Item 81 - James David Forbes to William Whewell

4 pp

Edinburgh - Thanks WW for the account of his Paris trip and gives his reactions to it. JDF has had a letter from a friend of his, [Joseph Barclay?] Pentland, 'who knows Paris well saying that the communists will soon come to a struggle with the present rulers...It will be very sad if the continent is to be shut up for a series of years. It will be undoubtedly to their own loss'. JDF does not think WW should take any interest in the affairs of the Royal Society: 'I cannot but fear that it has got into the hands of a few persons who are too fond of trying experiments. I always thought the project of the reduction of admissions almost suicidal, and absurd besides. 15 admissions per annum will not make the R.S. like the Institute of France, a body of Elite; and it will cramp the funds grievously. In short it will be going contrary to the whole spirit and practice of the Institution from its commencement'.