more matured, and less severe; but, on the other hand, it would
have the evil of frequently repressing it altogether, because
there exists amongst the lower ranks of science, a "GENUS
IRRITABILE," who are disposed to argue that every criticism is
personal. It is clearly the interest of all who fear inquiries,
to push this principle as far as possible, whilst those whose
sole object is truth, can have no apprehensions from the severest
scrutiny. There are few circumstances which so strongly
distinguish the philosopher, as the calmness with which he can
reply to criticisms he may think undeservedly severe. I have
been led into these reflections, from the circumstance of its
having been stated publicly, that I was the author of several of
those anonymous writings, which were considered amongst the most
severe; and the assertion was the more likely to be credited,
from the fact of my having spoken a few words connected with one
of those subjects at the last anniversary of the Royal Society.
[I merely observed that the agreement made with the British
Museum for exchanging the Arundel MSS. for their duplicates,
(which had just been stated by the President,) was UNWISE;
--because it was not to be expected that many duplicates should
be found in a library like that of the Museum, weak in the
physical and mathematical sciences: that it was IMPROVIDENT and
UNBUSINESSLIKE;--because it neither fixed the TIME when the
difference was to be paid, in case their duplicates should be
insufficient; nor did it appear that there were any FUNDS out of
which the money could be procured: and I added, that it would be
more advantageous to sell the MSS., and purchase the books we
wanted with the produce.] I had hoped in that diminutive world,
the world of science, my character had been sufficiently known to
have escaped being the subject of such a mistake; and, in taking