Decline of Science in England - Charles Babbage (reading well .txt) 📗

and is admitted, that a

knowledge of science is a recommendation to public appointments,

and that a man does not make a worse ambassador because he has

directed an observatory, or has added by his discoveries to the

extent of our knowledge of animated nature. Instances even are

not wanting of ministers who have begun their career in the

inquiries of pure analysis. As such examples are perhaps more

frequent than is generally imagined, it may be useful to mention

a few of those men of science who have formerly held, or who now

hold, high official stations in the governments of their

respective countries.

 

Country. Name. Department of Public Office.

Science.

 

France .. Marquis Laplace[1] Mathematics President of the

Conservative

Senate.

 

France .. M.Carnot Mathematics Minister of War.

 

France .. Count Chaptal[2] Chemistry Minister of the

Interior.

 

France .. Baron Cuvier[3] Comparative Minister of

Anatomy, Public

History Instruction

 

Prussia.. Baron Humboldt Oriental Ambassador

Languages to England

 

Prussia.. Baron Alexander The celebrated Chamberlain to

Humboldt Traveller the King of

Prussia

 

Modena . Marquis Rangoni[4] Mathematics Minister of

Finance and

of Public

Instruction,

President of

Italian Academy

of Forty.

 

Tuscany . Count Fossombroni Mathematics Prime Minister

[5] of the Grand Duke

of Tuscany.

 

Saxony .. M. Lindenau[6] Astronomy Ambassador.

 

[1] Author of the MECANIQUE COELESTE.

[2] Author of TRAITE DE CHIMIE APPLIQUE AUX ARTS.

[3] Author of LECONS D’ANATOMIE COMPAREE—RECHERCHES SUR OSSEMENS

FOSSILES &c. &c.

[4] Author of MEMORIA SULLE FUNZIONI GENERATRICI, Modena, 1824,

and of various other memoirs on mathematical subjects.

[5] Author of several memoirs on mechanics and hydraulics, in the

Transactions of the Academy of Forty.

[6] Author of TABLES BAROMETRIQUES, Gotha, 1809—TABULAE VENERIS,

NOVAE ET CORRECTAE, Gothae, 1810—INVESTIGATIO NOVA ORBITAE A

MERCURIO CIRCA SOLEM DESCRIPTAE, Gothae, 1813, and of other

works.

 

M. Lindenau, the Minister from the King of Saxony to the King of

the Netherlands, commenced his career as astronomer at the

observatory of the Grand Duke of Gotha, by whom he was sent as

his representative at the German Diet. On the death of the late

reigning Duke, M. Lindenau was invited to Dresden, and filled the

same situation under the King of Saxony; after which he was

appointed his minister at the court of the King of the

Netherlands. Such occurrences are not to be paralleled in our

own country, at least not in modern times. Newton was, it is

true, more than a century since, appointed Master of the Mint;

but let any person suggest an appointment of a similar kind in

the present day, and he will gather from the smiles of those to

whom he proposes it that the highest knowledge conduces nothing

to success, and that political power is almost the only

recommendation.

 

SECTION 3.

 

Of Encouragement from Learned Societies.

 

There are several circumstances which concur in inducing persons

pursuing science, to unite together, to form societies or

academies. In former times, when philosophical instruments were

more rare, and the art of making experiments was less perfectly

known, it was almost necessary. More recently, whilst numerous

additions are constantly making to science, it has been found

that those who are most capable of extending human knowledge, are

frequently least able to encounter the expense of printing their

investigations. It is therefore convenient, that some means

should be devised for relieving them from this difficulty, and

the volumes of the transactions of academies have accomplished

the desired end.

 

There is, however, another purpose to which academies contribute.

When they consist of a limited number of persons, eminent for

their knowledge, it becomes an object of ambition to be admitted

on their list. Thus a stimulus is applied to all those who

cultivate science, which urges on their exertions, in order to

acquire the wished-for distinction. It is clear that this envied

position will be valued in proportion to the difficulty of its

attainment, and also to the celebrity of those who enjoy it; and

whenever the standard of scientific knowledge which qualifies for

its ranks is lowered, the value of the distinction itself will be

diminished. If, at any time, a multitude of persons having no

sort of knowledge of science are admitted, it must cease to be

sought after as an object of ambition by men of science, and the

class of persons to whom it will become an object of desire will

be less intellectual.

 

Let us now compare the numbers composing some of the various

academies of Europe.-The Royal Society of London, the Institute

of France, the Italian Academy of Forty, and the Royal Academy of

Berlin, are amongst the most distinguished.

 

Name Number of Number

Population. Members of

Country. of its Foreign

Academy. Members

 

1. England. 22,299,000 685 50

2. France . 32,058,000 76 8 Mem. 100 Corr.

8. Prussia . 12,915,000 38 16

4. Italy . . 12,000,000 40 8

 

It appears then, that in France, one person out of 427,000 is a

member of the Institute. That in Italy and Prussia, about one out

of 300,000 persons is a member of their Academies. That in

England, every 32,000 inhabitants produces a Fellow of the Royal

Society. Looking merely at these proportions, the estimation of

a seat in the Academy of Berlin, must be more than nine times as

valuable as a similar situation in England; and a member of the

Institute of France will be more than thirteen times more rare in

his country than a Fellow of the Royal Society is in England.

 

Favourable as this view is to the dignity of such situations in

other countries, their comparative rarity is by no means the most

striking difference in the circumstances of men of science. If we

look at the station in society occupied by the SAVANS of other

countries, in several of them we shall find it high, and their

situations profitable. Perhaps, at the present moment, Prussia

is, of all the countries in Europe, that which bestows the

greatest attention, and most unwearied encouragement on science.

Great as are the merits of many of its philosophers, much of this

support arises from the character of the reigning family, by

whose enlightened policy even the most abstract sciences are

fostered.

 

The maxim that “knowledge is power,” can be perfectly

comprehended by those only who are themselves well versed in

science; and to the circumstance of the younger branches of the

royal family of Prussia having acquired considerable knowledge in

such subjects, we may attribute the great force with which that

maxim is appreciated.

 

In France, the situation of its SAVANS is highly respectable, as

well as profitable. If we analyze the list of the Institute, we

shall find few who do not possess titles or decorations; but as

the value of such marks of royal favour must depend, in a great

measure, on their frequency, I shall mention several particulars

which are probably not familiar to the English reader. [This

analysis was made by comparing the list of the Institute, printed

for that body in 1827, with the ALMANACH ROYALE for 1823.]

 

Number of the Members of the Total Number of each Class

Institute of France who belong of the Legion of Honour.

to the Legion of Honour.

 

GrandCroix……… 3 80

GrandOfficier ….. 3 160

Commandeur …….. 4 400

Officier ………. 17 2,000

Chevalier ……… 40 Not limited.

 

Number of Members of the Institute Total Number

decorated with of

the Order of St. Michel. that Order.

 

Grand Croix ……. 2

100

Chevalier ……… 27

 

Amongst the members of the Institute there

are,—

Dukes ………………. 2

Marquis …………….. 1

Counts ……………… 4

Viscounts……………. 2

Barons ……………… 14

—

23

Of these there are

Peers of France ………. 5

 

We might, on turning over the list of the 685 members of the

Royal Society, find a greater number of peers than there are in

the Institute of France; but a fairer mode of instituting the

comparison, is to inquire how many titled members there are

amongst those who have contributed to its Transactions. In 1827,

there were one hundred and nine members who had contributed to

the Transactions of the Royal Society; amongst these were found:-

 

Peer …………………… 1

Baronets ……………….. 5

Knights ………………… 5

 

It should be observed, that five of these titles were the rewards

of members of the medical profession, and one only, that of Sir

H. Davy, could be attributed exclusively to science.

 

It must not be inferred that the titles of nobility in the French

list, were all of them the rewards of scientific eminence; many

are known to have been such; but it would be quite sufficient for

the argument to mention the names of Lagrange, Laplace,

Berthollet, and Chaptal.

 

The estimation in which the public hold literary claims in France

and England, was curiously illustrated by an incidental

expression in the translation of the debates in the House of

Lords, on the occasion of His Majesty’s speech at the

commencement of the session of 1830. The Gazette de France

stated, that the address was moved by the Duc de Buccleugh, “CHEF

DE LA MAISON DE WALTER SCOTT.” Had an English editor wished to

particularize that nobleman, he would undoubtedly have employed

the term WEALTHY, or some other of the epithets characteristic of

that quality most esteemed amongst his countrymen.

 

If we turn, on the other hand, to the emoluments of science in

France, we shall find them far exceed those in our own country.

I regret much that I have mislaid a most interesting memorandum

on this subject, which I made several years since: but I believe

my memory on the point will not be found widely incorrect. A

foreign gentleman, himself possessing no inconsiderable

acquaintance with science, called on me a few years since, to

present a letter of introduction. He had been but a short time

in London; and, in the course of our conversation, it appeared to

me that he had imbibed very inaccurate ideas respecting our

encouragement of science.

 

Thinking this a good opportunity of instituting a fair comparison

between the emoluments of science in the two countries, I placed

a sheet of paper before him, and requested him to write down the

names of six Englishmen, in his opinion, best known in France for

their scientific reputation. Taking another sheet of paper, I

wrote upon it the names of six Frenchmen, best known in England

for their scientific discoveries. We exchanged these lists, and I

then requested him to place against each name (as far as he knew)

the annual income of the different appointments held by that

person. In the mean time, I performed the same operation on his

list, against some names of which I was obliged to place a ZERO.

The result of the comparison was an average of nearly 1200L. per

annum for the six French SAVANS whom I had named. Of the average

amount of the sums received by the English, I only remember that

it was very much smaller. When we consider what a command over

the necessaries and luxuries of life 1200L. will give in France,

it is underrating it to say it is equal to 2000L. in this

country.

 

Let us now look at the prospects of a young man at his entrance

into life, who, impelled by an almost irresistible desire to

devote himself to the abstruser sciences, or who, confident in

the energy of youthful power, feels that the career of science is

that in which his mental faculties are most fitted to achieve the

reputation for which he pants. What are his prospects? Can even

the glowing pencil of enthusiasm add colour to the blank before

him? There are no situations in the state; there is no position

in society to which hope can point, to cheer him in his laborious

path. If, indeed,