decline of science in england-第20章

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er；　370L。　for　engravings；　and　nearly　340L。　for　printing；　and　from　those　alarming　facts；　your　Committee　submit　to　your　consideration；　whether　the　expenditure　might　not　be　beneficially　controlled　by　a　standing　Committee　of　Finance。

In　obedience　to　the　latter　part　of　your　resolution；　your　Committee　now　proceed　to　offer　some　further　suggestions　for　your　consideration。　　They　conceive　that　it　would　afford　a　beneficial　stimulus　to　individual　exertion；　if　the　Fellows　who　have　received　the　medals　of　the　Society；　and　those　who　have　repeatedly　enriched　its　Transactions；　were　distinguished　by　being　collected　into　a　separate　and　honourable　list。　　It　would　also　be　found；　perhaps；　not　less　a　future　incentive　than　an　act　of　retrospective　justice；　if　the　names　of　all　those　illustrious　Fellows　who　have　formerly　obtained　the　medals；　as　well　as　of　all　those　individuals　who　have　been　large　benefactors　to　the　Society；　were　recorded　at　the　end　of　the　list。　　It　would　be　a　satisfactory　addition　likewise　to　the　annual　list；　if　all　those　Fellows　who　have　died；　or　had　been　admitted　within　the　preceding　year；　were　regularly　noticed。　　And　your　Committee　think；　that　these　lists　should　always　form　part　of　the　Transactions；　and　be　stitched　up　with　the　last　part　of　the　volume。

It　requires　no　argument　to　demonstrate　that　the　well…being　of　the　Society　mainly　depends　on　the　activity　and　integrity　of　its　Council；　and　as　their　selection　is　unquestionably　of　paramount　importance；　your　Committee　hope　that　our　excellent　President　will　not　consider　it　any　impeachment　of　his　impartiality；　or　any　doubt　of　his　zeal；　if　they　venture　to　suggest；　that　the　usual　recommendation　to　the　Society　of　proper　members　for　the　future　Council　should　henceforth　be　considered　as　a　fit　subject　for　the　diligent　and　anxious　deliberation　of　the　expiring　Council。

There　is　another　point　of　great　moment　to　the　character　of　the　Society；　and　to　the　dignified　station　it　occupies　among　the　learned　associations　of　Europe；　for　its　character　abroad　can　only　be　appreciated　by　the　nature　and　value　of　its　Transactions。　　Your　Committee　allude　to　the　important　task　of　deciding　on　what　papers　should　be　published；　and　they　are　of　opinion　that　it　would　be　a　material　improvement　on　the　present　mode；　if　each　paper　were　referred　to　a　separate　Committee；　who　should　have　sufficient　time　given　them　to　examine　it　carefully；　who　should　be　empowered　to　communicate　on　any　doubtful　parts　with　the　author；　and　who　should　report；　not　only　their　opinion；　but　the　grounds　on　which　that　opinion　is　formed；　for　the　ultimate　decision　of　the　Council。

If　it　should　be　thought　fit　to　adopt　the　suggestions　which　your　Committee　have　now　had　the　honour　of　proposing；　they　beg　leave　to　move；　that　another　Committee　be　appointed；　with　directions　to　frame　or　to　alter　the　necessary　statutes；　so　that　they　may　be　in　strict　accordance　with　the　charters。

In　concluding　the　Report；　your　Committee　do　not　wish　to　disguise　the　magnitude　of　some　of　the　measures　they　have　thought　it　their　duty　to　propose；　on　the　contrary；　they　would　not　only　urge　the　fullest　discussion　of　their　expediency；　but　further；　that　if　you　should　even　be　unanimously　disposed　to　confirm　them；　your　Committee　would　recommend；　that　the　several　statutes；　when　they　have　been　drawn　up　or　modified；　should　be　only　entered　on　your　minutes；　and　not　finally　enacted。　　All　innovations　in　the　constitution；　or　even　the　habits　of　the　Royal　Society；　should　be　scrutinized　with　the　most　jealous　circumspection。　　It　is　enough　for　the　present　Council　to　have　traced　the　plan；　let　the　Council　of　the　ensuing　sessions　share　the　credit　of　carrying　that　plan　into　effect。

This　Report　was　presented　to　the　Council　very　＇ate　in　the　session　of　1827；　and　on　the　25th　of　June　there　occurs　the　following　entry　on　the　council…book：

〃The　Report　of　the　Committee　for　considering　the　best　means　of　limiting　the　number　of　members；　and　such　other　suggestions　as　they　may　think　conducive　to　the　good　of　the　Society；　was　received　and　read；　and　ordered　to　be　entered　on　the　minutes；　and　the　Council；　regarding　the　importance　of　the　subject；　and　its　bearings　on　the　essential　interests　of　the　Society；　in　conformity　with　the　concluding　paragraph；　and　considering　also　the　advanced　stage　of　the　session；　recommend　it　to　the　most　serious　and　early　consideration　of　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year。〃

Those　who　advocated　these　alterations；　were　in　no　hurry　for　their　hasty　adoption；　they　were　aware　of　their　magnitude；　and　anxious　for　the　fullest　investigation　before　one　of　them　should　be　tried。

Unfortunately；　the　concluding　recommendation　of　the　Committee　did　not　coincide　with　the　views　of　Mr。　Gilbert；　whom　the　party　had　determined　to　make　their　new　President。　　That　gentleman　made　such　arrangements　for　the　Council　of　the　succeeding　year；　that　when　the　question　respecting　the　consideration　of　the　Report　of　that　Committee　was　brought　forward；　it　was　thrown　aside　in　the　manner　I　have　stated。　　Thus　a　report；　sanctioned　by　the　names　of　such　a　committee；　and　recommended　by　one　Council　to　〃THE　MOST　SERIOUS　and　EARLY　consideration　of　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year；〃　was　by　that　very　Council　rejected；　without　even　the　ceremony　of　discussing　its　merits。　　Was　every　individual　recommendation　it　contained；　not　merely　unfit　to　be　adopted；　but　so　totally　deficient　in　plausibility　as　to　be　utterly　unworthy　of　discussion？　　Or　did　the　President　and　his　officers　feel；　that　their　power　rested　on　an　insecure　foundation；　and　that　they　did　not　possess　the　confidence　of　the　　working　members　of　the　Society？



CHAPTER　V。

OF　OBSERVATIONS。

There　are　several　reflections　connected　with　the　art　of　making　observations　and　experiments；　which　may　be　conveniently　arranged　in　this　chapter。


SECTION　1。

OF　MINUTE　PRECISION。

No　person　will　deny　that　the　highest　degree　of　attainable　accuracy　is　an　object　to　be　desired；　and　it　is　generally　found　that　the　last　advances　towards　precision　require　a　greater　devotion　of　time；　labour；　and　expense；　than　those　which　precede　them。　　The　first　steps　in　the　path　of　discovery；　and　the　first　approximate　measures；　are　those　which　add　most　to　the　existing　knowledge　of　mankind。

The　extreme　accuracy　required　in　some　of　our　modern　inquiries　has；　in　some　respects；　had　an　unfortunate　influence；　by　favouring　the　opinion；　that　no　experiments　are　valuable；　unless　the　measures　are　most　minute；　and　the　accordance　amongst　them　most　perfect。　　It　may；　perhaps；　be　of　some　use　to　show；　that　even　with　large　instruments；　and　most　practised　observers；　this　is　but　rarely　the　case。　　The　following　extract　is　taken　from　a　representation　made　by　the　present　Astronomer…Royal；　to　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　on　the　advantages　to　be　derived　from　the　employment　of　two　mural　circles：

〃That　by　observing；　with　two　instruments；　the　same　objects　at　the　same　time；　and　in　the　same　manner；　we　should　be　able　to　estimate　how　much　of　that　OCCASIONAL　DISCORDANCE　FROM　THE　MEAN；　which　attends　EVEN　THE　MOST　CAREFUL　OBSERVATIONS；　ought　to　be　attributed　to　irregularity　of　refraction；　and　how　much　to　THE　IMPERFECTIONS　OF　INSTRUMENTS。〃

In　confirmation　of　this　may　be　adduced　the　opinion　of　the　late　M。　Delambre；　which　is　the　more　important；　from　the　statement　it　contains　relative　to　the　necessity　of　publishing　all　the　observations　which　have　been　made。

〃Mais　quelque　soit　le　parti　que　l'on　prefere；　il　me　semble　qu'on　doit　tout　publier。　　Ces　irregularites　memes　sont　des　faits　qu'il　importe　de　connoitre。　　LES　SOINS　LES　PLUS　ATTENTIFS　N'EN　SAUROIENT　PRESERVER　LES　OBSERVATEURS　LES　PLUS　EXERCES；　et　celui　qui　ne　produiroit　que　des　angles　toujours　parfaitment　d'accord　auroit　ete　singulierement　bien　servi　par　les　circonstances　ou　ne　seroit　pas　bien　sincere。〃BASE　DU　SYSTEME　METRIQUE；　Discours　Preliminaire；　p。　158。

This　desire　for　extreme　accuracy　has　called　away　the　attention　of　experimenters　from　points　of　far　greater　importance；　and　it　seems　to　have　been　too　much　overlooked　in　the　present　day；　that　genius　marks　its　tract；　not　by　the　observation　of　quantities　inappreciable　to　any　but　the　acutest　senses；　but　by　placing　Nature　in　such　circumstances；　that　she　is　forced　to　record　her　minutest　variations　on　so　magnified　a　scale；　that　an　observer；　possessing　ordinary　faculties；　shall　find　them　legibly　written。　He　who　can　see　portions　of　matter　beyond　the　ken　of　the　rest　of　his　species；　confers　an　obligation　on　them；　by　recording　what　he　sees；　but　their　knowledge　depends　both　on　his　testimony　and　on　his　judgment。　　He　who　contrives　a　method　of　rendering　such　atoms　visible　to　ordinary　observers；　communicates　to　mankind　an　instrument　of　discovery；　and　stamps　his　own　observations　with　a　character；　alike　independent　of　testimony　or　of　judgment。


SECTION　2。

ON　THE　ART　OF　OBSERVING。

The　remarks　in　this　section　are　not　proposed　for　the　assistance　of　those　who　are　already　observers；　but　are　intended　to　show　to　persons　not　familiar　with　the　subject；　that　in　observations　demanding　no　unrivalled　accuracy；　the　principles　of　common　sense　may　be　safely　trusted；　and　that　any　gentleman　of　liberal　education　may；　by　perseverance　and　attention；　ascertain　the　limits　within　which　he　may　trust　both　his　instrument　and　himself。

If　the　instrument　is　a　divided　one；　the　first　thing　is　to　learn　to　read　the　verniers。　　If　the　divisions　are　so　fine　that　the　coincidence　is　frequently　doubtful；　the　best　plan　will　be　for　the　learner　to　get　some　acquaintance　who　is　skilled　in　the　use　of　instruments；　and　having　set　the　instrument　at　hazard；　to　write　down　the　readings　of　the　verniers；　and　then　request　his　friend　to　do　the　same；　whenever　there　is　any　difference；　he　should　carefully　examine　the　doubtful　one；　and　ask　his　friend　to　point　out　the　minute　peculiarities　on　which　he　founds　his　decision。　This　should　be　repeated　frequently；　and　after　some　practice；　he　should　note　how　many　times　in　a　hundred　his　reading　differs　from　his　friend's；　and　also　how　many　divisions　they　usually　differ。

The　next　point　is；　to　ascertain　the　precision　with　which　the　learner　can　bisect　an　object　with　the　wires　of　the　telescope。　This　can　be　done　without　assistance。　　It　is　not　necessary　even　to　adjust　the　instrument；　but　merely　to　point　it　to　a　distant　object。　　When　it　bisects　any　remarkable　point；　read　off　the　verniers；　and　write　down　the　result；　then　displace　the　telescope　a　little；　and　adjust　it　again。　　A　series　of　such　observations　will　show　the　confidence　which　is　due　to　the　observer's　eye　in　bisecting　an　object；　and　also　in　reading　the　verniers；　and　as　the　first　direction　gave　him　some　measure　of　the　latter；　he　may；　in　a　great　measure；　appreciate　his　skill　in　the　former。　　He　should　also；　when　he　finds　a　deviation　in　the　reading；　return　to　the　telescope；　and　satisfy　himself　if　he　has　made　the　bisection　as　complete　as　he　can。　　In　general；　the　student　should　practise　each　adjustment　separately；　and　write　down　the　results　wherever　he　can　measure　its　deviations。

Having　thus　practised　the　adjustments；　the　next　step　is　to　make　an　observation；　but　in　order　to　try　both　himself　and　the　instrument；　let　him　take　the　altitude　of　some　fixed　object；　a　terrestrial　one；　and　having　registered　the　result；　let　him　derange　the　adjustment；　and　repeat　the　process　fifty　or　a　hundred　times。　　This　will　not　merely　afford　him　exc