540 THE JOUENEY TO PALESTINE 



and allies of Tyndall ; Sir John Lubbock and Spottiswoode l 

 were later friends of them all. 



The one purpose of the club was to afford a definite meeting 

 point for a few friends who were in danger of drifting apart 

 in the flood of busy lives. But it was in itself a representative 

 group of scientific men destined to play a large part in the 

 history of science. Five of them received the Eoyal Medal ; 

 three the Copley, the highest scientific award ; one the Kumford ; 

 six were Presidents of the British Association, three Associates 

 of the Institute of France, and from amongst them the Koyal 

 Society chose a Secretary, a Foreign Secretary, a Treasurer, 

 and three successive Presidents. 



I think, originally [writes Huxley, l.c.~\ there was some 

 vague notion of associating representatives of each branch 

 of science ; at any rate, the nine who eventually came 

 together could have managed, among us, to contribute most 

 of the articles to a scientific Encyclopaedia. 



As I have written elsewhere, they included leading repre- 

 sentatives of half a dozen branches of science mathematics, 

 physics, philosophy, chemistry, botany, and biology ; and all 

 were animated by similar ideas of the high function of science, 

 and of the great Society which should be the chief representa- 

 tive of science in this country. However unnecessary, it was 

 perhaps not unnatural that a certain jealousy of the club and 

 its possible influence grew up in some quarters. But what- 

 ever influence fell to it as it were incidentally and earnest 

 men with such opportunities of mutual understanding and 

 such ideals of action could not fail to have some influence on 

 the progress of scientific organisation it was assuredly not 

 sectarian nor exerted for party purposes during the twenty- 

 eight years of the club's existence. 



I believe that the x [continues Huxley] had the credit 

 of being a sort of scientific caucus, or ring, with some people. 



1 William Spottiswoode (1825-83) was an accomplished mathematician and 

 physicist as well as a man of business. He succeeded his father as Queen's 

 Printer in 1846, and after being Treasurer became President of the Royal Society 

 1878-83, following Hooker and preceding Huxley. His great personal charm 

 endeared him to his friends. 



