154 Presidentship of Sir Joseph Banks 1781 



Mr. Dilly on May ijih 1781, besides Johnson, Colonel 

 Vallancey and himself, " there was also Mr. Braithwaite, of 

 the Post Office, that amiable and friendly man, who with 

 modest and unassuming manners has associated with many 

 of the wits of the age." l On four occasions it is chronicled 

 that " Mr. Stevens " was a guest. He was invited twice 

 by the President, once by the Treasurer, and once by Joseph 

 Planta, Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum. He 

 had probably a literary rather than scientific reputation, 

 and he may perhaps have been George Stevens, the Shake- 

 spearian editor and friend of Samuel Johnson. William 

 Ogilvie, who was Professor of Humanity at the University 

 of Aberdeen, must have spent most of his autumn holiday 

 in London and been appreciated by the Royal Philosophers, 

 for in August and September he was invited four times 

 to dinner by different members, one of whom was Henry 

 Cavendish. But the most illustrious of all the visitors was 

 William Herschel. In March this year that admirable 

 astronomer discovered the planet Uranus, to which he gave 

 the name of Georgium Sidus. The Royal Society hailed 

 him as one of its Fellows and conferred on him the 

 Copley Medal. Henceforth he appeared frequently at the 

 Club, until in the course of four years he was elected 

 a member. Of visitors who had in previous years accepted 

 invitations there came this year Francis Maseres, Admiral 

 Campbell, Major Rennell and others. 



1782. The General Meeting on 25th July 1782 was attended 

 by fifteen members and Henry Cavendish presided. The Trea- 

 surer, Dr. Solander, having died suddenly on the i6th of the 

 preceding May, the President of the Club had asked William 

 Russell to undertake the duties of the Treasurership until the 

 time of election in July. It appeared that Dr. Solander 

 had in his hands a balance of 14 55. 5d. which his executors 

 transferred to the temporary Treasurer, who had a further 

 sum of 2 is. 6d. received from over-reckonings, so that he 

 started with a balance in hand of 16 6s. nd. 



Two vacancies were caused by the death of the late 



1 Life of Johnson, iv. 278. 



