1894 SPEECH AT THE ROYAL SOCIETY DINNER ^n 



members of her sex have flown at me for writing what I thought 

 was a highly complimentary letter. But she will be just, I 

 know. 



" The best of women are apt to be a little weak in the great 

 practical arts of give-and-take, and putting up with a beating, 

 and a little too strong in their belief in the efficacy of govern- 

 ment. Men learn about these things in the ordinary course of 

 their business; women have no chance in home life, and the 

 boards and councils will be capital schools for them. Again, 

 in the public interest it will be well ; women are more naturally 

 economical than men, and have none of our false shame about 

 looking after pence. Moreover, they don't job for any but their 

 lovers, husbands, and children, so that we know the worst." 



The speech at the Royal Society Anniversary dinner 

 which he evidently enjoyed making was a fine piece of 

 speaking, and quite carried away the audience, whether in 

 the gentle depreciation of his services to science, or in his 

 profession of faith in the methods of science and the final 

 triumph of the doctrine of evolution, whatever theories of 

 its operation might be adopted or discarded in the course 

 of further investigation. 



I quote from the Times report of the speech : 



But the most difficult task that remains is that which con- 

 cerns myself. It is 43 years ago this day since the Royal Society 

 did me the honour to award me a Royal medal, and thereby 

 determined my career. But, having long retired into the posi- 

 tion of a veteran, I confess that I was extremely astonished 

 I honestly also say that I was extremely pleased to receive the 

 announcement that you had been good enough to award to me 

 the Darwin Medal. But you know the Royal Society, like all 

 things in this world, is subject to criticism. I confess that with 

 the ingrained instincts of an old official that which arose in my 

 mind after the reception of the information that I had been thus 

 distinguished was to start an inquiry which I suppose suggests 

 itself to every old official How can my Government be justi- 

 fied? In reflecting upon what had been my own share in what 

 are now very largely ancient transactions, it was perfectly ob- 

 vious to me that I had no such claims as those of Mr. Wallace. 

 It was perfectly clear to me that I had no such claims as those 

 of my life-long friend Sir Joseph Hooker, who for 25 years 

 placed all his great sources of knowledge, his sagacity, his in- 



