glorious safeguard of our liberties! Nullus liber homo capiatur aut imprisonetur.…aut aliquo modo destruatur, nisi per judicium parium.…Liber homo; frank home; a capital thing for him—but how about the villeins? Oh, there are none now! But there were. Who cares for villains, or barbarians, or helots? And so England, and Athens, and Sparta, were free States: all the freemen in them were free. Long after Magna Charta, villains were sold with their 'chattels and offspring,' named in that order. Long after Magna Charta, it was law that 'Le Seigniour poit rob, naufrer, et chastiser son villein a son volunt, salve que il ne poit luy maim.'
The Royal Society was founded as a co-operative body, and co-operation was its purpose. The early charters, &c. do not contain a trace of the intention to create a scientific distinction, a kind of Legion of Honour. It is clear that the qualification was ability and willingness to do good work for the promotion of natural knowledge, no matter in how many persons, nor of what position in society. Charles II. gave a smart rebuke for exclusiveness, as elsewhere mentioned. In time arose, almost of course, the idea of distinction attaching to the title; and when I first began to know the Society, it was in this state. Gentlemen of good social position were freely elected if they were really educated men; but the moment a claimant was announced as resting on his science, there was a disposition to inquire whether he was scientific enough. The maxim of the poet was adopted; and the Fellows were practically divided into Drink-deeps and Taste-nots.
I was, in early life, much repelled by the tone taken by the Fellows of the Society with respect to their very mixed body. A man high in science—some thirty-seven years ago (about 1830)—eave me some encouragement, as he thought. 'We shall have youa Fellow of the Royal Society in time,' said he. Umph! thought I: for I had that day heard of some recent elections, the united science of which would not have demonstrated I. 1, nor explained the action of a pump. Truly an elevation to look up at! It came, further, to my knowledge that the Royal Society—if I might judge by the claims made by very influential Fellows—considered itself as entitled to the best of everything: second-best being left for the newer bodies. A secretary, in returning thanks for the Royal at an anniversary of the Astronomical, gave rather a lecture to the company on the positive duty of all present to send the very best to the old body, and the absolute right of the old body to expect it. An old friend of mine, on a similar occasion, stated as
