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tions relative to the early events and constitution of the Society, without first making a laborious search through the Archives. It consequently appeared to me, that a thorough acquaintance with the Society's civil history would increase my efficiency as AssistantSecretary; and this could only be arrived at by a diligent examination of the voluminous records under my charge.

The circumstances, however, which more immediately gave rise to this work, were briefly these:Having received instructions, immediately after my appointment, to visit the Society's estate at Acton, respecting some legal difficulty of tenure, the details of which I was ignorant of, and had not leisure at the time to ascertain; it occurred to me, while riding down to the property, that some account of the Society, containing at least every fact of importance relating to it, would be useful to the Fellows, and might at the same time prove interesting to a considerable portion of the scientific world. The idea thus conceived, soon assumed a more definite character, and but little time elapsed before it was acted on. But I felt it to be my duty, as it was my inclination, to consult Dr. Roget, SeniorSecretary to the Society, on the subject; and meeting with the warmest encouragement from him, and other officers of the Society, I commenced the undertaking, which, it may be as well to state, has occupied b2

the principal portion of my leisure hours for nearly

four years.

The examination of the Archives, the Journal, Register, and Council-books, comprising some hundreds of volumes, with several thousand letters, was a formidable task; but I soon found that the work could not be compiled from these documents alone. It was the custom, in the early days of the Society, for the Secretaries to have the custody of the books and papers, many of which, on their decease, were not returned to the Society by their executors, and have since been presented to the British Museum; a locality, it may be observed, far less appropriate for their preservation than the Royal Society's library, to which, indeed, they in justice belong. Thus several volumes of Hooke's papers are in the National Library, besides letters and other documents written by Oldenburg, Wallis, Wren, Sloane, &c. To these it became, of course, important to refer; and such use has been made of them as was necessary for the purposes of this work. The State-Paper Office, the Archives of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, and the Bodleian Library, which I also visited, have furnished me with valuable matter.

From this statement it will be understood that my main object has been to render a faithful account of the rise, progress, and constitution of the Royal Society, and to record its most important proceedings.

I

need scarcely observe that the work partakes more of a civil, than of a scientific character; and indeed it

is

my earnest wish that it should be regarded only as a contribution towards some future philosophical history of the Society, which, proceeding from an abler pen than mine, shall at once embrace the entire subject.

Scientific matters, it is true, are occasionally treated of in the present work, but only in an historical light;-for example, when the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's requested the Society to protect their Cathedral from lightning, the manner in which the protection was effected is recorded; but no attempt is made to enter into the argument, whether or not the means employed were based on the soundest philosophical principles :-this manifestly appertains to another branch of inquiry, and if carried out in cases of a similar nature, would require far more space than two volumes can afford. Thus, all the great scientific labours, which originated either in the Society as a body, or from its Fellows individually, will be found historically narrated and elucidated in every case, as far as possible, by original and authentic documents from the Society's Archives.

A sketch of the revival of literature and science in Italy, and the development of scientific institutions in that country was deemed a fitting introduction to that of the Royal Society; and especially as it might assist in forming a correct estimate of the labours

of the small band of truth-seeking philosophers, who founded an association which has acquired world-wide renown, and whose members have probably done more than any other body of men to benefit the community by rendering science available for the practical purposes of life.

A few words require to be said with respect to the biographies of some of the Presidents, which may not be thought so full as could be desired; but having devoted much time in search of information respecting them, with generally very indifferent success, I could only arrive at the conclusion, that the subjects of my research were persons who had done little in practical science, and therefore did not enjoy an extended reputation. Happily this remark applies to but two or three of the number; with the rest, the difficulty consisted more in condensing than in collecting the materials at command.

I am well aware that omissions, though not I trust of any great consequence, will be detected; but without attempting apologies for the sake of conciliating the criticism of the reader, which is his privilege as it is his right, I must remind him, that it was considered more judicious to bring these volumes into a compass of reasonable size, than to extend them to dimensions, which, in these days, could hardly be expected to meet with approval.

It has been deemed advisable to close the history of the Society, with the election of the Duke of Sussex,

in 1830. But this year, considered with reference to a period of very nearly two centuries, may be said to belong to our own times; and the contents of the concluding Chapter, with the publication of the recently amended Statutes, will enable the reader to form a correct idea of the present state and constitution of the Society.

SOMERSET HOUSE,

June, 1848.

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