254 THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. [CHAP. IV. 



ambition for a more bustling life, or more active scenes, 

 and I believe I am as happy as a person so old in soul is 

 capable of being. In mental faculties I am not yet old, 

 and I amuse myself almost daily with some petty bonnes 

 fortunes among some of the nine sisters. I hear nothing 

 whatever from the Admiralty, and so much the better, 

 except receiving 300Z. a year instead of four. As for 

 Croker, I never believe a word of his going out, and he 

 may remain in for aught I care, and be Lord Melville's 

 master if he chooses ; for the stronger of two heads will 

 generally direct the weaker in the long run. I am deep 

 in the value of life, and I really begin to think that people 

 do live longer than was formerly supposed, though not 

 in the extravagant degree that was asserted. 



In 1828, at the Eoyal Society, when the President, 

 Davies Gilbert, announced Wollaston's donation of 

 2,0001. for the promotion of scientific research and his 

 own gift of 1,000., Young, as senior officer, returned 

 thanks for the Society. He tells Mr. Grurney, ' I 

 summoned up courage to take the first opportunity of 

 muttering out, " Mr. President, a gentleman on my 

 right says he never heard me make a speech." ' 



In January 1829 he wrote : 



Our new Committee of Longitude is settled, at least for 

 the present, though the radical abuse of the ' Nautical 

 Almanac ' is likely to continue ; but, fortunately for my 

 security, they have put the Admiralty and the ' Nautical 

 Almanac' together; so they may do their worst. Croker has 

 appointed Sabine and Faraday and me to constitute a 

 scientific committee to advise the Admiralty, which was all 

 that the Board of Longitude would do, and it is better that 

 things should be called by their right names. 



Immediately a memorial was sent to the Prime 

 Minister, the Duke of Wellington, against the ' Nautical 



