Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 167 



Society. I have endeavoured to ascertain Babbage' s sentiments 

 upon the subject, and I think I see them pretty distinctly, and that 

 in such light as makes me very desirous to have some personal com- 

 munication with you about it. 



Knowing that you yourself have formed something of a wish re- 

 specting it, I think you will be enabled to judge how high an idea I 

 have formed of what may be expected from a disposition like yours, 

 when I tell you that the object of my calling was to induce you 

 yourself to name him to our President as a proper person to fill the 

 office, if he has not already his eye on him. 



My reasons I will explain viva voce ; and if you do not see the 

 force of them, at least you will have no cause to blame the feeling 

 which gives them weight with me. 



Yours very sincerely, 



J. F. W. Hekschel. 



Immediately after the perusal of this letter, I went to the residence 

 of Sir Humphry Davy (Park Street, Grosvenor Square), and was 

 accompanied near to the house by Sir John Herschel, but who re- 

 fused to accompany me into it. Not finding him (Sir Humphry) 

 at home, I wrote a letter, of which the following is a copy, and left 

 it for him on his library table : — 



Nov. 14, 1826. 



My dear Sir Humphry, — During many weeks I have not heard 

 anything which gives me more pleasure to communicate, than the 

 fact I have just arrived at, namely, that Mr. Babbage would probably 

 accept the office of Secretary to the Royal Society, were you to offer 

 it to him. 



Most sincerely praying that nothing may have yet transpired to 

 cause you to think of any one else, in which I feel sure every scien- 

 tific member of the Society joins me, 



I remain, trusting you will forgive the warmth of my expressions, 



Yours very truly, 



J. South. 



In order personally to urge the claims of Mr. Babbage upon the 

 consideration of Sir Humphry Davy, I called at his residence again 

 in about half an hour after I had left the foregoing letter. Sir John 

 Herschel walked with me near to the house, but he would not enter 

 it and see Sir Humphry with me. 



Sir Humphry was at home, he received me very kindly, and told 

 me Herschel had given him information which had much surprised 

 him, namely, that I would have accepted the Secretaryship if it had 

 been offered to me ; that he thought my never having given him the 

 slightest idea I would take the office was not a friendly act towards 

 him. 



I replied, I had thought very little of the matter, but that, having 

 met Mr. Babbage on Ludgate Hill a few days ago, I asked him if he 

 would take the Secretaryship, and his reply was, " I would see the 



Society d d first ; " that I walked with him as far as Trough ton's, 



and repeated my question, to which he returned the same answer ; 



