418 SCIENCE ORGANISATION : SOCIETIES, ETC. 
prompted by memories of this kind when, after privately 
naming certain botanists as worthy of a medal, he wrote to 
Henfrey in 1859 : 
I may tell you that I am opposed to the whole system of 
medahsing, as being quite beneath the dignity of real science 
and of the Eoyal Society ; but if it is to go on, I shall hope 
to see it well carried out. 
Beyond the question of scientific recognition of science 
work, lay the other matter of public recognition by knighthoods 
and the like. This concerned him later; but to summarise 
his opinion, services, not scientific eminence as such, should 
be * rewarded ' by distinctions. 
Several letters illustrate his eagerness that due honour be 
paid to his father ; the first is one to Bentham on his receipt 
of the Royal Medal (November 20, 1859). 
The first matter is the R.S. medal ; I, and all other 
Botanists, are equally indignant with yourself, at my Father's 
merits being overlooked in the distribution of [the] Copley 
medal, the only one they could offer him — this is wholly 
Brown's fault, and will I fear never now be mended, greatly 
as it has been desired and tried for. The Copley is the only 
medal that could be offered him, and that medal is theoretically 
all but exclusively confined to great discoveries, or great 
generalizations of proved value to future investigators. I 
have long fought for its being given to general scientific 
merit of half a century or upwards — hitherto in vain. 
Happily the 2 Royal medals are in so different a category 
that they do not clash with the Copley, and they are further 
confined to our countrymen ; but for this, your and my and 
Lindley's having a Royal medal would have been more than 
invidious. With regard to the claims of your line of research, 
it is true that in Botany they have (thanks to Brown) been 
altogether put aside, but those of a parallel character and 
value have always been acknowledged in Zoology and 
every branch of Physics ; and ' better late than never,' 
is all I can say to the R.S. in your case — no medal was 
ever more richly deserved and it was I am told given 
unanimously. 
