Decline of Science in England by Charles Babbage (red white royal blue txt) 📖
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observation and critical discussion. The greater number of these
well-arranged collections have existed, like the University of
Berlin, scarcely twenty years. The oldest of them, to which the
Botanical Garden, (one of the richest in Europe) belongs, have
during this period not only been increased, but entirely
remodelled. The amusement and instruction derived from such
institutions, call to our minds, with deep feelings of gratitude,
that they are the work of that great monarch, who modestly and in
simple grandeur, adorns every year this royal city with new
treasures of nature and art; and what is of still greater value
than the treasures themselves,—what inspires every Prussian with
youthful strength, and with an enthusiastic love for the ancient
reigning family,—that he graciously attaches to himself every
species of talent, and extends with confidence his royal
protection to the free cultivation of the understanding.
This was followed by a paper on magnetism, by Professor Oersted;
and several other memoirs were then read.
The arrival of so many persons of similar pursuit, (for 464
members were present,) rendered it convenient to have some
ordinary, at which those who chose might dine, and introduce
their friends or families. This had been foreseen, and his
Majesty had condescended to allow the immense building used for
the exercise of his troops, to be employed for this purpose.
One-third of it was floored on the occasion, and tables were
arranged, at which, on one occasion, 850 persons sat down to
dinner. On the evening of the first day, M. de Humboldt gave a
large SOIREE in the concert rooms attached to the theatre. About
1200 persons assembled on this occasion, and his Majesty the King
of Prussia honoured with his presence the fete of his illustrious
chamberlain. The nobility of the country, foreign princes, and
foreign ambassadors, were present. It was gratifying to observe
the princes of the blood mingling with the cultivators of
science, and to see the heir-apparent to the throne, during the
course of the evening, engaged in conversation with those most
celebrated for their talents, of his own, or of other countries.
Nor were the minor arrangements of the evening beneath the
consideration of the President. The words of the music selected
for the concert, were printed and distributed to the visitors.
The names of the most illustrious philosophers which Germany had
produced, were inscribed in letters of gold at the end of the
great concert room.
In the first rank amongst these stood a name which, England, too,
enrolls amongst the brightest in her scientific annals; and
proud, as well she may be, of having fostered and brought to
maturity the genius of the first Herschel, she has reaped an
ample reward in being able to claim as entirely her own, the
inheritor of his talents and his name.
The six succeeding days were occupied, in the morning, by a
meeting of the academy, at which papers of general interest were
read. In the afternoon, through the arrangement of M. de Humboldt
and M. Lichtenstein, various rooms were appropriated for
different sections of the academy. In one, the chemical
philosophers attended to some chemical memoir, whilst the
botanists assembled in another room, the physiologists in a
third, and the natural philosophers in a fourth. Each attended to
the reading of papers connected with their several sciences. Thus
every member was at liberty to choose that section in which he
felt most interest at the moment, and he had at all times power
of access to the others. The evenings were generally spent at
some of the SOIREES of the savans, resident at Berlin, whose
hospitality and attentions to their learned brethren of other
countries were unbounded. During the unoccupied hours of the
morning, the collections of natural history, which are rapidly
rising into importance, were open to examination; and the various
professors and directors who assisted the stranger in his
inquiries, left him equally gratified by the knowledge and
urbanity of those who so kindly aided him.
A map of Europe was printed, on which those towns only appeared
which had sent representatives to this scientific congress; and
the numbers sent by different kingdoms appeared by the following
table, which was attached to it;—
Russia… … … 1
Austria … … . . 0
England … … . . 1
Holland … … . . 2
Denmark … … . . 7
France … … . . 1
Sardinia … … . 0
Prussia … … . . 95
Bavaria … … . . 12
Hanover … … . . 5
Saxony … … . . 21
Wirtemburg … … 2
Sweden … … . . 13
Naples … … . . 1
Poland … … . . 3
German States … . . 43
–
206Berlin … … . 172
–
378The proportion in which the cultivators of different sciences
appeared, was not easy to ascertain, because there were few
amongst the more eminent who had not added to more than one
branch of human knowledge. The following table, though not
professing to be very accurate, will afford, perhaps, a tolerably
fair view:—
Geometers … … . 11
Astronomers … … 5
Natural Philosophers . 23
— 39
Mines … … … 5
Mineralogy … … 16
Geology … … . . 9
— 30
Chemistry … … … 18
Geography … … … 8
Anatomy … … … . 12
Zoology … … . . 14
Natural History … . 8
Botany … … … 35
— 57
Physicians … … . 175
Amateurs … … . 9
Various … … . . 35
–
381A medal was struck in commemoration of this meeting, and it was
proposed that it should form the first of a series, which should
comprise all those persons most celebrated for their scientific
discoveries in the past and present age.
APPENDIX, No. 2.
An examination into some charges brought against one of the
twenty-four candidates, mentioned in a note as having their names
suspended in the meeting-room of the Royal Society, at one time,
has caused a printed pamphlet to be circulated amongst the
members of the Society. Of the charges themselves I shall offer
no opinion, but entreat every member to judge for himself. I
shall, however, make one extract, which tends to show how the
ranks of the Society are recruited.
EXTRACT FROM A PRINTED LETTER FROM A. F. M. TO J. G. CHILDREN,
ESQ. DATED, 22, UPPER BEDFORD-PLACE, MARCH 13, 1830.
“When I wished you to Propose me at the Geological Society, you
asked me why you should not propose me also at the Royal Society;
and my answer was, that it was an honour to which I did not think
I could aspire; that my talents were too insignificant to warrant
such pretensions. Many days passed, and still you pressed me on
the subject, because your partiality made you think me deserving
of the honour; but I resisted, really through modesty, not that I
did not covet the distinction, until something was said of my
paper on the meteoric mass of iron of Brazil, which was published
some years ago in the Transactions of the Royal Society; when you
insisted on proposing me, and I assented gratefully, because I
was and am desirous of being a Fellow of the Royal Society, if I
can be supposed worthy of having my name so honourably enrolled.”
EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF J. G. CHILDREN, ESQ. TO A. F. M. ESQ.
DATED, BRITISH MUSEUM, MARCH 24, 1830.
“All that you have said respecting your being a candidate for
admission into the Royal Society, is correct to the letter. I
pressed the subject upon you, and I would do it again to-morrow,
were it necessary.”
Here, then, we find Mr. Children, who has been on the Council of
the Royal Society, and who was, a few years since, one of its
Secretaries, pressing one of his friends to become, and actually
insisting on proposing him as, a Fellow of the Royal Society, He
must have been well aware of the feelings which prevail amongst
the Council as to the propriety of such a step, and by publishing
the fact, seems quite satisfied that such a course is
advantageous to the interests of the Society. That similar
applications were not unfrequently made in private, is well
known; but it remains for the Society to consider whether, now
they are publicly and officially announced to them, it will
sanction this mode of augmenting the already numerous list of its
fellows.
APPENDIX, No. 3,
LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
THE PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS, OR HAVE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL.
N. B.—The Numbers are made up to the present year for the
Papers, but only to 1827 for Members of the Council.
No. of No. of
Papers years on
printed Council.
in Phil.
Trans.
––— ––-
3 Aberdeen, Earl of.
3 3 Abernethy, John.
2 Allan, Thomas.
3 Allen, William.
1 Arden, Lord.
1 Atholl, Duke of.
7 2 Babbage, Charles,1 Babington, William.
1 2 Baily,Francis.
9 Barlow, Peter. (C)
2 Barnard, Sir F. Augusta.
5 Barrow, John.
2 Bauer, Francis.
1 Bayley, John.
1 Beaufort, Francis.
2 Beaufoy, Henry.
5 Bell, Charles.
1 Bingley, Robert.
1 Blackburne, John.
3 Blake, William.
1 3 Blane, Sir Gilbert.
1 1 Blizard, Sir William.
1 1 Bostock, John.
12 10 Brande, Wm. Thos. (C)
16 Brewster, David. (C)
6 1 Brodie, B. Collins. (C)
1 Bromhead Sir E. F.
3 Brougham, Henry.
1 Browne, Henry.
1 Brown, Robert.
2 Brownlow, Earl.
1 Buckland, Rev. W. (C)
1 Burney, Rev. C. Parr.
1 Canterbury, Archbp. of.
1 Carew, Rt. Hon. R. P.
7 Carlisle, Sir Anthony.
2 Carlisle, Nicholas.
1 Carne, Joseph.
1 Carrington, Sir C. E.
2 Charleville, Earl of.
7 2 Chenevix, Richard. (C)
3 4 Children, John George.
10 Christie, Sam. Hunter.
1 Clerk, Sir George.
2 Clift, William.
9 Cloyne, Bishop of. (C)
2 Colby, Colonel Thomas.
1 Colebrooke, Henry T.
2 2 Cooper, Sir Astley P. (C)
1 Crichton, Sir Alex.
5 Croker, John Wilson.
1 Cullum, Sir T. Gery.
2 Dalton, John.
2 Darnley, Earl of1 Darwin, Robert Waring.
1 Davis, John Francis.
2 Davy, Edmund.
13 Davy, John.
3 Dyllwin, Lewis Weston.
1 Dollond, George.
1 Dudley and Ward, Visc.
2 Earle, Henry.
1 Egremont, Earl of.
1 Fallows, Rev. Fearon.
8 Faraday, Michael.
1 Farnborough, Lord.
1 Fisher, Rev. George.
1 Fly, Rev. Henry.
2 Foster, Henry.
1 1 Frankland, Sir Thomas.
1 Gibbes, Sir Geo, Smith.
2 13 Gilbert, Davies.
2 Gillies, John.
5 Goldingham, John.
3 1 Gompertz, Benjamin.
1 Goodenough, George T.
2 Gordon, Sir James W.
3 Granville, Augustus B.
1 Greatorex, Thomas.
1 Greenough, Geo.Bellas.
1 Griffiths, John.
3 1 Groombridge, Stephen.
1 Halford, Sir Henry.
2 Hall, Basil.
1 Hamilton, Wm. Rich.
2 Hardwicke, Earl of.
2 Harvey, George.
1 Harwood, J.
16 10 Hatchett, Charles. (C)
1 Hawkins, John.
2 2 Heberden, William.
9 Hellins, Rev. John, (C)
1 Henley, Morton Lord.
10 Henry, William. (C)
12 6 Herschel, John F.W. (C)
1 Hoare, Henry Hugh1 Hoare, Sir Richard Colt.
2 Hobhouse, Sir Benj.
1 Holland, Henry.
109 16 Home, Sir Everard. (C)
2 Hope, Thomas Charles.
1 Hosack, David.
1 1 Horsburgh, James.
1 Howard, Luke.
2 Hume, Sir Abraham.
7 2 Ivory, James.C.
1 Jekyll, Joseph.
4 1 Johnson, Jas. Rawlins.
13 7 Kater, Capt. Henry. (C)
2 Kidd, John.
24 1 Knight, Thomas A. (C)
1 1 Konig, Charles.
2 Lambert, Aylmer B.
1 Lansdowne, Marquis of.
1 1 Latham, John.
2 Lax, Rev. William.
1 Leach, William Elford.
1 Lowther, Viscount.
2 Macartney, James.
2 Macdonald, Lieut. Col.
1 Mac Grigor, Sir James.
2 Mac Leay, Alexander.
1 Mansfield, Earl
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