SOME FRIENDS OF LATER YEARS 293 



[About 1815 he proposed to Barrow to be on the 

 Council of the Royal Society. He was forthwith elected 

 at the session of that year.] 



"... When he became President, the general reputa- 

 tion in which Mr. Banks was held : the fame of his 

 voyages, his wealth, and his liberal and courteous recep- 

 tion of all, and more especially of foreign visitors, gave 

 him an extensive social influence, and made his house an 

 agreeable centre of the literary world. In truth, the 

 Chair of the Royal Society does not require to be per- 

 petually and exclusively rilled by men of science, or by 

 persons elevated in any one particular department of 

 Science. The President should be conversant in general 

 knowledge, especially in knowledge of the world, courteous 

 and agreeable in his manners and conversation, ready to 

 oblige and to forward to the best of his power the objects 

 brought to the consideration of the Society ; in short, 

 to follow the example of Sir Joseph Banks, in promoting 

 intercourse among the members at certain fixed times 

 set apart for that purpose. . . ." 



" I think Sir Humphry Davy has not done justice to 

 Banks in the character which he has drawn : ' a tolerable 

 botanist,' ' a lover of gross flattery/ ' a house like a 

 Court/ are expressions in my opinion unfounded and 

 unjust." 



" In spite of his physical infirmities, Banks was rarely 

 compelled to forego appearing at his Sunday evening 

 assemblies. Every new discovery in the range of Natural 

 History, every new and ingenious specimen of art, every 

 curious and useful invention was sure at some one or 

 other of these meetings, to be exhibited. ... Sir Joseph's 

 house was itself a repository of arts, science, and litera- 

 ture. I had a general invitation to Spring Grove, con- 

 sisting of woods and a small garden laid out with orna- 

 mental shrubs and flower-beds, and neatly kept under the 

 inspection of Lady and Miss Banks. The ladies were 



