JAMES WATT. 



BIOGRAPHY READ AT THE PUBLIC MEETING OF THE 

 ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ON THE 8TH OF DECEMBER, 



1834. 



GENTLEMEN, After having waded through a long 

 list of battles, assassinations, plagues, famines, catastro- 

 phes of all sorts presented by the annals of I know not 

 what country, a philosopher exclaimed, " Happy the 

 nation whose history is tedious ! " Why ought we to 

 add, in a literary point of view at least, " Unhappy the 

 man on whom the duty falls to relate the history of a 

 happy people ! " 



If the philosopher's exclamation loses none of its ap- 

 positeness when applied to mere individuals, its counter- 

 part characterizes with equal truth the position of some 

 biographers. 



Such were the reflections that occurred to me, whilst 

 I was studying the life of James Watt, and collecting 

 obliging communications from the relations, friends, and 

 companions of the illustrious mechanic. His life, quite 

 patriarchal, devoted to work, to study, and to meditation, 

 will not afford us any of those striking events the recital of 

 which, sprinkled with judgment among scientific details, 

 relieves their weight. Still I will relate it, if but to 



