decline of science in england-第8章

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Of　these　there　are　Peers　of　France　。。。。。。。。。。　5

We　might；　on　turning　over　the　list　of　the　685　members　of　the　Royal　Society；　find　a　greater　number　of　peers　than　there　are　in　the　Institute　of　France；　but　a　fairer　mode　of　instituting　the　comparison；　is　to　inquire　how　many　titled　members　there　are　amongst　those　who　have　contributed　to　its　Transactions。　　In　1827；　there　were　one　hundred　and　nine　members　who　had　contributed　to　the　Transactions　of　the　Royal　Society；　amongst　these　were　found：…

Peer　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　1　Baronets　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　5　Knights　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　5

It　should　be　observed；　that　five　of　these　titles　were　the　rewards　of　members　of　the　medical　profession；　and　one　only；　that　of　Sir　H。　Davy；　could　be　attributed　exclusively　to　science。

It　must　not　be　inferred　that　the　titles　of　nobility　in　the　French　list；　were　all　of　them　the　rewards　of　scientific　eminence；　many　are　known　to　have　been　such；　but　it　would　be　quite　sufficient　for　the　argument　to　mention　the　names　of　Lagrange；　Laplace；　Berthollet；　and　Chaptal。

The　estimation　in　which　the　public　hold　literary　claims　in　France　and　England；　was　curiously　illustrated　by　an　incidental　expression　in　the　translation　of　the　debates　in　the　House　of　Lords；　on　the　occasion　of　His　Majesty's　speech　at　the　commencement　of　the　session　of　1830。　　The　Gazette　de　France　stated；　that　the　address　was　moved　by　the　Duc　de　Buccleugh；　〃CHEF　DE　LA　MAISON　DE　WALTER　SCOTT。〃　Had　an　English　editor　wished　to　particularize　that　nobleman；　he　would　undoubtedly　have　employed　the　term　WEALTHY；　or　some　other　of　the　epithets　characteristic　of　that　quality　most　esteemed　amongst　his　countrymen。

If　we　turn；　on　the　other　hand；　to　the　　emoluments　of　science　in　France；　we　shall　find　them　far　exceed　those　in　our　own　country。　I　regret　much　that　I　have　mislaid　a　most　interesting　memorandum　on　this　subject；　which　I　made　several　years　since：　　but　I　believe　my　memory　on　the　point　will　not　be　found　widely　incorrect。　A　foreign　gentleman；　himself　possessing　no　inconsiderable　acquaintance　with　science；　called　on　me　a　few　years　since；　to　present　a　letter　of　introduction。　　He　had　been　but　a　short　time　in　London；　and；　in　the　course　of　our　conversation；　it　appeared　to　me　that　he　had　imbibed　very　inaccurate　ideas　respecting　our　encouragement　of　science。

Thinking　this　a　good　opportunity　of　instituting　a　fair　comparison　between　the　emoluments　of　science　in　the　two　countries；　I　placed　a　sheet　of　paper　before　him；　and　requested　him　to　write　down　the　names　of　six　Englishmen；　in　his　opinion；　best　known　in　France　for　their　scientific　reputation。　　Taking　another　sheet　of　paper；　I　wrote　upon　it　the　names　of　six　Frenchmen；　best　known　in　England　for　their　scientific　discoveries。　We　exchanged　these　lists；　and　I　then　requested　him　to　place　against　each　name　（as　far　as　he　knew）　the　annual　income　of　the　different　appointments　held　by　that　person。　　In　the　mean　time；　I　performed　the　same　operation　on　his　list；　against　some　names　of　which　I　was　obliged　to　place　a　ZERO。　The　result　of　the　comparison　was　an　average　of　nearly　1200L。　per　annum　for　the　six　French　SAVANS　whom　I　had　named。　　Of　the　average　amount　of　the　sums　received　by　the　English；　I　only　remember　that　it　was　very　much　smaller。　　When　we　consider　what　a　command　over　the　necessaries　and　luxuries　of　life　1200L。　will　give　in　France；　it　is　underrating　it　to　say　it　is　equal　to　2000L。　in　this　country。

Let　us　now　look　at　the　prospects　of　a　young　man　at　his　entrance　into　life；　who；　impelled　by　an　almost　irresistible　desire　to　devote　himself　to　the　abstruser　sciences；　or　who；　confident　in　the　energy　of　youthful　power；　feels　that　the　career　of　science　is　that　in　which　his　mental　faculties　are　most　fitted　to　achieve　the　reputation　for　which　he　pants。　　What　are　his　prospects？　　Can　even　the　glowing　pencil　of　enthusiasm　add　colour　to　the　blank　before　him？　　There　are　no　situations　in　the　state；　there　is　no　position　in　society　to　which　hope　can　point；　to　cheer　him　in　his　laborious　path。　　If；　indeed；　he　belong　to　one　of　our　universities；　there　are　some　few　chairs　in　his　OWN　Alma　Mater　to　which　he　may　at　some　distant　day　pretend；　but　these　are　not　numerous；　and　whilst　the　salaries　attached　are　seldom　sufficient　for　the　sole　support　of　the　individual；　they　are　very　rarely　enough　for　that　of　a　family。　What　then　can　he　reply　to　the　entreaties　of　his　friends；　to　betake　himself　to　some　business　in　which　perhaps　they　have　power　to　assist　him；　or　to　choose　some　profession　in　which　his　talents　may　produce　for　him　their　fair　reward？　If　he　have　no　fortune；　the　choice　is　taken　away：　　he　MUST　give　up　that　line　of　life　in　which　his　habits　of　thought　and　his　ambition　qualify　him　to　succeed　eminently；　and　he　MUST　choose　the　bar；　or　some　other　profession；　in　which；　amongst　so　many　competitors；　in　spite　of　his　great　talents；　he　can　be　but　moderately　successful。　　The　loss　to　him　is　great；　but　to　the　country　it　is　greater。　　We　thus；　by　a　destructive　misapplication　of　talent　which　our　institutions　create；　exchange　a　profound　philosopher　for　but　a　tolerable　lawyer。

If；　on　the　other　hand；　he　possess　some　moderate　fortune　of　his　own；　and；　intent　on　the　glory　of　an　immortal　name；　yet　not　blindly　ignorant　of　the　state　of　science　in　this　country；　he　resolve　to　make　for　that　aspiration　a　sacrifice　the　greater；　because　he　is　fully　aware　of　its　extent；if；　so　circumstanced；　he　give　up　a　business　or　a　profession　on　which　he　might　have　entered　with　advantage；　with　the　hope　that；　when　he　shall　have　won　a　station　high　in　the　ranks　of　European　science；　he　may　a　little　augment　his　resources　by　some　of　those　few　employments　to　which　science　leads；if　he　hope　to　obtain　some　situation；　（at　the　Board　of　Longitude；　for　example；）　　＇This　body　is　now　dissolved＇　　where　he　may　be　permitted　to　exercise　the　talents　of　a　philosopher　for　the　paltry　remuneration　of　a　clerk；　he　will　find　that　other　qualifications　than　knowledge　and　a　love　of　science　are　necessary　for　its　attainment。　　He　will　also　find　that　the　high　and　independent　spirit；　which　usually　dwells　in　the　breast　of　those　who　are　deeply　versed　in　these　pursuits；　is　ill　adapted　for　such　appointments；　and　that　even　if　successful；　he　must　hear　many　things　he　disapproves；　and　raise　no　voice　AGAINST　them。

Thus；　then；　it　appears　that　scarcely　any　man　can　be　expected　to　pursue　abstract　science　unless　he　possess　a　private　fortune；　and　unless　he　can　resolve　to　give　up　all　intention　of　improving　it。　Yet；　how　few　thus　situated　are　likely　to　undergo　the　labour　of　the　acquisition；　and　if　they　do　from　some　irresistible　impulse；　what　inducement　is　there　for　them　to　deviate　one　step　from　those　inquiries　in　which　they　find　the　greatest　delight；　into　those　which　might　be　more　immediately　useful　to　the　public？



CHAPTER　III。

GENERAL　STATE　OF　LEARNED　SOCIETIES　IN　ENGLAND。

The　progress　of　knowledge　convinced　the　world　that　the　system　of　the　division　of　labour　and　of　cooperation　was　as　applicable　to　science；　as　it　had　been　found　available　for　the　improvement　of　manufactures。　　The　want　of　competition　in　science　produced　effects　similar　to　those　which　the　same　cause　gives　birth　to　in　the　arts。　　The　cultivators　of　botany　were　the　first　to　feel　that　the　range　of　knowledge　embraced　by　the　Royal　Society　was　too　comprehensive　to　admit　of　sufficient　attention　to　their　favourite　subject；　and　they　established　the　Linnean　Society。　　After　many　years；　a　new　science　arose；　and　the　Geological　Society　was　produced。　　At　an　another　and　more　recent　epoch；　the　friends　of　astronomy；　urged　by　the　wants　of　their　science；　united　to　establish　the　Astronomical　Society。　　Each　of　these　bodies　found；　that　the　attention　devoted　to　their　science　by　the　parent　establishment　was　insufficient　for　their　wants；　and　each　in　succession　experienced　from　the　Royal　Society　the　most　determined　opposition。

Instituted　by　the　most　enlightened　philosophers；　solely　for　the　promotion　of　the　natural　sciences；　that　learned　body　justly　conceived　that　nothing　could　be　more　likely　to　render　these　young　institutions　permanently　successful；　than　discouragement　and　opposition　at　their　commencement。　　Finding　their　first　attempts　so　eminently　successful；　they　redoubled　the　severity　of　their　persecution；　and　the　result　was　com