decline of science in england-第2节

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〃　who　are　disposed　to　argue　that　every　criticism　is　personal。　It　is　clearly　the　interest　of　all　who　fear　inquiries；　to　push　this　principle　as　far　as　possible；　whilst　those　whose　sole　object　is　truth；　can　have　no　apprehensions　from　the　severest　scrutiny。　　There　are　few　circumstances　which　so　strongly　distinguish　the　philosopher；　as　the　calmness　with　which　he　can　reply　to　criticisms　he　may　think　undeservedly　severe。　　I　have　been　led　into　these　reflections；　from　the　circumstance　of　its　having　been　stated　publicly；　that　I　was　the　author　of　several　of　those　anonymous　writings；　which　were　considered　amongst　the　most　severe；　and　the　assertion　was　the　more　likely　to　be　credited；　from　the　fact　of　my　having　spoken　a　few　words　connected　with　one　of　those　subjects　at　the　last　anniversary　of　the　Royal　Society。　＇I　merely　observed　that　the　agreement　made　with　the　British　Museum　for　exchanging　the　Arundel　MSS。　for　their　duplicates；　（which　had　just　been　stated　by　the　President；）　was　UNWISE；　because　it　was　not　to　be　expected　that　many　duplicates　should　be　found　in　a　library　like　that　of　the　Museum；　weak　in　the　physical　and　mathematical　sciences：　　that　it　was　IMPROVIDENT　and　UNBUSINESSLIKE；because　it　neither　fixed　the　TIME　when　the　difference　was　to　be　paid；　in　case　their　duplicates　should　be　insufficient；　nor　did　it　appear　that　there　were　any　FUNDS　out　of　which　the　money　could　be　procured：　　and　I　added；　that　it　would　be　more　advantageous　to　sell　the　MSS。；　and　purchase　the　books　we　wanted　with　the　produce。＇　　I　had　hoped　in　that　diminutive　world；　the　world　of　science；　my　character　had　been　sufficiently　known　to　have　escaped　being　the　subject　of　such　a　mistake；　and；　in　taking　this　opportunity　of　correcting　it；　I　will　add　that；　in　the　present　volume；　I　have　thought　it　more　candid　to　mention　distinctly　those　whose　line　of　conduct　I　have　disapproved；　or　whose　works　I　have　criticised；　than　to　leave　to　the　reader　inferences　which　he　might　make　far　more　extensive　than　I　have　intended。　　I　hope；　therefore；　that　where　I　have　depicted　species；　no　person　will　be　so　unkind　to　others　and　unjust　to　me；　as　to　suppose　I　have　described　individuals。

With　respect　to　the　cry　against　personality；　which　has　been　lately　set　up　to　prevent　all　inquiry　into　matters　of　scientific　misgovernment；　a　few　words　will　suffice。

I　feel　as　strongly　as　any　one；　not　merely　the　impropriety；　but　the　injustice　of　introducing　private　character　into　such　discussions。　　There　is；　however；　a　maxim　too　well　established　to　need　any　comment　of　mine。　　The　public　character　of　every　public　servant　is　legitimate　subject　of　discussion；　and　his　fitness　or　unfitness　for　office　may　be　fairly　canvassed　by　any　person。　　Those　whose　too　sensitive　feelings　shrink　from　such　an　ordeal；　have　no　right　to　accept　the　emoluments　of　office；　for　they　know　that　it　is　the　condition　to　which　all　must　submit　who　are　paid　from　the　public　purse。

The　same　principle　is　equally　applicable　to　Companies；　to　Societies；　and　to　Academies。　　Those　from　whose　pocket　the　salary　is　drawn；　and　by　whose　appointment　the　officer　was　made；　have　always　a　right　to　discuss　the　merits　of　their　officers；　and　their　modes　of　exercising　the　duties　they　are　paid　to　perform。

This　principle　is　equally　applicable　to　the　conduct　of　a　Secretary　of　State；　or　to　that　of　a　constable；　to　that　of　a　Secretary　of　the　Royal　Society；　or　of　an　adviser　to　the　Admiralty。

With　respect　to　honorary　officers；　the　case　is　in　some　measure　different。　　But　the　President　of　a　society；　although　not　recompensed　by　any　pecuniary　remuneration；　enjoys　a　station；　when　the　body　over　which　he　presides　possesses　a　high　character；　to　which　many　will　aspire；　who　will　esteem　themselves　amply　repaid　for　the　time　they　devote　to　the　office；　by　the　consequence　attached　to　it　in　public　estimation。　　　He；　therefore；　is　answerable　to　the　Society　for　his　conduct　in　their　chair。

There　are　several　societies　in　which　the　secretaries；　and　other　officers；　have　very　laborious　duties；　and　where　they　are　unaided　by　a　train　of　clerks；　and　yet　no　pecuniary　remuneration　is　given　to　them。　　Science　is　much　indebted　to　such　men；　by　whose　quiet　and　unostentatious　labours　the　routine　of　its　institutions　is　carried　on。　　　It　would　be　unwise；　as　well　as　ungrateful；　to　judge　severely　of　the　inadvertencies；　or　even　of　the　negligence　of　such　persons：　nothing　but　weighty　causes　should　justify　such　a　course。

Whilst；　however；　I　contend　for　the　principle　of　discussion　and　inquiry　in　its　widest　sense；　because　I　consider　it　equally　the　safeguard　of　our　scientific　as　of　our　political　institutions；　I　shall　use　it；　I　hope；　temperately；　and　having　no　personal　feelings　myself；　but　living　in　terms　of　intercourse　with　almost　all；　and　of　intimacy　with　several　of　those　from　whom　I　most　widely　differ；　I　shall　not　attempt　to　heap　together　all　the　causes　of　complaint；　but；　by　selecting　a　few　in　different　departments；　endeavour　to　convince　them　that　some　alteration　is　essentially　necessary　for　the　promotion　of　that　very　object　which　we　both　by　such　different　roads　pursue。

I　have　found　it　necessary；　in　the　course　of　this　volume；　to　speak　of　the　departed；　for　the　misgovernment　of　the　Royal　Society　has　not　been　wholly　the　result　of　even　the　present　race。　　It　is　said；　and　I　think　with　justice；　in　the　life　of　Young；　inserted　amongst　Dr。　Johnson's；　that　the　famous　maxim；　〃DE　MORTUIS　NIL　NISI　BONUM；〃　〃appears　to　savour　more　of　female　weakness　than　of　manly　reason。〃　　The　foibles　and　the　follies　of　those　who　are　gone；　may；　without　injury　to　society；　repose　in　oblivion。　　But；　whoever　would　claim　the　admiration　of　mankind　for　their　good　actions；　must　prove　his　impartiality　by　fearlessly　condemning　their　evil　deeds。　　Adopt　the　maxim；　and　praise　to　the　dead　becomes　worthless；　from　its　universality；　and　history；　a　greater　fable　than　it　has　been　hitherto　deemed。

Perhaps　I　ought　to　apologize　for　the　large　space　I　have　devoted　to　the　Royal　Society。　　Certainly　its　present　state　gives　it　no　claim　to　that　attention；　and　I　do　it　partly　from　respect　for　its　former　services；　and　partly　from　the　hope　that；　if　such　an　Institution　can　be　of　use　to　science　in　the　present　day；　the　attention　of　its　members　may　be　excited　to　take　steps　for　its　restoration。　Perhaps　I　may　be　blamed　for　having　published　extracts　from　the　minutes　of　its　proceedings　without　the　permission　of　its　Council。　　To　have　asked　permission　of　the　present　Council　would　have　been　useless。　　I　might；　however；　have　given　the　substance　of　what　I　have　extracted　without　the　words；　and　no　one　could　then　have　reproached　me　with　any　infringement　of　our　rules：　　but　there　were　two　objections　to　that　course。　　In　the　first　place；　it　is　impossible；　even　for　the　most　candid；　in　all　cases；　to　convey　precisely　the　same　sentiment　in　different　language；　and　I　thought　it　therefore　more　fair　towards　those　from　whom　I　differed；　as　well　as　to　the　public；　to　give　the　precise　words。　　Again：　　had　it　been　possible　to　make　so　accurate　a　paraphrase；　I　should　yet　have　preferred　the　risk　of　incurring　the　reproach　of　the　Royal　Society　for　the　offence；　to　escaping　their　censure　by　an　evasion。　　What　I　have　done　rests　on　my　own　head；　and　I　shrink　not　from　the　responsibility　attaching　to　it。

If　those；　whose　mismanagement　of　that　Society　I　condemn；　should　accuse　me　of　hostility　to　the　Royal　Society；　my　answer　is；　that　the　party　which　governs　it　is　not　the　Royal　Society；　and　that　I　will　only　admit　the　justice　of　the　accusation；　when　the　whole　body；　becoming　acquainted　with　the　system　I　have　exposed；　shall；　by　ratifying　it　with　their　approbation；　appropriate　it　to　themselves：　　an　event　of　which　I　need　scarcely　add　I　have　not　the　slightest　anticipation。


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CONTENTS。


PREFACE　Introductory　Remarks　CHAP。　I。　　　On　the　Reciprocal　Influence　of　Science　and　Education。　CHAP。　II。　　Of　the　Inducements　to　Individuals　to　cultivate　Science。　Sect。　1。　Professional　Impulses。　　　2。　Of　National　Encouragement。　　　3。　Of　Encouragement　from　learned　Societies。　CHAP。　III。　General　State　of　learned　Societies　in　England。　CHAP。　IV。　　State　of　the　Royal　Society　in　particular。　Sect。　1。　Mode　of　becoming　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society。　　　2。　Of　the　Presidency　and　Vice…Presidencies。　　　3。　Of　the　Secretariships　　　4。　Of　the　Scientific　Advisers。　　　5。　Of　the　Union　of　several　Offices　in　one　person。　　　6。　Of　the　Funds　of　the　Society。　　　7。　Of　the　Royal　Medals。　　　8。　Of　the　Copley　Medals。　　　9。　Of　the　Fairchild　Lecture。　　10。　Of　the　Croonian　Lecture。　　11。　Of　the　Causes　of　the　Present　State　of　the　Royal　Society。　　12。　Of　the　Plan　for　Reforming　the　Society。　CHAP。　V。　　　Of　Observations。　Sect。　1。　Of　Minute　Precision。　　　2。　On　the　Art　of　Observing。　　　3。　On　the　Frauds　of　Observers。　CHAP。　VI。　　Suggestions　for　the　Advancement　of　Science　in　England。　Sect。　1。　Of　the　Necessity　that　Members　of　the　Royal　Society　…　　should　express　their　Opinions。　　　2。　Of　Biennial　Presidents。　　　3。　Of　the　Influence　of　the　Colleges　of　Physicians　and　…　　Surgeons　in　the　Royal　Society。　　　4。　Of　the　Influence　of　the　Royal　Institution　on　the　Royal　…　　Society。　　　5。　Of　the　Transactions　of　the　Royal　Society。　　　6。　Order　of　Merit。　　　7。　Of　the　Union　of　Scientific　Societies。　CONCLUSION。　APPENDIX　NO。　1。　…　　NO。　2。　…　　NO。　3。

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REFLECTIONS　ON　THE　DECLINE　OF　SCIENCE　IN　ENGLAND；　AND　ON　SOME　OF　ITS　CAUSES。