THE LATE PETER EWART, ESQ. 121 
his profession of Civil Engineer, and to enter 
into partnership with that gentleman, in the Cot- 
ton Manufacture. At this period, he became 
known to the late Dr. Currie, of Liverpool, the 
illustrious biographer of Burns; and in the fol- 
lowing interesting letter to Mr. Wilberforce from 
Dr. Currie, is placed on record the deliberate 
judgment, which that sagacious and discriminating 
observer had formed of Mr. Ewart’s talents and 
character. 
“Dr. Currie to W. Wilberforce, Esq. 
‘* Liverpool, 23rd April, 1793. 
“Dear Sir,—If in the long letter, which I 
wrote you two days ago, there appears a good 
deal of unguarded: warmth, the following circum- 
stance will explain, though perhaps not justify it. 
‘“‘] was sitting in my study, on the evening of 
Saturday, reflecting on public affairs, when a 
young man called to drink coffee with me, a manu- 
facturer of Stockport, near Manchester. After 
giving a picture of the general distress there, he 
informed me of his own situation in particular, and 
of the business which brought him to Liverpool. 
‘* He said that the house, of which he is a part- 
