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authority, and is honourable to the various Astronomers-Royal, of whom a list is subjoined 55. The Observatory will be frequently brought under our notice in the course of this history.

In 1676 the Society received several communications from travellers, giving accounts of "the notables" observed in the countries they had visited. These communications were the results of the queries issued by the Society, and formed valuable additions to the very limited geographical knowledge of that period.

The Society were not satisfied with this mode alone of obtaining information: when a traveller arrived in London from remote countries, some Fellow was deputed to call on him, and invite him to the Meetings. Thus, Evelyn tells us, that he was "desired by the Royal Society to call upon, and salute a Mons. Jardine, who had been thrice in the East Indies and Persia, in their name; and to invite him to honour them with his company56." Evelyn adds, that he was accompanied by Sir C. Wren and Sir J. Hoskyns, and that they found Mons. Jardine "a very handsome person, extremely affable, and not inclined to talke wonders."

In the Minutes of the Oxford Philosophical Society it is recorded that Dr. Plot greatly entertained the

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company by giving an account of what he had seen at a Meeting of the Royal Society in 1676. stated "that a merchant, lately come from China, exhibited to the Society a handkerchief made of Salamander's wool, or Linum Asbesti, which, to try whether it were genuine or no, was put into a strong charcoal fire, in which not being injur'd, it was taken out, oil'd, and put in again; the oil being burnt off the handkerchief, was taken out again, and was altered only in two respects, it lost 2dr. 5gr. of its weight, and was more brittle than ordinary; for which reason it was not handled until it was grown cold, by which means it had recovered its former tenacity, and in a great measure its weight. The merchant who obliged the Society with the sight of so great a rarity, acquainted them that he received it from a Tartar, who told him that the Tartars, among whom this sort of cloth is, sold it at 807. sterling the China ell, which is less than our ell; and that they greatly use this cloth in burning the bodyes (to preserve the ashes) of great persons, and that in Tartary it is affirmed to be made of the root of a tree 57,"

The year 1677 was attended by a melancholy event for the Society, the loss of Oldenburg, who died suddenly in September, at Charlton in Kent. Oldenburg, who sometimes wrote himself Grubbendol, was born at Bremen, and for several years acted as agent in England with the Protectorate, for the republic of Lower Saxony. In 1656 he entered as a student in the University of Oxford, under the

67 MS. Minutes, Vol. 1. p. 72.

58 In the letters to him from Milton, printed in the Epist. Familiares of the latter, he is styled Orator Bremensium.

name and title of Henricus Oldenburg, Bremensis nobilis Saxo". On leaving Oxford, he went to France with Mr. Richard Jones, son of Lord Ranalagh, with whom he travelled until 1661, in which year they returned to England. From 1662, when he became Secretary to the Society, to the period of his decease, he was indefatigable in the performance of all his secretarial duties, which, as we have seen, were unrewarded until 1669, when a salary of 407. a year was allowed him". This act of justice was most necessary to Oldenburg, as the Philosophical Transactions never yielded him a greater profit than 407. a year, and generally fell considerably below this sum. In 1666, Boyle manifested great zeal in his favour, and joined Lord Brouncker in applying for the appointment of Latin Secretary to the King, which, however, they were unsuccessful in obtaining for him. He married a daughter of Mr. John Drury, a divine of considerable celebrity, by whom he had two children. His son, named Rupert, from his god-father Prince Rupert, received a present

69 Wood, Fasti. Oxon., Vol. II. p. 114.

60 Milton, Epist. Famil. 24–25.

6 Dr. Derham, in his Life of Ray, says, that "Oldenburg was in the habit of corresponding every month with that naturalist. He was a very diligent Secretary, and laboured very heartily to keep up the Society's correspondence, and get all the information he could about curious matters, from all persons that he knew or heard were able to furnish him with any: and the better to accomplish his ends, he would send his ingenious correspondents an account of matters that came to his knowledge, as well as expect a plentiful return from them." p. 44.

62 An Ode in praise of Oldenburg, a copy of which exists in the British Museum, styles him the illustrious, laborious, and precise Oldenburg.

in 1717 from the Council of the Society, in consideration of his father's eminent services. These, indeed, it would be almost impossible to over-rate, and it may be mentioned that when attacked by Hooke on account of the Philosophical Transactions, he was at once justified by a declaration of the Council.

At the anniversary in 1677, Hooke and Dr. Grew were elected Secretaries, and Lord Brouncker retired from the Presidency, which he had held with great advantage to the Society for fifteen years. He was succeeded by Sir Joseph Williamson, a Memoir of whom commences the next Chapter.

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THE FIRST REFLECTING TELLESCOPE INVENTED BI SR ISAAC NEWTON,

AND MADE WITH HIS OWN HANDS IN THE YEAR 1671.

CHAPTER X.

Memoir of Sir J. Williamson-Norfolk Library removed to Gresham College-Rules for its preservation-Halley electedObservatory at Gresham College-Monument used for Astronomical purposes — Philosophical Collections published by Hooke-His Salary increased-Sir J. Williamson resignsBoyle chosen President-His reasons for declining the Office— Wren elected-Memoir of him-Grew's Catalogue of the Society's Museum-Chelsea College sold by Wren-Admission of Fellows made more difficult-Wren retires from the Presidency-Evelyn solicited to become President-Declines-Sir John Hoskyns elected-Memoir of him-Publication of Transactions resumed--Experiments made-Present of Curiosities from China-Limited state of Knowledge of Foreign CountriesSir John Hoskyns resigns-Sir Cyril Wyche elected PresidentMemoir of him-Papin elected a Curator-His Bone-digester -Curious Account of a Supper prepared by him for the Fellows His Steam-Engine Inventions-Croonian Lecture-Lady Sadleir's Legacy-Lister's Geological Maps-Lord Clarendon's Present of Minerals-Resignation of Sir Cyril WychePepys elected President-Sir Thomas Molyneux's Account of the Society.

SIR

1675-85.

JOSEPH WILLIAMSON was the son of the Rev. Joseph Williamson, rector of Bridekirk in Cumberland. While yet a boy he visited London, in the capacity of clerk to Mr. Richard Folson, member of parliament for Cockermouth, who sent him to Westminster School, then presided over by Dr. Busby. His assiduity and talent gained for him a recommendation from Dr. Busby to Dr. Langbaine, provost of Queen's College, Oxford, by whom he was admitted on the foundation. He took the degree of B. A. in 1653, and immediately after went to France as tutor

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