CHAP. VI. DEATH AND CHARACTER. 81 



had 110 difficulty in resisting the most tempting offers 

 which were made to attract him from his own settled 

 course. When pressed 011 one occasion to undertake 

 some new business, and the prospect of a lucrative 

 recompense was held out to him, he called in the old 

 woman who took charge of his chambers at Gray's Inn, 

 and pointing to her said, " Her attendance suffices for all 

 my wants." If urgently called by duty, he was ready 

 with his help ; but he would not be bought. When the 

 Princess Dashkoff urged him to go to Bussia and enter 

 the service of the Empress, she held out to him very 

 tempting promises of reward. But he refused : no 

 money would induce him to leave his home, his friends, 

 and his pursuits in England ; and, though not rich, he 

 had enough and to spare. " Sir," exclaimed the Prin- 

 cess, unable to withhold her admiration, " I honour you ! 

 You may have your equal in abilities perhaps ; but in 

 character you stand alone. The English minister, Sir 

 Kobert Walpole, was mistaken, and my Sovereign has 

 the misfortune to find one Man who has not his price." 



Influenced by the same spirit, Mr. Smeaton, towards 

 the close of his life, believing that he should be rendering 

 a service to his country by publishing an account of the 

 various works in which he had been engaged as an 

 engineer, endeavoured to avoid as much business as he 

 consistently could to devote himself to that work, and 

 eventually determined to retire altogether from the profes- 

 sion ; 2 but the only portion that he lived to complete was 



1 Letter written by Mrs. Dixon, 

 daughter of the engineer, to the Com- 

 mittee of Civil Engineers, dated 30th 

 October, 1797, relative to the life and 

 character of her deceased father. 



of Years to the business of a Civil Engineer, 

 his wishes are now to dedicate the chief 

 part of his remaining Time to the Descrip- 

 tion of the several Works performed under 

 his Direction. The Account he lately pub- 

 lished of the Building of Eddystone Light- 

 house of Stone has been so favourably re- 



Smeaton formally took leave of the 



profession in the following circular : greater" Sense of his Gratitude, than to 



" Mr. Smeaton begs leave to inform his ; continue to employ himself in the way now 



Friends and the Public in general, that : specified. He therefore flatters himself, 



having applied himself for a great number that in not yielding to the many applica- 



VOL. II. G 



Smeaton's ' Reports,' vol. i., p. 28. 



2 A year before his death, Mr. ceived> that he is persuaded he cannot be 



of more service to the Public, or show a 



