358 SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 



stant intercourse with the members gave them so many 

 opportunities of recommendation, that the election was 

 quite secure of any whom they chose to favour. The 

 President was little consulted, whose especial duty, 

 however, it is, to preserve the purity of election, and 

 to see that improper or improvident choice be not 

 made. It is well known that D'Alembert, in allusion 

 to the extreme prodigality with which the honours of 

 the fellowship were distributed, was in use to ask jocu- 

 larly any person going to England, if he desired to be 

 made a member, as he could easily obtain it for him, 

 should he think it any honour. The new President 

 was resolved that this should no longer be allowed, 

 and though the unlimited number of its fellows must 

 always prevent the place of F.R.S. from being an ob- 

 ject of so much value and of so much desire as that of 

 an Academician in France, he thought that at all events 

 it should be restored to somewhat of its primitive value, 

 by being no longer indiscriminately bestowed. Two 

 principles were laid down by him ; first, that any per- 

 son who had successfully cultivated science, especially 

 by original investigations, should be admitted, what- 

 ever might be his rank or his fortune ; secondly, that 

 men of wealth or station, disposed to promote, adorn, 

 and patronise science, should, but with due caution and 

 deliberation, be occasionally allowed to enter. There 

 could be no objection to these principles, or to limiting 

 the choice in future to cases thus defined. It is to be 

 lamented that an end was not also put to the extremely 

 absurd and even degrading statute by which, while all 

 others must have their claims published twelve weeks 

 before being considered, Peers and Privy Councillors 

 may be balloted for the moment they are proposed 

 a law every way bad in itself, and worse in its execu- 

 tion, for that which is really intended as distinction, is 

 in practice regarded as unimportant, and the claim of 

 no person of rank is ever subjected to the least scru- 

 tiny; he is chosen at once on being proposed. But 



