Among the most remarkable proofs of the diffusion of speculation was the
Mathematical Society, which flourished from 1717 to 1845. Its habitat was
Spitalfields, and I think most of its existence was passed in Crispin
Street. It was originally a plain society, belonging to the studious
artisan. The members met for discussion once a week; and I believe I am
correct in saying that each man had his pipe, his pot, and his problem. One
of their old rules was that, "If any member shall so far forget himself and
the respect due to the Society as in the warmth of debate to threaten or
offer personal violence to any other member, he shall be liable to
immediate expulsion, or to pay such fine as the majority of the members
present shall decide." But their great rule, printed large on the back of
the title page of their last book of regulations, was "By the constitution
of the Society, it is the duty of every member, if he be asked any
mathematical or philosophical question by another member, to instruct him
in the plainest and easiest manner he is able." We shall presently see
that, in old time, the rule had a more homely form.
I have been told that De Moivre[766] was a member of this {377} Society.
This I cannot verify: circumstances render it unlikely; even though the
French refugees clustered in Spitalfields; many of them were of the
Society, which there is some reason to think was founded by them. But
Dolland,[767] Thomas Simpson,[768] Saunderson,[769] Crossley,[770] and
others of known name, were certainly members. The Society gradually
declined, and in 1845 was reduced to nineteen members. An arrangement was
made by which sixteen of these members, who where not already in the
Astronomical Society became Fellows without contribution, all the books and
other property of the old Society being transferred to the new one. I was
one of the committee which made the preliminary inquiries, and the reason
of the decline was soon manifest. The only question which could arise was
whether the members of the society of working men--for this repute still
continued--were of that class of educated men who could associate with the
Fellows of the Astronomical Society on terms agreeable to all parties. We
found that the artisan element had been extinct for many years; there was
not a man but might, as to education, manners, and position, have become a
Fellow in the usual way. The fact was that life in Spitalfields had become
harder: and the weaver could {378} only live from hand to mouth, and not up
to the brain. The material of the old Society no longer existed.
In 1798, experimental lectures were given, a small charge for admission
being taken at the door: by this hangs a tale--and a song. Many years ago,
I found among papers of a deceased friend, who certainly never had anything
to do with the Society, and who passed all his life far from London, a
song, headed "Song sung by the Mathematical Society in London, at a dinner
given Mr. Fletcher,[771] a solicitor, who had defended the Society gratis."
Mr. Williams,[772] the Assistant Secretary of the Astronomical Society,
formerly Secretary of the Mathematical Society, remembered that the Society
had had a solicitor named Fletcher among the members. Some years elapsed
before it struck me that my old friend Benjamin Gompertz,[773] who had long
been a member, might have some recollection of the matter. The following is
an extract of a letter from him (July 9, 1861):
"As to the Mathematical Society, of which I was a member when only 18 years
of age, [Mr. G. was born in 1779], having been, contrary to the rules,
elected under the age of 21. How I came to be a member of that Society--and
continued so until it joined the Astronomical Society, and was then the
President--was: I happened to pass a bookseller's small shop, of
second-hand books, kept by a poor taylor, but a good mathematician, John
Griffiths. I was very pleased to meet a mathematician, and I asked him if
he would give me some lessons; and his reply was that I was more capable to
teach him, but he belonged to a society of mathematicians, and he would
introduce me. I accepted the offer, and I was elected, and had many
scholars then to teach, as {379} one of the rules was, if a member asked
for information, and applied to any one 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}