decline of science in england-第20节

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An　invention　in　science　or　in　art；　may　justly　be　considered　as　possessing　the　rights　of　property　in　the　highest　degree。　　The　lands　we　inherit　from　our　fathers；　were　cultivated　ere　they　were　born；　and　yielded　produce　before　they　were　cultivated。　　The　products　of　genius　are　the　actual　creations　of　the　individual；　and；　after　yielding　profit　or　honour　to　him；　they　remain　the　permanent　endowments　of　the　human　race。　　If　the　institutions　of　our　country；　and　the　opinions　of　society；　support　us　fully　in　the　absolute　disposal　of　our　fields；　of　which　we　can；　by　the　laws　of　nature；　be　only　the　transitory　possessors；　who　shall　justly　restrict　our　discretion　in　the　disposal　of　those　richer　possessions；　the　products　of　intellectual　exertion？

Two　courses　are　open　to　those　individuals　who　are　thus　endowed　with　Nature's　wealth。　　They　may　lock　up　in　their　own　bosoms　the　mysteries　they　have　penetrated；　and　by　applying　their　knowledge　to　the　production　of　some　substance　in　demand　in　commerce；　thus　minister　to　the　wants　or　comforts　of　their　species；　whilst　they　reap　in　pecuniary　profit　the　legitimate　reward　of　their　exertions。

It　is　open　to　them；　on　the　other　hand；　to　disclose　the　secret　they　have　torn　from　Nature；　and　by　allowing　mankind　to　participate　with　them；　to　claim　at　once　that　splendid　reputation　which　is　rarely　refused　to　the　inventors　of　valuable　discoveries　in　the　arts　of　life。

The　two　courses　are　rarely　compatible；　only　indeed　when　the　discoverer；　having　published　his　process；　enters　into　equal　competition　with　other　manufacturers。

If　an　individual　adopt　the　first　of　these　courses；　and　retaining　his　secret；　it　perish　with　him；　the　world　have　no　right　to　complain。　　During　his　life；　they　profited　by　his　knowledge；　and　are　better　off　than　if　the　philosopher　had　not　existed。

Monopolies；　under　the　name　of　patents；　have　been　devised　to　assist　and　reward　those　who　have　chosen　the　line　of　pecuniary　profit。　　Honorary　rewards　and　medals　have　been　the　feeble　expressions　of　the　sentiments　of　mankind　towards　those　who　have　preferred　the　other　course。　　But　these　have　been；　and　should　always　be；　kept　completely　distinct。　＇It　is　a　condition　with　the　Society　of　Arts；　never　to　give　a　reward　to　any　thing　for　which　a　patent　has　been；　or　is　to　be；　taken　out。＇

Let　us　now　consider　the　case　of　platina。　　A　new　process　was　discovered　of　rendering　it　malleable；　and　the　mere　circumstance　of　so　large　a　quantity　having　been　sent　into　the　market；　was　a　positive　benefit；　of　no　ordinary　magnitude；　to　many　of　the　arts。　The　discoverer　of　this　valuable　process　selected　that　course　for　which　no　reasonable　man　could　blame　him；　and　from　some　circumstance；　or　perhaps　from　accident；　he　preserved　no　written　record　of　the　manipulations。　Had　Providence　appointed　for　that　disorder；　which　terminated　too　fatally；　a　more　rapid　career；　all　the　knowledge　he　had　acquired　from　the　long　attention　he　had　devoted　to　the　subject；　would　have　been　lost　to　mankind。　　The　hand　of　a　friend　recorded　the　directions　of　the　expiring　philosopher；　whose　anxiety　to　render　useful　even　his　unfinished　speculations；　proves　that　the　previous　omission　was　most　probably　accidental。

Under　such　circumstances　it　was　published　to　the　world　in　the　Transactions　of　the　Royal　Society。　　But　what　could　induce　that　body　to　bestow　on　it　their　medal？　　To　talk　of　adding　lustre　to　the　name　of　Wollaston　by　their　medal；　is　to　talk　idly。　　They　must　have　done　it　then　as　an　example；　as　a　stimulus　to　urge　future　inquiries　in　the　career　of　discovery。　　But　did　they　wish　discoveries　to　be　so　endangered？

The　discoveries　of　Professor　Mitscherlick；　of　Berlin；　had　long　been　considered；　by　a　few　members　of　the　Society；　as　having　strong　claims　on　one　of　its　honorary　rewards；　but　difficulties　had　arisen；　from　so　few　members　of　the　Council　having　any　knowledge　of　discoveries　which　had　long　been　familiar　to　Europe。　The　Council　were　just　on　the　point　of　doing　justice　to　the　merits　of　the　Prussian　philosopher；　when　it　was　suggested　that　its　medal　should　be　given　to　Dr。　Wollaston；　and　they　immediately　altered　their　intention；　and　thus　enabled　themselves　to　reserve　their　medal　to　Professor　Mitscherlick　for　another　year；　at　which　period；　for　aught　they　knew；　his　discoveries　might　possess　the　additional　merit　of　having　been　made　prior　to　the　limit　allowed　by　their　regulations。　　That　medal　was；　in　fact；　voted　at　a　meeting；　at　which　no　one　member　present　was　at　all　conversant　with　the　subjects　rewarded。　　I　shall；　however；　say　no　more　on　this　subject。　　They　erred　from　feeling；　an　error　so　very　rare　with　them；　that　it　might　be　pardoned　even　for　its　singularity。

I　will；　however；　add　one　word　to　those　whose　censures　have　been　unjustly　dealt；　to　those　who　have　reproached　the　philosopher　for　receiving　pecuniary　advantage　from　his　inventions。

Amongst　the　many　and　varied　contrivances　for　the　demands　of　science；　or　the　arts　of　life；　with　which　we　were　enriched　by　the　genius　of　Wollaston；　was　it　too　much　to　allow　him　to　retain；　during　his　fleeting　career；　one　out　of　the　multitude；　to　furnish　that：　　pecuniary　supply；　without　which；　the　man　will　want　food　for　his　body；　and　the　philosopher　be　destitute　of　tools　for　his　inventions？　　Had　he　been；　as；　from　the　rank　he　held　in　science；　he　certainly　would　have　been　in　other　kingdoms；　rich　in　the　honours　his　country　could　bestow；　and　receiving　from　her　a　reward　in　some　measure　commensurate　with　his　deserts；then；　indeed；　there　might　have　been　reason　for　that　reproach；　but　I　am　convinced　that；　in　such　circumstances；　the　philosopher　would　have　balanced；　with　no　〃niggard〃　hand；　the　claims　of　his　country；　and　would　have　given　to　it；　unreservedly；　the　produce　of　his　powerful　mind。


SECTION　9。

OF　THE　FAIRCHILD　LECTURE。

Mr。　Fairchild　left　by　will　twenty…five　pounds　to　the　Royal　Society。　　This　was　increased　by　several　subscriptions；　and　100L。　3　per　cent。　South　Sea　Annuities　was　purchased；　the　interest　of　which　was　to　be　devoted　annually　to　pay　for　a　sermon　to　be　preached　at　St。Leonard's；　Shoreditch。

Few　members　of　the　Society；　perhaps；　are　aware；　either　of　the　bequest　or　of　its　annual　payment。　　I　shall　merely　observe；　that　for　five　years；　from　1800　to　1804；　it　was　regularly　given　to　Mr。　Ascough；　and　that　for　twenty…six　years　past；　it　has　been　as　regularly　given　to　the　Rev。　Mr。　Ellis。

The　annual　amount　is　too　trifling　to　stimulate　to　any　extraordinary　exertions；　yet；　small　as　it　is；　it　might；　if　properly　applied；　be　productive　of　much　advantage　to　religion；　and　of　great　honour　to　the　Society。　　For　this　purpose；　it　would　be　desirable　that　it　should　be　delivered　at　some　church　or　chapel；　more　likely　to　he　attended　by　members　of　the　Royal　Society。　　Notice　of　it　should　be　given　at　the　place　of　worship　appointed；　at　least　a　week　previous　to　its　delivery；　and　at　the　two　preceding　weekly　meetings　of　the　Royal　Society。　The　name　of　the　gentleman　nominated　for　that　year；　and　the　church　at　which　the　sermon　is　to　be　preached；　should　be　stated。

With　this　publicity　attending　it；　and　by　a　judicious　selection　of　the　first　two　or　three　gentlemen　appointed　to　deliver　it；　it　would　soon　be　esteemed　an　honour　to　be　invited　to　compose　such　a　lecture；　and　the　Society　might　always　find　in　its　numerous　list　of　members　or　aspirants；　persons　well　qualified　to　fulfil　a　task　as　beneficial　for　the　promotion　of　true　religion；　as　it　ever　must　be　for　the　interest　of　science。　　I　am　tempted　to　believe　that　such　a　course　would　call　forth　exertions　of　the　most　valuable　character；　as　well　as　give　additional　circulation　to　what　is　already　done　on　that　subject。

The　geological　speculations　which　have　been　adduced；　perhaps　with　too　much　haste　by　some；　as　according　with　the　Mosaic　history；　and　by　others；　as　inconsistent　with　its　truth；　would；　if　this　subject　had　been　attentively　considered；　have　been　allowed　to　remain　until　the　fullest　and　freest　inquiry　had　irrevocably　fixed　their　claim　to　the　character　of　indisputable　facts。　　But；　I　will　not　press　this　subject　further　on　my　reader's　attention；　lest　he　should　think　I　am　myself　delivering　the　lecture。　　All　that　I　could　have　said　on　this　point　has　been　so　much　more　ably　stated　by　one　whose　enlightened　view　of　geological　science　has　taken　away　some　difficulties　from　its　cultivators；　and；　I　hope；　removed　a　stumbling…block　from　many　respectable　individuals；　that　I　should　only　weaken　by　adding　to　the　argument。　　　＇I　allude　to　the　critique　of　Dr。　Ure's　Geology　in　the　British　Review；　for　July；　1829；　an　Essay；　equally　worthy　of　a　philosopher　and　a　Christian。＇


SECTION　10。

OF　THE　CROONIAN　LECTURE。

The　payment　＇Three　pounds。＇　for　this　Lecture；　like　that　of　the　preceding；　is　small。　　It　was　instituted　by　Dr。　Croone；　for　an　annual　essay　on　the　subject　of　Muscular　Motion。　　It　is　a　little　to　be　regretted；　that　it　should　have　been　so　restricted；　and　perhaps　its　founder；　had　he　foreseen　the　routine　into　which　it　has　dwindled；　might　have　endeavoured　to　preserve　it；　by　affording　it　a　wider　range。

By　giving　it　to　a　variety　of　individuals；　competition　might　have　been　created；　and　many　young　anatomists　have　been　induced　to　direct　their　attention　to　the　favourite　inquiry　of　the　founder　of　the　Lecture；　but　from　causes　which　need　not　here　be　traced；　this　has　not　been　the　customone　individual