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

190 MEMORIALS OF
CHAPTER V.
CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIS OLD FRIENDS AT GREENOCK RETIREMENT FROM THE
PARTNERSHIP AT SOHO DEATH OF MR. BOULTON DEATH OF HIS SON GREGORY
HIS OCCASIONAL VISITS TO SCOTLAND ZEAL FOR THE PROGRESS OF MECHANICAL
SCIENCE RESOLVES TO FOUND A SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY AT GREENOCK PATRIOTIC
OBJECTS IN THIS DESIGN TO TRANSPLANT A SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE
MECHANICAL ARTS TO HIS NATIVE TOWN.
In the death of the estimable Bailie, the town of Greenock lost the
last of those links which during two generations had perpetuated
among its families the distinguished name of Watt. There still'
remained, however, not a few elements which served, for some years
longer, to keep alive the connexion, and to maintain in some degree
the interest which that connexion was fitted to afford. On the ]3art
of the eminent son, an intimacy between his own and his father's old
friends continued to exist ; and occasional visits were exchanged, and
a correspondence kept up by him, till within a short period of his
death. It is matter of regret that so few of those private letters, so
very small a portion of a correspondence which is known to have been
sufficiently voluminous, seems to have survived. Such fragments,
however, as we have been fortunate enough to collect are here reve-
rently preserved. They belong altogether to the later portion of Mr.
Watt's fife, to that period, consequently, when the ardour of invention
had all but subsided, and the engrossing cares of business had given
place to the grave and more leisurely occupations of the sage. 1 He
had passed considerably his seventieth year. Care had silvered his
1 Mr. Watt retired from business in favour of his sons and Mr. Boultou, junior, in 1800.