418 SCIENCE OEGANISATION : SOCIETIES, ETC. 



prompted by memories of this kind when, after privately 

 naming certain botanists as worthy of a medal, he wrote to 

 Henfreyinl859: 



I may tell you that I am opposed to the whole system of 

 medalising, as being quite beneath the dignity of real science 

 and of the Eoyal Society ; but if it is to go on, I shall hope 

 to see it well carried out. 



Beyond the question of scientific recognition of science 

 work, lay the other matter of public recognition by knighthoods 

 and the like. This concerned him later; but to summarise 

 his opinion, services, not scientific eminence as such, should 

 be ' rewarded ' by distinctions. 



Several letters illustrate his eagerness that due honour be 

 paid to his father ; the first is one to Bentham on his receipt ; 

 of the Eoyal Medal (November 20, 1859). 



The first matter is the E.S. medal ; I, and all other 

 Botanists, are equally indignant with yourself, at my Father's 

 merits being overlooked in the distribution of [the] Copley 

 medal, the only one they could offer him — this is wholly 

 Brown's fault, and will I fear never now be mended, greatly 

 as it has been desired and tried for. The Copley is the only 

 medal that could be offered him, and that medal is theoretically 

 all but exclusively confined to great discoveries, or great 

 generalizations of proved value to future investigators. I 

 have long fought for its being given to general scientific 

 merit of half a century or upwards — hitherto in vain. 

 Happily the 2 Eoyal medals are in so different a category 

 that they do not clash with the Copley, and they are further 

 confined to our countrymen ; but for this, your and my and 

 Lindley's having a Eoyal medal would have been more than 

 invidious. With regard to the claims of your line of research, 

 it is true that in Botany they have (thanks to Brown) been 

 altogether put aside, but those of a parallel character and 

 value have always been acknowledged in Zoology and 

 every branch of Physics ; and * better late than never,' 

 is all I can say to the E.S. in your case — ^no medal was 

 ever more richly deserved and it was I am told given 

 unanimously. 



