CHAP, ii.] Life in Bath. 37 



" But every leisure moment was eagerly snatched at for 

 resuming some work which was in progress, without taking 

 time for changing dress, and many a lace ruffle was torn or 

 bespattered by molten pitch, c., besides the danger to 

 which he continually exposed himself by the uncommon 

 precipitancy which accompanied all his actions, of which 

 we had a melancholy sample one Saturday evening, Avhen 

 both brothers returned from a concert between 11 and 12 

 o'clock, my eldest brother pleasing himself all the way 

 home with being at liberty to spend the next da}- (except a 

 few hours' attendance at chapel) at the turning bench, but 

 recollecting that the tools wanted sharpening, they ran 

 with the lantern and tools to our landlord's grindstone 

 in a public yard, where they did not wish to be seen 

 on a Sunday morning. . . . But my brother "William 

 was soon brought back fainting by Alex with the loss of 

 one of his finger-nails. This happened in the winter 

 of 1775, at a house situated near Walcot turnpike, 

 to which my brother had moved at midsummer, 1774. 

 On a grass plot behind the house preparation was 

 immediately made for erecting a twent3 r -foot telescope, 

 for which, among seven and ten foot mirrors then in 

 hand, one of twelve foot was preparing ; this house offered 

 more room for workshops, and a place on the roof for 

 observing. 



" During this summer I lost the only female acquain- 

 tances (not friends) I ever had an opportunity of being very 

 intimate with by Buhner's family returning again to Leeds. 

 For niy time was so much taken up with copying music and 

 practising, besides attendance on my brother when polishing, 

 since by way of keeping him alive I was constantly obliged to 

 feed him by putting the victuals by bits into his mouth. This 

 was once the case when, in order to finish a seven foot mirror, 

 he had not taken his hands from it for sixteen hours toge- 



