1832 Dr. W. Babington; A. W. von Schlegel 309 



ened when the date of the Anniversary of the Club was 

 fixed to be held a week immediately after the last sitting 

 of the Royal Society before its long vacation. The scant 

 attendance which used not to set in until August now 

 affected July, and in some years even June. This year, 

 after the full meeting at the Anniversary on 28th June, 

 nobody appeared at the next dinner on July 5th, five came 

 on the I2th, two on the igth, and two on the 26th. There- 

 after for five weeks the dinners were no doubt duly cooked, 

 but no member or guest came to partake of them. On 

 September 6th the aged Dr. Babington, who had been elected 

 a member at the Anniversary, came to the " Crown and 

 Anchor," where he was sure there would be a Club dinner. 

 He was probably astonished to find no company except 

 Dr. Charles Burney, who had also strayed into the deserted 

 place of meeting. After this unusual irruption the tranquil 

 quiet of the rooms returned for five weeks longer. Dr. 

 Burney, indeed, tried it once more, but he found him- 

 self alone this time, and did not renew the experience. 

 The quietude went on through October and even into 

 November. 



An eminent German, August Wilhelm von Schlegel, was 

 invited by the President on March ist. Famous in his 

 day as a literary critic and translator, he was made in 

 1818 Professor of Literature at the University of Bonn, 

 and held this post to the end of his life. He was author 

 of the best translation of Shakespeare into German, which 

 fostered an appreciation of the great dramatist that has 

 culminated in the German belief that the poet was or at least 

 ought to have been a German. Other foreign visitors 

 during the course of the year were the Marchese Spineto, 

 M. de Lottre, M. Ausaux and Mr. Audubon. 



Among the native guests the geologists were conspicuous. 

 Murchison dined several times in the first half of the year. 

 Sedgwick, Buckland, Daubeny and Greenough were like- 

 wise also invited. 



William Whewell dined twice this spring. After a 

 remarkably brilliant time at Trinity College he was elected 



