NOTE BY W. FAIRBAIRN, F.R.S. F.G.S. 481 



letter, if that theory had actually preceded the letter, and 

 that he would not have been eager to point out this circum- 

 stance in the additions that he made to his friend's Memoir. 



It is well finally to remark, that Watt depended entirely 

 on Blagden's taking care to correct the proofs, and attending 

 to every thing else that could relate to the printing of his 

 Memoir. This is proved by a letter, still existing, addressed 

 to Blagden. Watt saw his Memoir only after it had been 

 printed. 



The notes by Mr. Watt, jun., made part of a manuscript 

 which was sent me by Lord Brougham ; and it is at the ex- 

 press request of my illustrious co-academician that I have 

 had them printed as a useful commentary on his work. 



NOTE BY W. FAIRBAIRN, F.R.S., F.G.S. 



IN writing his historical eulogy of James Watt, the dis- 

 tinguished French philosopher has allowed his partiality for 

 his countrymen to overstep the boundaries within which 

 an impartial writer should be restrained. To associate 

 Dr. Papin as a coadjutor of Watt in the discovery and 

 invention of the steam-engine, is to give to the former a de- 

 gree of prominence to which he is certainly not entitled ; and 

 it is much to be regretted, that men in so high a position 

 as Arago, with minds so imbued with the love of truth, and 

 the desire to award to individual merit the praise justly due 

 to labours in the field of discovery, should be so biassed by 

 love of country as to endeavour to curtail the merits, and to 

 divide the honour which exclusively belongs to one who has 

 done more for practical science, and for the great family of 

 mankind, than any other person since the days of Newton. 



Papin was contemporary with Newton, and laboured in the 

 same field as Savery, in experiments on the effects of steam 



SEC. SER. 21 



