decline of science in england-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


r。　　On　making　inquiry；　he　ascertained　that　there　were　two　tons　and　a　half　to　be　disposed　of；　and　that　an　equal　quantity　had　already　been　sold；　for　the　purpose　of　converting　it　into　pasteboard。　　The　vendor　said　he　could　get　fourpence　a　pound　for　the　whole；　and　that　it　made　capital　Bristol　board。　The　fact　was　mentioned　by　a　member　of　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　and　they　thought　it　necessary　to　inquire　into　the　circumstances。

Now；　the　Observations　made　at　the　Royal　Observatory　are　printed　with　every　regard　to　typographical　luxury；　with　large　margins；　on　thick　paper；　hotpressed；　and　with　no　sort　of　regard　to　economy。　This　magnificence　is　advocated　by　some　who　maintain；　that　the　volumes　ought　to　be　worthy　of　a　great　nation；　whilst　others；　seeing　how　little　that　nation　spends　on　science；　regret　that　the　sums　allotted　to　it　should　not　be　applied　with　the　strictest　economy。　　If　the　Astronomer　Royal　really　has　a　right　to　these　volumes；　printed　by　the　government　at　a　large　expense；　it　is；　perhaps；　the　most　extravagant　mode　which　was　ever　yet　invented　of　paying　a　public　servant。　　When　that　right　was　given　to　him；let　us　suppose　somebody　had　suggested　the　impolicy　of　it；　lest　he　should　sell　the　costly　volumes　for　waste　paper；who　would　have　listened　for　one　moment　to　such　a　supposition？　He　would　have　been　told　that　it　was　impossible　to　suppose　a　person　in　that　high　and　responsible　situation；　could　be　so　indifferent　to　his　own　reputation。

A　short　time　since；　I　applied　to　the　President　and　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　for　copies　of　the　Greenwich　Observations；　which　were　necessary　for　an　inquiry　on　which　I　was　at　that　time　engaged。　　Being　naturally　anxious　to　economize　the　small　funds　I　can　devote　to　science；　the　request　appeared　to　me　a　reasonable　one。　　It　was；　however；　refused；　and　I　was　at　the　same　time　informed　that　the　Observations　could　be　purchased　at　the　bookseller's。　　＇This　was　a　mistake；　Mr。　Murray　has　not　copies　of　the　Greenwich　Observations　prior　to　1823。＇　　When　I　consider　that　practical　astronomy　has　not　occupied　a　very　prominent　place　in　my　pursuits；　I　feel　disposed；　on　that　ground；　to　acquiesce　in　the　propriety　of　the　refusal。　　This　excuse　can；　however；　be　of　no　avail　for　similar　refusals　to　other　gentlemen；　who　applied　nearly　at　the　same　time　with　myself；　and　whose　time　had　been　successfully　devoted　to　the　cultivation　of　that　science。　　　＇M。　Bessel；　at　the　wish　of　the　Royal　Academy　of　Berlin；　projected　a　plan　for　making　a　very　extensive　map　of　the　heavens。　　Too　vast　for　any　individual　to　attempt；　it　was　proposed　that　a　portion　should　be　executed　by　the　astronomers　of　various　countries；　and　invitations　to　this　effect　were　widely　circulated。　　One　only　of　the　divisions　of　this　map　was　applied　for　by　any　English　astronomer；　and；　after　completing　the　portion　of　the　map　assigned　to　him；　he　undertook　another；　which　had　remained　unprovided　for。　This　gentleman；　the　Rev。　Mr。　Hussey；　was　one　of　the　rejected　applicants　for　the　Greenwich　Observations。＇

There　was；　however；　another　ground　on　which　I　had　weakly　anticipated　a　different　result；but　those　who　occupy　official　situations；　rendered　remarkable　by　the　illustrious　names　of　their　predecessors；　are　placed　in　no　enviable　station；　and；　if　their　own　acquirements　are　confessedly　insufficient　to　keep　up　the　high　authority　of　their　office；　they　must　submit　to　the　mortifications　of　their　false　position。　　I　am　sure；　therefore；　that　the　President　and　officers　of　the　Royal　Society　must　have　sympathized　MOST　DEEPLY　with　me；　when　they　felt　it　their　duty　to　propose　that　the　Society　over　which　Newton　once　presided；　should　refuse　so　trifling　an　assistance　to　the　unworthy　possessor　of　the　chair　he　once　filled。

In　reply　to　my　application　to　the　President　and　Council；　to　be　allowed　a　copy　of　the　Greenwich　Observations；　I　was　informed　that；　〃The　number　of　copies　placed　by　government　at　the　disposal　of　the　Royal　Society；　was　insufficient　to　supply　the　demands　made　on　them　by　various　learned　bodies　in　Europe；　and；　consequently；　they　were　unable；　however　great　their　inclination；　to　satisfy　the　wishes　of　individual　applicants。〃　Now　I　have　spent　some　time　in　searching　the　numerous　proceedings　in　the　council…books　of　the　Royal　Society；　and　I　believe　the　following　is　the　real　state　of　the　case：

In　1785；　Lord　Sidney；　one　of　His　Majesty's　principal　Secretaries　of　State；　wrote　to　the　Council　a　letter；　dated　Whitehall；　March　8；　1785；　from　which　the　following　is　extracted：

〃The　King　has　been　pleased　to　consent；　that　any　copies　of　the　Astronomical　Observations；　made　at　the　Observatory　of　Greenwich；　（and　paid　for　by　the　Board　of　Ordnance；　pursuant　to　His　Majesty's　command；　of　July　21；　1767；）　which　may　at　any　time　remain　in　the　hands　of　the　printer；　shall；　after　you　have　reserved　such　copies　as　you　may　think　proper　as　presents；　be　given　to　the　said　Nevil　Maskelyne；　in　consideration　of　his　trouble　in　the　superintending　the　printing　thereof。　　I　am　to　signify　His　Majesty's　pleasure；　that　you　do；　from　time　to　time；　give　the　necessary　orders　for　that　purpose；　until　His　Majesty's　further　commands　shall　be　communicated　to　you。

Soon　after　this　letter；　I　find　on　the　council…books：

〃Ordered；　That　sixty　copies　of　the　Greenwich　Observations；　last　published；　be　retained　as　presents；　and　that　the　rest　be　delivered　to　the　Astronomer　Royal。〃

It　is　difficult　to　be　sure　of　a　negative　fact；　but　in　searching　many　volumes　of　the　Proceedings　of　the　Council；　I　have　not　discovered　any　revocation　of　this　order；　and　I　believe　none　exists。　　This　is　confirmed　by　the　circumstance　of　the　Council　at　the　present　day　receiving　precisely　the　same　number　of　copies　as　their　predecessors；　and　I　believe　that　in　fact　they　do　not　know　the　authority　on　which　the　right　to　those　sixty　rests。

Supposing　this　order　unrevoked；　it　was　clearly　meant　to　be　left　to　the　discretion　of　the　Council；　to　order　such　a　number　to　be　reserved；　〃from　time　to　time；〃　as　the　demands　of　science　might　require。　　When；　therefore；　they　found　that　the　number　of　sixty　copies　was　insufficient；　they　ought　to　have　directed　the　printer　to　send　them　a　larger　number；　but　when　they　found　out　the　purpose　to　which　the　Astronomer　Royal　applied　them；　they　ought　immediately　to　have　ordered　nearly　the　whole　impression；　in　order　to　prevent　this　destruction　of　public　property。　　If；　on　the　other　hand；　the　above　order　is　revoked；　and　we　really　have　no　right　to　more　than　sixty　copies；　then；　on　discovering　the　Observations　in　their　progress　towards　pasteboard；　it　was　the　duty　of　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　as　visitors　of　the　Royal　Observatory；　immediately　to　have　represented　to　Government　the　evil　of　the　arrangement；　and　to　have　suggested；　that　if　the　Astronomer　Royal　have　the　right；　it　would　be　expedient　to　commute　it　for　a　liberal　compensation。

Whichever　be　the　true　view　of　the　case；　they　have　taken　no　steps　on　the　subject；　and　I　cannot　help　expressing　my　belief；　that　the　President　and　Council　were　induced　to　be　thus　negligent　of　the　interests　of　science；　from　the　fear　of　interfering　with　the　perquisites　of　the　Astronomer　Royal。

It　is；　however；　but　justice　to　observe；　that　the　injury　already　done　to　science；　by　the　conversion　of　these　Observations　into　pasteboard；　is　not　so　great　as　the　public　might　have　feared。　　Mr。　Pond；　than　whom　no　one　can　be　supposed　better　acquainted　with　their　value；　and　whose　right　to　judge　no　man　can　question；　has　shown　his　own　opinion　to　be；　that　his　reputation　will　be　best　consulted　by　diminishing　the　extent　of　their　circulation。

Before　I　quit　the　subject　of　the　Royal　Observatory；　on　which　much　might　be　said；　I　will　just　refer　to　the　report　by　a　Committee　of　the　Royal　Society　that　was　made　relative　to　it；　some　years　since；　and　which；　it　is　imagined；　is　a　subject　by　no　means　grateful　to　the　memory　of　any　of　the　parties　concerned　in　it。　　My　object　is　to　ascertain；　whether　any　amendments　have　taken　place　in　consequence。　　To　one　fact　of　considerable　importance；　I　was　myself　a　witness；　when　I　was　present　officially　at　a　visitation。　At　that　time；　no　original　observations　made　at　the　transit　instrument　were　ever　preserved。　　Had　I　not　been　an　eye　witness　of　the　process　of　an　observation；　I　should　not　have　credited　the　fact。


SECTION　7。

OF　THE　ROYAL　MEDALS。

At　a　period　when　the　attention　of　Government　to　science　had　not　undergone　any　marked　change；　a　most　unexpected　occurrence　took　place。　　His　Majesty　intimated　to　the　Royal　Society；　through　his　Secretary　of　State；　his　intention　to　found　two　gold　medals；　of　the　value　of　fifty　guineas　each；　to　be　awarded　annually　by　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　according　to　the　rules　they　were　desired　to　frame　for　that　purpose。

The　following　is　the　copy　of　Mr。　Peel's　letter：

WHITEHALL；　December　3d；　1825。

SIR；

I　am　commanded　by　the　King　to　acquaint　you；　that　His　Majesty　proposes　to　found　two　gold　medals；　of　the　value　of　fifty　guineas　each；　to　be　awarded　as　honorary　premiums；　under　the　direction　of　the　President　and　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　in　such　a　manner　as　shall；　by　the　excitement　of　competition　among　men　of　science；　seem　best　calculated　to　promote　the　object　for　which　the　Royal　Society　was　instituted。

His　Majesty　desires　to　receive　from　the　President　and　Council　of　the　Royal　Society