Sr. Peter Pett Mr. Peter Pett Mons. Petit Sr. William Portman Mr. Francis Potter Mr. Povey Dr. Power Sr. Richard Powle Mr. Pepys The Lord Roberts Lord Privy Seal the Lord Bishop of Rochester Mr. Rolt Mr. Rycaut the Earl of Sandwich the Lord Viscount Stafford the Lord Stermont Mr. Schroter Sr. Iames Shaen Mr. Skippon Sr. Nicholas Slaney Mr. Henry Slingsby Mr. Smethwick Mr. Edward Smith Dr. George Smith Mons. Sorbiere Sr. Robert Southwell Mr. Alexander Stanhop Mr. Thomas Stanley The Earl of Tweedale Sr. Gilbert Talbot Sr. Iohn Talbot Dr. Terne Mr. Thomas Thyn Dr. Thruston Sr. Samuel Tuke Sr. Theodore de Vaux Mr. Vermuyden Mons. Isaac Vossius The Lord Bishop of Winchester Mr. Waller Dr. Wallis Mr. Waterhouse Dr. Whistler Mr. Ioseph Williamson Dr. Willis Mr. Francis Willughby Mr. Wind Mr. Winthorp Mr. Woodford Mr. Matthew Wren Dr. Thomas Wren Sr. Cyril Wyche Sr. Peter Wyche Mr. Wylde the Lord Arch-Bishop of York the Lord Yester The present Council are these that follow William Lord Viscount Brouncker President which Office has bin annually renew'd to him by Election out of the true judgment which the Society has made of his great Abilities in all Natural and especially Mathematical Knowledge Mr. William Aerskin Dr. Peter Ball Dr. Timothy Clerk Mr. Daniel Colwall Dr. Croon the Lord Bishop of Exeter Dr. Ionathan Goddard Mr. Henry Howard of Norfolk Mr. Henshaw Mr. Hoskins Sr. Robert Moray Sr. Anthony Morgan Dr. Merret the Earl of Northampton Sr. Paul Neile Mr. Oldenburgh Sr. VVilliam Petty Doctor Pope Dr. Wilkins Dr. Christopher Wren In this number perhaps there may some be found whose employments will not give them leave to promote these Studies with their own Hands But it being their part to Contribute joyntly towards the Charge and to pass judgment on what others shall try they will appear to be well-nigh as useful as those that Labor to the main end of this Enterprize Whatever Revenew they shall rais by this or any other means they intend thereby to make an Establishment for their Curators To this Office they have already admitted some of their Fellows whom they will employ according to their Studies and sufficience Some shall be sent to travail abroad to search for Discoveries some shall constantly remain in London and represent their Observations to the weekly Assemblies The places of their Residence they have appointed to be two One a College which they design to build in London to serve for their Meetings their Laboratories their Repository their Library and the Lodgings for their Curators The other the College at Chelsey which the King has bestow'd on them where they have a large Inclosure to serve for all Experiments of Gardning and Agriculture and by the neighbourhood of the River they have excellent opportunity of making all Trials that belong to the Water And now as I have spoken of a Society that prefers Works before Words so it becomes their History to endeavor after real fruits and effects I will therefore conclude by recommending again this Vndertaking to the English Nation to the bravest People the most generous Design to the most zealous lovers of Liberty the surest way to randsome the minds of all mankind from Slavery The Privileges that our Kings Dominions enjoy for this end appear to be equal'd by no other Country The men that we have now living to employ are excellently furnish'd with all manner of abilities Their Method is already setled and plac'd out of the reach of calumny or contradiction The work it self indeed is vast and almost incomprehensible when it is consider'd in gross But they have made it feasible and easie by distributing the burden They have shew'n to the World this great secret That Philosophy ought not only to be attended by a select company of refin'd Spirits As they desire that its productions should be vulgar so they also declare that they may be promoted by vulgar hands They exact no extraordinary praeparations of Learning to have sound Senses and Truth is with them a sufficient Qualification Here is enough business for Minds of all sizes And so boundless is the variety of these Studies that here is also enough delight to recompence the Labors of them all from the most ordinary capacities to the highest and most searching Wits Here first they may take a plain view of all particular things their kinds their order their figure their place their motion And even this naked prospect cannot but fill their thoughts with much satisfaction seing it was the first pleasure which the Scripture relates God himself to have taken at the Creation and that not only once but at the end of every days work when he saw all that he had made and approv'd it to be good From this they may proceed to survey the difference of their Composition their Effects the Instruments of their Beings and Lives the Subtilty and Structure the decay and supply of their parts wherein how large is the space of their delight seing the very shape of a Mite and the sting of a Bee appears so prodigious From hence they may go to apply things together to make them work one upon another to imitate their productions to help their defects and with the Noblest duty to assist Nature our common mother in her Operations From hence to all the works of mens hands the divers Artifices of several Ages the various Materials the Improvement of Trades the advancement of Manufactures In which last alone there is to be found so great content that many Mighty Princes of the former and present Times amidst the pleasures of Government which are no doubt the highest in the World have striven to excel in some Manual Art In this spacious field their Observations may wander And in this whatever they shall meet with they may call their own Here they will not only injoy the cold contentment of Learning but that which is far greater of Discovering Many things that have bin hitherto hidden will arise and expose themselves to their view Many Methods of advancing what we have already will come in their way Nay even many of the lost Rarities of Antiquity will be hereby restor'd Of these a great quantity has bin overwhelm'd in the ruines of Time And they will sooner be retreiv'd by our laboring anew in the material Subjects whence they first arose than by our plodding everlastingly on the ancient Writings Their Inventions may be soonest regain'd the same way by which their Medals and Coins have bin found of which the greatest part has bin recover'd not by those who sought for them on purpose in old rubbish but by digging up Foundations to rais new Buildings and by plowing the Ground to sow new Seed This is the Work we propose to be incorag'd which at once regards the discovering of new Secrets and the purifying and repairing all the profitable things of Antiquity The Supply that is needful to finish it will neither impoverish Families nor exhaust a mighty income
little to be suspected for making men pervers and ungovernable that it is the best praeservative against disobedience One of the principal Causes of this is a misguided Conscience and opposing the pretended Dictates of God against the Commands of the Sovereign This I have already shewn that these labors will moderat and reform by abolishing or restraining the fury of Enthusiasm Another is idle poverty which drives men into fulleness melancholy discontent and at last into resistance of lawful Authority To this Experiments will afford a certain cure they will take away all pretence of idleness by a constant cours of pleasant indeavors they will employ men about profitable Works as well as delightful by the pleasure of their Discoveries they will wear off the roughness and sweeten the humorous peevishness of mind whereby many are sowr'd into Rebellion But the most fruitful Parent of Sedition is Pride and a lofty conceit of mens own wisdom whereby they presently imagine themselves sufficient to direct and censure all the actions of their Governors And here that is true in Civil affairs which I have already quoted out of my Lord Bacon concerning Divine A litle Knowledge is subject to make men headstrong insolent and untractable but a great deal has a quite contrary effect inclining them to be submissive to their Betters and obedient to the Sovereign Power The Science that is acquir'd by Disputation teaches men to cavil well and to find fault with accurate subtilty it gives them a fearless confidence of their own judgments it leads them from contending in sport to oppositions in earnest it makes them believe that every thing is to be handled for and against in the State as well as in the Schools But the unfeign'd and laborious Philosophy gives no countenance to the vain dotages of privat Politicians that bends its Disciples to regard the benefit of mankind and not the disquiet that by the moderation it prescribes to our thoughts about Natural Things will also take away all sharpness and violence about Civil The Work of that is so vast that it cannot be perform'd without the assistance of the Prince It will not therefore undermine his Authority whose aid it implores that prescribes a better way to bestow our time than in contending about litle differences in which both the Conquerors and the Conquer'd have always reason to repent of their success That shews us the difficulty of ord'ring the very motions of senseless and irrational things and therefore how much harder it is to rule the restless minds of men That teaches men humility and acquaints them with their own errors and so removes all overweening haughtiness of mind and swelling imaginations that they are better able to manage Kingdoms than those who possess them This without question is the chief root of all the uneasiness of Subjects to their Princes The World would be better govern'd if so many did not praesume that they are fit to sustain the cares of Government Transgression of the Law is Idolatry The reason of mens contemning all Iurisdiction and Power proceeds from their Idolizing their own Wit They make their own Prudence omnipotent they suppose themselves infallible they set up their own Opinions and worship them But this vain Idolatry will inevitably fall before Experimental Knowledge which as it is an enemy to all manner of fals superstitions so especially to that of mens adoring themselves and their own Fancies I have now at last brought my Reader by a tedious compass to the end of our Journey And here I desire him to look back and to make a reflection on the matters of which I have treated In the first part of my Discours I have alleg'd the Causes by which these Studies were suppress'd in all former Ages which have bin Interest of Sects the violence of Disputations the plausible Arts of Speech the Religious Controversies the Dogmatical Opinions the poverty of the Vndertakers and the want of a continual race of Experimenters In the Second I have shew'd by what steps the Royal Society arose what it has propos'd to attempt what cours it has taken to make its Observations universal and perpetual what assistance has bin afforded it to that purpose and about what particulars it has bin conversant In the Third I have try'd to free it from the false scandals of Ignorance and the praejudices of several ways of life and to prove that its effects will more immediatly refer to our own Country My Reader now beholds an Assembly setled of many eminent men of all Qualities who have ingag'd to bestow their labors on a design so public and so free from all suspicion of mean or private Interest What foundation they have within themselves for defraying the expence of their Trials and Intelligence may be ghess'd by their Number which at this present amounts very neer to Two Hundred as appears by this following Catalogue which I have rang'd Alphabetically The King's Majesty Founder and Patron His Royal Highness the Duke of York His Highness Prince Rupert His Highness Ferdinand Albert Duke of Brunswick and Lunenbourgh The Duke of Albermarle the Earl of Alesbury the Earl of Argill the Lord Ashley the Lord Annesley Mr. Ashmole Sr. Robert Atkins Mr. Austin Mons. Auzout Mr. Awbrey The Duke of Buckingham the Lord George Berkeley the Lord Brereton Mr. Bagnal Mr. Bains Mr. William Balle Mr. Isaac Barrow Dr. George Bate Dr. Bathurst Dr. Beal Mons. Beaufort de Fresars Sr. Iohn Birkinhead Mr. Blunt Mr. Boyl Mr. Brook Dr. Bruce Mons. Bullialdus Mr. Burnet Sr. Edward Byshe The Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Earl of Clarendon Lord Chancellor of England the Earl of Carlile the Earl of Craford and Lindsay the Lord Cavendish the Lord Clifford Mr. Carkess Mr. Carteret Dr. Charleton Sr. Winstone Churchill Sr. Iohn Clayton Sr. Clifford Clifton Mr. George Cock Sr. Richard Corbet Dr. Cotton Dr. Cox Mr. Thomas Cox Mr. Daniel Cox Mr. Creed Mr. Crispe Sr. Iohn Cutler The Marquess of Dorchester the Earl of Devonshire the Earl of Dorset Mons. Vital de Damas Sr. George Ent Mr. Ellise Mr. Iohn Evelyn Sr. Francis Fane Mons. le Febvre Sr. Iohn Finch Mr. Henry Ford Sr. Bernhard Gascoigne Mr. Ioseph Glanvile Dr. Glisson Mr William Godolphin Mr. Graunt The Lord Hatton Mr. Haak Mr. William Hammond Mr. William Harrington Sr. Edward Harley Sr. Robert Harley Mr. Harley Dr. Henshaw Mons. Hevelius Mr. Abraham Hill Mr. Hoar Dr. Holder Mr. Hook Mr. Charles Howard Mons. Huygens Mr. Richard Iones the Earl of Kincardin Sr. Andrew King Mr. Edmund King the Earl of Lindsey the Lord Bishop of London Mr. Lake Sr. Ellis Leighton Mr. Iames Long Sr. Iohn Lowther Mr. Lowther Mons. Hugues de Lyonne The Earl of Manchester Mons. Nicolas Mercator Dr. More Dr. Iasper Needham Dr. Needham Mr. Thomas Neile Mr. William Neile Mr. Nelthorp Mr. Newburgh Sr. Thomas Nott the Earl of Peterburgh Mr. Packer Mr. Samuel Parker Sr. Robert Paston Dr. Iohn Pearson Dr. Pell Sr. William Persall
of the Nation and the greatest number of them coming to London they usually met at Gresham College at the Wednesdays and Thursdays Lectures of Dr. Wren and Mr. Rook where there joyn'd with them several eminent persons of their common acquaintance The Lord Viscount Brouncker the now Lord Brereton Sir Paul Neil Mr. Iohn Evelyn 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 observ'd once if not twice a week in Term time till they were scatt'red 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 But to make hast through those dreadful revolutions which cannot be beheld upon Paper without horror unless we remember that they had this one happy effect to open mens eies to look out for the true Remedy upon this follow'd the King's Return and that wrought by such an admirable chain of events that if we either regard the easiness or speed or blessed issue of the Work it seems of it self to contain variety and pleasure enough to make recompence for the whole Twenty years Melancholy that had gone before This I leave to another kind of History to be describ'd It shall suffice my purpose that Philosophy had its share in the benefits of that glorious Action For the Royal Society had its beginning in the wonderful pacifick year 1660. So that if any conjectures of good Fortune from extraordinary Nativities hold true we may presage all happiness to this undertaking And I shall here joyn my solemn wishes that as it began in that time when our Country was freed from confusion and slavery So it may in its progress redeem the minds of Men from obscurity uncertainty and bondage These Gentlemen therefore finding the hearts of their Countrymen inlarg'd by their Joys and fitted for any noble Proposition and meeting with the concurrence of many Worthy Men who to their immortal Honor had follow'd the King in his banishment Mr. Erskins Sir Robert Moray Sir Gilbert Talbot c. began now to imagine some greater thing and to bring out experimental knowledge from the retreats in which it had long hid it self to take its part in the Triumphs of that universal Jubilee And indeed Philosophy did very well deserve that Reward having been always Loyal in the worst of times For though the Kings enemies had gain'd all other advantages though they had all the Garrisons and Fleets and Ammunitions and Treasures and Armies on their side yet they could never by all their Victories bring over the Reason of Men to their Party While they were thus ord'ring their platform there came forth a Treatise which very much hasten'd its contrivance and that was a Proposal by Master Cowley of erecting a Philosophical College The intent of it was that in some place neer London there should liberal Salaries be bestow'd on a competent number of Learned Men to whom should be committed the operations of Natural Experiments This Model was every way practicable unless perhaps in two things he did more consult the generosity of his own mind than of other mens the one was the largeness of the Revenue with which he would have his College at first indow'd the other that he impos'd on his Operators a Second task of great pains the Education of youth The last of these is indeed a matter of great weight The Reformation of which ought to be seriously examin'd by prudent Men. For it is an undeniable Truth which is commonly said that there would be need of fewer Laws and less force to govern Men if their Minds were rightly inform'd and set strait while they were yong and pliable But perhaps this labor is not so proper for Experimenters to undergo For it would not only devour too much of their Time but it would go neer to make them a little more magisterial in Philosophy then became them by being long accustom'd to command the opinions and direct the manners of their Scholars And as to the other particular the large estate which he requir'd to the maintenance of his College It is evident that it is so difficult a thing to draw men in to be willing to divert an antient Revenue which had long run in another stream or to contribute out of their own purses to the supporting of any new Design while it shews nothing but promises and hopes that in such cases it were it may be more advisable to begin upon a small stock and so to rise by degrees then to profess great things at first and to exact too much benevolence all in one lump together However it was not the excellent Author's fault that he thought better of the Age then it did deserve His purpose in it was like himself full of honor and goodness most of the other particulars of his draught the Royal Society is now putting in practice I come now to the Second Period of my Narration wherein I promis'd to give an account of what they did till they were publickly own'd incourag'd and confirm'd by Royal Favor And I trust that I shall here produce many things which will prove their attempts to be worthy of all Mens incouragement though what was perform'd in this interval may be rather styl'd the Temporary Scaffold about the building then the Frame it self But in my entrance upon this Part being come to the top of the Hill I begin to tremble and to apprehend the greatness of my Subject For I perceive that I have led my Readers Minds on by so long and so confident a Speech to expect some wonderful Model which shall far exceed all the former that I have acknowledg'd to have been imperfect Now though this were really so as I believe it is yet I question how it will look after it has been disfigur'd by my unskilful hands But the danger of this ought to have deterr'd me in the beginning It is now too late to look back and I can only apply my self to that good Nature which a Great Man has observ'd to be so peculiar to our Nation that there is scarce an expression to signifie it in any other Language To this I must flye for succor and most affectionately intreat my Countrymen that they would interpret my failings to be onely errors of obedience to some whose commands or desires I could not resist and that they would take the measure of the Royal Society not so much from my lame description of it as from the honor and reputation of many of those Men of whom it is compos'd I will here in the first place contract into few Words the whole summe of their Resolutions which I shall often have occasion to touch upon in parcels Their purpose is in short to make faithful Records of all the Works of
Society consisting of a President Council and Fellows which shall be called by the name of the President Council and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for and improving of Natural knowledge of which Society we do by these presents declare our self to be Founder and Patron And we do hereby make and constitute the said Society by the name c. to be a Body corporate to be continued under the same name in a perpetual succession And that they and their successors whose studies are to be imployed for the promoting of the knowledge of natural things and useful Arts by Experiments To the glory of God and the good of mankind shall by the foresaid name of President Council c. be inabled and made capable in Law to levy hold possess and injoy Lands Tenements c. Liberties Franchises Iurisdictions for perpetuity or Terms of Lives or Years or any other way as also Goods Chattels and all other things of what Nature or Kind soever And also by the name aforesaid to Give Grant Demise or Assign the said Lands Goods c. and to do all things necessary thereabout And the said Persons by the name aforesaid are inabled to implead be impleaded sue defend c. in any Courts and before any Iudges Officers c. whatsoever of the King His Heirs and Successors in all and singular Actions Real and Personal Pleas Causes c. of what kind soever as any of His Subjects within his Kingdom of England or Corporations are by Law capable and inabled to do And the said President Council and Fellows are impowr'd to have a Common Seal for their use in their Affairs and from time to time to break change and make anew the same as shall seem expedient unto them And his Majesty in Testimony of his Royal Favour towards the said President Council and Fellows and of His especial esteem of them doth Grant a Coat of Arms to them and their Successors viz. On a Field Argent a Canton of the three Lyons of England For a Crest an Eagle proper on a Ducal Coronet supporting a Shield charged with the Lyons aforesaid and for Supporters two Talbots with Coronets on their Necks The said Armes to be born c. by the said Society upon all occasions And that His Majesties Royal Intention may take the better effect for the good Government of the said Society from time to time It is establish'd That the Council aforesaid shall consist of 21. Persons whereof the President for the time being alwayes to be one And that all Persons which within two Moneths next ensuing the date of the said Charter shall be chosen by the said President and Council and in all times after the said two Moneths by the President Council and Fellows and noted in a Register to be kept for that purpose shall be Fellows of the said Society and so accounted and call'd during life except by the Statutes of the said Society to be made any of them shall happen to be amoved And by how much any Persons are more excelling in all kinds of Learning by how much the more ardently they desire to promote the Honour Business and Emolument of the said Society by how much the more eminent they are for Integrity Honesty Piety Loyalty and Good Affection toward His Majesty His Crown and Dignity by so much the more fit and worthy such Persons are to be judged for reception into the Society And for the better execution of his Royal Grant His Majesty hath nominated c. His Trusty and Well-beloved William Viscount Brouncker Chancellor to His dearest Consort Queen Catharine to be the First and Modern President to continue in the said Office from the date of the Patent to the Feast of Saint Andrew next ensuing and until another Person of the said Council be duly chosen into the said Office The said Lord Brouncker being sworn in all things belonging thereto well and faithfully to execute the said Office before His right well-beloved and right Trusty Cosin and Counsellor Edward Earl of Clarendon Lord High Chancellor of England in the words following I William Viscount Brouncker do promise to deal faithfully and honestly in all things belonging to that Trust committed to me as President of the Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge So help me God And His Majesty hath nominated c. the Persons following His Trusty and Well beloved Sir Robert Moray Knight one of His Privie Council in His Kingdom of Scotland Robert Boyl Esquire William Brereton Esquire eldest Son to the Lord Brereton Sir Kenelme Digby Knight Chancellor to His dearest Mother Queen Mary Sir Gilbert Talbot Knight Master of His Iewel-house Sir Paul Neile Knight one of the Vshers of His Privie Chamber Henry Slingsby Esquire one of the Gentlemen of His said Privie Chamber Sir William Petty Knight Timothy Clark Doctor of Physick and one of His Physitians Iohn Wilkins Doctor of Divinity George Ent Doctor of Physick William Erskyne Esq one of His Cupbearers Jonathan Goddard Doctor of Physick William Ball Esquire Matthew Wren Esquire John Evelyn Esquire Thomas Henshaw Esquire Dudley Palmer of Grayes-Inn Esquire Abraham Hill of London Esquire and Henry Oldenburg Esquire together with the President aforesaid to be the first and Modern 21 of the Council and Fellows of the Royal Society aforesaid to be continued in the Offices of the Council aforesaid from the date of the Patent to the Feast of Saint Andrew next following and from thence till other fit persons be chosen into the said Offices The said Persons to be sworn before the President of the Society for the time being well and truly to execute the said Offices according to the form and effect of the aforesaid Oath to be administred to the President by the Lord Chancellor as aforesaid For the administring which Oath to the said Persons and all others hereafter from time to time to be chosen into the said Council full Power and Authority is Granted to the President for the time being And the said Persons duly sworn and all other from time to time duly chosen into the said Council and sworn are to aid advise and assist in all affairs businesses and things concerning the better Regulation Government and Direction of the Royal Society and every Member thereof Furthermore Libertie is granted to the said Society lawfully to make and hold meetings of themselves for the searching out and discovery of Natural Things and Transaction of other businesses relating to the said Society when and as often as shall be requisite in any Colledge Hall or other Convenient place in London or within 10. Miles thereof And Power is Granted to the said Society from time to time to nominate and choose yearly on Saint Andrews day one of the Council aforesaid for the time being to be President of the Society until Saint Andrews day next ensuing if he shall so long live or not be removed for some just and reasonable Cause and