248 A Review of some leading Points in the Official Character 



lity manifested by Sir Joseph to Dr. Hutton. His friends, as 

 well as Maskelync's, if they wished to become fellows of the Royal 

 Society, were regularly excluded ; or, sometimes, with the ut- 

 most civility, informed beforehand, that they " had better not 

 expose themselves to the risque and mortification of rejection," 

 Ifanvof them presented papers to the Society, they had the 

 honour of being carefully lodged in the archives of the Society, 

 where the world in general, or even the members of the Society, 

 would derive no more benefit from them than if they were de- 

 posited at the centre of the earth. This was the case with me- 

 moirs presented by Wildlore, Vince, Lax, Mudge, &c. 



About the year 1816, Dr. Hutton having, by reason of his 

 advanced age, formed a determination to relinquish the habits 

 of a student and the active pursuits of an author, resolved, in 

 consequence, to dispose of his library. He was strongly induced 

 to form this resolution, on being informed by some of his scien- 

 tific friends, that there were scarcely any mathematical books in 

 the British Museum, and that it was exceedingly probable the 

 governors would be glad to enrich it with so valuable and com- 

 plete a library as his, if they were properly applied to. The 

 views and wishes of several of the governors of that national 

 establishment were hereupon ascertained ; and they were found 

 to be generally favourable to the suggestion of Dr. Hutton's 

 friends. The Doctor announced that it was not his wish to make 

 monev by the sale of his books, but simply to have them all de- 

 posited permanently in some suitable place ; and that, therefore, 

 he would most cheerfully abide by the valuation affixed by two 

 persons, one to be appointed by each party. To this proposal 

 many of the governors were well inclined, and they actually ap- 

 pointed one of their officers to take an inventory of the books, 

 and report upon them. The report was favourable. In this state 

 of things, Sir Joseph Banks being then in Lincolnshire, Dr. Hut- 

 ton, fearing he might take offence if not apprized of what was 

 going on, wrote to communicate the requisite information, and 

 to express his hopes that the proposal would be approved by Sir 

 Joseph. To this letter the Doctor received no reply; but, in 

 less than a fortnight after he had dispatched it, he was informed 

 that Sir Joseph was in London, and busily employed among the 

 other Governors of the British Museum in dissuading them from 

 the purchase ! From that moment all negotiation ceased. Thus, 

 it seems, does malignity sleep in the breast of a " genuine phi- 

 losopher," for more than 30 years; when, on a suitable occa- 

 sion, it starts from its slumber, and proceeds to exert itself with 

 all its primitive virulence. 



It would be curious to contrast this proceeding with the grate- 

 ful 



