NA TURE 



521 



THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 191 7. 



SCIENCE AND SOCIETY. 

 Annals of the Royal Society Clu'h. The Record 

 of a London Dining-Club in the Eighteenth and 

 Nineteenth Centuries. By Sir Archibald Geikie. 

 Pp. XV + 504. (London: Macmillan and Co., 

 Ltd., 1917.) Price 185. net. 

 ''r'HIS is a delightful book, not only for fellows 

 J- of the Royal Society, not for scientific circles 

 only, but for all those who love the biographical 

 side of history, varieties of manners, and the 

 ■characters of English folk. Moreover, the stor\- 

 of the Royal Society, and of the Club, its inner 

 and more sociable group, is concerned with the 

 most interesting section of English society ; or, to 

 be quite modest, let us say of the English society 

 -of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. No 

 person, whatever his rank, could find admission 

 to this circle without intellectual distinction, 

 while with such distinction none was of origin 

 too humble to fail of a welcome. And, 

 from its beginnine onwards, the Club was 

 liabitually entertaining as its guests the most dis- 

 tinguished men of the day. 



It is impossible to fix the date of the origin of 

 the Royal Society Club, for, like most of such 

 "bodies, it grew rather than was founded : it grew 

 out of such tavern parties as Samuel Johnson 

 loved. It took definite form about 175 years ago, 

 when it was called the "Royal Philosophers," a 

 name abbreviated to "The Royals." After some 

 changes from tavern to tavern the Club settled 

 <lown at the "Mitre," in Fleet Street, and stayed 

 there for forty years. The title of " Club " crept 

 In, at first colloquially, then was formally adopted. 

 The hour of dinner slowly descended from 4 

 o'clock to 6.30, where it still remains. 



The sketch of the history of the Club bv 

 niral Smith, pleasing and genial as it is, still 

 IS but a sketch. For the fuller history before us 

 the Club most happily found its annalist— for in 

 I the form of annals the book is written — in Sir 

 Archibald Geikie, during whose presidencv the 

 Royal Society had a representative almost as dis- 

 tinguished in literature and humanity as in 

 science. Sir Archibald Geikie knew intimately the 

 sources of his illustrative materials — in Horace 

 "^^'alpole, Boswell, Mme. D'Arblay, Sir Henry 

 Holland, the "Dictionary' of National Biographv," 

 and so forth. From these and other records he has 

 written a volume which will not bv anv means be 

 confined to the circle for which in the first instance 

 It was written. 



Not the least of its attractions is the series of 

 portraits — thirty-nine in number; among them a 

 print of Hogarth's fine portrait of Martin Folkes 

 (president 1741-52). Hogarth dined more than 

 once with the Ciub. 



The records of the Club, a few gaps apart, have 

 been kept with care, the earlier volumes daintilv 

 bound in red morocco. In them we read 

 of much hearty feasting and good fellowship. 

 Gifts of venison at times were so abundant that 

 2xtra meetings had to be held for the eating of 

 NO. 2496, VOL. 99] 



them. Mr. Hanbury is thanked for "a mighty 

 chine of beef of 112 lb. weight," a joint at which 

 Lord Rhondda would gravely shake his head ; in 

 1754 Lord Anson from the .Admiralty sent a turtle 

 which weighed 115 lb.; afterwards gifts of these 

 succulent cattle, from him and other friends, be- 

 came more frequent. Lord Marchmont more than 

 once bestowed on the Club a " particular dainty in 

 the shape of pickled salmon, as sent to the East 

 Indies." A specimen bill of fare at the "Mitre " 

 on January 23, 1758, was as follows: — 

 Present : Earl of Macclesfield (president). Earl of 

 i Morton, Lord Wtlloughby, Lord Charles Cavendish, 

 Mr. Burrow (treasurer), and other nine members and 

 ' three guests. 



\'eale Soup Soup and Bouille 



Fresh Salmon and Smelts Cod and Smelts 



Two dishes of Chickens Ham 



Boiled Turkey and Oyes*T* Rump of Beef aladobe 



(a la daube) 

 Lamb pye with Cocks-combs, etc. 



Lord Macclesfield was a mathematician and 

 astronomer of some distinction. 



Among the guests at various dates we find, 

 taken, at hazard, General Oglethorp, the friend of 

 Johnson, Laurence Sterne, Pennant, Benjamin 

 Franklin, Poniatowski, the Due de Nivernais, 

 Helvetius, Captain Cook, Paoli and Boswell, and, 

 among scores of others, Henry Cavendish, who 

 dined more than once as the guest of his father, 

 Lord Charles Cavendish. This friendly record, 

 and that of the proposal of Henry on one of these 

 occasions as a member of the Club, may take their 

 place with the evidence of other memorials, such 

 as joint laboratory work, to refute the story that 

 the relations between father and son were not 

 quite harmonious. Sir Archibald draws a vivid 

 picture of Henry Cavendish, an odd, pathetic 

 figure, shrinking from society, indifferent to fame, 

 yet seeking in his constant attendance at the 

 Club table a relaxation from his studies and a 

 relief from his solitude. 



Partly on account of the long waiting list of 

 the Club, partly to coipbine more formally intel.- 

 lectual discussions with the convivial, in 1847 the 

 Philosophical Club was founded — in no rivalry 

 with the Royal Society Club, for many fellows 

 of the Royal Society were members of both 

 clubs. Ultimately, however, in 1901, the new 

 was merged in the parent club, the prosperity of 

 which continues unabated. Its present "tavern " 

 is Prince's Restaurant, in Piccadilly. 



Full of social gossip, gracefully and humorously 

 told, this volume may be cordially recommended to 

 all readers interested in the last two centuries of 

 English home life. And to them another and a 

 jM-egnant reflection may occur, namely, the great 

 place, the dominant place perhaps in British science, 

 of the amateur. If in certain respects this character 

 of us has been, and yet may be, a source of 

 weakness, in others, and especially in originalitv 

 and touch with life, it has been a precious tradi- 

 tion. In the pursuit of science more drudgery and 

 more business are now required of us, but let us 

 hope these may be gained without suffering the 

 narrowness and harshness of an army of mere 

 experts. C. A. 



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