4 Biographical Account of Dr Wilson, 



physical apparatus which his Lordship had got constructed for 

 himself, and had placed in his library. On the other hand, 

 Mr Wilson was happy in being able to contribute in some de- 

 gree to the amusement of his patron, by constructing thermo- 

 meters of different kinds for him and his friends, with more 

 perfection and elegance than had been hitherto done at Lon- 

 don. 



Near eighteen months elapsed in this way, during which 

 time he conciliated the good-will and esteem of his master, by 

 a faithful and regular discharge of whatever business was com- 

 mitted to his care ; and, in return, he found himself now and 

 then indulged in opportunities of keeping up his connections 

 with persons of a philosophical cast, when his attendance upon 

 the shop or patients could be conveniently dispensed with. 

 Mr Wilson has been often heard to speak of the satisfaction he 

 enjoyed even at this period, and of his perfect contentment with 

 every thing which had then fallen to his lot. But a serenity 

 of temper, and a felicity of disposition, were qualities which 

 eminently distinguished him throughout his whole life. 



While he thus passed his time in what he considered as a 

 comfortable settlement at his first entering upon the world, a 

 circumstance of a very accidental nature occurred, which gave a 

 new direction to his genius, and which in the end led him to an 

 entire change of his profession. This was a transient visit which 

 he happened one day to make to a letter-foundery, along with 

 a friend who wanted to purchase some printing-types. In the 

 course of seeing the common operations of the workmen usu- 

 ally shown to strangers, he was much captivated with the cu- 

 rious contrivances made use of in that business. Some short 

 while afterwards, when reflecting upon what had been shown 

 in the letter-foundery, he was led to imagine that a certain 

 great improvement of the art might possibly be effected, and 

 of a kind, too, that, if successfully accomplished, promised to 

 reward the inventor with considerable emolument. His ideas 

 upon that subject he presently imparted to a friend a little 

 older than himself, who had also come from St Andrews, and 

 who was possessed of a considerable share of ingenuity, con- 

 stancy, and enterprise. The consequence of this was, a reso- 

 lution on the part of both these young adventurers to relin- 



