Observations on the address by the President, and on the statement by the council to the fellows of the Royal Society, respecting Mr. Panizzi, read at their general meeting, Nov. 30, 1837 / [Sir Anthony Panizzi].

  • Anthony Panizzi
Date:
[1838]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the address by the President, and on the statement by the council to the fellows of the Royal Society, respecting Mr. Panizzi, read at their general meeting, Nov. 30, 1837 / [Sir Anthony Panizzi]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    should leave available work for their money. I am glad to find ^rom your note, that practically the Council did not act accord¬ ing to this bad custom, but very properly sent me a checque in full for what they considered due. Unfortunately they pre¬ ferred Mr. Roberton’s hurried calculation of what I have done, to my deliberate and well considered request of payment of £150 for the end of August, which request was based on the supposition that about that time I should be entitled to somewhat more (say £30) than the £150 which I demanded, so that you will perceive that I did leave what to me seems a considerable margin. Mr. Ro- berton, when asked by the Council (he tells me), calculated upon thirty-two boxes of titles at two-hundred-and-fifty instead of four- hundred-and-fifty titles each, which is the average of their con¬ tents, as he himself lias found out, twice, by counting the titles of two different sets of three boxes each. This comes to 14,400 titles ; but I am satisfied that, if they were to be counted, one by one, they would be nearer 15,000 than 14,000, and I hope by the end of August they will be about 18,000. “ I cannot conceal that this affair has given me pain. At present I appear before the Council in the character of one who asked, as due, a sum of £150, when he had no claim to a farthing, but to wdiom £100 were advanced as a favor. I shall respectfully beg to inform the Council at their next meeting that I asked less than what was due, and no favor ; and although it would not be incon¬ venient for me to wait for payment till October, I cannot wait till then to see myself righted. “ Accept my best thanks for the kind expressions you have been pleased to make use of in your note, with regard to myself personally and to my endeavours to do my duty honestly by the Royal Society in the work with which I have been honored, and believe me,” &c. The reply of Mr. Lubbock is dated July 10th, 1833. “ Dear Sir,—I am very sorry that the proceedings of the Council should have given you pain ; it is very extraordinary that Mr. Roberton should have made so great a mistake, but I should not have inferred even from your former Letter that you had already completed 15,000 titles, or nearly so, nor did I at the Council from the statement of Dr. Roget. It would have been the height of presumption in me to have said, “ that the Royal Society would not object to pay you/’ See. I hope I did not use these w^ords ; if I did it was an unfortunate lapsus, I meant that I thought it probable the Society would not object; of course I can only mention my individual opinion, and at all events the Council cannot be committed by any thing I may have stated. “ With renewed regrets that any thing should have happened to annoy you, I remain,” &c. C. Whittingham, Tooks Court, Chancery Lane.
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