Notices respecting New Books. 473 



the Transactions, we must refer the reader to the detailed narrative 

 by Mr. Weld, wherein they are fully and ably treated. 



Nurtured in the Civil Wars, when party and sects had sickened 

 people of divinity and politics, the constitution of the Royal Society 

 was independent in its form and support, and liberal in its association. 

 On the subject of religion they were more especially cautious, not 

 only in the days of their infancy, but even when under the direction 

 of Newton himself: in this spirit, says Sprat, "they have freely 

 admitted men of different religions, countries, and professions of life ; 

 not to lay the foundation of an English, Scotch, Irish, popish, or 

 protestant philosophy, but a Philosophy of Mankind." And 

 when the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge were desirous 

 of holding their meetings in the Royal Society's rooms, Newton, 

 who was a bit of an autocrat in his way, drew up a number of sound 

 arguments against their admission. By this sturdy stand the Prin- 

 ceps Philosophorum wished to preserve the body under his charge 

 from the passions of the age. " It is a fundamental rule of the 

 Society," said that illustrious President, " not to meddle with reli- 

 gion ; and the reason is, that we may give no occasion to religious 

 bodies to meddle with us : " and he refused to comply with the re- 

 quest, lest the compliance might " dissatisfy those of other religions." 



And did this wise policy actuate the great men of a century and 

 a half ago ? Alas for the march of intellect so proudly boasted of ! 

 Compare this with the conduct of the present magnates in the for- 

 mation of an Architectural and Archaeological Society in the year 

 1848, of which the President is the Lord Bishop of Oxford. The 

 constitution of this body is entirely exclusive, and the door is closed 

 to all religions, persuasions, and sects but their own ; this being the 

 published form of admission : — 



We, the undersigned, do hereby recommend 

 Communion with the Church of England, to be an 

 Member of the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Buckingham. 



Proposer, 



Seconder, 



There, Newton, is a lesson for you ! 



The earlier functions of the Royal Society appear to have been 

 the scraping together of information, some of it jejune enough ; but 

 it soon created that keen spirit of experiment which has placed it on 

 the highest plinth of utility, and for which it is justly entitled to the 

 unfeigned gratitude of the world. At the period of its formation, 

 the diffusion of new discoveries was an affair of difficulty and delay, 

 and a first step therefore was to publish periodically all discoveries 

 which came to their cognizance. A man of science could not then 

 well appear before the world unless he had a book to publish : but 

 Oldenburg, the Society's first secretary, soon taught how every new 

 fact might be readily communicated. Nay more, — however useless. 

 or even trifling, some essays may have appeared at first sight, expe- 

 rience has shown that the same investigations, pursued by abler men, 

 have, frequently led to discoveries of the greatest import. Hence 

 Phil. Mag. S. 3. Vol. 33. No. 224. Dec. 1848. 2 I 



