CHAPTER V.

Government announce their intention of providing Apartments forthe Society in Somerset House—Limited Accommodation—Letter from Sir William Chambers—The Society present theirRepository to the British Museum —Specimens in ComparativeAnatomy preserved in the College of Surgeons—The Societyleave Crane Court—Take possession of their Apartments inSomerset House—Historical Account of Somerset House—Ad-dress of Sir Joseph Banks , at the First Anniversary Meetingin Somerset House — Anniversary Dinners — Medal struck inhonour of Captain Cook—Bust of Charles II . carved by Nol-lekens for the Society—Sir Joseph Banks ’ interest in theSociety—The Margrave of Anspacli and the Duke of Glou-cester visit the Society—Sir William Ilerschel discovers Uranus—lie receives the Copley Medal—Science of Chemistry muchcultivated by the Society—Chemical Society—Meet at Chap-ter Coffee House—Letters from Franklin.

1780 — 85 .

S IR JOSEPH BANKS often declared, that of all thehonours which he had received, that of being electedPresident of the Royal Society gave him by far thegreatest satisfaction. As soon as he was in office wefind him taking active measures in the Council for thebenefit of the Society . Shortly before the resignationof Sir John Pringle , intimation was received of theintention of Government to provide apartments forthe Society in Somerset House. It was found, how-ever, that the original design afforded such slenderaccommodation, that the Council addressed the fol-lowing letter to Sir William Chambers, architect ofthe building.

“ After mature consideration of the plans you hadthe goodness to lay before us of the apartments in-