288 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



His London residence was in Soho Square, there being 

 extensive premises behind his dwelling-house, which 

 contained his library and his botanical collections. The 

 former consisted chiefly of books on Natural History, 

 and the Transactions of learned Societies, and was 

 probably in these departments unrivalled in the world, 

 His principal librarian was a Swede, Jonas Dryander. 

 and under his superintendence the library was so well- 

 managed that, although books were lent to men of 

 science in the most liberal manner, I believe that not a 

 volume was ever lost. Dryander was indeed a pattern 

 as a librarian. The library over which he presided was 

 to him all in all. Without being a man of science himself, 

 he knew every book and the contents of every book in it. 

 If any one enquired of him where he might look for in- 

 formation on any particular subject, he would go first 

 to one shelf, then to another, and return with a bundle 

 of books under his arm containing the information which 

 was desired. Besides Dryander, there were two others 

 who acted as sub-librarians ; and Dr. Brown, the botanist, 

 who had the charge of the botanical collection. ... At 

 the time of which I am speaking, he might be seen daily in 

 Sir Joseph's library, dissecting plants, and accumulating 

 those stores of knowledge which have since gained for 

 him the reputation of being the first botanist and botani- 

 cal physiologist in the world, and the honour of being one 

 of the very limited number of foreign Associates of the 

 Academy of Sciences of Paris. . , . 



". . . The attention which Sir Joseph Banks paid to 

 the affairs of the Royal Society was unremitting. He 

 was very much of an autocrat, but, like other successful 

 autocrats, he maintained his authority by consulting 

 the feelings and opinions of others, and no one com- 

 plained of it. There is no doubt that his ample fortune, 

 and his devotion of it to purposes of natural science, made 

 his task more easy than it would have been otherwise. 



