60 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



by these and allied topics; as Anatomy and Medicine, 

 Zoology, Agriculture, and Systematic Botany. Mineralogy, 

 and the unaccountable lusus natures, which later led to 

 systematic Geology, came into prominence from the first. 

 The Mathematical Sciences, with optics and astronomy, 

 occupied the minds of a large section of inquirers. Elec- 

 tricity and magnetism had a few students and observers 

 soon after the opening of the eighteeenth century. 

 Chemistry came later to the front. Not all these things 

 were gone through without much stumbling. But there 

 was little that was done that did not manifest zeal and 

 earnestness, and a sound belief in the destiny of the 

 Society. 



So, in eighty years of assiduity, and real love for their 

 labours, the members of the Royal Society had founded 

 systems in every branch of cotemporary Science. They 

 had set a basis for further study which was of incalculable 

 value. The Society had attained a world-wide fame, 

 which attracted the most illustrious European physicists 

 and naturalists to its fold. Its stability was perfect ; a 

 circumstance unquestionably due to adherence to its 

 own first principles. 



Mr. Pennant was one of the earliest among distant 

 friends who sent congratulations to Banks on his acces- 

 sion to the Chair of the Royal Society. He writes warmly 

 from Downing (December 14) to this effect ; and pro- 

 ceeds with, " Let me add my wishes that something like 

 Natural History may appear under your auspices in the 

 annual productions of the Society." 



The following extract concerns us as evidence of the 

 notoriety of Banks's name all over Europe. The writer 

 is Jean H. de Magellan, a gentleman whose residence 

 alternated in Paris and London. He was a genuine pro- 

 duct of the eighteenth century. He had been a monk, 

 but a studious one ; and an ever-opening mind forced 

 him to reject the monastic career. He delighted in asso- 



