WATT. 387 



with a chisel in our language, little lapidary as it cer- 

 tainly is, will comprehend the extraordinary difficulties 

 of the task, and will show mercy to the failure : 



NOT TO PERPETUATE A NAME 

 WHICH MUST ENDURE WHILE THE PEACEFUL ARTS FLOURISH 



BUT TO SHEW 



THAT MANKIND HAVE LEARNED TO HONOUR THOSE 

 WHO BEST DESERVE THEIR GRATITUDE 



THE KING 



HIS MINISTERS AND MANY OF THE NOBLES 



AND COMMONERS OF THE REALM 



RAISED THIS MONUMENT TO 



JAMES WATT 



WHO DIRECTING THE FORCE OF AN ORIGINAL GENIUS 



EARLY EXERCISED IN PHILOSOPHIC RESEARCH 



TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF 



THE STEAM ENGINE 

 ENLARGED THE RESOURCES OF HIS COUNTRY 



INCREASED THE POWER OF MAN 

 AND ROSE TO AN EMINENT PLACE 



AMONG THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS FOLLOWERS OF SCIENCE 

 AND THE REAL BENEFACTORS OF THE WORLD 



BORN AT GREENOCK MDCCXXXVI 

 DIED AT HEATHFIELD IN STAFFORDSHIRE MDCCCXIX. 



We have been considering this eminent person as 

 yet only in his public capacity, as a benefactor of 

 mankind by his fertile genius and indomitable perse- 

 verance ; and the best portraiture of his intellectual 

 character was to be found in the description of his 

 attainments. It is, however, proper to survey him also 

 in private life. He was unexceptionable in all its 

 relations ; and as his activity was unmeasured, and his 

 taste anything rather than fastidious, he both was 

 master of every variety of knowledge, and was tolerant 

 of discussion on subjects of very subordinate importance 

 compared with those on which he most excelled. Not 



2c2 



