Royal Society ofLondon: 329 



After enumerating Dr. Brinkley's contributions to the Philoso' 

 pJiical Transactiens, the President observed, that of their high 

 merits there was but one opinion among competent judges, not at 

 home only, but (he spoke from his own immediate knowledge) 

 likewise abroad. Alluding to the different opinions entertained by 

 Dr. Brinkley and the Astronomer Royal, upon the subject of 

 parallax and southern declination, Sir Humphry remarked, that 

 while the latter denied sensible parallax, the former did not admit 

 the existence of southern declination ; and that as in awarding the 

 medal upon a former occasion to Mr. Pond, the Council meant not 

 to sanction his opinions, or to presume to decide upon such nice 

 questions, so, upon the present occasion, he felt it his duty to make 

 the same reservation, and to state that the general labours of 

 Dr. Brinkley in the most difficult parts of astronomy, and the high 

 merits of his philosophical inquiries, are the sole grounds on which 

 the medal has been bestowed. " The Council," continued Sir 

 Humphry, " could not with propriety form an opinion on these 

 subjects, when two such astronomers, possessing such peculiar 

 qualities for observation, and such varied and exalted resources, are 

 at variance." 



To illustrate the difficulty and delicacy of the question of paral- 

 lax, the President gave a condensed view of the opinions of various 

 astronomers respecting it, from the time of Copernicus downwards. 

 and in enlarging on Dr. Brinkley's views and opinions, as given in 

 his papers, especially in that last published, he again contrasted 

 them with those of the Astronomer Royal, and more particularly 

 explained the grounds of their differences. " Such," he then said, 

 " is the state of these two questions ; they are not, however, questions 

 of useless controversy, or connected with hostile feelings. The two 

 rival astronomers seem equally animated by the love of truth and 

 of justice, and have carried on their discussions in that conciliating, 

 amiable, and dignified manner which distinguishes the true phi- 

 losopher.'' 



After some further remarks in reference to the subject of paral- 

 lax and southern declination, in which the President entered more 

 minutely into the details of the labours of Dr. Brinkley and 



Vol. XVlir. Z 



