36 ME MO IK OF 



Parliament, then sitting in Scotland, and a refe- 

 rence by the Parliament to the Privy Council, 

 dated August 2, 1621, authorizing them to act in 

 the business as they thought fit, and promising 

 that their determination should have the form of 

 an act of Parliament ; and producing these instru- 

 ments to the duke, he immediately pledged him- 

 self to see their claims established. The magis- 

 trates and surgeon-apothecaries still opposed the 

 new institution, and argued their objections before 

 the Privy Council. The university and the 

 bishops were soothed into compliance by a pro- 

 mise, that certain conditions favourable to them 

 should be inserted in the patent, so that they not 

 merely withdrew their opposition, but became 

 " strong solicitors " in its favour. With such 

 powerful aid, the matter was at length carried, 

 and a draught of the patent being agreed to, was 

 sent to London for the king's sign manual. The 

 day after its return, Sibbald translated it into 

 Latin, and sent it to the Court of Chancery to be 

 transcribed on parchment, and the great seal was 

 appended to it at Edinburgh, November 29, 

 1681. The names of the first fellows inserted 

 in the charter are, David Hay, Thomas Burnet, 

 Matthew Brisbaine, Archibald Stevenson, Andrew 

 Balfour, Robert Sibbald, James Livingston, 

 Robert Crawford, Robert Trotter, Matthew Sin- 

 clair, James Stewart, William Stevenson, Alex- 



