WATT. 141 



Glasgow ; and in 1808 he was elected, first a corresponding, and 

 afterwards a foreign member of the Institute of France. A few 

 years before his death it was intimated to him, by a message from 

 Sir Joseph Banks, that, to use the words of Mr. Muirhead, the 

 highest honour usually conferred in England on men of literature 

 and science namely a baronetcy, was open to him, should he desire 

 it ; but, although Watt felt flattered by this intimation, he deter- 

 mined, after consulting with his son, to decline the honour. 



Five statues have been erected to the memory of this illustrious 

 man, of which number the one in Westminster Abbey, by Chantrey, 

 bears on its pedestal the famous inscription by Lord Brougham : 



NOT TO PERPETUATE A NAME 

 WHICH MUST ENDURE WHILE THE PEACEFUL ARTS FLOURISH 



BUT TO SHEW 



THAT MANKIND HAVE LEARNT TO HONOUR THOSE 

 WHO BEST DESERVE THEIR GRATITUDE 



THE KING 



HIS MINISTERS AND MANY OF THE NOBLES 



AND COMMONERS OF THIS 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. 



Muirhead's Translation of Arago's Historical Eloge of James Watt. 

 London, 1839. Memoir, by his son J. Watt } Encyclopaedia Britan- 

 nica. Quarterly Review t October, 1858. 



