Thomas Beddoes to James Watt, Jr, [6-11 October 1798]
Dear Sir
In the state of your engagements such as I imagine it to be from your last letter and from an expression in Mr Foreman’s letter of the 25th, I fear I have been unreasonable in requesting you to check my report by your journal. I shall not only be satisfied but much obliged by your striking out any errors or (by interlineation) <shortly> supplying any gross deficiencies in my statement –
The public has waited too long for this collection & I think it will be a publication of great consequence to invalids. It is quite ready to send abroad; all but a few concluding reflections of mine and these are prepared for the press – I have left a blank for the fact I subjected to your correction – & I shd be glad to put the <last of the> manuscript into the printer’s hands on Monday or Tuesday – Pray address to me directly – and not through Mr Hare –
We have just changed house. Perhaps you do not recollect that Rodney Place. The houses in it are the best at Clifton and I have bought the best of Rodney Place – I shall soon have a laboratory which I have long greatly wanted –
Davy is here and I do not recollect to have conversed with a person of so great talents for experimental investigations – Papers of his on the chemistry of light & heat are in the press. They will form part 1st of the Western contributions –
I have got a person to make copies of your brass crystals & hope he will enable to return them soon with Wiedenmann
Farewell – keep your health & do not steep your philosophy too deep in the Lethe of business –
Yours very sincerely
Thomas Beddoes
P.S. I hope you liked your strontian – I can now send you more of the striated or rather the fibrous – It is your own lamp that has oiled the letter –
Friday Evg.
I find from Dr Carrick, his physician, that Mr Knox with whom you sometimes dined died of a scarlet fever –
Address: James Watt Esqr Junr / Soho / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / Sepr 1798 / Wants my Case
MS: LoB MS 3219/6/2/B/72