354 JAMES WATT. 
builder, and a merchant ; which unfortunately, about the 
close of his life, did not prevent certain commercial spec- 
ulations from depriving him of a portion of the creditable 
fortune that he had gained before. He died at the age 
of eighty-four, in 1782. 
James Watt, the subject of this essay, was born with 
a very delicate constitution. His mother, whose maiden 
name was Muirhead, gave him his first instruction in 
reading. He learned writing and ciphering from his 
father. He also attended the Grammar School of Gree- 
nock; and thus these humble Scotch seminaries are 
entitled, with just pride, to enroll the name of this cele- 
brated engineer among the pupils that they have formed ; 
as the College of La Fléche boasted of Descartes, as the 
University of Cambridge still cites Newton. 
To be correct, I must add that frequent indispositions 
prevented young Watt from punctually attending the 
public school at Greenock; that during a great portion 
of the year he was confined to his room, and there 
devoted himself to study, without any out-door help. 
As is frequently the case with high intellectual faculties 
destined to yield great results, they began to develop 
themselves in retirement and solitude. 
Watts was too sickly for his parents to think of urging 
him to assiduous occupation. ‘They even left his amuse- 
ments to his free choice. We shall see whether he 
abused this freedom. 
A friend of Mr. Watt’s one day found little James 
lying on the floor, and with a piece of chalk drawing all 
sorts of intersecting lines; whereupon he exclaimed— 
“Why do you allow that child to waste his time—send 
him to the public school!” Mr. Watt answered: “ You 
might have spared us this hasty judgment; before con- 
