112 



porated by royal charter in 1802. Recent dis- 

 coveries in Geology created, among its admirers, 

 nn enthusiasm which, being incompatible with 

 the measured movements of the Royal Society, 

 led to the formation, in 1813, of a distinct associa- 

 tion for the cultivation of that science alone; while 

 the higher class of astronomers, and the promoters 

 of polite literature have, within a few years past, 

 united themselves into bodies, devoted to their 

 immediate pursuits the former of whom were in- 

 corporated in 1820, under the name of the Astro- 

 nomical Society,* while the latter received their 

 charter of incorporation in 1823, under the appel- 

 lation of the Royal Society of Literature. It is not 

 necessary to inquire how far, in so ample a space 

 as the metropolis, and in the present state of sci- 

 ence, the division of labour, if the term may be 

 so applied, by the formation of these different 

 branch -societies, is likely to be attended with ad- 

 vantage : it is sufficient for our purpose to be 

 acquainted with the fact, that the Royal Society 

 and the Society of Antiquaries, jealous of these 

 desertions, and anxious to afford some relief to 

 the monotony of their own proceedings, have al- 

 lowed, of late, the introduction of coffee, at the 

 close of their ordinary meetings, in the hope that, 

 by forming Conversazioni of literary men, with 



* The council of this Society has been recently engaged to revise the 

 Nautical Almanack. 



