540 THE JOUENEY TO PALESTINE 



and allies of Tyndall ; Sir John Lubbock and Spottiswoode ^ 

 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 Eumford ; 

 six were Presidents of the British Association, three Associates 

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

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

 and three successive Presidents. 



I think, originally [writes Huxley, I.e.] 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. 



