Memorials of the lineage, early life, education and development of the genius of James Watt

56 MEMORIALS OF
The few preceding paragraphs embody all, unfortunately, that can
be collected of the life and remains of this eldest son of the Mathema-
tician, — John Watt, the early surveyor of the River Clyde. In the
early history of the younger son, James, the only member of the
family who survived, we naturally feel an interest proportional to his
after-relationship to the principal subject of these memoirs.
James appears to have been designed by his father for a more
ordinary sphere of usefulness. While his elder brother's training
might perhaps have been the more elementary and regular of the
two, that of James, there is no reason to doubt, was on a scale suffi-
ciently liberal both for his station and for the times. Besides the
ordinary branches of learning supplied by the parish school of the
day, he received under his father's instructions as much knowledge of
figures, mensuration and geometry, as it was deemed might after-
wards be helpful to him. As might be expected also from the character
of the old " Elder," much care was bestowed on James's moral train-
ing ; while, in the choice for him of a profession, and in seeking to
give to his outset in life a fair direction and aim, the same shrewd
and judicious motives are observable, which have already so often
been remarked in the life of the Mathematician. In choosing for
James some craft or trade in which, equally with his elder brother,
it might reasonably be believed he would rise to some degree of inde-
pendence and usefulness, there is no ground for supposing that his
father intended this to be the ultimate extent, or rather limit, of his
son's business in life. Much more in conformity with the Mathema-
tician's general views is it to believe, that such a course was adopted
with James, as the most direct and most effective method of attaining
the end he had in contemplation, namely, the giving his son a thorough
and practical knowledge of some one trade or calling, to begin with ;
solved to have this interesting map re-engraved, The additions made by the pen of James Watt,
on a slightly reduced scale, for the present work. however, are a fac-simile.