Literature and Commerce. 83 



instruments. The air-pump, electrical, hydrostatical and 

 hydraulic machines cannot be constructed without her in- 

 tervention ; and scarcely a piece of mechanism is formed 

 to which she does not contribute something. 



< In the finer arts the influence of chemistry is very con- 

 spicuous. To her the painter owes most of those colours 

 by which he is enabled to give the resemblances of dis- 

 tinguished personages to the inquiring eye of a grateful 

 posterity ; to place before their view more clearly than 

 words can express the martial deeds of the hero, and the 

 firm virtue of the patriot ; and to represent those beau- 

 teous scenes of nature, to the description of which lan- 

 guage is inadequate. Without chemistry, the fine colour- 

 ing of a Titian could never have delighted the enraptured 

 beholder. Nay, even the works of the philosopher, the 

 historian, and the poet, are indebted to her for their diffu- 

 sion and permanency. 



' To show the advantages arising from this science in 

 all the arts through which they might be traced, would 

 carry me far beyond the limits of my present design. It 

 may be sufficient to point out the connection which sub- 

 sists between chemistry and those manufactures which 

 are the pride and glory of this respectable commercial 

 town. 



1 Bleaching is a chemical operation. The end of it is 

 to abstract the oily and phlogistic parts from the yarn or 

 cloth, whereby it is rendered more fit for acquiring a 

 greater degree of whiteness, and absorbing the particles of 

 any colouring materials to which it may be exposed. 



* The materials for this process are also the creatures of 

 chemistry, and some degree of chemical knowledge is re- 

 quisite to enable the operator to judge of their goodness 



G 2 



