PRESIDENT OF ROYAL SOCIETY 171 



eighteen years, and left the Presidency of the Royal 

 Society vacant. Huxley, who had been Secretary for 

 nine years (1872-81), was by no means anxious for the 

 office, but his election took place almost as a matter of 

 course, and the many hearty congratulations which 

 followed gave even more pleasure than the honour con- 

 ferred. One characteristic reason for acceptance is given 

 in a letter (dated July 8) to the Warden of Merton 

 College, Oxford : — 



"... I may say that I accepted the office inter alia for the 

 purpose of getting people to believe that such places may be pro- 

 perly held by people who have neither riches nor station — who 

 want nothing that statesmen can give — and who care for nothing 

 except upholding the dignity and the freedom of science " 

 (Life, ii, p. 52). 



And, similarly, in a letter to Sir W. H. Flower (dated 

 July 7) :— 



" I will not, if I can help it, allow the chair of the Royal 

 Society to become the appanage of rich men, or have the noble 

 old Society exploited by enterprising commercial gents who 

 make their profit out of the application of science " (loc. cit). 



The amount of scientific research accomplished had 

 for some time been steadily diminishing, while other kinds 

 of work rapidly increased, until breaking strain was 

 reached, not, however, till the following year. A large 

 part of the interests and duties for 1883 are connected 

 with fisheries. A Friday Evening Discourse on " Oysters 

 and the Oyster Question " was delivered at the Royal 

 Institution on May 1 1 (published with additions in The 

 English Illustrated Magazine, 1883-4, pp. 47-55, II2_2I > 

 Sci. Mem., iv, xxxiv, p. 572), and the winter lectures 

 to working-men (January 8-February 12) were on the 

 same topic. 



