i8o THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



" That Banks is an odd animal ; with the gait and 

 physiognomy of a savage ; with a fortune to render him 

 independent, and with a love of knowledge to occupy him. 

 He is a servile courtier. A spy on the philosophical world, 

 he enables me unperceived to direct my influence 

 against impertinent and innovating genius ; and I have, 

 by his means, facilitated foreign negotiations, and grati- 

 fied the vengeance of German despots on men of letters 

 who have taken refuge in England." Further to the effect 

 that Lord Mahon would have been President of the Royal 

 Society but for Pitt's intriguing. 



This brochure was evidently inspired by the Prince's 

 party against the Court. The writer was the Rev. David 

 Williams. It was issued by the notorious Captain Thomas 

 Morris, with a short sketch of Williams 's life. Morris says 

 that the Royal Recollections " have a species of wit and 

 humour, as vehicles of important truths, and a facility and 

 happiness of expression which are peculiar to our author." 

 This is equivalent to a flat confession that the slanders and 

 insinuations were done on authority, as part of the cam- 

 paign against the King and his friends. 



A few years later, James Gillray essayed a sportive 

 picture of Banks. It is reproduced on the adjoining 

 page. It will be noticed that there is some grace about 

 it all. The idea that this particular butterfly was specially 

 attracted by the Crown is absurd enough ; but there were 

 many ill-natured people at the time who regarded Banks 

 as something of a toady. The Legend runs thus : 



" The Great Sea Caterpillar, transformed into a Bath 

 Butterfly. 



" Description of the new Bath Butterfly, taken from 

 the Philosophical Transactions for 1795. This Insect 

 first crawled into notice from among the weeds and mud 

 of the South Sea; and, being afterwards placed in a 

 warm situation by the Royal Society, was changed by 

 the heat of the sun into its present form. It is notic'd 



