Historical Eloge of James Watt

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J.Murray, 1839 - 261 pages

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Page 170 - It can engrave a seal, and crush masses of obdurate metal like wax before it — draw out, without 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.
Page 29 - A Century of the Names and Scantlings of such Inventions as at present I can call to mind to have tried and perfected...
Page 126 - Enlarged the resources of his country, Increased the power of man, And rose to an eminent place Among the most illustrious followers of science And the real benefactors of the world.
Page 154 - During the last summer also, a friend of mine gave some account of them to M. Lavoisier, as well as of the conclusion drawn from them, that dephlogisticated air is only water deprived of phlogiston ; but at that time so far was M. Lavoisier from thinking any such opinion warranted, that, till he was prevailed upon to repeat the experiment himself, he found some difficulty in believing that nearly the whole of the two airs could be converted into water.
Page 126 - TO HONOUR THOSE WHO BEST DESERVE THEIR GRATITUDE THE KING HIS MINISTERS AND MANY OF THE NOBLES AND COMMONERS OF THE REALM • RAISED THIS MONUMENT TO JAMES WATT WHO DIRECTING THE FORCE OF AN ORIGINAL GENIUS EARLY EXERCISED IN PHILOSOPHIC RESEARCH TO THE IMPROVEMENT...
Page 173 - ... instructive in no ordinary degree ; but it was, if possible, still more pleasing than wise, and had all the charms of familiarity, 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 conversation, he rarely suggested the topics on which it was to turn,...
Page 120 - Watt, the man whose genius discovered the means of multiplying our national resources to a degree perhaps even beyond his own stupendous powers of calculation and combination; bringing the treasures of the abyss to the summit of the earth — giving the feeble arm of man the momentum of an Afrite — commanding manufactures...
Page 201 - THIS fable my lord devised, to the end that he might exhibit therein a model or description of a college, instituted for the interpreting of nature, and the producing of great and marvellous works, for the benefit of men; under the name of Solomon's House, or the College of the Six Days
Page 50 - informed that Mr. Newcomen was as early in his invention. " as Mr. Savery was in his, only the latter, being nearer the " Court, had obtained his Patent before the other knew it, on " which account Mr. Newcomen was glad to come in as a
Page 69 - My attention was first directed in the year 1759 to the subject of steam-engines, by the late Dr Robison himself, then a student in the University of Glasgow, and nearly of my own age. He at that time threw out an idea of applying the power of the steam-engine to the moving of wheel -carriages, and to other purposes, but the scheme was not matured, and was soon abandoned on his going abroad.

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