THE 



EDINBURGH NEW 

 PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNAL. 



Biographical Memoir of James JFatt, one of the Eight Foreign 

 Associates of the Academy of Sciences. By M. Arago, Per- 

 petual Secretary.* 



Gentlemen, — After perusing the long list of battles, assas- 

 sinations, plagues, famines, and direful calamities of all sorts, 

 which the annals of some country presented, a philosopher ex- 

 claimed, " Happy the coimtry whose history is uninteresting !" 

 To this apophthegm another may, with great propriety, be 

 added, at least in a literary point of view, namely, " Hard the 

 task of the man who is called to recount the history of a 

 happy people !'' If the exclamation of the philosopher lose 

 nothing of its force when applied to individuals, its counter- 

 part frequently, with equal truth, characterizes the labour of 

 the biographer. Such has been the nature of my reflections 

 while studying the life of James Watt, and while collecting 

 the kind communications of the relatives, the acquaintances, 



* Several years ago (Dec. 8. 1834), when this Memoir was read to the 

 French Academy of Sciences, we applied for a copy, with the view of trans- 

 lating it for our .Journal, whore already so many of the most classical of the 

 Eloges of Cuvier, Arago, and Flourens had appeared. Our wish was pro- 

 mised to be gratified, but, owing to considerable delay in printing, our copy, 

 altliough the first sent to this country, was not received till lately. Being 

 aware of the universal interest which this remarkable Memoir was to ex- 

 cite, we have not delayed our translation, and have now the pleasure of 

 L'lying before our readers a faithful, and, wo trust, accurate version of the 

 most important Eloge ever written by Arago. 



VOL. XXVII. KG. LIV. OCTOBER 1839. O 



