M. Arago's Biographical Memoir of James Watt. 243 



Savery entitled his work The Miners' Friend ; bvxt the 

 miners seemed scarcely to appreciate the important compli- 

 ment he paid them. With one solitary exception, none of 

 them ordered his machines. They have only been employed 

 in distributing water over the different parts of the palaces, of 

 country houses, parks, and gardens, and they have not been 

 used to raise water to a higher level than ten or fifteen yards. 

 It ought also to be observed, that the danger of explosion 

 would have been great, if the immense power had been em- 

 ployed, which their inventor contended might be reached. 



Although the practical success of Savery was so far from 

 being satisfactory, yet the name of this engineer should ever 

 hold a very distinguished place in the history of the steam- 

 engine. Individuals, whose whole lives are devoted to labours 

 of a speculative character, are Uttle aware how vast is 

 the interval between a plan, however ably and perfectly 

 formed, and its realization. Not that I allege with a celebrat- 

 ed German philosopher, that Nature always exclaims No ! No ! 

 when we are about to raise any corner of the veil which 

 covers her ; but, prosecuting the metaphor, we may afl&rm, that 

 the enterprise becomes so much the more difficult and deli- 

 cate, that its success is so much the more doubtful, and that it 

 requires both the concurrence of more numerous artists and 

 the employment of a greater number of material elements. In 

 all these respects, and in reference to the epoch in which he 

 lived, no one was placed in more unfavourable circumstances 

 than was Savery. 



Hitherto we have spoken only of machines whose resem 

 blance to the steam-engines of the present day may more or 

 less be disputed. Now, however, we come to the considera- 

 tion of the Modern Steam- Engine^ which performs so import- 

 ant a part in our manufactories and steam-vessels, and is 

 essential in almost every pit and mine. We shall see it com- 

 mence, enlarge, and develop itself, at one time under the 

 inspiration of some celebrated genius, and at another, under 

 the mere spur of necessity ; for " necessity is the mother of 

 invention." 



The first name which we encounter in this new period is 



