HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 435 



most complex machine, provided he had time, in his previous sur- 

 vey, to settle, in his mind, the several departments, and their rela- 

 tions to each other. In his calculations of the powers of any ma- 

 chine, he performed the requisite operation by a mental process, ia 

 a manner which none knew but himself, and which, perhaps, he was 

 not able to communicate to others \ arid after certain intervals of 

 consideration, he noted down the result in figures ; arid then pro- 

 ceeded to operate upon that result, until at length the complete so- 

 lution was obtained, which was generally right. 

 . Some have said that Mr. Brindley had been so much neglected 

 in early life, as never to have learned to read and write ; and it has 

 also been affirmed, that his aspect was that of an ideot, and his 

 language mean, obscure, arid almost unintelligible. But neither of 

 these facts is well founded. Although he read little^ and wrote 

 le.ss, he had frequent occasion for correspondence with his friends 

 and employers. His countenance was sensible and animated ; but 

 as he was unostentatious in his outward appearance, his dress was 

 always plain. His conversation, on occasions of importance, and 

 among his intimate friends, was instructive and interesting ; and 

 enlivened by the singular genius, and the benevolent and .patriotic 

 spirit for which he was distinguished, and which gave energy to 

 his pursuits. His want of literature, indeed, compelled him to cul- 

 tivate, in an extraordinary degree, the art of memory ; and in 

 order to facilitate the revival, in his mind, of those visible objects 

 and their properties, to which his attention was chiefly directed, 

 he secluded himself from the external impresssions of other objects, 

 in the solitude of his bed. Dr. Wallis, who was eminently distin- 

 guished by the tenaciousness of his memory, so that he could ex- 

 tract the cube root of any number to 100 places of figures in his 

 mind, availed himself, for this purpose, of a similar seclusion. Mr. 

 Brindley died of a diabetes, in consequence of sleeping in a damp 

 bed at Ipstones, on the 27th of September, 1772, in the 56th year 

 of his age, at Turnhurst, in the parish of Wolstanton, Stafford- 

 shire. He was buried at New Chapel, in this county ; and which 

 is a chapel of ease to Wolstanton church. 



The talents of Mr. Brindley were of a singular kind ; and under 

 the patronage of his Grace the Duke of Bridgewater, they had an 

 opportunity of being unfolded and exercised to their full extent, 

 in the execution of works new to this country, and which will per- 

 petuate his fame to future generations. The brief recital which 

 has been given of his stupendous undertakings, will enable the 



