James Watt (1736-1819)

204

      EULOGIUM OF JAMES WATT.

in his presence. His talk, too, though overflowing with
information, had no resemblance to lecturing or solemn
discoursing, but, on the contrary, was full of colloquial
spirit and pleasantry. He had a certain quiet and grave
humour, which ran through most of his conversation,
and a vein of temperate jocularity, which gave infinite
zest and effect to the condensed and inexhaustible in-
formation, which formed its main staple and character-
istic. There was a little air of affected testiness, and
a tone of pretended rebuke and contradiction, with
which he used to address his younger friends, that was
always felt by them as an endearing mark of his kindness
and familiarity,—and prized accordingly, far beyond all
the solemn compliments that ever proceeded from the
lips of authority. His voice was deep and powerful,—
though he commonly spoke in a low and somewhat mo-
notonous tone, which harmonized admirably with the
weight and brevity of his observations, and set off to the
greatest advantage the pleasant anecdotes which he de-
livered with the same grave brow and the same calm
smile playing soberly on his lips. There was nothing of
effort, indeed, or impatience, any more than of pride or
levity, in his demeanour; and there was a finer expres-
sion of reposing strength, and mild self-possession in his
manner, than we ever recollect to have met with in any
other person. He had in his character the utmost ab-
horrence for all sorts of forwardness, parade, and preten-
sion; and, indeed, never failed to put all such impostors
out of countenance, by the manly plainness and honest
intrepidity of his language and deportment.

In his temper and dispositions he was not only kind
and affectionate, but generous, and considerate of the
feelings of all around him, and gave the most liberal as-