1883 PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 343 



stopped me from kicking over the traces at once. Do 

 you see how Evolution is getting made into a bolus and 

 oiled outside for the ecclesiastical swallow ? l Ever thine, 



THOMAS, P.R.S. 



The same feeling appears in his anxiety as 

 President to avoid the slightest appearance of com- 

 mitting the Society to debatable opinions which he 

 supported as a private individual. Thus, although 

 he had " personally, politically, and philosophically " 

 no liking for Charles Bradlaugh, he objected on 

 general grounds to the exclusion of Mrs. Besant and 

 Miss Bradlaugh from the classes -at University College, 

 and had signed a memorial in their favour. On the 

 other hand, he did not wish it to be asserted that 

 the Royal Society, through its President, had thrown 

 its influence into what was really a social and 

 political, not a scientific question. He writes to Sir 

 M. Foster on July 18 : 



It is very unlucky for me that I signed the memorial 

 requesting the Council of University College to reconsider 

 their decision about Mrs. Besant and Miss Bradlaugh when 

 I was quite innocent of any possibility of holding the 

 P.RS. 



I must go to the meeting of members to-day and 

 define my position in the matter with more care, under 

 the circumstances. 



Mrs. Besant was a student in my teacher's class here 

 last year, and a very well-conducted lady -like person ; 

 but I have never been able to get hold of the " Fruits of 



1 This refers to papers read before the Church Congress that 

 year by Messrs. W. H. Flower and F. Le Gros Clarke. 



