THE GRAND TOUR (1768-69) 119 



like his son, a guest at any of its dinners . Nor have we any record 

 of his presence at a meeting of the Society. Of the character 

 of its meetings at a somewhat later date, as they appeared to a 

 Genevese savant, a graphic description is given by the botanist 

 de Candolle : 



1 Meetings of the Royal Society take place in the evening, and are 

 arranged hi a way to deprive them of any interest. The papers are 

 read by secretaries in the monotonous voice of people who take no 

 interest in what they are reading ; no discussion on any of them is 

 admitted, no material exhibits serve to awake attention. The Fellows 

 are seated, like schoolboys, on benches facing the President. He 

 wears a large, three-cornered hat on his head, which he lifts from 

 time to time with a solemn air, when he has to announce the election 

 of a new Fellow or to return thanks for the presentation of some work 

 to the Society. . . . Nothing can be more monotonous or lifeless than 

 these meetings, but I took a keen interest in them on account of the 

 number of celebrities assembled, the brilliant series of works of which the 

 Society can boast, and the position that it enjoys in the scientific world.' 



In private de Saussure must have met many of the leaders of 

 the London world, both in science and society, but at this period 

 unfortunately his letters are few. 



We know that he had congenial converse with Franklin on 

 electrical problems, which he put to practical use on his return 

 home. He frequently met Garrick, then at the height of his fame, 

 and preparing for the Shakespeare festival of the following year. 

 According to Senebier, he ' penetrated the profound philosophy 

 of this unique actor and agreeable poet.' The Dowager Duchess 

 of Portland presented him with a piece of marquetry made of 

 * all the woods known.' Lord Warwick and Lord Algernon 

 Percy, afterwards Duke of Northumberland, Lord Lyttelton and 

 Horace Walpole were members of the society the Genevese 

 travellers met or were entertained by. 



The last glimpse we get of the travellers in town is dining 

 with Lord Warwick on 2nd January 1769. Two days later they 

 left for Dover, and, after waiting for fine weather, crossed happily 

 to Calais on the 7th. On landing de Saussure writes to his sister : 



' I confess I am leaving England with regret ; we were so kindly 

 received. I found so much that was of interest for my pursuits, and 

 the life led there suited me so well, that had not a tenderly loved father 



