252 THE EOYAL INSTITUTION. [CHAP. IV. 



justice which is due to the other ; and to separate them, and 

 to assign to each his share, would be as impracticable as in- 

 vidious, so intimately are they blended together throughout 

 every part of this system early, acute, and pregnant 

 suggestion characterising the one, and maturity of thought, 

 fulness of systematic development, and decisive ex- 

 perimental illustration equally distinguishing the other. 



During the last five years of Dr. Young's life, when 

 he was between fifty-one and fifty-six years old, he 

 ceased to be a practising physician, and occupied him- 

 self with science and literature only. 



In 1827, at the' anniversary of the Koyal Society, 

 after the resignation of the presidency by Sir Hum- 

 phry Davy, the claims of Dr. Young were too strong to 

 be altogether neglected. 



Writing to his sister he says : 



I find there has been pretty general conversation about 

 making me President of the Royal Society, and I really 

 think if I were foolish enough to wish for the office, I am at 

 this moment popular enough to obtain it; but you well 

 know that nothing is further from my wishes. 



Davies Gilbert was chosen. c I told him,' says 

 Young, ' that he had not quite enough of the devil in 

 him, that Sir Joseph Banks should have left his 

 eyebrows to go with his cocked hat, if he had left the 

 Society nothing else.' 



In the summer of 1828 he visited Paris for the last 

 time on his way to Geneva. He was then one of the 

 eight foreign associates of the Academy. To Mr. G-urney 

 he wrote : 



My principal object was Champollion, and with him I 

 have been completely successful as far as I wanted his 



