177 Joseph Banks ; Colebrooke s economy 109 



was far longer than that of any of those who have held it 

 either before or since. His influence in the scientific society of 

 his time was powerful and was always directed towards the 

 advancement of knowledge. He was universally respected 

 as a sympathetic and munificent Maecenas of Science. 



At the same General Meeting of the Club the Treasurer called 

 attention to the serious deficiencies in the attendance since the 

 last Anniversary and moved that " commons should be pro- 

 vided for eight only during the Recess of the Royal Society." 

 The Meeting accordingly " Ordered, that it be left to the 

 Discretion of the Treasurer to give directions on y e account," 

 and it was further resolved that a contribution of 55. 3d. 

 should be levied on each member. 



In spite of the lowering of the number for which dinner 

 was to be ordered, in the following month of August, at three 

 dinners out of four, the attendance was less than that 

 number. On the gth of the month only four members 

 came to partake of the Earl of Hardwicke's venison, and 

 of these four two, Dr. Watson and Dr. Heberden, were among 

 the earliest members of the Club. The Treasurer does not 

 record himself as having attended any of the dinners in 

 August. In September matters were reversed, for only 

 at one dinner in that month was the full complement of 

 eight diners not reached or surpassed. The Treasurer was 

 evidently perplexed by such vagaries. He seems to have 

 economised, not only by reducing the number of dinners 

 to be provided for, but by diminishing the bill of fare during 

 the autumn months. The two courses of fish are reduced 

 to one, and fish is sometimes absent altogether. In the 

 early summer of this year soup begins timidly to appear 

 at two dinners, with a month's interval between them. 

 Whether or not its appearance was welcomed by the members, 

 it does not occur again in the bills of fare until near the end 

 of the following year, when after " Stoved Carp " and " Cod/' 

 come " Soup and bouilie." Again a fortnight later, the 

 " Soup and Bouilie " succeed " Salmon and Smelts " and 

 " Skate." At the second dinner of 1772 the fish-course is 

 followed by " Knuckle of Veal and Soup," and at the third 



