HONORARY TITLES. 407 



hail with pleasure every addition made to our stock 

 of knowledge by the press of America, while, by 

 admitting their publications free of duty, we should 

 doubtless receive the same indulgence : and the 

 costly works of British naturalists, with a small re- 

 duction of their original price, and disburdened of 

 duties on their arrival, might then find purchasers in 

 large districts of America, where at present they 

 are only known by name. 



(276.) 5. The last subject connected with our pre- 

 sent enquiry possesses much interest in itself, and 

 still more from its recent discussion in the House of 

 Commons. It is on the propriety or impropriety of 

 conferring honorary titles or distinctions upon those 

 of our philosophers who have benefited their country 

 by their discoveries or inventions. 



(277.) That distinguished merit, of whatsoever 

 description, should receive reward, either pecuniary 

 or honorary, proportionate to its nature and degree, 

 no one will deny; and that great intellectual ac- 

 quirements are far superior to qualities derived 

 from the exercise of animal faculties, is also an un- 

 deniable truth ; proved, if proof were necessary, by 

 the rarity of the one and the frequency of the 

 other. But the bulk of mankind are but little 

 influenced by abstract truth. They will assent to 

 its doctrines from their incapacity of denying them ; 

 but they will seldom carry this assent into practice. 

 They will be content to admit the general principle; 

 but, if it is to be applied to particular cases, they 

 shelter themselves under the common excuse, that 

 custom, or fashion, or national feeling, is against 

 the measure; they look for precedents; they cannot 

 d d 4? 



