546 Report on Scientific Societies. [September? 
recompense, the spectacle, humiliating to Science and its 
representatives, will recur of a phenomenal intellect passing 
out of existence with scarcely any public notice being taken 
of it ; and Chancellors of the Exchequer will continue to 
deny a national memorial to a philosoper who, in the world 
of mind and within a thousand years of his race’s history, 
had no other peers but Bacon, Shakespeare, and Newton. 
On the other hand, the example of some living naturalists 
proves that by energy and perseverance much may be ob- 
tained of the State not simply in personal behoof, but for 
the interests of science ; and the position held in public 
estimation by other workers proves that, if not always dis- 
criminating, society is not wholly indifferent to scientific 
merit placed — not under a bushel. 
I trust that, neither in throwing out the preceding sug- 
gestions nor in making the above remarks, I shall be 
accused, upon personal grounds, of want of proper reserve ; 
they occurred to me at a time when, residing in England, I 
naturally had changed somewhat my native horizon. In 
conclusion I will only further observe that, for none of the 
schemes explained or purposes adverted to in my previous 
letters, nor upon the whole, do I consider the appointment 
of a special Minister or Secretary of State for science or 
instruction at all requisite, desirable, or beneficial. On the 
contrary, I think it is very much to be wished that English 
science may continue in that state of independence and 
complete self-government which has become traditionary, 
and has produced such admirable — I might say without any 
exaggeration even unparalleled — results. All that is requi- 
site, in my opinion, for the steady advancement of science, 
besides some material public aid, is such co-operation among 
scientific men themselves as in your speech at Exeter you 
justly laid so much stress on, as being one of the beneficial 
objects the British Association was designed to accomplish ; 
and, further, such a more systematic direction as you similarly 
showed, from its Bye-laws, it was another aim the founders 
of the Association desired to realise in science, or in the 
activity of its cultivators. And in order that both these 
objects, as well as the results to which they should lead, be 
effected, it were but necessary that philosophers and scien- 
tific inquirers should adopt as their watchword in practice 
what is theoretically supposed to be their guiding principle in 
all their endeavours, and what, in the terms of a well-known 
formula, I will phrase by — 
The Truth , the whole Truth , and nothing hut the Truth. 
