decline of science in england-第32章

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！


hundred　would　be　quite　out　of　the　question。

Let　us　suppose　twenty　copies　of　a　description　of　some　new　chemical　process　to　be　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　Royal　Society　by　any　public　body；　it　will　not　surely　be　contended　that　they　ought　all　to　remain　on　the　Society's　shelves。　Yet；　with　our　present　rules；　that　would　be　the　case。　　If；　however；　the　list　of　the　Members　of　the　Society　were　read　over　to　the　Council；　and　the　names　of　those　gentlemen　known　to　be　conversant　with　chemical　science　were　written　down；　then；　if　nineteen　copies　of　the　work　were　given　to　those　nineteen　persons　on　this　list；　who　had　contributed　most　to　the　Transactions　of　the　Society；　they　would　in　all　probability　be　placed　in　the　fittest　hands。

Complete　sets　of　the　Philosophical　Transactions　have　now　become　extremely　bulky；　it　might　be　well　worth　our　consideration；　whether　the　knowledge　of　the　many　valuable　papers　they　contain　would　not　be　much　spread；　by　publishing　the　abstracts　of　them　which　have　been　read　at　the　ordinary　meetings　of　the　Society。　Perhaps　two　or　three　volumes　octavo；　would　contain　all　that　has　been　done　in　this　way　during　the　last　century。

Another　circumstance；　which　would　contribute　much　to　the　order　of　the　proceedings　of　the　Council；　would　be　to　have　a　distinct　list　made　out　of　all　the　statutes　and　orders　of　the　Council　relating　to　each　particular　subject。

Thus　the　President；　by　having　at　one　view　before　him　all　that　had　ever　been　decreed　on　the　question　under　consideration；　would　be　much　better　able　to　prevent　inconsistent　resolutions；　and　to　save　the　time　of　the　Council　from　being　wasted　by　unnecessary　discussions。


SECTION　6。

ORDER　OF　MERIT。

Amongst　the　various　proposals　for　encouraging　science；　the　institution　of　an　order　of　merit　has　been　suggested。　　It　is　somewhat　singular；　that　whilst　in　most　of　the　other　kingdoms　of　Europe；　such　orders　exist　for　the　purpose　of　rewarding；　by　honorary　distinctions；　the　improvers　of　the　arts　of　life；　or　successful　discoverers　in　science；　nothing　of　the　kind　has　been　established　in　England。　　＇At　the　great　meeting　of　the　philosophers　at　Berlin；　in　1828；　of　which　an　account　is　given　in　the　Appendix；　the　respect　in　which　Berzelius；　Oersted；　Gauss；　and　Humboldt　were　held　in　their　respective　countries　was　apparent　in　the　orders　bestowed　on　them　by　the　Sovereigns　of　Sweden；　of　Denmark；　of　Hanover；　and　of　Prussia；　and　there　were　present　many　other　philosophers；　whose　decorations　sufficiently　attested　the　respect　in　which　science　was　held　in　the　countries　from　which　they　came。＇

Our　orders　of　knighthood　are　favourable　only　to　military　distinction。　　It　has　been　urged；　as　an　argument　for　such　institutions；　that　they　are　a　cheap　mode　of　rewarding　science；　whilst；　on　the　other　hand；　it　has　been　objected；　that　they　would　diminish　the　value　of　such　honorary　distinctions　by　making　them　common。　　The　latter　objection　is　of　little　weight；　because　the　numbers　who　pursue　science　are　few；　and；　probably；　will　long　continue　so。　　It　would　also　be　easily　avoided；　by　restricting　the　number　of　the　order　or　of　the　class；　if　it　were　to　form　a　peculiar　class　of　another　order。　　Another　objection；　however；　appears　to　me　to　possess　far　greater　weight；　and；　however　strong　the　disposition　of　the　Government　might　be　（if　such　an　order　existed）　to　fill　it　properly；　I　do　not　believe　that；　in　the　present　state　of　public　opinion　respecting　science；　it　could　be　done；　and；　in　all　probability；　it　would　be　filled　up　through　the　channels　of　patronage；　and　by　mere　jobbers　in　science。

Another　proposal；　of　a　similar　kind；　has　also　been　talked　of；　one　which　it　may　appear　almost　ridiculous　to　suggest　in　England；　but　which　would　be　considered　so　in　no　other　country。　It　is；　to　ennoble　some　of　the　greatest　scientific　benefactors　of　their　country。　　Not　to　mention　political　causes；　the　ranks　of　the　nobility　are　constantly　recruited　from　the　army；　the　navy；　and　the　bar；　why　should　not　the　family　of　that　man；　whose　name　is　imperishably　connected　with　the　steam…engine；　be　enrolled　amongst　the　nobility　of　his　country？　　In　utility　and　profit；　not　merely　to　that　country；　but　to　the　human　race；　his　deeds　may　proudly　claim　comparison　even　with　the　most　splendid　of　those　achieved　by　classes　so　rich　in　glorious　recollections。　　An　objection；　in　most　cases　fatal　to　such　a　course；　arises　from　the　impolicy　of　conferring　a　title；　unless　a　considerable　fortune　exists　to　support　it；　a　circumstance　very　rarely　occurring　to　the　philosopher。　　It　might　in　some　measure　be　removed；　by　creating　such　titles　only　for　life。　But　here；　again；　until　there　existed　some　knowledge　of　science　amongst　the　higher　classes；　and　a　sound　state　of　public　opinion　relative　to　science；　the　execution　of　the　plan　could　only　be　injurious。


SECTION　7。

OF　THE　UNION　OF　SCIENTIFIC　SOCIETIES。

This　idea　has　occurred　to　several　persons；　as　likely　to　lead　to　considerable　advantages　to　science。　　If　the　various　scientific　societies　could　unite　in　the　occupation　of　one　large　building；　considerable　economy　would　result　from　the　union。　　By　properly　arranging　their　evenings　of　meeting；　one　meeting…room　only　need　be　required。　　The　libraries　might　either　be　united；　or　arranged　in　adjoining　rooms；　and　such　a　system　would　greatly　facilitate　the　inquiries　of　scientific　persons。

Whether　it　would　be　possible　to　reunite　in　any　way　the　different　societies　to　the　Royal　Society；　might　be　a　delicate　question；　but　although；　on　some　accounts；　desirable；　that　event　is　not　necessary　for　the　purpose　of　their　having　a　common　residence。

The　Medico…Botanical　Society　might；　perhaps；　from　sympathy；　be　the　first　to　which　the　Royal　Society　would　apply；　and　by　a　proper　interchange　of　diplomas；　　＇A　thing　well　understood　by　the　INITIATED；　both　at　HOME　and　ABROAD。＇　　the　two　societies　might　be　inoculated　with　each　other。　　But　even　here　some　tact　would　be　required；　the　Medico…Botanical　is　a　little　particular　about　the　purity　of　its　written　documents；　and　lately　attributed　blame　to　one　of　its　officers　for　some　slight　tampering　with　them；　a　degree　of　illiberality　which　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society　are　far　from　imitating。

The　Geological　and　the　Astronomical　Societies　nourish　no　feelings　of　resentment　to　the　parent　institution　for　their　early　persecution；　and　though　they　have　no　inducement　to　seek；　would　scarcely　refuse　any　union　which　might　be　generally　advantageous　to　science。



CONCLUSION。

In　a　work　on　the　Decline　of　Science；　at　a　period　when　England　has　so　recently　lost　two　of　its　brightest　ornaments；　I　should　hardly　be　excused　if　I　omitted　to　devote　a　few　words　to　the　names　of　Wollaston　and　of　Davy。　　Until　the　warm　feelings　of　surviving　kindred　and　admiring　friends　shall　be　cold　as　the　grave　from　which　remembrance　vainly　recalls　their　cherished　forms；　invested　with　all　the　life　and　energy　of　recent　existence；　the　volumes　of　their　biography　must　be　sealed。　　Their　contemporaries　can　expect　only　to　read　their　eloge。

In　habits　of　intercourse　with　both　those　distinguished　individuals；　sufficiently　frequent　to　mark　the　curiously　different　structure　of　their　minds；　I　was　yet　not　on　such　terms　even　with　him　I　most　esteemed；　as　to　view　his　great　qualities　through　that　medium　which　is　rarely　penetrated　by　the　eyes　of　long　and　very　intimate　friendship。

Caution　and　precision　were　the　predominant　features　of　the　character　of　Wollaston；　and　those　who　are　disposed　to　reduce　the　number　of　principles；　would　perhaps　justly　trace　the　precision　which　adorned　his　philosophical；　to　the　extreme　caution　which　pervaded　his　moral　character。　　It　may　indeed　be　questioned　whether　the　latter　quality　will　not　in　all　persons　of　great　abilities　produce　the　former。

Ambition　constituted　a　far　larger　ingredient　in　the　character　of　Davy；　and　with　the　daring　hand　of　genius　he　grasped　even　the　remotest　conclusions　to　which　a　theory　led　him。　　He　seemed　to　think　invention　a　more　common　attribute　than　it　really　is；　and　hastened；　as　soon　as　he　was　in　possession　of　a　new　fact　or　a　new　principle；　to　communicate　it　to　the　world；　doubtful　perhaps　lest　he　might　not　be　anticipated；　but；　confident　in　his　own　powers；　he　was　content　to　give　to　others　a　chance　of　reaping　some　part　of　that　harvest；　the　largest　portion　of　which　he　knew　must