Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 03.djvu/138

Banks of thanks in response for the honour was the occasion of a bitter anonymous attack by his old opponent, Dr. Horsley, who taxed him with want of patriotic feeling.

Towards the close of his life he was greatly troubled with gout, so much so as to lose at times the use of his limbs. He died at his house at Spring Grove, Isleworth, on 19 June 1820, leaving a widow but no children. By his express desire he was buried in the simplest manner in the parish church. By will he left 200l. per annum to his librarian at his death, Robert Brown, with the use of his herbarium and library during his life, the reversion being to the British Museum. Brown made over these collections to the nation within a short time after acquiring possession of them. Francis Bauer was also provided for during his life, to enable him to continue his exquisite drawings from new plants at Kew.

The character which Banks has left behind him is that of a munificent patron of science rather than an actual worker himself. His own writings are comparatively trifling. He wrote ‘A Short Account of the Causes of the Disease called the Blight, Mildew, and Rust,’ which was published in 1805, reaching a second edition in 1806, and re-edited in 1807, besides being reprinted by W. Curtis in his ‘Observations on the British Grasses,’ and in the ‘Pamphleteer’ for 1813. He was the author of an anonymous tract on the ‘Propriety of allowing a Qualified Exportation of Wool’ in 1782, and in 1809 he brought out a small work on the merino sheep, a pet subject of his as well as of the king, George III. There were some short articles by him in the ‘Transactions of the Horticultural Society,’ a few in the ‘Archæologia,’ one in the ‘Linnean Society's Transactions,’ and a short essay on the ‘Economy of a Park’ in vol. xxxix. of Young's ‘Annals of Agriculture.’ He published Kaempfer's ‘Icones Plantarum’ in 1791 in folio, and directed the issue of Roxburgh's ‘Coromandel Plants,’ 1795–1819, 3 vols folio. He seems to have given up all thought of publishing the results of his collections on the death of Dr. Solander in 1782 by apoplexy, although the plates were engraved and the text drawn up in proper order for press. The manuscripts are preserved in the botanical department of the British Museum in Cromwell Road.

His collections were freely accessible to all scientific men of every nation, and his house in Soho Square became the gathering-place of science. The library was catalogued by Dr. Dryander, and issued in five volumes in 1800–5, a work greatly valued on account of its accuracy. Fabricius described his insects; Broussonet received his specimens of fishes; Gaertner, Vahl, and Robert Brown have largely used the stores of plants, and four editions of ‘Desiderata’ were issued previously to the publication of the ‘Catalogues.’ Banks spared neither pains nor cost in enriching his library, which at his death must be considered as being the richest of its class. It is still kept by itself in a room at the British Museum, although the natural history collections have been transferred to the new building at South Kensington.

An unstinted eulogy was pronounced by Cuvier before the Académie Royale des Sciences in the April following the death of Banks. In this he testifies to the generous intervention of Banks on behalf of foreign naturalists. When the collections made by La Billardière during D'Entrecasteaux's expedition fell by fortune of war into British hands and were brought to England, Banks hastened to send them back to France without having even glanced at them, writing to M. de Jussieu that he would not steal a single botanic idea from those who had gone in peril of their lives to get them. Ten times were parcels addressed to the royal garden in Paris, which had been captured by English cruisers. He constantly acted as scientific adviser to the king; it was he who directed the despatch of collectors abroad for the enrichment of the gardens at Kew.

The influence of his strong will was manifest in all his undertakings and voyages; he was to be found in the first boat which visited each unknown land. After his return he became almost autocratic in his power; to him everything of a scientific character seemed to gravitate naturally, and his long tenure of the presidential chair of the Royal Society led him to exercise over it a vigorous authority, which has been denounced as despotic.

Dr. Kippis's account in his pamphlet seems very fairly to describe the disposition of Banks: ‘The temper of the president has been represented as greatly despotic. Whether it be so or not I am unable to determine from personal knowledge. I do not find that a charge of this kind is brought against him by those who have it in their power to be better judges of the matter. He appears to be manly, liberal, and open in his behaviour to his acquaintance, and very persevering in his friendship. Those who have formed the closest intimacy with him have continued their connection and maintained their esteem and regard. This was the case with Captain Cook and Dr. Solander, and other instances might, I believe, be mentioned to the same purpose. The man who, for a course of years and without diminution, preserves the affection of those friends who know him best, is not likely