78 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



appear to the Society that either the present, or any 

 former President, hath availed himself of his situation to 

 influence the votes of officers in the election of Fellows, 

 it is yet necessary to declare that it would be highly 

 indecent and improper, if the President of the Royal 

 Society should hereafter, either in the election of candi- 

 dates, or upon any other occasion, endeavour to avail 

 himself of his situation to influence the vote of any 

 officer of the Society." This was negatived by seventy- 

 nine against twenty-three. 



Scientific evenings were now resumed ; and it was 

 hoped there would be forgetting and forgiving, and a 

 renewal of philosophic zeal. But Mr. Maty contrived to 

 put himself into a false position by introducing, a month 

 later, one of the anonymous pamphlets which had 

 appeared on the topic. The President held the pamphlet 

 to be slanderous and insulting, and the meeting appearing 

 to be with him, he refused any official acknowledgment 

 or notice of the pamphlet on the part of the Society. 

 In the course of the evening Mr. Maty resigned his 

 Secretaryship. 



One more difficulty faced the Society before peace 

 was quite restored. There were two candidates for the 

 chief Secretaryship in place of Mr. Maty. Dr. Horsley 

 and his friends brought forward Dr. Hut ton for the post. 

 The President made it a personal matter to befriend the 

 candidature of Dr. Blagden. Weld suggests that it was 

 vital matter for his hold on the Presidency to identify 

 himself with the promotion of Blagden. 1 Before the 

 day of election Sir Joseph circulated a card to the Fellows 

 to the effect that, " at his desire," Dr. Blagden had de- 

 clared himself a candidate, and the President did not 

 doubt that his election would be of advantage to the 

 Society. Meanwhile, some influential members met, led 

 by Cavendish, Dalrymple, Aubert, Wollaston, General 

 1 op. tit., II, 165. 



