Page:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher.djvu/202

CHAPTER XIII.

recollections of wollaston, davy, and rogers.

Secretaryship of Royal Society—Mr. Murray of Albemarle Street—Remark on "The Decline of Science"—Dr. Somerville—Explanation of a Job of Sir Humphry Davy—History of the Thaumatrope—Introduction to Mr. Rogers—The Poet nearly run over—Anecdote of the "Economy of Manufactures"—Teaches the Author how to live for ever—Rapidity of composition amongst Poets—Different effects of Imagination in the Poet and the Philosopher—Consultation about the Author's unwritten Novel.

In 1826, one of the secretaryships of the Royal Society became vacant. Dr. Wollaston and several others of the leading members of the Society and of the Council wished that I should be appointed. This would have been the more agreeable to me, because my early friend Herschel was at that time the senior Secretary.

This arrangement was agreed to by Sir H. Davy, and I left town with the full assurance that I was to have the appointment. In the mean time Sir H. Davy summoned a Council at an unusual hour—eight o'clock in the evening—for a special purpose, namely, some arrangement about the Treasurer's accounts.

After the business relating to the Treasurer was got through, Sir. H. Davy observed that there was a secretaryship vacant, and he proposed to fill it up.

Dr. Wollaston then asked Sir Humphry Davy if he claimed the nomination as a right of the President, to which