22 RECORD OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



recommended the election of the 'judicious author ' into the Royal 

 Society, ' in whose election it was so far from being a prejudice 

 that he was a shop-keeper of London, that his Majesty gave this 

 particular charge to his Society, that if they found any more 

 such tradesmen, they should be sure to admit them all without 

 any more ado.' 1 



The second Charter granted arms to the Society, which were 

 thus defined. ' We give and grant ... to the President, Council 

 and Fellows ... in testimony of our royal favour towards them, 

 and of our peculiar esteem for them . . . these following blazons of 

 honour in the dexter corner of a silver shield our three Lions of 

 England, and for Crest a helm adorned with a crown studded with 

 florets, surmounted by an eagle of proper colour holding in one 

 foot a shield charged with our Lions : supporters, two white 

 bounds gorged with crowns.' The motto which the Society chose 

 from Horace, * Nullius in verba,' was an expression of their 

 determination to withstand the domination of authority and to 

 verify all statements by an appeal to facts. 



Soon after the incorporation of the Society a folio volume was 

 prepared of leaves of the finest vellum. It is bound in crimson 

 velvet with gilt clasps and corners, having on one side a gold 

 plate bearing the shield of the Society and on the other the eagle 

 crest. Into this volume the Charters were transcribed, and it is 

 thus known as the 'Charter-book'. After the Charters and Statutes 

 follow the signatures of the Fellows, commencing with that of the 

 King and on the same page those of the Duke of York [after- 

 wards James II], George [Prince of Denmark, and consort 

 of Queen Anne], and ' Rupert, Fellow '. In the Journal-book 

 under date January 11, 1664-5, it is recorded that 'the Charter- 

 book of the Society was produced wherein his Majesty had 

 written himself CHARLES R. FOUNDER : and his Highness the 

 Duke of York, JAMES, Fellow ; the Duke of Albemarle also 

 having entered his name at the same time '. Pepys relates that 

 being at Whitehall, ' I saw the Royal Society bring their new 

 book wherein is nobly writ their Charter and Laws, and comes to 

 be signed by the Duke as a Fellow and all the Fellows' hands 

 are to be entered there, and lie as a monument ; and the King 



1 Sprat, loc. cit. 



