Biographical Sketch of Count Rumford. 317 



the interest may be applied once every second year as a pre- 

 mium to the author of the most important discovery or useful 

 improvement which shall be made and published by printing, 

 or in any way made known to the public in any part of Eu- 

 rope during the preceding two years, on heat or on light; th^ 

 preference always being given to such discoveries as shall, in 

 the opinion of the president and council of the Royal Society, 

 tend most to promote the good of mankind." 



The formalities to be observed (^y the president and council 

 in deciding on the comparative merits of those discoveries 

 which in their opinion might entitle the authors to be con- 

 sidered as competitors for this biennial premium, the Count 

 left to the president and council to determine as in thefr 

 wisdom and judgement they might judge necessary. But iu 

 regard to the form in which this premium is to be conferred^ 

 his request was, " that it may always be given in two medals^ 

 struck in the same dye, the one of gold and the other of 

 silver, and of such dimensions that both of them together 

 may be just equal to the amount of two years interest of the 

 stock ; that is to say, that they may together be of the value 

 of sixty pounds sterling. 



** Should it so happen at any time that no new discovery 

 respecting heat or light should be made in any part of Europe 

 within two years from the preceding adjudication, which in 

 the opinion of the president aud council of the Royal Society 

 should deserve this premium, in that case the Count desires 

 *^ that the premium may not be given ; but that the value of 

 it may be reserved, and, being laid out in the purchase of 

 additional stock in the English funds, may be employed to 

 augment the capital of this premium ; and that the interest 

 of the same, by which the capital may from time to time be 

 augmented, may regularly be given in money with the two 

 medals, and as an addition to the original premium, at each 

 succeeding adjudication of it." And it is further his "parti- 

 cular request that those additions to the value of the premium, 

 arising from its occasional non-adjudications, may be suf- 

 fered to increase without limitation.'' 



It is principally to the exertions of this active individual, 

 in which he was ably supported by the worthy president of 



the 



