17^1. LIFE OF SIR JAMES STEUART. 4^ 



been relinquHlied by the parliament of England, he di- 

 geftt'd his notes and obfcrvations on this important difi 

 quifition into the form of an epiilolavy diflertation, 

 which he tranfmitted to his friend Lord Barrington, 

 and rcfolved, if there had been a congrcfs aflembled, 

 as was once propofed, to adjuft the preliminaries of 

 the general peace in 1763, to have laid his plan before 

 the minifters of the different nations, who were to pre- 

 pare that falutary pacification of the contending powers. 



This epiftolary diflertation Sir James afterwards re- 

 duced, at Coltnefs, in the year 1777, into a form more 

 proper for the public eye, and fent a coirefted copy to 

 a friend, rcferving another for the prefs, which was 

 printed laft year for Stockdale in Piccadilly. 



In this traiEl the author fhews from the inefecTlual 

 attempts that have been made to alter partially, by in- 

 novation, the ftandards of meafures, or v/eights *, 

 that the effedual plan to be adopted, is to depart en- 

 tirely from every meafure whatfoever now known, 

 and to take, ad libitum^ fome new mafs inflead of our 

 pound, fome new length inllead of our ei], fome new 

 Ipace inftead of our acre, and fome new folid inftead 

 of our gallon and bufhel. 



For this purpofe Sir James propofes as the unit, a 

 mafs to be verified with the greateil pofiib'c accuracy, 

 equal in weight to ten thoufandTroy graiiis. 



The pendulum as it fwings at London, to beat fe- 

 conds of time, he propofes to be the meafure of length. 



Sir J;unes, after having laid down his fundamental 

 principles, propofes an ingenious plan for rendering 

 their adoption uuivcrf d all over the world, for the par- 

 ticulars of which, I mufl; refer to the treatife itfelf. 



He propofes that the folemn verification of the ftan- 

 dards (hould take place in London, which, on the 

 und of the acknowledged fame, and ancient fuperi- 

 -i.ty of Rome, once the capital of Europe, I w«uld 



• Perhaps it mi;;ht be made appear that motives of convenience and 

 particular intercfl has (lill more cfteduaUy oppofcd thcl'e reforms, than 

 $hc motive* affigmd ia the text. EJit. 



