WATT. 137 



Wilson of Dalham Tower in Westmoreland. In the year 1789 he 

 retired from politics and betook himself to an estate which he had 

 at Calgarth, on the banks of Winandermere, occupying himself in 

 educating his family, and in agricultural improvements, especially 

 planting, for which he received a medal from the Society of Arts in 

 1789. 



Previous to this, in 1786, his friend and former pupil, Mr. Luther, 

 of Ongar in Essex, had left him an estate which he sold for more 

 than 20,OOOZ. Bishop Watson died on the 4th of June, 1816, in his 

 seventy-ninth year. His writings are very numerous and miscella- 

 neous in their character ; some of the more well known are : an 

 * Apology for Christianity,' written in 1776 in answer to Gibbon ; a 

 ' Collection of Theological Tracts, selected from various Authors, 

 for the use of the Younger Students in the University,' in six 

 volumes 8vo., 1785 ; ' Apology for the Bible, in a series of Letters 

 addressed to Thomas Paine,' 1796; and, ' An Address to the People 

 of Great Britain,' which went through fourteen editions, 1798. 



One of the best practical results of his chemical studies was the 

 suggestion which he made to the Duke of Richmond, at that time 

 Master of the Ordnance, respecting the preparation of charcoal for 

 gunpowder, by burning the wood in close vessels, a process very 

 materially improving the quality of the powder, and which is now 

 generally adopted. Anecdotes of the Life of Richard Watson, Bishop 

 of Llandaff, written by himself. London, 1817. Memoir by Dr. 

 Thomas Young, Encyclopaedia Britannica. English Cyclopaedia. 



JAMES WATT, LL.D., F.K.S. L. and K, &c. 



MEMBER OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE. 



Born at Greenock on the Clyde, 1736. Died August 25, 1819. 



To James Watt, philosopher, mechanician, and civil engineer, 

 whose genius perfected the control of one of the greatest revealed 

 powers yet given to man, may well be applied the saying of Wel- 

 lington, " That which makes a great general makes a great artist, 

 the power and the determination to overcome difficulties." Born 

 with a sickly temperament, and prevented thereby from attending 

 school, or indulging in the usual healthy play of children, Watt, un- 

 assisted by others, devoted his time to study, and in retirement and 

 reflection laid the foundation of knowledge destined to bear such 

 ample fruit. In addition to mere book knowledge, he early exhibited 

 a partiality for mechanical contrivances and operations, and this 



