decline of science in england-第24章

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ately　suggested　to　him　that　he　is　irritated；　and　ought　to　wait　until　his　feelings　subside；　and　he　can　judge　more　coolly　on　the　subject；　whilst　with　becoming　candour　they　admit　the　ill…　treatment；　but　urge　forbearance。　　If；　after　an　interval；　when　reflection　has　had　ample　time　to　operate；　the　offence　seems　great　as　at　first；　or　the　insult　appears　unmitigated　by　any　circumstances　on　which　memory　can　dwell；if　it　is　then　brought　forward；　the　immediate　answer　is；　The　affair　is　out　of　datethe　thing　is　gone　byit　is　too　late　to　call　in　question　a　transaction　so　long　past。　Thus；　if　a　man　is　interested　personally；　he　is　unfit　to　question　an　abuse；　if　he　is　not；　is　it　probable　that　he　will　question　it？　　and　if；　notwithstanding　this；　he　do　so；　then　he　is　to　be　accounted　a　meddler。　　If　he　is　insulted；　and　complain；　he　is　told　to　wait　until　he　is　cool；　and　when　that　period　arrives；　he　is　then　told　he　is　too　late。　　If　his　remonstrance　relates　to　the　alteration　of　laws　which　are　never　referred　to；　or　only　known　by　their　repeated　breach；　he　is　told　that　any　alteration　is　useless；　it　is　perfectly　well　known　that　they　are　never　adhered　to。　　If　it　relate　to　the　impolicy　of　any　regulations　attaching　to　an　office；　he　is　immediately　answered；　that　that　is　a　personal　question；　in　which　it　is　impossible　to　interferethe　officer；　it　seems；　is　considered　to　have　not　merely　a　vested　right　to　the　continuance　of　every　abuse；　but　an　interest　in　transmitting　it　unimpaired　to　his　successors。

In　the　same　spirit　I　have　heard　errors　of　calculation　or　observation　defended。　　If　small　errors　occur；　it　is　said　that　they　are　too　trifling　to　be　of　any　importance。　　If　larger　errors　are　pointed　out；　it　is　immediately　contended　that　they　can　deceive　nobody；　because　of　their　magnitude。　Perhaps　it　might　be　of　some　use；　if　the　Council　would　oblige　the　world　with　their　SCALE　of　ERROR；　with　illustrations　from　some　of　the　most　RECENT　and　APPROVED　works；　and　would　favour　the　uninformed　with　the　orthodox　creed　upon　all　grades；　from　that　which　baffles　the　human　faculties　to　detect；　up　to　that　which　becomes　innocuous　from　its　size。


The　offices　connected　with　the　Royal　Society　are　few　in　number；　and　their　emolument　small　in　amount；　but　the　proper　disposition　of　them　is；　nevertheless；　of　great　importance　to　the　Society；　and　was　so　to　the　science　of　England。

In　the　first　place；　the　President；　having　in　effect　the　absolute　nomination　of　the　whole　Council；　could　each　year　introduce　a　few　gentlemen；　whose　only　qualification　to　sit　on　it　would　be　the　high　opinion　they　must　necessarily　entertain　of　the　penetration　of　him　who　could　discover　their　scientific　merits。　　He　might　also　place　in　the　list　a　few　nobles　or　officials；　just　to　gild　it。　Neither　of　these　classes　would　put　any　troublesome　questions；　and　one　of　them　might　be　employed；　from　its　station　in　society；　to　check　any　that　might　be　proposed　by　others。

With　these　ingredients；　added　to　the　regular　train　of　the　party；　and　a　star　or　two　of　science　to　shed　lustre　over　the　whole；　a　very　manageable　Council　might　be　formed；　and　such　has　been　its　frequent　composition。

The　duties　of　the　Secretaries；　when　well　executed；　are　laborious；　although　not　in　this　respect　equal　to　those　of　the　same　officers　who；　in　several　societies；　give　their　gratuitous　aid；　and　their　labours　are　much　lightened　by　the　Assistant　Secretary　and　his　clerk。　　The　following　are　their　salaries：

The　Senior　Secretary　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　105L。　The　Junior　Secretary；　105L。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　）　　　5L。　for　making　Indexto　Phil。　Trans。　。　。　）　110L。　The　Foreign　Secretary　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　20L。

Now　it　is　not　customary　to　change　these　annually；　and　as　these　offices　are　amongst　the　〃loaves　and　fishes〃　they　are　generally　given　by　the　President　to　some　staunch　supporters　of　the　system。　They　have　frequently　been　bestowed；　with　very　little　consideration　for　the　interest；　or　even　for　the　dignity　of　the　Society。　　To　notice　only　one　instance：　　the　late　Sir　Joseph　Banks　appointed　a　gentleman　who　remained　for　years　in　that　situation；　although　he　was　confessedly　ignorant　of　every　subject　connected　with　the　pursuits　of　the　Society。　　I　will；　however；　do　justice　to　his　memory；　by　saying　that　his　respectability　was　preserved　under　such　circumstances；　by　the　most　candid　admission　of　the　fact；　accompanied　by　a　store　of　other　knowledge　unfortunately　quite　foreign　to　the　pursuits　of　the　Society；　and　I　will　add；　that　I　regretted　to　see　him　insulted　by　one　President　in　a　situation　improperly　given　to　him　by　a　former。

Next　in　order　come　the　Vice…Presidents；　who　are　appointed　by　the　President；　and　in　this　respect　the　present　practice　is　not　inconvenient。

The　case；　however；　is　widely　different　with　the　office　of　Treasurer。　　The　President　ought　not　to　usurp　the　power　of　his　appointment；　which　ought；　after　serious　discussion　by　the　Council；　to　be　made　by　the　Society　at　large。

Besides　the　three　Secretaries；　there　is　an　Assistant　Secretary；　and　recently　another　has　been　added；　who　may　perhaps　be　called　a；　Sub…assistant　Secretary。　　All　these　places　furnish　patronage　to　the　President。

Let　us　now　look　at　the　occasional　patronage　of　the　President；　arising　from　offices　not　belonging　to　the　Society。　　He　is；　EX　OFFICIO；　a　Trustee　of　the　British　Museum；　and　it　may　seem　harsh　to　maintain　that　he　is　not　a　fit　person　to　hold　such　a　situation。　It　is　no　theoretical　view；　but　it　is　the　EXPERIENCE　of　the　past　which　justifies　the　assertion；　and　I　fear　that　unless　he　has　the　sole　responsibility　for　some　specific　appointments；　and　unless　his　judgment　is　sharpened　by　the　fear　of　public　discussion；　a　President　of　the　Royal　Society；　in　the　Board…room　of　the　British　Museum；　is　quite　as　likely　as　another　person　to　sacrifice　his　public　duty　to　the　influence　of　power；　or　to　private　friendship。　With　respect　to　the　merits　of　that　Institution；　I　have　no　inclination　at　present　to　inquire：　　but　when　it　is　considered　that　there　is　at　this　moment　attached　to　it　no　one　whose　observations　or　whose　writings　have　placed　him　even　in　the　second　rank　amongst　the　naturalists　of　Europe；　the　President　of　the　Royal　Society　has　given　some　grounds　for　the　remark　made　by　several　members　of　the　Society；　that　he　is　a　little　too　much　surrounded　by　the　officers　of　a　body　who　may　reasonably　be　supposed　to　entertain　towards　him　feelings　either　of　gratitude　or　expectation。　　＇It　will　be　remembered　that　the　name　of　Mr。　Robert　Brown　has　been　but　recently　attached　to　the　British　Museum；　and　that　it　is　to　be　attributed　to　his　possessing　a　life　interest　in　the　valuable　collection　of　the　late　Sir　Joseph　Banks。＇

The　late　Board　of　Longitude　was　another　source　of　patronage；　which；　although　now　abolished；　it　may　be　useful　to　hint　at。

There　were　three　members　to　be　appointed　by　the　Royal　Society：　these　were　honorary；　and；　as　no　salary　was　attached；　it　might　have　been　expected　that　this　limited　number　of　appointments　would　have　been　given　in　all　cases　to　persons　qualified　for　them。　　But　no：　　it　was　convenient　to　pay　compliments；　and　Lord　Colchester；　whose　talents　and　knowledge　insured　him　respect　as　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Commons；　or　as　a　British　nobleman；　was　placed　for　years　in　the　situation　as　one　of　the　Commissioners　of　the　Board　of　Longitude；　for　which　every　competent　judge　knew　him　to　be　wholly　unfit。　What　was　the　return　which　he　made　for　this　indulgence？　Little　informed　respecting　the　feelings　of　the　Society；　and　probably　misinformed　by　the　party　whose　influence　had　placed　him　there；　he　saved　them　in　the　day　of　their　peril。

When　the　state　of　the　Society　had　reached　such　a　point　that　many　of　the　more　scientific　members　felt　that　some　amendment　was　absolutely　necessary　to　its　respectability；　a　committee　was　formed　to　suggest　to　the　Council　such　improvements　as　they　might　consider　it　expedient　to　discuss。　　＇Amongst　the　names　of　the　persons　composing　this　Committee；　which　was　proposed　by　Mr。　South；　were　those　of　Dr。　Wollaston　and　Mr。　Herschel。＇　　The　Council　received　their　report　at　the　close　of　the　session；　and　in　recording　it　on　the　journals；　they　made　an　appeal　to　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year　to　bestow　on　it　〃THEIR　EARLIEST　AND　MOST　SERIOUS　ATTENTION。〃

Now　when　the　party；　to　whose　government　some　of　these　improvements　would　have