RISE OF NEW LEARNED SOCIETIES 265 



as I hope to do, a place in the esteem of two such valuable 

 men as you are, I am justified in declining to put to the 

 hazard what I have so much reason to value." 



It was, perhaps, a surprise to Banks himself to be con- 

 sulted by the Prince of Wales on some manuscripts from 

 Herculaneum which had been sent to him, and whose 

 first thought was that the President of the Royal Society 

 should undertake the examination of them. But Banks 

 did not shrink from the task. He forthwith super- 

 intended the process of unrolling and deciphering the 

 documents. Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt (December 23, 1804) 

 writes to assure Banks of his thanks for his " zealous 

 assistance, without which progress would have been 

 much slower." This also was a very protracted business. 

 It included a chemical examination of the manuscripts 

 by Humphry Davy. Not until February, 1819, was a 

 Report officially made. 



