"When I waited upon his Honour, Henry Howard of Norfolk, he took delight to shew me some designs he had thought of himself for your building, and commanded me to trace out to him what I had considered, the same in effect I shewed you at London. But this, at first appearance, seemed to him too chargeable a design, but afterwards he acquiesced in the reasons I gave him; and having taken the sketch with him, and delivered your letter with his own hand, he enjoyned me to give you an account of it.

"It contains in the foundations, first, a cellar and a fair laboratory; then a little shop or two, for forges and hammer-works, with a kitchen and little larder. In the first story it contains a vestibule, or passage-hall, leading through from both streets; a fair room for a library and repository, which may well be one room, placing the books after the modern way in glass presses; or, if you will divide the room with pillars, it will the better support the floor of the great room above it, and so place the presses for rarities in the other. Upon the same floor is a parlour for the housekeeper, and from the vestibule the great stairs lead you up to the ante-chamber of the great room, and not higher.

"The great room for the meeting is 40 feet long, and two stories high, divided from the ante-chamber by a skreen between columns, so that the whole length, in case of an entertainment, may be 55 feet. Upon the same floor is the Council-room, and a little closet for the Secretary.

"In the third story are two chambers with closets, for the Curators, and back stairs by them, which lead from the bottom to the top; one of the chambers being over the ante-room, looking down into the great room, very useful in case of solemnities.

"The fourth story is the timbers of the roof; which being 30 feet wide, and to be leaded, cannot be firm without bracing it by partitions to the floor below. These partitions are so ordered, as to leave you a little passage-gallery the whole length of the building, for trial of all glasses and other experiments that require length. On one side of the gallery are little shops all along for operators; on the other side are little chambers for operators and servants. is for traversing the tubes and instruments, and many experiments. In the middle rises a cupola for observations, and may be fitted, likewise, for an anatomy theatre; and the floors may be so ordered, that from the top into the cellar may be made all experiments for light.

The platform of lead

"As for the charge of this fabric, I confess it is my opinion, that a fair building may easier be carried on by contribution, with time, than a sordid one. And, if I might advise, I could wish the foundations were laid of the whole, but then you need not build more than half at present; and this may be done for 20007., and will contain the necessary rooms, and so you will leave yourselves an opportunity of inlarging hereafter upon the same model. If you think to have a model made, I will willingly take care to have it done. I have so folded the papers, as to shew you what part I would have at present built; together with an extempore staircase of deal boards and laths. The cupola may be left till the finishing.

"Sir,

"I am your humble Servant,

"CHR. WREN."

Although it had been originally resolved that when the subscription amounted to 10007., the College

should be commenced, yet some obstacles arose relating to the conveyance of the land, for on the 10th of August, 1668, it is recorded in the Minutes of Council, that "the building of the College should be deferred till Spring; and, in the mean time, good materials provided."

It may be as well to state here, that the College was never built, in consequence of legal difficulties, and want of funds. These might, however, have been surmounted; but the immediate necessity for so doing was removed by the grant of Chelsea College, which was conveyed to the Society by Royal Patent, dated April 8, 1669.

This document contains certain additional privileges, the most important of which is, that the President, Council, and Fellows, may hold their Assemblies anywhere within the kingdom of England.

A copy of the Patent will be found in the Appendix.

CHAPTER IX.

Committee concerning Chelsea College-Proposition from Evelyn and a Nobleman respecting it-Resolution to let it-Cosmo III. Grand Duke of Tuscany visits the Society-Experiment of Transfusing the Blood of a Sheep into a Man-Popular Belief respecting Transfusion-Queen orders Thermometer to be made for her by the Society-Natural History Collections made by order of the Society-Letters of Recommendation given by the Council-Flamsteed's first Communication to the Society-Communications from Malpighi-Letter from Newton-Enemies of the Society-Glanvill's Plus Ultra-Poverty of the Society-Boyle lends Philosophical Apparatus-Wager of Charles II.-Newton proposed as Candidate by the Bishop of Salisbury-His Election-Sends his Reflecting Telescope to the Society-Supposed by some parties abroad to be a Maker of Telescopes-His Discoveries respecting Light-His gratitude to the Society-Controversies-Bishop Wilkins leaves a Legacy to the Society-The Society invited to return to Gresham College-Leuwenhoeck's Microscopical Communications-Presents his Microscopes to the Society-Society give his daughter a silver bowl-Pecuniary Difficulties-Means taken to collect Arrears-Obligation to furnish Scientific Communications and Experiments-Newton exempted from paying his Subscription -Erection of Greenwich Observatory-Flamsteed appointed Astronomer Royal-Society lend their Instruments to the Observatory-Peter the Great visits the Observatory-Astronomical Science neglected by Government-Valuable Communications from Travellers-Pains taken by the Society to procure information-Curious Account of Asbestos-Death of Oldenburg-Biographical Notice of him-Lord Brouncker resigns the Presidency.

1665-70.

THE grant of Chelsea College, and the lands appertaining to it, amounting to about thirty acres, was even in those days a munificent endowment; but, unfortunately for the Society, it presented a fairer

appearance engrossed on a broad sheet of parchment, than warranted by the result; for various parties immediately claimed portions of the estate, which the Society, taking the Patent for their guide, conceived to be lawfully their property.

Within a month after the grant, a Committee consisting of Lord Brouncker, Mr. Charles Howard, Mr. Aerskine, Sir Robert Moray, Mr. Evelyn, Mr. Henshaw, and Mr. Hoskyns, was appointed "to consider of his Majesty's grant of Chelsea College, and what may belong to it1; and also to confer with Mr. Cheney about those acres which he held belonging to the College, and to commute parcels of land with the same, in case he should surrender his interest upon equitable terms to the Royal Society: and that the said Committee do meet at Lord Brereton's lodgings in Channel Row, beginning to do so on the Saturday following, at five in the evening; and that they make a report to the Council."

The Committee met frequently, but were unable for several months to come to any decision, in the absence of documents essential to the inquiry. Meanwhile, Evelyn proposed " that the College should be let as a prison-house during the war, he hoping to get 1007. per annum for it, besides some necessary repairs of the house."

The Council-minutes add, "It was ordered hereupon that the President, Treasurer, and Secretary that officiateth, should have power to agree, in the name of the Council, with Mr. Evelyn about the mat

1 Sir Joseph Sheldon assured Lord Brouncker that fifty acres of land adjoining the College belonged to the Society.-Council Minutes.