decline of science in england-第16章

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　　The　Astronomer…Royal　ought　to　be　the　best　judge。

On　the　minutes　of　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　for　April　6；　1826；　with　reference　to　the　Assistants　necessary　for　the　two　mural　circles；　we　find　a　letter　from　Mr。　Pond　on　the　subject；　from　which　the　following　passage　is　extracted：

〃But　to　carry　on　such　investigations；　I　want　indefatigable；　hard…working；　and　above　all；　obedient　drudges　（for　so　I　must　call　them；　although　they　are　drudges　of　a　superior　order）；　men　who　will　be　contented　to　pass　half　their　day　in　using　their　hands　and　eyes　in　the　mechanical　act　of　observing；　and　the　remainder　of　it　in　the　dull　process　of　calculation。〃＇

Such　being　the　distinction　between　the　merits　of　these　inquiries；　some　difference　ought　to　exist　in　the　nature　of　any　rewards　that　may　be　proposed　for　their　encouragement。　　The　Royal　Society　have　never　marked　this　difference；　and　consequently　those：　　honorary　medals　which　are　given　to　observations；　gain　a　value　which　is　due　to　those　that　are　given　for　discoveries；　whilst　these　latter　are　diminished　in　their　estimation　by　such　an　association。

I　have　stated　this　distinction；　because　I　think　it　a　just　one；　but　the　public　would　have　little　cause　of　complaint　if　this　were　the　only　ground　of　objection　to　the　mode　of　appropriating　the　Society's　medals。　　The　first　objection　to　be　noticed；　is　the　indistinct　manner　in　which　the　object　for　which　the　medals　are　awarded　is　sometimes　specified。　　A　medal　is　given　to　A。　B。　〃for　his　various　papers。〃

There　are　cases；　few　perhaps　in　number；　where　such　a　reason　may　be　admissible；　but　it　is　impossible　not　to　perceive　the　weakness　of　those　who　judge　these　matters　legibly　written　in　the　phrase；　〃and　for　his　various　other　communications；〃　which　comes　in　as　the　frequent　tail…piece　to　these　awards。　　With　a　diffidence　in　their　own　powers；　which　might　be　more　admired　if　it　were　more　frequently　expressed；　the　Council　think　to　escape　through　this　loop…hole；　should　the　propriety　of　their　judgment　on　the　main　point　be　called　in　question。　　Thus；　even　the　discovery　which　made　chemistry　a　science；　has　attached　to　it　in　their　award　this　feeble　appendage。

It　has　been　objected　to　the　Royal　Society；　that　their　medals　have　been　too　much　confined　to　a　certain　set。　　When　the　Royal　medals　were　added　to　their　patronage；　the　past　distribution　of　the　Copley　medals；　furnished　grounds　to　some　of　the　journals　to　predict　the　future　possessors　of　the　new　ones。　　I　shall；　doubtless；　be　told　that　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society　are　persons　of　such　high　feeling；　that　it　is　impossible　to　suppose　their　decision　could　be　influenced　by　any　personal　motives。　　As　I　may　not　have　had　sufficient　opportunities；　during　the　short　time　I　was　a　member　of　that　Council；　to　enable　me　to　form　a　fair　estimate；　I　shall　avail　myself　of　the　judgment　of　one；　from　whom　no　one　will　be　inclined　to　appeal；　who　knew　it　long　and　intimately；　and　who　expressed　his　opinion　deliberately　and　solemnly。

The　late　Dr。　Wollaston　attached；　as　a　condition　to　be　observed　in　the　distribution　of　the　interest　of　his　munificent　gift　of　2；000L。　to　the　Royal　Society；　the　following　clause：〃And　I　hereby　empower　the　said　President；　Council；　and　Fellows；　after　my　decease；　in　furtherance　of　the　above　declared　objects　of　the　trust；　to　apply　the　said　dividends　to　aid　or　reward　any　individual　or　individuals　of　any　country；　SAVING　ONLY　THAT　NO　PERSON　BEING　A　MEMBER　OF　THE　COUNCIL　FOR　THE　TIME　BEING；　SHALL　RECEIVE　OR　PARTAKE　OF　SUCH　REWARD。〃

Another　improvement　which　might　be　suggested；　is；　that　it　is　generally　inexpedient　to　vote　a　medal　until　the　paper　which　contains　the　discovery　is　at　least　read　to　the　Society；　perhaps　even　it　might　not　be　quite　unreasonable　to　wish　that　it　should　have　been　printed；　and　consequently　have　been　perused　by　some　few　of　those　who　have　to　decide　on　its　merits。　　These　trifles　have　not　always　been　attended　to；　and　even　so　lately　as　the　last　year；　they　escaped　the　notice　of　the　President　and　his　Council。　　The　Society　was；　however；　indebted　to　the　good　sense　of　Mr。　Faraday；　who　declined　the　proffered　medal；　and　thus　relieved　us　from　one　additional　charge　of　precipitancy。　　＇When　this　hasty　adjudication　was　thus　put　a　stop　to；　one　of　the　members　of　the　Council　inquired；　whether；　as　a　Copley　medal　must　by　the　will　he　annually　given；　some　other　person　might　not　be　found　deserving　of　it。　　To　which　the　Secretary　replied；　〃We　do　not　intend　to　give　any　this　year。〃　All　further　discussion　was　thus　silenced。＇

Perhaps；　also；　as　the　Council　are　on　some　occasions　apt　to　be　oblivious；　it　might　be　convenient　that　the　President　should　read；　previously　to　the　award　of　any　medals　or　to　the　decision　of　any　other　important　subjects；　the　statutes　relating　to　them。　　He　might　perhaps　propitiate　their　attention　to　them；　by　stating；　HOW　MUCH　IT　IMPORTETH　TO　THE　CONSISTENCY　OF　THE　COUNCIL　TO　BE　ACQUAINTED　WITH　THE　LAWS　ON　WHICH　THEY　ARE　ABOUT　TO　DECIDE。

If　those　who　have　been　conversant　with　the　internal　management　of　the　Council；　would　communicate　their　information；　something　curious　might　perhaps　be　learned　respecting　a　few　of　these　medals。　　Concerning　those　of　which　I　have　had　good　means　of　information；　I　shall　merely　state　of　three　of　themthat　whatever　may　have　been　the　official　reasons　for　their　award；　I　had　ample　reasons　to　convince　me　of　the　following　being　the　true　causes：

First。A　medal　was　given　to　A；　at　a　peculiarly　inappropriate　timeBECAUSE　HE　HAD　NOT　HAD　ONE　BEFORE。

Second。Subsequently　a　medal　was　given　to　B；　in　order　TO　DESTROY　THE　IMPRESSION　WHICH　THE　AWARD　OF　THE　MEDAL　TO　A　HAD　MADE　ON　THE　PUBLIC　THE　PRECEDING　YEAR。

Third。A　medal　was　given　to　C；　〃BECAUSE　WE　THINK　HE　HAS　BEEN　ILL　USED。〃

I　will　now　enter　on　an　examination　of　one　of　their　awards；　which　was　peculiarly　injudicious。　I　allude　to　that　concerning　the　mode　of　rendering　platina　malleable。　　Respecting；　as　I　did；　the　illustrious　philosopher　who　invented　the　art；　and　who　has　left　many　other　claims　to　the　gratitude　of　mankind；　I　esteem　it　no　disrespect　to　his　memory　to　place　that　subject　in　its　proper　light。

An　invention　in　science　or　in　art；　may　justly　be　considered　as　possessing　the　rights　of　property　in　the　highest　degree。　　The　lands　we　inherit　from　our　fathers；　were　cultivated　ere　they　were　born；　and　yielded　produce　before　they　were　cultivated。　　The　products　of　genius　are　the　actual　creations　of　the　individual；　and；　after　yielding　profit　or　honour　to　him；　they　remain　the　permanent　endowments　of　the　human　race。　　If　the　institutions　of　our　country；　and　the　opinions　of　society；　support　us　fully　in　the　absolute　disposal　of　our　fields；　of　which　we　can；　by　the　laws　of　nature；　be　only　the　transitory　possessors；　who　shall　justly　restrict　our　discretion　in　the　disposal　of　those　richer　possessions；　the　products　of　intellectual　exertion？

Two　courses　are　open　to　those　individuals　who　are　thus　endowed　with　Nature's　wealth。　　They　may　lock　up　in　their　own　bosoms　the　mysteries　they　have　penetrated；　and　by　applying　their　knowledge　to　the　production　of　some　substance　in　demand　in　commerce；　thus　minister　to　the　wants　or　comforts　of　their　species；　whilst　they　reap　in　pecuniary　profit　the　legitimate　reward　of　their　exertions。

It　is　open　to　them；　on　the　other　hand；　to　disclose　the　secret　they　have　torn　from　Nature；　and　by　allowing　mankind　to　participate　with　them；　to　claim　at　once　that　splendid　reputation　which　is　rarely　refused　to　the　inventors　of　valuable　discoveries　in　the　arts　of　life。

The　two　courses　are　rarely　compatible；　only　indeed　when　the　discoverer；　having　published　his　process；　enters　into　equal　competition　with　other　manufacturers。

If　an　individual　adopt　the　first　of　these　courses；　and　retaining　his　secret；　it　perish　with　him；　the　world　have　no　right　to　complain。　　During　his　life；　they　profited　by　his　knowledge；　and　are　better　off　than　if　the　philosopher　had　not　existed。

Monopolies；　under　the　name　of　patents；　have　been　devised　to　assist　and　reward　those　who　have　chosen　the　line　of　pecuniary　profit。　　Honorary　rewards　and　medals　have　been　the　feeble　expressions　of　the　sentiments　of　mankind　towards　those　who　have　preferred　the　other　course。　　But　these　have　been；　and　should　always　be；　kept　completely　distinct。　＇It　is　a　condition　with　the　Society　of　Arts；　never　to　give　a　reward　to　any　thing　for　which　a　patent　has　been；　or　is　to　be；　taken　out。＇

Let　us　now　consider　the　case　of　platina。　　A　new　process　was　discovered　of　rendering　it　malleable；　and　the　mere　circumstance　of　so　large　a　quantity　having　been　sent　into　the　market；　was　a　positive　benefit；　of　no　ordinary　magnitude；　to　many　of　the　arts。　The　discoverer　of　this　valuable　process　selected　that　course　for　which　no　reasonable　man　could　blame　him；　and　from　some　circumstance；　or　perhaps　from　accident；　he　preserved　no　written　record　of　the　manipulations。　Had　Providence　appointed　for　that　disorder；　which　terminated　too　fatally；　a　more　rapid　career；　all　the　knowledge　he　had　acquired　from　the　long　attention　he　had　devoted　to　the　subject；　would　have　been　lost　to　mankind。　　The　hand　of　a　friend　recorded　the　directions　of　the　expiring　philosopher；　whose　anxiety　to　render　useful　even　his　unfinished　speculations；　proves　that　the　previous　omission　was　most　probably　accidental。

Under　such　circumstances　it　was　published　to　the　world　in　the　Transactions　of　the　Royal　Society。　　But　what　could　induce　that　body　to　bestow　on　it　their　medal？　　To　talk　of　adding　lustre　to　the　name　of　Wollaston　by　their　medal；　is　to　talk　idly。　　They　must　have　done　it　then　as　an　example；　as　a　stimulus　to　urge　future　inquiries　in　the　career　of　discovery。　　But　did　they　wish　discoveries　to　be　so　endangered？

The　discoveries　of　Professor　Mitscherlick；　of　Berlin；　had　long　been　considered；　by　a　few　members　of　the　Society；　as　having　strong　claims　on　one　of　its　honorary　rewards；　but　difficulties　had　arisen；　from　so　few　members　of　the　Council　having　any　knowledge　of　discoveries　which　had　long　been　familiar　to　Europe。　The　Council　were　just　on　the　point　of　doing　justice　to　the　merits　of　the　Prussian　philosopher；　when　it　was　suggested　that　its　medal　should　be　given　to　Dr。　Wollaston；　and　they　immediately　altered　their　intention；　and　thus　enabled　themselves　to　reserve　their　medal　to　Professor　Mitscherlick　for　another　year；　at　which　period；　for　aught　they　knew；　his　discoveries　might　possess　the　additional　merit　of　having　been　made　prior　to　the　limit　allowed　by　their　regulations。　　That　medal　was；　in　fact；　voted　at　a　meeting；　at　which　no　one　member　present　was　at　all　conversant　with　the　subjects　rewarded。　　I　shall；　however；　say　no　more　on　this　subject。　　They　erred　from　feeling；　an　error　so　very　rare　with　them；　that　it　might　be　pardoned　even　for　its　singularity。

I　will；　however；　add　one　word　to　those　whose　censures　have　been　unjustly　dealt；　to　those　who　have　reproached　the　philosopher　for　receiving　pecuniary　advantage　from　his　inventions。

Amongst　the　many　and　varied　contrivances　for　the　demands　of　science；　or　the　arts　of　life；　with　which　we　were　enriched　by　the　genius　of　Wollaston；　was　it　too　much　to　allow　him　to　retain；　during　his　fleeting　career；　one　out　of　the　multitude；　to　furnish　that：　　pecuniary　supply；　without　which；　the　man　will　want　food　for　his　body；　and　the　philosopher　be　destitute　of　tools　for　his　inventions？　　Had　he　been；　as；　from　the　rank　he　h