"About 6 or 8 years ago My Ingenious friend Mr John Robinson having [contrived] conceived that a fire engine might be made without a Lever—by Inverting the Cylinder & placing it above the mouth of the …"

"My great success in life has been owing to my having paid attention to every detail."

"The people in London are all steam engine mad."

"I can think of nothing else than this machine."

"Dr Priestly (sic) was once very ill with gall stones & was cured by abstinence from Butcher meat. ... fish & vegetables & butter or fat did not hurt him when taken in moderation, but his Doctors must …"