ,boulton1 #ahth ,march1   
#aghb4    ,to add to their troubles1 a  
fire broke out in the house of ,boulton 
and  ,watt's ,london agent for the sale 
of their copying machines1 and the      
building1 with its contents1 was burnt  
to the ground1 thereby causing a  loss  
to the firm of above a thousand pounds4 
,the mining trade was also  wretchedly  
bad in ,cornwall1 several of the more   

important mines being  unproductive1    
while ore was selling at low prices4    
,the adventurers were  accordingly      
urging ,watt to abate the agreed dues   
for the use of their  engines1 and in   
several cases threatened to close the   
mines unless he  did so4 ,the ,united   
,mines asked to be reduced #ejl4 a      
month4 ,watt having  refused to make the
 abatement1 the mine was ordered to be  
stopped1 on  which he consented to give 
up the dues altogether for a period of  
six  months4 8,there seemed10 he wrote  
to ,boulton1 8to be no other course1 if 
we would maintain our right1 and at the 
same time do justice to the poor        
people1 who must otherwise absolutely   
starve1 and are already riotously       
disposed through the stopping of ,wheal 
,virgin40#bdb 8,in short10 said he1     
8almost the whole county is against us1 
and look upon us as oppressors  and     
tyrants1 from whose power they believe  
the horned imps of ,satan are  to       
relieve them40 ,watt was indeed         

thoroughly sick of ,cornwall1 and longed
  to get back to ,birmingham4 ,he       
confessed he did not see how1 under the 
present state of things1 he could be of 
any more use there4 ,the weather  was   
very tempestuous1 and he felt the       
fatigue of travelling from mine  to mine
 too much for him to endure4 ,on the    
#dth of ,april he wrote1--8,i  returned 
from the coast to ,cosgarne last night  
with an aching head1 after  a           
peregrination of two days in very stormy
 weather40 8,upon the whole10  he wrote 
to ,boulton1 8,i look upon our present  
,cornish prospects as very  bad1 and    
would not have you build too much upon  
them nor upon the engine  business1     
without some material change4 ,i shall  
think it prudent to  look out for some  
other way of livelihood1 as ,i expect   
that this will  be swallowed up in      
merely paying its burdens40#bdc ,watt1  
accordingly1  finding that he could do  
no more good in ,cornwall1 left it about
 the  middle of ,april1 and returned    

with an aching head and heavy heart to  
,birmingham4        #bdb ,watt to       
,boulton1 #bgth ,march1 #aghb4          
#bdc ,watt to ,boulton1 #cjth ,march1   
#aghb4          ,,chapter ,,xvi4        
,,more ,,difficulties ,,and ,,more      
,,inventions--,,boulton ,,again ,,in    
,,cornwall4      ,the battle of the firm
 had hitherto been all up-hill4 ,nearly 
twenty years  had passed since ,watt had
 made his invention4 ,his life since    
then had  been a constant struggle1 and 
it was a struggle still4 ,thirteen years
 had  passed since the original patent  
had been taken out1 and seven since the 
,act had been passed for its extension4 
,but the engine had as yet yielded  no  
profit1 and the outlay of capital       
continued4 ,notwithstanding ,boulton's  
energy and resources1 the partners were 
often in the greatest straits  for      
money1 and sometimes1 as ,saturday      
nights came round1 they had to beat     
about among their friends for the means 
of paying the workmen's wages4          

,though ,watt continued to imagine      
himself on the brink of ruin1 things    
were not really so gloomy as he         
supposed4 ,we find ,boulton stating  in 
a confidential letter to ,matthews1 that
 the dues payable on the                
pumping-engines actually erected in     
#aghb amounted to #dcbjl4 a year2  and  
that when all the engines in progress   
had been finished1 they would  probably 
amount to about #ijjjl4 ,it is true1 the
 dues were paid with  difficulty by the 
mining interest1 still in a state of    
great depression1  but ,boulton looked  
forward with confidence to better days  
coming round4  ,indeed1 he already saw  
his way through the difficulties of the 
firm1 and  encouraged his doleful       
partner to hope that in the course of a 
very few  years more1 they would be rid 
of their burdens4    ,as ,cornwall was1 
however1 now becoming well supplied with
 pumping-engines1  it became necessary  
to open up new branches of business to  
keep the  ,soho manufactory in full     

work4 ,with this object1 ,boulton became
 more and  more desirous of applying the
 engine to the various purposes of      
rotary  motion4 ,in one of his visits to
 ,wales1 in #agha1 he had seen a        
powerful  copper-rolling mill driven by 
water1 and when told that its defect was
  that it was liable to be stopped in   
summer during drought1 he immediately   
asked--8,why not use our engine8 ,it    
goes night and day1 summer and winter1  
and is altogether unaffected by         
drought40 ,immediately on his return    
home1 he made a model of a steam        
rolling-mill1 with two cylinders and two
  beams1 connecting the power by a      
horizontal axis2 and by the end of the  
year he had a steam forge erected at    
,soho on this plan4 8,it answers very   
well10 he wrote to ,matthews1 8and      
astonishes all the ironmasters2 for1    
although it is a small engine1 it draws 
even more steel per day than a  large   
rolling-mill in this neighbourhood draws
 by water40 ,mr4 ,wilkinson  was so much

 pleased with it that he ordered one to 
be made on a large  scale for the       
,bradley ironworks2 and another was     
shortly after ordered  for ,rotherham4  
,but the number of iron mills was       
exceedingly limited1  and ,boulton did  
not anticipate any large extension of   
business in that  quarter4 ,if1 however1
 he could once get the rotary engine    
introduced as  the motive power for corn
 and flour mills1 he perceived that the 
demand  would be considerable4 ,writing 
to ,watt on the subject1 he said1 8,when
  ,wheal ,virgin is at work1 and all the
 ,cornish business is in good train1  we
 must look out for orders1 as all our   
treaties are seemingly at an end1       
having none now upon the tapis4 ,there  
is no other ,cornwall to be found1  and 
the most likely line for increasing the 
consumption of our engines is  the      
application of them to mills1 which is  
certainly an extensive field40    ,watt1
 on his return to ,birmingham from      
,cornwall1 proceeded to embody his  plan

 for securing rotary motion in a working
 engine1 so that he might be  enabled to
 exhibit the thing in actual work4 ,he  
was stimulated to action  by the report 
which reached his ears that a person in 
,birmingham had  set agoing a           
self-moving steam rotator1 in imitation 
of his1 on which he  exclaimed1 8,surely
 the ,devil of ,rotations is afoot6 ,i  
hope he will whirl  them into ,bedlam or
 ,newgate40#bdd ,boulton1 who had by    
this time gone  to ,cornwall for the    
winter1 wrote to him from ,cosgarne1    
8,it is certainly  expensive2 but       
nevertheless ,i think1 as we have so    
much at stake1 that we  should proceed  
to execute such rotatives as you have   
specified4444 ,you  should get a good   
workman or two to execute your ideas    
with despatch1  lest they perish4 ,the  
value of their wages for a year might be
 #ajjl41  but it would be the means of  
our keeping the start that we now have  
of  all others4 ,but above all1 there is
 nothing of more importance than  the   

perfect completion of the double        
expansive reciprocating engine  as soon 
as may be40#bde ,watt replied that he   
was busily occupied in  getting the     
rotative motion applied to one of the   
,soho engines4 8,these  rotatives10 said
 he1 8have taken up all my time and     
attention for months1  so that ,i can   
scarcely say that ,i have done anything 
which can be called  business4 ,our     
accounts lie miserably confused4 ,we are
 going on in a very  considerable weekly
 expense at ,soho1 and ,i can see       
nothing likely to be  produced from it  
which will be an equivalent40 ,speaking 
of the prospect  of further             
improvements1 he added1 8,it is very    
possible that1 excepting  what can be   
done in improving the mechanics of the  
engine1 nothing much  better than we    
have already done will be allowed by    
,nature1 who has fixed  a ne plus ultra 
in most things40#bdf        #bdd ,watt  
to ,boulton1 #aith ,september1 #aghb4   
#bde ,boulton to ,watt1 #bhth           

,september1 #aghb4        #bdf ,watt to 
,boulton1 #crd ,october1 #aghb4         
,while thus hopelessly proceeding with  
the rotative engine1 ,watt was          
disquieted by the intelligence which    
reached him from ,boulton1 as to  the   
untoward state of affairs in ,cornwall4 
,at some of the most important  mines1  
in which ,boulton and ,watt held shares1
 the yield had considerably  fallen off1
 and the price of the ores being still  
very low1 they had  in a great measure  
ceased to be remunerative4 ,hence       
appeals were made  to ,boulton on all   
sides for an abatement of the engine    
dues4 ,unwilling  to concede this1 the  
adventurers proceeded to threaten him   
with the  ,hornblowers1 whose engine    
they declared their intention of        
adopting4  ,as1 however1 ,boulton and   
,watt's engines were all going          
exceedingly well1  and as the           
,hornblowers had not yet been able to   
get one of their boasted  engines to    
work satisfactorily1#bdg the adventurers

 hesitated for the  present to take any 
overt steps in the matter4        #bdg  
8,on my road to this place 7,cosgarne7  
,i stayed two days at        ,bristol in
 order to learn the particulars of      
,hornblower's new        engine erected 
in that neighbourhood1 and ,i had the   
satisfaction        to find that it is  
worse than a common engine1 although    
made        upon our principles2 but    
from the various evasions introduced it 
is as bad as need be4 ,nevertheless ,i  
think we should stop it in        order 
to stop the effects of the numerous lies
 they propagate        in this county1  
and other mischiefs40--,boulton to      
,watt1 #cjth        ,september1 #aghb4  
,boulton had a long and disagreeable    
battle to fight with the adventurers  on
 this point1 which lasted for many      
months1 during which the ,hornblowers   
continued to stimulate them with the    
agreeable prospect of getting rid  of   
the dues payable in respect of the      
savings of fuel by the condensing       

engines4 ,boulton resisted them at every
 point single-handed2 the battle  being1
 as he said1 8,boulton and ,watt against
 all ,cornwall40#bdh ,he kept  ,watt    
fully informed from day to day of all   
that passed1 and longed for  more rapid 
means of communication1--the postal     
service being then so  defective that no
 less than thirteen days elapsed before 
,boulton1 at  ,truro1 could receive an  
answer from ,watt at ,birmingham4 ,on   
one occasion  we find ,watt's letter    
eleven days on the road between the two 
places4  ,the partners even had fears   
that their letters were tampered with in
  transit2 and1 in order to carry on    
their correspondence confidentially1    
,watt proposed to employ a shorthand    
alphabet1 which he had learnt from  ,dr4
 ,priestley1 in which to write at least 
the names of persons1 8as our           
correspondence10 he observed1 8ought to 
be managed with all possible  secrecy1  
especially as to names40        #bdh 8,i
 don't know a man in ,cornwall amongst  

the adventurers10        he wrote1 8but 
what would think it patriotism to free  
the mines        from the tribute they  
pay to us1 and thereby divide our rights
        amongst their own dear selves4  
,nevertheless1 let us keep our          
tempers1 and keep the firm hold we have 
got2 let us do justice1        show     
mercy and walk humbly1 and all1 ,i hope1
 will be right at                       
last40--,boulton to ,watt1 #bnd         
,november1 #aghb4    ,boulton1 as usual1
 led a very active life in ,cornwall4   
,much of his time  was occupied in      
riding from mine to mine1 inspecting the
 engines at work1  and superintending   
the erection of others4 ,the season     
being far advanced1  the weather was    
bad1 and the roads miry2 but1 wet or    
dry1 he went his  rounds4 ,in one of his
 letters he gives an account of a       
miserable journey  home on horseback1 on
 a certain rainy1 windy1 dark night in  
,november1 when  he was 8caught in water
 up to #ab hands40 8,it is very         

disagreeable10 he  adds1 8that one      
cannot stay out till dark upon the most 
emergent business  without risking one's
 life40 ,but once at home he was happy4 
8,the greatest  comfort ,i find here10  
he says1 8is in being shut out from the 
world1 and  the world from me4 ,at the  
same time ,i have quite as much visiting
 as ,i  wish for40 ,one of his favourite
 amusements was collecting and arranging
  fossils1 some for his friend          
,wedgwood1 and others for his own       
8fossilry0  at ,soho4 ,boulton was well 
supported out of doors by ,william      
,murdock1 now  regarded as 8the right   
hand0 of the concern in ,cornwall4      
8,murdock hath been indefatigable10 he  
wrote ,watt1 8ever since    they began  
at ,wheal ,virgin new ,engine4 ,he has  
scarcely been in    bed or taken        
necessary food4444 ,after slaving day   
and night on    ,thursday and ,friday1 a
 letter came from ,wheal ,virgin that he
 must    go instantly to set their      
engine to work or they would let out    

the fire4 ,he went and set the engine to
 work3 it worked well for    the five or
 six hours he remained4 ,he left it and 
returned to the    ,consolidated ,mines 
about eleven at night1 and was employed 
about    the engines till four this     
morning1 and then went to bed4 ,i found 
him at ten this morning in ,poldice     
,cistern1 seeking for pins and          
casters that had jumped out1 when ,i    
insisted on his going home to           
bed40#bdi        #bdi ,boulton to ,watt1
 #cjth ,september1 #aghb4    ,on one    
occasion1 when an engine superintended  
by ,murdock stopped through  some       
accident occurring to it1 the water rose
 in the mine1 and the miners  were      
drowned out4 ,upon this occurring1 they 
came 8roaring at him0 for  having thrown
 them out of work1 and threatened to    
tear him to pieces4  ,nothing daunted1  
he went through the midst of the men1   
and proceeded to  the invalided engine1 
which he succeeded in very shortly      
repairing and  setting to work again4   

,the miners were so rejoiced that they  
were carried  by their feelings into the
 opposite extreme2 and when he came out 
of the  engine-house they cheered him   
vociferously1 and insisted upon carrying
  him home on their shoulders in        
triumph6    ,about this time1 ,boulton  
became increasingly anxious to ascertain
 what  the ,hornblowers were doing4     
,they continued to brag of the          
extraordinary  powers of the engine     
erected by them at ,radstoke1 near      
,bristol1 whither he  proposed to go1 to
 ascertain its construction and         
qualities1 as well as to  warn the      
persons who were employing them as to   
the consequences of their  infringing   
the existing patent4 ,but he was tied to
 ,cornwall by urgent  business1 and     
could not leave his post for a day4     
8,during the forking  of these two great
 mines10 said he1 8,i dare not stir two 
miles from the  spot1 and it will yet be
 six weeks before ,i regain my          
liberty40#bej ,he  determined1          

therefore1 to send over ,james ,law1 a  
,soho man on whom he could  rely1 to    
ascertain1 if possible1 the character of
 the new engine1 and he  also asked his 
partner ,watt to wait upon the          
proprietors of ,radstoke so  soon as he 
could make it convenient to do so4 ,law 
accordingly proceeded to  ,radstoke1 and
 soon found out where the engine was2   
but as the ,horners were  all in the    
neighbourhood1 keeping watch and ward   
over it turn and turn  about1 he was    
unable to see it except through the     
engine-house window1  when it was not   
working4 ,he learnt1 however1 that there
 was something  seriously wrong with it1
 and that the engineers were            
considerably  crestfallen about its     
performances4        #bej ,boulton to   
,watson of ,bristol1 #gth ,november1    
#aghb4    ,watt proceeded to ,bristol1  
as recommended by his partner1 for the  
purpose  of having a personal interview 
with ,hornblower's employers4 ,on his   
arrival1 he found that ,major ,tucker1  

the principal partner1 was absent2  and 
though he succeeded in seeing ,mr4      
,hill1 another of the partners1 he      
could get no satisfactory reply from him
 as to the intentions of the firm  with 
respect to the new engine4 ,having      
travelled a hundred miles on his        
special errand1 ,watt determined not to 
return to ,birmingham until he had  seen
 the principal partner4 ,on inquiry he  
found that ,major ,tucker had gone  to  
,bath1 and thither ,watt followed him4  
,at ,bath he found that the ,major  had 
gone to ,melcompton4 ,watt took a chaise
 and followed him4 ,the ,major  was out 
hunting2 and ,watt waited impatiently at
 a little alehouse in the  village till 
three o'clock1 when the ,major          
returned--8a potato-faced1              
chuckle-headed fellow1 with a scar on   
the pupil of one eye4 ,in short10  said 
,watt1 8,i did not like his physiog40   
,after shortly informing the ,major  of 
the object of his visit1 who promised to
 bring the subject under the  notice of 

his partners at a meeting to be held in 
about three weeks' time1  ,watt1 finding
 that he could do no more1 took his     
leave2 but1 before he  left ,bristol1 he
 inserted in the local papers an        
advertisement1 prepared  by ,boulton1   
cautioning the public against using the 
,hornblowers' engine1  as being a direct
 infringement of their patent4 ,for the 
present1 indeed1  there seemed but      
little reason to apprehend danger from  
the ,hornblowers1  whose engine was     
still undergoing alterations in detail1 
if not in  principle2 and it appeared   
doubtful1 from the trials which had been
 made  of it1 whether it would ever     
prove an economical working engine4     
,watt then returned to ,birmingham1 to  
proceed with the completion of his      
rotary motion4 ,boulton kept urging that
 the field for pumping-engines  was     
limited1 that their ,cornish prospects  
were still gloomy1 and that  they must  
very soon look out for new fields4 ,one 
of his schemes was the  applying of the 

steam-engine to the winding of coals4   
8,a hundred engines  at #ajjl4 a year   
each10 he said1 8would be a better thing
 than all  ,cornwall40 ,but the best    
field of all1 he still held1 was mills4 
8,let us  remember10 said he1 8the      
,birmingham motto1 to #8strike while the
 iron is  hot4'0    ,watt1 as usual1 was
 not so sanguine as his partner1 and    
rather doubtful  of the profit to be    
derived from this source4 ,from a       
correspondence  between him and ,mr4    
,william ,wyatt1 of ,london1 on the     
subject1 we find him  discouraging the  
scheme of applying steam-engines to     
drive corn-mills2 on  which ,boulton    
wrote to ,wyatt1--      8,you have had a
 correspondence with my friend ,watt1   
but ,i know not    the particulars4444  
,you must make allowance in what ,mr4   
,watt says    444 he under values the   
merits of his own works4444 ,i will     
take all risks in erecting an engine for
 a corn-mill4444 ,i think    ,i can     
safely say our engine will grind four   

times the quantity    of corn per bushel
 of coal compared with any engine       
hitherto    erected40#bea        #bea   
,boulton to ,wyatt1 #afth ,december1    
#aghb4    ,about the same time we find  
,boulton writing to ,watt1--      8,you 
seem to be fearful that mills will not  
answer1 and that    you cannot make     
,reynolds's amount to more than #bjl4 a 
year4    ,for my part1 ,i think that    
mills1 though trifles in comparison     
with ,cornish engines1 present a field  
that is boundless1 and    that will be  
more permanent than these transient     
mines1 and    more satisfactory than    
these inveterate1 ungenerous1 and       
envious    miners and mine lords4 ,as to
 the trouble of small engines1 ,i would 
curtail it by making a pattern card of  
them 7which may be done    in the course
 of next year71 and confine ourselves to
 those sorts    and sizes until our     
convenience admits of more40#beb        
#beb ,boulton to ,watt1 #gth ,december1 
#aghb4    ,in the mean time ,watt1      

notwithstanding his doubts1 had been    
proceeding  with the completion of his  
rotative machine1 and by the end of the 
year  applied it with success to a      
tilt-hammer1 as well as to a corn-mill  
at ,soho4 ,some difficulties presented  
themselves at first1 but they  were     
speedily surmounted4 ,the number of     
strokes made by the hammer was          
increased from #ah per minute in the    
first experiment1 to #be in the second2 
and ,watt contemplated increasing the   
speed to even #bej or #cjj strokes a    
minute1 by diminishing the height to    
which the hammer rose before making  its
 descending blow4 8,there is now no     
doubt10 said he1 8that fire-engines     
will drive mills2 but ,i entertain some 
doubts whether anything is to  be got by
 them1 as by any computation ,i have yet
 made of the mill for  ,reynolds        
recently ordered ,i cannot make it come 
to more than #bjl4 per  annum1 which    
will do little more than pay trouble4   
,perhaps some others  may do            

better40#bec        #bec ,watt to       
,boulton1 #bhth ,november1 #aghb4       
,illustration3 8,,old ,,bess40#bed      
#bed ,the above illustration represents 
the first engine employed        at     
,soho1 with the alterations subsequently
 introduced1 for the        purpose of  
producing rotary motion4 ,the old       
,kinneil engine1        8,beelzebub10 as
 ,watt called her1 was entirely removed1
 and        replaced by this engine1 as 
explained by ,watt in his ,,ms4 ,memoir 
of ,boulton now before us1 wherein he   
states1--8,the first engine        of   
#ah inches cylinder1 which was employed 
in returning the        water to ,soho  
mill1 was replaced about #aggh or #aggi 
by a larger        engine1 the first on 
the expansive principle1 which still    
remains there40 ,the engine became known
 at ,soho as 8,old ,bess10        and   
she continued in regular work until     
within the last eight        years4 ,the
 illustration shows the state in which  
the engine now        stands in ,south  

,kensington ,museum4          ,a4 steam 
cylinder2 ,b4 steam pipe2 ,c4 throttle  
valve2 ,d4 steam        valve2 ,e4      
eduction valve2 ,f4 eduction pipe2 ,g4  
valve gearing2        ,h4 condenser2 ,i4
 air pump2 ,k4 air pump rod2 ,l4 foot   
valve2 ,m4        hand gear tappet rod2 
,n4 parallel motion2 ,o4 balance weight2
        ,p4 rocking beam2 ,q4 connecting
 rod2 ,r4 feed pump rod2 ,s4 sun        
wheel2 ,t4 planet wheel2 ,u4 fly wheel2 
,w4 governor2 ,x4 feedwater             
cistern4    ,the problem of producing   
rotary motion by steam-power was thus   
solved to  the satisfaction even of     
,watt himself4 ,but though a boundless  
field for  the employment of the engine 
now presented itself1 ,watt was anything
 but  elated at the prospect4 ,for some 
time he doubted whether it would be     
worth  the while of the ,soho firm to   
accept orders for engines of this sort4 
,when ,boulton went to ,dublin to       
endeavour to secure a patent for        
,ireland1  ,watt wrote to him           

thus3--8,some people at ,burton are     
making application  to us for an engine 
to work a cotton-mill2 but from their   
letter and the  man they have sent here1
 ,i have no great opinion of their      
abilities4444  ,if you come home by way 
of ,manchester1 please not to seek for  
orders for  cotton-mill engines1 because
 ,i hear that there are so many mills   
erecting  on powerful streams in the    
north of ,england1 that the trade must  
soon  be overdone1 and consequently our 
labour may be lost40 ,boulton1 however1 
had no such misgivings4 ,he foresaw that
 before long the superior power1        
regularity1 speed1 and economy1 of the  
steam-engine1 must recommend it  for    
adoption in all branches of manufacture 
in which rotative motion was  employed2 
and he had no hesitation in applying for
 orders notwithstanding  the opposition 
of his partner4 ,the first rotary engine
 was made for ,mr4  ,reynolds1 of       
,ketley1 towards the end of #aghb1 and  
was used to drive a  corn-mill4 ,it was 

some time before another order was      
received1 though  various inquiries were
 made about engines for the purpose of  
polishing  glass1 grinding malt1 rolling
 iron1 and such like4#bee ,the first    
engine  of the kind erected in ,london  
was at ,goodwyn and ,co4's brewery2 and 
the second1 still working1 though in an 
altered form1 at the ,messrs4           
,whitbread's4 ,these were shortly       
followed by other engines of the same   
description1 until there was scarcely a 
brewery in ,london that was not         
supplied with one4        #bee 8,we have
 had a visit to-day from a ,mr4 ,cort of
 ,gosport1 who        says he has a     
forge there1 and has found out some     
grand secret        in the making of    
iron1 by which he can make double the   
quantity        at the same expense and 
in the same time as usual4 ,he says he  
wants some kind of engine1 but could not
 tell what2 wants some        of us to  
call on him1 and says he had some       
correspondence with        you on the   

subject4 ,he seems a simple goodnatured 
man1 but not        very knowing4 ,he   
says he has most of the smith-work for  
the        king's yard1 and has a forge1
 a rolling and slitting mill4 ,i        
think him a brother projector40--,watt  
to ,boulton1 #adth ,december1           
#aghb4    ,in the mean time1 the works  
at ,soho continued to be fully employed 
in  the manufacture of pumping-engines4 
,but as the county of ,cornwall was     
becoming well supplied1--no fewer than  
twenty-one having now been erected      
there1 only one of the old ,newcomen    
construction continuing in work1--it    
was probable that before long the demand
 from that quarter must slacken1  if not
 come to an end4 ,there were1 however1  
other uses to which the  pumping-engine 
might be applied2 and one of the most   
promising was the  drainage of the ,fen 
lands4 ,some adventurers at ,soham1 near
 ,cambridge1  having made inquiries on  
the subject1 ,watt wrote to his partner1
 8,i look  upon these ,fens as the only 

trump card we have left in our          
hand40#bef  ,the adventurers proposed   
that ,boulton and ,watt should take an  
interest  in their scheme by subscribing
 part of the necessary capital4 ,but    
,watt  decidedly objected to this1 as he
 did not wish to repeat his ,cornish    
difficulties in the ,fens4 ,he was      
willing to supply engines on reasonable 
terms1 but as for shares he would have  
none of them4 ,the conclusion  he       
eventually arrived at with respect to   
his proposed customers was              
this1--8,consider ,fen men as ,cornish  
men1 only more cunning40    ,in the     
midst of his great labours1 ,boulton was
 reminded that he was human4  ,he had   
for years been working at too high      
pressure1 and the tear and wear  began  
to tell upon his health4 ,watt          
expostulated with him1 telling him  that
 he was trying to do half-a-dozen men's 
work2 but in vain4 ,he was  committed to
 so many important enterprises--he had  
so much at stake--the  liabilities he   

had to meet from day to day were so     
heavy--that he was in  a measure forced 
to be active4 ,to his friend ,matthews  
he lamented that  he was under the      
necessity of 8slaving from morning till 
night1 working  fourteen hours a day1 in
 the drudgery of a ,birmingham          
manufacturer and  hardware merchant40   
,but this could not last1 and before    
long he was  threatened with a          
break-down4 ,his friends ,drs4          
,withering and ,darwin urged  him at    
once to 8knock off0 and take a long     
holiday--to leave ,soho and its         
business1 its correspondence1 and its   
visitors1 and get as far away from  it  
as possible4        #bef #dth ,december1
 #aghb4    ,acting on their advice1 he  
resolved on making a long-promised visit
 to  ,scotland1 and he set out on his   
tour in the autumn of #aghc4 ,he went by
  ,newcastle1 where he visited the      
principal coal mines1 and from thence   
to ,edinburgh1 where he had some        
pleasant intercourse with ,dr4 ,black   

and ,professor ,robison4 ,it is evident 
from his letters that he did not  take  
much ease during his journey1 for he    
carried about with him his              
steam-engine--at least in his head4 8,i 
talked with ,dr4 ,black and another     
chemical friend10 he wrote1 8respecting 
my plan for saving alkali at such       
bleach-grounds as our fire-engines are  
used at instead of water-wheels3  the   
,doctor did not start any objections1   
but1 on the contrary1 much  approved    
it40 ,from ,edinburgh he proceeded to   
the celebrated ironworks  at ,carron1 a 
place in which he naturally felt a      
peculiar interest4 ,there  his friend   
,roebuck had started his great          
enterprise1 and there ,watt had  erected
 his first engine4 ,his visit there1    
however1 was not so much  for curiosity 
or pleasure1 but for business and       
experiment4 8,during  my residence in   
,scotland10 said he1 8one month of my   
time was closely  employed at ,carron   
,ironworks in settling accounts1 but    

principally in  making a great number of
 experiments on all their iron ores1 and
 in  putting them into the train of     
making good bar-iron1 in which ,i       
succeeded  to my wishes1 although they  
had never made a single bar of tough    
iron  at ,carron before40#beg ,in the   
course of his journey he made a large   
collection of fossils for his museum1   
and the weight of his bags sensibly     
increased almost daily4 ,on his way     
through ,ayrshire he called on ,lord    
,dundonald1 a kindred spirit in chemical
 and mechanical scheming1 and  examined 
his mineral tar works4 ,he wrote to ,mr4
 ,gilbert1 the ,duke of  ,bridgewater's 
manager at ,worsley1 that 8the tar is   
better for the bottoms  of vessels than 
the vegetable tar2 and the coal-oil hath
 many uses4  ,query--if such a work     
might not be a useful appendage to your 
colliery  and canal40        #beg       
,letter to ,thomas ,knox1 ,m4,p4        
,boulton returned to ,soho greatly      
improved in health1 and was shortly     

immersed as before in the business of   
the factory4 ,he found considerable     
arrears of correspondence requiring to  
be brought up4 ,several of the  letters 
waiting for him were from schemers of   
new inventions connected  with the      
steam-engine4 ,whenever an inventor     
thought he had discovered  anything new1
 he at once rushed to ,boulton with it4 
,he was looked upon  as the lord and    
leader of steam power4 ,his reputation  
for enterprise  and business aptitude1  
and the energetic manner in which he had
 pushed  ,watt's invention1 were now so 
widely known1 that every new schemer saw
 a  fortune within his reach could he   
but enlist ,boulton on his side4 ,hence 
much of his time was occupied in        
replying to letters from schemers1--from
  inventors of perpetual motion1 of     
flying-machines1 of locomotion by       
steam1 and of various kinds of rotary   
motion4 ,in one of his letters we  find 
him complaining of so much of his time  
being 8taken up in answering  great     

numbers of letters he had lately been   
plagued with from eccentric  persons of 
no business20 for it was his practice   
never to leave a letter  unanswered1 no 
matter how insignificant or unreasonable
 his correspondent  might be4#beh       
#beh ,with an almost excess of          
politeness1 ,boulton wrote long         
letters to unknown correspondents to set
 them right about        mechanical     
errors into which they seemed to him to 
have fallen4        ,thus a ,mr4 ,knipe 
of ,chelsea1 supposing he had discovered
 a        perpetual motion machine1     
wrote inviting ,boulton to join him     
as a partner4 ,though the man was       
without means and evidently             
foolish1 ,boulton wrote him several long
 letters in the kindest        spirit1  
pointing out that his scheme was        
contrary to reason and        science4  
8,it is impossible10 said he1 8for      
inanimate mechanism        to produce   
the least degree of power or to augment 
the sum        total of the primum      

mobile4 ,mechanism may communicate or   
concentrate or economise power1 but     
cannot create or augment        it40    
,knipe replied at great length1         
vindicating his invention4        ,his  
enthusiasm pleased ,boulton1 who1 in the
 generosity of his        nature1 sent  
him a draft for ten guineas on his      
,london bankers        to enable the    
poor inventor to secure his invention if
 there        was really anything in it4
 ,but nothing more was heard of ,knipe's
        ,perpetual ,motion ,machine4    
,after a short visit to ,london1        
,boulton proceeded into ,cornwall to    
look  after the engines there1 and watch
 the progress of the mining operations  
in which by this time he had become so  
largely interested4 ,he found the       
adventurers in a state of general       
grumble at the badness of the times1    
the lowness of prices1 the losses       
incurred in sinking for ore that could  
not be found1 and the heaviness of the  
dues for engine-power payable to        

,boulton and ,watt4 ,at such times1 the 
partners were usually beset with        
applications for abatement1 to which    
they were under the necessity of        
submitting to prevent the mines being   
altogether closed4 ,thus the dues  at   
,chacewater were reduced from #bejjl4 to
 #ajjjl4 a year1 and the  adventurers   
were still pressing for further         
reductions4#bei ,what provoked  ,boulton
 most1 however1 was1 not the loss of    
dues so much as the threats  which were 
constantly held out to him that unless  
the demands of the  adventurers were    
complied with1 they would employ the    
,hornblowers4        #bei ,no wonder the
 miners were so urgent for reductions in
        working expenses1 as we find    
from a communication from ,watt         
to ,boulton1 of facts to be laid before 
,parliament against the        proposed 
tax on coal1 that ,chacewater had sunk  
#ej1jjjl4 in        setting the mine to 
work2 ,wheal ,virgin #bh1jjjl4 in ten   
months1        and still unprosperous2  

,poldice a very large sum1 and merely   
paying expenses2 ,wheal ,chance         
#ce1jjjl41 and only moderately          
prosperous2 ,pool #ad1jjjl41 without    
much prospect of recovery2              
,roskere languishing1 and not paying    
expenses2 ,united ,mines1        which  
had been at death's door1 still in a    
tottering state2        ,wheal ,union   
stopped1 after losing about #hjjjl42    
,dalcoath        #ejjl4 spent on timber 
per month1 and a new kibble-rope1 of    
above a ton weight1 worn out in a       
fortnight4 ,to draw a kibble        of  
ore then1 weighing about #c cwt41 took  
fully fifteen minutes1        owing to  
the great depth of that mine1 and       
two-thirds of the        stuff drawn was
 stones4 ,to which ,watt added1 8if we  
had not        furnished the miners with
 more effectual means of draining       
the water1 almost all the deep mines    
would have been abandoned        before 
now40      8,it is a disagreeable       
thing10 he wrote1 8to live amongst one's

    enemies1 and all the adventurers are
 so1 except ,phillips and the    ,foxes1
 who are fair men although they would   
rather have engines    free4 ,i have had
 many hints given me that the           
,trumpeters were    reviving their      
mischief1 and many causes for           
uneasiness1 but ,i did    not wish you  
to partake of them1 and therefore have  
been silent2    but they are now        
striking at the root of us1 and         
therefore we    must defend ourselves or
 fall4444 ,i think if we could but keep 
up our spirits and be active we might   
vanquish all the host4 ,but    ,i must  
own that ,i have been low-spirited ever 
since ,i have been    here--have been   
indolent1 and feel as if the springs of 
life were    let down40    ,it does not1
 however1 appear from the letter to     
,watt in which this  complaint occurs1  
that ,boulton had been at all indolent1 
as he speaks  of being in almost daily  
attendance at the miners' meetings2 one 
day at  ,poldice1 the next at           

,consolidated ,mines1 and so on4 ,of the
 latter meeting  he says1--      8,there
 was a full attendance2 ,jethro looked  
impudent1 but    mortified to see the   
new little engine drawing kibbles from  
two pits exceedingly well and very      
manageable1 and afterwards    it worked 
six stamps each #b  #ad cwt41 lifted    
twice at each    revolution1 or four    
times for every stroke of the engine4 ,i
    suppose there were a thousand people
 present to see the engine    work40    
,watt was1 on his part1 rather opposed  
to making further concessions1 which    
only seemed to have the effect of       
inviting demands for more4              
8,people10 said he1 8do not employ us   
out of personal regard1 but    to serve 
themselves2 and why should not we look  
after ourselves in    like manner4444   
,john ,taylor died the other day worth  
#bjj1jjjl41    without ever doing one   
generous action4 ,i do not mean that we 
should follow his example4 ,i should not
 consent to oppression    or to take any

 unfair advantage of my neighbour's     
necessity1 but ,i    think it blameable 
to exercise generosity towards men who  
display    none towards us4 ,it is      
playing an unfair game when the         
advantage    is wholly on their side4   
,if ,wheal ,virgin threatened to stop   
unless    we abated one-half1 they      
should stop for me2 but if it appeared  
that1 according to the mode settled in  
making the agreement1 we    had too high
 a premium1 ,i should voluntarily reduce
 it to whatever    was just40    ,while 
,boulton was fighting for dues in       
,cornwall1 and labouring as  before to  
improve the business management of the  
mines in which he was  interested as a  
shareholder1 ,watt was busily occupied  
at ,soho in turning  out new engines for
 various purposes1 as well as in        
perfecting several  long-contemplated   
inventions4 ,the manufactory1 which had 
for a time been  unusually slack1 was   
again in full work4 ,several engines    
were in hand for  the ,london brewers4  

,wedgwood had ordered an engine to grind
 flints2#bfj  and orders were coming in 
for rotative engines for various        
purposes1 such  as driving saw-mills in 
,america and sugar-mills in the ,west   
,indies4 ,work  was1 indeed1 so         
plentiful that ,watt was opposed to     
further orders for  rotatives being     
taken1 as the drawings for them occupied
 so much time1 and  they brought in but 
small profit4 8,i see plainly10 said he1
 8that every  rotation engine will cost 
twice the trouble of one for raising    
water1 and  will in general pay only    
half the money4 ,therefore ,i beg you   
will not  undertake any more rotatives  
until our hands are clear1 which will   
not  be before #aghe4 ,we have already  
more work in hand than we have people to
  execute it in the interval40#bfa      
#bfj ,the engine was of #dj-;horse      
power4 ,it was erected at the           
8,black ,works10 ,etruria1 where it     
continues working with the        sun   
and planet motion1--one of the very few 

engines of the old        construction  
still remaining in existence4           
#bfa ,watt to ,boulton1 #bbnd ,june1    
#aghd4    ,one reason why ,watt was more
 than usually economical of his time    
was1  that he was then in the throes of 
the inventions patented by him in the   
course of this year4 ,though racked by  
headaches which1 he complained1         
completely 8dumfounded0 him and         
perplexed his mind1 he could not        
restrain  his irrepressible instinct to 
invent2 and the result was the series of
  inventions embodied in his patent of  
#aghd1 including1 among other things1   
the application of the steam-engine to  
the working of a tilt-hammer for        
forging iron and steel1 to driving      
wheel-carriages for carrying persons    
and goods1 and for other purposes4 ,the 
specification also included the         
beautiful invention of the parallel     
motion1 of which ,watt himself said1    
8,though ,i am not over anxious after   
fame1 yet ,i am more proud of the       

parallel motion than of any other       
mechanical invention ,i have ever made40
  ,watt was led to meditate this        
contrivance by the practical            
inconvenience  which he experienced in  
communicating the direct vertical motion
 of the  piston-rod by means of racks   
and sectors1 to the angular motion of   
the  working beam4 ,he was gradually led
 to entertain the opinion that some     
means might be contrived for            
accomplishing this object by motions    
turning  upon centres2 and1 working upon
 this idea1 he gradually elaborated his 
invention4 ,so soon as he caught sight  
of the possible means of overcoming  the
 difficulty1 he wrote to ,boulton in    
,cornwall1--      8,i have started a new
 hare4 ,i have got a glimpse of a method
    of causing a piston-rod to move up  
and down perpendicularly by    only     
fixing it to a piece of iron upon the   
beam1 without chains    or perpendicular
 guides or untowardly friction1 arch    
heads1 or    other pieces of clumsiness2

 by which contrivance it answers fully  
to expectation4 ,about #e feet in the   
height of her house may be    saved in  
#h-;feet strokes1 which ,i look upon as 
a capital saving1    and it will answer 
for double engines as well as for single
 ones4    ,i have only tried it in a    
slight model yet1 so cannot build       
upon it1 though ,i think it a very      
probable thing to succeed4    ,it is one
 of the most ingenious1 simple pieces of
 mechanism ,i    have ever contrived1   
but ,i beg nothing may be said on it    
till ,i    specify40#bfb        #bfb    
,watt to ,boulton1 #cjth ,june1 #aghd4  
,boulton ,,mss4    ,illustration3 ,,the 
,,parallel ,,motion4    ,he immediately 
set to work to put his idea to the      
practical proof1 and  only eleven days  
later he wrote1--      8,i have made a  
very large model of the new substitute  
for racks    and sectors1 which seems to
 bid fair to answer4 ,the rod goes up   
and down quite in a perpendicular line  
without racks1 chains1 or    guides4 ,it

 is a perpendicular motion derived from 
a combination of    motions about       
centres--very simple1 has very little   
friction1 has    nothing standing higher
 than the back of the beam1 and requires
    the centre of the beam to be only   
half the stroke of the engine    higher 
than the top of the piston-rod when at  
lowest1 and has no    inclination to    
pull the piston-rod either one way or   
another1 only    straight up and        
down4444 ,however1 don't pride yourself 
on it--it    is not fairly tried yet1   
and may have unknown faults40#bfc       
#bfc ,the parallel motion was first put 
in practice in the        engine erected
 for ,mr4 ,whitbread2 ,watt informing   
,boulton 7#bgth        ,october1 #aghe7 
that 8the parallel motion of            
,whitbread's answers        admirably40 
,illustration3 ,,the ,,governor4        
,another of ,watt's beautiful inventions
 of the same period1 was the  ,governor1
 contrived for the purpose of regulating
 the speed of the engine4  ,this was a  

point of great importance in all cases  
where steam-power  was employed in      
processes of manufacture4 ,to modify the
 speed of the  piston in the            
single-acting pumping-engine1 ,watt had 
been accustomed  to use what is called a
 throttle valve1 which was regulated by 
hand  as occasion required4 ,but he saw 
that to ensure perfect uniformity of    
speed1 the action of the engine must be 
made automatic if possible1  and with   
this object he contrived the ,governor1 
which has received no  improvement since
 it left his hand4 ,two balls are fixed 
to the ends of  arms connected with the 
engine by a moveable socket1 which plays
 up and  down a vertical rod revolving  
by a band placed upon the axis or       
spindle  of the fly-wheel4 ,according to
 the centrifugal force with which the   
balls revolve1 they diverge more or less
 from the central fixed point1  and push
 up or draw down the moveable collar2   
which1 being connected by  a crank with 
the throttle-valve1 thereby regulates   

with the most perfect  precision the    
passage of the steam between the boiler 
and the cylinder4  ,when the pressure of
 steam is great1 and the tendency of the
 engine is  to go faster1 the governor  
shuts off the steam2 and when it is     
less1 the  governor opens the           
throttle-valve and increases the supply4
 ,by this simple  and elegant           
contrivance the engine is made to       
regulate its own speed with  the most   
beautiful precision4    ,among the      
numerous proposed applications of the   
steam-engine about this  time1 was its  
employment as a locomotive in driving   
wheel-carriages4 ,it  will be remembered
 that ,watt's friend ,robison had1 at a 
very early period1  directed his        
attention to the subject2 and the idea  
had since been revived  by ,mr4         
,edgeworth1 who laboured with great zeal
 to indoctrinate ,watt with  his views4 
,the latter1 though he had but little   
faith in the project1  nevertheless     
included a plan of a locomotive engine  

in his patent of #aghd2  but he took no 
steps to put it in execution1 being too 
much engrossed with  other business at  
the time4 ,his plan contemplated the    
employment of steam  either in the form 
of high-pressure or low-pressure1       
working the pistons  by the force of    
steam only1 and discharging it into the 
atmosphere after  it had performed its  
office1 or discharging it into an       
air-tight condenser  made of thin plates
 or pipes1 with their outsides exposed  
to the wind or  to an artificial current
 of air1 thereby economising the water  
which would  otherwise be lost4    ,watt
 did not carry his design into effect2  
and1 so far as he was  concerned1 the   
question of steam locomotion would have 
gone no further4  ,but the subject had  
already attracted the attention of      
,william ,murdock1  who had for some    
time been occupied during his leisure   
hours in  constructing an actual working
 model of a locomotive4 ,when his model 
was finished1 he proceeded to try it in 

the long avenue leading to the          
parsonage at ,redruth1 in the summer of 
#aghd2 and in so doing nearly           
frightened out of his wits the village  
pastor1 who encountered the  hissing1   
fiery little machine1 while enjoying his
 evening walk4#bfd        #bfd #8,lives 
of ,engineers1' iii4 #gg4    ,when ,watt
 heard of this experiment1 he wrote to  
,boulton1 advising that  ,murdock should
 be gently counselled to give up his    
scheme1 which might  have the effect of 
withdrawing him from the work of the    
firm1 in which he  had become           
increasingly useful4      8,as to my own
 part10 wrote ,watt1 8,i shall form no  
obstacle to    the scheme4 ,my only     
reasons against it were that ,i feared  
it    would deprive us of a valuable    
man2 that it would1 if we were to    be 
concerned in it1 divert us from more    
valuable business1 and    perhaps prove 
a sinking fund2 and lastly1 that ,i did 
not like that    a scheme which ,i had  
revolved in my mind for years and hoped 

to be    able at some favourable time to
 bring to perfection1 if capable of     
it1 should be wrested from me1 or that  
,i should be compelled to    go into it 
as a secondary person4 ,but ,i have now 
made the latter    objection give way4  
,and as to the first1 ,i think it will  
take    place at any rate1 so we must   
make the best of it40#bfe        #bfe   
,in a letter dated #bhth ,august1 #aghd1
 ,watt communicated his        views to 
his partner on the subject of locomotive
 engines at        great length4 ,in the
 course of the letter he says1--        
8,my original ideas on this subject were
 prior to my          invention of the  
improved engines1 or before the crank or
          any other rotative motions    
were thought of4 ,my plan then          
was to have two inverted cylinders with 
toothed racks          instead of piston
 rods1 which were to be applied to the  
ratchet wheels on the axletree1 and to  
act alternately2          and ,i am     
partly of opinion that this method might

 be          applied with advantage yet1
 because it needs no fly1 and           
has other conveniences4                 
8,from what ,i have said1 and from much 
more which a          little reflection 
will suggest to you1 you will see that  
without several circumstances turn out  
more favourable          than has been  
stated1 the machine will be clumsy and  
defective1 and that it will cost much   
time to bring it          to any        
tolerable degree of perfection2 and that
 for me to          attempt to interrupt
 the career of my business to bestow    
any attention to it1 would be imprudent4
 ,i even grudge          the time ,i    
have taken to write these comments on   
it40    ,boulton was accordingly        
recommended in the first place to       
endeavour to  dissuade ,murdock from    
pursuing the subject further1 but if he 
could not  succeed in that1 rather than 
lose him1 he was to let him have an     
advance  to the extent of #ajjl41 to    
enable him to prosecute his experiments2

 and  if within a year he succeeded in  
making an engine capable of drawing a   
postchaise carrying two ordinary persons
 and the driver1 with #bjj lbs4 of      
luggage1 fuel for four hours1 and water 
for two hours1 going at the rate  of    
four miles an hour1 then a partnership  
was to be entered into1 in which        
,boulton and ,watt were to find the     
capital1 and ,murdock was to conduct the
  business and take his share of the    
profits4    ,murdock1 however1 had so   
many urgent matters to attend to1 that1 
sanguine  though he continued to be as  
to the success of his scheme1 he could  
not  find time to pursue it4 ,he was a  
man after ,boulton's own heart1         
unsparing  of himself and indefatigable 
in whatsoever he undertook2 nor was     
,boulton  sparing of praises of him in  
his confidential letters to ,watt4      
8,we want more ,murdocks10 he wrote on  
one occasion1 8for1 of all    our men he
 is the most active4 ,he is the best    
engine erector ,i    ever saw1 and of   

his energy ,i had one of the best proofs
 this day4    ,they stopped ,poldice    
lower engine last ,monday and took her  
all    to pieces2 took out the          
condenser1 took up out of the shaft the 
greatest part of the pumps1 took the    
nozzles to pieces1 cut out    the iron  
seatings and put in brass ones with new 
valves1 mended    the eduction-pipe1 and
 did a great number of repairs about the
    beam and engine2 put the pumps down 
into the new engine shaft1    did much  
work at the new engine2 and this done1  
about noon both    the engines1 new and 
old1 were set to work again complete4   
,when ,i    look at the work done it    
astonishes me1 and is entirely owing to 
the spirit and activity of ,murdock1 who
 hath not gone to bed for    three      
nights1 and ,i expect the mine will be  
in full fork again by    ,wednesday     
night4 ,i have got him into good humour 
again without any    coaxing1 have      
prevailed on him not to give up ,wheal  
,virgin engine1    which he had been    

resolved to do from the ungenerous      
treatment he    received from the       
captains4 ,i have also prevailed on him 
to put    off his determined journey to 
,scotland until ,north ,downs engines   
are got to work1 and have quieted his   
mind about wheel carriages    till      
then40#bff        #bff ,boulton to      
,watt1 #hth ,november1 #aghd4 ,though   
,murdock was        thus occupied1 he   
did not abandon his idea of making a    
working        locomotive4 ,two years   
later we find ,watt thus writing        
,boulton3--            8,i am extremely 
sorry that ,w4 ,murdock still busies    
himself          with the steam         
carriages4 ,in one of my specifications 
,i          have secured it1 as well as 
words could do1 according          to my
 idea of it1 and if to that you add     
,symington's          and ,sadler's     
patents1 it can scarcely be patentable1 
even if free of the general             
specification in the ,act of            
,parliament2 for even granting that what

 ,i have done cannot          secure it1
 yet it can act as a prior invention    
against          anybody else2 and if it
 cannot be secured by patent1 to        
what purpose should anybody labour at   
it8 ,i have still the          same     
opinions concerning it that ,i had1 but 
to prevent          as much as possible 
more fruitless argument about it1 ,i    
have one of some size under hand1 and am
 resolved to try          if ,god will  
work a miracle in favour of these       
carriages4          ,i shall in some    
future letter send you the words of my  
specification on that subject4 ,in the  
mean time ,i wish          ,william     
could be brought to do as we do1 to mind
 the          business in hand1 and let 
such as ,symington and ,sadler          
throw away their time and money in      
hunting shadows40--,watt          to    
,boulton1 #abth ,sept41 #aghf4 ,in a    
subsequent letter1 ,watt                
expresses himself as much gratified to  
learn 8that ,william          applies to

 his business40    ,notwithstanding     
,watt's fears of a falling off1 the     
engine business still  continued to     
prosper in ,cornwall4 ,although the     
mining interests were  suffering from   
continued depression1 new mines were    
being opened out1  for which            
pumping-engines were wanted2 and        
,boulton and ,watt's continued  to      
maintain their superiority over all     
others4 ,none of their threatened       
rivals had yet been able to exhibit an  
engine in successful work2 and  those of
 the old construction had been almost   
completely superseded4 ,in  #aghd1 new  
engines were in course of erection at   
,poldice1 ,new ,poldory1  ,wheal ,maid1 
,polgooth1 and other mines4 ,almost the 
last of the ,newcomen  engines in       
,cornwall had been discarded at         
,polgooth in favour of one of  ,boulton 
and ,watt's #eh-;inch cylinder engines4 
,illustration3 ,,polgooth4    ,by ,r4   
,p4 ,leitch4    ,the dues paid yearly in
 respect of these and other engines     

previously  erected were very           
considerable2 ,boulton estimating that1 
if duly paid1  they would amount to     
about #ab1jjjl4 a year4 ,there seemed1  
therefore1  every reasonable prospect of
 the financial difficulties of the firm 
at  last coming to an end4    ,boulton's
 visit to ,cornwall on this occasion was
 enlivened by the  companionship of his 
wife1 and her friend ,miss ,mynd4       
,towards midsummer  he looked forward   
with anticipations of increased pleasure
 to the visit  of his two children--his 
son ,matt and his daughter              
,nancy--during their  school holidays4  
,it was a source of much regret to him1 
affectionate as  his nature was1 that   
the engrossing character of his business
 prevented  him enjoying the society of 
his family so much as he desired4 ,but  
he  endeavoured to make up for it by    
maintaining a regular correspondence    
with  them when absent4 ,his letters to 
his children were full of playfulness1  
affection1 and good advice4 ,to his son 

at school he wrote telling him  of his  
life in ,cornwall1 describing to him the
 house at ,cosgarne1 the  garden and the
 trees he had planted in it1 the        
pleasant rides in the  neighbourhood1   
and the visit he had just been paying to
 the top of  ,pendennis ,castle1 from   
which he had seen about a hundred sail  
of ships  at sea1 and a boundless       
prospect of land and water4 ,he         
proceeded to tell  him of the quantity  
of work he did connected with the engine
 business1  how he had no clerk to      
assist him1 but did all the writing and 
drawing  of plans himself3 8,when ,i    
have time10 said he1 8,i pick up        
curiosities  in ores for the purpose of 
assays1 for ,i have a laboratory here4  
,there  is nothing would so much add to 
my pleasure as having your assistance   
in making solutions1 precipitates1      
evaporations1 and crystallisations40    
,after giving his son some good advice  
as to the cultivation of his mind1  as  
calculated to render him an intelligent 

and useful member of society1  he       
proceeded to urge upon him the duty of  
cultivating polite manners1 as  a means 
of making himself agreeable to others1  
and at the same time of  promoting his  
own comfort4 8,but remember10 he added1 
8,i do not wish you  to be polite at the
 expense of honour1 truth1 sincerity1   
and honesty2  for these are the props of
 a manly character1 and without them    
politeness  is mean and deceitful4      
,therefore1 be always tenacious of your 
honour4 ,be  honest1 just1 and          
benevolent1 even when it appears        
difficult to be so4 ,i  say1 cherish    
those principles1 and guard them as     
sacred treasures40    ,at length his son
 and daughter joined him and took part  
in his domestic  and out-door           
enjoyments4 ,they accompanied him in his
 drives and rides1  and ,matt took part 
in his chemical experiments4 ,one of    
their great  delights was the           
fabrication of an immense paper balloon1
 and the making  of the hydrogen gas to 

fill it with4 ,after great preparations 
the balloon  was made and filled1 and   
sent up in the field behind the house1  
to the  delight of all concerned4 ,to   
,mrs4 ,watt he wrote expressing to her  
how  much pleasanter his residence in   
,cornwall had become since his son and  
daughter's visit4 8,i shall be happier10
 he said1 8during the remainder of  my  
residence here than in the former part  
of it2 for ,i am ill calculated  to live
 alone in an enemy's country1 and to    
contest lawsuits4 ,besides1  the only   
source of happiness ,i look for in my   
future life is in my  children4 ,matt   
behaves extremely well1 is active and   
good-humoured2 and  my daughter1 too1   
has1 ,i think1 good dispositions and    
sentiments1 which  ,i shall cherish1 and
 prevent as much as possible from being 
sullied by  narrow and illiberal-minded 
companions40 ,after a few months'       
pleasant  social intercourse with his   
family at ,cosgarne1 varied by          
occasional  bickerings with the         

adventurers out of doors about dues1    
,boulton returned  to ,birmingham1 to   
enter upon new duties and undertake new 
enterprises4          ,,chapter ,,xvii4 
,,commercial ,,politics--,,the ,,albion 
,,mills--,,riots ,,in                   
,,cornwall--,,prosperity ,,of  ,,boulton
 ,,and ,,watt4      ,when ,boulton      
returned to ,birmingham1 he was urgently
 called upon to take  part in a movement
 altogether foreign to his habits4 ,he  
had heretofore  been too much engrossed 
by business to admit of his taking any  
active  part in political affairs4      
,being1 however1 of an active           
temperament1  and mixing with men of all
 classes1 he could not but feel an      
interest in  the public movements of his
 time4 ,early in #aghd1 we find him     
taking the  lead in getting up a loyal  
address to the ,king on the resignation 
of the  ,portland ,administration and   
the appointment of ,mr4 ,pitt as ,prime 
,minister4  ,it appears1 however1 that  
,pitt disappointed his expectations4    

,one of his  first projects was a scheme
 of taxation1 which he introduced for   
the  purpose of remedying the disordered
 state of the finances1 but which1  in  
,boulton's opinion1 would1 if carried1  
have the effect of seriously  damaging  
the national industry4 ,the ,minister   
proposed to tax coal1 iron1  copper1 and
 other raw materials of manufacture1 to 
the amount of about  a million a year4  
,boulton immediately bestirred himself  
to oppose the  adoption of the scheme4  
,he held that for a manufacturing nation
 to tax the  raw materials of wealth was
 a suicidal measure1 calculated1 if     
persevered  in1 to involve the producers
 of wealth in ruin4 8,let taxes10 he    
said1 8be  laid upon luxuries1 upon     
vices1 and if you like upon property2   
tax riches  when got1 and the           
expenditure of them1 but not the means  
of getting them2  of all things1 don't  
cut open the hen that lays the golden   
eggs40#bfg        #bfg ,boulton to      
,wilson1 #afth ,december1 #aghd4        

,boulton ,,mss4    ,petitions and       
memorials were forthwith got up in the  
midland counties1  and presented against
 the measure2 and ,boulton being        
recognised as the  leader of the        
movement in his district1 was summoned  
by ,mr4 ,pitt to ,london  to an         
interview with him on the subject4 ,he  
then took the opportunity  of pressing  
upon the ,minister the necessity of     
taking measures to secure  reciprocity  
of trade with foreign nations1 as being 
of vital importance  to the trade of    
,england4 ,writing to his partner       
,scale1 he said1 8,surely  our          
,ministers must be bad politicians1 to  
suffer the gates of nearly  every       
commercial city in the world to be shut 
against us40 8,there is no  doubt10 he  
wrote to his friend ,garbett1 8but the  
edicts1 prohibitions1  and high duties  
laid upon our manufacturers by foreign  
powers will be  severely felt1 unless   
some new commercial treaties are entered
 into with  such powers4 ,i fear our    

young ,minister is not sufficiently     
aware of the  importance of the subject1
 and ,i likewise fear he will pledge    
himself  before ,parliament meets to    
carry other measures in the next session
 that  will be as odious to the country 
as his late attempts40    ,as ,boulton  
had anticipated1 the ,ministry          
introduced several important  measures1 
calculated to have a highly injurious   
effect upon ,english  industry1 and he  
immediately bestirred himself1 in       
conjunction with ,josiah  ,wedgwood1 of 
,etruria1 to organise a movement in     
opposition to them4  ,wedgwood and      
,boulton met at ,birmingham in          
,february1 #aghe1 and arranged  to      
assemble a meeting of delegates from the
 manufacturing districts1  who were to  
meet and sit in ,london 8all the time   
the ,irish commercial  affairs were     
pending40 ,a printed statement of the   
objects of the movement  was circulated1
 and ,boulton and ,wedgwood wrote to    
their friends in  all quarters to meet  

and appoint delegates to the central    
committee in  ,london4 ,boulton was     
unanimously appointed the delegate for  
,birmingham1  and he proceeded to       
,london furnished with a bundle of      
petitions from his  neighbourhood4 ,the 
delegates proceeded to form themselves  
into a ,chamber  of ,manufacturers1 over
 the deliberations of which ,wedgwood1  
,boulton1 or  ,john ,wilkinson usually  
presided4    ,the principal object of   
these meetings and petitionings was to  
prevent1  if possible1 the imposition of
 the proposed taxes on coal1 iron1 and  
raw  materials generally1 as well as the
 proposed export duties on manufactured 
articles4 ,at a time when foreign       
governments were seeking to exclude     
,english manufactures from their        
dominions by heavy import duties1 it was
  felt that this double burden was more 
than ,english industry could bear4  ,the
 ,irish ,parliament were at the same    
time legislating in a hostile spirit    
towards ,english commerce2 imposing     

taxes upon all manufactures imported    
into ,ireland from ,england1 while      
,irish manufactures were not only sent  
into ,england duty free1 but their own  
parliament encouraged them by a  bounty 
on exportation4 ,the committee strongly 
expostulated against the  partial and   
unjust spirit of this legislation1 and  
petitioned for free  interchange on     
equal terms4 ,so long as such a state of
 things continued1  the petitioners     
urged that 8every idea of reciprocity in
 the interchange  of manufactures       
between ,britain and ,ireland was a mere
 mockery of words40    ,although ,watt  
was naturally averse to taking any      
public part in politics1  his services  
were enlisted in the cause1 and he drew 
up for circulation  8,an answer to the  
,treasury ,paper on the ,iron ,trade of 
,england and  ,ireland40 ,the object of 
his statement was to show that the true 
way  of encouraging manufactures in     
,ireland was1 not by bounties1 not by   
prohibitions1 but by entire freedom of  

industry4 ,it was asserted by the       
supporters of the propositions1 that the
 natives of ,ireland were ignorant1     
indolent1 and poor4 8,if they be so10   
said ,watt1 8the best method of giving  
them vigour is to have recourse to      
,british manufacturers1 possessed of    
capital1 industry1 and knowledge of     
trade40 ,the old covenanting spirit of  
his race fairly breaks out in the       
following passage3--      8,it is       
contemptible nonsense to argue that     
because ,ireland has    never had iron  
manufactories she cannot soon have      
them4444 ,one    hundred years ago the  
,irish had no linen manufacture2 they   
imported linen2 and now they sell to us 
to the amount of a    million annually4 
,how came this about8 ,the civil wars   
under    ,charles ,i41 and the tyranny  
of the ,scotch ,privy ,council under    
,charles ,,ii41 chased the people out of
 ,scotland1 because they    were        
,presbyterians4 ,ireland received and   
protected them2 they    peopled the     

northern provinces2 many of them were   
weavers2 they    followed their business
 in ,ireland1 and taught others4 ,philip
 ,,ii4    chased the inhabitants out of 
,flanders1 on account of religion2      
,queen ,elizabeth received and protected
 them2 and ,england learnt    to        
manufacture woollen cloth4 ,the         
persecutions of ,lewis ,,xiv4           
occasioned the establishment of a colony
 in ,spitalfields4 ,and the             
,parliament of ,britain1 under the      
auspices of ---- and ----1 and          
others1 imposed oppressive duties on    
glass2 and ----'s ,act gave    the      
,irish liberty to export it to our      
,colonies2 the glass-makers    fled from
 the tyranny of the ,excise2 ,ireland   
has now nine    glass-houses4 ,britain  
has lost the export trade of that       
article6    ,more examples of the       
migrations of manufactures could be     
adduced1    but it seems unnecessary2   
for it cannot be denied that men will   
fly from tyranny to liberty1 whether    

,philip's ,priests1 ,charles's          
,dragoons1 or our ,excisemen be the     
instruments of the tyranny4    ,and it  
must also be allowed that even the      
,inquisition itself is    not more      
formidable than our ,excise ,laws 7as   
far as property is    concerned7 to     
those who unhappily are subjected to    
them40    ,towards the end of the       
statement he asks1 8,would it not be    
more manly  and proper at once to invite
 the ,irish to come into a perfect union
 with  ,britain1 and to pay the same    
duties and excises that we do8 ,then    
every  distinction of country might with
 justice be done away with1 and they    
would have a fair claim to all the      
advantages which we enjoy40    ,the     
result of the agitation was that most of
 the proposals to impose new  taxes on  
the raw materials of manufacture were   
withdrawn by the ,ministry1  and the    
,irish resolutions were considerably    
modified4 ,but the relations  of        
,british and ,irish industry were by no 

means settled4 ,the ,irish  ,parliament 
might refuse to affirm the resolutions  
adopted by the ,british  ,parliament1 in
 which case it might be necessary again 
to oppose the  ,ministerial measures2   
and to provide for this contingency1 the
 delegates  separated1 with the         
resolution to maintain and extend their 
organisation  in the manufacturing      
districts4 ,watt did not1 however1 like 
the idea of  his partner becoming       
engrossed in political agitation1 even  
in matters  relating to commerce4 ,he   
accordingly wrote to ,boulton in        
,london1 8,i find  myself quite unequal 
to the various business now lying       
behind1 and wish  much you were at home1
 and that you would direct your         
attention solely to  your own and to    
,boulton and ,watt's business until     
affairs can be brought  into reasonable 
compass40#bfh ,later he wrote1--8,at    
,manchester they are  busy making a     
collection for the ,chamber of          
,manufacturers1 which ,i fancy  will be 

in vogue again next winter4 ,but ,i hope
 that neither you nor ,i will  be mad   
enough to be demagogues then4 ,let us   
leave that to those who can  defy       
,ministers1 and get our property        
secured1 which may be done in the       
confusion40        #bfh ,watt to        
,boulton1 #cast ,march1 #aghe4    ,watt 
was at this time distressed by an       
adverse decision against the firm  in   
one of the ,scotch courts4 8,i have     
generally observed10 he wrote1 8that    
there is a tide in our affairs4 ,we have
 had peace for some time1 but now  cross
 accidents have begun1 and more are to  
be feared40 ,his anxieties were         
increased by the rumour which reached   
his ears from several quarters of a     
grand combination of opulent            
manufacturers to make use of every      
beneficial  patent that had been taken  
out1 and cut them down by scire facias1 
as  they had already cut down           
,arkwright's4 ,it was said that         
subscriptions  had been obtained by the 

association amounting to #ej1jjjl4 ,watt
 was  requested to join a counter       
combination of patentees to resist the  
threatened proceedings4 ,to this1       
however1 he objected1 on the ground that
  the association of men to support one 
another in lawsuits was illegal1 and    
would preclude the members from giving  
evidence in support of each other's     
rights4 8,besides10 said he1 8the       
greater number of patentees are such as 
we could not associate with1 and if we  
did it would do us more harm than       
good40#bfi        #bfi ,watt to         
,boulton1 #bast ,july1 #aghe4 ,writing  
to ,boulton on a        later occasion  
on the subject of these threatened      
attacks on        all patents1 he said1 
8,a pursuance of such decisions as have 
been given lately in several cases must 
at length drive men of        invention 
to take shelter in countries where their
 ingenuity        will be protected2 and
 the other states of ,europe know their 
interest too well to neglect any        

opportunity of curbing the              
insolence and humbling the pride of     
,britain4 ,if the minister        should
 not think it right to amend and confirm
 the patent laws1        the next best  
thing would be to make a law totally    
taking        away the king's power of  
granting them4 ,i mean1 this would      
be the honest part40--,watt to ,boulton1
 #aith ,march1 #aghf4        ,boulton   
himself had equally strong views on the 
subject of        patents1 believing    
that they tended to encourage           
industrious        and ingenious men to 
labour for the common good4 ,referring  
to        the decision against ,argand's
 lamp patent1 he wrote ,de ,luc in      
#aghg1--8;,it was hard1 unjust1 and     
impolitic1 as it hath 7to my            
knowledge7 discouraged a very ingenious 
,french chemist from        coming over 
and establishing in this country an     
invention of        the highest         
importance to one of our greatest       
manufactures4        ,moreover1 it tends

 to destroy the greatest of all         
stimulants to        invention1 viz4 the
 idea of enjoying the fruits of one's   
own        labour4 ,some late decisions 
against the validity of certain         
patents have raised the spirits of the  
illiberal1 sordid1        unjust1       
ungenerous1 and inventionless misers1   
who prey upon        the vitals of the  
ingenious1 and make haste to seize upon 
what        their laborious and often   
costly application has produced4 ,the   
decisions to which ,i refer have        
encouraged a combination in             
,cornwall to erect engines on ,boulton  
and ,watt's principles1        contrary 
to the ,law of ,patents and the express 
provisions of an        ,act of         
,parliament2 and this they are setting  
about in order to        drive us into a
 court of law1 flattering themselves    
that it is        the present           
disposition of the judges to set their  
faces against        all patents4       
,should such a disposition 7so contrary 

to ,lord        ,mansfield's decisions7 
continue to prevail1 it will produce far
        greater evils to the            
manufacturing industry of the kingdom   
than        the gentlemen of the law can
 have any idea of40    ,towards the end 
of #aghe the engines which had been in  
hand were nearly  finished1 and work was
 getting slacker than usual at ,soho4   
,though new  orders gave ,watt trouble1 
and occasioned him anxiety1 still he    
would  rather not be without them4 8,it 
will be well10 he wrote to his partner1 
8if we can get some orders now for      
engines worth while4 ,what we have  been
 doing lately has been very trifling1   
and if we don't get orders  soon1 our   
men will be idle4 ,as it happens at     
present1 we have at least  three        
engineers too few here1 there being     
eight engines to be done in  two or     
three months1 and only three            
engineers40#bgj ,it was matter of       
gratification to ,watt to be able to    
report that the engines last delivered  

had given great satisfaction4 ,the      
mechanics were improving in skill1  and 
their workmanship was becoming of a     
superior character4 8,strood and        
,curtis's engine10 said he1 8has been at
 work some time1 and does very  well4   
,whitbread's has also been tried1 and   
performs exceedingly well40 ,the        
success of ,whitbread's engine was such 
that it had the honour of a visit  from 
the ,king1 who was greatly pleased with 
its performances4 ,not to be  outdone1  
8,felix ,calvert10 wrote ,watt1 8has    
bespoken one1 which is to outdo         
,whitbread's in magnificence40          
#bgj ,watt to ,boulton1 #bgth ,august1  
#aghe4    ,the slackness of work at     
,soho was not of long continuance4      
,orders for  rotative engines came in   
gradually2 one from ,harris1 of         
,nottingham2  another from              
,macclesfield1 to drive a silk-mill2 a  
third from ,edinburgh1  for the purposes
 of a distillery2 and others from       
different quarters4  ,the influx of     

orders had the effect at the same time  
of filling ,soho  with work1 and        
plunging ,watt into his usual labyrinth 
of perplexity and  distress4 ,in        
,september we find him writing to       
,boulton1--      8,my health1 is so bad 
that ,i do not think ,i can hold out    
much    longer1 at least as a man of    
business1 and ,i wish to consolidate    
something before ,i give over40 444     
,again1 8,i cannot help being           
dispirited1 because ,i find my head fail
 me much1 business an    excessive      
burden to me1 and little prospect of my 
speedy release    from it4 ,were we both
 young and healthy1 ,i should see no    
reason    to despair1 but very much the 
contrary4 ,however1 we must do the      
best we can1 and hope for quiet in      
heaven when our weary bones    are laid 
to rest40#bga        #bga ,watt to      
,boulton1 #bdth ,september1 #aghe4    ,a
 few months later1 so many more orders  
had come in1 that ,watt described  ,soho
 as 8fast for the next four months10 but

 the additional work only had  the      
effect of increasing his headaches4 8,in
 the anguish of my mind10 he  wrote1    
8amid the vexations occasioned by new   
and unsuccessful schemes1  like         
,lovelace ,i #8curse my inventions1' and
 almost wish1 if we could gather  our   
money together1 that somebody else      
should succeed in getting our trade     
from us4 ,however1 all may yet be well4 
,nature can be conquered if we can  but 
find out her weak side40    ,we return  
to the affairs of the ,cornish          
copper-miners1 which were now in a  very
 disheartening condition4 ,the mines    
were badly and wastefully worked2  and  
the competition of many small companies 
of poor adventurers kept the  copper    
trade in a state of permanent           
depression4 ,in this crisis of their    
affairs it was determined that a ,copper
 ,company should be formed1 backed  by  
ample capital1 with the view of         
regulating this important branch of     
industry1 and rescuing the mines and    

miners from ruin4 ,boulton took an      
active part in its formation1 and       
induced many of his intimate friends  in
 the north to subscribe largely for     
shares4 ,an arrangement was entered     
into by the ,company with the           
adventurers in the principal mines1 to  
buy  of them the whole of the ore       
raised1 at remunerative prices1 for a   
period  of eleven years4 ,at the first  
meeting1 held in ,september1 #aghe1 for 
the  election of ,governor1             
,deputy-,governor1 and ,directors1      
,boulton held in his  hands the power of
 determining the appointments1          
representing1 as he did  by proxy1      
shares held by his northern friends to  
the amount of #hf1jjjl4  ,the meeting   
took place in the ,town-hall at ,truro1 
and the proceedings  passed off         
satisfactorily2 ,boulton using his power
 with due discretion4  8,we met again on
 ,friday10 he wrote to ,matthews1 8and  
chose the assayers  and other           
subordinate officers1 after which we    

paid our subscriptions1 and  dined      
together1 all in good humour2 and thus  
this important revolution in  the copper
 trade was finally settled for eleven   
years40    ,matters were not yet1       
however1 finally settled1 as many       
arrangements  had to be made for setting
 the ,company to work1 in which ,boulton
 took  the leading part2 the ,governor  
and ,directors pressing him not to leave
  ,cornwall until they were definitely  
settled4 ,it happened to suit his       
convenience to remain until the ,wheal  
,fortune engine was finished--one of    
the most formidable engines the firm had
 yet erected in ,cornwall4 ,in the  mean
 time he entered into correspondence    
with various consumers of copper  at    
home and abroad1 with the object of     
finding a vend for the metal4 ,he       
succeeded in obtaining a contract       
through ,mr4 ,hope1 of ,amsterdam1 for  
supplying the copper required for the   
new ,dutch coinage2 and he opened  out  
new markets for the produce in other    

quarters4 ,being a large holder of      
mining shares1 ,boulton also tried to   
introduce new and economical methods  of
 working the mines2 but with            
comparatively little result4 ,to        
,wilkinson  he wrote1--8,poldice is in a
 desponding way1 and must give up unless
 better  managed4 ,north ,downs is      
managed as badly by incapable1 ignorant1
 drunken  captains1 who hold their posts
 not by merit1 but by their cousinship  
to  some of the adventurers4444 ,i      
should spend a great part of next year  
in  ,cornwall1 and make myself master of
 the minuti4 ,i think ,i could then     
accomplish many necessary               
regulations40#bgb        #bgb ,boulton  
to ,wilkinson1 #bast ,november1 #aghe4  
,though actively bestirring himself for 
the good of the mining interest1        
,boulton had but small thanks for his   
pains4 ,the prominence of his position  
had this disadvantage1 that if the price
 of the ore went down1 or profits       
declined1 or the yield fell off1 or the 

mines were closed1 or anything  went    
wrong1 the miners were but too ready to 
identify him in some way  with the evil2
 and the services which he had rendered 
to the mining  interest#bgc were in a   
moment forgotten4 ,on one occasion the  
discontent  of the miners broke out into
 open revolt1 and ,boulton was even     
threatened  with personal violence4 ,the
 ,united ,mines having proved           
unprofitable in  the working1 notice was
 given by the manager of an intended    
reduction  of wages1 this being the only
 condition on which the mines could be  
carried on4 ,if this could not be       
arranged1 the works must be closed1  as 
the adventurers declined to go on at a  
loss4 ,on the announcement of  the      
intended lowering of wages being made1  
there was great excitement  and         
discontent among the workpeople4        
,several hundreds of them hastily       
assembled at ,redruth1 and took the road
 for ,truro1 to pull down the  offices  
of the ,copper ,mining ,company1 and    

burn the house of the manager4  ,they   
were especially furious with ,boulton1  
vowing vengeance on him1 and  declaring 
that they would pull down every         
pumping-engine he had set up  in        
,cornwall4 ,when the rioters reached    
,truro1 they found a body of men1       
hastily armed with muskets taken from   
the arsenal1 stationed in front of  the 
,copper ,mining ,company's premises1    
supported by six pieces of cannon4  ,at 
sight of this formidable demonstration  
the miners drew back1 and1  muttering   
threats that they would repeat their    
visit1 returned to ,redruth  as they had
 come4 ,two companies of soldiers and   
two of local militia were  brought into 
the town immediately after2 and the     
intended assault was not  made4 ,when   
,watt was informed of the violence with 
which his partner had  been threatened1 
he wrote1--8,in my opinion nothing can  
be more ungrateful  than the behaviour  
of those people who endeavour to make   
you the object of  the resentment of the

 mob1 at a time when 7setting aside     
former services7  you are doing all that
 lies in your power to serve them4444   
,if you still  find the same spirit     
continue1 for ,god's sake leave them    
immediately4 ,the  law can reach the    
adventurers1 if it cannot the miners40  
#bgc ,writing to ,m4 ,de ,luc1 the      
,queen's ,librarian1 of what he and     
his partner had done for ,cornwall1     
,boulton said1--8,the copper        and 
tin mines of ,cornwall are now sunk to  
so great a depth that        had not    
,mr4 ,watt and myself nearly expended   
our fortunes and        hazarded our    
ruin by neglecting our regular business1
 and by a        long series of         
expensive experiments in bringing our   
engine to        its present degree of  
perfection1 those mines must inevitably 
have stopped working1 and ,cornwall at  
this time would not have        existed 
as a mining county4 ,the very article of
 extra coals        for common engines  
would have amounted to more than the    

entire        profits of their          
working40--,boulton to ,de ,luc1 #cast  
,march1 #aghg4    ,this was1 however1   
but the wild and unreasoning clamour of 
misguided and  ignorant men4 ,boulton   
was personally much esteemed by all who 
were able  to appreciate his character1 
and to understand the position of       
himself  and his partner with reference 
to the engine patent4 ,the larger mining
  owners invited him to their houses1   
and regarded him as their friend4 ,the  
more intelligent of the managers were   
his strenuous supporters4 ,first  and   
foremost among these was ,mr4 ,phillips1
 manager of the ,chacewater  mines1 of  
whom he always spoke with the highest   
respect1 as a man of the  most          
scrupulous integrity and honour4 ,mr4   
,phillips was a member of the  ,society 
of ,friends1 and his wife ,catherine was
 one of the most celebrated  preachers  
of the body4 ,boulton and ,watt         
occasionally resided with them  before  
the house at ,cosgarne was taken1 and   

conceived for both the warmest          
friendship4 ,if ,watt was attracted by  
the ,cornish ,anabaptists1 ,boulton was 
equally so by the ,cornish ,quakers4 ,we
 find him1 in one of his letters to     
,mrs4 ,boulton1 describing to her a     
great meeting of ,friends at ,truro     
which  he had attended1 8when10 he said1
 8,i heard our friend ,catherine        
,phillips  preach with great energy and 
good sense for an hour and a half1      
although  so weak in body that she was  
obliged to lie abed for several days    
before40  ,boulton afterwards dined with
 the whole body of ,friends at the      
principal  inn1 being the only person   
present who was not of the ,society2 and
 he  confessed to have spent in their   
company a very pleasant evening4#bgd    
#bgd ,two days after this event1 when   
about to set out for        ,polgooth1 a
 messenger arrived at ,boulton's        
lodgings1 bringing        him the sad   
news of ,mr4 ,phillips's sudden death4  
,he describes        the scene at the   

funeral1 at which ,catherine ,phillips1 
though        strongly urged by him to  
stay away1 insisted on being present4   
8,she was attended by a widow lady who  
had lost a good husband        last     
year1 and though she had not been       
accustomed to speak in        the       
congregation of the righteous1 yet on   
this occasion she        stood with her 
hand upon her husband's coffin and spoke
 above        an hour1 delivering one of
 the most pathetic discourses ,i ever   
heard40 ,a large concourse of people    
attended the interment1        which    
took place in a garden near ,redruth4   
,boulton1 in writing        to ,mrs4    
,boulton1 said1 8,i wish ,i had time to 
give you the        history and         
character of my departed friend1 as you 
know but        little of his           
excellences4 ,i cannot say but that ,i  
feel a gloomy        pleasure in        
dwelling upon the life and death of a   
good man3 it        incites to piety and
 elevates the mind above terrestrial    

things4        ,now1 let me ask you to  
hold a silent meeting in your heart for 
half an hour and then return to your    
work40    ,we return to the progress of 
the engine business at ,soho4 ,the most 
important work in hand about this time  
was the double-acting engine  intended  
for the ,albion ,mill1 in               
,southwark4#bge ,this was the first     
rotative with a parallel motion erected 
in ,london2 and as the more  extended   
use of the engine would in a great      
measure depend upon its  success1 the   
firm naturally looked forward with very 
great interest to  its performances4    
,the ,albion ,mill scheme was started by
 ,boulton as early  as #aghc4 ,orders   
for rotatives were then coming in very  
slowly1 and it  occurred to him that if 
he had but the opportunity of exhibiting
 the  powers of the new engine in its   
best form1 and in connexion with the    
best machinery1 the results would be so 
satisfactory and conclusive as  to      
induce manufacturers generally to follow

 the example4 ,on applying to  the      
,london capitalists1 ,boulton found them
 averse to the undertaking2 and  at     
length ,boulton and ,watt became        
persuaded that if the concern was to  be
 launched at all1 they must themselves  
find the principal part of the  capital4
 ,a sufficient number of shareholders   
was got together to make a  start1 and  
application was made for a charter of   
incorporation in #aghd2  but it was so  
strongly opposed by the millers and     
mealmen1 on the ground  that the        
application of steam-power to           
flour-grinding would throw wind and     
water mills out of work1 take away      
employment from the labouring classes1  
and reduce the price of bread1#bgf that 
the charter was refused2 and the        
,albion ,mill ,company was accordingly  
constituted on the ordinary principles  
of partnership4        #bge ,the ,albion
 ,mill engine was set to work in #aghf4 
,the first        rotative with a       
parallel motion in ,scotland1 was       

erected for        ,mr4 ,stein1 of      
,kennet ,pans near ,alloa1 in the       
following year4        #bgf ,in a letter
 to ,mr4 ,matthews 7#cjth ,april1 #aghd7
 ,boulton        wrote1--8,it seems the 
millers are determined to be masters of 
us and the public4 ,putting a stop to   
fire-engine mills because        they   
come into competition with water-mills1 
is as absurd as        stopping         
navigable canals would be because they  
interfere with        farmers and       
waggoners4 ,the argument also applies to
 wind and        tide mills or any other
 means whereby corn can be ground4 ,so  
all machines should be stopped whereby  
men's labour is saved1        because it
 might be argued that men were thereby  
deprived of        a livelihood4 ,carry 
out the argument1 and we must annihilate
        water-mills themselves1 and thus
 go back again to the grinding        of
 corn by hand labour60    ,by the end of
 the year the ,albion ,mill engines1    
carefully designed by  ,watt1 were put  

in hand at ,soho2 the building was in   
course of erection1  after the designs  
of ,mr4 ,wyatt1 the architect2 while    
,john ,rennie1 the  young ,scotch       
engineer1 was engaged to design and fit 
up the flour-grinding  and dressing     
machinery4 8,i am glad10 wrote ,boulton 
to ,watt1 8you have  agreed with        
,rennie4 ,mills are a great field4      
,think of the crank--of  ,wolf1         
,trumpeter1 ,wasp1 and all the ghosts we
 are haunted by40 ,the whole  of the    
following year was occupied in the      
erection of the buildings and           
machinery2 and it was not until the     
spring of #aghf that the mill was ready 
to start4 ,being the first enterprise of
 the kind1 on an unprecedented  scale1  
and comprising many novel combinations  
of machinery1 there were  many 8hitches0
 before it could be got to work         
satisfactorily4 ,after the  first trial1
 at which ,boulton was present1 he wrote
 his partner expressing  his            
dissatisfaction with the working of the 

double-acting engine1  expressing the   
opinion that it would have been better  
if they had held  by the single-acting  
one4#bgg ,watt was urged to run up to   
town himself  and set matters to rights2
 but he was up to the ears in work at   
,soho1 and  could not leave for a day4  
#bgg ,watt1 however1 continued to adhere
 to his own views as to        the      
superiority of the plan adopted3--8,i am
 sorry to find10 he        observed in  
his reply to ,boulton1 8so many things  
are amiss at        ,albion ,mill1 and  
that you have lost your good opinion of 
double        engines1 while my opinion 
of them is mended4 ,the smoothness      
of their going depends on the steam     
regulators being opened        a little 
before the vacuum regulators1 and not   
opened too        suddenly1 as indeed   
the others ought not to be4 ,otherwise  
the        shock comes so violently in  
the opposite direction that no pins     
or brasses will stand it4 ,malcolm has  
no notion how to make gear        work  

quietly1 nor do ,i think he properly    
understands it4 ,you        must        
therefore attend to it yourself1 and not
 leave it until it        is more       
perfect40--,watt to ,boulton1 #crd      
,march1 #aghf4    ,illustration3        
,,double-,,acting ,,engine1 ,,albion    
,,mill4      8,i can by no means leave  
home at present10 he wrote1 8otherwise  
we    shall suffer much greater losses  
than can come from the ,albion    ,mill4
 ,the work for ,cornwall which must be  
planned and put in train    is immense1 
and there will more come from that      
quarter4 ,besides1    ,i am pulled to   
pieces by demands for forwardness from  
every side4    ,i have lost ten days by 
,william ,murdock1 ,wilson1 ,wilkinson1 
and    headaches1 and ,i have neither   
health nor spirits to make the          
necessary exertions4 ,if ,i went to     
,london ,i should be in torment    all  
the while with the thoughts of what was 
lying behind here40    ,after pointing  
out what course should be taken to      

discover and remedy the  faults of the  
engine1 he proceeded3--      8,above    
all1 patience must be exercised and     
things coolly examined    and put to    
rights1 and care be taken not to blame  
innocent parts4    ,everything must1 as 
much as possible1 be tried separately4  
,remind    those who begin to growl1    
that in new1 complicated1 and difficult 
things1 human foresight falls           
short--that time and money must be      
given to perfect things and find out    
their defects1 otherwise they    cannot 
be remedied40#bgh        #bgh ,watt to  
,boulton1 #ajth ,march1                 
#aghf4--;,boulton ,,mss4    ,not being  
able to persuade ,watt to come to his   
help1 ,boulton sent to  ,cornwall for   
,murdock1 always ready to lend a hand on
 an emergency1 and in  the course of a  
few weeks he was in town at work upon   
the engines4 ,the  result is best told  
in ,wyatt's letter to ,boulton1 who had 
by this time  returned to ,birmingham3--
      8,mr4 ,murdock has just set the   

engine to work4 ,all the rods are       
altered4 ,i think he has done more good 
than all the doctors    we have had     
before2 and his manner of doing it has  
been very    satisfactory--so different 
from what we have been used to4 ,he     
has been through all the flues himself1 
and really takes uncommon    pains4     
,pray write to him2 thank him for his   
attention4 ,he will not    have left    
town before he gets your letter1 and    
press him to stay    as long as he can  
be essentially serviceable40    ,there  
was1 however1 so great a demand for     
,murdock's presence in ,cornwall1  that 
he could not be spared for another day1 
and he hurried back again to  his       
multifarious duties at the mines4       
,the cost of erecting the mill proved to
 be considerably in excess of the       
original estimate1 and ,watt early      
feared that it would turn out a losing  
concern4 ,he had no doubt about the     
engines or the machinery being able to  
do all that had been promised2 but he   

feared that the absence of business     
capacity on the part of the managers    
would be fatal to its commercial        
success4#bgi ,he was especially annoyed 
at finding the mill made a public  show 
of1 and that it was constantly crowded  
with curious and frivolous  people1     
whose presence seriously interfered with
 the operations of the  workmen4 ,it    
reached his ears that the managers of   
the mill even intended  to hold a       
masquerade in it1 with the professed    
object of starting the  concern with    
eclat6 ,watt denounced this as sheer    
humbug4 8,what have ,dukes1  ,lords1 and
 ,ladies10 said he1 8to do with         
masquerading in a flour-mill8 ,you  must
 take steps to curb the vanity of ----1 
else it will ruin him4 ,as for          
ourselves1 considering that we are much 
envied at any rate1 everything  which   
contributes to render us conspicuous    
ought to be avoided4 ,let us  content   
ourselves with doing40#bhj ,it was also 
found that the mill  was becoming a nest

 for schemers and speculators occupied  
in devising  all manner of new projects4
 ,boulton bestirred himself to put      
matters in  a more business-like train4 
,steps were taken to close the mill     
against  the crowd of idle visitors2 and
 ,boulton shortly after reported that   
8the  manufacturing of ,bubbles and new 
schemes is removed from the ,mill to a  
private ,lodging40        #bgi 8,the    
,albion ,mill10 wrote ,watt to ,boulton1
 8requires your        close attention  
and exertions4 ,i look upon it as a     
weight about        our necks that will 
sink us to the bottom1 unless people of 
real activity and knowledge of business 
are found to manage it4        ,i would 
willingly forfeit a considerable sum to 
be clear of        the concern4 ,if     
anybody will take my share ,i will      
cheerfully        give him #ejjl4 and   
reckon myself well quit4 ,my reasons are
        that none of the parties        
concerned are men of business1 that no  
attention has been hitherto paid to it  

by anybody except ,mr4 ,w4        and   
ourselves1 and that if we go on as      
expensively in carrying        on the   
business as in the erection1 it is      
impossible but that        we should be 
immense losers1 and thus probably our   
least loss        will be to stop where 
we are4 ,as to our reputation as        
engineers1        ,i have no doubt but  
the mill will perform its business1 but 
whether with the quantity of coals and  
labour is what ,i cannot                
say40--,watt to ,boulton1 #aith ,march1 
#aghf4        #bhj ,watt to ,boulton1   
#agth ,april1 #aghf4    ,when the mill  
was at length set to work1 it performed 
to the entire  satisfaction of its      
projectors4 ,the engine1 on one         
occasion1 ground as  much as #cjjj      
bushels of wheat in twenty-four hours4  
,the usual rate of work  per week of six
 days was #af1jjj bushels of wheat1     
cleaned1 ground1 and  dressed into fine 
flour 7some of it being ground two or   
three times over72  or sufficient1      

according to ,boulton's estimate1 for   
the weekly consumption  of #aej1jjj     
people4 ,the important uses of the      
double rotative engine were  thus       
exhibited in the most striking manner2  
and the fame of the ,albion  ,mill      
extended far and wide4 ,it so far       
answered the main purpose which         
,boulton and ,watt had in view in       
originally embarking in the enterprise2 
but it must be added that the success   
was accomplished at a very serious      
sacrifice4 ,the mill never succeeded    
commercially4 ,it was too costly in its 
construction and its management1 and    
though it did an immense business it    
was at a loss4 ,the concern was1        
doubtless1 capable of great improvement1
  and1 had time been allowed1 it would  
probably have come round4 ,when its     
prospects seemed to be brightening1#bha 
it was set on fire in several  places by
 incendiaries on the night of the #crd  
of ,march1 #agia4 ,the  villains had    
made their arrangements with            

deliberation and skill4 ,they  fastened 
the main cock of the water-cistern1 and 
chose the hour of low  tide for firing  
the building1 so that water could not be
 got to play upon  the flames1 and the  
mill was burnt to the ground in a few   
hours4 ,a reward  was offered for the   
apprehension of the criminals1 but they 
were never  discovered4 ,the loss       
sustained by the ,company was about     
#aj1jjjl4 ,boulton  and ,watt were the  
principal sufferers2 the former holding 
#fjjjl41 and  the latter #cjjjl4        
interest in the undertaking4#bhb        
#bha ,watt wrote ,boulton from ,london1 
#ast ,october1 #aghi1--8;,i             
called on ,wyatt 7the architect7 last   
night4 ,he says the mill        sold    
above #djjjl4 worth of flour last week  
and is doing well40        #bhb ,for    
further particulars as to the ,albion   
,mill1 see ,life of        ,rennie in   
#8,lives of the ,engineers1' ii4 #acg4  
,meanwhile orders for rotative engines  
were coming in apace at  ,soho1--engines

 for paper-mills and cotton-mills1 for  
flour-mills and  iron-mills1 and for    
sugar-mills in ,america and the ,west   
,indies4 ,at the  same time             
pumping-engines were in hand for        
,france1 ,spain1 and ,italy4  ,the      
steam-engine was becoming an established
 power1 and its advantages  were every  
day more clearly recognised4 ,it was    
alike docile1 regular1  economical1 and 
effective1 at all times and seasons1 by 
night as by day1  in summer and in      
winter4 ,while the wind-mills were      
stopped by calms and  the water-mills by
 frosts1 the steam-mill worked on with  
untiring power4  8,there is not a single
 water-mill now at work in              
,staffordshire10 wrote  ,boulton to     
,wyatt in ,december2 8they are all      
frozen up1 and were it not for          
,wilkinson's steam-mill1 the poor       
nailers must have perished2 but his mill
  goes on rolling and slitting ten tons 
of iron a day1 which is carried away  as
 fast as it can be bundled up2 and thus 

the employment and subsistence  of these
 poor people are secured40    ,as the   
demand for rotative engines set in1     
,watt became more hopeful as  to the    
prospects of this branch of manufacture4
 ,he even began to fear  lest the firm  
should be unable to execute the orders1 
so fast did they  follow each other4 8,i
 have no doubt10 he wrote to ,boulton1  
8that we  shall soon so methodize the   
rotative engines as to get on with them 
at  a great pace4 ,indeed1 that is      
already in some degree the case4 ,but we
  must have more men1 and these we can  
only have by the slow process of        
breeding them40#bhc ,a fortnight later  
he wrote1 8,orders for rotative  engines
 are coming in daily2 but1 if we part   
with any more men here1 we  must stop   
taking them in40 ,want of skilled       
workmen continued to be one  of ,watt's 
greatest difficulties4 ,when the amount 
of work to be executed  was             
comparatively small1 and sufficient time
 was given to execute it1  he was able  

to turn out very satisfactory           
workmanship2#bhd but when the  orders   
came pouring in1 new hands were         
necessarily taken on1 who proved  a     
constant source of anxiety and trouble4 
,even the 8old hands10 when  sent to a  
distance to fit up engines1 being left1 
in a great measure1 to  themselves1 were
 apt to become careless and             
ill-conditioned4 ,with some1            
self-conceit was the stumbling-block1   
with others temper1 but with the        
greater number1 drink4 8,i am very sorry
 to hear10 wrote ,watt to ,boulton1     
8that ,malcolm ,logan's disease         
increases4 ,i think you should talk to  
him  roundly upon it1 and endeavour to  
procure him to make a solemn resolution 
or oath against drinking for some given 
term40 ,another foreman sent to  erect  
an engine in ,craven was afflicted with 
a distemper of a different  sort4 ,he   
was found to have put the engine very   
badly together1 and1  instead of        
attending to his work1 had gone         

a-hunting in a pig-tail wig6  8,if the  
half of this be true10 wrote ,watt1 8as 
,i fear it is1 he will not  do to be    
sent to ,new ,river ,head where an      
engine was about to be erected1  and ,i 
have at present nobody else here4444 ,i 
suppose ,i shall be obliged  to send    
,joseph over1 for we must not have a bad
 engine if it can be  helped4444 ,we    
seem to be getting into our old troubles
 again40#bhe        #bhc ,watt to       
,boulton1 #bcrd ,september1 #aghf4      
#bhd ,he spoke of ,goodwyn's ,brewery   
engine1 finished in #aghd1 as        the
 best that ,soho had up to that time    
turned out--it 8performed               
wonderful well--not the smallest leak   
and scarce any noise4444        ,the    
working gear and joints are the best ,i 
ever saw40        #bhe ,watt to         
,boulton1 #bdth ,february1 #aghf4       
,william ,murdock continued1 as before1 
an admirable exception4 ,he was  as     
indefatigable as ever1 always ready with
 an expedient to remedy a  defect1 and  

willing to work at all hours4 ,a great  
clamour had been raised  in ,cornwall   
during his stay in ,london while setting
 the ,albion ,mill to  rights1 as there 
was no other person there capable of    
supplying his place1  and fulfilling his
 numerous and responsible duties4       
,boulton deplored that  more men such as
 ,murdock were not to be had2--8,he is  
now flying from mine  to mine10 he      
wrote1 8and hath so many calls upon him 
that he is inclined  to grow peevish2   
and if we take him from ,north ,downs1  
,chacewater1 and  ,towan 7all of which  
engines he has the care of71 they will  
run into  disorder and ruin2 they have  
not a man at ,north ,downs that is      
better than  a stoker40    ,towards the 
end of #aghf the press of orders        
increased at ,soho4 ,a rotative  engine 
of forty-horse power was ordered by the 
,plate ,glass ,company to  grind glass4 
,a powerful pumping-engine was in hand  
for the ,oxford ,canal  ,company4 ,two  
engines1 one of twenty and the other of 

ten horse power1 were  ordered for      
,scotch distilleries1 and another order 
was shortly expected  from the same     
quarter4 ,the engine supplied for the   
,hull paper-mill having  been found to  
answer admirably1 more orders for       
engines for the same  purpose were      
promised4 ,at the same time             
pumping-engines were in hand for  the   
great ,french waterworks at ,marli4 8,in
 short10 said ,watt1 8,i foresee  ,i    
shall be driven almost mad in finding   
men for the engines ordered  here and   
coming in40 ,watt was necessarily kept  
very full of work by  these orders1 and 
we gather from his letters that he was  
equally full of  headaches4 ,he         
continued to give his personal attention
 to the preparation  of the drawings of 
the engines1 even to the minutest       
detail4 ,on an engine  being ordered by 
,mr4 ,morris1 of ,bristol1 for the      
purpose of driving a  tilt-hammer1      
,boulton wrote to him1--8,mr4 ,watt can 
never be prevailed upon  to begin any   

piece of machinery until the plan of the
 whole is settled1  as it often happens 
that a change in one thing puts many    
others wrong4  ,however1 he has now     
settled the whole of yours1 but waits   
answers to  certain questions before the
 drawings for the founder can be        
issued40#bhf        #bhf ,boulton to    
,morris1 #bnd ,november1 #aghf4    ,at  
an early period his friend ,wedgwood had
 strongly urged upon ,watt  that he     
should work less with his own head and  
hands1 and more through  the heads and  
hands of others4#bhg ,watt's brain was  
too active for  his body1 and needed    
rest2 but rest he would not take1 and   
persisted in  executing all the plans of
 the new engines himself4 ,thus in his  
fragile1  nervous1 dyspeptic state1     
every increase of business was to him   
increase  of brain-work and increase of 
pain2 until it seemed as if not only his
  health1 but the very foundations of   
his reason must give way4 ,at the very  
time when ,soho was beginning to bask in

 the sunshine of prosperity1 and  the   
financial troubles of the firm seemed   
coming to an end1 ,watt wrote  the      
following profoundly melancholy letter  
to a friend3--      8,i have been effete
 and listless1 neither daring to face   
business1    nor capable of it1 my head 
and memory failing me much2 my stable   
of hobby-horses pulled down1 and the    
horses given to the dogs for            
carrion4444 ,i have had serious thoughts
 of laying down the burden    ,i find   
myself unable to carry1 and perhaps1 if 
other sentiments    had not been        
stronger1 should have thought of        
throwing off the    mortal coil2 but1 if
 matters do not grow worse1 ,i may      
perhaps    stagger on4 ,solomon said    
that in the increase of knowledge there 
is increase of sorrow2 if he had        
substituted business for    knowledge1  
it would have been perfectly true40#bhh 
#bhg 8,your mind1 my friend1 is too     
active1 too powerful for your           
body1 and harasses it beyond its        

bearing4 ,if this was the case          
with any other machine under your       
direction1 except that in        whose  
regulation your friends take so much    
interest1 you would        soon find out
 a remedy4 ,for the present permit me to
 advise a        more ample use of the  
oil of delegation through your whole    
machinery1 and ,i am persuaded you will 
soon find some salutary        effects  
from this application4 ,seriously1 ,i   
shall conclude        in saying to you  
what ,dr4 ,fothergill desired me to say 
to        ,brindley--#8,spare your      
machine a little1 or like others under  
your direction1 it will wear out the    
sooner by hard and constant             
usage4'0--,josiah ,wedgwood to ,watt1   
,december #aj1 #aghb4        #bhh ,watt 
to his brother-in-law1 ,gilbert         
,hamilton1 ,glasgow1 ,june        #ah1  
#aghf4    ,as might be expected1 from   
the large number of engines sold by the 
firm  to this time1 and the increasing  
amounts yearly payable as dues1 their   

income from the business was becoming   
considerable1 and promised1 before  many
 years had passed1 to be very large4    
,down to the year #aghe1 however1  the  
outlay upon new foundries1 workshops1   
and machinery had been so great1  and   
the large increase of business had so   
completely absorbed the capital  of the 
firm1 that ,watt continued to be paid   
his household expenses1 at  the rate of 
so much a year1 out of the hardware     
business1 and no division  of profits   
upon the engines sold and at work had as
 yet been made1  because none had       
accrued4 ,after the lapse of two more   
years1 matters had  completely changed2 
and after long waiting1 and             
indescribable distress of  mind and     
body1 ,watt's invention at length began 
to be productive to him4  ,during the   
early part of his career1 though his    
income had been small1  his wants were  
few1 and easily satisfied4 ,though      
,boulton had liberally  provided for    
these from the time of his settling at  

,birmingham1 ,watt  continued to feel   
oppressed by the thought of the debt to 
the bankers for  which he and his       
partner were jointly liable4 ,in his own
 little business  he had been accustomed
 to deal with such small sums1 that the 
idea of  being responsible for the      
repayment of thousands of pounds        
appalled and  unnerved him2 and he had  
no peace of mind until the debt was     
discharged4  ,now at last he was free1  
and in the happy position of having a   
balance at  his bankers4 ,on the #gth of
 ,december1 #aghg1 ,boulton wrote to    
,matthews1 the  ,london agent1--8,as    
,mr4 ,watt is now at ,mr4 ,macgregor's1 
in ,glasgow1 ,i wish  you would write   
him a line to say that you have         
transferred #djjjl4 to  his own account1
 that you have paid for him another     
#ajjjl4 to the ,albion  ,mill1 and that 
about ,christmas you suppose you shall  
transfer #bjjgl4  more to him1 to       
balance40    ,but while ,watt's argosies
 were coming into port richly laden1    

,boulton's  were still at sea4 ,though  
the latter had risked1 and often lost1  
capital  in his various undertakings1 he
 continued as venturesome1 as           
enterprising  as ever4 ,when any project
 was started calculated to bring the    
steam-engine  into notice1 he was       
immediately ready with his subscription4
 ,thus he  embarked #fjjjl4 in the      
,albion ,mill1 a luckless adventure in  
itself1  though productive in other     
respects4 ,but he sadly missed the      
money1 and as  late as #aghi1 feelingly 
said to ,matthews1 8,oh that ,i had my  
,albion ,mill  capital back again60     
,when any mining adventure was started  
in ,cornwall  for which a new engine was
 wanted1 ,boulton would write1 8,if you 
want a  stopgap1 put me down as an      
adventurer20 and too often the adventure
 proved  a failure4 ,then1 to encourage 
the ,cornish ,copper ,mining ,company1  
he bought  large quantities of copper1  
and had it sent down to ,birmingham1    
where it  lay long on his hands without 

a purchaser4 ,at the same time we find  
him  expending #ejjjl4 in building and  
rebuilding two mills and a warehouse  at
 ,soho1 and an equal amount in          
8preparing for the coinage40 ,these     
large  investments had the effect of    
crippling his resources for years to    
come2  and when the commercial          
convulsion of #aghh occurred1 he felt   
himself in  a state of the most         
distressing embarrassment4 ,the         
circumstances of the  partners being    
thus in a measure reversed1 ,boulton    
fell back upon ,watt  for temporary     
help2 but1 more cautious than his       
partner1 ,watt had already  invested his
 profits elsewhere1 and could not help  
him4#bhi ,he had got  together his store
 of gains with too much difficulty to   
part with them  easily2 and he was      
unwilling to let them float away in what
 he regarded  as an unknown sea of      
speculation4        #bhi 8,mr4 ,watt    
hath lately remitted all his money to   
,scotland1        and ,i have lately    

purchased a considerable quantity of    
copper        at the request of ,mr4    
,williams4444 ,besides which ,i have    
more        than #de tons of copper by  
me1 #bj of which was bought of the      
,cornish ,metal ,company1 and #bj of the
 ,duke's at #gjl41 and not        an    
ounce of either yet used4 ,in short1 ,i 
shall be in a very        few weeks in  
great want of money1 and it is now      
impossible to        borrow in ,london  
or this neighbourhood as all confidence 
is        fled40--,boulton to ,wilson1  
#dth ,may1 #aghh4    ,to add to his     
distresses1 ,boulton's health began to  
fail him4 ,to have  seen the two men1 no
 one would have thought that ,boulton   
would have  been the first to break     
down2 but so it was4 ,though ,watt's    
sufferings  from headaches1 and         
afterwards from asthma1 seem to have    
been almost  continuous1 he struggled   
on1 and even grew in strength and       
spirits4 ,his  fragile frame bent before
 disease1 as the reed bends to the      

storm1 and  rose erect again2 but it was
 different with ,boulton4 ,he had toiled
 too  unsparingly1 and was now feeling  
the effects4 ,the strain upon him had   
throughout been greater than upon ,watt1
 whose headache had acted as a  sort of 
safety-valve by disabling him from      
pursuing further study until  it had    
gone off4 ,boulton1 on the other hand1  
was kept in a state of  constant anxiety
 by business that could not possibly be 
postponed4 ,he  had to provide the means
 for carrying on his many businesses1 to
 sustain  his partner against           
despondency1 and to keep the whole      
organisation of  the firm in working    
order4 ,while engaged in bearing his    
gigantic burden1  disease came upon him4
 ,in #aghd we find him writing to his   
wine-merchant1  with a cheque in payment
 of his account1--8,we have had a visit 
from a new  acquaintance--the gout40    
,the visitor returned1 and four years   
later we  find him complaining of       
violent pain from gravel and stone1 to  

which he  continued a martyr to the     
close of his life4 8,i am very unwell   
indeed10  he wrote to ,matthews in      
,london2 8,i can get no sleep2 and yet  
,i have been  obliged to wear a cheerful
 face1 and attend all this week on ,m4  
l',abb de  ,callone and his friend      
,brunelle40#bij ,he felt as if life was 
drawing to  an end with him3 he asked   
his friend for a continuance of his     
sympathy1  and promised to exert        
himself1 8otherwise10 said he1 8,i will 
lay me down  and die40 ,he was          
distressed1 above all things1 at the    
prospect of leaving  his family         
unprovided for1 notwithstanding all the 
labours1 anxieties1  and risks he had   
undergone4 8,when ,i reflect10 he said1 
8that ,i have given  up my extra        
advantage of one-third on all the       
engines we are now making  and are      
likely to make1#bia--when ,i think of my
 children1 now upon the  verge of that  
time of life when they are naturally    
entitled to expect a  portion of their  

patrimony1--when ,i feel the            
consciousness of being unable  to       
restore to them the property which their
 mother intrusted to me1--when  ,i see  
all whom ,i am connected with growing   
rich1 whilst ,i am groaning  under a    
load of debt and annuities that would   
sink me into the grave if  my anxieties 
for my children did not sustain me1--,i 
say1 when ,i consider  all these things1
 it behoves me to struggle through the  
small remaining  fragment of my life    
7being now in my #fjth year71 and do my 
children all  the justice in my power by
 wiping away as many of my incumbrances 
as  possible40    ,it was seldom that   
,boulton wrote in so desponding a strain
 as this2 but it  was his 8darkest      
hour10 and happily it proved the one    
8nearest the dawn40  ,yet1 we shortly   
after find him applying his energies1   
apparently unabated1  in an entirely new
 direction--that of coining             
money--which1 next to the  introduction 
of the steam-engine1 was the greatest   

enterprise of his life4        #bij     
,boulton to ,matthews1 #bbnd ,december1 
#aghh4        #bia ,boulton acted with  
his usual open-handed generosity in     
his partnership arrangements with ,watt4
 ,although the original        bargain  
between them provided that ,boulton was 
to take        two-thirds1 and ,watt    
one-third profits1 ,boulton providing   
the        requisite capital and being  
at the risk and expense of all          
experiments1 he subsequently1 at ,watt's
 request1 agreed to the        profits  
being equally divided between them4     
,,chapter ,,xviii4    ,,friends ,,of    
,,boulton ,,and ,,watt--,,the ,,lunar   
,,society4      ,as men are known by the
 friends they make and the books they   
read1 as well  as by the recreations and
 pursuits of their leisure hours1 it    
will help  us to an appreciation of the 
characters of ,boulton and ,watt if we  
glance  briefly at the social life of   
,soho during the period we have thus    
rapidly  passed under review4           

,boulton was of a thoroughly social     
disposition1 and made friends wherever  
he went4 ,he was a favourite alike with 
children and philosophers1 with         
princely visitors at ,soho1 and with    
quiet ,quakers in ,cornwall4 ,when at   
home1 he took pleasure in gathering     
about him persons of kindred tastes  and
 pursuits1 in order at the same time to 
enjoy their friendship1 and to          
cultivate his nature by intercourse with
 minds of the highest culture4  ,hence  
the friendships which he early formed   
for ,benjamin ,franklin1 ,dr4  ,small1  
,dr4 ,darwin1 ,josiah ,wedgwood1 ,thomas
 ,day1 ,lovell ,edgeworth1 and  others  
equally eminent2 out of which eventually
 grew the famous ,lunar  ,society4      
,towards the close of last century1     
there were many little clubs or         
coteries of scientific and literary men 
established in the provinces1  the like 
of which do not now exist1--probably    
because the communication  with the     
metropolis is so much easier1 and       

because ,london more than ever  absorbs 
the active intelligence of ,england1    
especially in the higher  departments of
 science1 art1 and literature4 ,the     
provincial coteries of  which we speak1 
were usually centres of the best and    
most intelligent  society of their      
neighbourhoods1 and were for the most   
part distinguished  by an active and    
liberal spirit of inquiry4 ,leading     
minds attracted  others of like tastes  
and pursuits1 and social circles were   
formed which  proved in many instances  
the source of great intellectual        
activity as  well as enjoyment4 ,at     
,liverpool1 ,roscoe and ,currie were the
 centres of  one such group2 at         
,warrington1 ,aikin1 ,enfield1 and      
,priestley1 of another2  at ,bristol1   
,dr4 ,beddoes and ,humphry ,davy of a   
third2 and at ,norwich1 the  ,taylors   
and ,martineaus of a fourth4 ,but       
perhaps the most distinguished of  these
 provincial societies was that at       
,birmingham1 of which ,boulton and      

,watt were among the most prominent     
members4    ,from an early period1 the  
idea of a society1 meeting by turns at  
each  other's houses1 seems to have been
 entertained by ,boulton4 ,it was       
probably  suggested in the first place  
by his friend ,dr4 ,small4 ,the object  
of the  proposed ,society was to be at  
the same time friendly and scientific4  
,the members were to exchange views with
 each other on topics relating to       
literature1 art1 and science2 each      
contributing his quota of entertainment 
and instruction4 ,the meetings were     
appointed to be held monthly at the     
full of the moon1 to enable distant     
members to drive home by moonlight2  and
 this was the more necessary as some of 
them--such as ,darwin and               
,wedgwood--lived at a considerable      
distance from ,birmingham4    ,when     
,watt visited ,soho in #agfh1 on his way
 home from ,london to ,glasgow1  some of
 the members of the ,society--,dr4      
,small1 ,dr4 ,darwin1 and ,mr4          

,keir--were invited to meet him at      
l'htel de l'amiti sur ,handsworth       
,heath1 as ,boulton styled his          
hospitable mansion4 ,the ,society must1 
however1 have been in a somewhat        
undefined state at even a considerably  
later period1 as we find ,boulton       
writing to ,watt in #aggf1 after the    
latter had settled in ,birmingham1      
8,pray remember that the celebration of 
the third full moon will be on          
,saturday1 ,march #crd4 ,darwin and     
,keir will  both be at ,soho4 ,i then   
propose to submit many motions to the   
members  respecting new laws and        
regulations1 such as will tend to       
prevent the  decline of a ,society which
 ,i hope will be lasting40 ,the         
principal members1  besides those above 
named1 were ,thomas ,day1 ,r4 ,lovell   
,edgeworth1 ,samuel  ,galton1 ,dr4      
,withering1 ,baskerville the printer1   
,dr4 ,priestley1 and ,james  ,watt4     
,each member was at liberty to bring a  
friend with him1 and thus  many visitors

 of distinction were present at the     
meetings of the ,society1  amongst whom 
may be named ,mr4 ,smeaton1 ,dr4 ,parr1 
,sir ,joseph ,banks1  ,sir ,william     
,herschel1 ,dr4 ,solander1 ,de ,luc1    
,dr4 ,camper1 and occasional  scientific
 foreigners4    ,dr4 ,darwin was        
regarded as the patriarch of the        
,society4 ,his fame as a  doctor1       
philosopher1 and poet1 was great        
throughout the ,midland ,counties4  ,he 
was extremely speculative in all        
directions1 even in such matters as     
driving wheel-carriages by steam1--also 
a favourite subject of speculation  with
 ,mr4 ,edgeworth4#bib ,dr4 ,darwin's    
time1 however1 was so much engrossed  by
 his practice at ,lichfield1 that he was
 not very regular in his  attendance at 
the meetings1 but would excuse himself  
for his absence by  such a letter as the
 following3--      8,,dear              
,,boulton1--,i am sorry the infernal    
divinities who visit    mankind with    
diseases1 and are therefore at perpetual

 war with    ,doctors1 should have      
prevented my seeing all your great men  
at    ,soho to-day4 ,lord6 what         
inventions1 what wit1 what rhetoric1    
metaphysical1 mechanical1 and           
pyrotechnical1 will be on the wing1     
bandied like a shuttlecock from one to  
another of your troop    of             
philosophers6 while poor ,i1 ,i by      
myself ,i1 imprison'd in a              
postchaise1 am joggled1 and jostled1 and
 bump'd1 and bruised    along the       
,king's high-road1 to make war upon a   
stomach-ache or a    fever60#bic        
#bib ,as early as ,august1 #agfh1 we    
find ,dr4 ,small in one of        his   
letters describing ,edgeworth to ,watt  
as 8a gentleman of        fortune1      
young1 mechanical1 and indefatigable1   
who has taken a        resolution to    
move land and water carriages by steam1 
and has        made considerable        
progress in the short space of time that
 he        has devoted to the study40   
#bic ,dr4 ,darwin to ,boulton1 ,april   

#e1 #aggh4 ,when the ,doctor            
removed to ,derby in #aghb1 he          
wrote1--8,i am here cut off from        
the milk of science1 which flows in such
 redundant streams        from your     
learned ,lunatics1 and which1 ,i can    
assure you1 is a        very great      
regret to me40 ,in another letter he    
said1--8,i hope        philosophy and   
fire-engines continue to go on well4    
,you heard        we sent your ,society 
an air-balloon1 which was calculated to 
have fallen in your garden at ,soho2 but
 the wicked wind carried        it to   
,sir ,edward ,littleton's4 ,pray give my
 compliments to        your learned     
,society40 ,in another letter he        
wrote1--8,i hope        ,behemoth has   
strength in his loins4 ,belial and      
,ashtaroth are        two other devils  
of consequence1 and good names for      
engines of        ,fire40 ,when he heard
 of the ,albion ,mill being burnt down1 
the        ,doctor wrote1--8,the        
conflagration of the ,albion ,mill      

grieved me        sincerely1 both as it 
was a grand and successful effort of    
human        art1 and also because ,i   
fear you were a considerable sufferer   
by it4 ,i well remember poor old ,mr4   
,seward comparing the                   
,immortality of the ,soul 7in a devout  
sermon7 to a fire-engine4        ,he    
might now have made it a type of the    
mortality of this world1        and the 
conflagration of all things40    ,while 
,dr4 ,darwin and ,mr4 ,edgeworth were   
amongst the oldest members of the       
,society1 ,dr4 ,priestley1 the          
discoverer of oxygen and other gases1   
was one  of the most recent4 ,we find   
,boulton corresponding with him in      
#agge1bid  principally on chemical      
subjects1 and supplying him with parcels
 of  fluor spar for purposes of         
experiment4 ,five years later1 in #aghj1
 he was  appointed minister of the      
,presbyterian ,congregation assembling  
in the ,new  ,meeting-house1            
,birmingham2 and from that time forward 

he was one of the  most active members  
of the ,lunar ,society1 by whom he was  
regarded as a  great acquisition4       
#bid ,in a letter from ,priestley to    
,boulton1 dated ,london1 #fth           
,november1 #agge1 he wrote1--8,i shall  
not quarrel with you on        account  
of our different sentiments in politics4
 ,when ,i tell you        what is fact1 
that the ,americans have constructed a  
cannon on        a new principle1 by    
which they can hit a mark at a distance 
of        a mile1 you will say their    
ingenuity has come in aid of their      
cowardice6 ,i would tell you the        
principle of it1 but that ,i am         
afraid it would set your superior       
ingenuity to improve upon it        for 
the use of their enemies40 ,from        
,boulton's memoranda-books        we    
find that the subject of improved       
artillery had occupied his              
attention some ten years before4    ,dr4
 ,priestley was a man of extraordinary  
gifts and accomplishments4 ,he  had     

mastered many languages before he was   
twenty years old4 ,he was well  versed  
in mechanical philosophy and            
metaphysics1 a skilled dialectician1    
and the most expert chemist of his time4
 ,possessed by an irrepressible         
activity and untiring perseverance1 he  
became an enthusiast on whatever        
subject he undertook1 whether it was an 
inquiry into history1 theology1  or     
science4 ,he himself likened            
experimental philosophy to hunting1 and 
in his case it was the pursuit of facts 
that mainly concerned him4  ,he was     
cheerful1 hopeful1 and buoyant2         
possessed of a most juvenile            
temperament2 happiest when fullest of   
work2 ranging from subject to  subject  
with extraordinary versatility2 laying  
aside metaphysics to  pursue experiments
 in electricity1 next taking up history 
and politics1  and resting from these to
 experiment on gases1--all the while    
carrying  on some public controversy on 
a disputed point in religion or         

politics4  ,for it is a curious fact2   
that gentle1 affectionate1 and amiable  
though  ,priestley was1--devout in      
temperament1 and single-minded in the   
pursuit of  truth1#bie--;he was almost  
constantly involved in paper wars4 ,he  
described  himself1 and truly1 as 8one  
of the happiest of men20 yet wherever he
  went1 in ,england or ,america1 he     
stirred up controversy and exasperated  
opponents1 seeming to be the very       
,ishmael of polemics4    ,illustration3 
,,dr4 ,,priestley4    ,at the time when 
he settled at ,birmingham1 ,priestley   
was actively engaged  in prosecuting    
inquiries into the constitution of      
bodies4 ,he had been  occupied for      
several years before in making          
investigations as to the  gases4 ,the   
discovery of carbonic acid gas by ,dr4  
,black of ,edinburgh1 had  attracted his
 attention2 and1 living conveniently    
near to a brewery at  ,leeds1 where he  
then was1 he proceeded to make          
experiments on the fixed  air or        

carbonic acid gas evolved during        
fermentation4 ,from these he went  on to
 other experiments1 making use of the   
rudest apparatus1--phials1              
tobacco-pipes1 kitchen utensils1 a few  
glass tubes1 and an old gun-barrel4     
,the pursuit was a source of constant   
pleasure to him4 ,he had entered  upon  
an almost unexplored field of science4  
,then was the childhood of  chemistry1  
and he gazed with large-eyed wonder at  
the marvels which his  investigations   
brought to light4 ,he had no teacher to 
guide him--nothing  but experiment2 and 
he experimented constantly1 carefully   
noting the  results4 ,observation of    
facts was his great object2 the         
interpretation  of the facts he left to 
others4 ,such was ,priestley1 and such  
were his  pursuits1 when he settled at  
,birmingham in #aghj4        #bie ,mrs4 
,schimmelpenninck1 who had no sympathy  
for ,dr4        ,priestley's religious  
views1 nevertheless bears eloquent      
testimony to the beauty of his          

character4 ,she speaks of him as        
8a man of admirable simplicity1         
gentleness1 and kindness of             
heart1 united with great acuteness of   
intellect4 ,i can never        forget10 
she says1 8the impression produced on me
 by the serene        expression of his 
countenance4 ,he1 indeed1 seemed ever   
present        with ,god by             
recollection1 and with man by           
cheerfulness4444        ,a sharp and    
acute intellectual perception1 often a  
pointed1        perhaps a playful       
expression1 was combined in him with a  
most        loving heart4444 ,dr4       
,priestley always spent part of every   
day in devotional exercises and         
contemplation2 and unless the           
railroad has spoilt it1 there yet       
remains at ,dawlish a deep and          
beautiful cavern1 since known by the    
name of 8,dr4 ,priestley's              
cavern10 where he was wont to pass an   
hour every day in solitary              
retirement40--#8,life of ,mary ,ann     

,schimmelpenninck4'    ,there can be    
little doubt that his enthusiasm as an  
experimenter in  chemistry exercised a  
powerful influence on the minds of both 
,boulton and  ,watt1 who1 though both   
full of work1 anxiety1 and financial    
troubles1 were  nevertheless found      
taking an active interest from this time
 forward in  the progress of chemical   
science4 ,chemistry became the chief    
subject of  discussion at the meetings  
of the ,lunar ,society1 and chemical    
experiments  the principal recreation of
 their leisure hours4      8,i dined    
yesterday at the ,lunar ,society        
7,keir's house710 wrote    ,boulton to  
,watt2 8there was ,blair1 ,priestley1   
,withering1 ,galton1    and an ,american
 #8rebel1' ,mr4 ,collins4 ,nothing new  
except that    some of my white ,spathos
 ,iron ore was found to contain more air
    than any ore ,priestley had ever    
tried1 and1 what is singular1    it     
contains no common air1 but is part     
fixable and part    inflammable40#bif   

,to ,henderson1 in ,cornwall1 ,boulton  
wrote1 two months later1--              
8,chemistry has for some time been my   
hobby-horse1 but ,i am    prevented from
 riding it by cursed business1 except   
now and then    of a ,sunday4 ,however1 
,i have made great progress since ,i saw
    you1 and am almost an adept in      
metallurgical moist chemistry4 ,i       
have got all that part of ,bergmann's   
last volume translated1    and have     
learnt from it many new facts4 ,i have  
annihilated ,wm4    ,murdock's          
bedchamber1 having taken away the floor1
 and made the    chicken kitchen into   
one high room covered over with shelves1
    and these ,i have filled with       
chemical apparatus4 ,i have likewise    
set up a ,priestleyan water-tub1 and    
likewise a mercurial tub for            
experiments on gases1 vapours1 c41 and  
next year ,i shall annex    to these a  
laboratory with furnaces of all sorts1  
and all other    utensils for dry       
chemistry40#big        #bif ,boulton to 

,watt1 #crd ,july1 #agha4 ,dr4 ,black   
denominated        carbonic acid gas    
8fixed air0 because of his having first 
discovered it in chalk1 marble1 c41     
wherein it was fixed        until the   
furnace or other means extracted it from
 its fixture4        #big ,boulton to   
,henderson1 #fth ,september1 #agha4     
,the 8,priestleyan water-tub0 and       
8mercurial tub10 here alluded to1 were  
invented by ,priestley in the course of 
his investigations1 for the purpose  of 
collecting and handling gases2 and the  
pneumatic trough1 with glass  retorts   
and receivers1 shortly became part of   
the furniture of every  chemical        
laboratory4    ,josiah ,wedgwood was    
another member of the ,lunar ,society   
who was infected  by ,dr4 ,priestley's  
enthusiasm for chemistry2 and1 knowing  
that the  ,doctor's income from his     
congregation was small1 he and ,boulton 
took  private counsel together as to the
 best means of providing him with funds 
so as to place him in a position of     

comparative ease1 and enable him  freely
 to pursue his investigations4 ,the     
correspondence which took place  on the 
subject is creditable to all parties    
concerned2 and the more so to  ,boulton1
 as he was embarrassed at the time by   
financial difficulties of  the most     
distressing kind1 as has been already   
explained in a preceding  chapter4      
,wedgwood had undertaken to sound ,dr4  
,priestley1 and he thus  communicated   
the result to ,boulton3--      8,the    
,doctor says he never did intend or     
think of making any    pecuniary        
advantage from any of his experiments1  
but gave them to    the public with     
their results1 just as they happened1   
and so he    should continue to do1     
without ever attempting to make any     
private    emolument from them to       
himself4      8,i mentioned this        
business to our good friend1 ,dr4       
,darwin1 who    agrees with us in       
sentiment1 that it would be a pity that 
,dr4    ,priestley should have any cares

 or cramps to interrupt him in the      
fine vein of experiments he is in the   
midst of1 and is willing    to devote   
his time to the pursuit of1 for the     
public good4 ,the    ,doctor will       
subscribe1 and has thought of some      
friends who1 he is    persuaded1 will   
gladly do the same4444      8,you will  
see by the enclosed list that one cannot
 decently exceed    ten guineas unless  
it be under the cover of a friend's     
name1 which    method ,i shall take if  
,i think it necessary to write more than
    ten2 but that is the subscription ,i
 shall begin with1 and for    three     
years certain4      8,dr4 ,darwin will  
be very cautious who he mentions this   
affair    to1 for reasons of delicacy   
which will have equal weight with us    
all4 ,i mentioned your generous         
intention to ,dr4 ,p41 and that we      
thought of #bjl4 each2 but that1 you    
will perceive1 cannot be1    and the    
,doctor says much less will suffice1 as 
he can go on very    well with #ajjl4   

per annum40#bih        #bih ,wedgwood to
 ,boulton1 ,etruria1 #ajth ,march1      
#agha4    ,boulton wrote ,wedgwood in   
reply1 requesting that the money        
subscribed  should be collected and paid
 to ,dr4 ,priestley in such a way as not
 to  wound his sensitive feelings4 ,he  
suggested that in order to avoid this1  
it  might be better if1 instead of an   
annual subscription1 a dozen gentlemen  
were found willing to give a hundred    
pounds each for the purpose of buying   
an annuity1 or investing the amount in  
stock for the ,doctor's benefit4        
8,i have never yet spoken to him on the 
subject10 he added2 8,i    wish to avoid
 it1 and so doth my neighbour ,galton4  
,therefore    ,i beg you will manage the
 affair so that we may contribute our   
mites to so laudable a plan1 without the
 ,doctor knowing anything    of the     
matter1 and favour us with a line on the
 subject at your    leisure40#bii       
#bii ,boulton to ,wedgwood1 #cjth       
,march1 #agha4    ,in a subsequent part 

of the same letter he indicated the     
subject of  ,priestley's experiments at 
the time3--      8,we have long talked10
 said he1 8of ,phlogiston without       
knowing    what we talked about2 but now
 that ,dr4 ,priestley hath brought the  
matter to light1 we can pour that       
element out of one vessel into          
another1 can take it out of one metal   
and put it into another1    can tell how
 much of it1 by accurate measurement1 is
 necessary    to reduce a calx to a     
metal1 which is easily done1 and without
    putting that calx into contact with 
any visible thing4 ,in short1    this   
goddess of levity can be measured and   
weighed like other    matter4 ,for the  
rest1 ,i refer you to the ,doctor       
himself40    ,the discussions at the    
,lunar ,society were not1 however1      
exclusively  chemical1 but were varied  
according to the visitors who from time 
to time  honoured the members with their
 presence4 ,thus1 in the autumn of      
#aghb1  the venerable ,smeaton1 having  

occasion to be in ,birmingham upon canal
  business1 was invited to attend a     
meeting of the ,society held in ,watt's 
house at ,harper's ,hill4 ,watt thus    
described the evening's proceedings in  
a letter to ,boulton1 then in ,london3--
      8,he ,smeaton grows old1 and is   
rather more talkative than he was1      
but retains in perfection his           
perspicuity of expression and good      
sense4 ,he came to the ,philosophers'   
,meeting at my house on ,monday1    and 
we were receiving an account of his     
experiments on rotatives    and some new
 ones he has made1 when unluckily his   
facts did not    agree with ,dr4 ,moyes 
the blind philosopher's theories1 which 
made    ,moyes contradict ,smeaton1 and 
brought on a dispute which lost us      
the information we hoped for1 and took  
away all the pleasure of    the meeting1
 as it lasted two hours without coming  
half an inch    nearer to the           
point40#cjj    ,a few days later1 we    
find ,de ,luc paying his first visit to 

,watt at  ,birmingham1 accompanied by   
,baron ,reden1 who desired to inspect   
the  ,soho works4 8,m4 ,de ,luc10 wrote 
,watt1 8is a modest ingenious man4 ,on  
,wednesday1 ,wilkinson1 ,reden1 and he  
sent for me to #8,the ,castle' after    
dinner1 and kept me to supper4 ,on the  
following day ,de ,luc came to          
breakfast1 and spent the whole forenoon1
 insensing#cja himself with  steam and  
steam-engines4 ,he is making a book1 and
 will mention us in it4  ,dr4 ,priestley
 came also to dinner1 and we were all   
good company till six  o'clock1 when    
,wilkinson set off for ,broseley1 and   
they for ,london40        #cjj ,watt to 
,boulton1 #bfth ,october1 #aghb4        
#cja ,a common word in the              
north1--meaning literally putting       
sense into one4    ,meanwhile ,priestley
 continued to pursue his investigations 
with  indefatigable zeal1 discovering   
one gas after another1#cjb and          
immediately proclaiming the facts which 
he brought to light1 so that other      

minds might be employed on them besides 
his own4 ,he kept nothing secret4       
,perhaps1 indeed1 he was too hasty in   
publishing the results of experiments   
still unfinished1 as it occasionally led
 him into contradictions which  a more  
cautious method of procedure would have 
enabled him to avoid4  ,but he was      
thoroughly honest1 ingenuous1 and       
single-minded in all his  proceedings1  
entertaining the conviction that in the 
end truth would  vindicate itself1 and  
that all that was necessary was to      
inquire ardently1  to experiment        
incessantly1 and to publish freely4     
#cjb ,he discovered1 in the course of   
his inquiries at different              
periods1 no fewer than nine new         
gases1--oxygen1 nitrogen 7a             
discovery also claimed by ,cavendish and
 ,rutherford71 nitric        oxide1     
nitrous oxide1 sulphurous acid1 muriatic
 acid 7chlorine71        volatile       
ammonia1 fluo-silicic acid1 and carbonic
 oxide1--8a        tribute to science10 

as is truly observed by ,dr4 ,henry1    
8greatly        exceeding in richness   
and extent that of any contemporary40   
,one of the most interesting            
speculations to which ,priestley's      
experiments  gave rise was the          
composition of water4 ,the merit of     
discovering the  true theory has been   
variously attributed to ,watt1 to       
,cavendish1 and  to ,lavoisier2 and     
perhaps no scientific question has been 
the subject  of more protracted         
controversy4 ,it had been known for some
 years that  a certain mixture of       
inflammable and dephlogisticated air    
7hydrogen and  oxygen71 or common air   
and hydrogen1 could be fired by the     
electric spark4  ,the experiment had    
been made by ,volta and ,macquer in     
#aggf-g2 and in the  spring of #agha    
,priestley made what he called a 8random
 experiment0 of  the same kind1 to      
entertain some philosophical friends4   
,he exploded a  mixture of common air   
and hydrogen in a glass globe by sending

 an electric  spark through it1 and when
 the explosion had taken place it was   
observed  that the sides of the glass   
were bedewed with moisture4 ,mr4        
,warltire1  a lecturer on ,natural      
,philosophy at ,birmingham1#cjc was     
present at the  experiment1 and         
afterwards repeated it in a copper flask
 for the purpose  of trying 8whether    
heat is heavy or not40 ,in the mean     
time1 ,mr4 ,cavendish1  who had for some
 years been occupied in the special     
study of pneumatic  chemistry1 and      
satisfactorily solved the question of   
the true composition  of atmospheric    
air1 having had his attention directed  
to ,mr4 ,warltire's  experiment1        
repeated it in ,london1 in the summer of
 #agha1 employing a  glass vessel       
instead of a copper one2 and again the  
deposit of dew was  observed on the     
sides of the glass4 ,this phenomenon1   
which ,priestley  had disregarded1      
appeared to him to be of considerable   
importance1 and  8likely to throw great 

light0 upon the subject of the          
disappearance of  oxygen during         
combustion1 which he had been pursuing  
experimentally by  means of his         
well-known eudiometer4 8,the liquid     
which resulted from the  detonations was
 very carefully analysed1 and proved in 
all the experiments  with hydrogen and  
air1 and in some of those with hydrogen 
and oxygen1  to be pure water2 but in   
certain of the latter it contained a    
sensible  quantity of nitric acid4 ,till
 the source of this was ascertained1 it 
would  have been premature to conclude  
that hydrogen and oxygen could be turned
  into pure water40#cjd ,these          
experiments1 however1 were not          
published1  being still regarded as     
inconclusive4 ,but with the             
communicativeness  which distinguishes  
the true man of science1 ,cavendish made
 them known to  ,priestley1 and1 through
 his friend ,dr4 ,blagden1 to           
,lavoisier4 ,it was not  until ,january1
 #aghd1 that he communicated the results

 of his long series  of experiments on  
the subject to the ,royal ,society4     
#cjc ,we find among the ,boulton ,,mss41
 a letter from ,priestley1        dated 
,calne1 #bhth ,september1 #aggf1        
introducing ,warltire to        ,boulton
 as follows3--8,as ,i know you will take
 pleasure in        everything in which 
the advancement of science is concerned1
 ,i        take the liberty to recommend
 to you ,mr4 ,warltire1 who has been    
some time in this part of the country1  
and who is going to read        lectures
 on the subject of ,air at ,birmingham4 
,i think him an        excellent        
philosopher1 as well as a modest and    
agreeable man4        ,he is perfectly  
acquainted with his subject1 and has    
prepared a        set of experiments    
which have given the greatest           
satisfaction        wherever he has     
been4 ,he has been so obliging as to    
spend        some time with me1 and has 
given me much assistance in my late     
experiments1 of which he can give you   

some account40        #cjd ,wilson's    
#8,life of ,cavendish1' p4 #fj4 ,in this
 work1 the        claims of ,cavendish  
are strongly advocated4 ,the case in    
favour        of ,watt is alike strongly
 and ably stated by ,mr4 ,muirhead in   
his #8,correspondence of the late ,james
 ,watt on his ,discovery of        the  
,theory of the ,composition of ,water4' 
,in the mean time ,watt's attention had 
been directed to the same subject  by   
the experiments of ,priestley1 and he   
was led to the same conclusions  as     
,cavendish1 though altogether           
independent of him1 and by means of a   
different class of experiments4 ,we find
 him writing to ,boulton1 then at       
,cosgarne1 as follows1 in #aghb3--      
8,you may remember that ,i have often   
said that if water could be    heated   
red hot1 or something more1 it would    
probably be converted    into some kind 
of air1 because steam would in that case
 have    lost all its latent heat1 and  
that it would have been turned    wholly

 into sensible heat1 and probably a     
total change of the    nature of the    
fluid would ensue4 ,dr4 ,priestley has  
proved this by    experiment4 ,he took  
lime and chased out all the fixed air1  
and    made it exceedingly caustic by   
long-continued and violent heat4    ,he 
then added to it two ounces of water1   
and as expeditiously as    possible     
subjected it again to a strong heat1 and
 he obtained    two ounces' weight of   
air2 and1 what is most surprising1 a    
balloon which he interposed between the 
retort and receiver was    not sensibly 
moistened1 nor at all heated that could 
be observed4    ,the air produced was   
but very little more than common air1   
and    contained scarce any fixed air4  
,so here is a plain account of    where 
the atmospheric air comes from4 ,the    
,doctor does me justice    as to the    
theory40#cje        #cje ,watt to       
,boulton1 #ajth ,december1 #aghb4       
,the results of this experiment were by 
no means conclusive4 ,that water  was   

composed1 at least in part1 of air or   
gas of some kind was obvious2  but what 
the gas was1 and whether it existed in  
combination with other  gases1 was still
 a matter of conjecture4 ,but           
,priestley1 having proceeded  to repeat 
,cavendish's experiment#cjf of exploding
 a mixture of oxygen  and hydrogen in a 
glass vessel1 which was followed by the 
usual deposit  of water1 communicated   
the fact to ,watt1 and this at once put 
him on  the track of the true theory4   
,in a letter to ,dr4 ,black1 he         
communicated  the result of ,dr4        
,priestley's experiments1 stating that  
8when quite dry  pure inflammable air   
7hydrogen7 and quite dry pure           
dephlogisticated air  7oxygen7 are fired
 by the electric spark in a close       
vessel1 he finds1  after the vessel is  
cold1 a quantity of water adhering to   
the vessel  equal1 or very nearly equal1
 to the weight of the whole air4444 ,are
 we not  then authorised to conclude1   
that water is composed of               

dephlogisticated  and inflammable air or
 phlogiston deprived of part of their   
latent heat2  and that dephlogisticated 
or pure air is composed of water        
deprived  of its phlogiston and united  
to heat and light2 and if light be only 
a modification of heat1 or a component  
part of phlogiston1 then pure  air      
consists of water deprived of its       
phlogiston or latent heat80#cjg  ,at the
 same time ,watt wrote to               
,priestley1--who did not himself see    
the force of the experiments as         
establishing the true composition of    
water1--demonstrating the conclusions   
which they warranted1 and which were    
identical with those already drawn by   
,cavendish4        #cjf ,de ,luc1       
,watt's 8ami zl10 as he described       
himself1        confirms the fact of    
,cavendish having1 in #aghb1            
communicated        to ,priestley the   
nature of his experiments as well as    
his theory of the composition of water1 
in the following        passage3--8,vers

 la fin de l'anne #aghb1 j'allai        
,birmingham1        o le ,dr4 ,priestley
 s'toit tabli depuis quelques annes4 ,il
        me communiqua alors que ,m4     
,cavendish1 d'aprs une rmarque de       
,m4 ,warltire1 qui avoit toujours trouv 
de l'eau dans les vases        o il     
avoit brl un mlange de l'air inflammable
 et d'air        atmosphrique1 s'toit   
appliqu  dcouvrir la source de cette    
eau1 et qu'il avoit trouv qu'un mlange  
d'air inflammable        et d'air       
dphlogistique en proportion convenable1 
tant        allum par l'tincelle        
lectrique1 se convertissoit tout        
entier en eau4--,je fus frapp au plus   
haut degr de cette                      
dcouverte40--#8,ides sur la             
,mtorologie1' tome #b1 #aghg1 pp4       
#bjf-g4        #cjg ,watt to ,black1    
#bast ,april1 #aghc4    ,whether        
,priestley had communicated to ,watt the
 theory of ,cavendish does  not appear2 
but it is probable that both arrived at 
the same conclusions  independently of  

each other2 ,cavendish from the result  
of his own  experiments1 and ,watt from 
those of ,priestley4 ,each was quite    
competent  to have made the discovery2  
nor is it necessary for the fame of     
either  to strip a leaf of laurel from  
the brow of the other4 ,moreover1 we are
 as  unwilling to believe that          
,cavendish would have knowingly         
appropriated to  himself the idea of    
,watt1 as that ,watt would have         
knowingly appropriated  the idea of     
,cavendish4 ,as it was1 however1        
,cavendish and ,watt both claimed       
priority in the discovery2 the advocates
 of ,watt's claim resting their  case   
mainly on the fact of his having first  
stated his views on the  subject in     
writing1 in a letter which he wrote to  
,dr4 ,priestley for the  purpose of     
being read to the ,royal ,society in    
,april1 #aghc4 ,before that  letter was 
read1 ,watt asked that it should be     
withheld until the results  of some new 
experiments of ,dr4 ,priestley could be 

ascertained4 ,these  proving delusive1  
,watt sent a revised edition of the     
letter to his friend  ,de ,luc1 in      
,november1 but the reading of it was    
delayed until the #bith  ,april1 #aghd1 
before which time1 on the #aeth         
,january1 ,cavendish's paper  on the    
same subject had been communicated to   
the ,society4 ,watt was much  annoyed at
 the circumstance1 and alleged that     
,cavendish had been guilty of           
8plagiarism40#cjh ,at a late period of  
his life1 when all bitter feelings  on  
the subject had subsided1 ,watt declared
 himself indifferent to the  subject of 
controversy3 8,after all10 said he1 8it 
matters little whether  ,cavendish or ,i
 discovered the composition of water2   
the great thing is1  that it is         
discovered40        #cjh ,that ,watt    
felt keenly on the subject1 is obvious  
from        his letter to ,mr4 ,fry of  
,bristol 7#aeth ,may1 #aghd71 wherein he
        says1--8,i have had the honour1 
like other great men1 to have        had

 my ideas pirated4 ,soon after ,i wrote 
my first paper on the        subject1   
,dr4 ,blagden explained my theory to ,m4
 ,lavoisier at        ,paris2 and soon  
after that1 ,m4 ,lavoisier invented it  
himself1        and read a paper on the 
subject to the ,royal ,academy of       
,sciences4 ,since that1 ,mr4 ,cavendish 
has read a paper to the        ,royal   
,society on the same idea1 without      
making the least mention        of me4  
,the one is a ,french financier2 and the
 other a member of        the           
illustrious house of ,cavendish1 worth  
above #ajj1jjjl41 and        does not   
spend #ajjjl4 a year4 ,rich men may do  
mean actions4        ,may you and ,i    
always persevere in our integrity1 and  
despise        such doings40            
,pneumatic chemistry continued to form  
the principal subject of discussion  at 
the ,lunar ,society1 as we find from    
numerous references in ,boulton  and    
,watt's letters4 8,the ,lunar ,society10
 wrote ,watt to his partner1  8was held 

yesterday at ,mr4 ,galton's at ,barr4   
,it was rather dull1 there  having been 
no philosophical news lately except ,mr4
 ,kirwan's discovery  of an air from    
phosphorus1 which takes fire of itself  
on being mixed  with common or          
dephlogisticated air40#cji ,among       
,watt's numerous  scientific            
correspondents was ,m4 ,berthollet1 the 
eminent ,french chemist1  who           
communicated to him the process he had  
discovered of bleaching by  chlorine4   
,watt proceeded to test the value of the
 discovery by experiment1  after which  
he recommended his father-in-law1 ,mr4  
,macgregor1 of ,glasgow1  to make trial 
of it on a larger scale4 ,this1 however1
 was postponed until  ,watt himself     
could find time to superintend it in    
person4 ,at the end  of #aghg1 we find  
him on a visit to ,glasgow for the      
purpose1 and writing  ,boulton that he  
is making ready for the trial4 8,i      
mean10 he writes1 8to  try it to-morrow1
 though ,i am somewhat afraid to attack 

so fierce and  strong a beast4 ,there is
 almost no bearing the fumes of it4     
,after all1  it does not appear that it 
will prove a cheap way of bleaching1 and
 it  weakens the goods more than could  
be wished1 whatever good it may do in   
the way of expedition40#caj ,the        
experiment succeeded1 and we find ,mr4  
,macgregor1 in the following ,february1 
8engaged in whitening #aejj yards  of   
linen by the process40 ,the discovery1  
not being protected by a patent1  was   
immediately made use of by other firms2 
but the offensive odour of the  chlorine
 was found exceedingly objectionable1   
until it was discovered that  chlorine  
could be absorbed by slaked lime1 the   
solution of which possessed  great      
bleaching power1 and this process in    
course of time superseded all  the old  
methods of bleaching by chlorine4       
#cji ,watt to ,boulton1 #bjth           
,september1 #aghe4        #caj ,watt to 
,boulton1 #cjth ,december1 #aghg4       
,boulton ,,mss4    ,it has been recently

 surmised that the action of light upon 
nitrate of  silver formed the subject of
 discussion at the ,lunar ,society1 and 
of  experiments by ,boulton and ,watt2  
but we find no indications of this  in  
their correspondence4 ,they were so     
unreserved with each other on  all      
matters of business as well as science  
that1 had any phenomena  of so          
remarkable a character as those which   
have issued in the art of  photography  
become known to either ,boulton or      
,watt1 we feel confident that  they must
 have formed the subject of much        
personal discussion1 and of many        
written communications4 ,but both       
correspondents are alike entirely silent
  on the subject2 and we infer that no  
such experiments were made by them1  or1
 if made1 that they led to no           
results6#caa        #caa ,mr4 ,w4 ,p4   
,smith1 of the ,patent ,museum1 raised  
this question        at a meeting of the
 ,photographic ,society held on the #crd
        ,november1 #ahfc4 ,certain      

photographic pictures on metal plates   
were found in ,mr4 ,boulton's library at
 ,soho1 which1 it was        supposed1  
had not been opened for about fifty     
years3 and it was        accordingly    
inferred that these photographs had been
 the work        of ,mr4 ,boulton1 or   
some member of the ,lunar ,society1     
about the        year #agia4 ,one of    
them was supposed to be a view of ,soho 
,house        8before the alterations1  
which were made previous to #agia40     
,but the evidence is very defective1 as 
has been clearly shown        by ,m4 ,p4
 ,w4 ,boulton1 ,esq41 the grandson of   
,mr4 ,boulton1 in his        #8,remarks 
concerning certain ,photographs supposed
 to be of early        ,date' 7,bradbury
 and ,evans1 #ahfd74 ,instead of having 
been closed        for fifty years1 the 
room in which the pictures were found1  
was in constant use1 and the books were 
freely accessible4 ,it        is also   
very doubtful whether the house         
represented in one of        the        

pictures is old ,soho ,house2 the strong
 probability being        that it is    
not1 but a house still standing at      
,winson ,green4        ,the explanation 
given by ,mr4 ,m4 ,p4 ,w4 ,boulton seems
 to be the        true one--that the    
room in question having been used by a  
,miss        ,wilkinson1 an experimenter
 in photography after its invention     
by ,niepce1 these photographs were      
merely the results of her        first  
amateur experiments in the art4 ,the    
late ,mr4 ,murdock1        son of       
,william ,murdock of ,soho1 who lived in
 the immediate        neighbourhood1 was
 also a very good photographist1 and was
        accustomed to meet ,miss        
,wilkinson to make experiments in the   
new art4        ,there can be no doubt  
that the ,wedgwoods of ,etruria1 more   
particularly ,josiah's son ,thomas1 as  
well as ,humphry ,davy1        were     
early engaged in experimenting on the   
action of light        upon nitrate of  
silver1 but they wholly failed in fixing

 the        pictures4 ,a letter1 dated  
8,january1 #agii10 is quoted in the     
#8,photographic ,journal' for ,jan4 #ae1
 #ahfd1 as from ,james ,watt        to  
,josiah ,wedgwood 7which must be an     
error1 as ,josiah died in        #agie71
 in which the following words           
occur3--8,i thank you for        your   
instructions respecting the silver      
pictures1 about which1        when at   
home1 ,i will make some experiments40   
,if such experiments        were really 
made1 we have been unable to find any   
record of        them4    ,among the    
many foreigners who were attracted by   
this distinguished circle  of scientific
 men1 we find ,m4 ,faujas-,saint-,fond1 
who visited ,birmingham  in the course  
of his tour in ,england in #aghe1 while 
the circle was as yet  unbroken1 and    
,watt1 ,boulton1 ,priestley1 and the    
rest1 were in the full  tide of         
business1 invention1 and inquiry4       
,saint-,fond had the pleasure of  dining
 one day with ,watt when ,dr4 ,priestley

 was present1 and describes in  glowing 
terms the interest of their             
conversation4 8,watt10 he says1 8joins  
to the frankness of a ,scotchman the    
amiability and kindness of a man of  the
 world4 ,surrounded by charming         
children1 well educated and full of     
talent1 he enjoys in their midst the    
happiness of regarding them as his      
friends1 while he is almost worshipped  
by them as the best of fathers40  ,a    
subsequent visit which he paid to ,dr4  
,priestley in company with ,dr4         
,withering1 leads him to describe the   
philosopher's house at ,fairhill1 then  
about a mile and a half from            
,birmingham4 8,it is10 he says1 8a      
charming  residence1 with a fine meadow 
on one side1 and a beautiful garden on  
the  other4 ,there was an air of perfect
 neatness about the place within and    
without40 ,he describes the ,doctor's   
laboratory1 in which he conducted his   
experiments1 as 8situated at the        
extremity of a court1 and detached from 

the house to avoid the danger of fire40 
8,it consists of several apartments on  
the ground floor4 ,on    entering it1 ,i
 was struck with the sight of a simple  
and ingenious    apparatus for making   
experiments on inflammable gas extracted
    from iron and water reduced to      
vapour4 ,it consisted of a tube1        
tolerably long and thick1 made out of   
one piece of copper to avoid            
soldering4 ,the part exposed to the fire
 was thicker than the    rest4 ,he      
introduced into the tube cuttings or    
filings of iron1    and instead of      
letting the water fall into it drop by  
drop1 he    preferred introducing it as 
vapour4 ,the furnace was fired by coke  
instead of coal1 this being the best of 
combustibles for intensity    and       
equality of heat4444 ,dr4 ,priestley    
kindly allowed me to make    a drawing  
of his apparatus for the purpose of     
communicating it to    the ,french      
chemists who are engaged in the same    
investigations as    himself4444 ,the   

,doctor has embellished his rural       
retreat with a    philosophical cabinet1
 containing all the instruments         
necessary    for his scientific labours2
 as well as a library1 containing a     
store of the most valuable books4 ,he   
employs his time in a variety    of     
studies4 ,history1 moral philosophy1 and
 religion1 occupy his    attention by   
turns4 ,an active1 intelligent mind1 and
 a natural    avidity for knowledge1    
draw him towards the physical sciences2 
but a soft and impressible heart again  
leads him to religious and              
philanthropic inquiries4444 ,i had      
indeed the greatest pleasure    in      
seeing this amiable savant in the midst 
of his books1 his    furnaces1 and his  
philosophical instruments2 at his side  
an    educated wife1 a lovely daughter1 
and in a charming residence1    where   
everything bespoke industry1 peace1 and 
happiness40#cab        #cab #8,voyage en
 ,angleterre1 en ,ecosse1 et aux ,iles  
,hbrides4'        ,par ,b4              

,faujas-,saint-,fond4 #b vols4 ,paris1  
#agig4    ,only a few years after the   
date of this visit1 while ,priestley was
 still  busied with his chemical        
investigations1 his house at ,fairhill1 
thus  described by ,saint-,fond1 was    
invaded by a brutal mob1 who ruthlessly 
destroyed his library1 his apparatus1   
and his furniture1 and forced him  to   
fly from ,birmingham1 glad to escape    
with his life4    ,the ,lunar ,society  
continued to exist for some years       
longer4 ,but one by  one the members    
dropped off4 ,dr4 ,priestley emigrated  
to ,america2 ,dr4  ,withering1 ,josiah  
,wedgwood1 and ,dr4 ,darwin1 died before
 the close of the  century2 and1 without
 them1 a meeting of the ,lunar ,society 
was no longer  what it used to be4      
,instead of an assembly of active1      
inquiring men1 it  was more like a      
meeting of spectres with a ,death's head
 in the chair4  ,the associations       
connected with the meeting--reminding   
the few lingering  survivors of the     

losses of friends--became of too painful
 a character to  be kept alive2 and the 
,lunar ,society1 like the members of    
which it was  composed1 gradually       
expired4 ,its spirit1 however1 did not  
die4 ,the ,society  had stimulated      
inquiry1 and quickened the zeal for     
knowledge of all who  had come within   
the reach of its influence2 and this    
spirit diffused  and propagated itself  
in all directions4 ,leonard ,horner1 who
 visited  ,soho in #ahji1 thus referred 
to the continued moral influence of the 
association3--8,the remnant of the      
,lunar ,society10 he says1 8and the     
fresh  remembrance in others of the     
remarkable men who composed it1 are very
  interesting4 ,the impression which    
they made is not yet worn out1 but shows
  itself1 to the second and third       
generation1 in a spirit of scientific   
curiosity and free inquiry1 which even  
yet makes some stand against the        
combined forces of ,methodism1 ,toryism1
 and the love of gain40#cac        #cac 

,horner's #8,memoirs and                
,correspondence1' ii4 #b4               
,,chapter ,,xix4    ,,boulton',s        
,,application ,,of ,,the                
,,steam-,,engine ,,to ,,coining4        
,the manufacture of counterfeit money   
was very common at ,birmingham about    
the middle of last century1--so common1 
indeed1 that it had become an  almost   
recognised branch of trade4 ,the        
machinery which was capable of  making a
 button with a device and letters       
stamped upon one side of a piece  of    
metal1 was capable1 with a few          
modifications1 of making a coin with a  
device and letters stamped upon both    
sides4 ,it was as easy to counterfeit   
one kind of coin as another--gold and   
silver1 as well as copper2 the  former  
only requiring a little extra skill in  
manipulation1 to which the              
button-makers were found fully equal4   
,the profits of this illegal trade were 
of course very large2 and so long  as   
the coiners could find a vend for their 

productions1 they went on  producing4   
,but at length the public1 smarting from
 many losses1 acquired  sufficient      
experience to detect the spurious issues
 of the ,birmingham  mints2 and when an 
unusually bright shilling or guinea was 
offered1 they  had little difficulty in 
pronouncing upon its 8,brummagem0#cad   
origin4  ,but though profitable1 the    
prosecution of this branch of business  
was  by no means unattended with risks4 
,while some who pursued it on a large   
scale contrived to elevate themselves   
among the moneyed class1 others1  less  
fortunate1 secured an elevation of a    
very different kind1--one of  the       
grimmest sights of those days being the 
skeletons of convicted coiners  dangling
 from gibbets on ,handsworth ,heath4#cae
        #cad ,the word 8,brummagem0     
doubtless originated in the numerous    
issues of counterfeit money from the    
,birmingham mints4        #cae ,the     
punishment for this crime was sometimes 
of a very brutal        character4 ,in  

,march1 #aghi1 a woman1 convicted of    
coining in        ,london1 was first    
strangled by the stool being taken from 
under        her1 and then fixed to a   
stake and burnt before the debtor's     
door at ,newgate6    ,the production of 
counterfeit gold and silver coins came  
to be avoided  as too dangerous2 but the
 production of counterfeit copper money 
continued active at ,birmingham down to 
the middle of last century1  when       
numerous illegal mints were found in    
active operation4 ,a ,royal             
proclamation was issued on the #abth    
,july1 #agea1 warning the coiners       
against the consequences of their       
illegal proceedings2 and shortly after1 
the ,solicitor for the ,mint went down  
to ,birmingham1 and had many of  the    
more noted offenders tried1 convicted1  
and sentenced to two years'             
imprisonment4 ,the principal            
manufacturers and traders of the town   
met and  passed strong resolutions1     
condemning the practice of illegal      

coining2  but the evil still continued2 
and in #agec it was estimated that not  
less  than half the copper coin in      
circulation was counterfeit4 ,this      
disgraceful  state of the coinage       
suggested1 and partly justified1        
companies1 firms1  and local bodies1 in 
circulating copper coinages of their    
own4 ,these were  followed by provincial
 pence and halfpence1 which were1 in    
their turn1  counterfeited by pieces of 
baser metal4 ,most of the new copper    
coins of  all sorts1 good and bad1 were 
executed at ,birmingham2 and thus       
coining  shortly became one of the      
leading branches of business there4     
,boulton1 as the owner of the largest   
and best-equipped manufactory in the    
neighbourhood1 might have done any      
amount of coining that he desired2 but  
the disreputable character of the       
business deterred him from entering     
upon it1 and he refused all orders for  
counterfeit money1 whether for  home or 
abroad4#caf ,he took an active part in  

the measures adopted by the  leading    
manufacturers to prevent illegal        
coining2 and the interest which  he felt
 in commercial questions generally      
continued to keep his attention         
directed to the subject4 ,one of the    
greatest evils of debased coinage1  in  
his opinion1 consisted in the serious   
losses that it occasioned to the        
labouring people2 many of the lower     
classes of traders and manufacturers    
buying counterfeit money from the       
coiners at half its current value1 and  
paying it in wages at full value1       
thereby wronging and defrauding the     
workmen of their hire4 ,he came to the  
conclusion that the public interest     
imperatively required that the whole of 
the so-called copper coinage  in        
circulation should be swept away and    
superseded by the issue of new  coins1  
the intrinsic value and superior        
workmanship of which should be so       
palpable as effectually to suppress     
counterfeiting and its numerous evils4  

,he had many interviews with the        
ministers of state on the subject2 and  
we  find him alleging in one of his     
letters to a friend that 8his principal 
reason for turning coiner was to gratify
 ,mr4 ,pitt in his wishes to put an  end
 to the counterfeiting of money40#cag   
#caf 8,i lately received a letter from a
 ,jew about making for him        a     
large quantity of base money1 but ,i    
should be sorry ever to        become so
 base as to execute such orders4 ,on the
 contrary ,i have        taken some     
measures to put a stop to the execution 
of them by        others1 and if ,mr4   
,butcher hath any plan of that sort he  
would        do well to guard against   
me2 as ,i certainly shall endeavour all 
in my power to prevent the              
counterfeiting of ,british or other     
money--that being the principle on which
 ,i am acting40--,boulton        to     
,matthews1 ,december1 #aghg4        #cag
 ,boulton to ,woodman1 #acth ,november1 
#aghi4    ,other circumstances1         

doubtless1 concurred in keeping his     
attention  directed to the subject4     
,thus1 he had become largely interested 
in the  copper-trade of ,cornwall       
through the shares he held in the mines 
as well  as in the ,copper ,mining      
,company2 and he was himself a large    
holder of  copper1 which he had         
purchased from that ,company at a time  
when they could  not dispose of it      
elsewhere4 ,it was also one of his      
favourite ideas to  apply the power of  
the steam-engine to the stamping of     
money1--an idea  of which he has the    
exclusive merit4 ,as early as #aggd1    
,watt says ,boulton  had many           
conversations with him on the subject2  
but it was not until the  year #aghf    
that he successfully applied the engine 
for the first time in  executing his    
contract with the ,east ,india ,company 
for above a hundred  tons of copper     
coin4 ,james ,watt1 in his ,,ms4 memoir 
of his friend ,boulton1  gives the      
following account of the origin of his  

connexion with the  coining business3-- 
8,when the new coinage of gold took     
place in #agh-1 ,mr4 ,boulton    was    
employed to receive and exchange the old
 coin1 which served    to revive his    
ideas on the subject of coinage1 which  
he had long    considered to be capable 
of great improvement4 ,among other      
things1    he conceived that the coin   
should all be struck in collars1 to     
make it exactly round and of one size1  
which was by no means the    case with  
the ordinary gold pieces2 and that1 if  
thus made1 and of    one thickness1 the 
purity of the gold might be tested by   
passing    it through a gauge or slit in
 a piece of steel made exactly to    fit
 a properly made coin4 ,he had          
accordingly a proof guinea made1    with
 a raised border1 and the letters en    
creux1 somewhat similar    to the penny 
pieces he afterwards coined for         
,government4 ,this    completely        
answered his intention1 as any piece of 
baser metal    which filled the gauge   

was found to be considerably lighter2   
or1 if made to the proper weight1 then  
it would not go through    the gauge4   
,such money was also less liable to wear
 in the pocket    than the common coin1 
where all the impression was prominent4 
,the    proposals on this head were not 
however approved by those who then      
had the management of ,his ,majesty's   
,mint1 and there the matter    rested   
for the time4      8,in #aghf ,mr4      
,boulton and ,i were in ,france1 where  
we saw a very    fine crown-piece       
executed by ,mr4 ,p4 ,droz in a new     
manner4 ,it was    coined in a collar   
split into six parts1 which came        
together when    the dies were brought  
in contact with the blank1 and formed   
the    edge and the inscription upon it4
 ,mr4 ,droz had also made several       
improvements in the coining-press1 and  
pretended to others in the    art of    
multiplying the dies4 ,as1 to his       
mechanical abilities1 ,droz    joined   
that of being a good die-sinker1 ,mr4   

,boulton contracted    with him to come 
over to ,england at a high salary and   
work at    ,soho1 ,mr4 ,b4 having then  
the prospect of an extensive copper     
coinage for the ,east ,india ,company as
 well as a probability of    one from   
,government4 ,in anticipation of this   
contract1 a number of    coining-presses
 were constructed1 and a steam-engine   
was applied    to work them4      8,mr4 
,droz was found to be of a very         
troublesome disposition4    ,several of 
his contrivances1 being found not to    
answer1 were    obliged to be better    
contrived or totally changed by ,mr4    
,boulton    and his assistants4 ,the    
split collar was found to be difficult  
of    execution1 and being subject to   
wear very soon when in use1 it    was   
consequently unfit for an extensive     
coinage4 ,other methods    were         
therefore invented and applied by ,mr4  
,boulton1 and the use    of ,droz's     
collar was entirely given up40#cah      
#cah ,watt says ,droz 8did not know so  

much on the subject as        ,boulton  
himself did10 and being found           
incompetent1 a pretender1        and    
disposed to be quarrelsome and          
litigious1 he was shortly        after  
dismissed with liberal payment4         
,although the machinery of the 8,htel de
 ,monnaie10 which ,boulton erected  at  
,soho1 was found sufficient for the     
execution of his contract with  the     
,east ,india ,company1 its action was   
8violent and noisy10 and did not  work  
to his satisfaction4 ,he accordingly1   
with his usual determination  to reach  
the highest degree of mechanical        
perfection1 proceeded to  remodel the   
whole of his coining machinery1 in the  
course of which he  introduced many     
entirely new contrivances and           
adaptations4 ,in this he  was ably      
assisted by ,william ,murdock1 ,peter   
,ewart1 ,james ,lawson1 and ,john       
,southern2 but he himself was throughout
 the leading spirit1 and took the       
principal part of the work4 ,he         

originated numerous essential           
improvements  in the rolling1 annealing1
 and cleaning of the metal1--in the     
forging1  multiplying1 and tempering of 
the dies1--and in the construction of   
the  milling and cutting-out            
machines1--which were worked out in     
detail by his  assistants1 after various
 trials1 examined and tested by himself2
 while  the arrangement and methodising 
of the system of coining--in a word1 the
  organisation of the mint--was entirely
 his own work4 8,to his indefatigable   
energy and perseverance10 wrote ,murdock
 many years later1 8in pursuit of  this1
 the favourite and nearly the sole      
object of the last twenty years  of the 
active part of ,mr4 ,boulton's life1 is1
 in a great measure1 to  be attributed  
the perfection to which the art of      
coining has ultimately  attained40#cai  
#cai ,in a letter written by ,james     
,lawson to ,matthew ,robinson           
,boulton shortly after his father's     
death1 he observed1--8,god        only  

knows the anxiety and unremitting       
perseverance of your        father to   
accomplish the end2 and we all aided and
 assisted        to the best of our     
powers1 without ever considering by     
whose        contrivance anything was   
brought to bear4 ,indeed the bringing   
of everything to bear was by your       
father's perseverance1 and        by his
 hints and personal attendance2 for     
often he attended and        persevered 
in the experiments till we were all     
tired40--,lawson        to ,m4 ,r4      
,boulton1 ,january #aj1 #ahaj4 ,boulton 
,,mss4    ,while thus labouring at the  
improvement of his presses1 dies1 and   
the  application of the steam-engine to 
the process of coining1 ,boulton was    
actively engaged in stirring up public  
opinion on the subject of an  improved  
copper coinage4 ,six presses were fitted
 and ready for work at  ,soho by the end
 of #aghh2cbj but the only considerable 
orders which had  as yet been executed  
were the copper coinage of the ,east    

,india ,company1  another for the       
,american ,colonies1 and a silver       
coinage for the ,sierra  ,leone         
,company2 so that the ,soho mint1       
notwithstanding the capital1  skill1 and
 labour bestowed upon it1 remained      
comparatively idle4 ,boulton  continued 
to stir up the ,government through his  
influential friends2#cba  and he was at 
length called before the ,privy ,council
 and examined as to  the best means of  
preventing the issue of counterfeit     
money4 ,he stated  his views to them at 
great length2 and the members were so   
much impressed  by his statements that  
they authorised him to prepare and      
submit to them  a model penny1          
halfpenny1 and farthing4 ,this he at    
once proceeded to  do1 and forwarded    
them to the ,privy ,council1 accompanied
 by an elaborate  report1 setting forth 
the superiority of the new coins over   
those then  issued from the ,mint2      
demonstrating that their adoption would 
effectually  prevent counterfeiting of  

base copper money1 and offering to      
guarantee  the execution of a contract  
for a new coinage1 at 8not exceeding    
half the  expense which the common      
copper coin hath always cost at his     
,majesty's  ,mint40#cbb        #cbj ,we 
find numerous letters from ,boulton to  
,joseph ,harrison        relative to the
 execution of the presses1 and the      
manner in        which the various      
details of the work were to be carried  
out4        ,on the #afth of ,january1  
#aghh1 he wrote1--8,push forward with   
the        utmost expedition six of the 
cutting-out presses and one of the      
coining presses4 ,i have engaged to have
 six of each kind at work        by this
 day four months4444 ,i shall be obliged
 to work after        the rate of #aejj 
tons a year4 ,i fear ,i must have eight 
presses        eight were eventually    
erected in which case ,i must lengthen  
the building next the ,gate road4 ,pray 
push forward1 and be        silent40    
,various details as to the working of   

the presses and        the execution of 
the coin were given in succeeding       
letters4        #cba ,to ,lord          
,hawkesbury he wrote 7#adth ,april1     
#aghi71--8;,in the        course of my  
journeys ,i observe that ,i receive upon
 an average        two-thirds           
counterfeit halfpence for change at     
toll-gates1        c42 and ,i believe   
the evil is daily increasing1 as the    
spurious money is carried into          
circulation by the lowest class         
of manufacturers1 who pay with it the   
principal part of the        wages of   
the poor people they employ4 ,they      
purchase from the        subterraneous  
coiners #cf shillings'-worth of copper  
7in nominal        value7 for #bj       
shillings1 so that the profit derived   
from the        cheating is very large4 
,the trade is carried on to so great    
an extent that at a public meeting at   
,stockport in ,cheshire1        in      
,january last1 the magistrates and      
inhabitants came to a        resolution 

to take no other halfpence in future    
than those of        the ,anglesey      
,company also an illegal coinage1 though
 of full        weight and value of     
copper1 and this resolution they have   
published in their newspapers40         
#cbb ,boulton to the ,lords of the      
,privy ,council for ,trade1 #afth       
,december1 #aghg4    ,although the      
specimens submitted by ,boulton to the  
,privy ,council were  approved and      
eventually adopted1 the officials of the
 ,mint were enabled1  by mere passive   
resistance1 to delay the adoption of the
 new copper  coinage for more than ten  
years4 ,with their lumbering machinery  
they could  not execute one-third part  
of the copper coin required for the     
ordinary  purposes of currency2 but they
 could not brook the idea of inviting a 
private individual to do that which they
 were found unable to do with all  the  
powers of the ,state at their back4     
,rather than thus publicly confess      
their incompetency1 they were satisfied 

to execute only one-third of the  copper
 coinage1 leaving it to the forgers and 
private coiners to supply  the rest4    
,boulton began to fear that the coining 
presses which he had erected with  so   
much labour1 contrivance1 and           
expenditure of money1 in anticipation   
of the expected ,government contract1   
would remain comparatively idle  after  
all4 ,but he did not readily give up the
 idea of executing the new  coinage4    
8,of all the mechanical subjects ,i ever
 entered upon10 he wrote  ,mr4 ,garbett1
 8there is none in which ,i ever engaged
 with so much ardour  as that of        
bringing to perfection the art of       
coining in the reign of  ,george ,,iii41
 as well as of checking the injurious   
and fatal crime of  counterfeiting40 ,it
 occurred to him that it might be       
possible to overcome  the               
obstructiveness of officialism by means 
of public opinion2 and he  proceeded    
with his usual vigour to rouse the      
trading interests throughout  the       

country on the subject4 ,he had a       
statement printed and extensively       
circulated among the leading merchants  
and manufacturers1 to whom he also  sent
 specimens of his model penny and       
halfpenny1 the superiority of which  to 
the rubbishy government and counterfeit 
coin then in circulation1 was  made     
apparent at a glance4 ,he also          
endeavoured to act upon the ,ministry   
through the influence of the ,king1 to  
whom he presented copies of his  model  
gold1 silver1 and copper coins2 but     
though his ,majesty expressed  himself  
highly pleased with them1 the question  
of their adoption still  remained as    
much in suspense as ever4 ,the appeals  
to the public were  followed by numerous
 petitions to ,parliament and memorials 
to the ,privy  ,council against         
counterfeit money1 and in favour of the 
proposed ,boulton  coinage4#cbc         
#cbc ,in #aghg1 and again in #aghi1 we  
find the merchants1 traders1        and 
others in ,southwark urgently           

memorialising the ,lords of the         
,treasury on the subject4 ,the ,memorial
 addressed to them in the        latter 
year was signed by #hjj of the principal
 inhabitants of        the ,borough1 and
 presented to ,mr4 ,pitt by a           
deputation1 headed        by ,mr4       
,barclay1 of ,thrale's ,brewery4 ,it set
 forth that the        counterfeits of  
copper coin had become a very serious   
burden        and loss1 more especially 
to poor manufacturers1 labourers1 and   
others1 many of whom were compelled to  
take counterfeit copper        coin in  
payment of their commodities and wages2 
and concluded by        stating that1   
having seen specimens of a new copper   
coinage made        by ,mr4 ,boulton of 
,birmingham 7under order of the ,lords  
of the        ,privy ,council7 the      
,memorialists take leave to represent1  
that        such a coinage1 from its    
greater weight and superior execution1  
would in their opinion afford to        
themselves and the public        at     

large a certain remedy for the present  
grievance1 and they        therefore    
strongly recommended its adoption4      
,in the mean time1 to find employment   
for the coining presses he had set  up1 
,boulton sought for orders from foreign 
and colonial governments4 ,in  #agij and
 #agib he executed a large quantity of  
beautiful copper coin#cbd  for the      
revolutionary government of ,france     
while we remained at peace  with that   
country4 ,the coin was afterwards       
suppressed when the government  was     
overturned1 to the great loss of the    
,french contractors1 who1  nevertheless1
 honourably fulfilled their engagement  
with ,mr4 ,boulton4 ,in  #agia he       
executed for the colony of ,bermuda a   
penny coinage2 about the same  time he  
turned out a large number of provincial 
halfpenny tokens2#cbe  and in #agid he  
supplied the ,madras ,presidency with   
its four-faluce and  two-faluce coinage4
 ,by way of exhibiting the artistic     
skill of ,soho1 and  its ability to turn

 out first-class medal work1 ,boulton   
took advantage of  the ,king's recovery 
in #aghi1 to execute a very fine medal  
commemorative of  the event4 ,he sent   
the first specimen to his friend ,m4 ,de
 ,luc1 the ,queen's  ,librarian at      
,windsor1 for presentation to her       
,majesty1 who expressed  herself much   
pleased with the medal4 ,in his letter  
to ,de ,luc1 ,boulton  stated that he   
had been the more desirous of turning   
out a creditable  piece of workmanship1 
as the art of medalling was one of the  
most backward  in ,england1 and had made
 the least progress of any during the   
reign of  his present ,majesty4 ,in     
preparing this medal1 he had the        
co-operation of  ,benjamin ,west1       
,president of the ,royal ,academy1 who  
rendered him valuable  assistance in    
supplying the best models and portraits 
of the ,king from  which a satisfactory 
likeness could be made1 and he also     
inspected and  corrected the engraving  
of the dies4        #cbd ,the coins     

were3 in #agij1 a five-sous piece1      
8,pacte        ,fdratif20 in #agib1 a   
four sous 8,hercule20 and a two sous    
8,libert40 ,boulton's reputation as a   
coiner abroad1 brought        upon him  
while at ,paris1 a host of foreign      
schemers1 one of        whom pretended  
that he had discovered an infallible    
method of        converting copper into 
gold6 ,the schemer and his wife followed
        ,boulton to ,soho1 accompanied  
by a letter of introduction from        
his friend ,baumgarten4 ,after taking   
measure of the schemer1        ,boulton 
replied to ,baumgarten as follows3--    
8,,dear ,,sir1--,who the devil have you 
sent me8 ,is he          the angel or   
the demon ,gabriel8 ,is he a seraphim or
 a          swindler8 ,his propositions 
appear in such a questionable           
form1 that ,i know not whether to       
pronounce him ,f4 or          ,r4 or    
,s41 which are favourite letters amongst
 ,english          philosophers4        
8,doth he mean to make gold by ,alchemy1

 or after the family          receipt by
 which his mother and brother extracted 
two          hundred guineas from my    
simplicity when at ,paris8              
8,i am content with the copper coinage1 
and shall leave          the golden one 
to you and ,gabriel4 ,the science of    
alchemy          soars so much above    
common sense that ,i never could        
obtain so much as a peep into its lower 
regions4 ,this          said ,gabriel   
and his angel have1 however1            
condescended to          adopt common   
sense so far as to take up their        
lodgings in          my cottage6        
8,the worst of all is1 ,i am at this    
juncture extremely busy          and    
can't bear interruption2 but all that is
 a trifle          when compared with   
the magnitude of his project1 viz4      
converting #aejjl4 into #fj1jjjl46 ,but 
he says a small          experiment may 
be made in three days and three nights  
in          my laboratory4 ,i must1     
however1 own that ,i had rather be      

in ,jonah's situation during that time4 
8,i wish not to offend this angelic     
couple1 but ,i should          prefer   
that you had them back again1 with all  
the favours          and profits        
intended for me4 ,however1 ,i cannot    
help          wishing you a better      
thing2 for in spite of your last        
favour ,i sincerely desire for you and  
all that are dear          to you1 many 
many happy and prosperous years1        
8,ever your faithful and affectionate   
friend1                                 
8,m4 ,,boulton40        #cbe ,the       
following were the principal provincial 
halfpenny tokens        executed at     
,soho3--#aghi1 ,cronebane and ,dundee2  
#agia1 ,anglesey1        ,cornwall1     
,glasgow1 ,hornchurch1 ,southampton2    
#agic1 ,leeds1 ,london1        ,penryn1 
,john ,wilkinson's2 #agid1 ,inverness1  
,lancaster2 #agie1        ,bishops      
,stortford2 #ahjj1 ,enniscorthy4    ,the
 success of the medal commemorative of  
the ,king's preservation was  such as to

 induce ,boulton to prosecute this      
department of business1--not  that it   
was attended with profit1 for some of   
his most costly medals were  produced   
for presentation to individuals1 and not
 for sale1--but that it  increased the  
reputation of ,soho1 and reflected new  
credit upon the art  manufacture of     
,england4    ,in preparing the dies for 
his various coins and medals1 we find   
,boulton  seeking and obtaining the     
assistance of ,nollekens1 ,flaxman1     
,bacon1 and  ,wilton 7sculptors72 ,mayer
 7,king's miniature painter72 ,gossett  
7modeller72  but above all1 he was      
mostly indebted for friendly help to    
,benjamin ,west1  who cordially entered 
into his views of 8establishing elegant 
records  of the medallic arts in the    
reign of ,george ,,iii40 ,boulton also  
executed  a series of medals            
commemorative of the great events of the
 ,french  ,revolution1 for which there  
must have been a considerable demand1 as
 we  find him sending at one time not   

less than twenty tons of historical     
medals to ,messrs4 ,monneron his ,paris 
agents4 ,amongst these1 we may  mention 
his medals of the following             
subjects3--,the ,emperor of ,russia2    
,assassination of the ,king of ,sweden2 
,restoration of the ,king of ,naples2   
,final ,interview of the ,king of       
,france2 ,execution of the ,king of     
,france2  ,execution of the ,queen of   
,france2 ,serment du ,roi2 ,lafayette2  
,j4 ,j4  ,rousseau2 and ,respublica     
,gallica4#cbf        #cbf ,the following
 medals were also struck by ,mr4        
,boulton at        ,soho3--,prince and  
,princess of ,wales on their marriage2  
,marquis        ,cornwallis on the peace
 with ,tippoo2 ,earl ,howe on his       
victory of        the ,first of ,june2  
,hudson's ,bay ,company2 ,slave ,trade  
abolished2        ,chareville ,forest2  
,general ,suwarrow on his successes in  
,italy2        the ,empress ,catherine  
of ,russia2 in commemoration of ,british
        ,victories2 ,union with         

,ireland2 on the peace of #ahjb2 ,battle
 of        ,trafalgar2 ,manchester and  
,salford ,volunteers2 ,frogmore ,medal2 
,prince ,regent of ,portugal2 and the   
,emperor ,alexander of ,russia4         
,the execution of the ,trafalgar ,medal 
furnishes a remarkable                  
illustration of ,boulton's princely     
munificence4 ,it was struck        on   
the occasion of ,lord ,nelson's last    
victory1 and presented        by him1   
with the sanction of government1 to     
every officer and        man engaged in 
the action4 ,he gave an additional value
 to the        present by confining the 
medal to this purpose only4    ,the     
,boulton ,,ms4 contains a brief         
description1 in ,mr4 ,boulton's         
handwriting1 of the ,soho ,mint in      
#agib1 from which we make the following 
extract3--      8,this ,mint consists of
 eight large coining-machines1 which are
    sufficiently strong to coin the     
largest money in current use1 or    even
 medals2 and each machine is capable of 

being adjusted in a    few minutes1 so  
as to strike any number of pieces of    
money from    fifty to one hundred and  
twenty per minute1 in proportion to     
their diameter and degree of relief2 and
 each piece being struck    in a steel  
collar1 the whole number are perfectly  
round and of    equal diameter4 ,each   
machine requires the attendance of one  
boy    of only twelve years of age1 and 
he has no labour to perform4 ,he    can 
stop his press one instant1 and set it  
going again the next4    ,the whole of  
the eight presses are capable of        
coining1 at the same    time1 eight     
different sizes of money1 such as       
,english crowns1    #f-livre pieces1    
#bd-sous pieces1 #ab-sous1 or the very  
smallest    money that is used in       
,france4 ,the number of blows at each   
press    is proportioned to the size of 
the pieces1 say from fifty to    one    
hundred and twenty blows per minute1 and
 if greater speed is    wanted1 he has  
smaller machines that will strike #bjj  

per minute4      8,as the blows given by
 ,mr4 ,b4's machinery are much more     
uniform    than what are given by the   
strength of men's arms when applied     
to the working of the common press1 the 
dies are not so liable to    break1 nor 
the spirit of the engraving to be so    
soon injured2 yet    nevertheless1 from 
the natural imperfections of steel1 and 
other    unavoidable causes1 some time  
will be lost in changing the dies    and
 other interruptions4 ,however1 it is   
decided by experience that    ,mr4      
,boulton's new machinery works with less
 friction1 less wear1    less noise1 is 
less liable to be out of order1 and can 
strike    very much more than any       
apparatus ever before invented2 for it  
is    capable of striking at the rate of
 #bf1jjj cus or ,english crowns1    or  
#ej1jjj of half their diameter1 in one  
hour1 and of working    night and day   
without fatigue to the boys1 provided   
two sets of    them work alternately for
 ten hours each40    ,when ,boulton's   

eight presses were in full work1 the    
quantity of copper  coin they turned out
 was very large4 ,they could work off   
with ease twelve  hundred tons of coin  
annually4 ,the quantity of copper thus  
consumed was so  great that a difficulty
 began to be experienced in keeping up  
the supply4  ,instead of being glutted  
with the metal1 as ,boulton had been    
before  the ,mint was started1 he had   
now considerable difficulty in obtaining
  sufficient for his purposes4 ,he seems
 to have been1 in some measure1 the     
victim of a combination to keep him out 
of a supply2 for when the holders  of   
copper found out that his contract with 
the ,east ,india ,company required  him 
to deliver the coin within a given time1
 and that he must have the  metal1 they 
raised the prices upon him1 and copper  
went up about #fl4 a  ton4 ,on this1 the
 ,birmingham white metal button-makers  
lowered the wages  of their workmen1    
alleging as the cause the rise in the   
price of copper1  8for which they must  

thank ,mr4 ,boulton40 ,the usual strikes
 followed1 with  meetings of trades     
delegates and street commotions4 ,though
 ,boulton had  confidence in the        
,birmingham workmen generally1 among    
whom he had the  reputation of being a  
good master1 he feared that1 in their   
excited state1  malice might stir them  
to mischief2 and he apprehended an      
attack upon  his manufactory4 ,for this 
he accordingly made due preparation1    
placing  a strong armed guard of his own
 workmen upon ,soho1 having the fullest 
confidence in their fidelity4 ,writing  
to his friend ,wilson in ,cornwall1  he 
said1--      444 8,from the             
misrepresentations that have been made  
by the    delegates1 this town has been 
greatly misguided1 and ,i expect        
every hour riots of a serious nature4   
8,workmen are parading the streets with 
cockades in their hats4    ,they are    
assembled by beat of drum1 and headed by
 ,ignorance and    ,envy1 with their    
eyes turned towards ,soho4      8,yet ,i

 am no competitor with the ,birmingham  
trades4 ,i follow no    business but    
what ,i have been myself the father of1 
and ,i have    done much more for the   
,birmingham manufactures than any other 
individual4 ,i have declined the trade  
of ,white ,metal ,buttons1    which is  
the article so much affected by the rise
 of metals1 and    that in which the    
rioters are employed4      8,i mix with 
no clubs1 attend no public meetings1 am 
of no party1    nor am ,i a zealot in   
religion2 ,i do not hold any            
conversation with    any ,birmingham    
persons2 and therefore ,i know no       
grounds but what    may be suggested by 
wicked and envious hearts for supposing 
me to    be the cause of the late rise  
of copper4      8,however1 ,i am well   
guarded by justice1 by law1 by men1 and 
by    arms40#cbg        #cbg ,boulton to
 ,wilson1 #bfth ,february1 #agib4       
,boulton ,,mss4    ,the danger1 however1
 shortly passed1 and the threatened     
attack was not  made4    ,it was not    

until the year #agig that ,boulton was  
employed to execute a  copper coinage   
for ,britain4 ,ten years before1        
encouraged by the ,lords  of the        
,treasury1 he had fitted up the ,mint   
machinery at a heavy cost1  in          
anticipation of this very order2 and    
now1 after executing coinages  for many 
foreign governments1 the order came at  
last4 ,the new coins  consisted of      
twopenny1 penny1 halfpenny1 and farthing
 pieces4 ,altogether1  about #dbjj tons 
of these coins were issued from the     
,soho ,mint between  #agig and #ahjf4   
,so sensible were the authorities at the
 ,royal ,mint of  the advantages of ,mr4
 ,boulton's improvements in coining     
machinery1 that  they employed him to   
erect the new ,mint on ,tower ,hill1 one
 of the most  complete establishments of
 the kind until then in existence4 ,the 
plans  of the new ,mint1 as regarded the
 distribution of the buildings connected
  with the mechanical department1 were  
arranged by him2 and the coining        

machinery and steam-engines were        
executed at ,soho under his immediate   
direction1 though he was at the time    
labouring under the infirmities  of age 
as well as suffering under the pressure 
of a painful disease4 ,he  had also the 
honour of supplying ,royal ,mints for   
the ,russian1 ,spanish1  and ,danish    
governments2 and at a later period for  
,mexico1 ,calcutta1 and  ,bombay4 8,in  
short10 said ,mr4 ,watt1 in the ,,ms4   
memoir from which we have  already      
quoted1 8had ,mr4 ,boulton done nothing 
more in the world than he  has          
accomplished in improving the coinage1  
his name would deserve to be            
immortalised2 and if it be considered   
that this was done in the midst of      
various other important avocations1 and 
at enormous expense1--for which1  at the
 time1 he could have had no certainty of
 an adequate return1--we  shall be at a 
loss whether most to admire his         
ingenuity1 his perseverance1  or his    
munificence4 ,he has conducted the whole

 more like a sovereign than  a private  
manufacturer2 and the love of fame has  
always been to him a  greater stimulus  
than the love of gain4 ,yet it is to be 
hoped that1 even  in the latter point of
 view1 the enterprise answered its      
purpose40    ,illustration3 ,,site ,,of 
,,the ,,soho ,,mint1 ,,now ,,removed4   
,,chapter ,,xx4    ,,prosperity ,,of    
,,soho--,,young ,,boulton ,,and         
,,watt--,,the ,,riots--,,william        
,,murdock4      ,the steam-engine had   
now become firmly established as a      
working power4  ,beginning as a water   
pumper for miners1 it had gradually been
 applied  to drive corn and cotton      
mills1 to roll and hammer iron1 to coin 
money1  to work machinery1 and to       
perform the various labour in which the 
power  of men and horses1 of wind and   
water1 had before been employed4 ,the   
numerous orders for new engines which   
came in at ,soho kept the works         
increasingly busy4 ,many skilled workmen
 had by this time been trained into     

expertness and dexterity2 and1 being    
kept to their special departments  of   
work1--fathers training their sons to   
work with them at the same  benches1--a 
degree of accuracy and finish was       
reached which contributed  to establish 
and maintain the prestige of the        
manufactory4 ,the prosperity  of the    
firm was also materially promoted by the
 able assistants who had  been trained  
at ,soho1 and were in due time promoted 
to superintend special  departments of  
the business4 ,among these were         
,murdock1 ,walker1 ,southern1  ,ewart1  
and ,lawson1 who enjoyed the fullest    
confidence of their chiefs1  and repaid 
it with unswerving loyalty4    ,when the
 concern had become thoroughly organised
 under these able heads  of departments1
 ,boulton and ,watt began to breathe    
more freely4 ,their  financial          
difficulties had now disappeared1 and   
instead of laying out  capital1 they had
 begun to accumulate it4 ,they had      
laboured hard for their  reward and     

richly earned it2 and after their long  
up-hill struggle1 they  well deserved   
rest and peace at last4 ,they now began 
to take occasional  journeys of         
recreation1 with which they varied their
 journeys of business4  ,thus1 in the   
autumn of #aghi1 we find ,boulton making
 a tour in ,derbyshire1  during which he
 was overtaken at ,buxton by a letter   
from the ,lords of  the ,privy ,council 
on coining business1 giving him         
8marching orders for  ,london20 but a   
party having been formed to visit the   
,peak ,cavern1 he  decided 8to obey the 
,ladies rather than the ,lords40 ,three 
days later1  however1 we find him in    
,london1 8writing in a full chattering  
coffee-house  at ,charing ,cross10 and  
desiring his friend ,mr4 ,barrow to pay 
his respects  to the ladies whom he had 
so hurriedly left4 ,while in ,london1 he
 received  a letter inviting him to pay 
a visit to ,holland and stand godfather 
to his  friend ,mr4 ,hoofletter's son2  
to which he replied1 that he would be   

glad  to stand godfather to the boy and 
have the name of ,boulton associated    
with  an honest race1 but was sorry that
 he could not assist at the christening 
or at the dinner4 8,but pray act for    
me10 he added2 8do everything that's    
proper 7as is the custom in the         
country72 give the nurse five guineas   
from me1 and ,i will repay you4 ,my best
 respects to ,mrs4 ,hoofletter1 and  my 
blessing on the young ,christian40      
,watt's troubles and anxieties also were
 in course of gradual abatement4        
,though still suffering from headaches1 
asthma1 and low spirits1 he seems  on   
the whole to have become more satisfied 
with his lot4 ,prosperity agreed  with  
him as it does with most people4 ,it is 
a condition easy to bear1 and  ,watt    
took to it kindly4 ,as years passed over
 his head1 he became placid1  contented1
 and even cheerful4 ,his health         
improved1 and he enjoyed life in  his   
old age as he had never done in his     
youth4 ,he ceased longing for the  rest 

of the grave1 and gave over 8cursing his
 inventions40 ,on the other  hand1 he   
took pleasure in looking back over the  
long and difficult road  he had         
traversed1 and in recounting the various
 steps by which he had  perfected his   
great inventions4 ,nor did he cease to  
invent2 for he went on  inventing new   
things to the close of his life2 but he 
followed the pursuit  as a recreation   
and delight1 and not as a business and a
 drudgery4    ,watt too1 like his       
partner1 began to make tours of         
pleasure1 for the  purpose at the same  
time of gathering health and seeing the 
beauties of  nature4 ,in ,august1 #aghi1
 he wrote ,boulton from ,cheltenham1    
that he had  been making a delightful   
journey through the ,western ,counties1 
by way of  ,worcester1 ,malvern1        
,hereford1 and ,chepstow1 and that he   
felt in better  health and spirits than 
he had been for a very long time4       
,occasional  letters reached him from   
,birmingham about orders received for   

engines1  nothing being done without    
first consulting him4 ,that the concern 
was  thriving1 may be inferred from the 
comparative indifference with which  he 
now regarded such orders4 ,an engine    
having been ordered by a doubtful       
person1 ,watt wrote--8,i look upon such 
orders as of little value4 ,they are  so
 precarious in their duration1 and in   
this case there is risk of bad  payment 
or swindling4 ,whatever care we take1 he
 is like a shaved pig with  a soaped    
tail40 ,on a demand being made upon him 
for abatement of dues1  he wrote--8,we  
have never made concessions to anybody  
but they have been  attended with loss  
to us and half a dozen more2 and it     
would appear that1  if our patent lasted
 long enough1 the power of a horse would
 grow to that  of an elephant40#cbh     
#cbh ,there was a great deal of graphic 
vigour in ,watt's        correspondence 
about engines4 ,thus1 in the case of an 
engine        supplied to ,f4 ,scott and
 ,co4 to drive a hammer1 it appears that

        instead of applying it to the   
hammer only1 they applied it also       
to blow the bellows4 ,the consequence   
was1 that it worked both        badly4  
,they had also increased the weight of  
the hammer4 ,watt        wrote1--8,it   
was easy to foresee all this2 and the   
only adequate        remedy is to have  
another engine to blow the bellows4 ,it 
is        impossible that a regular     
blast can be had while the engine       
works the hammer and bellows1 without a 
regulating belly as        big as a     
church4444 ,they have been for having a 
pocket bible        in large print4 ,if 
they mean to carry on their work        
regular1        they must have a blowing
 engine2 otherwise they will lose the   
price of one in a few months40    ,in   
the course of the following summer1     
,watt visited the pleasantest spots  in 
the neighbourhood of ,london1 and       
amongst other places took ,windsor  in  
his way1 where he had the honour of an  
interview with the ,king4 ,he  had      

already met his ,majesty at ,whitbread's
 brewery in the early part of  #aghg1   
for the purpose of explaining to him the
 action of the new rotary  engine2 and  
the ,king had expressed the desire to   
see him again when in  the neighbourhood
 of ,windsor4 ,the following is ,watt's 
brief account of  the visit3--      8,at
 ,windsor ,i had a short conversation   
with the ,king4 ,he never    mentioned  
you nor the coinage1 nor anything that  
led to it2    therefore ,i could not    
bring it on2 nor do ,i believe it could 
have been of any service4 ,he asked     
about engines1 and how the    ,albion   
mill was going on8--,answer3 ,very well 
in respect to    grinding1 but not so   
well in regard to the trade4 ,asked3    
,who    was the manager8--,answer3 ,mr4 
,j4 ,wyatt1 who made the wooden         
hospitals4 ,he observed1 that ,wyatt was
 not bred to the milling    business2   
how had he learnt it8--,answer3 ,that he
 was a man    of ability and            
observation4 ,asked3 ,what sort of      

engines were    we making8--,answer3    
,for almost everything1 but at present  
principally for brewers1 distillers1    
cotton-spinners1 iron-men1              
c4--,asked3 ,how we were paid for       
them8--,answer3 ,by horses    power1    
#el4 a year in the country1 and that we 
made none under    four-horses          
power4--,asked3 ,if these premiums      
afforded sufficient    profit8--,answer3
 ,that they did in large engines1 but   
not in    small40#cbi        #cbi ,watt 
to ,boulton1 #bgth ,june1 #agij4    ,as 
,boulton and ,watt advanced in years    
they looked forward with pleasure  to   
the prospect of their two eldest        
sons--,matthew ,robinson ,boulton and   
,james ,watt1 junior--joining them in   
the business they had established1  and 
relieving them of the greater part of   
their anxieties and labours  in         
connexion with it4 ,both were young men 
of intelligence and character1          
carefully educated1 good linguists1 and 
well versed in practical science4  ,we  

find many references to the education of
 the two young men in the  letters of   
,boulton2 few or none in those of ,watt4
 ,the former alike  attracted young     
people and was attracted by them1       
entering heartily into  their pursuits2 
the latter was too much absorbed by     
study1 by inventions1  and by business1 
to spare time for the purpose4 ,besides1
 he was1 like his  countrymen generally1
 reserved and undemonstrative in all    
matters relating  to the feelings and   
affections4    ,both boys were trained  
and educated so as to follow in their   
fathers'  steps4 ,every pain was taken  
to give them the best culture1 and to   
imbue  them with the soundest           
principles4 ,the two boys usually spent 
their  holidays together at ,soho2 and1 
growing up together1 they learnt to     
think1  and feel1 and work together4    
8,jim returns to school this evening10  
wrote ,boulton1 to ,watt in             
,cornwall2 8he has behaved exceedingly  
well1 and not a single bill    of       

indictment has been found against him4  
,he had got it into his    head that he 
would not be an engineer1 which ,i did  
not contradict1    but ,i gave him and  
,matt the small wooden water-wheel1     
which they    proceeded to erect below  
my duck-pond1 and there worked a forge2 
but not having water enough1 necessity  
has put them upon erecting    a         
,savery's engine1 which is not yet      
finished1 though they are    both       
exceedingly keen upon it4 ,we have      
killed many poor robins    by pouring   
fixable air upon them1 and had some     
amusement in our    electrical and      
chemical hobby-horsery1 which the young 
ones like    much better than dry       
,latin4 ,jim desires me to ask you to   
give him    leave to learn ,french40    
,at the same time ,boulton's own son was
 making good progress under the ,rev4   
,mr4 ,stretch1 to whom ,boulton wrote1--
      8,baron ,reden has gone to the    
,north4 ,on his return1 he will leave   
his son with you for a year or two1 and 

then invites ,matt to    return with him
 to ,germany4 ,youth is the time to     
learn languages1    and the ,baron's    
offer is certainly a great temptation   
444 let him    ,matt not neglect the    
present1 but apply himself so as to     
become    well grounded in ,grammar and 
,latin 444 he is capable1 but not of    
close application1 to which he must be  
inured1 as no proficiency    of any kind
 can be acquired without it40    ,the   
,baron's offer was not1 however1        
accepted2 but desirous that his son     
should acquire proficiency in ,french1  
,boulton took him over to ,paris1       
towards the end of #aghf1 and placed him
 under a competent master4 ,many  kindly
 letters passed between father and son  
during the latter's stay at  ,paris4    
,the young man spent rather more money  
than his father thought could  do him   
good4 ,he therefore asked him to keep an
 account of his personal  expenses1     
which 8must balance exactly10 and       
implored him above all things  to 8keep 

out of bad company40      8,the future  
reputation and happiness of your life10 
wrote    the anxious father1 8depend    
upon your present conduct4 ,i must      
therefore insist that you do not go     
strolling about ,sodom and    ,gomorrah 
under any pretence whatever4444 ,it will
 not be pleasant    to you to read this1
 but ,i must do my duty to you or ,i    
shall not    satisfy my own conscience4 
,i therefore hope you will do your duty 
to yourself1 or you cannot do it to me4 
,there is nothing on earth    ,i so much
 wish for as to make you a man1 a good  
man1 a useful    man1 and consequently a
 happy man40#ccj    ,the father's       
anxieties abated with time2 the son     
applied himself  assiduously to ,french 
and ,german1 and gave promise of        
becoming a man of  ability and          
character4 ,writing to his friend       
,matthews1 ,boulton said--8,matt  is a  
tolerable good chemist4444 ,he hath     
behaved very well1 and ,i shall be  glad
 when the time arrives for him to assist

 me in the business40 ,in the  summer of
 #aghh1 young ,boulton paid his father a
 holiday visit at ,soho1  returning     
again to ,paris to finish his studies4  
,writing of his departure1  to ,matthews
 in ,london1 the father said--8,i hope  
that my son is set off  for ,dover3 my  
heart overflows with blessings and love 
to him40#cca        #ccj ,boulton to his
 son1 #aith ,december1 #aghg4           
#cca ,boulton to ,matthews1 #beth       
,august1 #aghh4 ,in a letter dated      
the preceding day1 he wrote--8,i have   
been exceedingly harassed        last   
week1 have many letters before me       
unanswered4 ,i cannot        sleep at   
nights1 and the room ,i write in is so  
hot by the        fire-engine chimney as
 to relax me1 and my head is distracted 
by        the noise of the engine1 by   
the making and riveting of boilers1     
and by a constant knocking at my door by
 somebody or other2        but ,i       
believe and suspect that the separation 
of my son from me        contributes    

more to the oppression of my spirits    
than anything        else40    ,the     
education of young ,watt was equally    
well cared for4 ,after leaving  school  
at ,birmingham1 his father sent him for 
a year to ,mr4 ,wilkinson's  ironworks  
at ,bersham1 to learn carpentry in the  
pattern shop4#ccb ,he  then returned to 
his father's1 from whence he was sent to
 school at  ,geneva1 where he remained  
for three years perfecting himself in   
the modern  languages4 ,on his return to
 ,england in #aghh1 we find ,boulton    
writing  to ,mr4 ,barrow of ,manchester1
 asking him to obtain a position for    
young  ,watt in some respectable        
counting-house1 with a view to his      
acquiring  a thorough commercial        
training4 ,he was eventually placed in  
the house  of ,messrs4 ,taylor and      
,maxwell1 where he remained for about   
two years1  improving himself in his    
knowledge of business affairs4 ,his     
father's  reputation and standing1 as   
well as his own education and           

accomplishments1  served to introduce   
the young gentleman to many friends in  
,manchester2  and1 although far from    
extravagant in his habits1 he shortly   
found that  the annual sum allowed him  
by his father was insufficient to pay   
for his  board1 clothing1 and lodging1  
and at the same time enable him to keep 
clear of debt4 ,knowing ,boulton's      
always open hand and heart1 and his     
sympathy for young people1 the          
embarrassed youth at once applied to him
  for help4 ,why he did not apply to his
 father will be best understood from    
his own letter3--        #ccb 8,i have  
sent my son to ,mr4 ,wilkinson's        
ironworks at ,bersham1        in ,wales1
 where he is to study practical         
book-keeping1 geometry1        and      
algebra1 at his leisure hours2 and three
 hours in the day        he works in a  
carpenter's shop4 ,i intend he should   
stay there a        year2 what ,i shall 
do with him next ,i know not1 but ,i    
intend to        fit him for some       

employment not so precarious as my      
own40--,watt        to ,mrs4 ,campbell1 
#cjth ,may1 #aghd4      8,i am at this  
moment10 he explained1 8on the best     
footing possible    with my father1 but 
were ,i to inform him of my necessities1
 ,i    do not know what would be the    
consequence4 ,not that ,i suppose    the
 money in itself would be an object to  
him1 but because he    would look upon  
it in the light of encouraging what he  
would call    my extravagances4 ,never  
having been a young man himself1 he is  
unacquainted with the inevitable        
expenses which attend my time    of     
life1 when one is obliged to keep good  
company1 and does not    wish to act    
totally different from other young men4 
,my father's    reputation1 and his and 
my own station in life1 require that ,i 
should live at least on a decent        
footing4 ,i am not conscious of         
having committed any foolish            
extravagances1 and ,i have avoided      
company as much as possible2 but ,i have

 also constantly avoided    the         
reputation of avarice1 or of acting     
meanly on any occasion4    ,my father1  
unfortunately for me1 measures the      
present times and    circumstances by   
those when he was of my age1 without    
making the    proper allowances for     
their immense disparity2 consequently it
 is    in vain for me to endeavour to   
convince him of the necessity of    my  
conduct40#ccc        #ccc ,watt1 jun41  
to ,boulton1 #dth ,december1 #aghi4     
,he concluded by expressing his sense of
 ,mr4 ,boulton's many friendly acts     
towards him1 and confessing that there  
was no other person on whom he  could so
 confidently rely for help in his       
emergency4 ,the reply of ,boulton  was  
all that he could desire4 ,with sound   
fatherly advice1#ccd such as he  would  
have given to his own son under similar 
circumstances1 he sent him  a draft for 
#ejl41 the amount required by young     
,watt to clear him of his  debts4       
#ccd ,mr4 ,boulton having been absent at

 ,bath1 some time elapsed        before 
young ,watt's letter reached him4       
,receiving no reply1 the        youth   
became apprehensive that his letter had 
fallen into his        father's hands1  
and wrote a second letter expressing his
 fears4        ,thus ,boulton replied to
 both letters at the same time1         
informing        his correspondent for  
his satisfaction that they had reached  
him 8unopened40 ,he proceeded--         
8,i now send agreeably to your request1 
my draft for          #ejl4--payable to 
myself1 that ,i might thereby conceal   
your name from all persons2 and you may 
tranquillise          yourself in       
respect to your father1 as ,i promise   
you he          shall not know aught of 
the transaction4            8,although  
,i would not willingly give you pain1   
yet ,i must          honestly tell you  
that ,i am not very sorry you           
experienced          some pain and      
anxiety by my delay2 that you may not   
only          feel how uncomfortable it 

is to be in debt1 but that you          
may experience ere long how pleasant and
 how cheerful          is independence1 
which no man can possess who is in that 
condition4            8,it is possible  
your father's ideas may be too limited  
in          regard to the quantum       
necessary for your expenses2 but        
,i think it equally probable that yours 
may be too diffuse1          and        
therefore can't help wishing it in my   
power to expand          the one and    
contract the other4            8,i know 
and speak from experience1 that the     
principal          articles of          
expenditure in the generality of young  
men          who live in large towns are
 such as produce the least              
additions to their happiness or         
reputation2 for which as          well  
as for some others ,i know of1 ,i cannot
 help urging          you to cut your   
coat according to your cloth1 as the    
sure means of preserving the good       
opinion of your father1          and as 

the most likely to induce him to open   
his hand more          liberally to you4
            8,it's a subject ,i can't   
speak to him upon without raising       
his suspicions1 but you may state to him
 such arguments          as may seem    
meet to yourself in favour of a further 
allowance1 and if he speaks to me upon  
the subject1 ,i will          do the    
best ,i can for you4            8,i wish
 you to keep in view that all our great 
,cornish          profits have died away
 till now they are very small1--that    
your father is building an expensive    
house1--and that he          is married4
 ,for these and other reasons1 ,i wish  
you to          alter the scale of your 
expenses1 as the surest means           
of securing your credit and your        
happiness1 which ,i am          desirous
 of promoting or ,i should not have     
expressed          myself so freely and 
so unreservedly4444                     
8,i remain1 dear ,watt1                 
8,your faithful and affectionate friend1

                                        
8,,matthew ,,boulton40                  
--,boulton to ,watt1 junr41 #bfth       
,december1 #aghi4 ,boulton              
,,mss4    ,among the friendships which  
he formed at ,manchester1 was one of an 
intimate character with ,mr4 ,cooper1 a 
gentleman engaged in an extensive       
business1 fond of books1 and a good     
practical chemist4 ,we find young  ,watt
 requesting ,boulton to recommend to    
,mr4 ,cooper 8a person to keep  his     
library in order and to make experiments
 for him1 he not having time  enough to 
attend to the details of them           
himself40#cce ,cooper was besides  a    
keen politician1 and took an active     
interest in the discussion of the       
important questions then agitating the  
public mind4 ,watt was inflamed by  the 
enthusiasm of his friend1 and with the  
ardour of youth entered warmly  into his
 views as to the regeneration of man and
 the reconstruction of  society4        
#cce ,watt1 junr4 to ,boulton1 #bfth    

,march1 #aghi4    ,mrs4                 
,schimmelpenninck has1 in her           
autobiography1 given a vivid picture  of
 the interest excited in the circle of  
friends amongst whom she moved1  by the 
thrilling events then occurring in      
,france1 and which extended  even to the
 comparatively passionless philosophers 
of the ,lunar ,society4  ,at one of the 
meetings held at her father's house in  
the summer of #aghh  8,mr4 ,boulton10   
she says1 8presented to the company his 
son1 just returned  from a long sojourn 
at ,paris4 ,i well remember my          
astonishment at his  full dress in the  
highest adornment of ,parisian fashion2 
but ,i noticed1  as a remarkable thing1 
that the company 7which consisted of    
some of the  first men in ,europe7 all  
with one accord gathered round him1 and 
asked  innumerable questions1 the drift 
of which ,i did not fully understand4   
,it was wonderful to me to see ,dr4     
,priestley1 ,dr4 ,withering1 ,mr4 ,watt1
  ,mr4 ,boulton himself1 and ,mr4 ,keir1

 manifest the most intense interest1    
each according to his prevailing        
characteristics1 as they almost hung    
upon his words2 and it was impossible to
 mistake the indications of deep        
anxiety1 hope1 fear1 curiosity1 ardent  
zeal1 or thoughtful gravity1 which      
alternately marked their countenances1  
as well as those of my own parents4  ,my
 ears caught the words #8,marie         
,antoinette1' #8,the ,cardinal de       
,rohan1'  #8diamond necklace1'          
#8famine1' #8discontent among the       
people1' #8sullen  silence instead of   
shouts of 8,vive le ,roi60' ,all present
 seemed to give  a fearful attention4   
,why1 ,i did not then well know1 and1 in
 a day or two1  these things were almost
 forgotten by me2 but the rest of the   
party heard1  no doubt1 in this young   
man's narrative1 the distant1 though as 
yet faint  rising of the storm which1 a 
year later1 was to burst upon ,france   
and1  in its course1 to desolate        
,europe40#ccf ,a few short months       

passed1 and  the reign of brotherhood   
began4 8,one evening1 towards the end of
 ,july10  continues ,mrs4               
,schimmelpenninck1 8we saw at a distance
 a vehicle 7usually  employed to carry  
servants to town or church7 returning at
 more than its  usual speed4 ,after some
 minutes the door of the drawing-room   
opened1 and  in burst ,harry ,priestley1
 a youth of sixteen or seventeen1 waving
 his hat1  and crying out1 #8,hurrah6   
,liberty1 ,reason1 brotherly love for   
ever6 ,down  with kingcraft and         
priestcraft4 ,the majesty of the people 
for ever6 ,france  is free1 the         
,bastille is taken6'0#ccg 8,i have      
seen10 she adds1 8the  reception of the 
victory of ,waterloo and of the carrying
 of the ,reform  ,bill2 but ,i never saw
 joy comparable in its intensity and    
universality to  that occasioned by the 
early promise of the ,french            
,revolution40        #ccf #8,life of    
,mary ,ann ,schimmelpenninck1' #crd ed41
 #ahei1 pp4        #abe-f4        #ccg  

,ibid41 p4 #aha4    ,the impressionable 
mind of ,dr4 ,priestley was moved in an 
extraordinary  degree by the pregnant   
events which followed each other in     
quick  succession at ,paris2 and he     
entered with zeal into the advocacy of  
the  doctrines of liberty1 equality1 and
 fraternity1 so vehemently promulgated  
by the ,french 8friends of man40 ,his   
chemical pursuits were for a time       
forgotten1 and he wrote and preached    
like one possessed1 of human            
brotherhood1 and of the downfall of     
tyranny and priestcraft4 ,he hailed     
with delight the successive acts of the 
,national ,assembly abolishing          
monarchy1 nobility1 church1             
corporations1 and other long established
  institutions4 ,he had already been    
long and hotly engaged in polemical     
discussions with the local clergy on    
disputed points of faith2 and now he    
addressed a larger audience in a work   
which he published in answer to ,mr4    
,burke's famous attack on the #8,french 

,revolution4' ,burke1 in consequence1   
attacked him in the ,house of ,commons2 
while the ,french ,revolutionists on    
the other hand hailed him as a brother1 
and admitted him to the rights of       
,french citizenship4#cch        #cch    
8,the address of the ,socit des ,amis de
 la ,constitution        de ,bourdeaux0 
to the ,revolutionary ,society in       
,london1 dated        the #bast ,may1   
#agia1 contains the following           
passage3--8,le jour        consacr      
porter le deuil de ,m4 ,price the ,rev4 
,dr4 ,price        recently dead1--an   
ardent admirer of the ,french           
,revolution in        its early stages1 
nous avons entendu la lecture du        
,discours de        ,m4 l',evque        
d',autun sur la ,libert des ,cultes3 on 
nous a fait        ensuite le rapport   
des ouvrages de ,,mm4 ,priestley et     
,payne qui        ont veng ,m4 ,price   
des ouvrages de ,m4 ,burke2 et c'est    
ainsi        que nous avons fait son    
oraison funbre4 ,peut-tre1 ,messieurs1  

apprendrez vous avec quelque intrt1 que 
nous avons inscrit        dans la liste 
de nos ,membres les noms de ,,mm4 ,payne
 et ,priestley2        c'est l'hommage  
de notre estime1 et l'estime d'hommes   
libres a        toujours son prix40     
,illustration3 ,,burning ,,of ,,dr4     
,,priestley',s ,,house ,,at             
,,fairhill4#cci    ,these proceedings   
concentrated on ,dr4 ,priestley an      
amount of local  exasperation that      
shortly after burst forth in open       
outrage4 ,on the  #adth of ,july1 #agia1
 a public dinner was held at the        
principal hotel to  celebrate the second
 anniversary of the ,french ,revolution4
 ,about eighty  gentlemen were present1 
but ,priestley was not of the number4 ,a
 mob  collected outside1 and after      
shouting 8,church and ,king10 they      
proceeded to  demolish the inn windows4 
,the magistrates shut their eyes to the 
riotous  proceedings1 if they did not   
actually connive at them4 ,a cry was    
raised1  8,to the ,new ,meeting-house10 

the chapel in which ,priestley          
ministered2 and  thither the mob surged4
 ,the door was at once burst open1 and  
the place set  on fire4 ,they next      
gutted the old ,meeting-house1 and made 
a bonfire of the  pews and bibles in the
 burying-ground4 ,it was growing dusk1  
but the fury  of the mob had not abated4
 ,they made at once for ,dr4            
,priestley's house  at ,fairhill1 about 
a mile and a half distant4 ,the ,doctor 
and his family  had escaped about half  
an hour before their arrival2 and the   
house was  at their mercy4 ,they broke  
in at once1 emptied the cellars1 smashed
 the  furniture1 tore up the books in   
the library1 destroyed the philosophical
  and chemical apparatus in the         
laboratory1 and ended by setting fire to
  the house4 ,the roads for miles round 
were afterwards found strewed with      
shreds of the valuable manuscripts in   
which were recorded the results of      
twenty years labour and study1--a loss  
which ,priestley continued bitterly  to 

lament until the close of his life4     
#cci ,the representation given above of 
,dr4 ,priestley's house is        taken 
from a rare book1 entitled #8,views of  
the ,ruins of the        principal      
,houses destroyed during the ,riots at  
,birmingham1        #agia4' ,london1    
#agib4    ,thus an utter wreck was made 
of the philosopher's dwelling at        
,fairhill4  ,the damage done was        
estimated at upwards of #djjjl41 of     
which the  victim recovered little more 
than one-half from the county4 ,the next
  day1 and the next1 and the next1 the  
mob continued to run riot1 burning  and 
destroying4 ,on the second day1 about   
noon1 they marched to ,easyhill  and    
attacked and demolished the mansion of  
,mr4 ,ryland1 one of the most           
munificent benefactors of the town4     
,bordesley ,hall1 the mansion of ,mr4   
,taylor1 the banker1 was next sacked and
 fired4 ,the shop of the estimable      
,william ,hutton1 the well-known        
bookseller and author1 was next broken  

open and stripped of everything that    
could be carried away2 and from his     
shop in the town they proceeded to his  
dwelling-house at ,bennett's ,hill  in  
the country1 and burnt it to the        
ground4#cdj ,on the third day1 six      
other houses were sacked and destroyed2 
three of them were blazing at the  same 
time4 ,on the fourth day1 which was a   
,sunday1 the rioters dispersed in  bands
 over the neighbourhood1 levying        
contributions in money and drink2  one  
body of them burning on their way the   
,dissenting chapel-house and  minister's
 dwelling-house at ,kingswood1 seven    
miles off4 ,other ,dissenters1  of      
various persuasions1 farmers1           
shopkeepers1 and others1 had their      
houses  broken into and robbed in open  
day4 ,it was not until the ,sunday      
evening  that three troops of the       
,fifteenth ,light ,dragoons entered     
,birmingham  amidst the acclamations of 
the inhabitants1 who welcomed them as   
deliverers4 ,at the instant of their    

arrival1 the mob had broken into ,dr4   
,withering's house at ,edgbaston ,hall1 
and were rioting in his wine-cellars1   
but when they heard that 8the soldiers0 
had come at last1 they slunk away  in   
various directions4        #cdj 8,at    
midnight10 says ,hutton1 8,i could see  
from my house the        flames of      
,bordesley ,hall rise with dreadful     
aspect4 ,i learned        that after ,i 
quitted ,birmingham the mob attacked my 
house        there three times4 ,my son 
bought them off repeatedly2 but in      
the fourth1 which began about nine at   
night1 they laboured        till eight  
the next morning1 when they had so      
completely        ravaged my dwelling   
that ,i write this narrative in a house 
without furniture1 without roof1 door1  
chimneypiece1 window1        or         
window-frame40--#8,the ,life of ,william
 ,hutton1' written by        himself4   
,london1 #ahaf4    ,the members of the  
,lunar ,society1 or 8the ,lunatics10 as 
they were  popularly called1 were       

especially marked for attack during the 
riots4 ,a  common cry among the mob was 
8,no philosophers--,church and ,king for
 ever60  and some persons1 to escape    
their fury1 even painted 8,no           
philosophers0  on the fronts of their   
houses6 ,there could be no doubt as to  
the meaning  of this handwriting on the 
wall4 ,priestley's house had been       
sacked1 and  ,withering's plundered4    
,boulton and ,watt were not without     
apprehensions  that an attack would be  
made upon them1 as the head and front of
 the  8,philosophers0 of ,birmingham4   
,they accordingly prepared for the      
worst2  called their workmen together1  
pointed out to them the criminality of  
the  rioters' proceedings1 and placed   
arms in their hands on their promising  
to do their utmost to defend the        
premises if attacked4 ,in the mean time 
everything portable was packed up and   
ready to be removed at a moment's       
notice4 ,thus four days of terror       
passed1 but the mob came not2 ,watt     

attributing the safety of ,soho to the  
fact that most of the ,dissenters  lived
 in another direction4#cda        #cda  
8,though our principles1 which are well 
known1 as friends to        the         
established government and enemies of   
republican principles1        should    
have been our protection from a mob     
whose watchword was        ,church and  
,king1 yet our safety was principally   
owing to most        of the ,dissenters 
living south of the town2 for after the 
first        moments they did not seem  
over nice in their discrimination       
of religion and principles4 ,i1 among   
others1 was pointed out        as a     
,presbyterian1 though ,i never was in a 
meeting-house in        ,birmingham1 and
 ,mr4 ,boulton is well known as a       
,churchman4 ,we had        everything   
most portable packed up1 fearing the    
worst4 ,however1        all is well with
 us40--,watt to ,de ,luc1 #aith ,july1  
#agia4    ,many of the rioters were     
subsequently apprehended1 and several of

  them were hanged2 but the damage      
inflicted on those whose houses had     
been sacked was irreparable1 and could  
not be compensated4 ,as for ,dr4        
,priestley1 he shook the dust of        
,birmingham from his feet1 and fled to  
,london2 from thence emigrating to      
,america1 where he died in #ahjd4       
,while such was the blind fury of the   
populace of ,birmingham1 the  principles
 of the ,french ,revolution found       
adherents in all parts of  ,england4    
,clubs were formed in ,london and the   
principal provincial  towns1 and a brisk
 correspondence was carried on between  
them and the  ,revolutionary leaders of 
,france4 ,among those invested with the 
rights  of ,french citizenship were ,dr4
 ,priestley1 ,mr4 ,wilberforce1 ,thomas 
,tooke1  and ,mr4 7afterwards ,sir7     
,james ,mackintosh4 ,thomas ,paine and  
,dr4 ,priestley  were chosen members of 
the ,national ,convention2 and though   
the former took  his seat for ,calais1  
the latter declined1 on the ground of   

his inability  to speak the language    
sufficiently4 ,among those carried away 
by the  political epidemic of the time1 
were young ,james ,watt and his friend  
,mr4  ,cooper of ,manchester4 ,in #agib 
they were deputed1 by the               
8,constitutional  ,society0 of that     
town1 to proceed to ,paris and present  
an address of  congratulation to the    
,jacobin ,club1 then known as the       
8,socit des ,amis  de la                
,constitution40#cdb ,while at ,paris1   
young ,watt seems to have taken  an     
active part in the fiery agitation of   
the time4 ,he was on intimate  terms    
with the ,jacobin leaders4 ,southey says
 that he was even the means  of         
preventing a duel between ,danton and   
,robespierre1 to the former of whom  he 
acted as second4#cdc ,robespierre       
afterwards took occasion to denounce    
both ,cooper and ,watt as secret        
emissaries of ,pitt1 on which young     
,watt  sprang into the tribune1 pushing 
,robespierre aside1 and defended himself

  in a strain of vehement eloquence1    
which completely carried the assembly   
with him4 ,from that moment1 however1 he
 felt his life to be unsafe1 and  he    
fled from ,paris without a passport1    
never resting until he had passed  the  
frontier and found refuge in ,italy4    
#cdb ,the #8,discours' delivered by the 
,,mm4 ,cooper and ,watt 7#agib7         
may be seen at the ,british ,museum4    
#cdc #8,life of ,southey1' vi4 #bji4    
,the public part he had taken in ,french
 ,revolutionary politics could  not fail
 to direct attention to him on this side
 of the channel4 ,his  appearance at a  
public procession1 in which he carried  
the ,british  colours1 to celebrate the 
delivery of some soldiers released from 
the galleys1 was vehemently denounced by
 ,mr4 ,burke in the ,house of  ,commons4
 ,the notoriety which he had thus       
achieved1 gave his father great         
anxiety2 and after young ,james's return
 to ,england in #agid1 he was under     
considerable apprehensions for his      

safety4 ,several members of the ,london 
political ,societies had been           
apprehended and lodged in the ,tower1   
and ,watt  feared lest his son might in 
some way be compromised by his          
correspondence  with those societies4   
,boulton1 then in ,london1 informed him 
of the severe  measures of the          
,government1 and of the intended        
suspension of the ,habeas  ,corpus ,act2
 to which ,watt replied1--      8,i     
thank you for your intelligence1 which  
,i have communicated    with due caution
 to ,mr4 ,s4 and my son4 ,the former    
says he has    had no correspondence    
whatever with any of these societies1   
nor    has frequented any here1--that he
 may have uttered unguarded or          
foolish words in private companies1 but 
that he knows nothing of1    nor is he  
concerned in1 any plot or political     
scheme whatsoever4    ,the latter says  
he never corresponded with any of them  
at any    time1 though he once executed 
a commission for one of them1 and       

sent his answer to ,mr4 ,tr41--that for 
these two years he has had    no sort of
 connexion with any of them1 and for    
more than a year    all his             
correspondence has been recommending his
 friends not    to intermeddle with     
public affairs4 ,as he proposes to see  
you    to-morrow1 he will explain       
himself1 and ,i need not bid you council
    him for the best40#cdd    ,a few    
days later1 his apprehensions of danger 
to his son not being  removed1 he wrote 
,boulton again as follows3--      8,i am
 made very uneasy on account of ,james  
by this ,bastille    ,act#cde now 7,i   
fancy7 passed1 and which ,i cannot help 
thinking    un peu trop4 ,i submit      
whether it might not be best for you to 
endeavour to make his peace with        
,ministry by a candid avowal    of his  
errors1 and of his subsequent change of 
sentiment and    renunciation of all    
correspondence with these traitors4 ,in 
the mean time he had better make the    
best of his way to here1    ,liverpool1 

or ,scotland2 from either of the latter 
he might find    his way to ,america if 
necessary4 ,in any case let him not go  
in    company with any of the persons   
who have laid themselves open to        
suspicion4 ,i would not1 however1 have  
him rashly run out of the    country4   
,ministry must know who have been the   
active abettors    of the plot1 and1 if 
they act wisely1 will not molest those  
who    have seen their error or have had
 the good sense to resist all           
temptations of engaging in plots against
 the peace of the country1    whatever  
their opinions about parliamentary      
representation might    be4444 ,query1  
whether ,denmark1 ,hamburg1 or ,norway1 
might not be    preferable to ,america1 
lest we go to war with the latter4 ,if  
you    find he is obnoxious1 his letters
 to me should be directed by    another 
hand1 and not signed40#cdf        #cdd  
,watt to ,boulton1 #afth ,may1 #agid4   
,boulton ,,mss4        #cde ,the ,habeas
 ,corpus ,act was suspended on the #bcrd

 ,may1 #agid4        #cdf ,watt to      
,boulton1 #aith ,may1 #agid4 ,boulton   
,,mss4    ,four days later1 ,watt's     
alarm was not abated by the appearance  
in  ,birmingham of king's messengers    
making seizures of persons concerned in 
seditious correspondence4 8,they have   
taken up10 he wrote1 8one ,pare1 who    
kept a reforming club at his house1 and 
one or two others4 ,the soldiers  were  
ordered under arms to prevent tumult4 ,i
 hear also that ,wilkinson has  been    
threatened with a mob at ,bradley1 and  
has prepared to defend himself  with    
cannon1 pikes1 c41 but that matters are 
now quiet there4 ,in respect  to ,james1
 you must advise him1 ,i cannot2 but ,i 
think he would be better  at home1      
following his business1 than            
elsewhere40#cdg ,james eventually       
returned to ,birmingham1 where we find  
him from this time forward taking  an   
increasingly active part in the affairs 
of the concern4 ,he took entire  charge 
of the manufacture of the letter-copying

 machines1 now become a  considerable   
branch of the business2 and he shortly  
after entered the  engine firm as a     
partner1 in conjunction with ,mr4       
,boulton's eldest son1  ,matthew        
,robinson4        #cdg ,watt to         
,boulton1 #bcrd ,may1 #agid4 ,young     
,watt continued        to sympathise    
with his political friends2 as we find  
him1        some months later1 writing  
,matthew ,r4 ,boulton from ,london as   
follows3--8,the citizens here are all in
 very high spirits since        the late
 trials2 and ,i had the honour of dining
 with two of        the acquitted felons
 on ,sunday last40 ,watt1 junr41 having 
remained for some time in ,london on    
business connected with the             
prosecution of ,bull and others for     
infringement of his father's            
patent1 ,boulton1 junr41 kept up an     
active correspondence with        him on
 the affairs of the firm4 ,in one letter
 7#aith ,february1        #agie71 after 
discussing various matters of detail    

relating to        the letter-copying   
machine and engine business1 ,boulton   
entreats        his friend to send him  
down a supply of hair-powder4 8,i have  
to        intrust to your care10 he     
says1 8the execution of an important    
commission on the part of the ladies and
 myself4 ,the report        of a        
scarcity of hair-powder has caused great
 consternation        amongst the beaux 
and belles here1 and we beg of you to   
preserve        for us #a cwt4 of that  
necessary article40 ,to which ,watt1    
jun4        replied1--8,your new order  
is in train1 so that ,i hope 7whatever  
the poor may suffer by the destruction  
of so scarce an article        of       
nourishment7 your aristocratical vanity 
will be gratified1        with only the 
additional sacrifice of one guinea per  
annum to        your immaculate friend  
,mr4 ,pitt1 for the purpose of carrying 
on        this #8just and necessary     
war6' ,under the existing circumstances1
        ,i am doubtful whether ,i shall 

not sacrifice my aristocratical         
appendage queues being then the         
appendages of gentlemen1        as it   
goes much against my inclination to     
throw away my money        at this      
moment of personal poverty1 or to       
contribute any sum1        however      
small1 to the support of measures which 
,i reprobate in        toto4 ,on the    
other hand1 however1 ,i do say that1 of 
all the        taxes which have ever    
been imposed within my memory1 this is  
the most politic and the least likely to
 be burdensome to the                   
poor40--,boulton ,,mss4    ,the infusion
 of young blood had the effect of       
imparting new vigour to all  the        
branches of manufacture at ,soho1 and at
 the same time of relieving  the senior 
partners from a considerable amount of  
labour and anxiety4 ,the  business was  
now in a very thriving state2 there was 
abundance of orders  for engines coming 
in2 and the principal difficulty of the 
firm was in  finding skilled workmen    

enough to execute them4 ,thus we find   
,watt junior  writing to ,boulton junior
 in ,january1 #agie1--8,we must have    
additional men1  rather too many than   
too few1 until we have got the start of 
our orders1  for without that we shall  
always feel ourselves embarrassed and   
clogged4  ,i shall therefore desire     
,rennie to renew his applications at    
,lancaster1  which appear as yet to have
 been unsuccessful40    ,the junior     
members of the firm were also useful in 
protecting the engine  patent right1 the
 infringement of which had become       
general all over the  country4 ,this was
 a disagreeable part of their business2 
but1 if not  attended to1 the patent    
must be given up as worthless4 ,the     
steam-engine  was now regarded as an    
indispensable power in manufacturing    
operations4  ,it had become employed in 
all important branches of industry2 and 
it  was1 of course1 the interest of the 
manufacturers to avoid the payment  of  
dues wherever they could4 ,an instance  

of this evasion was detected at  the    
,bowling ,ironworks near ,bradford1 and 
notice was given of proceedings  against
 the ,company for recovery of dues4 ,on 
this the ,bowling ,company  offered to  
treat1 and young ,watt went down to     
,leeds for the purpose of  meeting the  
representatives of the ,bowling ,company
 on the subject4 ,on  the #bdth         
,february1 #agif1 he wrote his friend   
,matthew ,robinson ,boulton as          
follows3--      8,inclosed you have a   
copy of the treaty of peace1 not amity1 
concluded at ,leeds1 on ,saturday last1 
between me1 ,minister                   
,plenipotentiary to your ,highnesses on 
the one part1 and the    ,bowling       
,pirates in person on the other part4 ,i
 hope you will    ratify the terms1 as  
you will see they are founded entirely  
upon    the principle of indemnity for  
the past and security for the    future4
 ,the diameter and length of stroke of  
their different    engines1 four in     
number1 ,i have2 the times of their     

commencing    to work will be sent you  
by ,mr4 ,paley2 and the amounts of the  
premiums may be definitively calculated 
upon my arrival1 which    will be about 
the latter end of this week40           
,another engine constructed after       
,watt's patent was discovered working   
at a mill at ,carke1 in ,cartmel1       
,lancashire4 ,mr4 ,stockdale1 son of the
  proprietor1 tells the following story 
of its detection4 ,he states that the   
first engine employed at the works was  
one on ,newcomen's construction1  which 
was used to pump water into the         
reservoir which supplied the            
water-power by which the mill was       
driven4 ,it was then determined to apply
  the steam-power direct to the         
machinery1 and a new engine was ordered 
from  ,manchester1 without communicating
 with the patentees4 ,the mill was in   
full  work when a stranger called1      
representing that he belonged to the    
concern  of ,boulton and ,watt1 and     
requesting to inspect the engine4 ,the  

request was  complied with1 and ,mr4    
,stockdale afterwards invited him to    
stay to dinner2  but it was the dearest 
dinner he ever gave1 as only a few weeks
 later a  claim for #ahjjl4 was made by 
,boulton and ,watt for dues upon the    
engine1  which was1 however1 eventually 
compromised by the payment of #djjl4    
,the most unscrupulous pirates1 however1
 were the ,cornishmen who1  emboldened  
by the long quiescence of ,boulton and  
,watt1 and knowing that  the patent had 
only five or six more years to run1     
believed that they  might set the       
patentees at open defiance1 which they  
proceeded to do4  ,notwithstanding the  
agreements entered into and ratified on 
both sides1  they refused point blank to
 pay further dues2 and ,boulton and     
,watt were  thus at last driven to have 
recourse to the powers of the law4 ,had 
they  remained passive1 it might have   
been construed into a tacit admission   
that the patent right had from the first
 been indefensible1 and that the  sums  

which they had up to that time levied   
for the use of their engine  had been   
wrongfully paid to them4 ,but neither   
had ceased to have perfect  faith in the
 validity of their patent1 and both     
determined1 even at this  late stage1 to
 defend it4 8,the rascals10 wrote ,watt 
to ,boulton1 8seem to  have been going  
on as if the patent were their own4444  
,we have tried every  lenient means with
 them in vain2 and since the fear of    
,god has no effect  upon them1 we must  
try what the fear of the devil can      
do40#cdh ,legal  proceedings were begun 
accordingly4 ,the two actions on which  
the issues  were tried were those of    
,boulton and ,watt v4 ,bull1 and        
,boulton and ,watt  v4 ,hornblower and  
,maberley2 and they were fought on both 
sides with  great determination4 ,the   
proceedings extended over several years1
 being  carried from court to court2 but
 the result was decisive in both cases  
in  favour of ,boulton and ,watt4 ,it   
was not until ,january1 #agii1 that the 

final  decision of the judges was       
given2#cdi almost on the very eve of    
expiry  of the patent1 which had not    
then a full year to run4 ,it was not1   
however1  with a view to the future that
 these costly1 anxious1 and protracted  
legal  proceedings had been carried on1 
but mainly for the recovery of dues     
under  existing agreements1 and for dues
 on engines erected in various quarters 
in infringement of the patent4 ,most of 
the ,cornish adventurers had paid       
nothing for years4 ,thus ,poldice had   
paid nothing since ,october1 #agic1 and 
was in arrear #bccjl4 ,wheal ,gons had  
paid nothing since ,may1 #agic1 and  was
 in arrear #dbijl4 ,the ,wheal ,treasure
 adventurers1 and many others1  had set 
,boulton and ,watt at open defiance1 and
 paid nothing at all4        #cdh ,watt 
to ,boulton1 #bjth ,march1 #agif4       
#cdi 8,we have ,,won ,,the ,,cause      
hollow10 ,watt wrote from ,london4 8,all
        the ,judges have given their    
opinions carefully in our favour1       

and have passed judgment4 ,some of them 
made better arguments        in our     
favour than our own counsel1 for ,rous's
 speech was too        long and too     
divergent4 ,i most sincerely give you   
joy40--,watt        to ,boulton1 #beth  
,january1 #agii4    ,on the issue of the
 proceedings against ,bull1 ,boulton and
 ,watt called  upon the ,mining         
,companies to 8cash up10 and arrears    
were shortly  collected1 though with    
considerable difficulty1 to the amount  
of about  #cj1jjjl4 ,young ,boulton went
 into ,cornwall for the purpose of      
arranging  the settlements1 and managed 
the business with great ability4 8,i am 
now  to congratulate you10 ,watt wrote  
to his partner from ,glasgow1 whither   
he had gone on a visit1 8on the success 
of ,mr4 ,r4 ,boulton's very able        
transactions in ,cornwall2 and ,i hope  
that at last we may be freed from the   
anxiety of the issue of law which has so
 long attended us1 and enjoy in  peace  
the fruits of our labours4 ,when you    

write to ,mr4 ,b4 ,i beg you will       
present my best wishes and best respects
 to him1 expressing my warmest          
approbation of his exertions40 ,on      
another occasion1 while the cause was   
in progress before the courts of law1   
,watt wrote1--8,in the whole affair1    
nothing was so grateful to me as the    
zeal of our friends and the activity  of
 our young men1 which was unremitting40 
,the senior members of the firm had for 
some time been gradually  withdrawing   
from the active management of the       
concern4 ,we find ,watt  writing to ,dr4
 ,black in #agih1--8;,in regard to the  
engine business1 ,i  now take little    
part in it1 but it goes on              
successfully40 ,four years  later he    
wrote1--8,our engine trade thrives2 the 
profits per cent4 are1  however1 very1  
very moderate2 it is by the great       
capital and expensive  establishment of 
engineers1 c41 that we keep it up2      
without our tools and  men very little  
could be done1 as we have many          

competitors1 some of whom  are men of   
abilities40 ,but the business was now   
safe in the hands of the  young and     
active partners1 who continued to carry 
it on for many years1  with even greater
 success than their fathers had done4   
,they reaped the  harvest of which the  
others had sown the seed4 ,the patent   
right expired in  #ahjj2 but the        
business of the firm1 nevertheless1     
became larger and more  remunerative    
than it had ever been before4 ,the      
superior plant which they  had          
accumulated1 their large and increasing 
capital1 the skilled workmen  whom they 
had trained1 and the first-class        
character of the work which  they turned
 out1 gave the establishment of ,boulton
 and ,watt a prestige  which they long  
continued to maintain4    ,illustration3
 ,,william ,,murdock4    ,the young     
partners had also the great advantage of
 the skilled heads  of the different    
departments1 who had been trained by    
long and valuable  experience4 ,for many

 years ,william ,murdock was the ,mentor
 of the firm4  ,though tempting offers  
of partnerships were made to him1 he    
remained loyal  to ,boulton and ,watt to
 the last4 ,they treated him generously1
 and he was  satisfied to spend his life
 in their service4 ,he had gradually    
worked  his way to the foremost place in
 their establishment1 besides achieving 
reputation as an inventor and a man of  
practical science4 ,his model           
locomotive of #aghd was the first       
machine of the kind made in this        
country2  and it is to be regretted that
 he did not pursue the subject4 ,but    
,murdock  was a very modest1 unambitious
 man1 content to keep in the background1
 and  not possessed by that 8pushing0   
quality which helps so many on to       
fortune4  ,we have already stated that  
he invented the sun and planet motion1  
which  was eventually adopted by ,watt  
in preference to his own method of      
securing  rotary motion4 ,his daily     
familiarity with pumping-engines in     

,cornwall also  led him to suggest and  
introduce many improvements in their    
details1 which  ,boulton and ,watt were 
always ready to adopt4 ,he was a great  
favourite in  ,cornwall1 and not less   
esteemed for his estimable and manly    
qualities than  for his mechanical      
skill4 ,when the adventurers heard of   
his intention to  return to ,soho1 in   
#agih1 they offered him #ajjjl4 a year  
to continue at  the mines1 but he could 
not be tempted to remain4    ,returned  
to ,soho1 ,murdock was invested with the
 general supervision  and management of 
the mechanical department1 in which he  
proved of  essential value4 ,he was     
regarded as 8the right hand0 of ,boulton
 and  ,watt4 ,he proceeded to introduce 
great improvements in the manufacture of
  the engines1 contriving numerous      
machines for casting1 boring1 turning1  
and fitting the various parts together  
with greater precision4 ,his plan  of   
boring cylinders by means of an endless 
screw 7turned by the moving  power7     

working into a toothed wheel1 whose axis
 carried the cutter head1  instead of by
 spur gear1 was found very useful in    
practice1 and produced  a much more     
smooth and steady motion of the machine4
 ,as early as #aghe1 he  invented the   
first oscillating engine1#cej which     
still continues in use  in various      
improved forms4 ,his invention of the   
double ,d slide valve1 in  place of the 
four poppet valves in ,watt's double    
engine1#cea was also  found of great    
value2 saving steam1 and ensuring       
greater simplicity in  the construction 
and working of the engine4 ,in his      
oscillating engine the  motion is given 
to the slide valve by the oscillation of
 the cylinder1 and  engines of small    
power still continue to be worked in    
this manner4 ,another  of his           
improvements in engine construction was 
his method of casting the  steam cases  
for cylinders in one piece1 instead of  
in separate segments  bolted together1  
according to the previous practice4 ,he 

also invented a  rotary engine of an    
ingenious construction2 but though he   
had one erected  to drive the machines  
in his private workshop1 where it       
continued employed  for about thirty    
years1 it never came into general       
use4#ceb ,murdock had a  good deal of   
the temperament of ,watt3 he was always 
scheming improvements1  and was most    
assiduous in carrying them out4 ,in such
 cases he would  not trust to           
subordinates1 but executed his designs  
himself wherever  practicable2 and he   
sometimes carried his labours so far    
into the night  that the rising sun     
found him at his anvil or his turning   
lathe4        #cej ,the model was       
carefully preserved and exhibited with  
pride        by his son1 in whose house 
at ,handsworth we saw it in #aheg4      
#cea ,watt said to ,robert ,hart1 8,when
 ,mr4 ,murdock introduced        the    
slide valve1 ,i was very much against   
it1 as ,i did not        think it so    
good as the poppet valve1 but ,i gave in

 from its        simplicity40--,hart1   
#8,reminiscences1' c4        #ceb ,these
 several inventions were embodied by him
 in a patent        taken out in #agii4 
,murdock is also entitled to the merit  
of inventing lighting by gas4 ,the      
inflammable qualities of the air        
obtained by distillation of coal had    
long been known1#cec but ,murdock was   
the first to apply the knowledge  to    
practical uses4 ,the subject engaged    
much of his attention in the year       
#agib1 when he resided at ,redruth4 ,as 
his days were fully occupied in         
attending to his employers' engine      
business1 it was only in the evenings1  
after the day's work was over1 that he  
could pursue the subject4 ,it is  not   
improbable that he was led to undertake 
the investigation by ,mr4  ,boulton's   
chemical enthusiasm1 which communicated 
itself to all with whom  he came in     
contact4 ,it will be remembered that the
 latter occupied much  of his leisure at
 ,cosgarne in analysing earths1         

minerals1 and vegetable  substances1    
trying to find out the gases they       
contained2 and ,murdock  was his zealous
 assistant on these occasions4 ,in the  
paper which he  communicated to the     
,royal ,society on the subject of       
lighting by coal-gas  in #ahjh1 for     
which they awarded him their large      
,rumford ,gold ,medal1 he  observed1--  
#cec ,burning springs1 though by no     
means common in ,europe1 were        not
 unknown4 ,they were kept burning by    
natural and spontaneous        supplies 
of carburetted hydrogen gas issuing from
 fissures in        the earth overlying 
beds of asphalte or coal4 ,the          
inflammable        character of         
fire-damp and the explosions which it   
occasioned        in coal mines were    
also familiar to most persons living in 
the coal-mining districts4 ,in #afeh    
,mr4 ,thomas ,shirley first             
communicated to the ,royal ,society the 
result of some experiments        which 
he had made on the inflammable gas      

issuing from a well        near ,wigan  
in ,lancashire4 ,some time before #afia 
the ,rev4 ,dr4        ,clayton1 ,dean of
 ,kildare1 made some experiments on what
 he        called the spirit of coal3 he
 distilled some coal in a retort1       
and1 confining the gas produced thereby 
in a bladder1 he amused        his      
friends by burning it as it issued from 
a pin-hole4 ,in #agba        ,dr4       
,stephen ,hales found it was practicable
 to produce elastic        inflammable  
air from coal and other substances1 and 
that nearly        one-third of         
,newcastle coal was drawn off in vapour1
 gas1 c41        by the action of heat4 
,in #agcc ,sir ,james ,lowther          
communicated        to the ,royal       
,society a paper on the subject of the  
fire-damp        issuing from the shaft 
of a coal mine near ,whitehaven1 which  
had been accidentally set fire to and   
continued to burn for        two years4 
,dr4 ,watson1 ,bishop of ,landaff1 and  
,dr4 ,priestley        of ,birmingham1  

examined the properties of coal-gas1 and
 made        experiments on its         
inflammable qualities1 but pursued the  
subject no further4 ,lord ,dundonald    
also had been accustomed1 for        the
 amusement of his friends1 to set fire  
to the gas disengaged        by the     
burning of coal in the process of       
coke-making4 ,the same        phenomena 
must have been observed on a large scale
 wherever        coke was made4 ,each   
chamber in which coal was distilled was 
in        point of fact a gas retort4   
,oil and gas were the products of the   
distillation2 but strange to say1       
although the oil was collected          
and used1 no heed was taken of the gas4 
,nor was it until ,mr4        ,murdock's
 attention was called to the subject    
that lighting by        gas was proved  
to be practicable4      8,it is now     
nearly sixteen years since 7#agib71 in  
the course    of experiments ,i was     
making at ,redruth1 in ,cornwall1 upon  
the    quantities and qualities of the  

gas produced by distillation from       
different mineral and vegetable         
substances1 that ,i was induced    by   
some observations ,i had previously made
 upon the burning of    coal1 to try the
 combustible property of the gases      
produced from    it1 as well as from    
peat1 wood1 and other inflammable       
substances2    and being struck with the
 great quantities of gas which they     
afforded1 as well as the brilliancy of  
the light1 and the facility    of its   
production1 ,i instituted several       
experiments with a view of              
ascertaining the cost at which it might 
be obtained1 compared with    that of   
equal quantities of light yielded by    
oils and tallow4 ,my    apparatus       
consisted of an iron retort1 with tinned
 iron and copper    tubes1 through which
 the gas was conducted to a considerable
    distance2 and there1 as well as at  
intermediate points1 was    burnt       
through apertures of various forms and  
dimensions4 ,the    experiments were    

made upon coal of different qualities1  
which ,i    procured from different     
parts of the kingdom for the purpose of 
ascertaining which would give the most  
economical results4 ,the    gas was also
 washed with water1 and other means were
 employed to    purify it40#ced         
#ced #8,philosophical ,transactions1'   
#ahjh1 pp4 #abd-acb4    ,murdock put his
 discovery to the best practical test by
 lighting up  his house and offices at  
,redruth with gas2 and he had a gas     
lantern  constructed1 with a jet        
attached to the bottom of the lantern   
and  a bladder of gas underneath1 with  
which he lighted himself home at  night 
across the moors when returning from his
 work to his house at  ,redruth4#cee ,on
 the occasion of a visit which he made  
to ,soho in #agid1  he took the         
opportunity of mentioning to ,mr4 ,watt 
the experiments he  had made1 and their 
results2 expressing his conviction of   
the superior  economy1 safety1 and      
illuminating qualities of coal-gas1     

compared with  oils and tallow4 ,he then
 suggested that a patent should be taken
 out for  the application1 and at       
various subsequent periods he urged the 
subject  upon the attention of his      
principals4 ,but they were at the time  
so  harassed by litigation in connexion 
with their own steam-engine patent1     
that they were unwilling to enter upon  
any new enterprise which might  possibly
 lead them into fresh embroilments2 and 
nothing was done to  protect the        
invention4        #cee ,many years later
 7in #ahah71 when ,murdock was at       
,manchester        for the purpose of   
starting one of ,boulton and ,watt's    
engines1        he was invited1 with    
,mr4 ,william ,fairbairn1 to dine at    
,medlock        ,bank1 then at some     
distance from the lighted part of the   
town4        8,it was a dark winter's   
night10 writes ,mr4 ,fairbairn1 our     
informant1 8and how to reach the house  
over such bad roads was        a        
question not easily solved4 ,mr4        

,murdock1 however1 fruitful        in   
resources1 went to the ,gas ,works1     
7then established in                    
,manchester71 where he filled a bladder 
which he had with him1        and       
placing it under his arm like a bagpipe1
 he discharged        through the stem  
of an old tobacco-pipe a stream of gas  
which        enabled us to walk in      
safety to ,medlock ,bank40    ,on       
,murdock's return to ,soho in #agih1 he 
proceeded with his investigations1  and 
contrived an apparatus for making1      
purifying1 and storing the  gas on a    
large scale2 and several of the offices 
in the building were  regularly lighted 
by its means4 ,on the general           
illumination which took  place in       
celebration of the ,peace of ,amiens in 
#ahjb1 the front of ,soho  ,manufactory 
was brilliantly illuminated with gas1 to
 the astonishment and  admiration of the
 public4 ,the manageableness1 the       
safety1 the economy1  and the brilliancy
 of the new light being thus proved1    

,boulton and ,watt  in #ahjc authorised 
,murdock to proceed with the general    
fitting up of the  manufactory with     
pipes and burners1 and1 from that date1 
it continued  to be regularly lit up    
with coal-gas4 ,several large firms     
followed  their example2 amongst others 
,phillips and ,lee1 ,burley1 and        
,kennedy1 at  ,manchester1 and ,gott and
 ,sons1 at ,leeds2 and the manufacture  
of gas-making  apparatus became one of  
the regular branches of business at     
,soho4 ,several  years later1 in #ahje1 
when ,watt went down to ,glasgow1 he    
found gas in  pretty general use4       
8,the new lights10 he wrote to ,boulton1
 8are much in vogue here2    many have  
attempted them1 and some have succeeded 
tolerably in    lighting their shops    
with them4 ,i also hear that a          
cotton-mill in    this neighbourhood is 
lighted up with gas4 ,a long account of 
the    new lights was published in the  
newspapers some time ago1 in which      
they had the candour to ascribe the     

invention to ,mr4 ,murdock4 ,from       
what ,i have heard respecting these     
attempts1 ,i think there is full    room
 for the ,soho improvements1#cef though1
 when once they see    one properly     
executed1 it will have numerous         
imitations40        #cef ,watt here     
alluded to the new machinery and plant  
erected        at ,soho under ,murdock's
 directions1 at a cost of about #ejjjl4 
for the purpose of manufacturing gas    
apparatus4    ,several years after the  
introduction of the new light1 a        
,german1 named  ,wintzer or ,winsor1    
brought out 7in #ahji7 a scheme similar 
to one projected  in ,paris by ,le ,bon1
 for lighting the streets by gas4 ,he   
proposed a  ,joint ,stock ,company1 with
 a capital of #cjj1jjjl41 and held forth
 to  subscribers the prospect of a      
profit of ten thousand per cent46#ceg   
,he applied to ,parliament for a ,bill1 
against which ,murdock petitioned1  and 
was examined before the ,committee4     
,though they were staggered by  the     

crudities of ,winsor1 they had some     
difficulty even in accepting the  more  
modest averments of ,murdock as to the  
uses of coal-gas for lighting  purposes4
 8,do you mean to tell us10 asked one   
member1 8that it will be  possible to   
have a light without a wick80 8,yes1 ,i 
do1 indeed10 answered  ,murdock4 8,ah1  
my friend10 said the legislator1 8you   
are trying to prove  too much40 ,it was 
as surprising and inconceivable to the  
honourable  member as ,george           
,stephenson's subsequent evidence before
 a ,parliamentary  ,committee to the    
effect that a carriage might be drawn   
upon a railway at  the rate of twelve   
miles an hour without a horse4          
#ceg ,the invention of lighting by gas  
has by some writers been                
erroneously attributed to ,winsor4 ,it  
will be observed1 from        the       
statement in the text1 that coal-gas had
 been in regular        use long before 
the appearance of his scheme1 which was 
one        of the most crude and        

inflated ever brought before the public4
        8,the ,patriotic ,imperial and  
,national ,light and ,heat ,company10   
proposed amongst other things to aid and
 assist ,government with        funds in
 times of emergency1 to increase the    
,sinking-fund for        reducing the   
,national ,debt1 to reward meritorious  
discoverers1        c4 c4 ,some idea of 
the character of the project may be     
formed from ,mr4 ,lord ,brougham's      
speech in opening the        case       
against the ,bill3--8#8,the neat annual 
profits1' says ,mr4        ,winsor1     
#8agreeable to the official experiments'
 7that is1 the        experiments of    
,mr4 ,accum44447 #8amount to            
#bbi1cec1fbgl4' 444        now ,mr4     
,winsor says1 that he will allow there  
may be an error        here1 for the    
sake of arguing with those who still    
have their        doubts2 and he will   
admit that the sum should be taken at   
only        one half1 or #aad1hde1bidl42
 and then giving up1 to meet all        

possible objections1 nine-tenths of that
 sum1 still there will        remain1 to
 be paid to the subscribers of this     
,company1 a yearly        profit of     
#egjl4 for every #el4 of deposit6 ,so   
that upon        paying #el4 every      
subscriber is to receive #egjl4 a year  
for        ever1 and this to the last   
farthing2 it may increase but less it   
can never be2 the clear profit is always
 to be above #aj1jjjl4        per cent4 
upon the capital6 ,this is pretty well1 
sir1 one would        think4 ,there is  
here estimate and statement enough to   
captivate        the public2 but this is
 not all2 for ,mr4 ,winsor has taken out
        a patent 7of which1 indeed1 he  
has1 according to his custom1           
enrolled no specification1 but1 on the  
contrary1 has enrolled        a         
surrender7 for the invention of several 
things1 and1 among        others1 one   
for rendering this gas respirable4 ,it  
is not enough        that this gas      
7which everybody knows to be not        

respirable1 but        as poisonous to  
the lungs as fixed air7 should be       
capable of        giving light2 but he  
thinks it also necessary to prove that  
it        may easily be rendered        
respirable2 in short1 that there is no  
way in which it may not be used1 and    
nothing which may not be        made of 
it4444 ,in another pamphlet4444 ,mr4    
,winsor endeavours to        prove that 
this gas is the vital principle2 that in
 which life        itself consists4 ,if 
,i had taken the trouble to go through  
his        publications1 which ,i       
certainly have not done1 it is hard to  
say what ,i might not have discovered2  
but ,i should think the                 
difficulty would rather be1 to find one 
quality which the gas        is not     
stated to possess40    ,no wonder that  
strange notions were entertained about  
gas in those early  days4 ,it seemed so 
incredible a contrivance1 to make air   
that could be  sent along pipes for     
miles from the place at which it was    

made to the  place at which it issued as
 jets of fire1 that it ran entirely     
counter to  all preconceived notions on 
the subject of illumination4 ,even ,sir 
,humphry  ,davy ridiculed the idea of   
lighting towns with gas1 and asked one  
of  the projectors if it were intended  
to take the dome of ,st4 ,paul's for a  
gasometer2 and ,sir ,walter ,scott made 
many clever jokes about the absurdity   
of lighting ,london with smoke1 though  
he shortly after adopted the said       
8smoke0 for lighting up his own house at
 ,abbotsford4 ,it was popularly         
supposed that the gas was carried along 
the pipes on fire1 and that  hence the  
pipes must be intensely hot4 ,thus1 when
 the ,house of ,commons  was first      
lighted up with gas1 the architect      
insisted on the pipes being  placed     
several inches from the wall for fear of
 fire1 and members might be  seen       
applying their gloved hands to them to  
ascertain their temperature1  expressing
 the greatest surprise on their being   

found as cool as the  adjoining         
walls4#ceh        #ceh ,the first       
application of the 8,gas-light and ,coke
 ,company0        to ,parliament in     
#ahji for an ,act proved unsuccessful1  
but the        8,london and ,westminster
 ,chartered ,gas-light and ,coke        
,company0        succeeded in the       
following year4 ,the ,company1 however1 
did        not succeed commercially1 and
 was on the point of dissolution1       
when ,mr4 ,clegg1 a pupil of ,murdock1  
bred at ,soho1 undertook the            
management and introduced new and       
improved apparatus4 ,mr4 ,clegg         
first lighted with gas ,mr4 ,ackerman's 
shop in the ,strand in        #ahaj1 and
 it was regarded as a great novelty4    
,one lady of rank        was so much    
delighted with the brilliancy of the    
gas-lamp fixed        on the shop       
counter1 that she asked to be allowed to
 carry it        home in her carriage1  
and offered any sum for a similar one4  
,mr4 ,winsor by his persistent advocacy 

of gas-lighting1 did        much to     
bring it into further notice2 but it was
 ,mr4 ,clegg's        practical ability 
that mainly led to its general adoption4
        ,when ,westminster ,bridge was  
first lit up with gas in #ahab1 the     
lamplighters were so disgusted with it  
that they struck work1        and ,mr4  
,clegg himself had to act as            
lamplighter4    ,the advantages of the  
new light1 however1 soon became         
generally  recognised2 and gas companies
 were established in most of the large  
towns4  ,had ,murdock patented the      
invention1 it must have proved          
exceedingly  remunerative to him2 but he
 derived no advantage from the extended 
use  of the new system of lighting      
except the honour of having initiated   
it1--though of this more than one       
attempt was made to deprive him4 ,as  he
 himself modestly said1 in his paper    
read before the ,royal ,society1  8,i   
believe ,i may1 without presuming too   
much1 claim both the first idea  of     

applying1 and the first actual          
application of this gas to economical   
purposes40    ,murdock's attention was1 
however1 diverted from prosecuting his  
discovery  of the uses of gas to a      
profitable issue by his daily business1 
which  was of a very engrossing         
character4 ,he continued1 nevertheless1 
an almost  incessant contriver1         
improver1 and inventor2 following1 like 
his master  ,watt1 the strong bent of   
his inclinations4 ,one of his most      
cherished  schemes was the employment of
 compressed air as a motive power4 ,he  
contrived to work a little engine of    
#ab-;inch cylinder and #ah-;inch stroke1
  which drove the lathe in the          
pattern-shop1 by means of the compressed
 air  of the blast-engine employed in   
blowing the cupolas at the ,soho        
,foundry2  and this arrangement         
continued in use for a period of about  
thirty-five  years4 ,he also constructed
 a lift worked by compressed air1 which 
raised  and lowered the castings from   

the ,boring-mill to the level of the    
,foundry  and the ,canal ,bank4#cei ,he 
used the same kind of power to ring the 
bells  in his house at ,sycamore ,hill2 
and the contrivance was afterwards      
adopted  by ,sir ,walter ,scott at      
,abbotsford4#cfj ,he experimented on the
 power  of high-pressure steam in       
impelling shot1 and contrived a         
steam-engine  in #ahjc1 with which he   
made many trials at ,soho1 in           
anticipation of  ,perkins's apparatus4  
,he was the inventor of the well-known  
cast-iron  cement so extensively used in
 engine and machine work2 and the manner
 in  which he was led to it affords a   
striking illustration of his quickness  
of observation4 ,finding that some      
iron-borings and sal-ammoniac had got   
accidentally mixed together in his      
tool-chest and rusted his saw-blade     
nearly through1 he took note of the     
circumstance1 mixed the articles  in    
various proportions1 and at last arrived
 at the famous cement1 which  eventually

 became an article of extensive         
manufacture at the ,soho works1         
completely superseding the cement       
invented by ,watt4 ,in #ahaj he took out
 a  patent for boring stone pipes for   
water1 and cutting columns out of solid 
blocks by one operation4 ,in #ahae he   
invented an apparatus for heating the   
water for the ,baths at ,leamington by  
the circulation of water through  pipes 
from a boiler1--a method since          
extensively adopted for heating         
buildings and garden-houses4 ,while     
occupied in erecting the apparatus at   
,leamington1 a heavy cast-iron plate    
fell upon his leg and severely crushed  
it1 laying him up for many months4      
#cei 8,it consisted10 says ,mr4 ,buckle1
 8of a piston working in a              
cylinder #aj feet diameter in water1    
with a lift of #ab feet1 and            
raised by forcing in air from a small   
blowing cylinder #ab inches             
diameter1 #ah inches stroke1 which was  
worked by the gearing in        the     

boring-mill40 ,paper read by the late   
,william ,buckle at the                 
,institution of ,mechanical ,engineers  
at ,birmingham1 #bcrd ,october1         
#ahej4        #cfj ,lockhart's #8,life  
of ,scott1' one vol4 edition1 p4 #ejj4  
,his ingenuity was constantly at work1  
even upon matters which lay entirely    
outside his special calling4 ,mr4       
,fairbairn informs us that he contrived 
a  variety of curious machines for      
consolidating peat moss1 finely ground  
and  pulverised1 under immense pressure1
 and moulding it into beautiful medals1 
armlets1 and necklaces1 which took the  
most brilliant polish1 and had the      
appearance of the finest jet4 ,observing
 that fish-skins might be used as  an   
economical substitute for isinglass1 he 
went up to ,london to explain  to the   
brewers the best method of preparing and
 using them4#cfa ,while in  town on this
 errand1 it occurred to him that there  
was an enormous waste  of power in the  
feet of men and animals treading the    

streets of ,london1  which might be     
economised and made productive2 and he  
conceived the idea  of using the streets
 as a grand treadmill1 under which the  
waste power  was to be stored up by     
mechanical methods1 and turned to       
account6 ,another  of his ingenious     
schemes--though then thought equally    
impracticable with  that last           
mentioned--was his proposed method of   
transmitting letters and  packages      
through a tube exhausted by an air-pump4
 ,this idea seems to have  led to the   
projection of the ,atmospheric ,railway1
 the success of which1 so  far as it    
went1 was again due to the practical    
ability of ,murdock's pupil  ,samuel    
,clegg4 ,though the atmospheric railway 
was eventually abandoned1  it is        
remarkable that ,murdock's original idea
 has since been revived1 and  practised 
with success1 by the ,london ,pneumatic 
,despatch ,company4        #cfa ,mr4    
,buckle1 in the memoir above cited1     
says1--8,so completely        was he    

absorbed at all times with the subject  
he had in hand1        that he was quite
 regardless of everything else4 ,when in
 ,london        explaining to the       
brewers the nature of his substitute for
        isinglass1 he occupied handsome 
apartments4 ,he1 however1 little        
respected the splendour of his          
drawing-room1 and1 fancying             
himself in his laboratory at ,soho1 he  
proceeded with his        experiments   
quite careless and unconscious of the   
mischief he        was doing4 ,one      
morning his landlady calling in to      
receive his        orders1 was horrified
 to see her magnificent paper-hangings  
covered with wet fish-skins hung up to  
dry2 and he was caught        in the act
 of pinning up a cod's skin to undergo  
the same        process4 ,whether the   
lady fainted or not is not on record1   
but        the immediate ejectment of   
the gentleman and his fish was the      
consequence40    ,such is a brief sketch
 of the life and works of this estimable

 and  ingenious mechanic1 for so many   
years the mainstay of the ,soho works4  
,mr4 ,fairbairn1 who first made his     
friendship at ,manchester in #ahaf1     
speaks of him as one of the most        
distinguished veterans in mechanical    
engineering then living1--8tall and     
well-proportioned in figure1 with a     
most intelligent and benevolent         
expression of countenance40 ,he was a   
man  of robust constitution1 and though 
he sorely taxed it1 he lived to an old  
age1 surviving the elder ,boulton and   
,watt by many years4#cfb        #cfb    
,the young partners regarded him with a 
degree of        affection and          
veneration1 which often shows itself in 
their        correspondence4 ,towards   
the later years of his life ,mr4        
,murdock's faculties gradually decayed1 
and he wholly retired        from the   
business of ,soho1 dying at his house at
 ,sycamore ,hill1        ,handsworth1 on
 the #aeth ,nov41 #ahci1 in his #heth   
year4    ,illustration3 ,,murdock',s    

,,house1 ,,sycamore ,,hill1             
,,handsworth4#cfc        #cfc ,the first
 piece of iron-toothed gearing ever cast
 is        placed on the lawn in front  
of ,murdock's villa4 ,the teeth are     
of somewhat unequal form1 and the       
casting is rough--perhaps        it has 
been exposed to rough usage4 ,it bears  
the following                           
inscription3--8,this ,pinton was cast at
 ,carron ,ironworks for ,john           
,murdock1 of ,bellow ,mill1 ,ayrshire1  
,a4,d4 #agfj1 being the first           
tooth-gearing ever used in millwork in  
,great ,britain40          ,,chapter    
,,xxi4    ,,application ,,of            
,,steam-,,power ,,to                    
,,navigation--,,miller ,,and            
,,symington--,,boulton  ,,and ,,watt',s 
,,engine ,,adopted ,,by ,,fulton4       
,it will be remembered that one of the  
early speculations of ,roger ,bacon     
related to the employment of engines of 
navigation without oarsmen1 8so  that   
the greatest river and sea ships1 with  

only one man to steer them1  may sail   
swifter than if they were fully         
manned10--that one of the uses  to which
 ,papin proposed to apply the           
steam-engine was to 8propel ships       
against the wind and tide10 in          
illustration of which he constructed his
  model steamboat1--and that1 shortly   
after ,newcomen's engine had become     
generally introduced as a pumping power1
 ,jonathan ,hulls took out a patent     
with the object of applying it to tow   
ships into and out of harbours4  ,hulls 
was followed1 after a long interval1 by 
,jouffroy in ,france and by  ,fitch in  
,america1 but none of their experiments 
proved successful2 and  it was not until
 ,watt invented the condensing engine   
that it was found  practicable to employ
 steam as a regular propelling power in 
navigation4    ,it was natural that the 
extraordinary success of ,watt's        
invention should  direct attention anew 
to the subject4 ,the engine1 in the     
powerful1  compact1 economical1 and     

manageable form1 into which he had      
brought  it1 was found able to effect   
rotary motion in the various processes  
of  manufacture2 and1 in a maritime     
country like ,england1 the thought that 
would naturally occur to many minds     
would be this3 ,if the steam-engine  can
 drive mill-wheels1 why may it not in   
like manner be employed to drive  the   
wheels of carriages by land and the     
paddle-wheels of vessels by sea8  ,the  
subject was1 indeed1 often brought under
 the notice of both ,boulton  and ,watt2
 but the anxiety1 annoyance and expense 
to which they had been  subjected in    
defending their original patent1        
deterred them from venturing  on this   
new field of enterprise4 ,watt never    
made his proposed locomotive  engine for
 running on common roads2 and the model 
constructed by ,murdock  at ,redruth in 
#aghd1 remained a model still4    ,the  
subject was1 however1 shortly after     
taken up by ,william ,symington1 at     
,wanlockhead1 in ,scotland1 where his   

father was employed as engineman in     
superintending the working of one of    
,boulton and ,watt's pumping-engines4   
,the sight of this engine1 and his      
father's employment upon it1 had        
probably the effect of first directing  
his attention to steam-power and  its   
extended uses2 and having heard of      
,murdock's ingenious design from        
,boulton and ,watt's men1 who were      
constantly visiting and inspecting  the 
pumping-engine1#cfd it occurred to him  
to try whether he could not  himself    
construct the model of a steam-carriage 
for use on common roads4  ,he succeeded 
in making his model1 and when it was    
finished1 ,mr4 ,meason1  the manager of 
the ,wanlockhead ,lead ,mines1 was so   
much pleased with it  that he asked the 
young man to accompany him to           
,edinburgh1 to show it  to the leading  
men of science in that city4 ,mr4       
,meason allowed it to  be exhibited at  
his own house1 ,symington being in      
attendance to give  explanations4 ,some 

of the ,edinburgh professors1 who came  
to see the model1  were so much pleased 
with the youthful inventor 7then only   
about twenty  years of age71 and the    
indications of mechanical genius which  
his machine  displayed1 that they       
strongly recommended ,mr4 ,meason to    
enter him as a  student at the          
,university1 which he readily assented  
to1 and ,symington  accordingly         
matriculated at ,edinburgh ,college in  
#aghf1 and1 amongst  other lectures1    
attended those of ,dr4 ,black on        
,chemistry in the following  session4   
#cfd ,the ,symingtons1 father and son1  
began at an early period        to      
design improvements on ,watt's          
pumping-engine1 and took out a          
patent for a fire-engine on a new       
principle as early as the year          
#aghe4 ,watt heard of its progress from 
time to time2 but he had        no great
 opinion of the ,symingtons1 and treated
 their alleged        invention with    
indifference4 ,on the #bhth ,september1 

#aghg1 he        wrote                  
,boulton1--8,isaac ,perrins a fitter is 
returned from        ,scotland4 ,he says
 ,symington has invented a new engine1  
which        is to work under #ab lbs4  
on the inch and has got a patent for    
it1 which ,mr4 ,meason has paid for4 ,by
 his account it seems        to be on   
the same principle as the ,trumpeters4  
,as soon as they        can rely fully  
on the new engine1 the old one is to be 
pulled        down1 and ,symington is to
 put up one of his in the house1 and1   
on that answering1 ours is to be        
stopped60    ,the ,scotch roads were in 
too bad a condition at the time to admit
 of  their being run over by a          
locomotive1 and ,symington eventually   
abandoned  his proposed scheme4 ,but he 
had also an idea that the steam-engine  
might  be economically applied to the   
working of boats on canals1 or ships at 
sea2 and with that object he invented an
 engine specially adapted for  the      
purpose4 ,this clearly appears from his 

correspondence with ,thomas  ,gilbert1  
,m4,p41 brother to the ,duke of         
,bridgewater's land steward4 ,mr4       
,gilbert had inspected the model of the 
steam-carriage while on a visit to      
,edinburgh1 and at the same time had    
some conversation with ,symington as to 
the employment of the steam-engine in   
hauling canal-boats1 the result of      
which was that ,symington promised to   
write him more fully on both topics4    
,he proceeded to do so in a letter dated
 ,wanlockhead1 #bdth ,september1 #aghf2 
in which1 after describing the          
dimensions1 power1 mode of working1 and 
the  probable price 7about #gjl47 of a  
full-sized locomotive1 he proceeded--   
8,but an engine of the same power and   
apparatus for working boats    on       
canals1 will only coast about fifty     
pounds1 and will only    weight #aaj st4
 ,each strock of the engine will have a 
force equall    to #afj st4 weight when 
applied1 which undoubtedly will be able 
to drag a great weight upon water1 when 

we run the proportion    between it and 
what a man can do in a boat with common 
oars1    whose exertion does not exceed 
more than #g stones2 but of this    you 
will be a better judge than me4 ,the    
engine we propose for    working the    
land-carriage is ,mr4 ,watt's1 with some
 very material    alterations2 and      
before we can use it we must make an    
agreement    with him1 which we intend  
to propose immediately4 ,but the engine 
we propose to work boats or ships with  
is an engine intirely    of our own     
invention1 and more powerful and better 
adapted for    the purpose than ,mr4    
,watt's engine4 ,this engine of our own 
we    have presently at worke here is a 
large moddle1 by which we have          
properly ascertained its power1 and     
found it exceed ,mr4 ,watt's    engine  
nearly two pounds upon each square inch 
on the piston1    without any greater   
consumpt of coals4 ,another advantage   
attending    our engine is its being    
little more complicated than the old    

engine that works with an atmospheric   
pressure4 ,we are to use our            
endeavours immediately for a patent for 
this engine as well as our    carriage2 
your assistance1 when we get application
 made1 will be    of great service to   
us1 and thankfully received by1 ,sir1 c4
 c41    ,,william ,,symington40#cfe     
,about the same time that ,symington was
 exhibiting his model carriage in       
,edinburgh1 ,mr4 ,miller of ,dalswinton 
was trying experiments at ,leith in     
propelling boats by paddle-wheels worked
 by men at a capstan4 ,he had a  triple 
vessel built1 with wheels placed inside1
 on turning which the  vessel was       
impelled forward4 ,it will be observed  
that this was but a  repetition of the  
old experiment of ,blasco ,garay at     
,barcelona1 and of  ,savery on the      
,thames4 ,the experiments were on the   
whole successful1 but  the power        
employed in propelling the vessel was   
felt to be defective1 and  the turning  
of the capstan was very hard work1 at   

which men could not be  brought to work 
continuously for any long period4       
,illustration3 ,,miller',s ,,triple     
,,vessel4        #cfe ,this interesting 
letter1 so important as regards the     
early history of the invention of the   
steamboat1 appeared for        the first
 time in the supplementary volume to the
 #8,official        ,description and    
,illustrated ,catalogue of the ,great   
,exhibition        of #ahea1' to which  
it was contributed by ,mr4 ,w4 ,c4      
,aitkin of        ,birmingham4    ,mr4  
,miller1 being curious as to all        
mechanical novelties1 went1 amongst     
others1 to see ,symington's model       
locomotive2 and in the course of        
conversation with the inventor informed 
him of his own project1 describing  the 
difficulty he had experienced in getting
 his paddles turned for  lack of power4 
,the immediate remark of ,symington was1
 8,why don't you  use the steam-engine80
 ,he proceeded to show how easily the   
engine  might be connected with the     

wheels of the boat1 using the model of  
the  steam-carriage before him to       
explain his meaning4 ,mr4 ,miller       
appeared to  have been struck by the    
suggestion1 and in the pamphlet which he
 shortly  after published describing his
 new vessel1 he referred to the probable
  employment of steam-power for the     
purpose of driving the paddles4 8,i     
have reason to believe10 he said1 8that 
the power of the steam-engine may  be   
applied to work the wheels1 so as to    
give them a quicker motion1 and         
consequently to increase that of the    
ship4 ,in the course of this summer1  ,i
 intend to make the experiment2 and the 
result1 if favourable1 shall be         
communicated to the public40#cff        
#cff #8,the ,elevation1 ,section1       
,plans1 and ,views1 of a ,triple        
,vessel1 and of ,wheels1 with           
,explanations of the ,figures in the    
,engraving1 and a short ,account of the 
,properties and ,advantages        of   
the ,invention4' ,by ,patrick ,miller1  

,esq41 of ,dalswinton1                  
,edinburgh1 #aghg4    ,mr4 ,miller      
subsequently contrived and constructed a
 double vessel1 #fj  feet in length1    
worked by a paddle-wheel placed         
amidships between the  two halves of the
 ship1 with a clear waterway in the     
middle in which  the paddle was worked1 
propelling the vessel4 ,an experiment   
with this  new ship was tried in ,june1 
#aghg1 which was considered successful4 
8,the  vessel being put in motion by the
 water-wheel1 wrought by five men at    
the capstern1 was steered so as to keep 
the wind right ahead1 and her  rate of  
going was found by the log to be three  
and a half miles in the  hour40#cfg ,a  
sailing-match was arranged by ,mr4      
,miller1 in which he was  to run his    
vessel from ,inchcolm 7a small island in
 the ,frith of ,forth7 to  ,leith1      
against a ,custom-house wherry which was
 reckoned a fast sailer4  ,in this race 
the double vessel beat by a few minutes4
 ,a young man named  ,james ,taylor1 who

 officiated in ,mr4 ,miller's family as 
tutor to his two  younger sons1 was on  
board the vessel1 and took his turn in  
working the  wheels1 which he found to  
be 8very severe exercise40 ,in          
consequence of  this trial and its      
results1 ,taylor became persuaded that  
unless a more  commanding power than    
that of men could be applied1 the       
invention of the  paddle-ship would     
prove of little use2 and on turning the 
matter over in  his mind1 he suggested  
to ,mr4 ,miller the use of the          
steam-engine4 ,this1  however1 was no   
new idea1 as1 from what we have already 
stated1 it is  clear that it had already
 occurred to ,symington1 who had even   
contrived an  engine for the express    
purpose of propelling ships4 ,as ,taylor
 was intimate  with ,symington1 and a   
fellow-student with him at ,edinburgh   
,college in the  session of #aghf-g1 it 
is probable that ,taylor obtained from  
him his first  idea of the application  
of the steam-engine to ,mr4 ,miller's   

paddle-boat4          #cfg ,mr4         
,miller's statement to the ,royal       
,society1 #bjth ,december1        #aghg4
    ,the result of ,symington's and     
,taylor's suggestion was1 that ,mr4     
,miller  resolved to make a further     
experiment2 and he ordered a double boat
 to be  built and fitted with a         
steam-engine for trial on ,dalswinton   
,loch1 near  his country-seat in        
,dumfriesshire1 in the course of the    
following summer4  ,symington prepared  
the plans of the engine1 the castings of
 which were  executed by ,george ,watt1 
an ,edinburgh founder2 and when the     
parts were  ready1 ,symington and       
,taylor went together to ,wanlockhead1  
in the summer  of #aghh1 to have the    
engine erected and placed in the boat in
 readiness  for the proposed trial4     
,in the mean time1 other projects of a  
similar kind were afoot2 and ,boulton   
and ,watt continued to be solicited from
 different quarters on the subject  of  
engines for sailing ships4 ,to these    

they continued to turn a deaf  ear4     
,they were willing to execute engines to
 order1 but they declined to  undertake 
them as speculations4 ,thus1 in the     
spring of #aghh1 we find ,sir  ,john    
,dalrymple1 one of the barons of the    
,court of ,exchequer at ,edinburgh1     
addressing ,boulton on the subject of   
the proposed application of the         
steam-engine to the propulsion of ships1
 and the reply of the latter  clearly   
shows what were then the views of the   
,soho firm on the subject3--            
8,,sir1--,i have just received the      
honour of your letter of the #bcrd      
inst41 by which ,i observe you are      
intent upon applying the power    of    
steam to the navigation of ships1 boats1
 c4      8,it is one of the applications
 of our engine which ,mr4 ,watt and     
,i have often talked of1 but we were    
deterred from the prosecution    of it  
more from political than mechanical     
difficulties1 as well as    from some   
prudential reasons2 besides which1 we   

thought we could    be more useful to   
the public and to ourselves by confining
 our    attention to such subjects as   
were within the limits of our own       
powers and our own country4 ,we still   
continue of that opinion1 and    are    
persuaded that it would be folly in us  
7who have our hands and    heads full of
 solid and important business7 to engage
 in any set    of new experiments1 or1  
like ,charles ,,xii41 go in quest of    
conquest    in foreign kingdoms1 and    
leave our own to be conquered4      8,if
 you or your friends want any of our    
steam-engines for any    purpose you may
 think proper to apply them to1 we shall
 be very    glad to serve you upon the  
usual terms2 although ,i must confess   
that ,i should be sorry to see them     
applied to one purpose which    perhaps 
may be of as much importance to this    
country some time or    other as        
,admiral ,drake's fire-ship was on a    
former emergency4      8,i beg the      
favour of you not to consider me or ,mr4

 ,watt as    schemers or projectors1 but
 as men who are following their regular 
established trade and manufactures of   
great extent1--amongst    others that of
 steam-engines1--and engineers1 in which
 capacity    we shall always be found   
attentive to your commands40#cfh        
#cfh ,boulton to ,sir ,john ,dalrymple1 
#bfth ,march1 #aghh4 ,the 8one          
purpose0 alluded to by ,boulton is      
supposed to have been the               
,torpedo1 then a favourite scheme with  
,french inventors for        blowing up 
,english ships4    ,symington had many  
difficulties to encounter in erecting   
his engine at  ,leadhills4 ,though it   
was of very small size1 being of only   
about two  horses power1 with a         
four-inch cylinder1 it required as much 
skill to  construct as a much larger    
engine would have done4 ,the arrangement
 of  the power was new1 as well as the  
application2 and1 as in the case of     
every new machine1 where unforeseen     
defects were brought to light1 new      

expedients had to be contrived for the  
purpose of overcoming them4 ,mr4        
,miller became impatient for its        
completion1 and repeatedly wrote from   
,edinburgh urging despatch1 fearing lest
 some other projector should get  the   
start of him in applying the            
steam-engine to the driving of ships4   
,taylor1 who managed the corresponding  
part of the enterprise1 replied1  8,you 
need be under very little apprehension  
as to any person getting  before you in 
this4 ,it is easy in conversation1 but  
very different in  execution4 ,however1 
as such a circumstance would be equally 
unpleasant  to us1 to prevent it you may
 depend upon the greatest expedition    
being  used40#cfi        #cfi ,taylor to
 ,miller1 #bjth ,august1 #aghh4         
#8,supplementary ,vol4 to               
,official ,description and ,illustrated 
,catalogue of the ,exhibition        of 
#ahea1' p4 #adgc4    ,illustration3     
,,symington',s ,,first ,,steamboat      
,,engine4    ,taylor being further urged

 by his employer1 again wrote from      
,leadhills  on the #abth ,september1    
#aghh1--8,mr4 ,symington and ,i are as  
busy here as we  possibly can be4 ,we   
work from six o'clock in the morning    
till dark in the  evening1 without      
losing a moment2 also1 to forward us the
 more1 we have  called in the aid of a  
watchmaker here1 who works along with   
us4 ,we are  now in great forwardness1  
and will not be long of finishing4 ,i   
could not  ascertain to a day when it   
will happen1 but believe we shall have  
it at  ,dalswinton some time before the 
end of the month40#cgj        #cgj      
,taylor to ,miller1 #bjth ,august1      
#aghh4 #8,supplementary ,vol4 to        
,official ,description and ,illustrated 
,catalogue of the ,exhibition        of 
#ahea1' p4 #adgc4    ,the engine was    
shortly after finished1 mounted in a    
strong oak frame1  and taken to         
,dalswinton4 ,it was then placed on the 
deck of ,mr4 ,miller's  double          
pleasure-boat1 twenty-four feet long and

 seven broad1 which had  been prepared  
for its reception4    ,illustration3    
,,mr4 ,,miller',s ,,experimental        
,,steamboat4    ,the engine was placed  
on one side of the boat1 the boiler on  
the other  side to balance it1 and the  
paddle-wheels in the middle2 the rotary 
motion being obtained from the engine by
 chains1 ratchet-wheels1 and  catches4  
,the first experiment was tried on the  
#adth of ,october1 #aghh1 and  proved   
successful1 the engine being propelled  
at the rate of five miles  an hour4#cga 
,among the persons present on the       
occasion1 besides ,miller1  ,symington1 
and ,taylor1 were ,alexander ,nasmyth1  
the landscape painter1 and  ,robert     
,burns1 the poet1 then a tenant of ,mr4 
,miller on the neighbouring  farm of    
,ellisland4 ,after a few further        
experiments the engine was taken  out of
 the boat and carried into ,mr4         
,miller's house1 where it remained  for 
many years1 and was eventually deposited
 in the ,museum of ,patents at          

,kensington1 where it is now to be seen4
        #cga ,the following contemporary
 account of the trial appeared        in
 the #8,scots ,magazine' for ,november1 
#aghh3--8,on ,october #adth1        a   
boat was put in motion by a steam-engine
 upon ,mr4 ,miller of                   
,dalswinton's piece of water at that    
place4 ,that gentleman's                
improvements in naval affairs are well  
known to the public4        ,for some   
time past his attention has been turned 
to the        application of the        
steam-engine to the purposes of         
navigation4        ,he has now          
accomplished1 and evidently shown to the
 world1 the        practicability of    
this1 by executing it upon a small      
scale4        ,a vessel1 #be feet long  
and #g broad1 was1 on the above date1   
driven with two wheels by a small       
engine4 ,it answered ,mr4               
,miller's expectations fully1 and       
afforded great pleasure to the          
spectators4 ,the success of this        

experiment is no small accession        
to the public4 ,its utility in canals1  
and all inland navigation1        points
 it out to be of the greatest advantage1
 not only to this        island1 but to 
many other nations of the world4 ,the   
engine used        is ,mr4 ,symington's 
new patent engine40    ,the experiments 
made with this first steamboat were so  
satisfactory that  ,mr4 ,miller resolved
 to try one upon a larger scale4 ,by    
this time ,messrs4  ,allen and ,stewart1
 of ,leith1 had built for him another   
double vessel1  ninety feet in length2  
and he wrote to ,symington1 requesting  
his estimate  of the cost of fitting it 
with a suitable steam-engine4           
,symington's reply  was to the effect   
that a proper-sized engine for such a   
vessel would1 in  his opinion1 be about 
#bejl41 including the float-wheels4 ,the
 necessary  order was given1 and        
,symington proceeded to the ,carron     
,ironworks for the  purpose of          
constructing it4 ,the vessel arrived at 

,carron on the #bdth ,june1  and by the 
month of ,november following the engine 
was finished and put  on board ready for
 trial4#cgb ,the result was not so      
satisfactory as in  the case of the     
experiment on ,dalswinton ,loch4 ,the   
paddle-wheels were too  weak2 first one 
float and then another broke off2 and   
the trial had to be  suspended until the
 defects were remedied4 ,the next trial 
was1 however1  more satisfactory4 ,the  
vessel reached a speed of seven miles an
 hour2  and this was repeated with the  
same result4 ,there must1 however1 have 
been some defect in the engine          
performances2 for1 in a letter written  
by  ,miller to ,taylor1 who was present 
throughout1 he expressed the opinion    
that ,symington's engine was altogether 
unsuitable for giving motion to a       
vessel4#cgc ,he accordingly ordered the 
engine to be taken out and placed  in   
the ,carron ,works1 and the vessel      
itself to be laid up at ,bruce ,haven4  
#cgb ,from a memorandum found amongst   

,mr4 ,boulton's papers1        we learn 
that the following were the details of  
,symington's        engine3--8,engine   
hath two cylinders of #ah inches        
diameter each        and #b feet stroke4
 ,the rods of each piston are connected 
to a        circular barrel of cast iron
 by means of chains1 so that whilst     
one piston moves down the other ascends1
 and so gives the barrel        a       
reciprocating motion4 ,upon the axis of 
the barrel is an arm        or lever    
which works the plug and working gear4  
,each of the        cylinders hath #b   
pistons1 one at top and the other at    
bottom2        the #b bottom pistons    
have their rods moving in stuffing-boxes
        and are connected together by a 
beam4 ,the steam is admitted        into
 the cylinder at its side1 between the  
#b pistons1 and moves        the one up 
and the other down2 but the motion of   
the upper is        greater than the    
under4 ,when the upper piston is got to 
the top        and the under one to the 

bottom1 the steam valve is shut and the 
exhaustion one opened2 by which the     
steam is admitted into the        bottom
 of the cylinder1 and is in its way met 
by a jet of cold        water1 which    
condenses it1 and then it is squeezed   
out by the        under piston1 which in
 fact makes the bottom of the cylinder  
an air-pump4 ,whilst this condensation  
is going forward in the        one      
cylinder1 the steam is operating in the 
other1 and vice        vers40           
#cgc 8,i am now satisfied10 he said1    
8that ,mr4 ,symington's                 
steam-engine is the most improper of all
 steam-engines for        giving motion 
to a vessel1 and that he does not know  
how to        calculate frictions or    
mechanical powers4 ,by means of a new   
well-constructed valve-wheel1 and the   
pinion being doubled in        diameter1
 ,i doubt not that the velocity of the  
vessel's motion        will be          
increased2 but1 do as you will1 a great 
deal of power        of the engine must 

be lost in friction4 ,i remember well   
that        when the small engine was   
wrought in the boat at ,dalswinton1 ,i  
had formed the same idea1 and that ,i   
told you so2 but not having             
studied the subject1 ,i gave up my own  
common sense4 ,this is now        past  
remedy4 ,as the engine cannot be of use 
to me now1 ,i hope1        with the aid 
of ,mr4 ,tibbets and ,mr4 ,stainton1 you
 will get it        sold before you     
leave ,carron40--,miller to ,taylor1    
#gth ,december1        #aghi4    ,thus  
matters remained until the spring of the
 following year1 when ,mr4  ,miller     
decided on applying to ,boulton and     
,watt for an engine of a proper         
construction1 offering at the same time 
to associate them with him in his       
enterprise4 ,the negotiation was opened 
by ,robert1 afterwards ,lord ,cullen1   
who addressed ,watt on the subject2 but 
his reply was not encouraging4 ,like    
his partner1 ,watt was averse to new    
speculations2 and he had had too much   

anxiety and worry in connexion with his 
original enterprise to enter upon  any  
new one4 ,it will also be observed that 
he entertained doubts as to  the        
eventual success of ocean navigation by 
steam4 ,the following was his  reply3-- 
8,,dear ,,sir1--,we have heard of ,mr4  
,miller's ingenious experiments    on   
double ships from ,sir ,john ,dalrymple1
 and also some vague    accounts of the 
experiments with the steam-engine1 from 
which we    could gather nothing        
conclusive1 except that the vessel did  
move    with a considerable velocity4   
8,from what we heard of ,mr4            
,symington's engines1 we were disposed  
to consider them as attempts to evade   
our exclusive privilege2 but    as we   
thought them so defective in mechanical 
contrivance as not    to be likely to do
 us immediate hurt1 we thought it best  
to leave    them to be judged by ,dame  
,nature first before we brought them to 
any earthly court4      8,we are much   
obliged to ,mr4 ,miller for his         

favourable opinion of    us and of our  
engines1 which we hope experience would 
more and    more justify4 ,we are also  
fully sensible of his kind intentions   
in offering to associate us with him in 
his scheme2 but the time    of life we  
have both arrived at1 and the           
multiplicity of business    we are at   
present engaged in1 must plead our      
excuse for entering    into any new     
concern whatever as partners2 but as    
engineers    and engine-makers we are   
ready to serve him to the best of our   
abilities1 at our customary prices1 for 
rotative engines1 and to    assist in   
anything we can do to bring the scheme  
to perfection4      8,we conceive that  
there may be considerable difficulty in 
making    a steam-engine to work        
regularly in the open sea1 on account of
    the undulating motion of the vessel 
affecting the vis inerti    of the      
matter2 however1 this we should         
endeavour to obviate as    far as we    
could4      8,it may not be improper to 

mention that ,earl ,stanhope has lately 
taken a patent for moving a vessel by   
steam1 but not by wheels4    ,his       
,lordship has also applied to us for    
engines2 but we believe    we are not   
likely to agree with him1 as he lays too
 much stress    upon his own ingenuity4 
8,we cannot conclude without observing1 
that were we disposed to    enter into  
any new concern whatever1 there is no   
person we should    prefer to ,mr4      
,miller as an associate1 being fully    
apprised of his    worth and honour1 and
 admirers of the ingenuity and industry 
with    which he has pursued this       
scheme4      8,permit me now1 ,sir1 to  
return you my thanks for your obliging  
attention to me1 and for the trouble you
 have taken in this    affair1 and to   
ask the favour of your presenting       
,boulton and    ,watt's respectful      
compliments to ,mr4 ,miller4--,i remain1
 dear ,sir1    c4 c41                   
8,,james ,,watt40#cgd        #cgd ,j4   
,watt to ,r4 ,cullen1 #bdth ,april1     

#agij1 #8,supplementary        ,volume  
to ,official ,descriptive and           
,illustrated ,catalogue of the          
,exhibition of #ahea1' p4 #adge4    ,mr4
 ,miller proceeded no further with his  
experiments1 on which he had  already   
expended a large sum of money4 ,he seems
 to have lost faith in the              
applicability of the steam-engine to the
 propulsion of ships1 and reverted  to  
his original idea1 as we find him taking
 out a patent in #agif for a  new kind  
of flat-bottomed ship1 which he proposed
 to impel during calms  by means of     
wheels worked by capstans2 but he makes 
no mention whatever  of the use of the  
steam-engine4    ,symington was greatly 
disappointed with the result of his     
experiments4  ,being without the means  
of carrying the steamboat further1 he   
feared that  all his past labours would 
prove in vain1 and that some more       
fortunate  speculator would carry off   
the prize that seemed almost within his 
grasp4  ,the subject was not1 however1  

allowed to sleep4 ,fitch and ,evans were
  pursuing the invention in ,america2   
,rumsey1 another ,american1 came over to
  ,england in #aghh1 with a scheme for  
propelling boats by steam2 and ,fourness
  and ,earl ,stanhope were making       
experiments in the same direction2 but  
none  of them had yet succeeded in      
constructing a practicable working      
steamboat4  ,thus ten more years passed1
 during which other inventors came      
forward1  took out patents1 made their  
trials1 failed1 and disappeared4    ,in 
the year #ahja ,symington had another   
chance4 ,lord ,dundas1 ,governor of  the
 ,forth and ,clyde ,canal ,company1 had 
been revolving in his mind whether  some
 more expeditious and economical method 
than horse-power might not be  contrived
 for hauling the boats along the canal2 
and1 being aware of the  experiments    
made by ,miller and ,symington ten years
 before1 he determined  to give         
,symington's engine another trial4 ,a   
boat was accordingly built for  the     

purpose of the experiment1 and named the
 #8,charlotte ,dundas1' after his       
,lordship's daughter4 ,for this vessel  
,symington contrived a steam-engine  of 
a greatly improved character4 ,it was a 
direct-acting engine1 the steam  acting 
on each side of the piston1 after the   
method invented by ,watt1  whose patent 
had now expired2 the rotary motion of   
the paddle-wheels being  secured by     
means of a connecting-rod and crank1    
instead of by chains and                
ratchet-wheels1 as in the first two     
boats4    ,illustration3 ,,machinery    
,,of ,,the #8,,charlotte ,,dundas4'     
,the first trial of the vessel was      
perfectly satisfactory4 ,after making a 
trip to ,glasgow1 she was employed in   
towing vessels along the canal4 ,she    
was also occasionally sent down the     
,frith to bring up ships detained by    
contrary winds to the canal entrance at 
,grangemouth4#cge        #cge ,one day  
in ,march1 #ahjb1 on the occasion of a  
strong west        wind blowing1 when   

the canal-boats could with difficulty be
        moved to windward1 the steamer  
took in tow two laden sloops1 the       
#8,active' and #8,euphemia1' of seventy 
tons each1 from ,lock #bj to            
,port ,dundas1 ,glasgow1 a distance of  
#ai miles1 in six hours4    ,fortune at 
length seemed to smile on poor          
,symington1 and his spirits were        
proportionately elated at the result of 
these important experiments4 ,he  had1  
in fact1 achieved a decided success in  
the #8,charlotte ,dundas1'--in  which he
 combined together1 for the first time1 
those improvements which  constitute the
 present system of ,steam ,navigation4  
,indeed ,mr4 ,woodcroft1  a competent   
judge1 says that 8the vessel might1 from
 the simplicity of  its machinery1 have 
been at work at this day with such      
ordinary repairs  as are now            
occasionally required to all            
steamboats40#cgf        #cgf #8,a sketch
 of the ,origin and ,progress of ,steam 
,navigation4'        ,by ,bennet        

,woodcroft4 ,london1 #ahdh4    ,lord    
,dundas was so well satisfied with the  
performances of the vessel  that he     
proposed to introduce the inventor to   
the ,duke of ,bridgewater1  the great   
canal proprietor1 who had expressed to  
him his wish to employ  some method of  
hauling his boats more effective than   
horse-power4 ,his  ,lordship accordingly
 directed ,symington to have a model of 
his steamboat  constructed for the      
purpose of showing it to the ,duke4     
,symington went  up to ,london himself  
to explain its mechanical arrangements1 
and the  ,duke was so much pleased with 
it that he ordered eight boats of the   
same  construction to be made as        
speedily as possible for use upon his   
canal4  ,symington returned to ,scotland
 to proceed with the execution of this  
important order4    ,but in the moment  
of his apparent triumph fate again      
proved hostile to the  inventor4 ,though
 ,lord ,dundas was fully satisfied with 
the performances of  the #8,charlotte   

,dundas1' and hailed the use of steam as
 the beginning of  a new era in         
navigation1 the proprietors of the canal
 became seriously  alarmed lest the     
banks should be washed away by the waves
 which the  steamboat raised in its     
wake1 and they came to the resolution of
  prohibiting all further experiments4  
,to add to ,symington's vexation1 the   
very same day on which this adverse     
decision of the canal managers reached  
him1 he received intelligence of the    
death of the ,duke of ,bridgewater1  and
 an order to suspend the erection of the
 eight steamboats until fresh           
instructions had been given4 ,by this   
time ,lord ,dundas had expended about   
#gjjjl4 on his experiments1 and was not 
disposed to proceed any further  with   
them4 ,the #8,charlotte ,dundas1' the   
first successful steamboat1 was         
accordingly laid up at ,bainsford1 in a 
creek of the canal2 and the attempt  to 
introduce steam navigation on canals was
 from that time suspended4#cgg          

#cgg ,symington continued to struggle   
for many years under the        burden  
of debt which he had incurred by his    
experiments2 and        though a sum of 
#ajjl4 was granted him from the ,privy  
,purse        in #ahbd1 and #ejl4 a year
 or two afterwards1 he remained in      
a state of poverty during the rest of   
his life4 ,he died on        the #bbnd  
,march1 #ahca1 and was buried in the    
churchyard of ,st4        ,botolph1     
,aldgate1 ,london4    ,symington's      
experiments1 though they proved most    
unfortunate as respected  himself1      
nevertheless led to the adoption of the 
system of navigation by  steam both in  
,america and ,scotland4 ,among the many 
visitors who inspected  the #8,charlotte
 ,dundas' were ,fulton the ,american    
artist1 and ,andrew ,bell  the engineer1
 of ,glasgow4 ,fulton was on board the  
first vessel in the  month of ,july1    
#ahja1 when she made a run of eight     
miles on the ,forth  and ,clyde ,canal  
in an hour and twenty minutes2 on which 

occasion he  narrowly inquired into the 
action of the engine and paddle-wheels1 
and  made careful sketches of the vessel
 and her machinery4#cgh ,andrew ,bell   
also made frequent visits to the        
#8,charlotte ,dundas1' as well as to the
  pattern shop where the models of the  
machinery were kept2 and there is       
little doubt that1 like ,fulton1 he     
obtained his ideas of steam navigation  
principally from what ,symington had    
accomplished4 ,fulton and ,bell were    
well acquainted with each other1#cgi and
 kept up a correspondence on the        
subject of steamboats4 ,bell1 according 
to his own account1 supplied ,fulton    
with information and drawings of        
steamboat machinery2 and it was by his  
recommendation that ,fulton ordered the 
engine for his first successful         
steamboat from ,boulton and ,watt4      
#cgh ,the following deposition was made 
on oath by ,robert ,weir of             
,kincardine1 before ,robert ,dundas ,j4 
,p4 for the county of ,perth1        at 

,blair ,castle1 on the #bcrd ,october1  
#ahbd3--8,that1 in the        year      
#ahja1 he remembers of ,mr4 ,symington  
erecting a boat1 and        fitting a   
steam-engine into it1 and dragging two  
vessels along        the ,forth and     
,clyde ,canal by means of the said      
steamboat4 ,that        the deponent was
 employed as engine-fireman on board of 
the said        boat4 ,deposes that the 
following persons1 now living1 were also
        on board1 viz41 ,alexander ,hart
 and ,john ,allen1 ship-builders1       
,grangemouth1 and ,john ,esplin and     
,william ,gow1 shipmasters there4       
,that some time after the first         
experiment1 while the boat was          
lying upon the canal at ,lock #af1 it   
was visited by a stranger1        who   
requested to see the boat worked4 ,that 
the said ,william        ,symington     
desired the deponent to light the       
furnace1 which was        done1 and the 
stranger was carried about four miles   
along the        canal1 and brought     

back4 ,that this stranger made inquiries
 both        as to the mode of          
constructing and of working the boat1   
and        took notes of the information
 given him by the said ,william         
,symington4 ,that the deponent heard the
 stranger say his name        was       
,fulton1 and that he was a native of the
 ,united ,states of        ,america4    
,that the deponent remembers ,mr4       
,symington remarking        that the    
progress of the boat was much impeded by
 the narrowness        of the canal1 to 
which ,mr4 ,fulton answered that the    
objection        would not apply to the 
large rivers of ,north ,america1 where  
he        thought the boat might be used
 to great advantage40--,from copies     
of affidavits in the #8,biography of    
,william ,symington4' ,by ,j4        and
 ,w4 ,r4 ,rankin1 ,engineers1 ,falkirk1 
#ahfb4        #cgi ,in one of his       
letters1 ,bell says--8,fulton came at   
different        times to the country   
and stopped with me for some            

time40--#8,life        of ,henry ,bell1'
 p4 #gd4    ,with the information       
obtained at ,grangemouth1 ,fulton       
proceeded to ,paris1  where we shortly  
find him in communication with ,mr4     
,livingstone1 the  ,united ,states'     
envoy1 who1 like ,fulton1 took much     
interest in the subject  of steam       
navigation4 ,they had a model steamboat 
built for trial on the  ,seine2 but when
 on the point of making the first       
experiment1 the weight  of the machinery
 broke the boat in two1 and the whole   
went down together4  ,fulton's greatest 
difficulty1 as was to be expected1      
consisted in finding  a suitable engine 
to propel his proposed boat1 and he     
wrote to his friends  in ,england on the
 subject4 ,in ,march1 #ahjb1 we find him
 addressing ,dr4  ,cartwright1 who had  
invented an improvement in the          
steam-engine1 which  he thought would   
render it more suitable for driving     
vessels1 requesting  to be informed of  
the cost of one of six horse power1 with

 particulars  of its size and weight4   
,fulton communicated to his             
correspondent that1  besides his        
proposed steamboat1 he was experimenting
 on his #8,nautilus'  or diving-boat for
 navigating under water2 the object of  
this invention  being to blow up the    
,english ships of war which were then   
blockading the  ,french ports4 ,the     
experiments with the #8,nautilus' under 
water were said  to have proved         
tolerably successful1 though it had not 
yet succeeded in  blowing up any of the 
,english ships4    ,not being able to   
obtain any satisfactory information from
 ,dr4 ,cartwright1  ,fulton addressed a 
letter to ,james ,watt1 jun41 of ,soho1 
requesting to  be informed of the price 
of a light and compact engine for his   
proposed  vessel4 8,the object of my    
investigation10 he said1 8is to find    
whether  it is possible to apply the    
engine to working boats up our long     
rivers  in ,america4 ,the persons who   
have made such attempts have commenced  

by  what they call improving ,watt's    
engine1 but without having an idea of   
the  physics which lie hid in it from   
common observers2 but such improvements 
have appeared to me like the            
improvements of the preceptor of        
,alcibiades1  who corrected ,homer for  
the use of his scholars4 ,their ill     
success1 and  their never having found a
 good mode of taking a purchase in the  
water1  are the reasons why they have   
all failed4 ,having1 during the course  
of my  experiments on submersive        
navigation1 found an excellent mode of  
taking  a purchase on the water1 ,i wish
 to apply the engine to the movement4   
,the only thing wanting is to arrange   
the engine as light and compact as      
possible40#chj        #chj ,cited in    
,muirhead's #8,life of ,james ,watt1'   
#bnd ed4 p4 #dbf4    ,the information   
asked for was duly communicated to      
,fulton1 and a few  months later he sent
 ,boulton and ,watt the drawings of     
parts of an  engine which he requested  

them to make for him4 ,by this time the 
rumour  had gone abroad of the          
destructive powers of the #8,nautilus1' 
and ,lord  ,stanhope publicly called    
attention to the subject in the ,house  
of ,lords1  representing the dangerous  
character of the invention4 ,on         
,fulton's order  reaching ,soho1        
,boulton suspected that it might really 
be intended for the  #8,nautilus1' and  
he at once communicated with ,government
 on the subject4  ,to ,lord ,hawkesbury 
he wrote1--      8,i presume your       
,lordship is not unacquainted with the  
name of    ,fulton4 ,i mean ,fulton the 
engineer and pretended inventor of an   
infernal machine for destroying the     
,british ,navy4 ,he is the same         
person whom ,lord ,stanhope alluded to  
in some of his speeches in    the ,house
 of ,peers4      8,i never had any      
transaction or acquaintance with him4   
,however1    he has written to my house 
7,boulton and ,watt7 from ,paris1 and   
has transmitted drawings of sundry parts

 of a steam-engine4 ,the    remainder1  
he says1 is to be executed under his own
 directions1    and though he orders    
them to be shipped for ,america1 it is  
not    impossible but they may be       
transhipped before they reach there4    
8,the drawings and letter were delivered
 to my house in    ,london-street by a  
,mr4 ,barlow2 and as he refers to ,sir  
,francis    ,baring for payment1 ,i     
directed my agent 7,mr4 ,john ,woodward7
 to    call upon ,sir ,francis1 and in  
consequence thereof he wrote to my      
house a letter1 of which ,i enclose a   
correct copy as well as of    ,mr4      
,fulton's4      8,whatever doubts we may
 have of his project1 we have none      
respecting the propriety of acquainting 
your ,lordship with every    particular 
as to this matter that has come to our  
knowledge40#cha    ,boulton concluded by
 requesting instructions how to act2 but
 all necessity  for further caution was 
shortly after removed by ,fulton coming 
over to  ,england and imparting his     

secret to the ,british ,government4 ,an 
old ,danish  brig was placed at his     
disposal in ,walmer ,roads1 and after   
two days'  effort1 during which he was  
assisted by ,sir ,home ,popham1 he      
eventually  succeeded in blowing up the 
vessel2 but he accomplished his purpose 
with  so much difficulty1 that from that
 time no further fears were entertained 
of the much dreaded #8,nautilus4'       
#cha ,boulton to ,lord ,hawkesbury1     
#bbnd ,august1 #ahjc4 ,boulton ,,mss4   
,in the following year the steam-engine 
ordered by ,fulton for his proposed     
boat was proceeded with at ,soho4 ,it   
was of about nineteen horse power4  ,the
 cylinder was #bd inches in diameter1   
and the stroke four feet4 ,the          
dimensions were as nearly as possible   
the same as those of ,symington's       
#8,charlotte ,dundas' engine2 and ,mr4  
,woodcroft pertinently remarks that     
8such similarity in the dimensions      
cannot easily be imagined to have been  
accidental40 ,the engine1 when finished1

 was sent to ,america early in  #ahje4  
,she was there fitted on board the      
vessel which had been prepared  for her 
reception2 and the first voyage of      
,fulton and ,livingstone's  #8,clermont'
 was made in ,august1 #ahjg1 when a     
speed of nearly four miles  an hour was 
attained4 ,this was the first vessel    
that ran regularly for  commercial      
purposes and for the benefit of her     
owners2 and though ,fulton  neither     
invented the ship1 nor the engine by    
which she was driven1  nor the          
combination of the two1 he was entitled 
to every merit for the  perseverance and
 ability with which he carried his      
important enterprise  to a successful   
issue4    ,a few years later ,henry     
,bell1 in like manner1 introduced steam 
navigation  on the ,clyde4 ,he had at an
 early period pressed the subject on the
  consideration of the ,government1 but 
failed to induce them to take up  the   
scheme4#chb ,he then resolved himself to
 start a steamboat1 as the  best and    

most practical method of exhibiting its 
powers2 and the #8,comet1'  of thirty   
tons burthen1 was built to his order by 
,messrs4 ,john ,wood  and ,company1 of  
,port ,glasgow4 ,the vessel began to ply
 regularly between  ,glasgow and        
,greenock in ,august1 #ahab2chc and     
before long ,clyde steamers  were known 
all over the world4        #chb ,it is  
stated in the #8,life of ,henry ,bell1' 
that he applied        to ,mr4 ,watt in 
the year #ahja1 for his advice as to a  
suitable        engine for a steamboat2 
but ,watt gave him no encouragement     
to proceed with his design4 8,how many  
noblemen1 gentlemen1        and         
engineers10 he wrote to ,bell1 8have    
puzzled their brains1        and spent  
their thousands of pounds1 and none of  
these1        nor yourself1 have been   
able to bring the power of steam in     
navigation to a successful              
issue40--#8,life of ,bell4' ,by ,e4     
,morris1 ,glasgow1 #ahdd1 p4 #cj4       
#chc ,the starting of the #8,comet'     

naturally excited great interest        
along the ,clyde4 ,in the evenings1     
thousands of spectators lined        the
 banks as far as ,govan to see her pass 
up from ,greenock4 ,the        masters  
of the old sailing craft1 however1      
regarded the #8,comet'        with      
apprehension and dismay4 ,the old       
,highland gabert men were               
especially hostile1 denouncing the new  
vessel as being impelled        by the  
8teevil's wun0 7devil's wind74 ,the     
story is told of        the steamer one 
day coming up with a fly boat tacking   
against        the tide1 when the crew  
began to jeer the skipper of the fly1   
calling upon him to come along with his 
lazy craft4 8,get oot o'        my      
sight10 he cried1 in reply1 8,i'm just  
gaun as it pleases the        breath o' 
the ,almichty1 and ,i'll ne'er fash my  
thumb how fast        ye gang wi' your  
blasted deevil's reek40                 
,illustration3 ,,the #8,,comet'         
,,passing ,,dumbarton4    ,by ,r4 ,p4   

,leitch4    ,it will thus be observed   
how very gradual has been the invention 
of the  steamboat4 ,it has been made    
step by step1 by many men living in many
  ages4 ,first1 we have ,blasco ,garay  
making experiments with paddle-wheels   
in the harbour of ,barcelona three      
hundred years ago1 the revival probably 
of some old and half-forgotten method of
 propelling ships2 then the  repetition 
of the experiment by ,prince ,rupert and
 ,savery in the ,thames  more than a    
hundred and fifty years later2 next     
,savery's invention of  his             
steam-engine1 followed by ,papin's idea 
of combining the engine  with the       
paddles1 and his construction of a model
 to illustrate its  practicability4     
,later1 we have ,jonathan ,hulls's      
patent for his steamboat1  in which the 
engine was worked by atmospheric        
pressure1 followed by  numerous         
experiments with a like object1 in      
,england1 ,france1 and ,america4  ,the  
invention of the condensing engine of   

,watt1 and its application  to rotary   
motions1 was the next great step4       
,miller's revival of the  experiments   
with paddle-wheels led to the           
application by ,symington of  ,papin's  
idea of combining the steam-engine with 
the paddles1 which he at  length        
successfully worked out in the          
#8,charlotte ,dundas4' ,and finally the 
invention was applied to practical      
purposes by ,fulton and ,livingstone in 
,america1 and by ,bell in ,scotland4    
,and thus became established1 in the    
eloquent words of ,george ,canning1 8the
  new and mighty power1 new at least in 
the application of its might1 which     
walks the waters like a giant rejoicing 
in its course1 stemming alike the       
tempest and the tide1 accelerating      
intercourse1 shortening distances1      
creating1 as it were1 unexpected        
neighbourhoods1 and new combinations  of
 social and commercial relations1 and   
giving to the fickleness of  winds and  
the faithlessness of waves the certainty

 and steadiness of  a highway upon the  
land40 ,but it is a noteworthy fact1    
that it was not  until the invention of 
,james ,watt was applied to the purposes
 of steam  navigation that its          
practicability was established and its  
success  secured4 ,until then1 all the  
experiments which had been made were    
regarded  as comparatively fruitless1   
though they were leading step by step to
  the great result2 and to this day the 
engines constructed after ,watt's       
principle continue to be the great      
motive power alike of river and ocean   
navigation4          ,illustration3     
,,watt',s ,,house1 ,,heathfield4    ,by 
,percival ,skelton4    ,,chapter ,,xxii4
    ,,declining ,,years ,,of ,,boulton  
,,and ,,watt--,,bereavements--,,gregory 
,,watt--,,death ,,of  ,,boulton4        
,on the dissolution of the original     
partnership between ,boulton and ,watt  
at  the expiry of the patent in #ahjj1  
,boulton was seventy-two years old1 and 
,watt sixty-four4 ,the great work of    

their life had been done1 and the time  
was approaching when they must needs    
resign into other hands the great       
branches of industry which they had     
created4 ,watt1 though the younger of   
the two1 was the first to withdraw from 
an active share in the concerns  of     
,soho4 ,he could scarcely be said to    
taste the happiness of life until  he   
had cast business altogether behind him4
    ,it was far different with ,boulton1
 to whom active occupation had become  a
 second nature4 ,for several years1     
indeed1 his constitution had been       
showing signs of giving way1 and nature 
was repeating her warnings1  at shorter 
recurring intervals1 that it was time to
 retire4 ,but in the  case of men such  
as ,boulton1 with whom business has     
become a habit and  necessity1 as well  
as a pleasure and recreation1 to retire 
is often  to die4 ,he himself was       
accustomed to say that he must either   
8rub or  rust20 and as the latter was   
contrary to his nature1 he rubbed on to 

the  end1 continuing to take an active  
interest in the working of the great    
manufactory which it had been the       
ambition of his life to build up4       
,the department of business that most   
interested him in his later years was   
the coinage4 ,his chief pleasure        
consisted in seeing his new and         
beautiful  pieces following each other  
in quick succession from the ,soho      
,mint4 ,nor  did he cease occupying     
himself with new inventions2 for we find
 him as  late as #agig taking out a     
patent for raising water by impulse1    
somewhat  after the manner of           
,montgolier's ,hydraulic ,ram1 to which 
he added many  ingenious improvements4  
,his house at ,soho continued to be the 
resort of  distinguished visitors2 and  
his splendid hospitality never failed4  
,but1  as years advanced and his        
infirmities increased1 we find him      
occasionally  expressing a desire for   
quiet4 ,he would then retire to         
,cheltenham for the  benefit of the     

waters1 requesting his young partners to
 keep him advised  from time to time of 
the proceedings at ,soho4 ,thus we find 
young ,watt  writing him during his     
absence on one occasion1--8,everything  
is going on  well here3 the ,mint works 
six presses at present with ease2 but1  
unless  you have secured a supply of    
copper1 ,i fear they will soon work out 
the  present stock40 ,in the same letter
 his young friend advised him that he   
had duly despatched the chemical        
apparatus2 for even at ,cheltenham      
,boulton  could not be idle1 but        
undertook a careful analysis of all the 
waters  of the place1 the results of    
which he entered1 in minute detail1 in  
his  memorandum-books4    ,an alarming  
incident occurred at ,soho towards the  
end of #ahjj1 which is  worthy of       
passing notice1 as illustrative of      
,boultons vigour and courage  even at   
this advanced period of his life4 ,a    
large gang of ,birmingham               
housebreakers1 knowing the treasures    

accumulated in the silver-plate  house1 
determined to break into it and carry   
off the silver1 as well as  the large   
sum of money usually accumulated in the 
counting-house for the  purpose of      
paying the wages of the workmen1 upwards
 of #fjj in number1 on  ,christmas ,eve4
 ,they had provided false keys for most 
of the doors1 and  bribed the watchman1 
who communicated the plot to ,boulton1  
to admit them  within the gates4 ,he    
took his steps accordingly1 arming a    
number of men1  and stationing them in  
different parts of the building4    ,the
 robbers made the attempt on three      
several occasions4 ,on the first  night 
they tried their keys on the            
counting-house door1 but failed to  open
 it1 on which they shut their dark      
lantern and retired4 ,boulton sent  an  
account of the proceedings each night to
 his daughter in ,london4 ,on  the first
 attempt being made1 he wrote1--8,the   
best news ,i can send you is  that we   
are all alive2 but ,i have lost my voice

 and found a troublesome  cough by the  
agreeable employment of thief-watching40
 ,two nights after1  the burglars came  
again1 with altered keys1 but still they
 could not open  the counting-house     
door4 ,the third night they determined  
to waive art1 and  break in by force4   
,they were allowed to break in and seize
 their booty1  and were making off with 
#aej guineas and a load of silver1 when 
,boulton  gave the word to seize them4  
,a quantity of tow soaked with          
turpentine was  instantly set fire to1  
numerous lights were turned on1 and the 
robbers  found themselves surrounded on 
all sides by armed men4 ,four of them   
were  taken after a desperate struggle2 
but the fifth1 though severely wounded1 
contrived to escape over the tops of the
 houses in ,brook-row4    ,writing to   
his friend ,dumergue1 in ,london1 of the
 exploit1 ,boulton  said1--8,you know ,i
 seldom do things by halves2 so ,i have 
sent the four  desperate wolves to      
,stafford ,gaol1 and ,i believe the     

fifth is much  wounded4 ,if ,i had made 
my attack with a less powerful army than
 ,i did1  we should probably have had a 
greater list of killed and wounded40#chd
  ,it was in allusion to this exploit   
that ,sir ,walter ,scott said of        
,boulton  to ,allan ,cunningham1 8,i    
like ,boulton2 he is a brave man1 and   
who can  dislike the brave80#che ,the   
incident1 when communicated to ,scott   
during one of his visits to ,soho1 is   
said to have suggested the scene  in    
#8,guy ,mannering1' in which the attack 
is made on ,dirk ,hatterick in the      
smuggler's cave4        #chd ,boulton to
 ,dumergue1 #beth ,december1 #ahjj4     
#che ,lockhart's #8,life of ,scott4'    
#hvo4 ed4 p4 #deg4 ,one of ,scott's     
visits to ,soho was made in company with
 his wife in the spring        of #ahjc4
 ,boulton was so pleased with the visit1
 that he urged        ,scott1 or at     
least his wife1 to repeat it1 which     
produced the        following letter1   
dated ,london1 #acth ,may1 #ahjc3--     

8,my dear ,sir1--,he was a wise man who 
said #8,trust not thy          wife with
 a man of fair tongue4' ,now as ,i have 
very little          wisdom of my own1  
,i am content to gather all ,i can get  
at second hand1 and therefore1 upon the 
faith of the sage          whom ,i have 
quoted1 ,i should be guilty of great    
imprudence          were ,i to permit   
,charlotte to wait upon you on her      
return1          or even to answer your 
kind letter to ,mr4 ,dumergue4 ,that    
task ,i therefore take upon myself1 and 
you must receive my          thanks     
along with hers1 for your very kind and 
flattering          invitation to ,soho4
 ,but independent of my just suspicion  
of a beau who writes such flattering    
love-letters to my          wife1 our   
time here 7owing to the sitting of our  
,courts          of ,justice1 which ,i  
must necessarily attend71 lays us       
under an indispensable necessity of     
returning to ,scotland          as      
speedily as possible1 and by the nearest

 road4 ,we          can therefore only  
express our joint and most sincere      
regret that we cannot upon this occasion
 have the honour          and           
satisfaction of visiting ,soho and its  
hospitable          inhabitants4 ,mrs4  
,nicolson1 ,mr4 and ,miss ,dumergue join
          ,charlotte and me in the most 
sincere good wishes to ,miss            
,boulton1 to you1 and to all your       
friends2 and ,i suspect          so     
foolish a letter will make you believe  
you have escaped          a very idle   
visitor in1                             
8,dear ,sir1                            
8,your very faithful servant1           
8,,walter ,,scott40    ,with ,watt1     
occupation in business was not the      
necessity that it was to  ,boulton2 and 
he was only too glad to get rid of it   
and engage in those  quiet pursuits in  
which he found most pleasure4 ,in the   
year #agij1 he  removed from the house  
he had so long occupied on ,harper's    
,hill1 to a  new and comfortable house  

which he had built for himself at       
,heathfield  in the parish of           
,handsworth1 where he continued to live 
until the close  of his life4 ,the land 
surrounding the place was1 until then1  
common1 and  he continued to purchase   
the lots as they were offered for sale1 
until1  by the year #agid1 he had       
enclosed about forty acres4 ,he took    
pleasure in  laying out the grounds1    
planting many of the trees with his own 
hands2  and in course of time1 as the   
trees reached maturity1 the formerly    
barren  heath became converted into a   
retreat of great rural beauty4          
,annexed to the house1 in the back yard1
 he built a forge1 and upstairs1  in his
 8,garret10 he fitted up a workshop1 in 
which he continued to pursue  his       
mechanical studies and experiments for  
many years4 ,while ,watt was  settling  
himself for the remainder of his life in
 the house at ,heathfield1  ,boulton was
 erecting his large new ,mint at ,soho1 
which was completed and  ready for use  

in #agia4    ,when the lawsuits1 which  
had given ,watt so much anxiety1 were   
satisfactorily disposed of1 an immense  
load was removed from his mind2  and he 
indulged in the anticipation of at last 
enjoying the fruits of  his labour in   
peace4 ,being of frugal habits1 he had  
already begun to save  money1 and indeed
 accumulated as much as he desired4 ,but
 when the heavy  arrears of ,cornish    
dues were collected1 about the period of
 expiry of the  patent1 a considerable  
sum of money necessarily fell to ,watt's
 share2 and  then he began to occupy    
himself in the pleasant recreation of   
looking out  for an investment of it in 
land4 ,he was1 however1 hard to please1 
and made  many journeys before he       
succeeded in buying his estate4      8,i
 have yet met with nothing to my mind10 
he wrote from ,somerton2    8,lord      
,oxford has some very considerable      
estates to sell near    ,abergavenny1   
but the roads to them are execrable1 and
 it seemed    that it would be a sort of

 banishment to live at them1 though the 
parts ,i saw are in themselves pleasant4
 ,i am to-day informed of    one with a 
house near ,dorchester1 which ,i have   
sent to inquire    about1 though ,i have
 my doubts that it will prove like the  
rest4    ,i propose1 if nothing hinders1
 to be at ,taunton to-morrow night1     
and shall then visit the ,wedgwoods1 who
 at present live at ,upcot1    near that
 place4 ,afterwards1 ,i propose making a
 tour through the    eastern part of    
,devonshire1 and returning by           
,dorsetshire to ,bath2    but my        
resolves may be altered by the          
attractions of various    magnets1 so   
that ,i cannot tell you where to write  
to me till ,i    get some fixed         
residence40#chf    ,a fortnight later he
 was at ,exmouth1 but still undecided4  
8,in respect to estates10 he            
writes1--8,i have seen nothing    that  
pleases me4 ,most of them1 as you know  
by experience1 are    surrounded with   
bad roads1 beggarly villages1 or some   

other    nuisance1 and one need not     
purchase plagues4 ,on the whole1        
something nearer home seems more        
suitable to me than anything in    these
 western counties1 which1 though they   
have more luxuriant    vegetation1 and  
perhaps a milder climate1 are not exempt
 from    cold1 as ,i experience here    
colder weather than we had last autumn  
in ,scotland4 ,but the greatest drawback
 is the absence of such    society as   
one is used to1 and their abominably    
hilly roads1 as    they never flinch1   
but go straight up any hill which comes 
in    their way1 and ,nature has        
bestowed plenty upon them40#chg         
,eventually ,watt made several purchases
 of land at ,doldowlod1 on the hanks  of
 the ,wye1 between ,rhayader and        
,newbridge1 in ,radnorshire4 ,there was 
a  pleasant farmhouse on the property1  
in which he occasionally spent some     
pleasant months in summer time amidst   
beautiful scenery2 but he had by  this  
time grown too old to root himself      

kindly in a new place2 and his          
affections speedily drew him back again 
to the neighbourhood of ,soho1 and  to  
his comfortable home at ,heathfield4    
#chf ,watt to ,m4 ,robinson ,boulton1   
#ith ,september1 #agii4        #chg     
,watt to ,m4 ,robinson ,boulton1 #bfth  
,september1 #agii4    ,during the short 
peace of ,amiens in the following year1 
he made the  longest journey in his     
life4 ,accompanied by ,mrs4 ,watt1 he   
travelled  through ,belgium1 up the     
banks of the ,rhine to ,frankfort1 and  
home by  ,strasburg and ,paris4 ,while  
absent1 ,boulton wrote him many pleasant
  letters1 telling him of what was going
 on at ,soho4 ,the brave old man was    
still at the helm there1 and wrote in as
 enthusiastic terms as ever of the      
coins and medals he was striking at his 
,mint4 ,though strong in mind1 he  was1 
however1 growing feebler in body1 and   
suffered much from attacks of  his old  
disease4 8,it is necessary for me10 he  
wrote1 8to pass a great part  of my time

 in or upon the bed2 nevertheless1 ,i go
 down to the manufactory  or the ,mint  
once or twice a day1 without injuring   
myself as heretofore1  but not without  
some fatigue4 ,however1 as ,i am now    
taking bark twice a  day1 ,i find a     
daily increase of strength1 and flatter 
myself with the  pleasure of taking a   
journey to ,paris in ,april or ,may     
next40#chh        #chh ,boulton to      
,watt1 #ajth ,october1 #ahjb4 ,one of   
,boulton's        objects in making his 
contemplated journey to ,paris1 was to  
undertake the erection of coining       
machinery for the ,french               
,government1 who were about to recoin   
the whole of their gold1        silver1 
and copper money4 ,with their imperfect 
machinery1        he calculated that it 
would take them nearly twenty years     
to accomplish this2 whereas with his new
 machinery he could        undertake to 
turn out a thousand million of pieces in
 three        years4 ,he communicated to
 ,watt1 that he had been making         

experiments as to the maximum speed of  
his coining machines1        worked by  
the steam-engine1 and found that he     
could regularly        strike           
fifty-three of his copper pieces or     
fifty-six ,english        crown-pieces  
per minute1 while he could with one     
press in        collars also regularly  
strike ,india copper pieces of half the 
diameter at the rate of #ajf to #aab per
 minute1 or from #fcfj to        #fgbj  
pieces per hour2 but when pieces of half
 an inch diameter        were wanted he 
had recourse to his new small press1    
with which        he could strike from  
#aej to #bjj pieces per minute6 8,my    
presses10        said he1 8are far more 
exact and more durable1 and my means of 
working them are now infinitely beyond  
anything they 7the ,french              
coiners7 have ever thought of1 and my   
mint is now in far better        order  
than ever40    ,on ,watt's arrival in   
,london1 a letter of hearty welcome from
 ,boulton met  him2 but it conveyed1 at 

the same time1 the sad intelligence of  
the death  of ,mrs4 ,keir1 a lady       
beloved by all who knew her1 and a      
frequent inmate at  ,soho and           
,heathfield4 ,one by one the members of 
the circle were departing1  leaving wide
 gaps1 which new friends could never    
fill up4 ,the pleasant  associations    
which are the charm of old friendships1 
were becoming mingled  with sadness and 
regret4 ,the grave was closing over one 
after another of  the ,soho group2 and  
the survivors were beginning to live for
 the most part  upon the memories of the
 past4 ,but it is one of the penalties  
of old age  to suffer a continuous      
succession of such bereavements2 and    
that state  would be intolerable but for
 the comparative deadening of the       
feelings  which mercifully accompanies  
the advance of years4 8,we cannot help  
feeling  with deep regret10 wrote ,watt1
 8the circle of our old friends         
gradually  diminishing1 while our       
ability to increase it by new ones is   

equally  diminished2 but perhaps it is a
 wise dispensation of ,providence so to 
diminish our enjoyments in this world   
that when our turn comes we may  leave  
it without regret40#chi        #chi     
,watt to ,boulton1 #bcrd ,november1     
#ahjb4    ,one of the deaths most       
lamented by ,watt was that of ,dr4      
,black of  ,edinburgh1 which occurred in
 #agii4 ,black had watched to the last  
with  tender interest the advancing     
reputation and prosperity of his early  
protg4 ,they had kept up a continuous   
and confidential correspondence  on     
subjects of mutual interest for a period
 of about thirty years4  ,watt1 though  
reserved to others1 never feared        
unbosoming himself to his  old friend1  
telling him of the new schemes he had on
 foot1 and freely  imparting to him his 
hopes and fears1 his failures and       
successes4 ,when  ,watt visited         
,scotland he rarely failed to take      
,edinburgh on his way1 for  the purpose 
of spending a few days with ,black and  

,robison4 ,the latter  went express to  
,london1 for the purpose of giving      
evidence in the suit  of ,watt against  
the ,hornblowers1 and his testimony     
proved of essential  service4 8,our     
friend ,robison10 ,watt wrote to ,black1
 8exerted himself  much2 and1           
considering his situation1 did wonders40
 ,when ,robison returned  to ,edinburgh1
 his ,natural ,philosophy class received
 him with three  cheers4 ,he proceeded  
to give them a short account of the     
trial1 which he  characterised as 8not  
more the cause of ,watt versus          
,hornblower1 than of  science against   
ignorance40 8,when ,i had finished10    
said he1 8,i got another  plaudit1 that 
,mrs4 ,siddons would have relished40#cij
        #cij ,robison to ,watt1 #crd    
,february1 #agig4    ,no one was more   
gratified at the issue of the trial than
 ,dr4 ,black1  who1 when ,robison told  
him of it1 was moved even to tears4     
8,it's very  foolish10 he said1 8but ,i 
can't help it when ,i hear of anything  

good to  ,jamie ,watt40 ,the ,doctor had
 long been in declining health1 but was 
still  able to work4 ,he was busy       
writing another large volume1 and had   
engaged  the engraver to come to him for
 orders on the day after that on which  
he  died4 ,his departure was singularly 
peaceful4 ,his servant had delivered to 
him a basin of milk1 which was to serve 
for his dinner1 and retired from  the   
room4 ,in less than a minute he         
returned1 and found his master sitting  
where he had left him1 but dead1 with   
the basin of milk unspilled in his      
hand4 ,without a struggle1 the spirit   
had fled4 ,as the servant expressed  it1
 8his poor master had given over        
living40 ,he had twice before said to   
his doctor that 8he had caught himself  
forgetting to breathe40 ,on hearing  of 
the good old man's death1 ,watt wrote to
 ,robison1--8,i may say that  to him ,i 
owe1 in a great measure1 what ,i am2 he 
taught me to reason and  experiment in  
natural philosophy1 and was a true      

friend and philosopher1  whose loss will
 always be lamented while ,i live4 ,we  
may all pray that our  latter end may be
 like his2 he has truly gone to sleep in
 the arms of his  ,creator1 and been    
spared all the regrets attendant on a   
more lingering  exit4 ,i could dwell    
longer on this subject2 but regrets are 
unavailing1  and only tend to enfeeble  
our own minds1 and make them less able  
to bear  the ills we cannot avoid4 ,let 
us cherish the friends we have left1 and
 do  as much good as we can in our      
day60#cia    ,lord ,cockburn1 in his    
#8,memorials1' gives the following      
graphic portrait of  the father of      
modern chemistry3--8,dr4 ,black was a   
striking and beautiful  person2 tall1   
very thin1 and cadaverously pale2 his   
hair carefully  powdered1 though there  
was little of it except what was        
collected into a  long thin queue2 his  
eyes dark1 clear1 and large1 like deep  
pools of pure  water4 ,he wore black    
speckless clothes1 silk stockings1      

silver buckles1  and either a slim green
 silk umbrella1 or a genteel brown cane4
 ,his  general frame and air was feeble 
and slender4 ,the wildest boy respected 
,black4 ,no lad could be irreverent     
towards a man so pale1 so gentle1 so    
elegant1 and so illustrious4 ,so he     
glided1 like a spirit1 through our      
rather mischievous sportiveness1        
unharmed40#cib        #cia ,cited in    
,muirhead's #8,origin and ,progress of  
the ,mechanical        ,inventions of   
,james ,watt1' ii4 #bfd        #cib     
,lord ,cockburn's #8,memorials1' #ea4   
,of the famous ,lunar ,society1 ,boulton
 and ,watt now remained almost the  only
 surviving members4 ,day was killed by a
 fall from his horse in  #aghi4 ,josiah 
,wedgwood closed his noble career at    
,etruria in #agie1 in the  sixty-fifth  
year of his age4 ,dr4 ,withering1       
distinguished alike in botany  and      
medicine1 died in #agii1 of a lingering 
consumption4 ,dr4 ,darwin was  seized by
 his last attack of angina pectoris in  

#ahjb1 and1 being unable  to bleed      
himself1 as he had done before1 he      
called upon his daughter to  apply the  
lancet to his arm2 but1 before she could
 do so1 he fell back  in his chair and  
expired4 ,dr4 ,priestley1 driven forth  
into exile1#cic  closed his long and    
illustrious career at ,northumberland in
 ,pennsylvania  in #ahjc4 ,the ,lunar   
,society was thus all but extinguished  
by death2 the  vacant seats remained    
unfilled2 and the meetings were no      
longer held4        #cic ,it is a       
remarkable fact that ,dr4 ,priestley was
 regarded with        as much suspicion 
in ,america as he had been in ,england4 
,the        ,american government looked 
upon him as a spy in the interest       
of ,france2 and he had great difficulty 
in forming a ,unitarian                 
congregation4 ,the horror of the ,french
 ,revolution1 which had        extended 
to ,america1 was the cause of the       
hostile feeling        displayed towards
 him4 8,the change that has taken       

place10 he        said1 in a letter     
dated #fth ,september1 #agih1 8is indeed
 hardly        credible1 as ,i have done
 nothing to provoke resentment2 but1    
being a citizen of ,france1 and a friend
 to the ,revolution1        is          
sufficient4 ,i asked one of the more    
moderate of the party        whether he 
thought1 if ,dr4 ,price1 the great      
friend of their own        ,revolution1 
were alive1 he would now be allowed to  
come into        this country4 ,he said1
 he believed he would not60--,in #ahja  
,dr4        ,priestley1 by deed of      
trust1 appointed ,matthew ,boulton1     
,samuel        ,galton1 and ,wm4        
,vaughan1 ,esqrs41 trustees for ,mrs4   
,finch 7his        daughter7 and her    
children1 in respect of #abjjl4 invested
 for        their benefit in public     
securities4    ,but the bereavements    
which ,watt naturally felt the most1    
were the deaths  of his own children4   
,he had two by his second wife1 a son   
and a daughter1  both full of promise1  

who had nearly grown up to adult age1   
when they  died4 ,jessie was of a       
fragile constitution from her childhood1
 but her  health seemed to become       
re-established as she grew in years4    
,but before  she had entered womanhood1 
the symptoms of an old pulmonary        
affection made  their appearance1 and   
she was carried off by consumption4 ,mr4
 ,watt was  much distressed by the      
event1 confessing that he felt as if one
 of the  strongest ties that bound him  
to life was broken1 and that the        
acquisition  of riches availed him      
nothing when unable to give them to     
those he loved4  ,in a letter to a      
friend1 he thus touchingly alluded to   
one of the most  sorrowful associations 
connected with the deaths of            
children3--8,mrs4 ,watt  continues to be
 much affected whenever anything recalls
 to her mind the  amiable child we have 
parted with2 and these remembrances     
occur but too  frequently1--her little  
works of ingenuity1 her books and other 

objects  of study1 serve as mementoes of
 her who was always to the best of her  
power usefully employed even to the last
 day of her life4 ,with me1 whom  age   
has rendered incapable of the passion of
 grief1 the feeling is a  deep regret2  
and1 did nature permit1 my tears would  
flow as fast as her  mother's40    ,to  
divert and relieve his mind1 as was his 
wont1 he betook himself to  fresh       
studies and new inquiries4 ,it is not   
improbable that the disease of  which   
his daughter had died1 as well as his   
own occasional sufferings from  asthma1 
gave a direction to his thoughts1 which 
turned on the inhalation  of gas as a   
remedial agent in pulmonary and other   
diseases4 ,dr4 ,beddoes  of ,bristol had
 started the idea1 which ,watt now took 
up and prosecuted  with his usual zeal4 
,he contrived an apparatus for          
extracting1 washing1  and collecting    
gases1 as well as for administering them
 by inhalation4  ,he professed that he  
had taken up the subject not because he 

understood  it1 but because nobody else 
did1 and that he could not withhold     
anything  which might be of use in      
prompting others to do better4 ,the     
result of his  investigations was       
published at ,bristol under the title of
 #8,considerations  on the ,medicinal   
use of ,fictitious ,airs1' the first    
part of which was  written by ,dr4      
,beddoes1 and the second part by ,watt4 
,but a still heavier blow than the loss 
of his only daughter1 was the death  of 
his son ,gregory a few years later4 ,he 
was a young man of the highest  promise1
 and resembled ,watt himself in many    
respects--in mind1 character1  and      
temperament4 ,those who knew him while a
 student at ,glasgow ,college1  spoke of
 him long after in terms of the most    
glowing enthusiasm4 ,among  his         
fellow-students were ,francis1          
afterwards ,lord ,jeffrey1 and the poet 
,campbell4 ,both were captivated not    
less by the brilliancy of his talents   
than by the charming graces of his      

person4 ,campbell spoke of him as 8a    
splendid stripling--literally the most  
beautiful youth ,i ever saw4 ,when  he  
was only twenty-two1 an eminent ,english
 artist--,howard1 ,i think--made  his   
head the model of a picture of ,adam40  
,campbell1 ,thomson1 and ,gregory       
,watt1 were class-fellows in ,greek1 and
 avowed rivals2 but the rivalry  only   
served to cement their friendship4 ,in  
the session of #agic-d1 after  a        
brilliant competition which excited     
unusual interest1 the prize was  awarded
 to ,thomson2 but1 with the exception of
 the victor himself1 ,gregory  was the  
most delighted student in the class4    
8,he was10 says the biographer  of      
,campbell1 8a generous1 liberal1 and    
open-hearted youth2 so attached  to his 
friend1 and so sensible of his merit1   
that the honours conferred  on ,thomson 
obliterated all recollections of        
personal failure40#cid  ,francis        
,jeffrey was present at the             
commemoration of the first of ,may1  two

 years later1 and was especially struck 
with the eloquence of young  ,watt1 8who
 obtained by far the greatest number of 
prizes1 and degraded the  prize-readers 
most inhumanly by reading a short       
composition of his own1  a translation  
of the ,chorus of the ,medea1 with so   
much energy and grace1  that the verses 
seemed to me better perhaps than they   
were in reality4 ,he  is a young man of 
very eminent capacity1 and seems to have
 all the genius  of his father1 with a  
great deal of animation and ardour which
 is all his  own40#cie        #cid      
,beattie's #8,life of ,campbell1' i4    
#aab4        #cie ,letter to ,m4 ,r4    
,morehead1 #gth ,may1 #agif4            
,campbell thought him born to be a great
 orator1 and anticipated for  him the   
greatest success in ,parliament or at   
the ,bar4 ,his father had1  however1    
already destined him to follow his own  
business4 ,indeed1 ,gregory  was        
introduced a partner into the ,soho     
concern about the same time as  ,mr4    

,boulton1 jun41 and his elder brother   
,james4 ,but he never gave much         
attention to the business4 ,scarcely had
 he left college1 before symptoms  of   
pulmonary affection showed themselves2  
and1 a physician having been  consulted1
 ,mr4 ,watt was recommended to send his 
son to reside in the  south of ,england4
 ,he accordingly went to ,penzance for  
the benefit of  its mild climate1 and1  
by a curious coincidence1 he took up his
 abode as  boarder and lodger in the    
house of ,humphry ,davy's mother4 ,the  
afterwards  brilliant chemist was then a
 boy some years younger than ,gregory4  
,he had  already made experiments in    
chemistry1 with sundry phials and       
kitchen  utensils1 assisted by an old   
glyster apparatus presented to him by   
the surgeon of a ,french vessel wrecked 
on the coast4 ,although ,gregory        
possessed great warmth of heart1 there  
was a degree of coldness in his  manner 
to strangers1 which repelled any        
approach to familiarity4 ,when  his     

landlady's son1 therefore1 began talking
 to him of metaphysics and  poetry1 he  
was rather disposed to turn a deaf ear2 
but when ,davy touched  upon the subject
 of chemistry1 and made the rather      
daring boast for a boy1  that he would  
undertake to demolish the ,french theory
 in half an hour1  ,gregory's curiosity 
was roused4 ,the barrier of ice between 
them was at  once removed2 and from     
thenceforward they became attached      
friends4#cif  ,young ,davy was          
encouraged to prosecute his experiments1
 which the  other watched with daily    
increasing interest2 and in the course  
of the  following year1 ,gregory        
communicated to ,dr4 ,beddoes1 of       
,bristol1 then  engaged in establishing 
his ,pneumatic ,institution1 an account 
of ,davy's  experiments on light and    
heat1 the result of which was his       
appointment as  superintendent of the   
experiments at the ,institution1 and the
 subsequent  direction of his studies   
and investigations4        #cif ,paris's

 #8,life of ,davy1' i4 #dh-i4           
,gregory's health having been partially 
re-established by his residence at      
,penzance1 he shortly after returned to 
his father's house at ,birmingham1      
whither ,davy frequently went1 and kept 
up the flame of his ambition by         
intercourse with congenial minds4       
,gregory heartily co-operated with his  
father in his investigations on air1    
besides inquiring and experimenting  on 
original subjects of his own selection4 
,among these may be mentioned  his      
inquiries into the gradual refrigeration
 of basalt1 his paper on  which1 read   
before the ,royal ,society1 would alone 
entitle him to a  distinguished rank    
among experimentalists4#cig        #cig 
#8,philosophical ,transactions1' xcix4  
#bgi4    ,by the kindness of his elder  
brother ,james1 ,gregory ,watt was      
relieved of  his share of the work at   
,soho1 and was thereby enabled to spend 
much of  his time in travelling about   
for the benefit of his health4 ,early in

 #ahja1  we find him making excursions  
in the western counties in company with 
,mr4  ,murdock1 jun42 and looking       
forward with still greater anticipations
 of  pleasure to the tour which he      
subsequently made through ,france1      
,germany1  and ,austria4 ,we find him   
afterwards writing his father from      
,freiburg1  to the effect that he was   
gradually growing stronger1 and was free
 from  pulmonary affection4 ,from       
,leipzig he sent an equally favourable  
account of  himself1 and gave his father
 every hope that on his return he would 
find  him strong and sound4    ,these   
anticipations1 however1 proved delusive1
 for the canker was already  gnawing at 
poor ,gregory's vitals4 ,returned home1 
he busied himself with  his books1 his  
experiments1 and his speculations2      
assisting his father in  recording      
observations on the effects of nitrous  
oxide and other gases4  ,but it was     
shortly found necessary to send him     
again to the south of  ,england for the 

benefit of a milder climate4 ,in the    
beginning of #ahjd1  his father and     
mother went with him to ,clifton1 where 
he had an attack of  intermittent fever1
 which left him very weak4 ,from thence 
they removed to  ,bath1 and remained    
there for about a month1 the invalid    
being carefully  attended by ,dr4       
,beddoes4 ,during their stay at ,bath1  
,gregory's brother paid  him a visit1   
and was struck by his altered           
appearance4 ,the fever had left  him1   
but his cough and difficulty of         
breathing were very distressing to      
witness4 ,as usual in such complaints1  
his mind was altogether unaffected4     
8,indeed10 wrote his brother1 8he is as 
bright1 clear1 and vigorous1 upon  every
 subject as ,i ever knew him to be4 ,his
 voice1 too1 is firm and good1  and when
 he enters into conversation ,i should  
lose the recollection of  his complaint 
if his appearance did not so forcibly   
remind me of it4 ,it  is fortunate that 
he does not suffer much bodily pain1 or1

 so far as ,i can  discover1 any mental 
anxiety as to the issue of his          
complaint40#cih        #cih ,j4 ,watt1  
jun41 to ,m4 ,r4 ,boulton1 #hth ,june1  
#ahjd4    ,when ,gregory was            
sufficiently recovered from the         
debilitating effects of  his fever1 he  
was moved to ,sidmouth1 where he        
appeared to improve2 but  he himself    
believed the sea air to be injurious to 
him1 and insisted on  being again       
removed inland4 ,during all this time   
his father's anxiety may  be imagined1  
though he bore up with as much          
equanimity as was practicable  under    
circumstances so distressing4 8,ever    
since we left ,bath10 he wrote  to ,mr4 
,boulton at ,soho1 8ours has been a     
state of anxiety very distressing  to   
us1 and the communication of which would
 not have been pleasing to our  friends4
 ,to add to this1 ,i have myself been   
exceedingly unwell1 though ,i  am now   
much better4 ,gregory suffered very much
 from the journey1 which  was augmented 

by his own impatience2 and though he    
seemed to recover a  little from his    
fatigue during the first week1 his      
breath became daily  worse1 until we    
were obliged to remove him1 on ,thursday
 last1 to the  neighbourhood of ,exeter1
 where he now is with his aunt40#cii    
,the invalid  became rapidly worse1 and 
survived his removal only a few days4   
8,this  day10 wrote the sorrowing father
 to ,boulton1 8the remains of poor      
,gregory  were deposited in a decent1   
though private manner1 in the north     
aisle  of the cathedral here1 near the  
transept4444 ,i mean to erect a tablet  
to  his memory on the adjoining wall2   
but his virtues and merits will be best 
recorded in the breasts of his          
friends4444 ,as soon as we can settle   
our  accounts1 we shall all return      
homewards1 with heavy hearts40#djj      
#cii ,watt to ,boulton1 ,sidmouth1 #adth
 ,october1 #ahjd4        #djj ,watt to  
,boulton1 ,exeter1 #bbnd ,october1      
#ahjd4    ,davy was deeply affected by  

,gregory ,watt's death2 and in the      
freshness of  his grief he thus         
unbosomed himself to his friend         
,clayfield3--      8,poor ,watt6 ,he    
ought not to have died4 ,i could not    
persuade myself    that he would die2   
and until the very moment when ,i was   
assured of    his fate1 ,i would not    
believe he was in any danger4 ,his      
letters    to me1 only three or four    
months ago1 were full of spirit1 and    
spoke not of any infirmity of body1 but 
of an increased strength    of mind4    
,why is this in the order of            
,nature1--that there is such    a       
difference in the duration and          
destruction of his works8 ,if    the    
mere stone decays it is to produce a    
soil which is capable of    nourishing  
the moss and the lichen2 when the moss  
and the lichen    die and decompose1    
they produce a mould which becomes the  
bed    of life to grass1 and to a more  
exalted species of vegetables4          
,vegetables are the food of             

animals1--the less perfect animals of   
the more perfect2 but in man1 the       
faculties and intellect are             
perfected1--he rises1 exists for a      
little while in disease and    misery1  
and then would seem to disappear1       
without an end1 and    without producing
 any effect4      8,we are deceived1 my 
dear ,clayfield1 if we suppose that the 
human    being who has formed himself   
for action1 but who has been unable     
to act1 is lost in the mass of being2   
there is some arrangement of    things  
which we can never comprehend1 but in   
which his faculties    will be          
applied4444 ,we know very little2 but1  
in my opinion1    we know enough to hope
 for the immortality1 the individual    
immortality of the better part of man4  
,i have been led into all    this       
speculation1 which you may well think   
wild1 in reflecting    upon the fate of 
,gregory6 ,my feeling has given wings to
 my mind4    ,he was a noble fellow1 and
 would have been a great man4 ,oh6 there

    was no reason for his dying--he     
ought not to have died40#dja        #dja
 ,paris's #8,life of ,davy1' i4         
#aih-bjj4    ,more deaths6 ,a few years 
later1 and ,watt lost his oldest friend1
 ,professor  ,robison of ,edinburgh1 his
 companion and fellow-worker at ,glasgow
 ,college  nearly fifty years before4   
,since then1 their friendship had       
remained  unchanged1 though their       
respective pursuits kept them apart4    
,robison  continued busily and usefully 
occupied to the last4 ,he had finished  
the editing of his friend ,black's      
lectures1 and was occupied in writing   
his own #8,elements of ,mechanical      
,philosophy1' when death came and kindly
  released him from a lingering disorder
 which had long oppressed his body1     
though it did not enervate his mind4 ,a 
few years before his death he  wrote    
,watt1 informing him that he had got an 
addition to his family in  a fine little
 boy1 a grandchild1 healthy and         
cheerful1 who promised to  be a source  

of much amusement to him4 8,i find this 
a great acquisition10  said he1         
8notwithstanding a serious thought      
sometimes stealing into my  mind4 ,i am 
infinitely delighted with observing the 
growth of its little  soul1 and         
particularly with the numberless        
instincts1 which formerly  passed       
unheeded4 ,i thank the ,french theorists
 for more forcibly directing  my        
attention to the finger of ,god1 which  
,i discover in every awkward  movement  
and every wayward whim4 ,they are all   
guardians of his life1 and  growth1 and 
powers4 ,i regret that ,i have not time 
to make infancy1 and  the development of
 its powers1 my sole study40#djb ,in    
#ahje he was taken  from his little     
playfellow1 and from the pursuit of his 
many ingenious  speculations4#djc ,watt 
said of him1 8he was a man of the       
clearest head  and the most science of  
anybody ,i have ever known1 and his     
friendship  to me ended only with his   
life1 after having continued for nearly 

half a century4444 ,his religion and    
piety1 which made him patiently  submit 
without even a fretful or repining word 
in nineteen years of  unremitting       
pain1--his humility1 in his modest      
opinion of himself1--his  kindness1 in  
labouring with such industry for his    
family during all this  affliction1--his
 moderation for himself1 while indulging
 an unbounded  generosity to all about  
him1--joined to his talents1 form a     
character so  uncommon and so noble1 as 
can with difficulty be conceived by     
those who  have not1 like me1 had the   
contemplation of it40        #djb ,cited
 in ,muirhead's #8,mechanical           
,inventions of ,james                   
,watt1--,correspondence1' ii4 #bfi4     
#djc ,one of these1 thrown out in a     
letter to ,watt1 may be                 
mentioned--a speculation since revived  
by the late ,dr4 ,s4 ,brown        of   
,edinburgh1--the transmutation of       
bodies4 8,these are wonderful           
steps10 said he1 8which are every day   

making in chemical        analysis4 ,the
 analysis of the alkalis and alkaline   
earths by        ,guyton1 by ,henry1 and
 others1 will presently lead1 ,i think1 
to the doctrine of a reciprocal         
convertibility of all things        into
 all4 ,it brings to mind a minister     
lecturing on the first        chapter of
 one of the ,gospels1 when1 after       
reading1 #8,adam begat        ,abel1 and
 ,abel begat1' c41--to save himself the 
trouble of so        many cramp names1  
he said1 #8and so they all begat one    
another        to the #aeth verse4' ,i  
expect to see alchemy revive1 and be as 
universally studied as ever40    ,little
 more remains to be recorded of the     
business life of ,boulton and  ,watt4   
,the former1 notwithstanding his        
declining health and the frequent       
return of his malady1 continued to take 
an active interest in the ,soho         
coinage4 ,watt often expostulated with  
him1 but in vain1 urging that it  was   
time for him to retire wholly from the  

anxieties of business4 ,on  ,boulton    
bringing out his ,bank of ,england      
silver dollar1 with which he was        
himself greatly pleased1 he sent some   
specimens to ,watt1 then staying at     
,clifton1 for his inspection4 ,watt     
replied1--8,your dollar is universally  
admired by all to whom we have shown it1
 though your friends fear much  that    
your necessary attention to the         
operation of the coinage may injure     
your health40#djd ,and again he wrote   
from ,sidmouth1--8,we are all glad to   
hear of your amendment1 which we hope   
will be progressive1 and possibly it    
might be better if you could summon up  
resolution enough to rid yourself  of   
some of those plagues you complain of2  
but while you suffer yourself  to be    
intruded upon in the manner you do1 you 
can never enjoy that quiet  which is now
 so necessary to your health and        
comfort40#dje ,mrs4 ,watt  joined her   
entreaties to those of her husband1     
expressing the wish that1  for ,mr4     

,boulton's sake1 it might rain every    
day1 to prevent his fatiguing  himself  
by walking to and from the works1 and   
there occupying himself with  the       
turmoils of business4 ,why should he not
 do as ,mr4 ,watt had done1 and  give up
 ,soho altogether1 leaving business and 
its anxieties to younger and  stronger  
men8 ,but business1 as we have already  
explained1 was ,boulton's  habit1 and   
pleasure1 and necessity4 ,moreover1     
occupation of some sort  served to      
divert his attention from the           
ever-present pain within him2 and1  so  
long as his limbs were able to support  
him1 he tottered down the hill  to see  
what was going forward at ,soho4        
#djd ,watt to ,boulton1 #acth ,may1     
#ahjd4        #dje ,watt to ,boulton1   
#adth ,october1 #ahjd4    ,as for ,watt1
 we find that he had at last learnt the 
art of taking things  easy1 and that he 
was trying to make life as agreeable as 
possible in his  old age4 ,thus at      
,cheltenham1 from which place ,mrs4     

,watt addressed ,boulton  in the letter 
of advice above referred to1 we find the
 aged pair making  pleasant excursions  
in the neighbourhood during the day1 and
 reading  novels and going to the       
theatre occasionally in the evening4    
8,as it is the  fashion10 wrote ,mrs4   
,watt1--8and wishing to be very         
fashionable people1  we subscribe to the
 library4 ,our first book was ,mrs4     
,opie's #8,mother and  ,daughter1' a    
tale so mournful as to make both ,mr4   
,watt and myself cry  like schoolboys   
that had been whipped2 444 and to dispel
 the gloom that  poor ,adeline hung over
 us1 we went to the theatre last night  
to see the  #8,honeymoon1' and were     
highly pleased40    ,towards the end of 
#ahjg ,boulton had a serious attack of  
his old disease1  which fairly confined 
him to his bed2 and his friends feared  
lest it  should prove his last illness4 
,he was verging upon his eightieth year1
  and his constitution1 though          
originally strong1 was gradually        

succumbing  to confinement and pain4 ,he
 nevertheless rallied once more1 and was
 again  able to make occasional visits  
to the works as before4 ,he had promised
 to  send a box of medals to the ,queen1
 and went down to the ,mint to see them 
packed4 ,the box duly reached ,windsor  
,castle1 and ,de ,luc acknowledged its  
reception3--      8,as no words of      
mine10 he said1 8could have conveyed    
your    sentiments to ,her ,majesty so  
well as those addressed to me in    your
 name1 ,i contented myself with putting 
the letter into her    hands4 ,her      
,majesty expressed her sensibility for  
the sufferings    you had undergone     
during the period of your silence1 and  
at your    plentiful gift1 for which she
 has charged me to thank you2 and    as1
 at the same time that you have placed  
the whole at her own    disposal1 you   
have mentioned the ,princesses1 ,her    
,majesty will make    them partakers in 
the present40    ,de ,luc concluded by  
urging ,mr4 ,boulton to abstain from    

further work and  anxiety1 and reminded 
him that after a life of such activity  
as his had  been1 both body and mind    
required complete rest4      8,life10   
said he1 8in this world is a state of   
trial1 and as    long as ,god gives us  
strength we are not to shun even painful
    employments which are duties4 ,but  
in the decline of life1 when    the     
strength fails1 we ought to drop all    
thought of objects to    which we are no
 longer equal1 in order to preserve the 
serenity    and liberty of mind with    
which we are to consider our exit from  
this world to a better4 ,may ,god       
prolong your life without pain    for   
the good you do constantly1 is the      
sincere wish of your very               
affectionate friends 7father and        
daughter71                              
8,,de ,,luc40#djf        #djf ,de ,luc  
to ,boulton1 ,windsor ,castle1 #beth    
,january1 #ahjg4        ,it had been    
arranged that ,george ,,iii41 the       
,queen1 and the        ,princesses1     

should pay a visit to ,soho in #ahje1   
though the ,king        had by that time
 become quite blind4 ,when told of      
,boulton's        illness1 and that he  
was confined to bed1 his ,majesty       
replied1        8,then ,i will visit    
,mr4 ,boulton in his sick-chamber0      
7,,ms4 ,memoir        by ,mr4 ,keir74   
,the royal visit was eventually put off1
 the        ,council advising that the  
,king should go direct to ,weymouth and 
nowhere else4    ,boulton's life was1   
indeed1 drawing to a close4 ,he had for 
many years been  suffering from an      
agonising and incurable disease--stone  
in the kidneys  and bladder--and waited 
for death as for a friend4 ,the strong  
man was  laid low2 and the night had at 
length come when he could work no more4 
,the last letter which he wrote was to  
his daughter1 in ,march1 #ahji2 but  the
 characters are so flickering and       
indistinct as to be scarcely legible4   
8,if you wish to see me living10 he     
wrote1 8pray come soon1 for ,i am very  

ill40 ,nevertheless1 he suffered on for 
several months longer4 ,at last he  was 
released from his pain1 and peacefully  
expired on the #agth of ,august1  #ahji1
 at the age of eighty-one4 ,though he   
fell like a shock of corn in  full      
season1 his death was lamented by a wide
 circle of relatives and  friends4 ,a   
man of strong affections1 with an almost
 insatiable appetite  for love and      
sympathy1 he inspired others with like  
feelings towards  himself2 and when he  
died1 they felt as if a brother had     
gone4 ,he was  alike admired and beloved
 by his workmen2 and when he was carried
 to his  last resting-place in          
,handsworth ,church1 six hundred of them
 followed the  hearse1 and there was    
scarcely a dry eye among them4#djg      
#djg ,the following is the inscription  
on the mural monument        erected to 
his memory in the side aisle of         
,handsworth ,church1        in the      
composition of which ,james ,watt       
assisted3--                             

,sacred to the ,memory of               
,,matthew ,,boulton1 ,f4,r4,s4     ,by  
the skilful exertion of a mind turned to
 ,philosophy and ,mechanics1            
,the application of a taste correct and 
refined1                      ,and an   
ardent spirit of enterprize1            
he improved1 embellished1 and extended  
,the ,arts and ,manufactures of his     
country1           ,leaving his         
,establishment of ,soho a noble monument
 of his                        ,genius1 
industry1 and success4    ,the character
 his talents had raised1 his virtues    
adorned and exalted4           ,active  
to discern merit1 and prompt to relieve 
distress1           ,his encouragement  
was liberal1 his benevolence unwearied4 
,honoured and admired at home and       
abroad1     ,he closed a life eminently 
useful1 the #agth of ,august1 #ahji1    
,aged #ha1                              
,esteemed1 loved1 and lamented4         
,matthew ,boulton was1 indeed1 a man of 
truly noble nature4 ,watt1 than whom    

none knew him better1 was accustomed to 
speak of him as 8the princely           
,boulton40 ,he was generous and         
high-souled1 a lover of truth1 honour1  
and  uprightness4 ,his graces were      
embodied in a manly and noble person4   
,we  are informed through ,dr4 ,guest   
that on one occasion1 when ,mr4         
,boulton's  name was mentioned in his   
father's presence1 he observed1 8the    
ablest  man ,i ever knew40 ,on the      
remark being repeated to ,dr4 ,edward   
,johnson1  a courtly man1 he said1--8,as
 to his ability1 other persons can      
better  judge4 ,but ,i can say that he  
was the best mannered man ,i ever knew40
  ,the appreciation of both was alike   
just and characteristic1 and has since  
been confirmed by ,mrs4                 
,schimmelpenninck4 ,she describes with  
admiration his  genial manner1 his fine 
radiant countenance1 and his superb     
munificence3  8,he was in person tall1  
and of a noble appearance2 his          
temperament was  sanguine1 with that    

slight mixture of the phlegmatic which  
gives calmness  and dignity2 his manners
 were eminently open and cordial2 he    
took the lead  in conversation2 and1    
with a social heart1 had a grandiose    
manner1 like  that arising from         
position1 wealth1 and habitual command4 
,he went about  among his people like a 
monarch bestowing largesse40            
,illustration3 ,,boulton',s ,,monument  
,,in ,,handsworth ,,church4#djh         
#djh ,the monument to ,boulton is on the
 left hand of the altar in        the   
above illustration2 that of ,murdock is 
opposite to it1 on        the right4    
,boswell was equally struck by          
,boulton's personal qualities when he   
visited  ,soho in #aggf1 shortly after  
the manufacture of steam-engines had    
been  begun there4 8,i shall never      
forget10 he says1 8,mr4 ,boulton's      
expression to  me when surveying the    
works4 #8,i sell here1 sir1 what all the
 world desires  to have1 ,,power4' ,he  
had10 continues ,boswell1 8about seven  

hundred people  at work4 ,i contemplated
 him as an iron chieftain1 and he seemed
 to be a  father of his tribe4 ,one of  
the men came to him complaining         
grievously of  his landlord for having  
distrained his goods4 8,your landlord is
 in the  right1 ,smith10 said ,boulton2 
8but ,i'll tell you what--find a friend 
who  will lay down one half of your     
rent1 and ,i'll lay down the other1 and 
you  shall have your goods again400     
,it would be a mistake to suppose that  
there was any affectation in  ,boulton's
 manner1 or that his dignified bearing  
in society was anything  but natural to 
him4 ,he was frank1 cheerful1 and       
affectionate1 as his  letters to his    
wife1 his children1 and his friends1    
amply demonstrate4  ,none knew better   
than he how to win hearts1 whether of   
workmen1 mining  adventurers1 or        
philosophers4 8,i have thought it but   
respectful10 he  wrote ,watt from       
,cornwall1 8to give our folks a dinner  
at a public-house  near ,wheal ,virgin  

to-day4 ,there were present ,william    
,murdock1 ,lawson1  ,pearson1 ,perkins1 
,malcolm1 ,robert ,muir1 all ,scotchmen1
 and ,john ,bull1 with  self and        
,wilson1--for the engines are all now   
finished1 and the men have  behaved     
well1 and are attached to us40 ,at ,soho
 he gave an entertainment  on a much    
larger scale upon his son coming of age 
in #agia1 when seven  hundred persons   
sat down to dinner4 ,boswell's          
description of him as the  father of his
 tribe is peculiarly appropriate4 ,no   
well-behaved workman was  ever turned   
adrift4 ,on the contrary1 fathers       
introduced their sons into  the factory1
 and brought them up under their own    
eye1 watching over their  conduct and   
their mechanical training4 ,thus        
generation after generation  of workmen 
followed in each other's footsteps at   
,soho4    ,there was1 no doubt1 good    
business policy in this2 for ,boulton   
knew  that by attaching the workmen to  
him1 and inspiring them with pride in   

the concern1 he was maintaining that    
prestige which1 before the days  of     
machine tools1 would not have been      
possible without the aid of a  staff of 
carefully-trained and highly-skilled    
mechanics4 ,yet he had many  scapegraces
 amongst them--hard drinkers1           
pugilists1#dji cock-fighters1  and      
scamps4 ,watt often got wholly out of   
patience with them1 and urged  their    
dismissal1 whatever might be the        
consequence4 ,but though none knew  so  
well as ,watt how to manage machines1   
none knew so ill how to manage  men4    
,boulton's practical wisdom usually came
 to the rescue4 ,he would  tolerate any 
moral shortcoming save treachery and    
dishonesty4 ,but he  knew that most of  
the men had been brought up in a bad    
school1 often in  no school at all4     
8,have pity on them1 bear with them1    
give them another  trial10 he would say2
 8our works must not be brought to a    
standstill  because perfect men are not 
yet to be had40 8,true wisdom10 he      

observed on  another occasion1 8directs 
us1 when we can1 to turn even evils into
 good4  ,we must take men as we find    
them1 and try to make the best of them40
        #dji ,isaac ,perrins was one of 
the most noted among the fighters       
of ,soho4 ,mr4 ,scale1 a partner in the 
hardware business1 wrote to        ,mr4 
,boulton1 then at ,cosgarne 7#aeth      
,october1 #aghb71--8,perrins        has 
had a battle with the famous ,jemmy     
,sargent for a hundred        guineas1  
in which ,perrins came off conqueror    
without a fall        or hurt3 in #ac   
rounds he knocked down his antagonist   
#ac times4        ,they had it out at   
,colemore on our ,wake ,monday4 ,the    
,sohoites all        returned with blue 
cockades40 ,mrs4 ,watt1 in a gossipy    
letter to        ,mr4 ,boulton of the   
same date1 says 8#aejjl4 was betted     
against        ,perrins at ,birmingham1 
and lost40 ,perrins's success led him to
        turn 8professional bruiser0 for 
a time1 and he left his place in        

the smith's shop4 ,but either not       
succeeding in his new business1         
or finding the work harder than that of 
the smithy1 he came back        to      
,soho1 and1 being a good workman1 he was
 taken on again and        remained in  
,boulton's employment till the close of 
his life1        leaving sons to succeed
 him in the same department4    ,still  
further to increase the attachment of   
the workmen to ,soho1 and  keep together
 his school of skilled industry1 as he  
called it1 ,boulton  instituted a       
,mutual ,assurance ,society in connexion
 with the works2 the  first of the kind1
 so far as we are aware1 established by 
any large  manufacturer for the benefit 
of his workmen4 ,every person employed  
in the  manufactory1 in whatsoever      
condition1 was required to be a member4 
,boys  receiving #bs4 #f;d4 a week paid 
a halfpenny weekly to the box2 those    
receiving #es4 paid a penny a week1 and 
so on1 up to men receiving #bjs4  a     
week1 who contributed #d;d42 payments   

being made to them out of the fund      
during sickness and disablement1 in     
proportion to their contributions       
during health4 ,the effects of the      
,society were most salutary2 it         
cultivated habits of providence and     
thoughtfulness amongst the men2 bound   
them together by ties of common         
interest2 and it was only in the cases  
of irreclaimable drunkards that any     
members of the ,soho ,friendly ,society 
ever came upon the parish4    ,but this 
was only a small item in the            
constitution of the ,soho  manufactory4 
,before its establishment1 comparatively
 little attention  had been given to the
 organisation of labour on a large      
scale4 ,workshops  were so small that   
everything went on immediately under the
 master's eye1  and workmen got         
accustomed to ply at their work         
diligently1 being well  watched4 ,but   
when manufacturing was carried on upon  
so large a scale as  at ,soho1 and      
separate processes were conducted in    

different rooms and  workshops1 it was  
impossible that the master's eye should 
be over all his  workers1 or over even  
any considerable portion of them at the 
same time4  ,it was therefore necessary 
to introduce a new system4 ,hence the   
practice  of inspection by deputy1 and  
the appointment of skilled and          
trustworthy  foremen for the purpose of 
enforcing strict discipline in the      
various  shops1 and at the same time    
economising labour and ensuring         
excellence of  workmanship4 ,in carrying
 out this arrangement1 ,boulton proved  
remarkably  successful3 and ,soho came  
to be regarded as a model establishment4
  ,men came from all parts to see and   
admire its organisation2 and when       
,wedgwood proceeded to erect his great  
pottery works at ,etruria1 he paid  many
 preliminary visits to ,soho for the    
purpose of ascertaining how the         
difficulties occasioned by the irregular
 habits of the workpeople had been  so  
successfully overcome by his friend1 and

 applying the results of his  experience
 in the organisation of his own         
manufactory4    ,though ,boulton could  
not keep his eye directly on the        
proceedings in  the shops1 he was quick 
to discern when anything was going      
wrong4 ,while  sitting in the midst of  
his factory1 surrounded by the clang of 
hammers  and the noise of engines1 he   
could usually detect when any stoppage  
occurred1 or when the machinery was     
going too fast or too slow1 and issue   
his orders accordingly4 ,the sound of   
the tools going1 and the hammers        
clanging1 which to strangers was merely 
an intolerable noise1 was an            
intelligible music in his ears2 and1    
like the leader of an orchestra1  who   
casts his eye at once in the direction  
of the player of a wrong  note1 so      
,boulton was at once conscious of the   
slightest dissonance in the             
performances of his manufactory1 and    
took the necessary steps immediately  to
 correct it4    ,from what we have      

already said1 it will be sufficiently   
clear that  ,boulton was a first-rate   
man of business4 ,he had a hearty       
enthusiasm  for his calling1 and took a 
just pride in it4 ,in conducting it1 he 
was  guided by fine tact1 great         
knowledge of character1 and sound       
practical  wisdom4 ,when fully satisfied
 as to the course he should pursue1 he  
acted with remarkable vigour and        
promptitude1 bending his whole mind  to 
the enterprise which he had taken in    
hand4 ,it was natural that he  should   
admire in others the qualities he       
himself desired to possess4 8,i  can't  
say10 he wrote to ,watt1 8but that ,i   
admire ,john ,wilkinson for his         
decisive1 clear1 and distinct character1
 which is1 ,i think1 a first-rate  one  
of its kind40 ,like ,wilkinson1 ,boulton
 was also distinguished for his         
indomitable pluck2 and in no respect was
 this more strikingly displayed  than in
 his prosecution of the steam-engine    
enterprise4    ,playfair has truly said1

 that had ,watt searched all ,europe    
over1 he could  not have found another  
person so fitted to bring his invention 
before the  public in a manner worthy of
 its merits and importance4 ,yet        
,boulton was  by no means eager to      
engage in the scheme4 ,watt could with  
difficulty  persuade him to take it up2 
and it was only in exchange for a bad   
debt  that he at length became a partner
 in it4 ,but when once fairly committed1
  he threw himself into the enterprise  
with an extraordinary degree of  vigour4
 ,he clearly recognised in the          
steam-engine a power destined to        
revolutionise the industrial operations 
of the world4 ,to ,m4 ,argand1 the      
famous ,french lamp inventor1 he        
described it as 8the most certain1 the  
most regular1 the most durable1 and the 
most effective machine in ,nature1  so  
far as her powers have yet been revealed
 to mortal knowledge20 and he  declared 
to him that1 finding he could be of more
 use to manufactures and  to mankind in 

general by employing all his powers in  
the capacity of an  engineer1 than in   
fabricating any kind of clincaillerie   
whatsoever1 he  would thenceforward     
devote himself wholly to his new        
enterprise4    ,but it was no easy work 
he had undertaken4 ,he had to struggle  
against  prejudices1 opposition1        
detraction1 and difficulties of all     
kinds4  ,not the least difficulty he had
 to strive against was the timidity and 
faint-heartedness of his partner4 ,for  
years ,watt was on the brink of         
despair4 ,he kept imploring ,boulton to 
relieve him from his troubles2 he       
wished to die and be at rest2 he 8cursed
 his inventions20 indeed he was  the    
most miserable of men4 ,but ,boulton    
never lost heart4 ,he was hopeful1      
courageous1 and strong--,watt's very    
backbone4 ,he felt convinced that the   
invention must eventually succeed1 and  
he never for a moment lost faith  in it4
 ,he braved and risked everything to    
8carry the thing through40  ,he         

mortgaged his lands to the last         
farthing2 borrowed from his personal    
friends2 raised money by annuities2     
obtained advances from bankers2 and  had
 invested upwards of #dj1jjjl4 in the   
enterprise before it began to  pay4     
,during this terrible struggle he was   
more than once on the brink of          
insolvency1 but continued as before to  
cheer and encourage his fainting        
partner4 8,keep your mind and your heart
 pleasant if possible10 he wrote  to    
,watt1 8for the way to go through life  
sweetly is not to regard rubs40  ,to    
those about ,watt he wrote1 8,do not    
disturb ,mr4 ,watt1 but keep him  as    
free from anxiety as you can40 ,he      
himself took the main share of the      
burden1--pushing the engine amongst the 
,cornish miners1 bringing it under  the 
notice of ,london brewers and water     
companies1 and finding money to  meet   
the heavy liabilities of the firm4      
,so much honest endeavour could not     
fail4 ,and at last the tide seemed to   

turn4 ,the engine became recognised as a
 grand working power1 and there  was    
almost a run upon ,soho for engines4    
,then pirates sprang up in all          
directions1 and started new schemes with
 the object of evading ,watt's  patent4 
,and now a new battle had to be fought  
against 8the illiberal1  sordid1 unjust1
 ungenerous1 and inventionless misers1  
who prey upon the  vitals of the        
ingenious1 and make haste to seize upon 
what their laborious  and often costly  
application has produced40#daj ,at      
length this struggle1  too1 was         
conclusively settled in ,boulton and    
,watt's favour1 and they were  left at  
last to enjoy the fruits of their labour
 in peace4        #daj ,boulton to ,de  
,luc1 #bjth ,october1 #aghg4    ,watt   
never could have fought such a series of
 battles alone4 ,he would  have been a  
thousand times crushed2 and1 but for    
,boulton's unswerving  courage and      
resolute determination1 he could neither
 have brought his  engine into general  

use1 nor derived any adequate reward for
 his great  invention4 ,though his      
specification lodged in the ,patent     
,office might  clearly establish his    
extraordinary mechanical genius1 it is  
most probable  that he himself would    
have broken his heart over his scheme1  
and added  only another to the long list
 of great martyr inventors4    ,none was
 more ready to acknowledge the immense  
services of ,boulton in  introducing the
 steam-engine to general use as a       
working power1 than ,watt  himself4 ,in 
the ,,ms4 memoir of his lately deceased 
friend deposited among  the ,soho       
papers1 dated ,glasgow1 #agth           
,september1 #ahji1 ,watt                
says1--8,through  the whole of this     
business ,mr4 ,boulton's active and     
sanguine disposition  served to         
counterbalance the despondency and      
diffidence which were natural  to me2   
and every assistance which ,soho or     
,birmingham could afford was  procured4 
,mr4 ,boulton's amiable and friendly    

character1 together with  his fame as an
 engineer and active manufacturer1      
procured us many and  very active       
friends in both ,houses of              
,parliament4444 ,suffice it to say1     
that to his generous patronage1 the     
active part he took in the management   
of the business1 his judicious advice1  
and his assistance in contriving  and   
arranging many of the applications of   
the steam-engine to various  machines1  
the public are indebted for great part  
of the benefits they now  derive from   
that machine4 ,without him1 or some     
similar partner 7could such  a one have 
been found71 the invention could never  
have been carried by me  to the length  
that it has been4    8,mr4 ,boulton was 
not only an ingenious mechanic1 well    
skilled in all the  arts of the         
,birmingham manufacturers1 but he       
possessed in a high degree  the faculty 
of rendering any new invention of his   
own or of others useful  to the public1 
by organising and arranging the         

processes by which it could  be carried 
on1 as well as of promoting the sale by 
his own exertions  and those of his     
numerous friends and correspondents4    
,his conception  of the nature of any   
invention was quick1 and he was not less
 quick in  perceiving the uses to which 
it might be applied1 and the profits    
which  might accrue from it4 ,when he   
took any scheme in hand1 he was rapid in
  executing it1 and on those occasions  
spared neither trouble nor expense4  ,he
 was a liberal encourager of merit in   
others1 and to him the country is       
indebted for various improvements which 
have been brought forward under  his    
auspices4444    8,in respect to myself1 
,i can with great sincerity say that he 
was a most  affectionate and steady     
friend and patron1 with whom1 during a  
close  connexion of thirty-five years1  
,i have never had any serious           
difference4    8,as to his improvements 
and erections at ,soho--his turning a   
barren heath  into a delightful garden1 

and the population and riches he has    
introduced  into the parish of          
,handsworth1 ,i must leave such subjects
 to those whose  pens are better adapted
 to the purpose1 and whose ideas are    
less benumbed  with age than mine now   
are40#daa        #daa ,the ,,ms4 memoir 
is dated ,glasgow the #agth ,september1 
#ahji1 at        which period ,watt was 
in his #gcrd year4 ,it had evidently    
been        written at the request of   
,m4 ,robinson ,boulton1 ,esq41 shortly  
after his father's death4 ,we find      
various testimony to the same           
effect as the above in the ,soho papers4
 ,thus ,mr4 ,peter ,ewart1              
,c4,e41 speaks of ,mr4 ,boulton's       
remarkable quickness in selecting       
objects to which machinery might be     
applied with advantage1        and of   
his great promptitude and determination 
in carrying his        plans into       
effect4 ,he also describes the          
contagiousness of his        example1   
which strengthened the weak and inspired

 the timid4 8,he        possessed10 says
 ,mr4 ,ewart1 8above all other men ,i   
have ever        known1 the faculty of  
inspiring others with a portion of that 
ardent zeal with which he himself       
pursued every important object        he
 had in view2 and it was impossible to  
be near him without        becoming     
warmly interested in the success of his 
enterprises4        ,the urbanity of his
 manners1 and his great kindness to     
young        people in particular1 never
 failed to leave the most agreeable     
impression on the minds of all around   
him2 and most truly may        it be    
said that he reigned in the hearts of   
those that were in        his           
employment40--,boulton ,,mss4    ,we    
have spoken of ,boulton's generosity1   
which was in keeping with his  whole    
character4 ,at a time when he was       
himself threatened with bankruptcy1  we 
have seen him concerting a scheme with  
his friend ,wedgwood to enable  ,dr4    
,priestley to pursue his chemical       

investigations free from pecuniary      
anxiety4 ,to ,watt he was most liberal1 
voluntarily conceding to him at         
different times profits derived from    
certain parts of the steam-engine       
business1 beyond the proportions        
stipulated in the deed of partnership4  
,in the course of his correspondence we 
find numerous illustrations of  his     
generosity to partners as well as to    
workmen2 making up the losses  they had 
sustained1 and which at the time perhaps
 he could ill afford4  ,his conduct to  
,widow ,swellengrebel illustrates this  
fine feature in his  character4 ,she had
 lent money to ,fothergill1 his partner 
in the hardware  business1 and the money
 was never repaid4 ,the consequence was1
 that the  widow and her family were    
seriously impoverished1 and on their    
return to  their friends in ,holland1   
,boulton1 though under no obligation to 
do so1  remitted her an annuity of fifty
 pounds a year1 which he continued to   
the  close of her life4 8,i must own10  

he wrote1 8,i am impelled to act as ,i  
do  from pity1 as well as from something
 in my own disposition that ,i cannot   
resist40#dab    ,in fine1 ,matthew      
,boulton was a noble1 manly man1 and a  
true leader of men4  ,lofty-minded1     
intelligent1 energetic1 and liberal1 he 
was one of those who  constitute the    
life blood of a nation1 and give force  
and dignity to the  national character4 
,working in conjunction with ,watt1 he  
was in no small  degree instrumental in 
introducing and establishing the great  
new working  power of steam which has   
exercised so extraordinary an influence 
upon all  the operations of industry4   
#dab ,boulton to ,m4 ,vanlinder1        
,rotterdam1 #bdth ,april1 #aghh4        
,,chapter ,,xxiii4    ,,closing ,,years 
,,of ,,james ,,watt--,,his              
,,death--,,conclusion4      ,the fragile
 and sickly ,watt outlived the most     
robust of his  contemporaries4 ,he was  
residing at ,glenarbach1 near           
,dumbarton1 with  relatives1 when the   

intelligence reached him of the death of
 his partner4  ,to his son ,james he    
wrote at once1 expressing his deep      
sorrow at the  loss of his 8very worthy 
and beloved friend40#dac ,to ,mr4       
,boulton's son  and successor he        
wrote1--8,however we may lament our own 
loss1 we must  consider1 on the other   
side1 the torturing pain he has so long 
endured1  and console ourselves with the
 remembrance of his virtues and eminent 
qualifications4 ,few men have possessed 
his abilities1 and still fewer  have    
exerted them as he has done2 and if to  
these we add his urbanity1 his          
generosity1 and his affection to his    
friends1 we shall make up a character   
rarely to be equalled4 ,such was the    
friend we have lost1 and of whose       
affection we have reason to be proud1 as
 you have to be the son of such  a      
father40#dad        #dac 8,though ,i was
 in some measure prepared10 he wrote1   
8yet ,i        had hoped that he might  
have recovered from this fit1 as he has 

done from other severe ones4 ,such      
wishes1 however1 were selfish2          
for in respect to himself1 none of his  
friends could rationally        have    
desired the prolongation of a life which
 has long been        passed in torture1
 without hope of relief4 ,may he        
therefore rest        in peace2 and when
 our end approaches1 may we have as     
little to        reproach us and as much
 to console us as he had40--,mr4 ,watt  
to        his son1 #bbnd ,august1 #ahji4
 ,boulton ,,mss4        #dad ,watt to   
,m4 ,robinson ,boulton1 #bcrd ,august1  
#ahji4    ,the deaths of his friends1   
one by one1 reminded ,watt of his own   
mortality1  and frequent references to  
the subject occur in his letters about  
this  time4 ,he felt as if he were in   
danger of being left in the world alone4
  ,but he did not give himself up to    
melancholy1 as he had been prone to do  
at the earlier periods of his life4     
,shortly after his son ,gregory died1 he
  wrote to a relative1--8,i know that   

all men must die1 and ,i submit to the  
decrees of ,nature1 ,i hope with due    
reverence to the ,disposer of events4   
,yet one stimulus to exertion is taken  
away1 and1 somehow or other1 ,i have    
lost my relish for my usual occupations4
 ,perhaps time may remedy that in  some 
measure2 meanwhile ,i do not neglect the
 means of amusement which are  in my    
power40    ,watt was at no loss for     
occupation to relieve the tedium of old 
age4  ,he possessed ample resources in  
himself1 and found pleasure alike in    
quiet meditation and in active work4    
,his thirst for knowledge was still     
unslaked1 and he sought to allay it by  
reading4 ,his love of investigation  was
 as keen as ever1 and he gratified it by
 proceeding with experiments  on air1 on
 light1 and on electricity4 ,his        
inventive faculty was still  potent1 and
 he occasionally varied his occupation  
by labouring to produce  a new machine  
or to improve an old one4 ,at other     
times1 when the weather  allowed1 he    

would take a turn at planting in his    
grounds and gardens2 and  occasionally  
vary his pleasure by a visit to         
,scotland1 to ,london1 or to  his estate
 in ,wales4 ,strange to say1 his health 
improved with advancing  age1 and though
 occasionally dyspeptic1 he was now     
comparatively free from  the racking    
headaches which had been the torment of 
his earlier years4  ,unlike ,boulton1   
who found pleasure in the active pursuit
 of business1  ,watt had always regarded
 it as a worry1 and he was now glad to  
have cast  it altogether behind him4    
,his mind was free from harassing cares2
 his  ambition in life was satisfied2 he
 was no more distressed by fears of     
,cornish pirates2 and he was content to 
enjoy at last the fruits of his  labour 
in peace4 ,and thus it was that ,watt's 
later years may be pronounced  to have  
been the happiest of his life4    ,he   
had1 indeed1 lost nearly all his old    
friends1 and often thought of  them with
 a melancholy regret1 not1 however1     

unmingled with pleasure4 ,but  other    
young friends gathered about him1 sat at
 his feet1 and looked up to  him with an
 almost reverential admiration4 ,among  
these we find ,rennie and  ,telford the 
engineers1 ,campbell the poet1 ,humphry 
,davy1 ,henry ,brougham1  ,francis      
,horner1 and other rising men of the new
 generation4 ,lord ,brougham  bears     
testimony to ,watt's habitual           
cheerfulness1 and his enjoyment of the  
pleasures of society during the later   
years of his life4 8,i can speak on  the
 point10 he says1 8with absolute        
certainty1 for my own acquaintance  with
 him commenced after my friend          
,gregory's decease4 ,a few months after 
that event1 he calmly and with his      
wonted acuteness discussed with me the  
composition of an epitaph to be         
inscribed on his son's tomb4 ,in the    
autumn  and winter of #ahje he was a    
constant attendant at our ,friday ,club1
 and in  all our private circles1 and   
was the life of them all40#dae          

#dae ,lord ,brougham's #8,lives of      
,philosophers of the ,time of ,george   
,,iii4' ,the ,friday ,club of ,edinburgh
 was so called because of the           
evening of the week on which it met and 
supped4 ,it numbered        amongst its 
members ,professor ,playfair1 ,walter   
,scott1 ,henry        ,brougham1        
,francis ,jeffrey1 ,leonard ,horner1    
,lord ,corehouse1        ,sir ,w4       
,drummond1 and others known to fame4    
,watt was a regular        attender of  
the ,club during his ,edinburgh visits4 
,to the close of his life ,watt         
continued to take great pleasure in     
inventing4 ,it had been the pursuit of  
his life1 and in old age it became  his 
hobby4 8,without a hobby-horse10 said   
he1 8what is life80 ,he proceeded  to   
verify his old experiments1 and to live 
over again the history of his           
inventions4 ,when ,mr4 ,kennedy of      
,manchester asked him1 at one of his    
last  visits to ,heathfield1 if he had  
been able1 since his retirement from    

business1 to discover anything new in   
the steam-engine1 he replied1 8,no2  ,i 
am devoting the remainder of my life to 
perfect its details1 and to  ascertain  
whether in any respect ,i have been     
wrong40    ,but he did not merely       
confine himself to verifying his old    
inventions4 ,he  also contrived new     
ones4 ,one of the machines that occupied
 his leisure  hours for many years1 was 
his machine for copying statuary4 ,we   
find him  busy with it in #ahaj1 and he 
was still working upon it in the year of
 his  death1 nearly ten years later4    
,the principle of the machine was to    
make a  cutting tool or drill travel    
over the work to be executed1 in like   
ratio  with the motion of a guide-point 
placed upon the bust to be copied4 ,it  
worked1 as it were1 with two hands2 the 
one feeling the pattern1 the other      
cutting the material into the required  
form4 ,the object could be copied       
either of the full size1 or reduced with
 the most perfect accuracy to any  less 

size that might be required4#daf ,in    
preparing the necessary tools1  ,watt   
had the able assistance of his friend   
,murdock1 who was always ready  with his
 kindly suggestions and criticisms4 ,in 
,january1 #ahac1 ,watt wrote  him1--8,i 
have done a little figure of a boy lying
 down and holding out one  arm1 very    
successfully2 and another boy1 about six
 inches high1 naked1 and  holding out   
both his hands1 his legs also being     
separate4 ,but ,i have been  principally
 employed in making drawings for a      
complete machine1 all in  iron1 which   
has been a very serious job1 as         
invention goes on very slowly  with me  
now4 ,when you come home1 ,i shall thank
 you for your criticisms  and           
assistance40#dag        #daf ,in ,march1
 #ahaa1 he wrote ,dr4 ,p4 ,wilson as    
follows3--8,for        want of other    
news ,i must now say a little upon my   
late        invention1 with which ,dr4  
,herschel seemed much pleased4 ,it      
continues to succeed1 and ,i have       

realised some more of my        ideas on
 the subject4 ,i have executed several  
small busts in        alabaster1 not    
being strong enough to work in marble4  
,i had        a difficulty in getting   
the several segments which form the     
surface of the bust to meet1 but have   
now accomplished it4 ,it        requires
 a very accurate construction of the    
machine1 and a        very accurate     
adjustment of the tools1 so that their  
axes may        be always equally       
distant from each other1 as the axes of 
the        pattern and that of the stone
 to be cut are4 ,i have also made       
some improvements in the tools for      
cutting marble and other        hard    
stones4 ,the things you saw were done by
 the tool and the        guide-point1   
moving in parallel lines1 straight or   
circular1 and        very near one      
another2 7an illustration of ,euclid's  
position1        that the motion of a   
point generates a line1 and the motion  
of        a line generates a surface74  

,i have now contrived1 though not       
executed1 that the two points1 the guide
 and the cutting point1        may move 
in any line1 whether straight or        
crooked1 square or        diagonal1 so  
that an inscription might be cut in     
stone from a        drawing on          
paper40--,cited in ,muirhead's          
#8,mechanical ,inventions        of     
,james ,watt1' ii4 #cbi-cj4        #dag 
,cited in ,muirhead's #8,mechanical     
,inventions1' c41 ii4 #cdj-a4           
,these drawings must be in existence1   
and of great interest1        as showing
 the vigour of ,watt's inventive faculty
 at this late        period of his life4
    ,the material in which ,watt        
executed his copies of statuary were    
various1--marble1 jet1 alabaster1 ivory1
 plaster of ,paris1 and mahogany4  ,some
 of the specimens we have seen at       
,heathfield are of exquisite accuracy   
and finish1 and show that he must have  
brought his copying-machine to a        
remarkable degree of perfection before  

he died4 ,there are numerous copies  of 
medallions of his friends1--of ,dr4     
,black1 ,de ,luc1 and ,dr4 ,priestley2  
but the finest of all is a reduced bust 
of himself1 being an exact copy  of     
,chantrey's original plaster-cast4 ,the 
head and neck are beautifully  finished1
 but there the work has stopped1 for the
 upper part of the chest  is still in   
the rough4 ,another exquisite work1 than
 which ,watt never  executed a finer1 is
 a medallion of ,locke in ivory1 marked 
8,january1  #ahab40 ,there are numerous 
other busts1 statuettes1                
medallions1--some  finished1 others half
 executed1 and apparently thrown aside1 
as if the  workman had been dissatisfied
 with his work1 and waited1 perhaps1    
until  he had introduced some new       
improvement in his machine4    ,watt    
took out no patent for the invention1   
which he pursued1 as he said1  merely as
 8a mental and bodily exercise40        
,neither did he publish it1--but  went  
on working at it for several years      

before his intentions to construct  such
 a machine had become known4 ,when he   
had made considerable progress  with it1
 he learned1 to his surprise1 that a    
,mr4 ,hawkins1 an ingenious  person in  
his neighbourhood1 had been long        
occupied in the same pursuit4  ,the     
proposal was then made to him that the  
two inventors should combine  their     
talents and secure the invention by     
taking out a joint patent4 ,but  ,watt  
had already been too much worried by    
patents to venture on taking out        
another at his advanced age4 ,he        
preferred prosecuting the invention at  
his  leisure merely as an amusement2 and
 the project of taking out a patent  for
 it was accordingly abandoned4 ,it may  
not be generally known that  this       
ingenious invention of ,watt has since  
been revived and applied with  sundry   
modifications by our cousins across the 
,atlantic1 in fashioning  wood and iron 
in various forms2 and powerful          
copying-machines are now in  regular use

 in the ,government works at ,enfield1  
where they are employed  in rapidly1    
accurately1 and cheaply manufacturing   
gun-stocks6    ,watt carried on the     
operations connected with this invention
 for the most  part in his ,garret1 a   
room immediately under the roof at the  
kitchen end  of the house at            
,heathfield1 and approached by a narrow 
staircase4 ,it is a  small room1 low in 
the ceiling1 and lighted by a low broad 
window1 looking  into the shrubbery4    
,the ceiling1 though low1 inclines with 
the slope of  the roof on three sides of
 the room1 and1 being close to the      
slates1 the  place must necessarily have
 been very hot in summer1 and very cold 
in  winter4 ,a stove was placed close to
 the door1 for the purpose of warming   
the apartment1 as well as enabling the  
occupant to pursue his experiments1     
being fitted with a sand-bath and other 
conveniences4 ,but the stove must  have 
been insufficient for heating the garret
 in very cold weather1 and  hence we    

find him occasionally informing his     
correspondents that he could  not       
proceed further with his machine until  
the weather had become milder4          
,illustration3 ,,watt',s ,,garret ,,at  
,,heathfield4    ,by ,percival ,skelton4
    ,his foot-lathe was fixed close to  
the window1 fitted with all the         
appliances for turning in wood and metal
 fifty years since2 while a case  of    
drawers fitted into the recess on the   
left-hand side of the room1  contained a
 large assortment of screws1 punches1   
cutters1 taps1 and  dies4 ,here were    
neatly arranged and stowed away many of 
the tools with  which he worked in the  
early part of his life1 one of the      
drawers being  devoted to his old 8flute
 tools40 ,in other divisions were placed
 his  compasses1 dividers1 scales1      
decimal weights1 quadrant glasses1 and a
  large assortment of instrument-making 
tools4 ,a ladle for melting lead1  and a
 soldering-iron were hung ready for use 
near the stove4    ,crucibles of metal  

and stone were ranged on the shelves    
along the opposite  side of the room1   
which also contained a large assortment 
of bottles  filled with chemicals1 boxes
 of fossils and minerals1 jars1         
gallipots1  blowpipes1 retorts1 and the 
various articles used in chemical       
analysis4 ,in  one corner of the room   
was a potter's lathe4 ,a writing-desk   
was placed as  close to the window1 for 
the sake of the light1 as the           
turning-lathe would  allow2 and in the  
corner was the letter-copying machine1  
conveniently at  hand4    ,in this      
garret ,watt spent much of his time     
during the later period of  his life1   
only retiring from it when it was too   
hot in summer1 or too  cold in winter to
 enable him to prosecute his work4 ,for 
days together he  would confine himself 
here1 without even descending to his    
meals4 ,he had  accordingly provided    
himself1 in addition to his various     
other tools1  with sundry kitchen       
utensils1--amongst others1 with a       

frying-pan and  ,dutch oven--with which 
he cooked his meals4 ,for it must be    
explained that  ,mrs4 ,watt was a       
thorough martinet in household affairs1 
and1 above all  things1 detested 8dirt40
 ,mrs4 ,schimmelpenninck says she taught
 her two  pug-dogs never to cross the   
hall without first wiping their feet on 
the  mat4 ,she hated the sight of her   
husband's leather apron and soiled hands
  while he was engaged in his           
garret-work1 so he kept himself out of  
her  sight at such times as much as     
possible4 ,some notion of the rigidity  
of  her rule may be inferred from the   
fact of her having had a window made in 
the kitchen wall1 through which she     
could watch the servants1 and observe   
how they were getting on with their     
work4 ,her passion for cleanliness was  
carried to a pitch which often fretted  
those about her by the restraints  it   
imposed2 but her husband1 like a wise   
man1 gently submitted to her  rule4 ,he 
was fond of a pinch of snuff1 which     

,mrs4 ,watt detested1 regarding  it only
 as so much 8dirt20 and ,mr4 ,muirhead  
says she would seize and lock  up the   
offending snuff-box whenever she could  
lay hands upon it4 ,he adds  that at    
night1 when she retired from the        
dining-room1 if ,mr4 ,watt did  not     
follow at the time fixed by her1 a      
servant would enter and put out  the    
lights1 even when a friend was present1 
on which he would slowly rise  and      
meekly say1 8,we must go40 ,one can     
easily understand how1 under such       
circumstances1 ,watt would enjoy the    
perfect liberty of his garret1 where  he
 was king1 and could enjoy his pinch of 
snuff in peace1 and make as much  8dirt0
 with his turning-lathe1 his crucibles1 
and his chemicals1 as he  chose1 without
 dread of interruption4    ,one of the  
fears which haunted ,watt as old age    
advanced upon him was1 that  his mental 
faculties1 in the exercise of which he  
took so much pleasure1  were deserting  
him4 ,to ,dr4 ,darwin he said1 many     

years before1--8,of all  the evils of   
age1 the loss of the few mental         
faculties one possessed in  youth is    
most grievous40 ,to test his memory1 he 
again began the study of  ,german1 which
 he had allowed himself to forget2 and  
he speedily acquired  such proficiency  
as enabled him to read the language with
 comparative  ease4 ,but he gave still  
stronger evidence of the integrity of   
his powers4  ,when in his seventy-fifth 
year1 he was consulted by the ,glasgow  
,waterworks  ,company as to the best    
mode of conveying water from a peninsula
 across  the ,clyde to the ,company's   
engines at ,dalmarnock1--a difficulty   
which  appeared to them almost          
insurmountable2 for it was necessary to 
fit the  pipes1 through which the water 
passed1 to the uneven and shifting bed  
of  the river4 ,watt1 on turning over   
the subject in his mind1 shortly hit    
upon  a plan1 which showed that his     
inventive powers were unimpaired by age4
  ,taking the tail of the lobster for   

his model1 he devised a tube of iron    
similarly articulated1 of which he      
forwarded a drawing to the ,waterworks  
,company2 and1 acting upon his          
recommendation1 they had the tube       
forthwith  executed and laid down with  
complete success4 ,watt declined to be  
paid for  the essential service he had  
thus rendered to the ,waterworks        
,company2 but  the directors made       
handsome acknowledgment of it by        
presenting him with  a piece of plate of
 the value of a hundred guineas1        
accompanied by the  cordial expression  
of their thanks and esteem4             
,illustration3 ,,water-,,pipe ,,in ,,the
 ,,bed ,,of ,,the ,,clyde4    ,watt did 
not1 however1 confine himself to        
mechanical recreations at home4  ,in    
summer-time he would proceed to         
,cheltenham1 the air of which agreed    
with him1 and make a short stay there2  
or he would visit his friends  in       
,london1 ,glasgow1 or ,edinburgh4 ,while
 in ,london1 his great delight  was in  

looking in at the shop-windows1--the    
best of all industrial                  
exhibitions1--for there he saw the      
progress of manufacture in all articles 
in common use amongst the people4 ,to a 
country person1 the sight of the        
streets and shop-windows of ,london     
alone1 with their display of objects  of
 art and articles of utility1 is always 
worth a visit4 ,to ,watt it was  more   
interesting than passing along the      
finest gallery of pictures4    ,at      
,glasgow1 where he stayed with his      
relatives the ,macgregors1 he  took     
pleasure in revisiting his old haunts1  
dined with the ,college                 
,professors1#dah and noted with lively  
interest the industrial progress  of the
 place4 ,the growth of ,glasgow in the  
course of his lifetime had1  indeed1    
been extraordinary1 and it was in no    
small degree the result  of his own     
industrial labours4 ,the steam-engine   
was everywhere at work2  factories had  
sprung up in all directions2 the        

,broomielaw was silent no  longer2 the  
,clyde was navigable from thence to the 
sea1 and its waters  were plashed by the
 paddles of a thousand steamers4 ,the   
old city of the  tobacco lords had      
become a great centre of manufacturing  
industry2 it  was rich1 busy1 and       
prosperous2 and the main source of its  
prosperity  was the steam-engine4 ,a    
long time had passed since ,watt had    
first taken  in hand the repair of the  
little ,newcomen engine in ,glasgow     
,college1 and  afterwards laboured in   
the throes of his invention in his shop 
in the back  court in ,king ,street4    
,there were no skilled mechanics in     
,glasgow then1 and  the death of the    
8old white-iron man0 who helped him had 
been one of his  sorest vexations4      
,things were entirely changed now4      
,glasgow had already  become famous for 
its engine-work1 and its factories      
contained among the  most skilled       
mechanics in the kingdom4 ,watt's early 
notion that ,scotchmen  were incapable  

of becoming first-rate mechanics1 like  
,englishmen1 was  confuted by the       
experience of hundreds of workshops2 and
 to none did  the practical             
contradiction of his theory give greater
 pleasure than to  himself4 ,he         
delighted to visit the artisans at their
 work1 and to see with  his own eyes the
 improvements that were going forward2  
and when he heard  of any new and       
ingenious arrangement of engine-power1  
he would hasten to  call upon the       
mechanic who had contrived it1 and make 
his acquaintance4        #dah ,in #ahjh 
,mr4 ,watt made over #cjjl4 to the      
,college by ,deed        of ,gift1 for  
the purpose of founding a prize for     
students in        ,natural ,science1 as
 some acknowledgment of 8the many       
favours0        which the ,college had  
conferred upon him4--,in #ahaf he gave  
to        the ,town of ,greenock #ajjl4 
for the purpose of purchasing books     
for the ,mathematical ,school4 8,my     
intention in this donation10 he         

observed in his letter to ,mr4 ,anderson
 of ,greenock1 8is to form        the   
beginning of a scientific library1 for  
the instruction of        the youth of  
,greenock2 and ,i hope it will prompt   
others to add        to it1 and to      
render my townsmen as eminent for their 
knowledge        as they are for their  
spirit of enterprise40 ,watt's idea has 
since been carried out by his townsmen1 
and the ,watt ,library        is now one
 of the most valuable institutions of   
,greenock4 ,it        ought to be added1
 that the erection of the building was  
mainly        due to the munificence of 
,mr4 ,watt's son1 the late ,james ,watt1
        ,esq41 of ,aston ,hall1 near    
,birmingham4 ,a marble statue of ,watt1 
by ,chantrey1 is placed in the ,library1
 with an inscription from        the pen
 of ,lord ,jeffrey4    ,one of such     
calls1 which ,watt made during a visit  
to ,glasgow1 in #ahad1 has  been        
pleasantly related by ,mr4 ,robert      
,hart1 who1 with his brother1 then      

carried on a small steam-engine factory 
in the town4 8,one forenoon10 he  says1 
8while we were at work1 ,miss ,macgregor
 and a tall elderly gentleman  came into
 the shop4 ,she1 without saying who he  
was1 asked if we would  show the        
gentleman our small engine4 ,it was not 
going at the time1 and  was covered up4 
,my brother uncovered it4 ,the gentleman
 examined it very  minutely1 and put a  
few pointed questions1 asking the reason
 for making  her in that form4 ,my      
brother1 seeing he understood the       
subject1 said  that she had been so made
 to try what we thought was an          
improvement2  and for this experiment we
 required another cistern and air-pump4 
,he was  beginning to show what was     
properly ,mr4 ,watt's engine1 and what  
was not2  when1 at this observation1    
,miss ,macgregor stopped him1           
saying1--#8,oh1 he  understands it2 this
 is ,mr4 ,watt4' ,i never at any time   
saw my brother  so much excited as he   
was at that moment4 ,he called on me to 

join them1  saying1--#8,this is ,mr4    
,watt6' ,up to this time ,i had         
continued to work at  what ,i was doing 
when they came2 and1 although ,i had    
heard all that was  said1 ,i had not    
joined the party till ,i learned who he 
was4 ,our supposed  improvement was to  
save condensing water1 and was on the   
principle  introduced by ,sir ,john     
,leslie1 to produce cold by evaporation 
in a vacuum4  ,mr4 ,watt took much      
interest in this experiment1 and said he
 had tried the  same thing on a larger  
scale1 but without the vacuum1 as that  
invention  of ,professor ,leslie's was  
not known at the time4 ,he tried it     
exposed to  the air1 and also kept wet2 
and at one of the large porter-breweries
  in ,london he had fitted up an        
apparatus of the same nature4 ,the pipes
  forming his condenser were laid in the
 water of the ,thames1 but he  could not
 keep them tight1 from the expansion and
 contraction of the  metal1 as they were
 exposed to various temperatures40 ,the 

conversation  then diverged to the      
subject of his early experiments with   
the ,newcomen  engine1 the difficulties 
he had encountered in finding a proper  
material  for steam-pipes1 the best     
method of making steam-joints1 and the  
various  means of overcoming obstacles  
which occur in the prosecution of       
mechanical  experiments1 in the course  
of which he reverted to the many        
temporary  expedients which he had      
himself adopted in his early days4      
,watt was so much pleased with the      
intelligence of the brothers ,hart1 that
  he invited them to call upon him that 
evening at ,miss ,macgregor's1 where    
they found him alone with the ladies4   
8,in the course of conversation10       
continues ,mr4 ,hart1 8which embraced   
all that was new at the time1 the       
expansion and the slow contraction of   
metals were touched on4 ,this led  to a 
discussion on iron in engine-making10 in
 which ,watt explained  the practice    
which experience had led him to adopt as

 the best4 ,the  conversation then      
turned upon the early scene of his      
inventions1 the room  in the ,college1  
the shop in ,king ,street1 the place on 
,glasgow ,green near  the ,herd's house 
where the first idea of a separate      
condenser flashed upon  his mind1 and   
the various steps by which he had worked
 out his invention4  ,he went on to     
speak of his experience at ,kinneil and 
,boroughstoness1  of the ,newcomen      
engine he had erected and worked there  
for the purpose  of gaining experience1 
and incidentally referred to many of the
 other  interesting events in his past  
career4 ,at a late hour the brothers    
took  their leave1 delighted1 as they   
well might be1 with the affability and  
conversableness of 8the great ,mr4      
,watt40    ,but it was not mechanics    
alone that ,watt fascinated by his      
powers of  conversation and his stores  
of knowledge relating to the special    
business  of his life3 he was equally at
 home amongst philosophers1 women1 and  

children4 ,when close upon his          
eighty-second year1 he formed one of a  
distinguished party assembled in        
,edinburgh1 at which ,sir ,walter       
,scott1  ,francis ,jeffrey1 and others  
were present4 ,he delighted the northern
  literati with his kindly cheerfulness1
 not less than he astonished them  by   
the extent and profundity of his        
information4 8,this potent commander  of
 the elements10 says ,scott1--8this     
abridger of time and space1 this        
magician1 whose cloudy machinery has    
produced a change in the world1  the    
effects of which1 extraordinary as they 
are1 are perhaps only now  beginning to 
be felt1--was not only the most profound
 man of science1  the most successful   
combiner of powers1 and combiner of     
numbers1 as  adapted to practical       
purposes1--was not only one of the most 
generally  well-informed1 but one of the
 best and kindest of human beings4      
,there he  stood1 surrounded by the     
little band of ,northern literati1 men  

not less  tenacious1 generally speaking1
 of their own opinions1 than the        
national  regiments are supposed to be  
jealous of the high character they have 
won upon service4 ,methinks ,i yet see  
and hear what ,i shall never see or     
hear again4 ,the alert1 kind1 benevolent
 old man had his attention alive  to    
every one's question1 his information at
 every one's command4 ,his  talents and 
fancy overflowed on every subject4 ,one 
gentleman was a deep  philologist1 he   
talked with him on the origin of the    
alphabet as if he  had been coeval with 
,cadmus2 another1 a celebrated critic1  
you would have  said the old man had    
studied political economy and           
belles-lettres all his  life2 of science
 it is unnecessary to speak1 it was his 
own distinguished  walk40#dai           
#dai ,answer by the author of           
#8,waverley' to the ,epistle ,dedicatory
        of #8,the ,monastery4'          
,indeed1 the extent of his knowledge was
 the wonder of all who came in  contact 

with him4 8,it seemed10 said ,jeffrey1  
8as if every subject that was  casually 
started had been that which he had been 
occupied in studying40  ,yet1 though no 
man was more ready to communicate       
knowledge1 none could be  less ambitious
 of displaying it4 ,in company1 when not
 spoken to1 he sat as  if tranquilly    
pursuing his own meditations1 with his  
head bent forward or  leaning on his    
hand4 ,but as he could not fail to be a 
prominent feature in  any society that  
he entered1 it was seldom that he was   
left outside the  circle of social talk4
 ,men of letters1 men of science1       
artists1 ladies  and children1 thronged 
about him4 ,once when on a visit to his 
friend  ,rennie in ,london1 he          
accompanied him to an evening party at  
,sir ,george  ,warrender's4 ,at first he
 sat by himself1 quiet and abstracted1  
until some  young ladies engaged him in 
conversation1 which gradually turned    
upon  the mystery of the fabrics they   
wore1 the insignificant materials out   

of which they were formed1 and the      
beauty and value given to them by the   
industry and ingenuity of man2 and1     
other auditors being attracted by his   
descriptions1 he shortly found himself  
the centre of a group of fair and       
admiring listeners4    ,he seemed to be 
alike at home on all subjects1 the most 
recondite  and the most common1 the most
 special and the most general4 ,mrs4    
,schimmelpenninck#dbj relates how he    
took her upon his knee when a little    
girl1 and explained to her the          
principles of the hurdy-gurdy1 the      
piano1  the ,pan's-pipe1 and the organ2 
teaching her how to make a dulcimer and 
improve a ,jew's-harp4 ,to a ,swedish   
artist he communicated the information  
that the most pliant and elastic        
painting-brush was to be made out of    
rats' whiskers4 ,he advised ladies how  
to cure smoky chimneys1 how to  warm and
 ventilate dwellings1 and how to obtain 
fast colours1 while he  would willingly 
instruct a maid-servant as to the best  

way of cleaning a  grate4#dba ,a lady   
still living1 who remembers ,watt1      
informs us that he  used to carry a     
carpenter's foot-rule in the side pocket
 of his breeches1  and would            
occasionally bring it out in            
after-dinner conversation or  elsewhere1
 to illustrate the subject under        
discussion4        #dbj #8,autobiography
 of ,mrs4 ,schimmelpenninck1' #crd ed4  
#ce4        #dba ,the following anecdote
 is told by ,mrs4                       
,schimmelpenninck3--8,during the peace  
of ,amiens1 ,mr4 ,watt visited          
,paris4 ,it so happened that while going
 through one of the        palaces1 ,i  
believe the ,tuileries1 a ,french       
housemaid appeared        much perplexed
 concerning some bright ,english stoves 
which had        just been received1 and
 which she did not know how to clean4   
,an ,english gentleman was standing by1 
to whom she appealed for                
information4 ,this was ,charles ,james  
,fox4 ,he could give no help2           

8,but10 said he1 8here is a             
fellow-countryman of mine who will      
tell you all about it40 ,this was ,mr4  
,watt1 to whom he was at        the     
moment talking2 and who proceeded to    
give the housemaid        full          
instructions as to the best mode of     
cleaning her grate4        ,this        
anecdote ,i have often heard ,mrs4 ,watt
 tell with great        diversion40     
,he was full of anecdotes relating to   
all manner of subjects1 which he  was   
accustomed to tell in a very effective  
way4#dbb ,he spoke in a low  grave tone1
 with a broad ,scottish accent4 ,the    
late ,mr4 ,murdock mentioned  to us one 
of his favourite stories relating to two
 smugglers pursued by  excisemen4 ,the  
two smugglers had reached the mouth of a
 coal-pit and got  into the corve-cage  
with their apparatus1 the excisemen only
 coming up in  time to see them         
descending the shaft1 where they were   
soon out of sight4  ,on the ascending   
corves coming up to the settle-board1   

the excisemen asked  to be sent down    
after the smugglers1 and they were sent 
down accordingly4  ,halfway down the    
shaft they met the smugglers in the     
other cage coming  up6 ,and so the      
relator kept them ascending and         
descending1 passing and  repassing each 
other1--his auditors being in           
convulsions of laughter1  while he      
himself seemed wholly unmoved4          
,campbell1 the poet1 who paid ,watt  a  
visit in ,february1 #ahai1 only six     
months before his death1 describes him  
as so full of anecdote that he spent one
 of the most amusing days he had  ever  
enjoyed with a man of science and a     
stranger to his own pursuits4 ,to  the  
last he was a great reader of novels2   
and ,mrs4 ,watt and he had many  a      
hearty cry over the imaginary woes of   
love-lorn heroes and heroines4  ,scott  
says no novel of the least celebrity    
escaped his perusal1 and that  this     
gifted man of science was as much       
addicted to productions of this  sort as

 if he had been a very milliner's       
apprentice of eighteen4 ,a lady1  still 
living1#dbc informs us that she         
remembers the admiration which ,watt    
expressed for the ,waverley novels1 then
 making their appearance in rapid       
succession1 and used to quote his       
opinion as a great authority for her own
  devotion to such works1--forgetting   
that1 as the old frame requires the     
arm-chair after the heat and burden of  
the day1 so the taxed mind needs  rest  
and recreation after long years of      
study1 anxiety1 and labour4        #dbb 
,lord ,brougham says1 8,his voice was   
deep and low1 and if        somewhat    
monotonous1 it yet seemed in harmony    
with the weight        and the beauty of
 his discourse1 through which1 however1 
there        also ran a current of a    
lighter kind2 for he was mirthful1      
temperately jocular1 nor could anything 
to more advantage set        off the    
living anecdotes of men and things1 with
 which the        grave texture of his  

talk was interwoven1 than his sly and   
quiet        humour1 both of mind and   
look1 in recounting them40--#8,lives of 
,philosophers of the ,time of ,george   
,,iii4'        #dbc 8,i remember1 as a  
young girl10 she says1 8the pleasant    
dinners and people ,i have seen at      
,soho4 ,i remember being present        
one day when ,bertrand de ,moleville1   
the exiled minister of ,louis           
,,xvi41 left the dinner-table to make an
 omelette1 which was1 of        course1 
pronounced #8excellent4' ,that man then 
gave me a lifelong        lesson1--of   
the power of enjoyment and of giving    
pleasure by        his cheerful bright  
manner and conversation1 under such sad 
circumstances as exile and poverty4 ,i  
looked at him with great                
admiration1 and ,i have his face        
distinct before me now1 though        ,i
 saw him only that once40    ,mr4       
,stockdale1 of ,carke1 gives the        
following account of a visit which his  
sister1 a cousin of ,mr4 ,boulton's1    

paid to ,heathfield in #ahah1 shortly   
before ,mr4 ,watt's death3--8,when tea  
was announced to ,mr4 ,watt1 he came    
from his #8garret1' and on being told   
who my sister was1 he asked after  her  
relations in the kindest way1 and then  
sat down in his arm-chair4 ,a  cup of   
tea was handed to him1 and alongside of 
it was placed a small cup  containing a 
yellow powder1 of which he took a       
spoonful and put it into  his tea1      
observing that he had long been plagued 
with a stomach complaint1  for which he 
had found this powder of mastich a      
sovereign remedy4 ,he  talked more than 
my sister expected4 ,sometimes he fell  
into a reverie1  appearing absorbed in  
thought1 his eyes fixed on space1 and   
his head  leaning over his chest4 ,after
 a while1 he retired to his study1 and  
my  sister returned to ,soho40 ,mr4     
,hollins1 of ,birmingham1 sculptor1     
supplies  the following further         
reminiscence4 ,when a youth in a local  
architect's  office1 he was sent out to 

,heathfield one afternoon1 to submit to 
,mr4  ,watt the plans of certain        
proposed alterations in the parish      
church of  ,handsworth4 ,the church     
stood a few fields off1 and its spire   
rose above  the trees within sight of   
the drawing-room windows4 ,it was his   
parish  church1 in which his friend     
,boulton had been buried1 and where he  
himself  was to lie4 ,when the young man
 mentioned his errand1 ,mr4 ,watt said  
he was  just about to take his          
afternoon's nap4 8,but you can sit down 
there and  read that newspaper1 and when
 ,i have got my nap ,i will look at the 
plans40  ,so saying he composed himself 
to rest in his arm-chair2 the youth     
scarce  daring to turn the page for fear
 of disturbing him4 ,at length1 after a 
short sleep1 he woke full up and said1  
8,now let me see them40 ,he looked  over
 the plans1 examined them in detail1 and
 criticised them keenly4 ,he  thought   
the proposed alterations of a paltry    
character1 unworthy of the  wealth and  

importance of the parish2 8,why10 said  
he1 8if these plans be  carried out1    
preaching at ,handsworth will be like   
pitching the word of ,god  out of a     
keyhole60 ,when ,mr4 ,watt's decided    
views as to the insufficiency  of the   
design was reported to the committee1   
steps were taken greatly to  enlarge it1
 and ,handsworth ,church was thus       
indebted to his suggestions  for much of
 its present beauty4    ,he proceeded   
with the completion of his              
sculpture-copying machine until  nearly 
the close of his life4 ,when the weather
 was suitable1 he would go  up stairs to
 his garret1 don his woollen surtout and
 leather apron1 and  proceed with his   
work4 ,he was as fastidious as ever1 and
 was constantly  introducing new        
improvements4 ,it was a hobby and a     
pursuit1 and served  him as well as any 
other4 ,to ,m4 ,berthollet he           
wrote1--8,whatever may be  its success1 
it has at least had the good effect of  
making me avoid many  hours of ennui1 by

 employing my hands when ,i could not   
employ my head1 and  given me some      
exercise when ,i could not go out40 ,it 
also pleased him to  see the invention  
growing under his hands as of old1      
though it is possible  that during his  
later years he added but little to the  
machine4 ,indeed1  it seems to have been
 as nearly as possible complete by the  
year #ahag1 if  we may judge by the     
numerous exquisitely-finished specimens 
of reduced  sculpture--busts1           
medallions1 and statuary--laid away in  
the drawers of  the garret at           
,heathfield4 ,he took pleasure in       
presenting copies to his  more intimate 
friends1 jocularly describing them as   
8the productions of  a young artist just
 entering his eighty-third year40       
,shortly after1 the  hand of the cunning
 workman was stopped by death4 ,the     
machine remained  unfinished1 according 
to its author's intentions2 and it is a 
singular  testimony to the skill and    
perseverance of a man who had           

accomplished so  much1 that it is almost
 his only unfinished work4    ,in the   
autumn of #ahai he was seized by his    
last illness4 ,it could scarcely  be    
called a seizure1 for he suffered       
little1 and continued calm and          
tranquil1 in the full possession of his 
faculties1 almost to the last4 ,he  was 
conscious of his approaching end1 and   
expressed from time to time his  sincere
 gratitude to ,divine ,providence for   
the worldly blessings he had  been      
permitted to enjoy1 for his length of   
days1 and his exemption from  the       
infirmities of age4 8,i am very         
sensible10 said he to the mourning      
friends who assembled round his         
deathbed1 8of the attachment you show   
me1 and ,i hasten to thank you for it1  
as ,i feel that ,i am now come to my    
last illness40 ,he parted with life     
quietly and peacefully1 on the #aith of 
,august1 #ahai1 in the eighty-third year
 of his age4 ,he was buried near his    
deceased friend and partner ,mr4        

,boulton1 in ,handsworth ,church4 ,over 
his  remains1 which lie in a side aisle1
 was placed a monument by ,chantrey1    
perhaps his finest work1 justifying the 
compliment paid to the sculptor  that he
 8cut breath20 for when first uncovered 
before the old servants  assembled round
 it at ,soho1 it so powerfully reminded 
them of their old  master1 that they    
8lifted up their voices and wept40      
,watt has been fortunate in his         
monumental honours4 ,the colossal statue
 of  him in ,westminster ,abbey1 also   
from the chisel of ,chantrey1 bears upon
 it  an epitaph from the pen of ,lord   
,brougham1 which is beyond comparison   
the  finest lapidary inscription in the 
,english language2 and among its other  
signal merits1 it has one which         
appertains rather to its subject than   
its author1 that1 lofty as is the       
eulogy1 every word of it is true4#dbd   
,the monument was raised by public      
subscriptions1 initiated at a meeting   
in ,london presided over by the ,prime  

,minister1 and attended by the most     
illustrious statesmen1 men of science1  
men of letters1 and men of art1  of the 
time1 who met for the purpose of        
commemorating in some suitable  manner  
the genius of ,watt4 8,it has ever been 
reckoned one of the chief  honours of my
 life10 says ,lord ,brougham1 8that ,i  
was called upon to pen  the inscription 
upon the noble monument thus nobly      
reared40        #dbd ,the following is  
the inscription3--                      
,,not ,,to ,,perpetuate ,a ,,name       
,,which ,,must ,,endure ,,while ,,the   
,,peaceful ,,arts ,,flourish1           
,,but ,,to ,,show                       
,,that ,,mankind ,,have ,,learned ,,to  
,,honour ,,those                        
,,who ,,best ,,deserve ,,their          
,,gratitude1                            
,,the ,,king1                     ,,his 
,,ministers1 ,,and ,,many ,,of ,,the    
,,nobles                          ,,and 
,,commoners ,,of ,,the ,,realm1         
,,raised ,,this ,,monument ,,to         

,,james ,,watt1                 ,,who   
,,directing ,,the ,,force ,,of ,,an     
,,original ,,genius                     
,,early ,,exercised ,,in ,,philosophic  
,,research                              
,,to ,,the ,,improvement ,,of           
,,the ,,steam-,,engine1                 
,,enlarged ,,the ,,resources ,,of ,,his 
,,country1                              
,,increased ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,man1   
,,and ,,rose ,,to ,,an ,,eminent ,,place
               ,,among ,,the ,,most     
,,illustrious ,,followers ,,of          
,,science1                    ,,and     
,,the ,,real ,,benefactors ,,of ,,the   
,,world4                                
,,born ,,at ,,greenock1 #agcf4          
,,died ,,at ,,heathfield1 ,,in          
,,staffordshire1 #ahai4                 
,illustration3 ,,watt',s ,,statue ,,in  
,,handsworth ,,church4    ,watt was also
 honoured during his lifetime4 ,learned 
,societies were  proud to enrol him     
amongst their members4 ,he was a ,fellow
 of the ,royal  ,societies of ,london   

and ,edinburgh1 a ,foreign ,associate of
 the ,institute of  ,france1 and a      
,member of the ,batavian ,society4 ,the 
,university of ,glasgow  conferred on   
him the degree of ,doctor of ,law4 ,lord
 ,liverpool offered him  a baronetcy2   
but1 consistent with the simplicity of  
his character1 he  declined the honour4 
,he was invited to serve as ,sheriff on 
two occasions1  for ,staffordshire and  
for ,radnorshire2 but he strongly       
pleaded to be  excused undertaking the  
office4 ,he was 8a timid old man10 and  
hoped that  he 8should not have a duty  
imposed upon him that he was totally    
unfit for1  nor have his grey hairs     
weighed down with a load of vexatious   
cares4 ,my  inventions10 he said1 8are  
giving employment to the best part of a 
million  of people1 and having added    
many millions to the national riches1 ,i
 have  a natural right to rest in my    
extreme age40 ,his pleas were in both   
cases  regarded as sufficient1 and he   
was excused the office4           99    

99       99       99       99    ,it is 
altogether unnecessary to pronounce a   
panegyric on the character  and         
achievements of ,james ,watt4 ,this has 
already been done by ,lord ,jeffrey  in 
language that cannot be surpassed4 ,sir 
,james ,macintosh placed him 8at  the   
head of all inventors in all ages and   
nations20 and ,wordsworth the  poet1    
twenty years after his death1 said1 8,i 
look upon him1 considering  both the    
magnitude and the universality of his   
genius1 as perhaps the  most            
extraordinary man that this country ever
 produced3 he never sought  display1 but
 was content to work in that quietness  
and humility1 both  of spirit and of    
outward circumstances1 in which alone   
all that is truly  great and good was   
ever done40    ,watt was himself        
accustomed to speak of his inventions   
with the modesty  of true genius4 ,to a 
nobleman who expressed to him his wonder
 at the  greatness of his achievements1 
he said1 8the public only look at my    

success1 and not on the intermediate    
failures and uncouth constructions      
which have served as steps to enable me 
to climb to the top of the  ladder40    
,watt looked back upon his twenty long  
years of anxiety and labour  before the 
engine succeeded1 and heaved a sigh4    
8,without affecting any  maidenly       
coyness10 he wrote to ,dr4 ,darwin1 who 
proposed to eulogise him  in his        
#8,botanic ,garden1' 8you really make me
 appear contemptible in my  own eyes by 
considering how far short my            
pretensions1 or those of the  invention1
 were of the climax of human            
intellect1--,i that know myself to  be  
inferior to the greatest part of        
enlightened men in most things4 ,if ,i  
have excelled1 ,i think now it has been 
by chance1 and by the neglects of       
others4 ,preserve the dignity of a      
philosopher and historian2 relate the   
facts1 and leave posterity to judge4 ,if
 ,i merit it1 some of my countrymen1    
inspired by the amor patri1 may say1    

#8,hoc a ,scoto factum fuit4'0          
,although the true inventor1 like the   
true poet1 is born1 not made1--and      
although ,watt pursued his inventions   
because he found his highest  pleasure  
in inventing1--yet his greatest         
achievements were accomplished  by      
unremitting application and industry4   
,he was a keen observer and  an         
incessant experimenter4 8,observare0 was
 the motto he deliberately  adopted2 and
 it expresses the principle and success 
of his life4 ,he was  always on the     
watch for facts1 noting and comparing   
them4 ,he took nothing  for granted2 and
 accepted no conclusions save on        
experimental evidence4  8,nature can be 
conquered10 he said1 8if we can but find
 out her weak  side40 ,his patience was 
inexhaustible4 ,he was never baffled by 
failure1  from which he declared that he
 learnt more than from success4 8,it is 
a  great thing10 he once observed to    
,murdock1 8to find out what will not    
do3 it leads to one finding out what    

will do40    8,give me facts10 he once  
said to ,boulton1 8,i am sick of theory3
 give me  actual facts40 ,yet1          
indispensable though facts are1 theory  
is scarcely  less so in invention2 and  
it was probably because ,watt was a     
great  theorist1 that he was a great    
inventor4 ,his invention of the separate
  condenser was itself the result of a  
theory1 the soundness of which he       
proved by experiment4 ,so with the      
composition of water1 the theory of     
which he at once divined from the       
experiments of ,priestley4 ,he continued
  theorising during the whole progress  
of his invention of the steam-engine4   
,new facts suggested new arrangements   
and the application of entirely  new    
principles1 until in course of time the 
engine of ,newcomen became  completely  
transformed4    ,watt's engine was not  
an invention merely--it might almost be 
called a  creation4 8,the part which he 
played10 says ,m4 ,bataille1 8in the    
mechanical  application of the force of 

steam1 can only be compared to that of  
,newton  in astronomy1 and of           
,shakspeare in poetry4 ,and is not      
invention the poetry  of science8 ,it is
 only when we compare ,watt with other  
mechanicians  that we are struck by his 
immense superiority1--when we compare   
him1  for example1 with ,smeaton1 who   
was1 perhaps1 after him1 the man who had
  advanced the farthest in industrial   
mechanism4 ,smeaton began1 about the    
same time as ,watt1 his inquiries as to 
the best means of improving the         
steam-engine4 ,he worked long and       
patiently1 but in an entirely technical 
spirit4 ,while he was working out his   
improvements1 ,watt had drawn forth     
from his fertile imagination all those  
brilliant inventions to which we  owe   
the effective working steam-engine4 ,in 
a word1 ,smeaton knew how to  improve1  
but ,watt knew how to create40#dbe      
#dbe ,e4 ,m4 ,bataille1 #8,trait des    
,machines  ,vapeur4' ,paris1            
#ahdg-i4    ,as for the uses of the     

steam-engine1 they are too widely known 
to stand in  need of illustration4 ,had 
,watt1 at the outset of his career1     
announced to  mankind that he would     
invent a power that should drain their  
mines1 blow  their furnaces1 roll and   
hammer their metals1 thrash and grind   
their corn1  saw their timber1 drive    
their looms and spindles1 print their   
books1 impel  ships across the ocean1   
and perform the thousand offices in     
which steam  is now regularly employed1 
he would have been regarded as an       
enthusiast1  if not as a madman4 ,yet   
all this the steam-engine has done and  
is now  doing4 ,it has widely extended  
the dominion of man over inanimate      
nature1  and given him an almost        
unbounded supremacy over the materials  
which  enter into his daily use4 ,it has
 increased his power1 his resources1 and
  his enjoyments4 ,it is the most       
universal and untiring of               
labourers1--the  steam-power of ,great  
,britain alone being estimated as equal 

to the manual  labour of upwards of four
 hundred millions of men1 or more than  
double  the number of males supposed to 
inhabit the globe4#dbf ,it is1 indeed1  
no  exaggeration to say that the        
steam-engine of ,watt is1 without       
exception1  the greatest invention of   
modern times2 and that it has been      
instrumental  in effecting the most     
remarkable revolution in all departments
 of industry  that the world has ever   
seen4        #dbf ,what the steam-engine
 has done for the ,west is well known4  
,what is yet expected from it in the    
,east may be gathered from        the   
few pregnant words lately uttered by    
,hassan ,ali ,khan1        ,persian     
,ambassador at the ,court of ,france1 at
 the recent        celebration in ,paris
 of a national festival instituted      
nineteen        centuries before the    
birth of ,christ4 ,having recalled the  
minds        of his hearers to the early
 fire worship of his country1 which     
sprang from the primeval idolatry1 he   

proceeded to say that it        was     
still to ,fire that he fondly looked for
 the regeneration        of ,persia4    
,fire had changed the face of ,europe4  
,in the        steam-engine1 the        
railroad1 the electric spark1 the screw 
or        paddle ship1 far more than in 
gunpowder or rifled cannon1 fire        
was the great benefactor that would     
bless one day the land of        his    
forefathers1 who had instinctively      
worshipped that element        in secret
 anticipation of what was to come4      
99       99       99       99       99  
,some months since1 we visited the      
little garret at ,heathfield in which   
,watt pursued the investigations of his 
later years4 ,the room had been         
carefully locked up since his death1 and
 had only once been swept out4          
,everything lay very much as he left it4
 ,the piece of iron he was last         
employed in turning lay on the lathe4   
,the ashes of the last fire were  in the
 grate1 the last bit of coal was in the 

scuttle4 ,the ,dutch oven  was in its   
place over the stove1 and the frying-pan
 in which he cooked  his meal was       
hanging by its accustomed nail4 ,many   
objects lay about  or in the drawers1   
indicating the pursuits which had been  
interrupted  by death1--busts1          
medallions1 and figures1 waiting to be  
copied by  the sculpture-machine1--many 
medallion moulds1 a store of plaster of 
,paris1 and a box of plaster casts from 
,london1 the contents of which  do not  
seem to have been disturbed4 ,here are  
,watt's ladles for melting  lead1 his   
foot-rule1 his glue-pot1 his hammer4    
,reflecting mirrors1 an  extemporised   
camera with the lenses mounted on       
pasteboard1 and many  camera-glasses    
laid about1 indicate interrupted        
experiments in optics4  ,there are      
quadrant-glasses1 compasses1 scales1    
weights1 and sundry boxes  of           
mathematical instruments1 once doubtless
 highly prized4 ,in one place a  model  
of the governor1 in another of the      

parallel motion1 and in a little  box1  
fitted with wooden cylinders mounted    
with paper and covered with  figures1 is
 what we suppose to be a model of his   
proposed calculating  machine4 ,on the  
shelves are minerals and chemicals in   
pots and jars1 on  which the dust of    
nearly half a century has settled4 ,the 
moist substances  have long since dried 
up1 the putty has been turned to stone1 
and the  paste to dust4 ,on one shelf we
 come upon a dish in which lies a       
withered  bunch of grapes4 ,on the      
floor1 in a corner1 near to where ,watt 
sat and  worked1 is a hair-trunk--a     
touching memorial of a long past love   
and a  long dead sorrow4 ,it contains   
all poor ,gregory's school-books1--his  
first  attempts at writing1 his boy's   
drawings of battles1 his first school   
exercises down to his ,college themes1  
his delectuses1 his grammars1  his      
dictionaries1 and his class             
books1--brought into this retired  room1
 where the father's eye could rest upon 

them4 ,near at hand is the              
sculpture-machine1 on which he continued
 working to the last4 ,its wooden       
framing is worm-eaten and dropping into 
dust1 like the hands which made  it4    
,but though the great workman has gone  
to rest1 with all his griefs  and cares1
 and his handiwork is fast crumbling to 
decay1 the spirit of  his work1 the     
thought which he put into his           
inventions1 still survives1  and will   
probably continue to influence the      
destinies of his race for all  time to  
come4    ,illustration3 ,,handsworth    
,,church4    ,,the ,,burial-,,place ,,of
 ,,boulton1 ,,watt1 ,,and ,,murdock4    
,by ,percival ,skelton4                 
,,index4        ,a4      ,,olipile1 the 
,greek1 #f4      ,,adventurers1 the     
,cornish meetings of1 #beh-fj1 #bgc-d1  
#ccb4      ,,albion ,mill scheme1       
#cec-g2      the mill burnt by          
incendiaries1 #ceh-i4      ,,anderson1  
,professor1 ,glasgow1 #aac1 #aai4       
,,arkwright',s patent trial1 #cjb1 #cdg4

      ,,austhorpe ,,engine1 ,leeds1 #fa4
        ,b4      ,,bacon1 ,,roger1 his  
prophecy of steam power1 #d4            
,,banks1 ,sir ,,joseph1 and ,,boulton   
and ,,watt1 #bfg1 #bhf1 #cfi4           
#8,,beelzebub' ,,engine1 ,soho1 #bda1   
#cbf4      ,,beighton1 ,,henry1         
improvements on ,newcomen's engine1 #fg4
      ,,bell1 ,,andrew1 and ,symington's
 steamboat1 #ddi4      ,,bell1          
,,henry1--his #8,comet1' #dec4          
,,berthollet1 ,m41 on chlorine1 #cha4   
,,birmingham1 its ancient industry1     
#afa-c2      ,copper ,company formed1   
#bha-b2      illegal coining1 #chf-g2   
riots at1 #daj-ac4      ,,black1 ,dr41  
intercourse with and friendship for     
,watt1 #aaj-ad1 #abc1          #acb1    
#dfd2      lends ,watt money1 #aej2     
,boulton's intercourse with1 #cbi2      
discovers carbonic acid gas1 #cgb2      
his death1 #dfd2      his character1    
#dfe4      ,,boats1 first constructed of
 iron1 #bac4      ,,boats1 paddle and   
steam1 see ,steam and ,paddle boats4    

,,bonze1 ,cornish engineer1 #bcc-d1     
#bcf2      his atmospheric engine1 #bde1
 #bif1 #cac4      ,,boulton1 ,,matthew1 
,f4,r4,s41 ,birmingham1--his family1    
#afc2      birth and education1 joins   
his father in business1 #afd2      his  
early trade correspondence1 #afe2       
his marriage1 #aff2      his business   
enterprise1 #afg2      removes from     
,snow-hill to ,soho1 #afh2      his aims
 at excellence1 #agj2      his          
distinguished and ,royal patrons1 #aga1 
#agd1 #agf1 #ahj-a2      his artistic   
taste1 #agb2      surpasses ,french art 
manufacturers1 #agc2      makes clocks  
and timepieces1 #agd2      employs      
first-rate artists1 #age2               
corresponds with ,benjamin ,franklin    
concerning his model                    
fire-engine1 #ahb-d2      first meeting 
with ,watt1 #ahf2      takes ,roebuck's 
share in ,watt's engine1 #aig2          
,boulton's qualities1 #aii1 #bjj2       
his friends1 #bja2      his views as to 
engine business1 #bjb-c2      his grief 

at the death of ,dr4 ,small1 #bjh2      
puts ,watt's son to school1 is visited  
by the ,empress of          ,russia1    
#baf2      goes to ,london on financial 
affairs1 #bag2      terms of            
partnership1 #bai2      advice to ,watt 
on his marriage1 #bai-bj2      pressure 
of work1 #bba2      his tubular boilers1
 #bbb1 #bhc2      difficulties1         
financial1 and with his partners1 #bdj1 
#bdg2      raises extra capital1 #bdb2  
his visits to ,cornwall1 raises capital1
 and combats the          adventurers1  
#bdg1 #bfa1 #bgj1 #bgc1 #cag1 #cbj1     
#cca2      his property and financial   
affairs1 #bfb1 #bgg-h1 #cbj1 #cfc-d2    
pushes the letter-copying machine in    
,london1 #bff-g2      has erysipelas1   
#bgj2      his courageous perseverance1 
patience1 and business tact1 #bda1      
#bdi1 #beb1 #bga1 #bgc1 #bgf-g1 #bid2   
his tender regard for ,watt1 and        
encouraging treatment1 #bgb1            
#cja2      organises mining business in 
,cornwall1 #bgc-d2      suggests a      

tooth-cutting machine1 #bhd2      his   
mechanical drawings1 #bhc2      suggests
 horizontal-axled elliptical rotary     
engines for          general uses1 #cjg1
 #cbd1 #cbg2      life in ,cornwall1 his
 scientific tastes1 #cbc1 #cdj-da2      
ill health1 and visit to ,scotland1     
#cbh-i1 #cfe2      his paternal         
affection and domestic enjoyments1      
#cdj-a2      a commercial politician1   
#cdb2      connection with the ,copper  
,company1 #cdi-ej2      hostility       
towards him in ,cornwall1 #cea-b2       
his sympathy with the ,quakers1 #ceb2   
starts the ,albion ,mill scheme1 #cec2  
his depressed spirits1 #cff2      his   
friendships1 #cfg-ga2      turns coiner 
by steam power1 his ,soho mint1 #chi-ii2
      his success in medalling1 #cie2   
contract with ,government for a new     
coinage1 fits up the ,royal             
mint and others1 #cih-i2      ,watt on  
,boulton's merits in coining1 #cii2     
his affectionate nature and generosity1 
#cff1 #dja1 #dje1 #dhg2      paternal   

care for young ,watt1 #djf2             
continued activity1 his water-raising   
machine1 #deg1 #dgd2      his reception 
of burglars at ,soho1 #deh2             
correspondence with ,sir ,w4 ,scott1    
#dei2      failing health1 #dfb1 #dge2  
counsel of friends to give up business1 
#dge-f2      his death and funeral1     
#dgg2      monumental inscription1 his  
qualities and character1 #dgg1 #dgh1    
#dhf1 #dhg2      his workmen's assurance
 society1 #dhj2      his powers for     
organization and business qualities1    
#dha-d2      ,watt's estimate of        
,boulton1 #dhe1 #dhf4      ,,boulton    
,,and ,,watt commence partnership1 #aig2
      prospects of engine business1     
#bjg2      manufacture of engines       
commenced1 #bac-ae2      terms of       
partnership1 #bah-bc2      orders from  
,scotland1 #bai2      ,gainsborough's   
attack on the patent1 #bbb-c2           
difficulties with workmen and engine    
men1 #bbg-h2      ,cornish business1    
#bca1 #bcg2      terms on which engines 

were erected1 #bdc-d2      resistance of
 engine dues1 #bdf1 #bfb2      orders   
from abroad1 #bdi2      their           
altercations with the ,cornish miners1  
#beg-fj1 #cae-af1          #cca-b2      
engines sold1 #bfb2      engine patent  
threatened1 they share in mining        
adventures1          #bgc1 #bgh1        
#bie-cjd2      their voluminous         
correspondence1 #cjg-h2      adverse    
circumstances1 #cae2      dues from     
pumping-engines1 #cag2                  
,hornblowers' opposition1 #cbj2         
miscellaneous engine orders1 #ccc2      
profits commence1 #cfc2      their      
personal friends1 #cfg2      their sons 
join the firm1 #dag-ba2      partnership
 dissolved1 #def4      ,,boulton1 ,m4   
,,robinson1 his education and           
attainments1 #dcc-d2      in ,paris1    
#dje2      returns1 #aghh1 #djh2        
his reception by the ,lunar ,society1   
#djh-i2      settles to business1 #dag2 
his business ability1 #dah-ba4          
,,boulton1 ,m4 ,p4 ,w41 on alleged      

photographic discoveries of ,boulton    
and ,watt1 #chc4      ,,branca',s steam 
machine1 #g4      ,,brougham1 ,,lord1   
opinion of ,watt1 #dij1 #ejc1 #ejg4     
,,burke1 ,,edmund1 opposes ,watt's      
patent-right1 #baj2      denounces ,dr4 
,priestley1 #daj2      also young ,watt1
 #dae4        ,c4      ,,caledonian     
,,canal surveyed by ,watt1 #aeg1 #aig4  
,,calley1 ,,john1 ,dartmouth1 #fc4      
,,campbell1 ,,thomas1 opinion of        
,gregory ,watt1 #dfh4      ,,carron     
,,iron ,,works1 #ach-i1 #cbi1 #ddc4     
,,cartsdyke1 ,greenock1 #hj-b4          
,,cartwright1 ,dr41 and steam           
navigation1 #dej4      ,,caus1 ,,solomon
 ,,de1 his steam apparatus1 #h1 #i1 #bj1
 #ba4      #8,,century of ,inventions1' 
,marquis of ,worcester's1 #aj-af4       
,,charles ,,ii4 and mechanical          
inventors1 #ae1 #bh4      #8,,charlotte 
,,dundas1' steamboat1 of ,symington1    
#ddg4      ,,chacewater ,,mine and      
engine1 #bca2      engine finished1     
#bce2      its working1 #bdb-c4         

,,chlorine1 bleaching by1 #cha4         
#8,,clermont1' the steamboat1 #dec4     
,,clyde1 survey of1 by ,watt1 #aee1     
#aia4      ,,coinage improved by        
,boulton1 #chg-ii4      ,,coining1      
illegal1 #chf2      punishments for1    
#chg4      ,,coins struck at ,soho      
,mint1 #cid4      #8,,comet1' the       
steamboat1 #dec-d4      ,,cooper1 of    
,manchester1 political friend of young  
,watt1 #djh2      they are delegates to 
,paris1 #dad4      ,,copper ,,company   
organized1 #bha-b1 #cdi-ej4             
,,cornish pumping engines1 #df1 #eb1    
#ee1 #fe1 #ge1 #bcj-ca2                 
,chacewater1 #bce1 #bci1 #bdb-c2        
,dalcoath1 #bdf1 #bgj1 #cjf-g2          
,hallamanin1 #bec2      ,huel ,vor1 #ee2
      ,united ,mines1 #bcg1 #bge2       
,poldice1 ,polgooth1 ,tingtang1 ,wheal  
,chance1 ,w4 ,crenver1 ,w4              
,busy1 ,w4 ,maid1 ,w4 ,treasury1 ,w4    
,union1 ,w4 ,virgin1 and                
others1 see passim1 #bce-cbg1 #cci4     
,,cornwall1 early mining in1 #de-dh2    

,savery's engines employed1 #ee2        
,newcomen's1 #fi2      ,watt's engines  
introduced1 #bcj2      life in          
,cornwall1 #bce2      appearance of     
mining districts1 #bcg2      character  
of miners1 #beg-fj2      rain in1 #bfj2 
postal service1 roads1 and weather1     
#cba-c2      wasteful mining1 #cdi2     
riots1 #cea4      ,,corn-,,mill first   
worked by steam1 #cbe4      ,,cosgarne  
,,house1 ,cornwall1 #bge4      ,,cosmo1 
,grand ,duke of ,tuscany1 visit to      
,marquis of ,worcester's water          
engine1 #ai4      ,,counter for steam   
engine1 #bde4      ,,craig1 ,,john1     
,watt's partner1 #abe4      ,,crank     
motion invention stolen1 #bhi4          
,,cromwell and the ,,marquis ,,of       
,,worcester1 #ad4        ,d4            
,,dalrymple1 ,sir ,,john1 and steam     
navigation1 #ddj4      ,,darwin1 ,dr4   
,,erasmus--correspondence with ,boulton1
 #ahd1 #bja2      a ,member of the      
,lunar ,society1 #cfi1 #dfe4            
,,davy1 ,sir ,,humphry1 on gas-lighting1

 #dbi2      and ,gregory ,watt1 #dfh-i2 
,davy on ,gregory's death1 #dgb4        
,,day1 ,,thos41 author of #8,sandford   
and ,merton1' #bja1 #bfc4      ,,dick1  
,dr41 ,glasgow1 #aja1 #ajf1 #aac-ad4    
,,digester1 ,,papin',s1 #cb1 #abj4      
,,dircks1 ,mr41 on ,marquis of          
,worcester's inventions1 #aa1 #bb4      
,,dundas1 ,lord1 and steamboats1 #ddh4  
,,dundonald1 ,lord1 and ,,boulton1 #cbi4
        ,e4      ,,edgeworth1 ,r4 ,l41  
and ,,boulton1 #bja2      and the       
locomotive1 #ccf2      and the ,lunar   
,society1 #cfi-gj4      ,,engine        
,,dues--contests with miners1 #bdc-e1   
#bga1 #caa1 #cae1 #cag1 #cbj1           
#cca-b1 #cci1 #dah-ba4      ,,eginton1  
,,fr41 at ,soho1 #aga2      partnership 
with ,boulton in picture business1 #bfd4
      ,,ewart1 ,,peter1--his opinion of 
,boulton1 #dhf4      ,,expansive        
,,working1 #adf-g1 #bbh-i1 #cjd1 #cjg1  
#caj-aa4        ,f4      ,,fairbairn1   
,,william1 opinion of ,murdock1 #dca-b4 
,,fire ,,and ,,steam ,,engines4 ,see    

,steam engines4      ,,fond1 ,m4 ,,st41 
describes interviews with ,watt and     
,priestley1 #chc-e4      ,,fothergill1  
,,john1 a ,soho partner1 #afi2          
travels on the ,continent for the firm1 
#agb1 #bjd2      his despondency1 #bdj1 
#bdg1 #bfc2      his tenacity1 his      
death1 #bge2      his embarrassments1   
#cad4      ,,franklin1                  
,,benjamin1--correspondence with        
,boulton on steam-engine1               
#ahb-d4      ,,fulton inspects          
,symington's steamboat1 #ddi2      makes
 a model steamboat in ,paris1 #dej2     
applies to ,james ,watt1 jun41 for an   
engine1 #dea2      his #8,nautilus'     
infernal-machine1 #deb2      he fits up 
the #8,clermont' steamer1 #deb4         
,g4      ,,gainsborough1 ,,humphrey1    
attacks ,watt's patent1 #bbb4           
,,garay1 ,,blasco1 and paddle-boats1    
#cf4      ,,gas-,,lighting invented by  
,wm4 ,murdock1 #dbd-g2      ,wintzer's  
wonderful project1 #dbh4      ,,george  
,,iii4 and ,,boulton1 #c1 #agd2         

,watt's interview with the ,king1 #djc1 
#dgf4      ,,glasgow in #aged1 #if-ajj2 
the tobacco lords1 #ih2      the clubs1 
#ii2      drinking habits1 #ajj2        
the ,university and ,professors1 #ajf-h1
 #aac-ae2      the ,green1 #abg4        
,,governor1 ,the1 invented by ,watt1    
#cce4      ,,greenock at end of last    
century1 #hj-d2      improvements1 #he2 
at the rebellion of #agde1 #ic4         
,,gunpowder ,,and ,,steam as powers1 #e4
        ,h4      ,,hamilton             
,,bridge--,james ,watt architect1 #aef4 
,,handsworth ,,church1 near ,birmingham1
 #dgg-h1 #eje1 #ejg1 #ead4              
,,harper',s ,,hill1 ,birmingham1 #bad4  
,,hart1 ,,robert1--,reminiscences of    
,watt1 #adg1 #bbi1 #dbd1 #dii1 #ejj4    
,,heathfield1 ,birmingham1 #dfj1 #dic-e1
 #eab-ac4      ,,hero ,,of ,,alexandria1
 his writings on steam1 #e-g4           
,,hollins1 ,mr41                        
,birmingham1--,reminiscence of ,watt1   
#eje4      ,,hooke1 ,dr41 on the        
,vauxhall hydraulic-machine1 #ai2       

correspondence with ,newcomen1 #fb4     
,,hornblower1 ,,jabez1 and his brothers1
 #bif-g1 #ccb4      ,,hornblower1       
,,jonathan1--,watt's first meeting with1
 #bcb-c2      with his sons1 erects     
engine to supersede ,watt's1 #bif-cjd1  
#cbj-bd1 #cca4      ,,hornblower1       
,,joseph1 erects ,newcomen engines in   
,cornwall1 #ga4      ,,hulls1           
,,jonathan1 of ,campden1 #gb2      his  
steamboat1 #gc2      unsatisfactory     
trial1 his publications1 #gd4           
,,huntsman1 ,,benjamin1 ,sheffield1 and 
,boulton1 #afe4      ,,hutton1          
,,william1 ,birmingham1 #aec1 #afb2     
house destroyed by the rioters1 #dab4   
,j4      ,,joint ,,stock ,,mining in    
,cornwall1 #dg-h4        ,k4            
,,kaltoff1 ,,caspar1 assistant to the   
,marquis of ,worcester1 #aj1 #ac1 #ah1  
#ai4      ,,keir1 ,,jas41 friend of     
,boulton1 #agj1 #bja2      his partner1 
#bfe1 #dji4      ,,kinneil ,,house1     
#adb2      ,watt's workshop1 #adh4      
,l4      ,,latent ,,heat1 #abb-c4       

,,lawson1 ,,james1 on ,boulton's ,mints1
 #cia4      ,,lemon1 ,,william1         
,penzance1 #fi4      ,,letter-,,copying 
,,machines invented by                  
,watt1--partnership1 #bfe4              
,,locomotion ,,by ,,steam1 #ahg2        
patent by ,watt1 #ccc1 #ccg2            
,edgeworth1 #ccf2      ,murdock's model1
 #ccf-g2      ,symington1 #dce-f4       
,,luc1 ,m4 ,,de1 friend of ,boulton and 
,watt1 #cea1 #cfi1 #cgf1 #cha-b1 #cie1  
#dgf4      ,,lunar ,,society ,,of       
,,birmingham1 #cfg-gj2      its         
discussions1 #cge2      alleged         
photographic discovery1 #chb-c2         
demise of the ,society1 its influence1  
#che2      dissolution by deaths1 #dfe4 
,m4      ,,meason1 ,mr41 ,wanlockhead1  
#dce-f4      ,,medals struck at ,soho   
,mint1 #cie-g4      ,,micrometer1       
prismatic1 #aeb4      ,,miller1 ,mr41 of
 ,dalswinton1 propels boats by          
paddle-wheels1 #dcg2      employs       
,symington to make an engine for        
steamboat1 #dci2      its trial1 #ddb2  

orders a second engine1 #ddc2           
another trial1 applies to ,boulton and  
,watt1 #ddd2      their reply1 #dde4    
,,mines1 ,,united ,,district1 ,cornwall1
 #bca4      ,,mint1 ,soho1 #cij1 #cif1  
#djj4      ,,mint1 ,tower ,hill1 fitted 
up by ,boulton1 #cih-i4      ,,mints1   
foreign1 fitted up by ,boulton1 #chi4   
,,monkland ,,canal1--,watt1 engineer1   
#aec-d1 #aid4      ,,morland1 ,sir      
,,samuel1--his fire-engine1 #bi2        
his poverty and blindness1 his death1   
#cj4      ,,murdock1 ,,william1 employed
 by ,boulton and ,watt1 #bec2      his  
character1 early days1 and antecedents1 
#bed2      his interview with ,boulton1 
the wooden hat1 and his                 
engagement1 #bee2      sent to          
,cornwall1 interest in his work1 #bef2  
how he dealt with the bullies1 fights a 
duel with ,captain          ,trevithick1
 #beg2      invents sun-and-planet      
motion1 #cji2      his value and merits1
 #caa-ab1 #ccg-h1 #cfa2      presented  
with an acknowledgment1 #cab2      his  

popularity in ,cornwall1 #cac2          
testimony of ,boulton to his worth1     
#cba2      makes a model locomotive1    
#ccf-dce2      puts ,albion ,mill engine
 to rights1 #cef2      at ,soho1 #djj2  
his loyalty and usefulness to the firm1 
#dbb2      his inventions1 #dbc1        
#dcj-cb2      the ,d slide valve1       
lighting by gas1 #dbd-bh2      his      
steam-gun1 engine cement1 #dca2         
obtains the ,rumford gold medal1 #dbe2  
,mr4 ,fairbairn's opinion of him1       
#dca-c2      his death1 #dcc4        ,n4
      #8,,nautilus1' the infernal       
machine1 by ,fulton1 #deb4              
,,newcomen1 ,,thos41 of ,dartmouth1 #ei2
      his house1 #fj2      his family   
and character1 #fa2      his            
improvements on the fire-engine1 #fb-gj2
      correspondence with ,dr4 ,hooke1  
#fb2      ,newcomen engine described1   
#fc-fh2      he erects colliery engines1
 #fh2      supplies pumping-engines for 
,cornwall1 #fi1 #ga1 #gd-e2      his    
obscure end1 #gb4      ,,newcomen       

,,engines1 increased use of for pumping1
 #gd-ge2      they are superseded1 #bge4
      ,,newcomen ,,model at ,glasgow    
,university1 #aai-ba4        ,o4        
8,,old ,,bess0 engine1 ,soho1 #bej1     
#cbf4        ,p4      ,,papin1 ,dr4     
,d41--preference for gunpowder to steam1
 #e2      a ,french refugee1 #ca2       
,curator ,royal ,society1 his digester1 
inventor of the          safety-valve1  
#cb2      proceeds to ,germany1 his     
experiments on water and steam1         
#cc-ce2      his steam-boat1 #cg2       
his misfortunes and death1 #ch4         
,,parallel ,,motion patented by ,watt1  
#ccc-d4      ,,patent-,,right1 attacks  
and defence1 ,watt on patent-right1     
#bhj-a1 #bie1          #cjc2            
combination against1 #cdg2      ,watt1  
junr41 vindicates rights1 #dah4         
,,pickard1 ,,james1 steals ,watt's crank
 motion1 #bhi4      ,,pitt1             
,,william1--,,boulton1 and his          
commercial policy1 #cdb-f2      coinage 
projects1 #chh1 #cic4      ,,port       

,,glasgow piers1 by ,watt1 #aef4        
,,potter1 ,,humphrey1--his invention of 
the 8,scoggan10 #ff4      ,,priestley1  
,dr41 of ,birmingham and the ,lunar     
,society1 #cfi2      his gifts1 #cgj-gb2
      ,boulton's association with him1  
#cgc2      meeting of the ,lunar        
,society1 #dji2      his sympathy with  
its ,french revolutionists1 #daj2       
the new meeting-house and his house at  
,fairhill burnt by a          mob1 #daa2
      grievous loss of his books1       
,,mss41 and apparatus1 #dab2      his   
death1 #dff4      ,,pumping-,,engines4  
,see ,cornish ,pumping-engines4         
,q4      ,,queen ,,charlotte and        
,,boulton1 #agd-e4        ,r4           
,,radstoke1 ,bristol1 ,hornblowers'     
,engine1 #cbb-c4      ,,raglan ,,castle1
 #aj-ab1 #bf4      ,,redruth1 ,cornwall1
 #bcg-h4      ,,rennie1 ,,john1         
engineer1 ,albion ,mill1 #ced4          
,,reynolds1 ,mr41 of ,ketley1 has       
,watt's first rotary engine1 #cbg4      
,,robinson ,,family1 ,the1 #aff4        

,,robison1 ,professor1--his intercourse 
with ,watt1 #aac-ad2      his voyagings1
 his estimate of ,watt1 #aae-af1 #aah1  
#aba1 #acj-ca2      idea of a           
locomotive1 #ccf2      incident in class
 on his return from ,watt's patent      
trial1          #dfc-d2      his death1 
#dgb-c4      ,,roebuck1 ,dr41--,carron  
,works and coal mining adventures1 #ach2
      correspondence with ,watt1 #aci2  
terms of partnership with ,watt1 #ada2  
his house at ,kinneil1 #adb2      his   
embarrassments1 #aej2      his patent   
for alkali manufacture1 #aeb2      his  
ruin1 #aeh2      correspondence with    
,boulton1 #ahe1 #ahi1 #aib2             
arrangement to transfer his share in    
,watt's engine to ,boulton1             
#aij2      his share transferred1       
#aie-g1 #bjd4      ,,rotary ,,motion1   
#bhf2      ,watt employs the crank1     
#bhg2      the invention stolen1 #bhi1  
#bic1 #bii-cja1 #cji-aj1 #cai1 #cbe-g4  
,,russia1 ,empress of1 visit to         
,boulton1 #baf4        ,s4              

,,savery1 ,,captain ,,thomas1 his       
family1 #dj2      early life1 study of  
mechanics1 #da2      his clocks1 machine
 for polishing plate glass1 his paddle  
boat1 #db1 #dc2      opposed by the     
,navy ,board1 #dc2      his 8,navigation
 ,improved10 #db1 #dd2      his paddle  
yacht on the ,thames1 #dd2      his     
fire-engine1 #dh-ed2      his #8,miner's
 ,friend1' #ej1 #eb2      his engines   
used in ,cornwall1 #ee2      failures of
 engines1 #ef1 #eg2      his later      
years1 death1 and will1 #eh4            
,,schimmelpenninck1 ,mrs41 descriptions 
of meetings of ,lunar ,society1         
c41 #djh-i2      on ,watt's character1  
#ejc4      ,,scott1 ,sir ,w41 on        
gas-lighting1 #dbi1 #dca2      opinion  
of ,boulton1 #dei2      of ,watt1       
#eja-d4      ,,screw-,,propeller        
suggested by ,watt1 #aib4               
,,shelburne1 ,,lord1 opinion of         
,boulton1 #aga4      ,,simson1          
,,professor1 ,glasgow1 #aab-ae4         
,,small1 ,dr41 birth and parentage1     

#ade2      correspondence with ,watt1   
#adf-g1 #aej-ea2      correspondence1   
#ahf-aih2      his attainments1 #bja2   
his death1 #bjh4      ,,smeaton1        
,,james1 engineer1 attracted by the     
atmospheric engine1 #fh2                
improvements on ,newcomen's engine1 #gf2
      adverse opinion of ,watt's engine1
 #bjb2      improves ,york buildings    
engine1 #bag1 #bbf1 #bib1 #eaa4         
,,soho1 ,birmingham1 its situation and  
cost of building1 #afg-gj2      its     
varied manufactures1 #agf2      its     
distinguished visitors1 #agf1 #ahj-a2   
extent of capital and trade1 #agg1 #ahj2
      persons employed and machinery1   
#agi-hj2      ,watt's first visit1 #ahe2
 brisk engine trade1 #cdh1 #cfa2        
workmen tempted to leave1 #bbg2         
training of workmen1 #bbh2              
,prussian spies1 #bej2      loss by     
painting business1 #bfd2                
letter-copying machine business1 #bfe-h1
 #cdi2      steam corn-mill at1 #cbe2   
the mint at1 #cij1 #cif-ii2             

illuminated with gas1 #dbg4      ,,soho 
pictures1 the1 #bfd4      ,,sorbi,,re1  
,m41 on ,marquis of ,worcester's        
inventions1 #ah-bj4                     
,,speaking-,,trumpet invented by ,sir   
,s4 ,morland1 #bi4      ,,steam and     
paddle boats4 ,see ,bell1 ,henry1 #dec2 
,fulton1 #ddi-eb2      ,garay1 #ce1 #cf2
      ,hulls1 #gb-gd2      ,miller1     
#dcg-de2      ,papin1 #cg2      ,savery1
 #cg1 #db-dd2      ,symington1 #dce-di4 
,,steam and fire engines1 improvers of1 
and alleged inventors1 #ge-gf2      see 
also pp4 #f2      ,branca1 #g2          
,caus de1 and ,worcester1 ,marquis of1  
#i-bf2      ,morland1 #bi2      ,savery1
 #di-ed1 #ei2      ,newcomen1 #fc2      
also index entries1 ,boulton1 ,matthew1 
and ,watt1 ,james2      possible        
defects1 #bbd2      ,watt's single      
acting pumping engine1 #bcf4            
,,steam ,,flour-,,mills1 #bia1 #cbe-f1  
#cbg4      ,,steam-,,gun suggested by   
,murdock1 #dca4      ,,steam ,,hammer1  
,watt's1 #cjj4      ,,steam1 its        

employment by the ancients1 its enormous
 power1 #e4      ,,stockdale1 ,mr41 of  
,carke1 visited by ,boulton and ,watt1  
#dai2      describes a visit to ,watt1  
#eje4      ,,stratford-,,le-,,bow       
,,engine1 #bag1 #bbc-f1 #cfi4           
,,strathmore ,,canal surveyed by ,watt1 
#aee4      8,,sun ,,and ,,planet0       
motion1 #cji4      ,,sycamore ,,hill1   
,handsworth1 ,murdock's residence1 #bed4
      ,,symington1 ,,william1 of        
,wanlockhead1--his model locomotive1    
#dce-f2      matriculates at ,edinburgh 
,university1 projects steamboat for     
canals1 #dcf-g2      joins ,mr4 ,miller 
in constructing a steamboat1 #dci2      
his first steamboat engine1 #dda2       
its trial1 #ddb2      makes a second    
engine for ,mr4 ,miller1 #ddc2          
another trial1 #ddd2      fits up the   
#8,charlotte ,dundas1' his adversity and
 death1 #ddi4        ,t4                
,,telescope ,,for ,,measuring           
,,distances1 invention of ,watt1 #aea4  
,,tilt-,,hammer worked by steam1 patent 

by ,watt1 #cja1 #cbe1 #ccc4             
,,tobacco ,,trade1 ,glasgow1 #ih-i4     
,,trevithick1 ,captain1 ,watt's         
altercation with1 #beg2      ,murdock   
fights a duel with1 #beg1 #bei1 #bif4   
,,tubular ,,boilers made by ,boulton1   
#bhb-c4        ,u4      ,,united        
,,mines1 ,cornwall1 map1 #bca1 #bfa1    
#bge4        ,v4      ,,vauxhall ,,water
 ,,engine1 c41 #ah1 #be1 #bi4        ,w4
      8,,waggon ,,and ,,horses10        
,birmingham1 #bhh4      ,,walker1       
,,zaccheus1 manager at ,soho1 #afi1     
#djj4      ,,warltire1 ,mr41            
,birmingham1 lecturer1 #cgg4            
,,washborough1 ,,matthew1 of ,bristol1  
#bhi2      ,watt's opinion of him1      
#bia-bic4      ,,water1 composition     
of1--,watt1 ,cavendish1 ,lavoisier1 and 
,priestley1          #cgg-ha4           
,,water-,,raising ,,engines1 #bj-be1    
#bi1 #eb-e1 #fc-i4      ,see also       
,cornish pumping-engines4      ,,watt1  
,,gregory1--his personal beauty and     
brilliant talents1 #dfg-h2      his     

infirm health1 is lodged at ,penzance1  
friendship with          ,humphry ,davy1
 #dfh-i2      his travels1 continued    
illness and death1 #dgj-ga2      ,davy's
 appreciation of ,gregory ,watt1 #dgb4  
,,watt1 ,,james1--the engineer's father1
 #hc2      his varied occupations and   
trade1 #he-f2      he fills important   
public offices1 #hf4      ,,watt1       
,,james1 engineer1 ,f4,r4,s41 c41--his  
ancestry1 #hj2      his birth1 feeble   
constitution1 home education1 #hg2      
his early exhibition of mechanical taste
 and dexterity1 his          precocity1 
#hh2      sent to school1 #hi2          
continual ailments1 taken to ,glasgow1  
gift of storytelling1          #ij2     
sent to ,greenock ,grammar ,school1 #ia2
      love of reading1 #ib2             
recollections of the rebellion1 #ic2    
rambles1 scientific pursuits and        
studies1 #id2      his single sport1    
#ie2      goes to ,glasgow to learn a   
trade1 difficulty in finding a          
master1 #ajj2      proceeds to ,london1 

#aja2      has again difficulty in      
finding a master1 serves a              
watch-maker1 cuts letters in metal1     
finds a master1 #ajb2      his rapid    
progress as                             
mathematical-instrument-maker1 his life 
in ,london1 #ajc2      danger from      
pressgangs1 #ajd2      returns to       
,scotland1 refused permission to        
commence business          in ,glasgow1 
#aje2      finds asylum in the college1 
#ajf2      his shop there1 #ajg2        
his unprofitable business1 sells maps   
and quadrants1 #aji2      makes musical 
instruments1 #aaj2      builds organs1  
#aaa2      his studies1 his club1 his   
intercourse with the professors         
and students1 #aab2      his principal  
associates1 #aac2      ,dr4 ,robison and
 others1 #aad2      ,watt's scientific  
attainments1 #aae2      studies         
chemistry1 #aah2      the ,newcomen     
model1 studies steam1 #aai-aba2      his
 inquiries and experiments1 #abb-abd2   
business improves1 takes a partner1     

#abe2      marries his cousin1 #abf2    
his continued brooding over the         
steam-engine1 #abg2      walk on        
,glasgow ,green1 a discovery1 #abg-h2   
the separate condenser1 experimental    
apparatus1 #abi-ca2      ,robison and   
,watt1 anecdote1 #aca2      friendship  
with ,dr4 ,black1 #acb2      ,watt's    
air-tight cover1 #acc2      his model   
engine1 #acd2      working engine1 #ace2
      mechanical and financial          
difficulties1 #acf-cg2      ,watt's     
connexion with ,roebuck1 #ach-i2        
begins business as surveyor1 #aci2      
surveys canals1 #adj2      proceeds with
 the engine1 #ada2      visit to        
,roebuck at ,kinneil ,house1 #adb2      
a patent determined on1 #adc2           
strives after improvements1 #add2       
his perseverance1 #ade2      his        
foresight1 #adf2      erects ,newcomen  
engines1 #adg2      trial engine erected
 at ,kinneil1 #adh-i2      dreary       
prospects1 ,roebuck embarrassed1 #aej2  
,watt's minor inventions1 #aea2         

multifarious pursuits1 superintends     
canal works1 #aeb-c2      surveys       
,strathmore ,canal1 #aee2      designs  
,hamilton ,bridge and other engineering 
works1 #aef2      death of ,mrs4 ,watt1 
#aeg2      ,watt visits ,soho1 #ahe2    
first meeting with ,boulton1 and        
correspondence with him and             
,dr4 ,small1 #ahf1 #aij2      ,watt     
resumes surveying1 #aia2      more      
unsuccessful engine experiments1 #aib2  
,monkland ,canal works stopped1 and     
,watt loses employment1 #aid2           
resumed overtures1 ,roebuck's share     
transferred to ,boulton1          and   
commencement of ,boulton and ,watt's    
partnership1 ,watt's          arrival in
 ,birmingham1 #aie-h2      contrast     
between ,boulton and ,watt1 #aii-bjj2   
the engine re-erected at ,soho1 #bjb-d2 
works successfully1 #bje2      inquiries
 for engines1 extension of patent1      
,watt's arguments1          ,act        
obtained1 #bjf-ab2      invited to      
,russia1 #bji2      visits to ,london1  

#bjf-g2      ,bow engine1 #bbd-bf2      
goes to ,cornwall1 his life there1      
describes the adventurers1              
#bca-cd2      unable to wrestle for     
engine-dues1 #bdd-df1 #beg2      fears  
as to financial obligations1 #bdi1 #bfc1
 #bfh1 #bgc1 #bic-d1          #cad1     
#cae1 #cag2      ,watt's imperfections1 
#beh2      his infirm health and        
intolerance of inefficient workmen1     
#bea1          #bfi1 #bgj1 #bgb1 #bgf-g1
 #cjh-i1 #caa-ab1 #caf1 #cdh2           
invents letter-copying machine1 #bfe2   
opinion on patent right1 #bhj-bha2      
rotary motion1 #bhf1 #bic1 #bii-cja1    
#caa1 #cah1 #cbe1 #cbg1 #cei2           
,washborough and ,pickard's piracy1     
#bhh-ic2      invents contrivance for   
stopping engine1 #cjf2      equalising  
beam1 #cjg2      experiments on         
nutgalls1 #cjg2      new patent1 #cjj1  
#cji-caj2      visits ,radstoke about   
,hornblowers' engine1 #cbb-c2      steam
 applied to the tilt-hammer1 #ccc2      
parallel motion1 #ccd2      the         

governor1 #cce2      opinions of free   
commerce1 #cde2      financial caution1 
#cfd-e2      theory on the composition  
of water1 #cgg-ha2      connexion with  
the ,lunar ,society1 #cfg2              
experiments on bleaching by chlorine1   
#cha2      takes pleasure tours1 #djb2  
interview with the king1 #djc2          
fears for his son's safety1 #dae-dag2   
letter on steam-navigation1 #dde2       
his garret-workshop1 #dfj1 #dic1 #die1  
#eac-ad2      search after investments1 
#dfj-fa2      his bereavements1 #dff-gd2
      enjoys retirement1 #dfj1 #dge2    
studies medical chemistry1 #dfg2        
sorrow at the death of ,boulton1 #dhh2  
cheerful occupation of declining years1 
#dhi-ij2      statuary-copying machine1 
#dia2      medallions of his friends1   
#dib2      consulted by the ,glasgow    
,waterworks ,company1 his tours and     
visits1 #dig-h2      ,sir ,w4 ,scott1   
,jeffrey1 ,mrs4 ,schimmelpenninck1 on   
,watt's          character and          
attainments1 #eja-c2      caustic       

criticism by ,watt1 #ejf2      last     
illness and death1 monumental honours1  
#ejg-h2      honours conferred upon and 
offered to him1 #eji2      modest       
estimate of himself1 traits of          
character1 #eaj-ab2      concluding     
reflections1 #eac4      ,,watt1 ,mrs4   
,,james1 #bah2      letters to ,boulton 
about life in ,cornwall1 #bce2          
,watt's distresses1 #bgf-g1 #cjh1 #dge2 
is very particular in domestic affairs1 
#dif4      ,,watt1 ,,james1 junr41--his 
education and attainments1 #djc-d1 #djf2
      ,manchester life and training1 his
 confidence in ,boulton1                
#dje-g2      his political proclivities1
 #djh1 #dag2      a delegate to the     
,jacobin ,club1 #dad2      scene with   
,robespierre1 flees ,paris1 is denounced
 by ,burke in          the ,house of    
,commons1 #dae2      his liberty        
endangered1 #daf2      settles to       
business1 #dag2      his business       
ability1 #dah4      ,,watt1 ,,thomas1   
the engineer's grandfather1 #gi-hb4     

,,wedgwood1 ,,josiah1 and ,,boulton1    
#agb-c1 #bja2      a mining adventurer1 
#bgc2      commercial politics1 #cdc2   
a member of the ,lunar ,society1 his    
delicate and generous          conduct  
towards ,priestley1 #cgd-e1 #dfe4       
,,wilkinson1 ,,john1 of ,broseley1      
constructs the first iron boats1        
#bab-ac2      orders first engine from  
,boulton and ,watt1 #bae2      casts    
cylinders for ,boulton and ,watt1       
#baf-bbd2      a mining adventurer1     
#bgc2      orders rotary engine1 #cah4  
,,william ,,iii4 and ,,savery1 #ej4     
,,withering1 ,dr41 and the ,lunar       
,society1 #bja1 #cfi1 #chc1 #dji1 #dac1 
#dfe4      ,,woodcroft1 ,b41 on ,hero of
 ,alexandria1 #g2      ,marquis of      
,worcester's inventions1 #bc2      steam
 navigation1 #ddh1 #deb4                
,,worcester1 ,,edw41 ,marquis of1--birth
 and family1 early life          and    
studies1 water-commanding steam-engine1 
#8,century of          ,inventions1'    
#aj-ac1 #af-bc2      his escutcheon     

lock1 #ag2      a ,royalist in the civil
 war1 advances money to the king1 #ab2  
his exile and return1 imprisonment in   
the ,tower1 ,college of                 
,artisans at ,vauxhall1 #ac2      his   
poverty1 #ad2      revived hopes1 #ae2  
patented inventions1 #af2               
descriptions of his engine1 #ai2        
seeks access to the king1 #bd2      his 
embarrassments1 #be2      his death1    
#be4      ,,worcester1 ,marchioness     
of1--zeal for her deceased husband's    
honour1          #be1 #bg1 #bh4         
,y4      ,,york ,,buildings ,,engine1   
#bjf2      improved by ,smeaton1 #bag1  
#bbg4      ,,the ,,end4    ,,london3    
,,printed ,,by ,w4 ,,clowes ,,and       
,,sons1 ,,duke ,,street1 ,,stamford     
,,street1 ,,and  ,,charing ,,cross4     
,lately published4 ,by the same ,author4
    ,vols4 ,i4 and ,,ii41 #hvo41 #dbs41 
with #e ,steel ,portraits and #bjj      
,illustrations on ,wood4    ,,lives ,,of
 ,,the ,,engineers2    ,,with ,,an      
,,account ,,of ,,their ,,principal      

,,works1 ,,and ,a ,,history ,,of        
,,inland  ,,communication ,,in          
,,britain4      ,,first ,,series4       
,opinions of the ,press1 c4    8,there  
may be many here who have made          
themselves acquainted with a book  that 
cannot be too widely brought into public
 notice--,i mean the recent  publication
 of a popular author1 ,mr4 ,smiles1     
entitled ,the ,lives of the  ,engineers4
 ,there may be those here who have read 
the ,life of ,brindley1  and perused the
 record of his discouragement in the    
tardiness of his own  mind1 as well as  
in the external circumstances with which
 he determined  to do battle1 and over  
which he achieved his triumph4 ,there   
may be those  who have read the exploits
 of the blind ,metcalfe1 who made roads 
and  bridges in ,england at a time when 
nobody else had learnt to make them4    
,there may be those who have dwelt with 
interest on the achievements of         
,smeaton1 ,rennie1 and ,telford4 ,in    
that book we see of what materials      

,englishmen are made4 ,these men1 who   
have now become famous among us1  had no
 mechanics' institutes1 no libraries1 no
 classes1 no examinations  to cheer them
 on their way4 ,in the greatest poverty1
 difficulties1 and  discouragements1    
their energies were found sufficient for
 their work1 and  they have written     
their names in a distinguished page of  
the history of  their country40--,the   
,right ,hon4 ,w4 ,e4 ,gladstone at      
,manchester4    8,i have just been      
reading a work of great interest1 which 
,i recommend to  your notice--,i mean   
,smiles's ,lives of the ,engineers4 ,no 
more interesting  books have been       
published of late years than those by   
,mr4 ,smiles--his  ,lives of the        
,engineers1 his ,life of ,george        
,stephenson1 and his  admirable little  
book on ,self-,help--a most valuable    
manual40--,sir  ,stafford ,northcote at 
,exeter4    8,we cannot but refer1 in   
passing1 to the captivating and         
instructive  volumes which ,mr4 ,smiles 

has devoted to the ,lives of the        
,engineers1 a  record not before        
attempted of the achievements of a race 
of men who have  conferred the highest  
honour and the most extensive benefits  
on their  country4 #8,who are the great 
men of the present age8' said ,mr4      
,bright a  few nights ago in the ,house 
of ,commons1--#8,not your warriors--not 
your  statesmen2 they are your          
engineers1'0--,edinburgh ,review4    8,a
 chapter of ,english history which had  
to be written1 and which1  probably1 no 
one could have written so well4 ,mr4    
,smiles1 has obtained a  mass of        
original materials4 ,it is not too much 
to say that we now have  an ,engineers' 
,pantheon1 with a connected narrative of
 their successive  reclamations from    
sea1 bog1 and fen2 a history of the     
growth of the inland  communication of  
,great ,britain by means of its roads1  
bridges1 canals1  and railways2 and a   
survey of the lighthouses1 breakwaters1 
docks1 and  harbours constructed for the

 protection and accommodation of our    
commerce  with the world40--,times4     
8,happy alike in the choice of his      
subject and in the treatment he has     
bestowed upon it1 ,mr4 ,smiles has in   
these two delightful volumes made       
another sterling addition to our        
standard literature4 ,the history of    
,english engineering1 which he has here 
traced from the beginning1 forms  an    
essential part of the history of        
,english civilization1 but one which    
had hitherto remained unwritten4 ,the   
men whose lives he has narrated  were   
all men of singular genius1 and         
indomitable energy and perseverance2    
self-taught and self-made for the most  
part1 and impelled by the force of      
their constructive instincts to the     
accomplishment1 without precedents or   
guides1 of works of inestimable national
 importance40--,daily ,news4    8,in two
 handsome volumes1 richly illustrated   
and luxuriously printed1 ,mr4  ,smiles  
begins what is in fact a ,history of the

 results of ,engineering  ,science in   
this country4 ,he puts his history into 
the most interesting  form by developing
 it through successive stories of the   
,lives of the  ,engineers4 ,although his
 subject is one of the most curious and 
important  in the whole history of      
civilization1 and abounds in details    
that are  known to delight even our     
boys1 the ground ,mr4 ,smiles traverses 
is to a  remarkable degree his own      
peculiar possession40--,examiner4       
,lately published4 ,by the same ,author4
    ,vol4 ,,iii41 #hvo41 #bas41 with #b 
,portraits and #gj ,illustrations4      
,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,engineers1 ,,etc4  
,,etc4    ,,second ,,series4      8,mr4 
,smiles's third volume of ,the          
,engineers contains the biographies  of 
,george ,stephenson and his son ,robert4
 ,the life of ,george ,stephenson  is a 
revised edition of the author's previous
 excellent work on the same  subject1   
but it is much more complete1 from the  
circumstance that the  history of       

,george's son and lifelong colleague is 
interwoven with his own4  ,it is        
impossible fully to comprehend either   
without the other4 ,father  and son     
understood one another better than any  
other person could have  understood     
either of them4 ,their ambition was     
alike1 and they perfectly  coincided as 
to the means by which its objects were  
to be accomplished4  ,they were equally 
kindly and generous1 and there never was
 a shadow of  reserve or estrangement   
between them4 ,it is delightful to      
contemplate  these two great men in     
their intercourse with each other1 their
 mutual  and perfect confidence1 the    
laborious paths of discovery which they 
trod  together1 and the brilliant       
combinations of their genius hallowed by
  their strong affection4444 ,this      
volume brings down the subject of       
,british  engineering to the            
establishment of the railway system1 in 
which1 as the  author justly observes1  
#8,british engineers have displayed     

their highest  skill and achieved their 
greatest triumphs4' ,mr4 ,smiles's ,life
 of ,george  ,stephenson is so well and 
so favourably known that we confine     
ourselves  to the simple announcement of
 its appearance in the #8,engineers'    
series  in a greatly improved form1 and 
perfected by being blended with that  of
 ,robert ,stephenson4444 ,this volume is
 a monument to truth1 honour1  and      
integrity1 as the deepest and most solid
 foundations of human  renown40--,daily 
,news4    8,the ,biographical ,history  
of ,british ,engineering would be very  
imperfect  without the lives of the     
,stephensons1 and we must thank ,mr4    
,smiles for  a third volume containing  
the story of the famous father and son1 
,george  and ,robert4 ,the career of    
,george ,stephenson1 indeed1 is already 
familiar  to us through the earlier     
publication of ,mr4 ,smiles1 and the    
greater part  of the present volume may 
be looked upon as a new and enlarged    
edition of  that work2 but1 in the life 

of ,robert1 ,mr4 ,smiles enters upon new
 ground1  and he has produced a         
biography little inferior in interest to
 his former  narrative4 ,as interesting 
it can scarcely be called2 for the      
difficulties  which ,george ,stephenson 
had to encounter were1 by his           
carefulness1 removed  to a great extent 
from the path of his son1 and we are not
 absorbed in  the story of a            
single-handed battle with innumerable   
obstacles4 ,the career  of ,robert      
,stephenson is1 moreover1 so much nearer
 to us than that of his  father1 that it
 was probably impossible to write its   
history with that  fulness of biographic
 detail which presented the very man1   
,george1 before  us1 and gave such a    
charm to the story of his               
life40--,london ,review4    8,it was    
almost necessary1 that the life of      
,george ,stephenson as an  engineer     
should combine itself with that of his  
son1 so closely were  the two mixed up  
in the most remarkable project of their 

lives4 ,robert  ,stephenson has been    
removed by death since his father's     
biography was  first given to the world 
by ,mr4 ,smiles and the author has acted
 very  judiciously in adding to his work
 those special details which are        
required  to furnish forth a complete   
biography of the pair4 ,the keen1 bluff1
  intelligent features of the younger   
,stephenson are finely engraved among   
the illustrations of this volume from a 
photograph by ,claudet4 ,much is        
recorded respecting the man that is of  
great interest over and above the       
information given us as to the          
achievements of the engineer4444 ,this  
book  will be a sterling addition to our
 libraries--adding to its literary and  
human interest the merits of excellent  
typography and fine ornament in  the    
engravings with which it is             
enriched40--,john ,bull4    8,a book    
which has at once the conciseness       
necessary to render it valuable  to the 
professional man1 and the interesting   

character which makes it  acceptable to 
the general reader4444 ,the information 
is so interspersed  with anecdotes and  
interesting notes1 that the work will be
 read with  pleasure by everybody4444   
,mr4 ,smiles has enjoyed the active     
co-operation  of those who were able to 
throw a light upon the subject1         
including ,robert  ,stephenson          
himself40--,mining ,journal4            
,lately published4 ,by the same ,author4
 ,post #hvo4 #fs4    ,,industrial       
,,biography3    ,,iron ,,workers ,,and  
,,tool ,,makers4      8,mr4 ,smiles is  
not only a skilful workman1 but he has  
chosen a new field  of work4 ,hitherto  
the great biographies have been written 
of soldiers  and sailors1 statesmen1    
poets1 artists1 and philosophers4 ,it   
would  seem as if these only were the   
great men of the world1 as if these only
  were the benefactors of mankind1 whose
 deeds are worthy of memory4 ,the       
suspicion has arisen that1 after all1   
there may be other heroes than  those of

 the pen1 the sceptre1 and the sword4   
,there are1 indeed1 men  in various     
walks of life whose footsteps are worthy
 of being traced2  but surely1          
considering what ,england is1 and to    
what we owe most of our  material       
greatness1 the lives of our engineers   
are peculiarly worthy of  being written4
 #8,the true ,epic of our time1' says   
,mr4 ,carlyle1 #8is not  ,arms and the  
man1 but ,tools and the man--an         
infinitely wider kind of  ,epic4' ,our  
machinery has been the making of us2 our
 ironworks have1 in  spite of the       
progress of other nations1 still kept   
the balance in our  hands4 ,smith-work  
in all its branches of engine-making1   
machine-making1  tool-making1 cutlery1  
iron ship-building1 and iron-working    
generally1 is  our chief glory4 ,england
 is the mistress of manufactures and the
 queen of  the world1 because it is the 
land of ,smith2 and ,mr4 ,smiles's      
biographies  are a history of the great 
family of ,smith4444 ,many of the facts 

which  he places before us are wholly   
new1 and are derived from the most      
likely  sources4 ,thus1 ,maudslay's     
partner1 ,mr4 ,joshua ,field1 and his   
pupil1 ,mr4  ,nasmyth1 supplied the     
materials for his biography4 ,mr4 ,john 
,penn supplied  the chief material for  
the memoir of ,clement4 ,and so of the  
other memoirs2  though they necessarily 
go over much well-trodden ground1 they  
contain  also much original information1
 expressed with great clearness1 and    
with a  practised skill which renders   
the reader secure of entertainment in   
every  page40--,times4    8,mr4 ,smiles 
has become the biographer of our        
profession4 ,only the other  day the    
world knew little or nothing of the     
,lives of the ,engineers1  whether of   
this century or the last4 ,there were   
none who1 as authors1  attempted to     
blend with general biographical         
portraiture that popular  reference to  
constructive and mechanical details1    
without which the  life of an engineer  

or an inventor would be either a chapter
 of naked  facts or of indiscriminate   
eulogy4 ,in his ,life of ,george        
,stephenson1  ,mr4 ,smiles showed that  
practical appreciation of the strong    
points of  engineering life which1 with 
his skill and industry as a biographer1 
has given us a new department of        
literature4 ,the great success of that  
book proved that there were many        
thousands who were not only willing  but
 desirous to know something of our      
railway-makers and mechanicians4  ,mr4  
,smiles has since done much in this     
branch of biography1 and in  his present
 book he has grouped together the       
leading incidents of the  professional  
lives of ,dud ,dudley1 ,andrew          
,yarranton1 ,abraham ,darby1  ,richard  
,reynolds1 ,benjamin ,huntsman1 ,henry  
,cort1 ,dr4 ,roebuck1 ,david  ,mushet1  
,j4 ,b4 ,neilson1 ,joseph ,bramah1      
,henry ,maudslay1 ,joseph ,clement1     
,fox of ,derby1 ,matthew ,murray1       
,richard ,roberts1 ,joseph ,whitworth1  

,james  ,nasmyth1 and ,william          
,fairbairn4 ,a few of the subjects of   
these memoirs  are still living1 but    
this1 certainly1 does not render the    
more important  part of their           
history--already accomplished as we may 
believe--the less                       
interesting40--,engineer4    8,this is  
not a very large book1 but it is        
astonishing how much individual1        
conscientious1 and thoroughly original  
research1 has been required for its     
composition1 and how much interesting   
matter it contains which we possess  in 
no other form4 ,mr4 ,smiles rescues no  
name1 but many histories1 from          
oblivion4 ,his heroes are known and     
gratefully remembered for the benefits  
they have conferred on mankind1 but our 
knowledge of our benefactors has        
hitherto been mostly confined to our    
knowledge of the benefit4 ,it was       
reserved for ,mr4 ,smiles to discover in
 the workshop heroes as true as  ever   
hurled their battalions across a        

battle-field1 and to present us  with   
much-enduring1 much-endeavouring1 and   
brave men1 where hitherto we  had been  
content with disembodied1 almost        
meaningless names4 ,the present  work is
 further distinguished1 not indeed from 
its predecessors1 but from  much of the 
current literature1 by the exquisitely  
pellucid ,english1 the  vigorous but    
unobtrusive style1 in which the         
narratives are conveyed4 ,the  value of 
the work before us is doubled1 and the  
time required for perusing  and         
especially for consulting it halved1 by 
the full and minute index in  which its 
contents are tabulated40--,edinburgh    
,daily ,review4          ,lately        
published4 ,by the same ,author4 ,post  
#hvo4 #es4    8,,self-,,help10    ,,ou  
,,caract,,re1 ,,conduite1 ,,et          
,,pers,v,,rance1    ,,illustr,s         
,l',,aide ,,de ,,biographies4           
,,traduit ,,de ,l',,anglais ,,par       
,,alfred ,,talandier1    ,,sur ,,le     
,,texte ,,revu ,,et ,,corrig ,,par      

,l',,auteur4      8,le succs de cet     
ouvrage1 qui s'est rpandu comme par     
enchantement  dans les mains de la      
jeunesse1 dans les bibliothques des     
villes et  des villages1 dans les       
cottages des ouvriers1 est un           
remarquable indice  des tendances du    
gnie anglo-saxon4 ,le titre  lui seul   
est  peu prs  intraduisible3 ,self-,help
 7aide-toi toi-mme74444 ,une grande     
sagesse  qu'on pourrait appeler la      
splendeur du bon sens1 comme ,platon    
dfinissait  le beau la splendeur du     
vrai1 tel est le caractre qui distingue 
surtout  ,self-,help4444 ,la traduction 
de ,m4 ,talandier est  la fois fidle1   
nerveuse et lgante2 elle contribuera    
propager en ,france les saines  ides de 
,m4 ,smiles40--,revue des ,deux ,mondes4
    8,les ,franais1 ns malins1 mais     
trs-ignorants en ce qui touche leurs    
voisins1 viennent de dcouvrir1 aprs dix 
ans d'existence1 un livre  anglais      
classique1 destin  l'ducation des       
enfants4 ,c'est une espce de  morale en 

action1 crite par un homme de haute     
valeur1 qui a d faire de  grands efforts
 pour se mettre  la porte de jeunes     
intelligences4444 ,le  ,self-,help1 ou  
caractre1 conduite et persvrance1 est un
 livre honnte  et srieux qu'on lit      
petits coups1 en le savourant2 il est   
crit pour  les enfants avec une         
simplicit voulue2 il vous dit que la    
pauvret est  sainte1 que l'homme ne doit
 se soucier que de sa conscience2 il    
honore  l'industrie1 enseigne le        
courage1 relve les faibles1 humilie les 
forts1  vous dicte des maximes pour     
toutes les circonstances de la vie1 et  
appuie  tous ses conseils d'une anecdote
 qui sert d'exemple4444 ,voici une      
anecdote   crire en lettres d'or3--,le  
vrai courage4--#8,un officier franais1  
au  combat de cavalerie d',el-,bodon1 en
 ,espagne1 s'avance1 l'pe nue1 sur ,sir 
,fulton ,harvey2 il va le frapper1 quand
 il s'aperoit que son ennemi n'a  qu'un 
bras2 il s'arrte aussitt1 abaisse son pe
 devant ,sir ,fulton et1  faisant avec  

courtoisie le salut militaire1 part au  
galop4' ,vous voyez  que c'est un livre 
qui lve plus l'me que les ,mmoires d'une
 femme de  chambre60--,le ,monde        
,illustr4    8,le livre de ,m4 ,smiles  
est une nouvelle ,morale en action1 mais
 elle a  l'avantage d'tre complte1      
mthodique1 raisonne1 et surtout         
approprie  aux gots et aux tendances    
modernes4 ,l'origine de cet ouvrage     
mrite  d'tre rapporte1 car c'est le     
meilleur moyen d'en faire connatre le   
caractre4444 ,si nous voulions donner   
une ide du livre1 il nous suffirait  de 
citer la table des matires o se trouvent
 runis les noms des hommes  qui1 fils de
 leurs uvres1 ont le plus servi la      
science1 le plus honor  l'humanit4 ,nous
 nous contentons donc de recommander ce 
volume  tous ceux  qui aiment les beaux 
et bons livres1 mais nous tenons        
toutefois  ajouter  un dernier mot4 ,la 
plupart des ouvrages de morale 7cela est
 triste   dire1 mais vrai71 sont        
ennuyeux2 les auteurs semblent trop     

compter sur le  mrite de leur sujet1 et 
ils ne se donnent pas la peine d'ajouter
 quelques  ornements  la vrit4 ,il en   
rsulte que la svrit de la forme nuit aux
  srieuses qualits du fond1 et que plus 
d'un bon livre reste lettre close  pour 
ceux qui auraient le plus d'intrt  le   
connatre4 ,self-,help est  crit dans un 
genre tout diffrent3 c'est la morale la 
plus pure et la  plus saine prsente sous
 la forme la plus attrayante3 c'est un  
ouvrage  dont la lecture offre1 plus que
 toute autre1 plaisir et                
profit40--,revue  de l',instruction     
,publique4    8#8,ne t'attends qu' toi  
seul1 c'est un commun proverbe1' a dit  
notre  immortel ,lafontaine4 ,cette     
utile vrit vient d'tre mise en lumire1  
ou pour mieux dire1 dveloppe1 dans un   
bon livre anglais dont je veux  vous    
parler4 ,self-,help1 ,s'aider soi-mme1  
c'est ne pas hsiter devant  le travail  
du jour1 c'est rsister  sa paresse1  son
 gosme1  la  pente de ses vices de toute
 sorte1 et en un mot1 se vaincre        

soi-mme4  ,quelle victoire6             
,rappelez-vous ce mot d'un ancien3 #8,si
 tu parviens  te  vaincre toi-mme1 tu   
vaincras le monde4' 444 ,bref1 le       
,self-,help1 qui  vient d'tre traduit en
 franais1 est un plaidoyer loquent en   
faveur  de la confiance en soi-mme1 sans
 orgueil toutefois et sans mpris des    
autres1 et de l'aristocratie humaine et 
sociale du travail dans toutes  ses     
applications4 ,a cur vaillant rien      
d'impossible6 comme s'exprime  la devise
 de ,jacques ,cur1 cite aussi par ,m4   
,smiles4 ,c'est pourquoi un  prsident   
americain1  qui on demandait quelles    
taient ses armoiries1 se  souvenant     
qu'il avait t bcheron dans sa jeunesse1 
rpondit3 #8,une paire  de manches de    
chemise retrousses4' ,je ne sache rien  
de plus beau que  cette mle et          
fortifiante devise4 ,vous qui voulez    
apprendre  quelle cole  se forment les  
hommes1--j'entends de ces tres          
rarissimes que cherchait  ,diogne  la   
lueur de sa lanterne1--lisez et mditez  

le ,self-,help40--,la  ,sentinelle du   
,jura4    8,je veux vous parler ici d'un
 bon livre4 ,les livres abondent2 mais1 
dans  ce fatras de papiers imprims et   
runis en faisceaux de toutes formes et  
de toutes dimensions1  quels signes     
particuliers reconnatrons-nous les  bons
 livres8444 ,m4 ,ampre definissait ainsi
 un grand nombre d'ouvrages  parus en ce
 temps3--#8,ce sont des uvres qui       
intressent et souvent mme  qui          
attachent2 mais1 quand on a fini de     
lire1 on prouve une singulire           
impression3 il semble qu'on ait besoin  
de brosser son habit et de se  laver les
 mains4' ,les bons livres sont une      
nourriture plus ou moins  dlicate1 mais 
saine et fortifiante1 qui procure la    
sant de l'me et de  la conscience4 ,on  
se sent meilleur1 plus heureux mme1     
mesure qu'on  en suit les douces pages1 
et1 plus tard1 c'est avec un esprit     
content  qu'on s'en souvient4 ,il en    
coule1 en effet1 de l'esprance et de la 
foi1 tout ce qu'il nous faut pour tre   

satisfaits du prsent1 et pour  affronter
 paisiblement l'avenir4 ,self-,help est 
un livre prcieux  tous  ces titres1 et  
je ne saurais trop vous le              
recommander4444 ,le livre de  ,m4       
,smiles1 traduit en franais par ,m4     
,alfred ,talandier1 obtiendra tout  le  
succs qu'il mrite1 le succs d'une bonne 
et vertueuse action4444  ,le moraliste  
anglais qui nous occupe a donc prsent au
 public une  suite de biographies1      
trs-courtes1 mais trs-substantielles1   
des  grands hommes qui se sont honors   
par leur travail et qui ont ensuite     
glorifi l'humanit par leur gnie et leurs
 dcouvertes4444 ,quelle  notice         
attachante que celle que ,m4 ,smiles a  
consacre  ces deux hommes  illustres qui
 se sont unis dans une uvre commune et  
dont la gloire  est insparable aussi1   
,richard et ,lenoir6 ,leur double nom a 
t donn1   ,paris1 au boulevard          
,richard-,lenoir6 ,mais tout serait     
citer de ce  curieux assemblage de      
salutaires leons et de profitables      

anecdotes1 o  sont invoqus1 tour  tour1 
,vauquelin1 ,dupuytren1 ,ramus1 ,buffon1
 ,branger1  ,watt1 ,jacquart1 ,papin1   
,robert ,peel1 ,michel-,ange1 ,nicolas  
,poussin1  ,ambroise ,par1 ,shakspeare1 
,saint ,franois ,xavier et ,saint       
,vincent de  ,paul1 ,franklin1 ,walter  
,scott1 ,meyerbeer1 etc4 ,chacun d'eux  
apporte son  tmoignage et vient affirmer
  sa faon que le travail seul est grand1
 que  la patience honnte est seule      
fconde1 que la persvrance et l'esprit de
  conduite sont la vritable alchimie que
 doivent pratiquer et tudier tous  les  
chercheurs d'or40--,le ,moniteur        
,universel du ,soir4    8,le ,self-,help
 ou ,aide-toi toi-mme1 comme on est     
oblig de dire pour  traduire            
littralement ces deux mots anglais1     
c'est le secret de trouver  en          
nous-mmes1 si une volont ferme et un cur
 vaillant nous en rendent  dignes1 des  
ressources et des secours infiniment    
suprieurs  tous ceux  qui pourraient    
nous venir du dehors4444 ,m4 ,samuel    

,smiles1 s'adressant  d'abord  ses      
compatriotes1 leur citait  l'appui de   
ses thories la vie  et les uvres des    
hommes qui1 en ,angleterre1 ont port le 
plus haut la  dignite humaine et pouss  
le plus loin la force de caractre4      
,aujourd  hui que son livre passe en    
,france1 il a chang pour nous la plupart
 de  ces exemples1 et ce sont des noms  
tels que ceux de ,palissy1 de ,papin1   
de ,jacquart1 d',ambroise ,par1 de      
,nicolas ,poussin1 et de                
,richard-,lenoir1  qui lui servent  nous
 convaincre de la vrit de sa doctrine1  
en mme  temps qu'ils font plus fortement
 vibrer en nous le sentiment de         
l'honneur  et de l'amour-propre         
national4 ,l'amour-propre national1 en  
,france comme  en ,angleterre1 n'a pas  
cess d'agir  sa manire sur l'esprit et  
sur  le courage des hommes laborieux    
qui1 voulant honorer avant tout leur    
patrie1 ont honor l'humanit entire4     
,nous ne saurions recommander avec  trop
 d'instances ce recueil intressant1     

instructif et curieux1 moral  au plus   
haut degr1 gros d'anecdotes et          
d'histoires plus mouvantes que  celles  
des romans1 o l'motion est le mieux     
conduite et le mieux amene1  plein      
d'enseignements utiles appuys sur des   
biographies on ne peut plus  concluantes
 et laissant aprs sa lecture une        
impression saine et durable4  ,ce livre 
s'adresse aux travailleurs de tous      
ordres2 sa place est dans  le cabinet de
 l'homme d'tude et dans l'atelier de    
l'ouvrier2 sa place  est surtout dans   
ces bibliothques communales1 dont nous  
apprenons la  cration avec tant de      
plaisir1 et qui font natre en nous tant 
d'espoir4  ,self-,help est du nombre des
 livres utiles qu'une commune doit      
acqurir1  de faon que ceux qui n'ont pas
 les moyens d'avoir une bibliothque     
puissent cependant le lire4 ,on a dit de
 certains ouvrages littraires  qu'ils   
sont une bonne action4 ,self-,help a    
tous les droits  tre ainsi  qualifi et  
dsign au public40--,le ,pays1 ,journal  

de l',empire4          ,lately          
published4 ,by the same ,author4 ,post  
#hvo4 #fs4 each4    ,,james ,,brindley  
,,and    ,,the ,,early ,,engineers4     
,,abridged ,,from #8,,lives ,,of ,,the  
,,engineers4'    ,,story    ,,of        
,,the ,,life ,,of ,,george ,,stephenson1
    ,,containing ,,also ,a ,,memoir ,,of
 ,,his ,,son1 ,,robert ,,stephenson4    
,,abridged ,,from #8,,lives ,,of ,,the  
,,engineers4'      8,we have taken the  
facts in this account of ,brindley from 
a delightful  popular edition of that   
part of ,mr4 ,smiles's #8,lives of the  
,engineers'  which tells of him and of  
the earlier water engineers4 ,of ,mr4   
,smiles's  #8,lives of ,george and      
,robert ,stephenson' there is a popular 
edition as a  companion volume1 and     
therein all may read1 worthily told1 the
 tale of  the foundation and of the     
chief triumphs of that new form of      
engineering  which dealt with water1 not
 by the river-full but by the           
bucket-full1 and  made a few buckets of 

water strong as a river to sweep men and
 their goods  and their cattle in a     
mighty torrent from one corner of the   
country to  another40--,all the ,year   
,round4    8,it would be impossible to  
have selected two more valuable works   
for  general circulation in a cheap     
form1 or to have given the working      
classes  a better incentive1 not to     
#8rest and be thankful' with their      
present  position and attainments1 but  
to become convinced that the path of    
success  is always open to those who1 by
 patience and perseverance1 are         
determined  to pursue it4 ,no one knows 
better than ,mr4 ,smiles how to promote 
this  important object2 and no one is a 
greater benefactor to his fellow men    
than himself1 since by his talent and   
discrimination he incontestably  proves 
how #8,heaven helps those who help      
themselves4'0--,bell's ,weekly          
,messenger4    8,the ,story of the ,life
 of ,george ,stephenson 7including a    
memoir of  his son ,robert ,stephenson71

 is a cheaper and more compact form of a
 work  which1 on its first appearance1  
was received with universal approbation4
  ,now we have it cheaper and           
handier--and better than ever4 ,is it   
not  enough to say this much8 ,could we 
say more8 ,james ,brindley and the      
,early  ,engineers was originally       
published in #8,the ,lives of the       
,engineers4'  ,besides the biography of 
the man who made canals do the great    
carrying  work of the country before    
railways were extended over the length  
and  breadth of the country1 the volume 
contains memoirs of ,sir ,cornelius     
,vermuyden1 who drained the ,fens2 of   
,sir ,hugh ,myddelton1 who brought the  
,new ,river water into ,london2 of      
,captain ,perry1 who stopped a breach in
  the ,thames embankment at ,dagenham3  
and in an appendix we have the life of  
,pierre ,paul ,riquet1 who constructed  
the ,grand ,canal of ,languedoc1 and who
  has been fitly called #8the ,french   
,brindley4' ,two volumes like these     

cannot  fail to be as widely circulated 
as is the reputation of those whom they 
commemorate4 ,they will go through the  
length and breadth1 and into the  nooks 
and corners of the land2 and they       
deserve to go wherever the ,english     
language prevails1 for they are models  
of their kind40--,standard4    8,the    
,life of ,james ,brindley is partly a   
reproduction of the ,life of  ,brindley1
 originally published in the ,lives of  
the ,engineers1 and now  forms a        
companion volume to the ,life of        
,stephenson--the two men having  so much
 in common1 that having read the life of
 one1 we look to the  other with        
increased interest2 what one achieved   
for railways1 the other  achieved for   
canals1 each being great in his         
particular branch4 ,there  are several  
other lives of engineers given--such as 
,sir ,hugh ,myddelton1  ,vermuyden1 and 
,captain ,perry2 and a very curious     
memoir of ,pierre ,riquet1  the ,french 
,brindley1 whose life is incorporated in

 the ,french edition  of ,self-,help    
published in ,paris4 ,as in the ,lives  
of the ,stephensons1  the liberality of 
the publisher is evinced in making the  
work1 though  adapted for the general   
public1 perfect in every respect2 it    
teems with  illustrations of the most   
curious nature1 which evidently1 from   
their  character1 must have been        
collected with infinite labour4 ,no one 
will  read the lives of ,brindley and   
his brother engineers without that glow 
of satisfaction that rises within us    
from feeling that these men were        
thoroughly ,english in every respect1   
and that the works illustrating their   
lives are models also of ,english       
literature40--,news of the ,world4      
,transcriber's ,notes    ,minor         
inconsistencies in punctuation have been
 standardised4 ,all  other original     
errors and inconsistencies have been    
retained1 except  as follows3      ,page
 #cc3  changed #agij to #afij           
7,leipsic1 in #afij4 8,i felt7    ,page 

#ch3  changed befel to befell           
7this calamity befell ,papin's machine7 
,page #dd3  changed ,savory to ,savery  
7,by ,tho4 ,savery1 ,gent4 ,london17    
,page #eb3  removed duplicate #8,a1'    
7a large1 ,a1 and a7    ,page #aaa3     
changed sucessfully to successfully     
7he had successfully repaired an7       
,page #abj3 added missing caption       
7,,papin',s ,,digester47    ,page #abh3 
added 8              7it had been 8by   
chance and7    ,page #agf3 changed      
acromatic to achromatic                 
7exceeding good achromatic telescopes7  
,page #cjd3 changed #agia to #agha      
7#aith ,november1 #agha47    ,page #cae3
 changed fortitute to fortitude         
7up your fortitude and try to7    ,page 
#djd3 changed pains to pain             
7,every pain was taken to7    ,page     
#dcb3 changed isinglas to isinglass     
7substitute for isinglass1 he occupied7 
,page #dch3 changed #8 to 8             
,symington was1 8,why don't you    ,page
 #ddg3 changed ratched to ratchet       

7chains and ratchet-wheels1 as in7      
,page #ddg3 changed elate to elated     
7proportionately elated at the7    ,page
 #dig3 added missing caption            
7,,water-,,pipe ,,in ,,the ,,bed ,,of   
,,the ,,clyde47    ,page #eaf3 changed  
,chasewater to ,chacewater              
7,chacewater ,mine and engine1 #bca27   
,page #eaf3 changed ,chasewater to      
,chacewater              7,chacewater1  
#bce1 #bci1 #bdb-c27    ,page #eag3     
changed ,leman to ,lemon                
7,lemon1 ,william1 ,penzance1 #fi47     
,page #eah3 changed #ebe to #dbe        
7,rumford gold medal1 #dbe27    ,page   
#eai3 changed ,sorbiere to ,sorbire     
7,sorbire1 ,m41 on ,marquis of7    ,page
 #eai3 changed #fg to #cg               
7,papin1 #cg27    ,page #eai3 changed #e
 to #f              7,steam flour-mills1
 #bia1 #cbe-f1 #cbg47    ,page #ebj3    
changed ,sotland to ,scotland           
7returns to ,scotland1 refused          
permission7    ,page #ebj3 changed      
imperfecfections to imperfections       

7,watt's imperfections1 #beh27    ,page 
#eba3 changed ,brosely to ,broseley     
7,wilkinson1 ,john1 of ,broseley1       
constructs7    ,page #eba3 changed      
,savary to ,savery                      
7,william ,,iii4 and ,savery1 #ej47