cary) to view, and make use of, drugs and other like matters, as there was occasion.

"Our meetings there were very numerous and very considerable. For, beside the diligence of persons studiously inquisitive, the novelty of the design made many to resort thither; who, when it ceased to be new, began to grow more remiss, or did pursue such inquiries at home. We did afterwards (Dr. Petty being gone for Ireland, and our numbers growing less) remove thence; and (some years before His Majesty's return) did meet at Dr. Wilkins's lodgings in Wadham College. In the meanwhile, our company at Gresham College being much again increased, by the accession of divers eminent and noble persons, upon His Majesty's return, we were (about the beginning of the year 1662) by his Majesty's grace and favour, incorporated by the name of the Royal Society," &c.

Hooke, in his Answer to some Particular Claims of M. Cassini, states that he, "M. Cassini, is in error concerning the beginning and original of the Royal Society. Concerning which he might have been much better informed if he had taken notice of what has been said concerning it, but that, it seems, did not suit so well to his design of making the French to be the first. He makes Mr. Oldenburg to have been the instrument who inspired the English with a desire to imitate the French, in having philosophical clubs, or meetings, and that this was the occasion of founding the Royal Society, and making the French the first. I will not say that Mr. Oldenburg did rather inspire the French to follow the English, or, at least, did help them, and hinder us. But it is well known who were

9 p. 8.

the principal men that began and promoted that design, both in London and Oxford; and that a long while before Mr. Oldenburg came into England. And not only these philosophical meetings were before Mr. Oldenburg came from Paris; but the Society itself was begun before he came hither; and those who then knew Mr. Oldenburg, understood well enough how little he himself knew of philosophick matters.

"

In the life of the Hon. Robert Boyle, prefixed to his Works, are some letters in which that eminent philosopher" alludes to the Royal Society before its incorporation, under the title of the Invisible College. In a communication to Mr. Marcombes, dated London, October 22, 1646, he says:

"The other humane studies I apply myself to are natural philosophy, the mechanics, and husbandry, according to the principles of our new philosophical college, that values no knowledge but as it has a tendency to use. And therefore I shall make it one of my suits to you, that you would take the pains to inquire a little more thoroughly into the ways of hus

10 Phil. Exper. p. 388.

"It is worthy of record, that Boyle entertained a plan of giving 12,000l. to purchase confiscated lands in Ireland; the profits from which were to be devoted to the promotion of knowledge. It appears that there was some prospect of this scheme being carried into execution, as Oldenburg thus alludes to it in a letter to Boyle, written at Saumur in 1657: “I am hugely pleased that the Council has granted your desires for the promotion of knowledge, which I suppose to be those that were couched in a certain petition you were pleased to impart to me at Oxford; wherein, if I remember well, a matter of twelve thousand pounds sterling was offered to purchase confiscated lands and houses within Ireland, to employ the profits in the entertainment of an agent, secretary, translators, for keeping intelligence, distributing rewards, &c., in order to the end aforesaid."

bandry, &c. practised in your parts; and when you intend for England, to bring along with you what good receipts or choice books of any of these subjects you can procure; which will make you extremely welcome to our Invisible College." And in a letter to Mr. Francis Tallents, Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge, dated London, February 1646-7, he says, "The best on't is, that the corner-stones of the invisible, (or, as they term themselves, the philosophical college,) do now and then honour me with their company, which makes me as sorry for those pressing occasions that urge my departure, as I am at other times angry with that solicitous idleness, that I am necessitated to, during my stay: men of so capacious and searching spirits, that the school-philosophy is but the lowest region of their knowledge; and yet, though ambitious to lead the way to any generous design, of so humble and teachable a genius, as they disdain not to be directed to the meanest, so he can plead reason for his opinion; persons that endeavour to put narrow-mindedness out of countenance, by the practice of so extensive a charity that it reaches unto every thing called man, and nothing less than an universal goodwill can content it. And, indeed, they are so apprehensive of the want of good employment, that they take the whole body of mankind for their care. But, lest my seeming hyperbolical expressions should more prejudice my reputation than it is in any way able to advantage theirs, and I be thought a liar for telling so much truth, I will conclude their praises with the recital of their chiefest fault, which is very incident to almost all good things; and that is, that there is not enough of them."

In May, 1647, Boyle again alludes to the Invisible

College, in a letter to Hartlib, which leaves little doubt that he meant by this title that assembly of learned and high-minded men, who sought, by a diligent examination of natural science, which was then called the New Philosophy, an alleviation from the harrowing scenes incidental to the civil wars.

"For such a candid and impassionate Company as that was," says Dr. Sprat, in his History of the Royal Society, "and for such a gloomy season, what could have been a fitter subject to pitch upon than Natural Philosophy? To have been always tossing about some theological question, would have been to have made that their private diversion, the excess of which they themselves disliked in the publick; to have been eternally musing on civil business, and the distresses of their country, was too melancholy a reflection: it was nature alone which could pleasantly entertain them in that estate. Their meetings were as frequent as their affairs permitted: their proceedings rather by action than discourse, chiefly attending some particular trials in Chymistry or Mechanicks: they had no rules nor method fixed: their intention was more to communicate to each other their discoveries, which they could make in so narrow a compass, than an united, constant, or regular inquisition. Thus they continued, without any great intermissions, till about the year 1658. But those being called away to several parts of the nation, and the greatest number of them coming to London, they usually met at Gresham College, at the Wednesday's and Thursday's lectures of Dr. Wren and Mr. Rooke12; where there joyn'd with

12 Ward, in his Life of Rooke, says, that "he was very zealous and serviceable in promoting the great and useful institution of the

them several eminent persons of their common acquaintance: The Lord Viscount Brouncker, the now Lord Brereton, Sir Paul Neil, Mr. John Erelyn, Mr. Henshaw, Mr. Slingsby, Dr. Timothy Clark, Dr. Ent, Mr. Ball, Mr. Hill, Dr. Crone, and divers other gentlemen, whose inclinations lay the same way. This custom was observed once, if not twice aweek, in term-time; till they were scattered by the miserable distractions of that fatal year; till the continuance of their meetings there might have made them run the hazard of the fate of Archimedes: for then the place of their meeting was made a quarter for soldiers."

"This day," says the author of the foregoing extract, in a letter to Mr. Wren, written in 1658, and published in the Parentalia, or Memoirs of the Times of Bishop Wren, 1658, "I went to visit Gresham College, but found the place in such a nasty condition, so defiled, and the smells so infernal, that if you should now come to make use of your tube, it would be like Dives looking out of hell into heaven. Dr. Goddard, of all your colleagues, keeps possession, which he could never be able to do, had he not before prepared his nose for camp-perfumes by his voyage into Scotland, and had he not such excellent restoratives in his cellar. The soldiers, by their violence which they

Royal Society." Dr. Ward, Bishop of Exeter, was much attached to him; he gave the Society, in memory of his friend, a large pendulum clock, made by Fromantel, then esteemed a great rarity, which was set up in the room where they met in Gresham College, and afterwards placed in the outer hall of their house at Crane Court. An inscription" to the memory of Rooke was engraved on the dial-plate. Rooke was elected Gresham Professor of Astronomy in 1652, which he resigned in 1657 for the Chair of Geometry.