decline of science in england-第2章

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　no　person　will　be　so　unkind　to　others　and　unjust　to　me；　as　to　suppose　I　have　described　individuals。

With　respect　to　the　cry　against　personality；　which　has　been　lately　set　up　to　prevent　all　inquiry　into　matters　of　scientific　misgovernment；　a　few　words　will　suffice。

I　feel　as　strongly　as　any　one；　not　merely　the　impropriety；　but　the　injustice　of　introducing　private　character　into　such　discussions。　　There　is；　however；　a　maxim　too　well　established　to　need　any　comment　of　mine。　　The　public　character　of　every　public　servant　is　legitimate　subject　of　discussion；　and　his　fitness　or　unfitness　for　office　may　be　fairly　canvassed　by　any　person。　　Those　whose　too　sensitive　feelings　shrink　from　such　an　ordeal；　have　no　right　to　accept　the　emoluments　of　office；　for　they　know　that　it　is　the　condition　to　which　all　must　submit　who　are　paid　from　the　public　purse。

The　same　principle　is　equally　applicable　to　Companies；　to　Societies；　and　to　Academies。　　Those　from　whose　pocket　the　salary　is　drawn；　and　by　whose　appointment　the　officer　was　made；　have　always　a　right　to　discuss　the　merits　of　their　officers；　and　their　modes　of　exercising　the　duties　they　are　paid　to　perform。

This　principle　is　equally　applicable　to　the　conduct　of　a　Secretary　of　State；　or　to　that　of　a　constable；　to　that　of　a　Secretary　of　the　Royal　Society；　or　of　an　adviser　to　the　Admiralty。

With　respect　to　honorary　officers；　the　case　is　in　some　measure　different。　　But　the　President　of　a　society；　although　not　recompensed　by　any　pecuniary　remuneration；　enjoys　a　station；　when　the　body　over　which　he　presides　possesses　a　high　character；　to　which　many　will　aspire；　who　will　esteem　themselves　amply　repaid　for　the　time　they　devote　to　the　office；　by　the　consequence　attached　to　it　in　public　estimation。　　　He；　therefore；　is　answerable　to　the　Society　for　his　conduct　in　their　chair。

There　are　several　societies　in　which　the　secretaries；　and　other　officers；　have　very　laborious　duties；　and　where　they　are　unaided　by　a　train　of　clerks；　and　yet　no　pecuniary　remuneration　is　given　to　them。　　Science　is　much　indebted　to　such　men；　by　whose　quiet　and　unostentatious　labours　the　routine　of　its　institutions　is　carried　on。　　　It　would　be　unwise；　as　well　as　ungrateful；　to　judge　severely　of　the　inadvertencies；　or　even　of　the　negligence　of　such　persons：　nothing　but　weighty　causes　should　justify　such　a　course。

Whilst；　however；　I　contend　for　the　principle　of　discussion　and　inquiry　in　its　widest　sense；　because　I　consider　it　equally　the　safeguard　of　our　scientific　as　of　our　political　institutions；　I　shall　use　it；　I　hope；　temperately；　and　having　no　personal　feelings　myself；　but　living　in　terms　of　intercourse　with　almost　all；　and　of　intimacy　with　several　of　those　from　whom　I　most　widely　differ；　I　shall　not　attempt　to　heap　together　all　the　causes　of　complaint；　but；　by　selecting　a　few　in　different　departments；　endeavour　to　convince　them　that　some　alteration　is　essentially　necessary　for　the　promotion　of　that　very　object　which　we　both　by　such　different　roads　pursue。

I　have　found　it　necessary；　in　the　course　of　this　volume；　to　speak　of　the　departed；　for　the　misgovernment　of　the　Royal　Society　has　not　been　wholly　the　result　of　even　the　present　race。　　It　is　said；　and　I　think　with　justice；　in　the　life　of　Young；　inserted　amongst　Dr。　Johnson's；　that　the　famous　maxim；　〃DE　MORTUIS　NIL　NISI　BONUM；〃　〃appears　to　savour　more　of　female　weakness　than　of　manly　reason。〃　　The　foibles　and　the　follies　of　those　who　are　gone；　may；　without　injury　to　society；　repose　in　oblivion。　　But；　whoever　would　claim　the　admiration　of　mankind　for　their　good　actions；　must　prove　his　impartiality　by　fearlessly　condemning　their　evil　deeds。　　Adopt　the　maxim；　and　praise　to　the　dead　becomes　worthless；　from　its　universality；　and　history；　a　greater　fable　than　it　has　been　hitherto　deemed。

Perhaps　I　ought　to　apologize　for　the　large　space　I　have　devoted　to　the　Royal　Society。　　Certainly　its　present　state　gives　it　no　claim　to　that　attention；　and　I　do　it　partly　from　respect　for　its　former　services；　and　partly　from　the　hope　that；　if　such　an　Institution　can　be　of　use　to　science　in　the　present　day；　the　attention　of　its　members　may　be　excited　to　take　steps　for　its　restoration。　Perhaps　I　may　be　blamed　for　having　published　extracts　from　the　minutes　of　its　proceedings　without　the　permission　of　its　Council。　　To　have　asked　permission　of　the　present　Council　would　have　been　useless。　　I　might；　however；　have　given　the　substance　of　what　I　have　extracted　without　the　words；　and　no　one　could　then　have　reproached　me　with　any　infringement　of　our　rules：　　but　there　were　two　objections　to　that　course。　　In　the　first　place；　it　is　impossible；　even　for　the　most　candid；　in　all　cases；　to　convey　precisely　the　same　sentiment　in　different　language；　and　I　thought　it　therefore　more　fair　towards　those　from　whom　I　differed；　as　well　as　to　the　public；　to　give　the　precise　words。　　Again：　　had　it　been　possible　to　make　so　accurate　a　paraphrase；　I　should　yet　have　preferred　the　risk　of　incurring　the　reproach　of　the　Royal　Society　for　the　offence；　to　escaping　their　censure　by　an　evasion。　　What　I　have　done　rests　on　my　own　head；　and　I　shrink　not　from　the　responsibility　attaching　to　it。

If　those；　whose　mismanagement　of　that　Society　I　condemn；　should　accuse　me　of　hostility　to　the　Royal　Society；　my　answer　is；　that　the　party　which　governs　it　is　not　the　Royal　Society；　and　that　I　will　only　admit　the　justice　of　the　accusation；　when　the　whole　body；　becoming　acquainted　with　the　system　I　have　exposed；　shall；　by　ratifying　it　with　their　approbation；　appropriate　it　to　themselves：　　an　event　of　which　I　need　scarcely　add　I　have　not　the　slightest　anticipation。


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CONTENTS。


PREFACE　Introductory　Remarks　CHAP。　I。　　　On　the　Reciprocal　Influence　of　Science　and　Education。　CHAP。　II。　　Of　the　Inducements　to　Individuals　to　cultivate　Science。　Sect。　1。　Professional　Impulses。　　　2。　Of　National　Encouragement。　　　3。　Of　Encouragement　from　learned　Societies。　CHAP。　III。　General　State　of　learned　Societies　in　England。　CHAP。　IV。　　State　of　the　Royal　Society　in　particular。　Sect。　1。　Mode　of　becoming　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society。　　　2。　Of　the　Presidency　and　Vice…Presidencies。　　　3。　Of　the　Secretariships　　　4。　Of　the　Scientific　Advisers。　　　5。　Of　the　Union　of　several　Offices　in　one　person。　　　6。　Of　the　Funds　of　the　Society。　　　7。　Of　the　Royal　Medals。　　　8。　Of　the　Copley　Medals。　　　9。　Of　the　Fairchild　Lecture。　　10。　Of　the　Croonian　Lecture。　　11。　Of　the　Causes　of　the　Present　State　of　the　Royal　Society。　　12。　Of　the　Plan　for　Reforming　the　Society。　CHAP。　V。　　　Of　Observations。　Sect。　1。　Of　Minute　Precision。　　　2。　On　the　Art　of　Observing。　　　3。　On　the　Frauds　of　Observers。　CHAP。　VI。　　Suggestions　for　the　Advancement　of　Science　in　England。　Sect。　1。　Of　the　Necessity　that　Members　of　the　Royal　Society　…　　should　express　their　Opinions。　　　2。　Of　Biennial　Presidents。　　　3。　Of　the　Influence　of　the　Colleges　of　Physicians　and　…　　Surgeons　in　the　Royal　Society。　　　4。　Of　the　Influence　of　the　Royal　Institution　on　the　Royal　…　　Society。　　　5。　Of　the　Transactions　of　the　Royal　Society。　　　6。　Order　of　Merit。　　　7。　Of　the　Union　of　Scientific　Societies。　CONCLUSION。　APPENDIX　NO。　1。　…　　NO。　2。　…　　NO。　3。

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REFLECTIONS　ON　THE　DECLINE　OF　SCIENCE　IN　ENGLAND；　AND　ON　SOME　OF　ITS　CAUSES。



INTRODUCTORY　REMARKS。

It　cannot　have　escaped　the　attention　of　those；　whose　acquirements　enable　them　to　judge；　and　who　have　had　opportunities　of　examining　the　state　of　science　in　other　countries；　that　in　England；　particularly　with　respect　to　the　more　difficult　and　abstract　sciences；　we　are　much　below　other　nations；　not　merely　of　equal　rank；　but　below　several　even　of　inferior　power。　　That　a　country；　eminently　distinguished　for　its　mechanical　and　manufacturing　ingenuity；　should　be　indifferent　to　the　progress　of　inquiries　which　form　the　highest　departments　of　that　knowledge　on　whose　more　elementary　truths　its　wealth　and　rank　depend；　is　a　fact　which　is　well　deserving　the　attention　of　those　who　shall　inquire　into　the　causes　that　influence　the　progress　of　nations。

To　trace　the　gradual　decline　of　mathematical；　and　with　it　of　the　highest　departments　of　physical　science；　from　the　days　of　Newton　to　the　present；　must　be　left　to　the　historian。　　It　is　not　within　the　province　of　one　who；　having　mixed　sufficiently　with　scientific　society　in　England　to　see　and　regret　the　weakness　of　some　of　its　greatest　ornaments；　and　to　see　through　and　deplore　the　conduct　of　its　pretended　friends；　offers　these　remarks；　with　the　hope　that　they　may　excite　discussion；with　the　conviction　that　discussion　is　the　firmest　ally　of　truth；and　with　the　confidence　that　nothing　but　the　full　expression　of　public　opinion　can　remove　the　evils　that　chill　the　enthusiasm；　and　cramp　the　energies　of　the　science　of　England。

The　causes　which　have　produced；　and　some　of　the　effects　which　have　resulted　from；　the　present　state　of　science　in　England；　are　so　mixed；　that　it　is　difficult　to　distinguish　accurately　between　them。　　I　shall；　therefore；　in　this　volume；　not　attempt　any　minute　discrimination；　but　rather　present　the　result　of　my　reflections　on　the　concomitant　circumstances　which　have　attended　the　decay；　and　at　the　conclusion　of　it；　shall　examine　some　of　the　suggestions　which　have　been　offered　for　the　advancement　of　British　science。



CHAPTER　I。

ON　THE　RECIPROCAL　INFLUENCE　OF　SCIENCE　AND　EDUCATION。

That　the　state　of　knowledge　in　any　country　will　exert　a　directive　influence　on　the　general　system　of　instruction　adopted　in　it；　is　a　principle　too　obvious　to　require　investigation。　　And　it　is　equally　certain　that　the　tastes　and　pursuits　of　our　manhood　will　bear　on　them　the　traces　of　the　earlier　impressions　of　our　education。　　It　is　therefore　not　unreasonable　to　suppose　that　some　portion　of　the　neglect　of　science　in　England；　may　be　attributed　to　the　system　of　education　we　pursue。　　A　young　man　passes　from　our　public　schools　to　the　universities；　ignorant　almost　of　the　elements　of　every　branch　of　useful　knowledge；　and　at　these　latter　establishments；　formed　originally　for　instructing　those　who　are　intended　for　the　clerical　profession；　classical　and　mathematical　pursuits　are　nearly　the　sole　objects　proposed　to　the　student's　ambition。

Much　has　been　done　at　one　of　our　universities　during　the　last　fifteen　years；　to　improve　the　system　of　study；　and　I　am　confident　that　there　is　no　one　connected　with　that　body；　who　will　not　do　me　the　justice　to　believe　that；　whatever　suggestions　I　may　venture　to　offer；　are　prompted　by　the　warmest　feelings　for　the　honour　and　the　increasing　prosperity　of　its　institutions。　　The　ties　which　connect　me　with　Cambridge　are　indeed　of　no　ordinary　kind。

Taking　it　then　for　granted　that　our　system　of　academical　education　ought　to　be　adapted　to　nearly　the　whole　of　the　aristocracy　of　the　country；　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　whilst　the　modifications　I　should　propose　would　not　be　great　innovations　on　the　spirit　of　our　institutions；　they　would　contribute　materially　to　that　important　object。

It　will　be　readily　admitted；　that　a　degree　conferred　by　an　university；　ought　to　be　a　pledge　to　the　public　that　he　who　holds　it　possesses　a　certain　quantity　of　knowledge。　　The　progress　of　society　has　rendered　knowledge　far　more　various　in　its　kinds　than　it　used　to　be；　and　to　meet　this　variety　in　the　tastes　and　inclinations　of　those　who　come　to　us　for　instruction