He has attempted at other times the crafts of the shoemaker， tinman， plumber， and potter； in all these arts he has failed， and resolves to qualify himself for them by better information. But his daily amusement is chemistry. He has a small furnace， which he employs in distillation， and which has long been the solace of his life. He draws oils and waters， and essences and spirits， which he knows to be of no use； sits and counts the drops as they come from his retort， and forgets that， whilst a drop is falling， a moment flies away.