e who could give it, he was obliged
to give it, or fine one penny. Though I might say much with respect to the
Society which would be interesting, I will for the present reply only to
your question. I well knew Mr. Fletcher, who was a very clever and very
scientific person. He did, as solicitor, defend an action brought by an
informer against the Society--I think for 5,000l.--for giving lectures to
the public in philosophical subjects [i.e., for unlicensed public
exhibition with money taken at the doors]. I think the price for admission
was one shilling, and we used to have, if I rightly recollect, from two to
three hundred visitors. Mr. Fletcher was successful in his defence, and we
got out of our trouble. There was a collection made to reward his services,
but he did not accept of any reward: and I think we gave him a dinner, as
you state, and enjoyed ourselves; no doubt with astronomical songs and
other songs; but my recollection does not enable me to say if the
astronomical song was a drinking song. I think the anxiety caused by that
action was the cause of some of the members' death. [They had, no doubt,
broken the law in ignorance; and by the sum named, the informer must have
been present, and sued for a penalty on every shilling he could prove to
have been taken]."

I by no means guarantee that the whole song I proceed to give is what was
sung at the dinner: I suspect, by the completeness of the chain, that
augmentations have been made. My deceased friend was just the man to add
some verses, or the addition may have been made before it came into his
hands, or since his decease, for the scraps containing the verses passed
through several hands before they came into mine. We may, however, be
pretty sure that the original is substantially contained in what is given,
and that the character is therefore preserved. I have had myself to repair
damages every now and then, in the way of conjectural restoration of
defects caused by ill-usage. {380}

THE ASTRONOMER'S DRINKING SONG.

"Whoe'er would search the starry sky,
Its secrets to divine, sir,
Should take his glass--I mean, should try
A glass or two of wine, sir!
True virtue lies in golden mean,
And man must wet his clay, sir;
Join these two maxims, and 'tis seen
He should drink his bottle a day, sir!

"Old Archimedes, reverend sage!
By trump of fame renowned, sir,
Deep problems solved in every page,
And the sphere's curved