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

JAMES WATT. 205
I have named him as a person I have heard spoken of as well qualified
for his office, and have, therefore, supposed he will willingly further
anything which may tend to the improvement of his pupils.
" To my friend, Mr. James Walkinshaw, I shall be obliged to you
to say that I have sent his receipt for the money to Mr. Anderson,
and that I have named him as a guardian, not on account of his
knowledge of the proper books, but as a person who will faithfully
execute the trust reposed in him, to the utmost extent of his power,
— hoping he will excuse my writing to him at present, as I have
written fully to } t ou and Mr. A nderson, and shall write to himself soon.
" Asking your excuse for the liberty I have taken in troubling you
with so many commissions, and begging you will accept and present
to your family Mrs. Watt's and my best compliments, — wishing you
all many happy New- Years, I remain, my dear Sir, your obliged
humble servant, James Watt."
And to Mr. Walkinshaw on the 1 7th : —
"My dear Sir, — On the 13th instant I wrote to Mr. Andrew
Anderson, and sent him the proposals I wish to be made to the
Magistrates concerning my donation of money to purchase books for
the Mathematical School, in which I have taken the liberty to nomi-
nate you a guardian along with Dr. Scott, Mr. Anderson, and Mr.
Watt of Crawfordsdyke, and which I hope you will accept. At the
same time I send your receipt to Mr. Anderson ; so that if the Magis-
trates accept my proposals, he may be enabled to pay them the
money, which you will please to pay to him on his delivering to you
the receipt. As Mr. Anderson and Mr. Watt will shew you the letters
I wrote to them on the 13th, I shall now say no more on this subject
at present.
" We have had a stormy winter, without much frost or snow. Mrs.
Watt has had a good deal of illness, but is now better. I have got