In the most flourishing period of ancient Greece, the distinction between words and writing first manifested itself most strongly amongst a race, which had raised itself to the most splendid intellectual superiority, and to whose latest descendants, as preserved from the shipwreck of nations, we still consecrate our most anxious wishes. It was not the difficulty of interchange of ideas alone, nor the want of German science, which has spread thought as on wings through the world, and insured it a long continuance, that then induced the friends of philosophy and natural history in Magna Graecia and Asia Minor to wander on long journeys. That ancient race knew the inspiring influence of conversation as it extemporaneously, freely, and prudently penetrates the tissue of scientific opinions and doubts. The discovery of the truth without difference of opinion is unattainable, because the truth, in its greatest extent, can never be recognized by all, and at the same time. Each step, which seems to bring the explorer of nature nearer to his object, only carries him to the threshold of new labyrinths. The mass of doubt does not diminish, but spreads like a moving cloud over other and new fields; and whoever has called that a golden period, when difference of opinions, or, as some are accustomed to express it, the disputes of the learned, will be finished, has as imperfect a conception of the wants of science, and of its continued advancement, as a person who expects that the same opinions in geognosy, chemistry, or physiology, will be maintained for several centuries.

The founders of this society, with a deep sense of the unity of nature, have combined in the completest manner, all the branches of physical knowledge, and the historical, geometrical, and experimental philosophy. The names of natural historian and natural philosopher are here, therefore, nearly synonymous, chained by a terrestrial link to the type of the lower animals. Man completes the scale of higher organization. In his physiological and pathological qualities, he scarcely presents to us a distinct class of beings. As to what has brought him to this exalted object of physical study, and has raised him to general scientific investigation, belongs principally to this society. Important as it is not to break that link which embraces equally the investigation of organic and inorganic nature, still the increasing ties and daily developement of this institution renders it necessary, besides the general meeting which is destined for these halls, to have specific meetings for single branches of science. For it is only in such contracted circles,—it is only among men whom reciprocity of studies has brought together, that verbal discussions can take place. Without this sort of communication, would the voluntary association of men in search of truth be deprived of an inspiring principle.

Among the preparations which are made in this city for the advancement of the society, attention has been principally paid to the possibility of such a subdivision into sections. The hope that these preparations will meet with your approbation, imposes upon me the duty of reminding you, that, although you had entrusted to two travellers, equally, the duty of making these arrangements, yet it is to one alone, my noble friend, M. Lichtenstein, that the merit of careful precaution and indefatigable activity is due. Out of respect to the scientific spirit which animates the Society of German Naturalists and Natural Philosophy, and in acknowledgment of the utility of their efforts, government have seconded all our wishes with the greatest cheerfulness.

In the vicinity of the place of meeting, which has in this manner been prepared for our general and special labours, are situated the museums dedicated to anatomy, zoology, oryctognosy, and geology. They exhibit to the naturalist a rich mine for observation and critical discussion. The greater number of these well-arranged collections have existed, like the University of Berlin, scarcely twenty years. The oldest of them, to which the Botanical Garden, (one of the richest in Europe) belongs, have during this period not only been increased, but entirely remodelled. The amusement and instruction derived from such institutions, call to our minds, with deep feelings of gratitude, that they are the work of that great monarch, who modestly and in simple grandeur, adorns every year this royal city with new treasures of nature and art; and what is of still greater value than the treasures themselves,—what inspires every Prussian with youthful strength, and with an enthusiastic love for the ancient reigning family,—that he graciously attaches to himself every species of talent, and extends with confidence his royal protection to the free cultivation of the understanding.

This was followed by a paper on magnetism, by Professor Oersted; and several other memoirs were then read.

The arrival of so many persons of similar pursuit, (for 464 members were present,) rendered it convenient to have some ordinary, at which those who chose might dine, and introduce their friends or families. This had been foreseen, and his Majesty had condescended to allow the immense building used for the exercise of his troops, to be employed for this purpose. One-third of it was floored on the occasion, and tables were arranged, at which, on one occasion, 850 persons sat down to dinner. On the evening of the first day, M. de Humboldt gave a large SOIREE in the concert rooms attached to the theatre. About 1200 persons assembled on this occasion, and his Majesty the King of Prussia honoured with his presence the fete of his illustrious chamberlain. The nobility of the country, foreign princes, and foreign ambassadors, were present. It was gratifying to observe the princes of the blood mingling with the cultivators of science, and to see the heir-apparent to the throne, during the course of the evening, engaged in conversation with those most celebrated for their talents, of his own, or of other countries.

Nor were the minor arrangements of the evening beneath the consideration of the President. The words of the music selected for the concert, were printed and distributed to the visitors. The names of the most illustrious philosophers which Germany had produced, were inscribed in letters of gold at the end of the great concert room.

In the first rank amongst these stood a name which, England, too, enrolls amongst the brightest in her scientific annals; and proud, as well she may be, of having fostered and brought to maturity the genius of the first Herschel, she has reaped an ample reward in being able to claim as entirely her own, the inheritor of his talents and his name.

The six succeeding days were occupied, in the morning, by a meeting of the academy, at which papers of general interest were read. In the afternoon, through the arrangement of M. de Humboldt and M. Lichtenstein, various rooms were appropriated for different sections of the academy. In one, the chemical philosophers attended to some chemical memoir, whilst the botanists assembled in another room, the physiologists in a third, and the natural philosophers in a fourth. Each attended to the reading of papers connected with their several sciences. Thus every member was at liberty to choose that section in which he felt most interest at the moment, and he had at all times power of access to the others. The evenings were generally spent at some of the SOIREES of the savans, resident at Berlin, whose hospitality and attentions to their learned brethren of other countries were unbounded. During the unoccupied hours of the morning, the collections of natural history, which are rapidly rising into importance, were open to examination; and the various professors and directors who assisted the stranger in his inquiries, left him equally gratified by the knowledge and urbanity of those who so kindly aided him.

A map of Europe was printed, on which those towns only appeared which had sent representatives to this scientific congress; and the numbers sent by different kingdoms appeared by the following table, which was attached to it;—

Russia......... 1 Austria........ 0 England........ 1 Holland........ 2 Denmark........ 7 France ........ 1 Sardinia ....... 0 Prussia........ 95 Bavaria........ 12 Hanover........ 5 Saxony ........ 21 Wirtemburg ...... 2 Sweden ........ 13 Naples ........ 1 Poland ........ 3 German States..... 43 —- 206 Berlin ....... 172 —- 378

The proportion in which the cultivators of different sciences appeared, was not easy to ascertain, because there were few amongst the more eminent who had not added to more than one branch of human knowledge. The following table, though not professing to be very accurate, will afford, perhaps, a tolerably fair view:—

Geometers............. 11 Astronomers........... 5 Natural Philosophers . 23 — 39

Mines............ 5 Mineralogy ...... 16 Geology.......... 9 — 30

Chemistry........... 18 Geography........... 8 Anatomy............. 12

Zoology............ 14 Natural History.... 8 Botany.............. 35 — 57

Physicians....... 175 Amateurs ....... 9 Various ......... 35 —-381

A medal was struck in commemoration of this meeting, and it was proposed that it should form the first of a series, which should comprise all those persons most celebrated for their scientific discoveries in the past and present age.



APPENDIX, No. 2.

An examination into some charges brought against one of the twenty-four candidates, mentioned in a note as having their names suspended in the meeting-room of the Royal Society, at one time, has caused a printed pamphlet to be circulated amongst the members of the Society. Of the charges themselves I shall offer no opinion, but entreat every member to judge for himself. I shall, however, make one extract, which tends to show how the ranks of the Society are recruited.

EXTRACT FROM A PRINTED LETTER FROM A. F. M. TO J. G. CHILDREN, ESQ. DATED, 22, UPPER BEDFORD-PLACE, MARCH 13, 1830.

"When I wished you to Propose me at the Geological Society, you asked me why you should not propose me also at the Royal Society; and my answer was, that it was an honour to which I did not think I could aspire; that my talents were too insignificant to warrant such pretensions. Many days passed, and still you pressed me on the subject, because your partiality made you think me deserving of the honour; but I resisted, really through modesty, not that I did not covet the distinction, until something was said of my paper on the meteoric mass of iron of Brazil, which was published some years ago in the Transactions of the Royal Society; when you insisted on proposing me, and I assented gratefully, because I was and am desirous of being a Fellow of the Royal Society, if I can be supposed worthy of having my name so honourably enrolled."

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF J. G. CHILDREN, ESQ. TO A. F. M. ESQ. DATED, BRITISH MUSEUM, MARCH 24, 1830.

"All that you have said respecting your being a candidate for admission into the Royal Society, is correct to the letter. I pressed the subject upon you, and I would do it again to-morrow, were it necessary."

Here, then, we find Mr. Children, who has been on the Council of the Royal Society, and who was, a few years since, one of its Secretaries, pressing one of his friends to become, and actually insisting on proposing him as, a Fellow of the Royal Society, He must have been well aware of the feelings which prevail amongst the Council as to the propriety of such a step, and by publishing the fact, seems quite satisfied that such a course is advantageous to the interests of the Society. That similar applications were not unfrequently made in private, is well known; but it remains for the Society to consider whether, now they are publicly and officially announced to them, it will sanction this mode of augmenting the already numerous list of its fellows.

APPENDIX, No. 3,

LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS, OR HAVE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL.

N. B.—The Numbers are made up to the present year for the Papers, but only to 1827 for Members of the Council.

No. of No. of Papers years on printed Council. in Phil. Trans.———— ———- 3 Aberdeen, Earl of. 3 3 Abernethy, John. 2 Allan, Thomas. 3 Allen, William. 1 Arden, Lord. 1 Atholl, Duke of. 7 2 Babbage, Charles, 1 Babington, William. 1 2 Baily,Francis. 9 Barlow, Peter. (C) 2 Barnard, Sir F. Augusta. 5 Barrow, John. 2 Bauer, Francis. 1 Bayley, John. 1 Beaufort, Francis. 2 Beaufoy, Henry. 5 Bell, Charles. 1 Bingley, Robert. 1 Blackburne, John. 3 Blake, William. 1 3 Blane, Sir Gilbert. 1 1 Blizard, Sir William. 1 1 Bostock, John. 12 10 Brande, Wm. Thos. (C) 16 Brewster, David. (C) 6 1 Brodie, B. Collins. (C) 1 Bromhead Sir E. F. 3 Brougham, Henry. 1 Browne, Henry. 1 Brown, Robert. 2 Brownlow, Earl. 1 Buckland, Rev. W. (C) 1 Burney, Rev. C. Parr. 1 Canterbury, Archbp. of. 1 Carew, Rt. Hon. R. P. 7 Carlisle, Sir Anthony. 2 Carlisle, Nicholas. 1 Carne, Joseph. 1 Carrington, Sir C. E. 2 Charleville, Earl of. 7 2 Chenevix, Richard. (C) 3 4 Children, John George. 10 Christie, Sam. Hunter. 1 Clerk, Sir George. 2 Clift, William. 9 Cloyne, Bishop of. (C) 2 Colby, Colonel Thomas. 1 Colebrooke, Henry T. 2 2 Cooper, Sir Astley P. (C) 1 Crichton, Sir Alex. 5 Croker, John Wilson. 1 Cullum, Sir T. Gery. 2 Dalton, John. 2 Darnley, Earl of 1 Darwin, Robert Waring. 1 Davis, John Francis. 2 Davy, Edmund. 13 Davy, John. 3 Dyllwin, Lewis Weston. 1 Dollond, George. 1 Dudley and Ward, Visc. 2 Earle, Henry. 1 Egremont, Earl of. 1 Fallows, Rev. Fearon. 8 Faraday, Michael. 1 Farnborough, Lord. 1 Fisher, Rev. George. 1 Fly, Rev. Henry. 2 Foster, Henry. 1 1 Frankland, Sir Thomas. 1 Gibbes, Sir Geo, Smith. 2 13 Gilbert, Davies. 2 Gillies, John. 5 Goldingham, John. 3 1 Gompertz, Benjamin. 1 Goodenough, George T. 2 Gordon, Sir James W. 3 Granville, Augustus B. 1 Greatorex, Thomas. 1 Greenough, Geo.Bellas. 1 Griffiths, John. 3 1 Groombridge, Stephen. 1 Halford, Sir Henry. 2 Hall, Basil. 1 Hamilton, Wm. Rich. 2 Hardwicke, Earl of. 2 Harvey, George. 1 Harwood, J. 16 10 Hatchett, Charles. (C) 1 Hawkins, John. 2 2 Heberden, William. 9 Hellins, Rev. John, (C) 1 Henley, Morton Lord. 10 Henry, William. (C) 12 6 Herschel, John F.W. (C) 1 Hoare, Henry Hugh 1 Hoare, Sir Richard Colt. 2 Hobhouse, Sir Benj. 1 Holland, Henry. 109 16 Home, Sir Everard. (C) 2 Hope, Thomas Charles. 1 Hosack, David. 1 1 Horsburgh, James. 1 Howard, Luke. 2 Hume, Sir Abraham. 7 2 Ivory, James.C. 1 Jekyll, Joseph. 4 1 Johnson, Jas. Rawlins. 13 7 Kater, Capt. Henry. (C) 2 Kidd, John. 24 1 Knight, Thomas A. (C) 1 1 Konig, Charles. 2 Lambert, Aylmer B. 1 Lansdowne, Marquis of. 1 1 Latham, John. 2 Lax, Rev. William. 1 Leach, William Elford. 1 Lowther, Viscount. 2 Macartney, James. 2 Macdonald, Lieut. Col. 1 Mac Grigor, Sir James. 2 Mac Leay, Alexander. 1 Mansfield, Earl of 4 11 Marsden, William. 1 Mathias, Thomas Jas. 3 Maton, William George. 1 Miller, Lieut. Col. G. 2 Montagu, Matthew. 7 4 Morgan, William. 1 Mount Edgecumbe, Earl of. 3 Murdoch, Thomas. 2 Nicholl, Rt. Hon. Sir J. 1 Norfolk, Duke of. 2 Ord, Craven. 1 Parry, Charles Henry. 1 Pepys, Sir Lucas. 6 2 Pepys, Wm. Hasledine. 7 Philip, A. P. Wilson. 1 Phillips, Richard. 2 Pitt, William Morton. 1 29 Planta, Joseph. 19 17 Pond, John. (C) 2 Powell, Rev. Baden. 2 Prinsep, James. 4 1 Prout William. 1 Rackett, Rev. Thomas. 1 Redesdale, Lord. 2 Reeves, John. 5 3 Rennell, James (C) 1 Rennie, George. 4 Ritchie, 1 Robertson, James. 1 Rogers, Samuel. 2 1 Roget, Peter Mark. 3 Rudge, Edward. 12 Sabine, Edward. (C) 2 Sabine, Joseph. 1 St. Aubyn, Sir John. 3 Scoresby, jun. William. 2 Scott, John Corse. 3 1 Seppings, Sir Robert. (C) 1 Sewell, Sir John. 3 Somerset, Duke of. 3 Sotheby, William. 3 2 South, James. (C) 5 Spencer, Earl. 3 Stanley, Sir John Thos. 3 Staunton, Sir Geo. Thos. 2 Stowell,Lord. 1 Sumner, George Holme. 1 Thomas, Honoratus L. 2 Thomson, Thomas. 1 Tiarks, Dr. John Lewis. 1 Troughton, Edward. (C) 2 Ure, Andrew. 2 Warburton, Henry. 1 Weaver, Thomas. 1 Whewell, William. 3 Whidbey, Joseph. 2 3 Wilkins, Charles. 3 Williams, John Lloyd. 1 1 Wilson, Sir Giffin. 2 Wilson, Gloucester. 1 Yorke, Rt. Hon. Chas.

I had intended to have printed a list of those persons to whom the Royal Society had in past years awarded the Copley medals, and the reasons for which they were given; but having applied to the Council for permission to employ an amanuensis, to copy those awards, either from the minutes, or from the volumes of the Philosophical Transactions, I was surprised at receiving a refusal. I confess it appeared to me, that as a whole, those adjudications did us credit, although I doubted the propriety of many individual cases. As, however, the Council seem to have had a different opinion, and as I had made the application through courtesy, I shall decline printing a list, every individual portion of which has been already published in many ways, although the whole has never been printed in a collected form.

THE END