102

HISTORY OF

[1775—80.

This occurred in the latter end of 1777, and atthe Anniversary in that year Sir John Pringle resignedthe Presidency, and Sir Joseph Banks was elected hissuccessor. It is not surprising, when we bear inmind that this quarrel had existed three years, andwas productive of much ill feeling, that it should havebeen generally adduced as the reason of Sir John ’sresignation, though, as we have seen, Dr. Kippis, hisintimate friend and biographer, contradicts the re-port 17 .

The Society entertained a high sense of Sir JohnPringle ’s services, as appears from the followingresolution, passed at the first ordinary Meeting afterthe Anniversary :

“ That the most ample thanks the Society can be-stow, be returned to the late worthy President, SirJohn Pringle , Bart., for the unremitting diligence withwhich he has at all times promoted the welfare andinterests of the Society, and for the learned and elaboratediscourses with which he has from time to time illus-trated the prize dissertations, adding by that means tothe medal, a lustre which it could never have obtained,but through the medium of his labours, and a valuewhich rendered it the ambition of all who wrote, and

The nation’s out of joint:

Franklin a wiser course pursues,

And all your thunder useless views,

By keeping to the point!’

17 In a review of the proceedings of the Royal Society , pub-lished in Tilloch’s Phil. Mag. for 1820, it is stated, that when SirJohn Pringle admitted his inability to alter the laws of nature, theKing replied, “Perhaps, Sir John , you had better resign.” Thereader, who may be desirous of further information relative to thiselectrical quarrel, is referred to Franklin’s Works , edited by JaredSparks; and Lord Mahon ’s, Dr, Musgrave’s, and Nairne’s Experi-ments.