284 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



moment, bestowed whenever it is deserved, would soon be dreaded, and become a check on 

 charlatans; it would afford a motive to others towards acquiring biometric knowledge in order 

 to appreciate the punishment. You can do all, or any part of this, with more effect as a fellow 

 of the R.Soc, than otherwise, so I should say don't resign, but abide your time, and give a good 

 and well-deserved slash now and then to serve as a reminder that your views are strong, though 

 not querulously and wearisomely repeated. Ever yours, Francis Galton. 



The above two letters, relating to matters now of the fairly distant past, 

 are not printed with a view to renewing old differences, or justifying past 

 phases of feeling, but to indicate how close was Galton's relation to his 

 younger scientific friends, and how he aided and counselled them in all their 

 scientific relations. In another matter also he was both materially and ad- 

 visorily most helpful. The Weldon memorial fund was certain to be sufficient 

 to provide a bust of Weldon for Oxford, but I was ambitious that it should 

 do more, and this in the special manner that I thought Weldon himself 

 would have most approved. I wanted something that should form a per- 

 manent encouragement to biometricians the whole world round, and I had 

 specially in mind the younger men. I wanted to see besides the bust, the 

 institution of an annual or biennial medal and premium. In order to obtain 

 a greater range of subscribers, I proposed that the three universities with 

 which Weldon had been associated should in turn adjudicate the proposed 

 medal and premium, and I drafted the first appeal for the Weldon memorial 

 fund to this effect and sent it to Francis Galton for his criticism. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. May 27, 1906. 



My dear Karl Pearson, I am heartily at one with you in your object, but see difficulties 

 in the proposed method of attaining it. They are: 



1. The experience of like attempts shows how difficult it is to raise as much money as you 

 want. I could tell you my own, but being personal do not like to write it. 



2. The Royal Society fails to find competent referees in biometry, much more would the 

 three several universities fail to do so. The dignity of the body which awards medals is of less 

 consequence than the assurance that the award is just. 



3. An annual or biennial medal and premium, to be awarded to each of the three universities 

 in turn, does not seem a very attractive bait. 



I write with much diffidence as to what I think would be preferable : 



(a) Mention a medallion as a possible alternative to a bust*. It would be cheaper, and 

 would serve as an appropriate design for the medal. 



(b) Supposing that the assurance of an annual sum of £ — would justify the issue of a medal 



I should be prepared to give as much as would purchase £ — consols for that purpose But it 



must be anonymous 



(c) If this plan seems acceptable I would at once send the sum with an accompanying letter 

 to this effect: "I enclose the sum in question for instituting a periodical medal or premium in 

 memory of Prof. Weldon to be awarded to the author of the most valuable biometric publica- 

 tion of recent date, on the understanding that you will consult biometric friends on the conditions 

 that are to regulate the award, and more especially to determine whether it should be limited 

 to one class of English biometricians, to all classes t, or be independent of nationality " 



* Probably a bust would need to have been produced to get the medallion, as no portrait in 

 profile existed. K.P. 



f Galton was rightly desirous that the award should not be confined to biological bio- 

 metricians but should embrace sociology, anthropology, etc. K. P. 



