Thomas Beddoes to James Watt Jr, 9 March 1798

Dear Sir

I will not lose a post to inform you that the parcel containing the glass from Herculaneum is safely arrived; & that I shall guard it as carefully as if my personal exemption from the pains of the rack depended upon the preservation of the pieces. As I have received Mr Boulton’s favours through your hands, I beg to return my thanks by the same channel. I hope he will believe I feel for the confidence he has reposed in me as I ought. I also am much obliged by the other contents of your letter. We are going on masons, carpenters, jointers &c &c preparing these lectures which you projected. They make some sensation as I understand that a party from Bath means to attend – But I believe the bodies of those whose names are on the paper will go near to fill the room – I wrote you a few lines, the day before yesterday in Mr Barr’s old plaid – I should have mentioned my wish that you w^d order me some well-constructed Argand lamps from Soho sooner, but I suppose such articles are always at hand – I sh^d have them by the 21^st – Did I say how much more light you may get from a contracted chimney? Mine are contracted about ¾ ~~beyond~~ above the bottom.

I think Will: Clayfields fossil is certainly the vitriolated strontian – of course we shall send you some by one of the returned emprunts

Mrs Beddoes wishes to regulate herself by our convenience, at the same time wishing to see of Scotland what she can. But if she must stay in England she would not break her heart, having the alternative of being at Mr Keir’s –

I thought she might keep the main road we rejoining occasionally – She w^d be under the protection of William Sadler & have Maryanne for companion – I sh^d like to know your general idea of a route. I suppose you w^d not traverse Sutherland & Caithness, where there seems none or little opportunity of mineralogical observation – at least so I judge from the perusal of Sinclair’s statist^l reports which I have extracted since I saw you – & think there is a good deal to throw light on the causes of health & disease –

I am dear sir
yours most sincerely

Thomas Beddoes

March 9

Give me joy of the recovery of the famous exp^t I attributed to Mayow It is safe in his writings –

Would you dislike to have your fragment on the discovery of metallic veins read at Bristol – If you have any scruple to let it go out of your hands, I hope & trust you will not in this instance make a sacrifice of your inclination

Address: James Watt Esq Jun^r / Soho / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / Bristol March 9th 1798 // Receipt of Specimens of Ancient Glass // Clayfield’s discovery of vit^d Strontian
MS: LoB MS 3219/6/2/B/68

The full versions of these letters with textual apparatus will be published by Cambridge University Press.