Donation of Biennial Prizes for Difoveries on Heat and Light- 185 



tliree per cent, confolidated Bank Annuities to the ufe of the Society, on certain conditions 

 (tared in a letter to the Prefident ; which was read as follows : 



"sir, 



•' DESIROUS of contributing efficacioufly to the advancement of a hranch of fcience 

 which has long employed my attention, .and which appears to me to be of the higheft 

 importance to mankind ; and wilhing at the fame time to leave a lafting teftimony of my 

 refpect for the Royal Society of London, I take the liberty to requeft that the Royal 60- 

 cietv would do me the honour to accept of one thoufand pounds flock in the three per 

 cent, confolidated public funds of this country, which (lock I have a£i;ually purchafed, and 

 •which I beg leave to transfer to the Prefident, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society ; 

 to the end that the intereft of the fame may be by them and their fucceflbrs received 

 from time to time for ever, and the amount of the fame applied and given, once every 

 fecond year, as a premium to tlie author of the mod important difcovery or ufeful im- 

 provement which fhall be made and publiflied by printing, or in any way made known to 

 tlie public, in any part of Europe during the preceding two years, on Heat or on Light ; tlio 

 preference always being given to fuch difcoveries as fliall, in the opinion of the Prefident 

 and Council of the Royal Society, tend mod to proinote the good of mankind. 



" With regard to the formalities to be obferved by the Prefident and Council of the 

 Royal Society, in their decifions upon the comparative merits of thofe difcoveries, wliicli, 

 in the opinion of the Prefident and Council, may entitle their authors to be confidered as 

 competitors for this biennial premium, the Prefident and Council of the-Royal Society will 

 be pleafed to adopt fuch regulations as they, in their wifdom, may judge to be proper and 

 neceflary. But in regard to the form in which this premium is conferred, I take the 

 liberty to requeft, that it may always be given in two medals, ftruck in the fame die, the 

 one of gold and the other of filver, and of fuch dimenfions that both of them together may 

 be juft equal in intrinfic value to the amount of the intereft of the aforefaid one thoufand 

 pounds ftock, during two years ; that is to fay, that they may together be of the value 

 of fixty pounds fterling. 



" The Prefident and Council of the Royal Society will be pleafed to order fuch device or 

 infcription to be engraved on the die they fliall caufe to be prepared for ftriking thefe me- 

 dals, as they may judge proper. 



•' If, during any term of years, reckoning from (he laft adjudication, or from the laft 

 period for the adjudication of this premium, by the Prefident and Council of tlie Royal 

 Society, no new difcovery or improvement fliould be made in any part of Europe, relative 

 to cither of the fubjefls in queftion (Heat or Light), which in the opinion of the Prefident 

 and Council of the Royal Society fliall be of fufllcient importance to deferve tliis premium, 

 in that cafe it is my defirc that the premium may not be given ; but that the value of it 

 may be refcrvcd, and, being laid out in the purchafe of additional ftock in the Englifli 

 funds, may lie employed to augment the capital of this premium ; and that the intereft 

 of the fame, by which the capital may from time to time be fo augmented, may regularly 

 be given in money with the two medah, and as an addition to the original premium, at 

 Mth fuccceding adjudication of it. And it is further my particular requeft, that thofe addi- 

 tions to the value of the premium, arifing from its occafional non-adjudications, may be 

 finTcfcd to incrcafe witliout limitation. 



•) ♦' With 



