WATT. 385 



alacrity of spirit and the social gaiety which had illu- 

 mined his happiest days. His friends in this part of 

 the country (Edinburgh) never saw him more full of 

 intellectual vigour and colloquial animation, never 

 more delightful or more instructive, than in his 

 last visit in autumn 1817." It was after this period 

 that he invented the machine for copying sculpture. 

 He distributed among his friends some specimens of its 

 performances, jocularly calling them " the productions 

 of a young artist just entering into his eighty-third 

 year." 



In the summer of .the following year, 1819, 1 saw him 

 for the last time, and did not observe any change in his 

 conversation or in his manner ; but I understand that 

 he suffered some inconvenience through the summer ; 

 though, until a few weeks before his death, he was not 

 seriously indisposed. He soon became aware of the event 

 which was approaching, and he seemed only anxious to 

 impress upon his sorrowing family the circumstances cal- 

 culated to minister consolation under the change which 

 must soon take place. He expressed his sincere 

 gratitude to Divine Providence for the blessings which 

 he had been permitted to enjoy, for his length of days, 

 his exemption from the infirmities of age, the calm 

 and cheerful evening of his life passed after the useful 

 labours of its day had closed. He died on the 25th of 

 August, 1819, in his eighty-fourth year. His remains 

 lie buried in Handsworth church, near his residence of 

 Heathfield, and a statue, the work of Chantrey, is there 

 erected to his memory by his son ; and the same filial 

 piety has presented a statue to the College of Glas- 

 gow, in grateful recollection of early patronage. But 

 a truly noble monument is raised to him in West- 



2 c 



