16071 the Encouragement given toScience by the King ofDenmark. 



motive in doing so should be misunderstood : nor can I con- 

 clude without expressing the great pleasure I have derived 

 from the perusal of his paper, which has finally settled the 

 question of the original discovery, and thrown much light on 

 the early history of this wonderful instrument. 



Athenseum, April 24, 1832. J. E. DriNKWATER. 



IV. On the Encouragement given to Science by the King of 



Denmark. 

 T N various articles published in England relative to the de- 

 *- cline of science, and the encouragement which is given to 

 it by the Sovereigns of foreign countries, no notice has been 

 taken of the King of Deimiark, who has displayed an ardour 

 and a liberality in the cause of science, in which he has not 

 been surpassed, if he has been equalled, by any other prince.* 



It is not our design at present to give any account of the 

 scientific establishments which he so liberally supports in his 

 own dominions, of his munificence to the men of science that 

 adorn his reign, or of the honours which he has so judiciously 

 conferred upon them. We propose to limit this notice to 

 the instances of his liberality in rewarding and honouring 

 the distinguished philosophers of other nations, — a species of 

 patronage of the noblest and most disinterested description, 

 and one of which there have been very few examples in the hi- 

 story of Europe. We trust that the example of Frederick VI. 

 will be imitated by other Sovereigns; and that those who pro- 

 mote the common interests of their species by useful inventions 

 and discoveries, will receive some acknowledgement of their 

 services from every nation to which they have been beneficial. 



The King of Denmark presented the late General Mudge, 

 the Superintendant of the Ordnance Survey ; General Muf- 

 fling, the Director of the Topographical Survey of Prussia; 

 Admiral Krusenstern, the celebrated Russian circumnaviga- 

 tor; Baron Alexander Humboldt; Baron Lindenau, &c. with 

 gold chronometers, executed by the celebrated Danish artists 

 jurgensen and Keifels. These noble and appropriate gifts 

 bore the simple inscription of " Frederick the Sixth to Bern- 

 hard V. Lindenau" &c. The King also presented to General 

 Fallon, the Director of the Austrian Survey, a superb pendu- 

 lum clock by Jurgensen ; and he sent to our own distin- 

 guished countryman, Mr. Troughton, his gold medal, with the 

 inscription " Merito." 



In order to evince his high regard for foreign merit, the King 

 of Denmark conferred the order of Dannebroga on Reichen- 



• An account of the prize-medal for the discovery of a new telescopic 

 comet, offered by the King of Denmark, will be found in Phil. Miig. and 

 Annals, vol. xi. p. ]oo. 



