256 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



maintained, not by arrogance, but by habitual courtesy 

 in consulting the feelings of others, and by devoting his 

 whole time and his fortune to the progress of knowledge, 

 he was enabled always to maintain a personal influence 

 over the philosophic world. " Every one looked up to him 

 as a friend and counsellor. He succeeded in keeping in 

 abeyance among them those feelings of jealousy from 

 which even those who, standing apart from mere vulgar 

 pursuits, devote themselves to the acquisition of know- 

 ledge, are not altogether exempt." 1 



Sir Joseph Banks was not alone in his short-sighted 

 view, that the Royal Society would suffer by the creation 

 of new associations to take over part of its work. But 

 it was a baseless fear. Although there was some little 

 slackening in its energy in the later years of Banks 's 

 presidency, the Royal Society continued afterwards in 

 great vigour, as a glance at its physical, astronomical, 

 and mathematical papers will show, or a recollection of 

 the names of Babbage, Davy, Baily, Olinthus Gregory, 

 John Herschel, etc. Indeed, one of the consequences 

 of the rise of new Societies lay in the occasional collabora- 

 tion that occurred between them and their respected 

 parent. 



There was in existence, however, good proof that these 

 notions of rivalry were erroneous as to their bearing on the 

 stability of the older Society. Not only with Banks 's 

 concurrence, but with his financial aid, the Linnean 

 Society was set on foot in the year 1788. It had been 

 successful from the first, and that with topics hitherto 

 dealt with by the Royal Society. In its specialization 

 it had attracted members largely from a class of men 

 who were without ambition to become Fellows of the 

 Royal Society. In short, it was a sound and healthy 

 branch. 



The origin of the Linnean Society was in this wise. 



1 Sir B. C. Brodie : Autobiography, p. 73. 



