14 Observation* on the Decline of Science in England. 



ready, upon the slightest hint, to support the expences of such 

 investigations. (!!) * For government, therefore, to interfere in 

 England with such things, would be like dashing with the oar 

 to accelerate the cataract. There is abundance of momentum 

 already impressed upon the body, and any additional force ap- 

 plied to it would be wasted. It matters little what may be the 

 object of inquiry in this country ; whether it be abstract and 

 refined, or practical and immediately useful — or whether it com- 

 bine the practical with the speculative — or even if it be altoge- 

 ther absurd and visionary. Let any subject of inquiry be start- 

 ed, it is straightway pursued with ardour ; and there is no in- 

 stance that they have heard of m which any such inquiry has 

 been retarded for want of due encouragement. (!!) f Proceeding 

 to examples, they tell us there was a time when the Royal So- 

 ciety was supposed to be the only grand fountain of knowledge 

 in the kingdom. At length, certain of its members conceived 

 their favourite pursuit not sufficiently attended to, and in a few 

 months was established the Geological Society. Since that 

 period, the astronomers have, in like manner, set up for them- 

 selves ; and so far from being in want of further encourage- 

 ment, these interesting bodies derive, from the pockets of their 

 own members, every assistance they can possibly desire. These 

 are only two out of many similar societies in London, all of 

 them numerous, and all of them supported by the voluntary 

 contributions of their own members. But the other day Mr 

 Barrow pointed out the want of a society which should devote 

 itself expressly to geographical subjects, and in less than three 

 months, five hundred and fifty members came forward to enter 

 their names, all ready to pay their subscriptions, and upwards of 

 a hundred of them to compound by a ten years 1 purchase for their 

 annual payments. We are asked if, after this, we can question the 

 sincerity and zeal with which scientific objects are tie facto encou- 

 raged in England ? We are told that we should surprise our rea- 

 ders were we to lay before them an account of the sums of money 

 actually paid annually by the scientific and literary bodies of 

 the metropolis alone, to say nothing of those which may be 



" Where is this wealth to be found ? The statement is most incorrect. 

 f These persons must be very ignorant of the state of scientific inquiry 

 in England, 



