“ From the same to the same.
“ Manchester, 18tli October, 1787.
“Dear Charles,—X begin on a large sheet without hopes of filling it.
I had a letter from Dr. Black yesterday. He laments the death of Dr.Irvine, very much. Pray, what does Mrs. Irvine intend to do with themuseum and MS. lectures ? My life for it, they will sell well. I thinkwe could dispose of twenty copies here, near as many in Liverpool, andLondon would take off many hundreds. Every F.R.S. who has any ideaor knowledge of chemistry would take a copy. Dr. Black should be con-sulted about the publication. Mr. Macarthur would be a very proper per-son to superintend the printing. I think in Ireland many copies could bosold. If she publishes them, she must not sell the property of the copy-right, unless she gets a round sum, as I think they will go through moreeditions than two. They must not be too prolix, as they are for beginners ;und as much as is applicable to the arts must be thrown in. The museumshould be sold to some old virtuoso, who esteems a curiosity more than gold,and a shell more than refined silver. I shall now drop this subject, onlyadding, that the work may be published by subscription. So your magis ■trates have at last thought fit to put a little lead into some of your rioters.Had they done that long ago, I would have given them credit; but a stonehitting their hard heads had the effect of rousing their stupid, lethargicsouls, (if they have any,) more than injury done to individuals, though theblackguards were laying the axe to the root of the tree. Oh ! happy Glas gow , to be governed by such wise men, who may be ranked amongst theWise men of Gotham. Let the battle of Bothwell Bridge be forgot, andburied in oblivion; let your professors of poetry and belles lettres handdown the great exploits, the unparalleled conduct, the unshaken courage,and most daring intrepidity of the magistrates of Glasgow for the year1787. Let their actions be enrolled in the book of fame, and like therighteous, let their names be held in everlasting remembrance.*
“ Charles Taylor would have been glad to have seen you; he succeedsin the rouge d’Adrianople , au Marveille.
“ Pray, do you know Dr. Irving’s theory of the blue vat ? There issomething in it which puzzles me not a little. Chemical knowledge in theart of dyeing, I find, is not of that mighty importance some people wouldmake us believe. Almost every discovery has been made by accident, andrepeated experiments, with variations, have brought them to perfection.Chemistry, however, prevents a man from working in the dark; and theknowledge of electric attractions is of the greatest use. Get your furnaceserected again, and proceed to business. You will find the bit of pyrites,as you called it, which you broke off my chimney piece, to be a bit ofC0 pper ore, which had a habitation in the Paris mountain, in the island of
* On the 3d of September, 1787, in consequence of a reduction in the rate ofwages, a number of weavers struck work in Glasgow , paraded the streets, andburned and destroyed a number of webs in Drygato and Calton. Upon themilitary being called out, under the command of Colonel Kellet, and the mobrefusing to disperse, three men were killed, and several wounded.— Ed.