THE ROYAL SOCIETY 81 



Doctor's attempt to dispossess me ; and our controversy 

 ended, as I told him it would, on the very first day that 

 war was regularly commenced. ' You have raised a 

 storm, my good Doctor (said I), and, trust me, I shall 

 ride upon it.' It is now eight or nine years since he left 

 me unmolested to crow upon the dunghill he so valiantly 

 disputed with me, and has not in that period made his 

 appearance in the Society's rooms three times. To bear 

 malice, therefore, against him would be insufferable. Was 

 it in my power to be present, I would certainly ballot in 

 his favour." 



A few letters will illustrate the policy of Sir Joseph 

 in his post as President. In order to preserve the credit 

 and the honour of the Royal Society, it was inevitable 

 that sometimes a peremptory tone was necessary. 



Arthur Lee to Sir Joseph Banks. 



" NEW YORK, December 2, 1787. 



" SIR, I received a few days ago a letter signed 

 Geo. Gilpin, requesting me, in the name of the Council of 

 the Royal Society, to order payment of 28 I2s. sterling, 

 stated to be due for eleven years' contribution, as a mem- 

 ber of that Body. 



" I should not have failed discharging annually my 

 subscription, as a domestic member, during these years, 

 had I conceived myself competent to sustain that charac- 

 ter. But I thought, and still think, that the Declaration 

 of Independence, and the Revolution consequent upon it, 

 extinguished in me the character of a British subject, 

 with all its benefits and burthens. It appeared to me 

 that, without being a subject, I could not continue a 

 domestic member of your illustrious Society. For that 

 reason, and not from wanting a full sense of the honour 

 of that character, I considered and consider myself as no 

 longer a fellow of the Royal Society. I have, etc." 



