SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 41 



have done me in conferring upon me the title of 

 Associate of this learned and distinguished body. 

 Assure, at the same time, my respectable brothers, 

 that I consider this mark of their esteem as the 

 highest and most enviable literary distinction 

 which I could possibly attain. To be the first elected 

 to be an associate of the first Literary Society in 

 the world, surpasses my most ambitious hopes ; and 

 I cannot be too grateful towards a society which 

 has conferred upon me this honour, and towards a 

 nation of which it is the literary representative 

 a nation which, during the most frightful convul- 

 sions of the late most terrible revolution, never 

 ceased to possess my esteem ; being always per* 

 suaded, even during the most disastrous periods, 

 that it contained many good citizens, who would 

 infallibly get the upper hand, and who would 

 re-establish in the hearts of their countrymen the 

 empire of virtue, of justice, and of honour. 



" Receive more especially, citizens, my warmest 

 acknowledgments for the truly polite manner in 

 which you communicated this agreeable intelli- 

 gence. I am, with sincere esteem for your dis- 

 tinguished talents, &c. JOSEPH BANKS." 



That this letter was hyperbolically worded, 

 there can be but one opinion. But a candid allow- 

 ance might be made for the enthusiasm of the 

 moment ; and it would probably have excited little 



