106 THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



to admit men of different religions, countries, pro- 

 fessions. Sprat said that they openly professed, not 

 to lay the foundation of an English, Scotch, Irish, 

 Popish or Protestant philosophy, but a philosophy of 

 mankind. They sought (hating war as most of them 

 did) to establish a universal culture, or, as they 

 phrased it, a constant intelligence throughout all civil 

 nations. Even for the special purposes of the Society, 

 hospitality toward all nations was necessary ; for the 

 ideal scientist, the perfect philosopher, should have 

 the diligence and inquisitiveness of the northern 

 nations, and the cold and circumspect and wary 

 disposition of the Italians and Spaniards. Haak 

 from the German Palatinate was one of the earliest 

 Fellows of the Society, and is even credited by Wallis 

 with being the first to suggest the meetings of 1645. 

 Oldenburg from Bremen acted as secretary (along 

 with Wilkins) and carried on an extensive foreign 

 correspondence. Huygens of Holland was one of the 

 original Fellows in 1663, while the names of Auzout, 

 Sorbiere, the Duke of Brunswick, Bulliau, Cassini, 

 Malpighi, Leibnitz, Leeuwenhoek (as well as Win- 

 throp and Roger Williams) appear in the records of 

 the Society within the first decade. It seemed fitting 

 that this cosmopolitan organization should be located 

 in the world's metropolis rather than in a mere uni- 

 versity town. Sprat thought London the natural seat 

 of a universal philosophy. 



As already implied, the Royal Society was not ex- 

 clusive in its attitude toward the different vocations. 

 A spirit of true fellowship prevailed in Gresham 

 College, as the Society was sometimes called. The 

 medical profession, the universities, the churches, the 



