468 Memoirs of Mr, Salmon of Woburn . [Dec. 1, 
and the inflexibility of disinterested pa¬ 
triotism, enlisted in the cause of religion 
and liberty ; nor did she see it unmoved. 
The sufferings of her father in his ardour 
for the amelioration of the world, were 
deeply engraven in her memory, and 
caused her heart to glow with a noble en¬ 
thusiasm for all that advances human na¬ 
ture in its progress towards perfection; 
or sustains it on the towering heights 
which it sometimes ascends. The instruc¬ 
tions she received from the transcendant 
erudition and classic elegance,which render¬ 
ed the author of her days so pre-eminently 
capable of appreciating whatever ancient 
genius offers of beautiful or sublime, in¬ 
spired her with the purest and most tasteful 
admiration of the excellent; and though, 
by a modesty most rare, this was never 
ostentatiously displayed, no judgments did 
she pronounce but struck her auditors with 
a sense of her superiority in the delicate 
estimates she made, both of sentiment and 
character. Though the reflection of hav¬ 
ing lost her for ever from our earthly ta¬ 
bernacles, wrings the heart with anguish, 
it was our happy lot to witness her assi¬ 
duous attendance on the sacred duties of 
the temple, where the soul is supported in 
all that adorns and dignifies our nature, by 
the communion we here hold with Heaven, 
and by the august character of the morality 
diffused around from the fountain of light, 
emanating from the divine mind; which 
vivifies those seeds of virtue sown in her 
early days, and renders them imperish¬ 
able. How endearing, how refreshing to 
the heart w 7 hen sickened by the indiffer¬ 
ence of the world to its best interests, to 
behold the Christian mother, surrounded 
by her offspring in those solemn moments, 
when the cares and anxieties of life are sus¬ 
pended, and the whole soul is absorbed in 
the contemplation of God and duty ! Thus, 
by her example and her aid, did she foster 
in her children the nobler qualities of the 
heart, while their minds were imbued 
with the most valuable truths. O loss ir¬ 
reparable to that darling offspring, the ob¬ 
jects of so many pious and anxious cares. 
In her private connexions, her attachment 
to the kindred minds she cherished with 
her affection, was most endearing ; and 
disclosed the value of the principles she 
had imbibed, and the warmth which glow¬ 
ed in her breast. These unions were 
founded on a love of the good, and must 
ever be remembered with exultation ; but 
her family alone, her amiable husband, 
and the circle she honoured and made 
happy with her friendship, can alone speak 
all her worth—can alone paint in all their 
brightness, that truth, simplicity, and sym¬ 
pathising heart, which she inherited from 
one of the most noble-minded of men. 
MEMOIRS OF MR. ROBERT SALMON. 
The useful arts, as depending for their 
improvement on experimental investigations, 
and ingenious applications of scientific prin¬ 
ciples, have rarely sustained a greater loss 
than in the subject of this Memoir. Mr. 
Salmon was born at Stratford-upon-Avon, in 
Warwickshire, in 1763, and was the youngest 
son of the six or seven children of Mr.Wiiliam 
Salmon, a carpenter and builder. After a 
very slender education, Robert S. was placed 
out, at a very early age, with Mr. Grey, an 
attorney, residing near Leicester-fields; 
where, becoming a favourite of his master, 
leisure, and the means were afforded him, of 
supplying, by industrious application to books, 
the previous deficiencies of his education. 
One of his earliest attempts to gain other in¬ 
formation, was that of taking his watch to 
pieces, laying every particle separate, and 
putting them together again. Music next at¬ 
tracted his attentiou. He procured books to 
learn notes—first made a fife—then a flute— 
and lastly a violin, on each of which he played 
above mediocrity. 
A few years afterwards, his father being 
appointed, by the late Mr.Henry Holland, the 
architect, to the superintendence of a large 
house \fhich he had to build in Hampshire, 
the subject ot this Memoir was taken with 
him; and, during the progress of this job, 
was carefully instructed, first in the practical 
operations of the carpenter’s shop, then, suc¬ 
cessively, in drawing, measuring, keeping 
building accounts, and the several other re¬ 
quisites, for a clerk oj the works under an 
architect: in which studies, Mr, R. Salmon’s 
progress and proficiency was such, that soon 
after the death of his father, which happened 
nearly aboutthe time of completing the work 
under his care, Mr. Holland appointed Mr. 
Salmon as one of his clerks of the works, in 
the rebuilding of Carlton House, on which he 
was then engaged. 
A few years attewards, when Mr. Holland 
had begun on the great improvements at Wo¬ 
burn Abbey, Mr. Salmon was, about the year 
1790, removed thither, as his clerk of the 
works ; in which situation, the discerning 
eye of the great Duke of Bedford soon be¬ 
came fixed on Mr, S. as an able and vigilant 
servant, in whose skill and application he 
could place confidence, for maturing and 
carrying into effect those magnificent schemes 
of improvement which had originated in his 
own great mind, and from whose correct 
taste much of their details had been supplied 
in outline. 
When the chief works under Mr. Holland 
were drawing to a close, his Grace made 
with him an arrangement, by which Air. 
Salmon was, about the year 1794, taken into 
the permanent establishment of his Grace at 
Woburn, as his resident architect and me¬ 
chanist; in which latter capacity, Mr. Sal¬ 
mon had then already distinguished himself, 
by contriving and introducing several highly 
ingenious applications of mechanical know¬ 
ledge, in tbe works and business under his 
care. " ,. 
About this time. Mr. Holland bad brought 
over 
