THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES 



co-ordination with themselves of the existing special 

 Societies. 



The Royal Society has been itself the most active agent 

 in bringing about, through the great increase of natural 

 knowledge which it has effected, the present state of things, 

 by which its own relation to the science of the country has 

 of necessity undergone no inconsiderable change. 



[In accordance with the national character of independ- 

 ence and individual freedom which are natural to us, the 

 Society has remained a private body, maintained by the 

 subscriptions of its Fellows, free from State control of 

 every kind, accepting no pay from the Government, and 

 no assistance except in regard of the rooms in which it 

 carries on its work. Yet, as the representative head of the 

 science of the country, it has always been as ready as if it 

 were a subsidised Academy, to act as the acknowledged 

 referee which the Government might consult with respect 

 of any matters requiring expert scientific knowledge. This 

 unique position of the Society among other Academies has 

 been reached slowly during two and a half centuries, by its 

 unwearied pursuit of truth for truth's sake without fee or 

 reward. This position is maintained by the distinction 

 of its Fellows, which is secured by the severe competi- 

 tion of selection through which the 15 Fellows annually 

 elected have to pass, out of a list of candidates about five 

 times as great. The annual payment in money forms 

 but a very small part of the contribution which the Fellows 



are proud to make for the promotion of science. Far 



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