1780—85.]

THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

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nor prejudice 15 . This certainly is high praise. In hisAddress at the Anniversary, he alluded in the follow-ing terms to the dissensions :—

“ From the appearance of our present Meeting, Iwill venture to foretell that our disputes are at an end;that the gentlemen from whom I have had the misfortuneto differ in opinion, will abide by the decisions of theSociety , which they have repeatedly taken, agree withme in a determination to throw a veil of oblivion overall past animosities, and unite once more in sincereefforts towards the advancement of the Society, thehonour and reputation of which we have all equallypledged ourselves to support.

“ But enough of dissension, a word, never more, Isincerely hope, to be heard within these walls, dedicated,as they are, by a generous Monarch, to the service ofscience. Peace and harmony should ever be found withinthem, for under the influence of peace and harmonyamong those who profess to cultivate it, science canonly flourish.

“Let us unite once more then, my friends, to fulfilthe wise purposes of our liberal Patron and Benefactor,and resume at the same time the prudent conduct ofour predecessors, who for more than a century supportedthe honour of this Society unsullied, and have bequeathedit to us as pure as they received it. They never failed

15 Dr. Lort, in a letter written at the height of the dissensions,says :—“ Such an opposition has been stirred up against the Presi-dent of the Royal Society , by some turbulent spirits, that I doubtwhether he will choose to fill the chair another year. Dr. Horsleyhas set himself at the head of this opposition, which seems to bevery ill-founded, and to arise merely from that levelling spirit andimpatience of all government which infects the present age.’’—Illustrations of the Lit. Hist, of the 18 th Century , Vol. vn.