rilliantly in this emergency. He was always
sanguine, and encouraged Watt to go forward. October, 1768, he writes:

You are now letting the most active part of your life insensibly
glide away. A day, a moment, ought not to be lost. And you
should not suffer your thoughts to be diverted by any other
object, or even improvement of this [model], but only the
speediest and most effectual manner of executing an engine of a
proper size, according to your present ideas.

Watt wrote Dr. Small in January, 1769, "I have much contrived and little
executed. How much would good health and spirits be worth to me!" and a
month later, "I am still plagued with headaches and sometimes
heartaches." Sleepless nights now came upon him. All this time, however,
he was absorbed in his one engrossing task. Leupold's "Theatrim
Machinarum," which fell into his hands, gave an account of the
machinery, furnaces and methods of mine-working in the upper Hartz.
Alas! the book was in German, and he could not understand it. He
promptly resolved to master the language, sought out a Swiss-German dyer
then settled in Glasgow whom he engaged to give him lessons. So German
and the German book were both mastered. Not bad work this from one in
the depths of despair. It has been before noted that for the same end he
had successfully mastered French and Italian. So in sickness as in
health his demon steam pursued him, giving him no rest.

Watt had a hard piece of work in preparing his first
patent-specification, which was all-important in those early days of
patent "monopolies" as these were considered. Their validity often
turned upon a word or two too much or too little. It was as dangerous to
omit as to admit. Professionals agree in opinion that Watt here
displayed extraordinary ability.

In nothing has public opinion more completely changed than in its
attitude toward patents. In Watt's day, the inventor who applied for a
patent was a would-be monopolist. The courts shared the popular belief.
Lord Brougham vehemently remonstrated against this, declaring that the
inventor was entitled to remuneration. Every point was construed against
the unfortunate benefactor, as if he were a public enemy attempting to
rob his fellows. To-day the inventor is hailed as the foremost of
benefactors.

Notable indeed is it that on the very day Watt obtained his first
patent, January 5th, 1769, Arkwright got his spinning-frame patent. Only
the year b