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PROFESSOR PLAYFAIR.

tect Gentleman. Nor was this in him the
result merely of good sense and good temper,
assisted by an early familiarity with good
company, and a consequent knowledge of his
own place and that of all around him. His
good breeding was of a higher descent; and and generous in his affections, he had all that

his powers of pleasing rested on something
- better than mere companionable qualities.- and while his friends enjoyed the free and

With the greatest kindness and generosity of nature, he united the most manly firmness, and the highest principles of honour, -and the most cheerful and social dispositions, with - the gentlest and steadiest affections.

Towards Women he had always the most - chivalrous feelings of regard and attention, and was, beyond almost all men, acceptable and agreeable in their society,-though without the least levity or pretension unbecoming his age or condition: And such, indeed, was the fascination of the perfect simplicity and mildness of his manners, that the same tone and deportment seemed equally appropriate

in all societies, and enabled him to delight the young and the gay with the same sort of conversation which instructed the learned and the grave. There never, indeed, was a man of learning and talent who appeared

in society

so perfectly free from all sorts of pretension or notion of his own importance, or so little solicitous to distinguish himself, or so sincerely willing to give place to every one else. Even upon subjects which he had thoroughly studied, he was never in the least impatient to speak, and spoke at all times without any tone of authority; while, so far from wishing to set off what he had to say by any brilliancy or emphasis of expression, it seemed generally as if he had studied to disguise the weight and originality of his thoughts under the plainest forms of speech and the most quiet and indifferent manner: so that the profoundest remarks and subtlest observations were often dropped, not only without any solicitude that their value should be observed, but without any apparent consciousness that they possessed any.

never failed to manifest the most open scorn
and detestation. Independent, in short, of his
high attainments, Mr. Playfair was one of the
most amiable and estimable of men: Delight-
ful in his manners, inflexible in his principles,
could charm in society or attach in private;
unstudied conversation of an easy and intel-
ligent associate, they had at all times the
proud and inward assurance that he was a
Being upon whose perfect honour and gene-
rosity they might rely with the most implicit
confidence, in life and in death, and of whom
a mean,
it was equally impossible, that, under any cir-
cumstances, he should ever perform
a selfish, or a questionable action, as that his
body should cease to gravitate or his soul to
live!

If we do not greatly deceive ourselves, there
is nothing here of exaggeration or partial feel-
ing, and nothing with which
and honest chronicler would not heartily con-

cur.

an

indifferent

Nor is it altogether idle to have dwelt so long on the personal character of this disthat this personal character has tinguished individual: For we are ourselves persuaded, done almost as much for the cause of science and philosophy among us, as the great talents and attainments with which it was combined, -and has contributed in a very eminent degree to give to the better society of this our city that tone of intelligence and liberality by which it is so honourably distinguished. It is not a little advantageous to philosophy that it is in fashion, and it is still more advantageous, perhaps, to the society which is led to confer on it this apparently trivial distinction. It is a great thing for the country at large,for its happiness, its prosperity, and its renown, that the upper and influencing classes of its population should be made familiar, even in their untasked and social hours, with sound and liberal information, and be taught to know and respect those who have distinguished themselves for great intellectual atThough the most social of human beings, tainments. Nor is it, after all, a slight or and the most disposed to encourage and sym- despicable reward for a man of genius, to be pathise with the gaiety and even joviality of received with honour in the highest and most others, his own spirits were in general rather elegant society around him, and to receive in cheerful than gay, or at least never rose to his living person that homage and applause any turbulence or tumult of merriment; and which is too often reserved for his memory. while he would listen with the kindest indul- Now, those desirable ends can never be efgence to the more extravagant sallies of his fectually accomplished, unless the manners younger friends, and prompt them by the of our leading philosophers are agreeable, heartiest approbation, his own satisfaction and their personal habits and dispositions enmight generally be traced in a slow and tem- gaging and amiable. From the time of Hume in possessing a succession of disperate smile, gradually mantling over his and Robertson, we have been fortunate, in benevolent and intelligent features, ing up the countenance of the Sage with the tinguished men, who have kept up this saluexpression of the mildest and most genuine tary connection between the learned and the fashionable world; but there never, perhaps, so powerfully to philanthropy. It was wonderful, indeed, considering the measure of his own intellect, and was any one who contributed the rigid and undeviating propriety of his own confirm and extend it, and that in times when conduct, how tolerant he was of the defects it was peculiarly difficult, as the lamented in and errors of other men. He was too indul- dividual of whom we are now speaking: And gent, in truth, and favourable to his friends! they who have had most opportunity to ob-and made a kind and liberal allowance for the faults of all mankind-except only faults of Baseness or of Cruelty, against which he

and

Edinburgh, light

serve how superior the society of Edinburgh is to that of most other places of the same size, and how much of that superiority is

owing to the cordial combination of the two aristocracies, of rank and of letters, *-of both of which it happens to be the chief provincial seat,-will be best able to judge of

* In addition to the two distinguished persons mentioned in the text, (the first of whom was, no doubt, before my time,) I can, from my own recol. lection, and without referring to any who are still living-give the names of the following residents in Edinburgh, who were equally acceptable in polite society and eminent for literary or scientific attainments, and alike at home in good company and in learned convocations: -Lord Hailes and Lord Monboddo, Dr. Joseph Black, Dr. Hugh Blair,

the importance of the service he has thus rendered to its inhabitants, and through them, and by their example, to all the rest of the country.

Dr. Adam Fergusson, Mr. John Home, Mr. Joha Robison, Mr. Dugald Stewart, Sir James Hail, Lord Meadowbank, Mr. Henry Mackenzie, Dr. James Gregory, Rev. A. Alison, Dr. Thomas Brown, Lord Webb Seymour, Lord Woodhouselee, and Sir Walter Scott; without reckoning Mr. Horner, the Rev. Sydney Smith, and Mr. George Wilson, who were settled in Edinburga for several years, in the earlier part of the period referred to.

NOTICE AND CHARACTER

OF

JAMES WATT.*

MR. JAMES WATT the great improver of the steam-engine, died on the 25th of August, 1819, at his seat of Heathfield, near Birmingham, in the 84th year of his age.

It

It was our improved Steam-engine, in short, that fought the battles of Europe, and exalted and sustained, through the late tremendous contest, the political greatness of our land. This name fortunately needs no commemo- is the same great power which now enables ration of ours; for he that bore it survived to us to pay the interest of our debt, and to see it crowned with undisputed and unenvied maintain the arduous struggle in which we honours; and many generations will probably are still engaged, [1819], with the skill and pass away, before it shall have gathered "all capital of countries less oppressed with taxaits fame." We have said that Mr. Watt was tion. But these are poor and narrow views the great Improver of the steam-engine; but, of its importance. It has increased indein truth, as to all that is admirable in its finitely the mass of human comforts and enstructure, or vast in its utility, he should joyments; and rendered cheap and accessirather be described as its Inventor. It was ble, all over the world, the materials of wealth by his inventions that its action was so regu- and prosperity. It has armed the feeble hand lated, as to make it capable of being applied of man, in short, with a power to which no to the finest and most delicate manufactures, limits can be assigned; completed the do.

and its power so increased, as to set weight and solidity at defiance. By his admirable contrivance, it has become a thing stupendous alike for its force and its flexibility, -for the prodigious power which it can exert, and the ease, and precision, and ductility, with which that power can be varied, distributed, and applied. The trunk of an elephant, that can pick up a pin or rend an oak, is as nothing to

it.

minion of mind over the most refractory qualities of matter; and laid a sure foundation for all those future miracles of mechanic power which are to aid and reward the labours of after generations. It is to the genius of one man, too, that all this is mainly owing! And certainly no man ever bestowed such a gift on his kind. The blessing is not only universal, but unbounded; and the fabled in

It can engrave a seal, and crush masses ventors of the plough and the loom, who were

of obdurate metal before it-draw out, with- | out breaking, a thread as fine as gossamer, and lift a ship of war like a bauble in the air. It can embroider muslin and forge anchors, cut steel into ribands, and impel loaded vessels against the fury of the winds and waves. It would be difficult to estimate the value of the benefits which these inventions have conferred upon this country. There is no branch of industry that has not been indebted

Deified by the erring gratitude of their rude cotemporaries, conferred less important benefits on mankind than the inventor of our present steam-engine.

This will be the fame of Watt with future generations: And it is sufficient for his race and his country. But to those to whom he more immediately belonged, who lived in his society and enjoyed his conversation, it is not, perhaps, the character in which he will

to them; and, in all the most material, they be most frequently recalled-most deeply nave not only widened most magnificently lamented-or even most highly admired. Inthe field of its exertions, but multiplied a dependently of his great attainments in methousand-fold the amount of its productions.

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chanics, Mr. Watt was an extraordinary, and in many respects a wonderful man. Perhaps no individual in his age possessed so much and such varied and exact information,-had

JAMES WATT.

read so much, or remembered what he had rich and instructive in no ordinary degree: read so accurately and well. He had infinite But it was, if possible, still more pleasing

His

quickness of apprehension, a prodigious memory, and a certain rectifying and methodisung power of understanding, which extracted something precious out of all that was presented to it. His stores of miscellaneous knowledge were immense, and yet less astonishing than the command he had at all times over them. It seemed as if every subject that was casually started in conversation with him, had been that which he had been last occupied in studying and exhausting;such was the copiousness, the precision, and the admirable clearness of the information which he poured out upon it, without effort or

than wise, and had all the charms of famili-
arity, with all the substantial treasures of
knowledge. No man could be more social
in his spirit, less assuming or fastidious in his
manners, or more kind and indulgent towards
all who approached him. He rather liked to
talk-at least in his latter years: But though
he took a considerable share of the conversa-
tion, he rarely suggested the topics on which
it was to turn, but readily and quietly took
up whatever was presented by those around
him; and astonished the idle and barren pro-
pounders of an ordinary theme, by the treas-
ures which he drew from the mine they had

hesitation. Nor was this promptitude and unconsciously opened. He generally seemed,
compass of knowledge confined in any degree indeed, to have no choice or predilection for
10 the studies connected with his ordinary one subject of discourse rather than another;
pursuits. That he should have been minutely but allowed his mind, like a great cyclopædia,
and extensively skilled in chemistry and the to be opened at any letter his associates might
arts, and in most of the branches of physical choose to turn up, and only endeavoured to
science, might perhaps have been conjectur- select, from his inexhaustible stores, what
ed; But it could not have been inferred from might be best adapted to the taste of his
his usual occupations, and probably is not present hearers. As to their capacity he gave
talent for making all things plain,
generally known, that he was curiously learn- himself no trouble; and, indeed, such was his
ed in many branches of antiquity, metaphys- singular
ics, medicine, and etymology, and perfectly clear, and intelligible, that scarcely any one
at home in all the details of architecture, could aware of such a deficiency in his
music, and law. He was well acquainted, presence. His talk, too, though overflowing

too, with most of the modern languages-and
familiar with their most recent literature. Nor
and 93
was it at all extraordinary to hear the great
mechanician and engineer detailing
pounding, for hours together, the metaphys-
ical theories of the German logicians, or criti-
cising the measures or the matter of the Ger-
man poetry.
His ast astonishing memory was aided, no
doubt, in a great measure, by a still higher
and rarer faculty-by his power of digesting

with information, had no resemblance to lecturing or solemn discoursing, but, on the contrary, was full of colloquial spirit and pleasantry. He had a certain quiet and grave humour, which ran through most of his conversation, and a vein of temperate jocularity, which gave infinite zest and effect to the condensed and inexhaustible information, which formed its main staple and characteristic. There was a little air of affected testiness, too, and a tone of pretended rebuke and contraand arranging in its proper place all the infor- diction, with which he used to address his mation he received, and of casting aside and younger friends, that was always felt by them rejecting, as it were instinctively, whatever as an endearing mark of his kindness and was worthless or immaterial. Every concep- familiarity, and prized accordingly, far betion that was suggested to his mind seemed yond all the solemn compliments that ever instantly to take its proper place among its proceeded from the lips of authority. His

voice was deep and powerful,-though he commonly spoke in a low and somewhat monotonous tone, which harmonised admirably with the weight and brevity of his observations; and set off to the greatest advantage the pleasant anecdotes, which he delivered with the same grave brow, and the same calm smile playing soberly on his lips. There was nothing of effort indeed, or impatience, any more than of pride or levity, in his demeanour; and there was a finer expression of reposing strength, and mild self-possession

other rich furniture; and to be condensed into
the smallest and most convenient form. He
never appeared, therefore, to be at all encum-
bered or perplexed with the verbiage of the
dull books he perused, or the idle talk to
which he listened; but to have at once ex-
tracted, by a kind of intellectual alchemy, all
that was worthy of attention, and to have re-
duced it, for his own use, to its true value and
to its simplest form. And thus it often hap-
pened, that a great deal more was learned
from his brief and vigorous account of the
theories and arguments of tedious writers, in his manner, than we ever recollect to have
than an ordinary student could ever have de- met with in any other person. He had in his
rived from the most painful study of the ori- character the utmost abhorrence for all sorts
ginals, and that errors and absurdities be- of forwardness, parade, and pretensions; and,
came manifest from the mere clearness and indeed, never failed to put all such impostures
plainness of his statement of them, which out of countenance, by the manly plainness
might have deluded and perplexed most
of his hearers without that invaluable assist-

ance.

It is needless to say, that, with those vast resources, his conversation was at all times

and honest intrepidity of his language and deportment.

was not

In his temper and dispositions he only kind and affectionate, but generous, and considerate of the feelings of all around hir

1

This happy and useful life came, at last, a gentle close. He had suffered some incor venience through the summer; but was De seriously indisposed till within a few weeki from his death. He then became perfectin aware of the event which was approaching and with his usual tranquillity and benevo lence of nature, seemed only anxious to porn out to the friends around him, the many sources of consolation which were afforde by the circumstances under which it wa about to take place. He expressed his sit cere gratitude to Providence for the length of days with which he had been blessed, and his exemption from most of the infirmities of age; as well as for the calm and cheerful evening of life that he had been permitted t enjoy, after the honourable labours of the

and gave the most liberal assistance and encouragement to all young persons who showed any indications of talent, or applied to him for patronage or advice. His health, which was delicate from his youth upwards, seemed to become firmer as he advanced in years; and he preserved, up almost to the last moment of his existence, not only the full command of his extraordinary intellect, but all the alacrity of spirit, and the social gaiety which had illumined his happiest days. His friends in this part of the country never saw him more full of intellectual vigour and colloquial animation -never more delightful or more Instructive, -than in his last visit to Scotland in autumn 1817. Indeed, it was after that time that he applied himself, with all the ardour of early life, to the invention of a machine for mechanically copying all sorts day had been concluded. And thus, full of of sculpture and statuary;-and distributed years and honours, in all calmness and tran

among his friends some of its earliest performances, as the productions of "a young Brtist, just ente; ing on his eighty-third year!"

quillity, he yielded up his soul, without pang or struggle, and passed from the bosom of his family to that of his God.

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