The last part of his life was the happiest. During
the time that he was in the throes of his invention, he was very
miserable, weighed down with dyspepsia and sick headaches. But
after his patent had expired, he was able to retire with a
moderate fortune, and began to enjoy life. Before, he had
"cursed his inventions," now he could bless them. He was able to
survey them, and find out what was right and what was wrong. He
used his head and his hands in his private workshop, and found
many means of employing both pleasantly. Murdock continued to be
his fast friend, and they spent many agreeable hours together.
They made experiments and devised improvements in machines. Watt
wished to make things more simple. He said to Murdock, "it is a
great thing to know what to do without. We must have a book of
blots--things to be scratched out." One of the most interesting
schemes of Watt towards the end of his life was the contrivance
of a sculpture-making machine; and he proceeded so far with it as
to to able to present copies of busts to his friends as "the
productions of a young artist just entering his eighty-third
year." The machine, however, remained unfinished at his death,
and the remarkable fact is that it was Watt's only unfinished
work.
The principle of the machine was to carry a guide-point at one
side over the bust or alto-relievo to be copied, and at the other
side to carry a corresponding cutting-tool or drill over the
alabaster, ivory, jet, or plaster of Paris to be executed.
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