STATE OF OUR LEARNED SOCIETIES. 301 



parent from which nearly all others have sprung, 

 and which the public in general considers the most 

 honourable, we find no classification whatever of the 

 heterogeneous materials of which it is composed. 

 Not the slightest distinction is made between the 

 man of wealth, who pays his money to gratify his va- 

 nity ; the mere dilettante, who feels a pleasure in the 

 labours of others ; or the accomplished philosopher, 

 whose name may be celebrated throughout the world. 

 All these, and many others, are admitted upon the 

 same terms ; all must pay an equal subscription, and 

 all rank alike. Such, we believe, is universally the 

 case with all the metropolitan societies. And in 

 proportion as these have multiplied, so have the in- 

 conveniences arisen, not to say the insuperable ob- 

 stacles, of concentrating the elite of science. If 

 there existed a society to which no one could 

 belong who did not possess scientific acquirements 

 of known and acknowledged merit, it would matter 

 but little if it entailed upon its members an annual 

 contribution ; because, although payment would be 

 one of the requisites, it would not be the first, or 

 the only one : the admission in itself would be an 

 honour; because it would be placed beyond the reach 

 of the most wealthy pretender, and would at once 

 attach importance to a name. But, in the present 

 state of our societies, all the qualifications expressed 

 in the certificate of a candidate are, that " he is de- 

 sirous of becoming a member, and likely to be a 

 useful and valuable one : " the two latter requisites 

 being generally interpreted, that he will promote 

 the objects of the society, by paying his contri- 

 butions regularly. So far as our own experience 



