120

HISTORY OF

[ 1780 — 85 .

tended for the Royal Society at Somerset House, webeg leave, in the first place, to return you our thanksfor your attention to the accommodation of the Society ;and then to offer to you the following remarks.

“ We think it will be a great inconvenience to haveany of the apartments intended for the Royal and Anti-quarian Societies, or the staircases leading to them, orto the lodging-rooms of any of their officers, in common.

“ The room intended for the Society ’s library ismuch too small to contain their books. There is noroom at all allowed to the Society’s Museum. No roomis given them on the ground-floor; one will be necessaryfor transacting some of the business of the Society, andanother for the use of the housekeeper. We have like-wise to observe with respect to the approach to theintended apartments, that there is no safe and con-venient footway clear of carriages.

“ We would wish to have it considered that theallotment of public apartments to the Royal Society ,will be understood by all Europe , as meant to conferon them an external splendor, in some measure pro-portioned to the consideration in which they have beenheld for more than a century.”

This Memorial was signed by the President andall the members of Council.

In reply, Sir William Chambers thus addressedthe Council:

“ Gentlemen,

“ In answer to your letter, I am toacquaint you that no more space can possibly be givento the Royal Society , in the intended new buildings atSomerset House, consistent with the general plan, thanthat which has already been allotted: neither is it