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Having no immediate interest in the Society, much less being 

 its deputed advocate, it does not come within the intention of 

 this work to defend it under the complaints that have occa- 

 sionally been brought against it. I must however say that 

 those 1 have read of, or listened to, have been founded upon false 

 reasoning, upon personal pique for some fancied wrong, or the 

 parties have been the first aggressor. To say the Society never 

 took[an injudicious step, would be to say that it is perfect be- 

 yond all Human Institutions; but to say that it has hitherto 

 been conducted upon liberal principles, and that it has fulfilled 

 the intention for which all such Institutions are founded, the 

 general benefit of its particidar Art, by the agency of its mem- 

 bers, for these naturally deserve to be first served, is certainly 

 saying of it no more than it merits. 



One fundamental objection however I must pause to refute; 

 it is that which urges that Scientific Societies of this kind, if 

 not injurious to the Art they profess to improve, are at least 

 useless ; for all the grand discoveries of Science, have arisen 

 from the labours of isolated individuals. 



It is true that the genius of Bacon, Galileo, Newton, Hervey 

 and many others, carried those giants of intellect and research 

 through every opposition whether arising from neglect, from 

 poverty, or from persecution. They arose unassisted by any 

 Institutions, and stand like the Eastern Pyramids, monuments 

 of greatness, amid plains barren and pathless. But what of 

 this? have not Lavoisier, Linnasus, Banks, Knight, Davy and 

 many others, been nurtured amid Institutes of modern days ? 

 Let it be marked that those who consider a Society is to be 

 valued only as extraordinary, and science-convulsing discove- 

 ries emanate from it, by no means have a just idea of the 

 sphere of utility of such Institutions. Societies are useful as 

 being centres towards which minor discoveries and improve- 



