President's Speech, 1959

Abstract

On behalf of the Royal Society I thank Lord Chandos for having proposed this toast: and for all the wise and entertaining things he has said in the course of his speech. Another wise and witty man, King Charles II, founded the Society believing it would be of some use to the nation and the world, and we like to think that after three centuries it is still doing its job. It is specially gratifying to have the health of the Society proposed by someone of the many parts of Lord Chandos—soldier, statesman, industrialist—and I may say an industrialist with a view extending over more than one of our very greatest industries. He has spoken with a voice of unrivalled authority: and mixed his strength with sweetness in a way for which we are all grateful. One of the complications of life is that for so many different purposes the year begins at different times: we have the calendar year and the academic year and that terrifying cycle which begins on the 6 April, to mention only a few. The Royal Society year seems to start at about 4 p.m. on St Andrew’s Day. The exact moment varies and depends upon the garrulity of the President in his address, but there is no doubt that the Anniversary Dinner is the very first event of the new order. The speeches tonight therefore constitute what might be called the dawn chorus of the tercentenary year of the Society. (I shall not, however, attempt to say which speaker represents which bird.) Preparations for the celebrations are now in full swing, and have for some time been involving committees of the Fellows, and above all Dr Martin and the Society’s staff in much hard work for which I want, first of all, to take this opportunity of thanking them most warmly.