400 WATT. 



It deserves to be farther mentioned, that Mr. Watt left the 

 correction of the press, and every thing relating to the 

 publishing of his paper, to Sir Charles Blagden. A letter 

 remains from him to that effect, written to Sir Charles Blag- 

 den, and Mr. Watt never saw the paper until it was printed. 



Since M. Arago's learned Eloge was published, with this 

 paper as an Appendix, the Rev. W. Vernon Harcourt has 

 entered into controversy with us both, or, I should rather say, 

 with M. Arago, for he has kindly spared me ; and while I ex- 

 press my obligations for this courtesy of my reverend, learned, 

 and valued friend, I must express my unqualified admiration of 

 his boldness in singling out for his antagonist my illustrious 

 colleague, rather than the far weaker combatant against whom 

 he might so much more safely have done battle. Whatever 

 might have been his fate had he taken the more prudent 

 course, I must fairly say (even without waiting until my fellow 

 champion seal our adversary's doom), that I have seldom seen 

 any two parties more unequally matched, or any disputation in 

 which the victory was so complete. The attack on M. Arago 

 might have passed well enough at a popular meeting at Bir- 

 mingham, before which it was spoken ; but as a scientific inquirer, 

 it would be a flattery running the risk of seeming ironical to 

 weigh the reverend author against the most eminent philo- 

 sopher of the day, although upon a question of evidence 

 (which this really is, as well as a scientific discussion) I might 

 be content to succumb before him. As a strange notion, how- 

 ever, seems to pervade this paper, that everything depends 

 on the character of Mr. Cavendish, it may be as well to repeat 

 the disclaimer already very distinctly made of all intention to 

 cast the slightest doubt upon that great man's perfect good 

 faith in the whole affair ; I never having supposed that 

 he borrowed from Mr. Watt, though M. Arago, Professor 

 Robison,* and Sir H. Davy, as well as myself, have always 



* Encyc. Brit., vol. xviii., p. 808. This able and learned article 

 enters at length into the proofs of Mr. Watt's claims, and it was 

 published in 1797, thirteen years before Mr. Cavendish's death. 



