James Watt (1736-1819)

         EULOGIUM OF JAMES WATT.

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sistance and encouragement to all young persons who
shewed any indications of talent, or applied to him for
patronage or advice. His health, which was delicate
from his youth upwards, seemed to become firmer as he
advanced in years; and he preserved, up almost to the
last moment of his existence, not only the full command
of his extraordinary intellect, but all the alacrity of spirit
and the social gaiety which had illuminated his happiest
days. His friends in this part of the country never saw
him more full of intellectual vigour and colloquial anima-
tion,—never more delightful or more instructive, than
in his last visit to Scotland in autumn 1817. Indeed,
it was after that time that he applied himself, with all
the ardour of early life, to the invention of a machine for
mechanically copying all sorts of sculpture and statuary,
—and distributed among his friends some of its earliest
performances, as the productions of a young artist just
entering on his 83d year.

This happy and useful life came at last to a gentle
close. He had suffered some inconvenience through
the summer; but was not seriously indisposed till within
a few weeks from his death. He then became perfectly
aware of the event which was approaching; and with
his usual tranquillity and benevolence of nature, seemed
only anxious to point out to the friends around him the
many sources of consolation which were afforded by the
circumstances under which it was about to take place.
He expressed his sincere gratitude to Providence for the
length of days with which he had been blessed, and his
exemption from most of the infirmities of age, as well as
for the calm and cheerful evening of life that he had
been permitted to enjoy, after the honourable labours
of the day had been concluded. And thus, full of years