SOCIETY. 



iiid to place it on a better and more refpeftable foundation ; 

 Mit before the plan could be matured, Mr. Smeaton was no 

 nore. In April 1793, the new fociety was, however, 

 ormed under the denomination of " The Society of Civil 

 Znt^ineers." It confided of three clafles : i. Of ordinary 

 members, to confift of real engineers, aftually employed as 

 fuch in public or in private fervice. 2. Honorary mem- 

 bers, to confift of men of fcience and gentlemen of rank and 

 fortune, who had applied themfelves to fubjefts of civil en- 

 )!;ineering ; and who might, for knowledge, have been real 

 engineers, had it not been their good fortune to have it in 

 their power to employ others in this profeflion ; and alfo of 

 thofe who are employed in other pubhc fervice, where fuch 

 and fimilar kinds of knowledge are necefTary. 3. Ho- 

 norary members, confifting of various artifts, whofe pro- 

 feflions and employments are neceflary, or extremely ufeful, 

 as well as connefted with civil engineering. The meetings 

 of this fociety are, we believe, ftill held every other Friday 

 during the fcllion of parliament. It may be mentioned, that 

 the fociety never meet without paying a juft and natural tri- 

 bute of refpedt to the memory of Mr. Smeaton, of whom 

 we have already given a biographical article, to which may 

 now be added the following anecdotes, communicated to the 

 public by his daughter Mrs. Mary Dixon. 



It was a maxim of this excellent man, that " the abilities 

 of the individual are a debt due to the common ftock of 

 public happinels or accommodation." This appears to have 

 governed his aftions through life : he devoted his time to the 

 cultivation of talents by which he might benefit mankind. 

 The arrangement of his time was governed by a method as 

 invariable as inviolable ; for profeffional ftudies were never 

 broken in upon by any one ; and thefe, with the exception 

 of ftated altronomical obfervations, wholly engrofled the 

 forenoon. His afternoons were regularly occupied by prac- 

 tical experiments, or fome other branch of mechanics : and 

 he had fo complete a command over his thoughts, that his 

 mind was not more entirely devoted to his profeflion in one 

 - divifion of time, than abftrafted from it in another. " Him- 

 felf," fays his daughter, " devoted to his family with an af- 

 feftion fo lively, a manner at once fo cheerful and ferene, 

 that it is impoffible to fay whether the charm of converfa- 

 tion, the fimplicity of inilruclion, or the gentlcnefs with 

 which they were conveyed, molt endeared his home. A home, 

 in which from infancy we cannot recoUeft to have feen a 

 trace of diflatisfaftion, or a word of afperity to any. Yet 

 with all this he was abfolute ! and it is for cafuiftry in edu- 

 cation, or rule, to explain his authority ; it was an authority 

 as impoffible to difpute as to define." 



At one period the princefs Aflcoff, after having in vain 

 ufed every perfuafion to induce Mr. Smeaton to accept a 

 tarts blanche from the emprcfs of Ruffia, as a recompence 

 for direfting the vaft projefts which her majelly had in 

 view, faid, " Sir, you are a great man, and I honour you ! 

 ■ You may have an equal in abilities, perhaps ; but in cha- 

 rader you ttand fingle. The Engliih minifter, fir Robert 

 Walpole, was miilaken, and my fovereign has the miffor- 

 turfe to know, there is one man, at leaft, who has not his 

 price." 



Early in life Mr. Smeaton attrafted the notice of tlie 

 duke and duchefs of Queenlbury, from a ftrong refemblance 

 which Smeaton bore to their favourite Gay, the poet. The 

 commencement of this acquaintance was fingular, but the 

 continuance of their efteem and partiality lalted through 

 life. Their firft meeting was at Ranelagh, where, walking 

 with Mrs. Smeaton, he obferved an elderly lady and gentle- 

 man fix an evident and marked attention on him. After fome 

 turns they (lopped him, and the duchefs faid, " Sir, I do 

 not know you, but fo ftrongly do you refemblc my poor 



dear Gay, we muft be acquai.ited ; you lliall go home and 

 fup with us ; and if the minds of the two men accord at 

 much as their countenances, you will find two cheerful old 

 folks, who can love you well, and I think you can as well 

 deferve it." The invitation was accepted, and as long ai 

 the duke and duchefs lived, the friendihip was uninterrupted. 

 In the courfe of this, he effected the abolition of that in- 

 confiderate indifcriminate play among people of fuperior 

 rank and fortune, which compels every one to join, and at 

 their own rifle. Mr. Smeaton detelled cards, and his atten- 

 tion never following the game, he played like a child. The 

 game was pope Joan, the general run of it was high, and 

 the ftake in pope had accidentally accumulated to a very fe- 

 rious fum. It was Smeaton's turn by deal to double it, 

 when, regardlefs of his cards, he bufily made fome minutes 

 on a fcrap of paper, and put it on the board. The duchefs 

 eagerly aiked what it was ; and he as coolly replied, " Your 

 grace will recolleft the field in which my houfe ftands may 

 be about 5 acres, 3 roods, and 7 perches, which, at 30 years' 

 purchaic, will be juft my Itake ; and if your grace will make 

 a duke of me, I prefume the winner will not diflike my 

 mortgage." The joke had the proper effeft, and they never 

 after played but for the merelt trifle. See Smeaton's Re- 

 ports, vol. i. 



Society of Artifts of Great Britain, which confifts of 

 direftors and fellows, was incorporated by charter in 1765, 

 and empowered to purchafe and hold lands, not exceeding 

 1000/. a year. The directors of this fociety, annually 

 elected, are to confift of twenty-four perfons, including the 

 prefident, vicc-prefident, treafurer, and fecretary ; and it i» 

 required that they be either painters, fculptors, architects, 

 or engravers, by profeflion. 



SociF.TV of Engravers was eftablifhed in 1802, under the 

 patronage of the prince of Wales, a prefident, vice-prefident, 

 treafurer, and honorary iecretary, &c. 



Society of Painters in Oil and Water-Colours was efta- 

 blifhed in 1804, under a prefident, treafurer, fecretary, and 

 committee of management. 



Society of Archite3s was inftituted in 1791 ; and the 

 Architectural Society was formed in 1806, under a prefident, 

 two vice-prefidents, a fecretary, and treafurer. 



Society for Infurance, &c. See Assurance and In- 

 surance. 



Society, Medical. To this clafs belong feveral focieties, 

 the principal of which in our own country are the follow- 

 ing ; viz. the Medical Society of London, inftituted in the 

 year 1752, on the plan recommended by lord Bacon (De 

 Augm. Scicnt. lib. iv. cap. 2.), to revive the Hippocratic 

 method of compofing narratives of particular cafes, in which 

 the nature of the difeafc, the manner of treating it, and the 

 confequences, are to be fpccificd ; to attempt the cure of 

 thofe difeafes, which, in his opinion, have been too boldly 

 pronounced incurable ; and, laftly, to extend their enquiries 

 after the powers of particular medicines in the cure of par- 

 ticular cafes. The colleftions of this fociety have been al- 

 ready publifhcd, under the title of " Medical Obfervations 

 and Inquiries," in feveral volumes : — Society of Phyficians in 

 London, inftituted about the year 1764, the members of 

 which, who muft be merely licentiates of the College of 

 Phyficians, are elected by ballot, and meet once a fortnight 

 on Wednelday evening, for the purpofe of converfing on 

 tlie prevailing dii'eafcs, &c. and dine together once in a quar- 

 ter: — the Medical Society in Crane-court, inftituted in 1773» 

 under the direction of a council, confifting of a prefident, 

 treafurer, librarian, three phyficians, three furgeons, three 

 apothecaries, and three fecretaries : the members meet once 

 a fortnight, on Tuefday evening, and their council is an- 

 nually eleftcd in January, when aa oration is delirered by 

 G g i on* 



