decline of science in england-第9节

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The　Horticultural　Society　has　been　ridden　almost　to　death；　and　is　now　rousing　itself；　but　its　constitution　seems　to　have　been　somewhat　impaired。　　There　are　hopes　of　its　purgation；　and　ultimate　restoration；　notwithstanding　a　debt　of　19；000L。；　which　the　Committee　of　Inquiry　have　ascertained　to　exist。　　This；　after　all；　will　not　be　without　its　advantage　to　science；　if　it　puts　a　stop　to　HOUSE…LISTS；　NAMED　BY　ONE　OR　TWO　PERSONS；　to　making　COMPLIMENTARY　councillors；and　to　auditing　the　accounts　WITHOUT　EXAMINING　EVERY　ITEM；　or　to　omitting　even　that　form　altogether。

The　Medico…Botanical　Society　suddenly　claimed　the　attention　of　the　public；　its　pretensions　were　greatits　assurance　unbounded。　It　speedily　became　distinguished；　not　by　its　publications　or　discoveries；　but　by　the　number　of　princes　it　enrolled　in　its　list。　　It　is　needless　now　to　expose　the　extent　of　its　short…lived　quackery；　but　the　evil　deeds　of　that　institution　will　long　remain　in　the　impression　they　have　contributed　to　confirm　throughout　Europe；　of　the　character　of　our　scientific　establishments。　　It　would　be　at　once　a　judicious　and　a　dignified　course；　if　those　lovers　of　science；　who　have　been　so　grievously　deceived　in　this　Society；　were　to　enrol　upon　the　latest　page　of　its　history　its　highest　claim　to　public　approbation；　and　by　signing　its　dissolution；　offer　the　only　atonement　in　their　power　to　the　insulted　science　of　their　country。　　As　with　a　singular　inversion　of　principle；　the　society　contrived　to　render　EXPULSION*　the　highest　HONOUR　it　could　confer；　so　it　remains　for　it　to　exemplify；　in　suicide；　the　sublimest　virtue　of　which　it　is　capable。　＇*　They　expelled　from　amongst　them　a　gentleman；　of　whom　it　is　but　slight　praise　to　say；　that　he　is　the　first　and　most　philosophical　botanist　of　our　own　country；　and　who　is　admired　abroad　as　he　is　respected　at　home。　　The　circumstance　which　surprised　the　world　was　not　his　exit　from；　but　his　previous　entrance　into　that　Society。＇



CHAPTER　IV。

STATE　OF　THE　ROYAL　SOCIETY　IN　PARTICULAR。

As　the　venerable　first　parent　of　English；　and　I　might　perhaps　say；　of　European　scientific　societies；　as　a　body　in　the　welfare　of　which；　in　the　opinions　of　many；　the　interests　of　British　science　are　materially　involved；　I　may　be　permitted　to　feel　anxiously；　and　to　speak　more　in　detail。


SECTION　1。

MODE　OF　BECOMING　A　FELLOW　OF　THE　ROYAL　SOCIETY。

I　have　no　intention　of　stating　what　ought　to　be　the　qualifications　of　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society；　but；　for　years；　the　practical　mode　of　arriving　at　that　honour；　has　been　as　follows：

A。　B。　gets　any　three　Fellows　to　sign　a　certificate；　stating　that　he　（A。　B。）　is　desirous　of　becoming　a　member；　and　likely　to　be　a　useful　and　valuable　one。　This　is　handed　in　to　the　Secretary；　and　suspended　in　the　meeting…room。　　At　the　end　of　ten　weeks；　if　A。　B。　has　the　good　fortune　to　be　perfectly　unknown　by　any　literary　or　scientific　achievement；　however　small；　he　is　quite　sure　of　being　elected　as　a　matter　of　course。　　If；　on　the　other　hand；　he　has　unfortunately　written　on　any　subject　connected　with　science；　or　is　supposed　to　be　acquainted　with　any　branch　of　it；　the　members　begin　to　inquire　what　he　has　done　to　deserve　the　honour；　and；　unless　he　has　powerful　friends；　he　has　a　fair　chance　of　being　black…balled。　＇I　understand　that　certificates　are　now　read　at　the　Council；　previously　to　their　being　hung　up　in　the　meeting…room；　but　I　am　not　aware　that　this　has　in　the　slightest　degree　diminished　their　number；　which　was；　at　the　time　of　writing　this　note；　TWENTY…FOUR。＇

In　fourteen　years'　experience；　the　few　whom　I　have　seen　rejected；　have　all　been　known　persons；　but　even　in　such　cases　a　hope　remains；　perseverance　will　do　much；　and　a　gentleman　who　values　so　highly　the　distinction　of　admission　to　the　Royal　Society；　may　try　again；　and　even　after　being　twice　black…balled；　if　he　will　a　third　time　condescend　to　express　his　desire　to　become　a　member；　he　may　perhaps　succeed；　by　the　aid　of　a　hard　canvass。　In　such　circumstances；　the　odds　are　much　in　favour　of　the　candidate　possessing　great　scientific　claims；　and　the　only　objection　that　could　then　reasonably　be　suggested；　would　arise　from　his　estimating　rather　too　highly　a　distinction　which　had　become　insignificant　from　its　unlimited　extension。

It　should　be　observed；　that　all　members　contribute　equally；　and　that　the　sum　now　required　is　fifty　pounds。　　It　used；　until　lately；　to　be　ten　pounds　on　entrance；　and　four　pounds　annually。　The　amount　of　this　subscription　is　so　large；　that　it　is　calculated　to　prevent　many　men　of　real　science　from　entering　the　Society；　and　is　a　very　severe　tax　on　those　who　do　so；　for　very　few　indeed　of　the　cultivators　of　science　rank　amongst　the　wealthy　classes。　Several　times；　whilst　I　have　been　consulting　books　or　papers　at　Somerset　House；　persons　have　called　to　ask　the　Assistant…　secretary　the　mode　of　becoming　a　member　of　the　Royal　Society。　　I　should　conjecture；　from　some　of　these　applications；　that　it　is　not　very　unusual　for　gentlemen　in　the　country　to　order　their　agents　in　London　to　take　measures　for　putting　them　up　at　the　Royal　Society。


SECTION　2。

OF　THE　PRESIDENCY　AND　VICE…PRESIDENCIES。

Why　Mr。　Davies　Gilbert　became　President　of　the　Royal　Society　I　cannot　precisely　say。　　Let　him　who　penned；　and　those　who　supported　this　resolution　solve　the　enigma：

〃It　was　Resolved；

〃That　it　is　the　opinion　of　the　Council　that　Davies　Gilbert；　Esq。　is　by　far　the　most　fit　person　to　be　proposed　to　the　Society　at　the　approaching　anniversary　as　President；　and　that　he　be　recommended　accordingly。〃

To　resolve　that　he　was　a　FIT　person　might　have　been　sufficiently　flattering：　　to　state　that　he　was　the　most　fit；　was　a　little　hard　upon　the　rest　of　the　Society；　but　to　resolve　that　he　was　〃BY　FAR　THE　MOST　FIT〃　was　only　consistent　with　that　strain　of　compliment　in　which　his　supporters　indulge；　and　was　a　eulogy；　by　no　means　unique　in　its　kind；　I　believe；　even　at　that　very　Council。

That　Mr。　Gilbert　is　a　most　amiable　and　kind…hearted　man　will　be　instantly　admitted　by　all　who　are；　in　the　least　degree；　acquainted　with　him：　　that　he　is　fit　for　the　chair　of　the　Royal　Society；　will　be　allowed　by　few；　except　those　who　have　committed　themselves　to　the　above…quoted　resolution。

Possessed　of　knowledge　and　of　fortune　more　than　sufficient　for　it；　he　might　have　been　the　restorer　of　its　lustre。　　He　might　have　called　round　him；　at　the　council　board；　those　most　actively　engaged　in　the　pursuits　of　science；　most　anxious　for　the　improvement　of　the　Royal　Society。　　Instead　of　himself　proposing　resolutions；　he　might　have　been；　what　a　chairman　ought　to　be；　the　organ　of　the　body　over　which　he　presides。　　By　the　firmness　of　his　own　conduct　he　might　have　taught　the　subordinate　officers　of　the　Society　the　duties　of　their　station。　　Instead　of　paying　compliments　to　Ministers；　who　must　have　smiled　at　his　simplicity；　he　might　have　maintained　the　dignity　of　his　Council　by　the　dignity　of　knowledge。

But　he　has　chosen　a　different　path；　with　no　motives　of　interest　to　allure；　or　of　ambition　to　betray　him；　instead　of　making　himself　respected　as　the　powerful　chief　of　a　united　republic；　that　of　science；he　has　grasped　at　despotic　power；　and　stands　the　feeble　occupant　of　its　desolated　kingdom；　trembling　at　the　force　of　opinions　he　might　have　directed；　and　refused　even　the　patronage　of　their　names　by　those　whose　energies　he　might　have　commanded。

Mr。　Gilbert　told　the　Society　he　accepted　the　situation　for　a　year；　and　this　circumstance　caused　a　difficulty　in　finding　a　Treasurer：　　an　office　which　he　had　long　held；　and　to　which　he　wished　to　return。

Another　difficulty　might　have　arisen；　from　the　fact　of　the　late　Board　of　Longitude　comprising　amongst　its　Members　the　PRESIDENT　of　the　Royal　Society；　and　three　of　its　Fellows；　appointed　by　the　President　and　Council。　　Of　course；　when　Mr。　Gilbert　accepted　the　higher　situation；　he　became；　EX　OFFICIO；　a　Member　of　the　Board　of　Longitude；　and　a　vacancy　occurred；　which　ought　to　have　been　filled　up　by　the　President　and　Council。　　But　when　this　subject　was　brought　before　them；　in　defiance　of　common　sense；　and　the　plain　meaning　of　the　act　of　parliament；　which　had　enacted　that　the　Board　of　Longitude　should　have　the　assistance　of　four　persons　belonging　to　the　Royal　Society；　Mr。　Gilbert　refused　to　allow　it　to　be　filled　up；　on　the　ground　that　he　should　not　be　President　next　year；　and　had　made　no　vacancy。

Next　year　Mr。　Gilbert　wished　again　to　be　President　one　other　year；　but　the　Board　of　Longitude　was　dissolved；　otherwise　we　might　have　had　some　LOCUM　TENENS　to　retire　at　Mr。　Gilbert's　pleasure。

These　circumstances　are　in　themselves　of　trifling　importance；　but　they　illustrate　the　character　of　the　proceedings：　　and　it　is　not　becoming　the　dignity　of　science　or　of　the　Society　that　its　officers　should　be　so　circumstanced　as　to　have　an　apparent　and　direct　interest　in　supporting　the　existing　President；　in　order　to　retain　their　own　places；　and　if　such　a　system　is　once　discovered；　doubt　immediately　arises　as　to　the　frequency　of　such　arrangements。


SECTION　3。

OF　THE　SECRETARISHIPS。

Whether　the　present　Secretaries　are　the　best　qualified　to　aid　in　reforming　the　Society；　is　a　question　I　shall　not　discuss。　　With　regard　to　the　senior　Secretary；　the　time　of　his　holding　office　is　per