8 RECORD OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



of various parts of learning, so they might doe something 

 answerable here for the promoting of experimentall philosophy. 



* In order to which, it was agreed that this Company would 

 continue their weekly meeting on Wednesday, at 3 of the clock 

 in the tearme time, at Mr. Rooke's chamber at Gresham Colledge ; 

 in the vacation, at Mr. Ball's chamber in the Temple. And 

 towards the defraying of occasionall expenses, every one should, 

 at his first admission, pay downe ten shillings, and besides engage 

 to pay one shilling weekly, whether present or absent, whilest he 

 shall please to keep his relation to this Company. At this 

 Meeting Dr. Wilkins was appointed to the chaire, Mr. Ball to be 

 Treasurer, and Mr. Croone, though absent, was named for 

 Register. 



'And to the end that they might the better be enabled to 

 make a conjecture of how many the elected number of this 

 Society should consist, therefore it was desired that a list might 

 be taken of the names of such persons as were known to those 

 present, whom they judged willing and fit to joyne with them in 

 their designe, who, if they should desire it, might be admitted 

 before any other.' l 



A list was accordingly prepared and recorded, consisting of 

 forty-one names. Nearly all of the persons there enumerated 

 became members of the Society. Among the names it is interest- 

 ing to find that of ' Dr. Cowley ', in other words, Abraham Cowley, 

 the poet, who appears to have been keenly' interested in the 

 scientific movement which was then being set on foot. He was 

 formally elected into the Society on March 6, 1 660-1. 2 A few 

 months later in the same year he published a tract entitled ' A 

 Proposition for the Advancement of Experimental Philosophy ', 

 in which he propounded a scheme for the establishment of 

 a College near London, with an annual revenue of 4,000, and 

 a staff of twenty philosophers or professors, sixteen young 

 scholars, servants to the professors, and a due complement of 

 officials and underlings. Four of the professors were to be 



1 Journal-book, vol. i, p. 1. 



2 Though Cowley was one of the first members of the original Society, his name does 

 not appear on the list of Fellows after the date of the incorporation by Charter. The 

 reason assigned for the omission was that having gone to live in the country he was unable 

 to attend the meetings of the Society. Birch, Hist. Roy. Soc., i. p. 222. 



