1779 Paul Henry Maty 1 45 



of his predecessor. He took special care to invite to the 

 Club-dinners distinguished men of science from abroad who 

 came to London, also men of mark in every walk of life 

 in this country. By this ample hospitality he did much to 

 sustain the prestige of the Royal Society and its Dining-club. 



Paul Henry Maty, who now entered the Club as an ex 

 officio member, was the son of Dr. Matthew Maty, and suc- 

 ceeded him in the same positions in the Royal Society and 

 in the Club. After a successful career at Trinity College, 

 Cambridge, he was appointed Chaplain at the English 

 Embassy in Paris. Following in his father's steps he ob- 

 tained the appointment of assistant librarian at the British 

 Museum in 1776. He had been elected into the Royal 

 Society in 1771 and was chosen Foreign Secretary in the 

 following year, and, as mentioned in the last chapter, was 

 elected one of the two principal Secretaries on 30th Novem- 

 ber 1778. A few years after that time he took an active 

 part in opposition to Sir Joseph Banks. When this opposi- 

 tion was quenched by the votes of a large majority of the 

 Fellows, Maty resigned his Secretaryship and together with 

 Dr. Horsley, the ringleader of the rebellion, severed his 

 connection with the Club by abstaining from attending 

 its meetings. 



The General Meeting in 1779, held on July 29, was 

 attended by seventeen members, Joseph Banks, President, 

 being in the chair. The Treasurer's statement showed that 

 the total expenses of the past year had amounted to 15 

 175. id., leaving a balance of 2 75. 9d. due to the Treasurer. 

 It was resolved that each member of the Club should con- 

 tribute five shillings to the Fund. Two vacancies were 

 announced owing to the death of Matthew Raper and Sir 

 John Mordaunt Cope. These were filled by the election 

 by ballot of Matthew Duane and Sir Robert Barker, Kt. 

 The former, by profession a conveyancer, had antiquarian 

 tastes, and was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. 

 He had become a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1763. 

 Sir Robert Barker spent some years in India in the employ- 

 ment of the East India Company. Having served as 



