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joined by a great number of perfons eminent in every branch of fcience. The acceffion of new members obliged them now to think of adopting fome regular mode of conducting their debates; and, in a private conversation, on the 28th of November, 1660, between lord Brouncker, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Bruce, fr Robert Moray, fir Paul Neile, Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Petty, Mr. Balle, Mr. Wren, and Mr. Hill, the first idea was fuggefted of forming a regular college for the promotion of phyfico-mathematical and experimental science. As a preliminary to fuch a measure, a set of regulations were drawn up, fimple and plain, adapted to the character of the men, and the frugal manners of the age. The meetings were to be continued weekly, at three o'clock in the afternoon, during term time, in Mr. Rooke's chamber at Gresham-college; and, in the vacation, at Mr. Balle's in the Temple. An admiffion fine of ten fillings was levied on each of the members, who alfo engaged to contribute, at the rate of one fhilling a week, whether prefent or abfent, towards the expences of the inftitution. A list of additional members was, at the fame time, given in, among whom we find the names of fir Kenelme Dighy, Mr. Evelyn, celebrated for his attention to the practical and philofophical part of botany, and Cowley the poet, who had been created a doctor of phyfic at Oxford in the year 1657.

"Thus the fociety continued to profecute, with a moft laudable zeal and industry, every branch of useful knowledge. The experiments, as Sprat informs us, were made by themfelves, or at leaft repeated, whenever the refults were com municated from a diftance. It was at first determined not to increase the number of the members; and the ftated num→ ber was fixed at fifty-five; but this order was afterwards judiciously refcinded. It was also refolved, that no perfon fhould be admitted to the fociety without a fcrutiny, in which the candidates fhould have the votes of at least two-thirds of the members prefent, except fuch as were of or above the degree of a baron; and all fuch were to be admitted, at their defire, as fupernumeraries, provided they conformed to the rules of the fociety. The fame privilege was afterwards extended to the fellows of the College of Phyficians, in confequence of the college indulging them with the ufe of their

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"On the 5th of December, fir Robert Moray informed the fociety that the king had been made acquainted with the defign of the meeting; that his majesty had fignified his approbation, and was defirous of giving it encouragement. About the fame time it was refolved, that the standing offices of the fociety fhould be three in number, a prefident or director, a treasurer, and a register-the former to be chofen monthly, and the two latter to continue in office for the fpace of a year. Two fervants, with falaries, were alfo appointed, an amanuenfis, and an operator.-The falary of the former was forty fhillings per annum, and of the latter four pounds.

"As a fpecimen of their proceedings in this infant ftate, it may not be unpleasant to the reader to mention that the fubjects which chiefly engaged their attention at this period were a feries of experiments on pendulums, by Dr. (afterwards fir Chriftopher) Wren; experiments for the improvement of shipping, under the direction of Dr. Petty, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Wilkins, and Dr. Wren; an experiment on the recoiling of guns, by lord Brouncker; and a series of queries were drawn up by the fame nobleman, in conjunction with Mr. Boyle, and fent to Teneriffe, chiefly relating to experiments for measuring the height, and examining the atmosphere and climate of the Peak. His majesty, about the fame time, fent two loadftones to be examined by the fociety; Dr. Goddard produced fome chemical experi ments on coloured fluids, produced from fluids nearly or altogether colourless; and Mr. Evelyn, fome curious obfervations on the anatomy of trees, which were followed by a difcourfe of fir Kenelme Digby on the vegetation of plants.

"The fociety, however, did not confine its attention to fubjects of mere philosophy, but extended it to the arts and manufactures. Befides the experiments on fhipping, already noticed, Dr. Petty produced a feries of obfervations on the colthing-trade: experiments were alfo made on refining, japanning, gilding and other arts. Among other phænomena produced before the fociety, was a young man born deaf and dumb, and taught by the celebrated Wallis to speak plainly. The doctor, with fome humour, defcribes this occupation, in a letter to Mr. Oldenburg. I am now employed," fays he, "upon another work, as hard, almost, as

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to make Mr. Hobbes understand mathematics. It is to teach a perfon dumb and deaf to speak, and to understand a lan"? &c.

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"From this fpecimen of its proceedings, the reader will perceive that the fociety was not lefs diligent or flourishing previous to its incorporation, than it has been at any fubfequent period. Some perfons have in truth doubted, whether this circumftance has been, or not, of real fervice to the fociety; but it must be remembered, that though not of actual ufe, it may have been productive of eventual good. It ferved, probably, to preferve the unity of the fociety, and to prevent it from breaking into different clubs or affemblies. It alfo gave it fome confequence in the eyes of the public, and of foreign nations; and poffibly contributed at once to its refpectability and permanence. The act of incorporation paffed the great feal on the 15th of July 1662.-The only alteration of importance in the regulations of the fociety was, that the elections were made annual; William lord viscount Brouncker was appointed the first prefident; fir Robert Moray, Mr. Boyle, Mr. (afterwards lord) Brereton, fir Kenelme Digby, fir Paul Neile, Mr. H. Slingefby, fir William Petty, Dr. Wallis, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Ent, Mr. Aerfkine, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Chriftopher Wren, Mr. Balle, Mr. Matthew Wren, Mr. Evelyn, Mr. Henfhaw, Mr. Dudley Paimer, Mr. Oldenburg, were nominated of the council; and of thefe Mr. Balle was appointed treasurer, and Dr. Wilkins and Mr. Oldenburg the first fecretaries. Such was the rife, progrefs, and establishment of this refpectable fociety-We fhall now return to give a fhoit account of the state of fcience in its various branches at this period fo propitious to the cause of philofophy in general.

"Among the mathematicians of the age, the first place is generally affigned to Dr. John Wallis. He was the fon of a élergyman at Ashford in Kent, and was educated at Emmanuel college, Cambridge. He was chofen fellow of Queen's, in 1640, there being no vacancy in his own college, and about the fame time entered into holy orders. He was eminent for. having discovered the art of decyphering, and incurred fome fcandal after the restoration, for having decyphered the letters of king Charles, which were taken in the cabinet at Nafeby

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In 1644 he acted as one of the fecretaries to the affembly of divines at Westminster, and in 1649 was appointed Savilian profeffor of geometry at Oxford. While he continued in this station, he had a mathematical controverfy with Mr. Hobbes, who, however, was but a weak antagonist, opposed to Wallis. His mathematical works were confidered of fo much importance to fcience, that in the year 1699 they were collected, and published in Latin, by the university of Oxford, in three volumes, folio, and dedicated to king William. He was not only eminent as a mathematician, but publifhed fome excellent works on language, the ftudy of which led him from theory to undertake the arduous task of teaching the dumb to speak of his fervices and reputation in the Royal Society we have already treated.

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"Next in reputation to Wallis was Dr. Seth Ward. He was born in Hertfordshire, and educated at Sidney-college, Cambridge; he was patronized warmly by Dr. Samuel Ward, then mafter of that college, though he was not related to him. On the commencement of the civil wars, Mr. Seth Ward voluntarily became an affociate in the misfortunes of his friend, whom he accompanied to prifon, and continued with him till his death; he was alfo ejected from his fellowship for refufing the covenant. After leaving college, he refided fome time with the celebrated Oughtred, at Aldbury in Surry, where he profecuted his mathematical studies with fuch fuccefs as laid the foundation of his future eminence. On the hopes of the royalist party being extinguished, Mr. Ward became more accommodating to the times, and from his great reputation as a mathematician he was appointed Savilian profeffor of aftronomy at Oxford, in the room of the celebrated Greaves, diftinguished for his work on the Egyptian pyramids, who was ejected, but who had fufficient influence to recommend Mr. Ward to be his fucceffor. Ward then entered himfelf of Wadham-college, from refpect to Dr. Wilkins, who was the warden. After the refloration, he was fucceffively appointed Bishop of Exeter and of Salisbury. As a divine, we have before fpoken of him with commendation;. as a mathematician, his excellence is still acknowledged. Mr. Oughtred fays, he was the first man in Cambridge who expounded his Clavis Mathematica, which he republished,

republished, with additions, at the importunate defire of the author.

"Befides thefe, we may mention, as men fcarcely lefs eminent, the extraordinary bifhop Wilkins, and fir Christopher Wren, of whofe character we fhall afterwards have occafion to treat, when we come to fpeak of an art which was peculiarly his own, and in which his reputation yet remains without a rival.

"The fame æra which produced the Royal Society was diftinguished by the invention of an inftrument which has been of great importance in natural and experimental philofophy, we mean the air-pump. It was the invention of the honourable Robert Boyle, who was affifted in perfecting the mechanical part of it by the ingenious Mr. Robert Hooke, fo eminent afterwards for his microfcopical experiments. Independent of this noble invention, there is, perhaps, not any name which deferves to ftand higher in the records of English philosophy than that of Boyle.-He gave a new turn to the refearches of chemistry, and directed it, from the abfurdities of the alchemifts, to the views and purposes of found philofophy. His experiments on air laid the foundation for that fytem which is now generally received with refpect to the general properties of that, and indeed of all other elaftic fluids. The foundness of his judgment rendered him fuperior to all the tinfel of falfe philofophy.-He was as adverfe to the jargon of Ariftotle as to the reveries of the alchemifts, and defined that fashionable philofophy as " having in it more of words than of things, promifing much, and performing little."

"His obfervations on colours were useful preliminaries to that beautiful fyftem which was afterwards perfected by the genius of Newton. There was, in fhort, fcarcely an interefting topic of natural philofophy which did not engage the attention of this indefatigable enquirer, and scarcely any which he did not improve. His tracts in defence of the Chriftian religion are not the least valuable of his writings; and, indeed, in every refpect, his whole life was devoted to the glory of God, and the benefit and inftruction of his fellow-creatures. He may, with juftice, be regarded as the father of modern philofophy.

After the name of Boyle we may mention that of fir Kenelme Digby

"Digby the great, the valiant, and the wife."

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