1814-20.] THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. 309 



The assistant porter was engaged as assistant in 

 the laboratory on the same terms as Michael Faraday. 



This year Campbell again lectured on Poetry, and 

 Southey and Moore declined to lecture. Flaxman 

 gave two lectures gratuitously, and was elected a life 

 subscriber. Two o'clock was tried as the lecture hour, 

 but a change was soon made back to three as heretofore. 



In 1814, during the absence of Sir H. Davy, the 

 Institution did little for science, but, though poor, it 

 strove to be fashionable. On May 23 it gave ' a cold 

 collation ' to the Grand Duchess of Oldenburgh, for 

 which Grunter, of Berkeley Square, was paid by contract 

 twenty guineas. The funds of the Institution were by 

 no means nourishing; the balance in favour of the 

 Institution on the accounts of 1813 was 66L, but many 

 bills were paid out of the ' benefactions to the fund for 

 discharging the debts and for providing for the future 

 support of the Institution.' A list of the benefactors 

 was ordered to be sent round to the members and 

 subscribers on the two last Saturdays in June. 



For the promotion of science the three committees 

 (1) on chemistry and geology, (2) on general science 

 and literature, and (3) on mathematics and mechanics 

 were requested by the managers to meet and to elect 

 each two chairmen and a secretary. 



In 1815, in February, Mr. Babbage began a course 

 of lectures on Astronomy. 



On May 15 Sir Humphry Davy was present at the 

 meeting of managers. That day Mr. Brande stated that 

 he wanted assistance in the laboratory, and that Michael 

 Faraday was ' willing to resume his situation.' The 



