M. THE BOOK OF THE EOYAL~^,^ 

 ff-fc ^ .^^ ==^ i?4 



Nothing more could be clone in the way of reduction of expen- 

 diture. They had abeady reduced the Society's establishment 

 to its lowest workiilg point. Dr. Eoyle, who had for seven years 

 fiUed the honorary office of Secretary, having died in 1857, 

 Dr. Lindley had resigned the paid office of Vice-Secretary, which 

 he had filled with so much distinction since 1830, and been 

 elected to the Honorary (unpaid) office of Secretary in Dr. 

 Eoyle's place'. The Vice-Secretaryship was not filled up. Their 

 next step was, therefore, to realise the property of the Society, 

 so far as this could be done, without stopping its action. The 

 house in Eegent Street, which had been the focus of Horticulture 

 for so many years, was disposed of for 3000/. ; and in place of 

 it a small office was taken in Trafalgar Square, consisting of one 

 room and lobby or aute-room, at a rent of 80/. a-year ; and to 

 crown all, the magnificent library, which had been growing 

 during a period of forty years, until it was now one of the 

 finest Botanical libraries in the world, and which, moreover, 

 contained a multitude of oiiginal and typical drawings, was 

 brought to the hammer and dispersed beyond recall. 



Alas ! how short-sighted are we aU ! Could the Council but 

 have foreseen what two short months were to bring forth, they 

 might have 'spared themselves this rmnecessary sacrifice. And 

 yet, even now, when we know all, although unnecessary, at 

 least it cannot be called a useless sacrifice. It, and the liberahty 

 of the Members of Council, cleared the way for the plans winch 

 followed. They paid the debts and restored the credit of the 

 Society, and so removed difficulties in the way of the subse- 

 quent arrangements which would otherwise have been hard to 

 overcome. Be this as it may, within two months of the date 



