DISCOVERY 



91 



tation of the Council, headed by their President, Sir 

 John Pringlc, waited on the King humbly to express 

 their most grateful thanks for his benefaction ; His 

 Majesty received them most graciously, and conferred 

 the distinction of knighthood on James Burrow, the 

 late President. 



In the year 1777 a heated discussion concerning the 

 relative merits of pointed and blunt lightning con- 

 ductors, which had originated in the scientific world, 

 developed into a controversy of considerable political 

 importance, and, for the first and last time in its 

 history, the Roj'al Society — or rather its President — 

 was brought into direct opposition with the Throne. 

 The King, having for political reasons adopted the 

 blunt form of conductor on his palaces, endeavoured 

 to make the Society rescind its resolution in favour 

 of the pointed variety, and in an interview with Sir 

 John Pringle urged him to use his influence in support 

 of the Royal wish. The President, however, rephed 

 to the effect that, although duty would always induce 

 him to carry out His Majesty's wishes to the utmost 

 of his power, he was unable to reverse the laws of 

 nature. Whereupon King George is said to have 

 replied, " Then, perhaps. Sir John, you had better 

 resign " ; and at the following anniversary Sir John 

 resigned the presidency, though Dr. Kippis, his bio- 

 grapher and intimate friend, denies that his resigna- 

 tion was due to this cause. 



Science in general, and the Society in particular, 

 suffered a heavy loss in the death of George III at the 

 beginning of the year 1820 ; his reign — one of the 

 longest and most illustrious in our history — marked 

 an epoch greatly enlightened by the accomplishments 

 of many famous scientific men. 



Shortly after the accession of King George IV the 

 customary address of loyalty to the Sovereign was 

 presented, and it is recorded that His Majesty was 

 graciously pleased to become the Patron of the Society. 

 Within the first few months of his reign he issued a 

 Royal Warrant appointing the President and certain 

 of the Fellows to be Visitors of his Royal Observatory 

 at Greenwich. In 1825 the President — Sir Humphrey 

 Davy — received a communication from Sir Robert 

 Peel intimating that the King proposed to found two 

 gold medals of the value of fifty guineas each for the 

 most important discoveries, or series of investigations, 

 completed to the satisfaction of the Society within the 

 five years preceding the award. The Council there- 

 upon resolved " that the offer contained in this letter 

 be most gratefully accepted, and that the humble 

 and dutiful thanks of the President and Council be 

 respectfully returned to His Majesty for this instance 

 of his munificence, and of his disposition to promote 

 the objects of the Royal Society, and the general 

 interests of Science." These medals were known as 



[Cofiiinued on p. 92 



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