THE SOCIETY AND ST. ANDREW'S DAY 23 



hath put his with the word Founder.' Prince Rupert, who was 

 elected in March, 1664, took much interest in some branches of 

 science and in the work of the Society. Prince George on 

 November 30, 1704, * was unanimously chosen a member of the 

 Society,' and on December 13 following wrote his name in 

 the book. After the royal signatures come the autographs of 

 the Fellows who have been admitted from that date down to 

 the present day. At the time of his admission each Fellow 

 first signs his name in the Charter-book beneath the declaration 

 that he will endeavour to promote the good of the Society and 

 obey its rules, and he then shakes hands with the President, 

 who declares him to be a duly elected Fellow of the Society. 



The definite provision in the Charters that the annual election 

 of the Council and Officers should take place on St. Andrew's 

 Day, the 30th November, in each year has given rise to much 

 speculation as to why that particular day should have been 

 chosen. It has been taken for granted that the date was selected 

 with some reference to Scotland and her patron saint. But there 

 was perhaps no such original intention. It will be remembered 

 that when the meetings of the ' philosophic society ' were revived 

 at Gresham College after the political troubles, the first of them 

 was held on November 28, 1660, and that it was then that the 

 first steps were taken towards the formal organization of what 

 ultimately became the Royal Society. That date might thus be 

 appropriately held as the anniversary of the Society, but as it was 

 only two days removed from St. Andrew's Day, which is so 

 important a date in the ecclesiastical year, we can suppose that 

 the 30th November was chosen as a more familiar and prominent 

 date, and once chosen it would naturally lead to the belief that 

 St. Andrew is the patron saint of the Society. 1 



Whether this suggested explanation be well founded or not 

 the legend soon took shape that the Royal Society had some 

 special relation to the patron saint of Scotland. Thus, we find 

 that on the first anniversary after the granting of the second 

 Charter, that is on November 30, 1663, Evelyn made the follow- 



1 The choice would be all the more likely from the Scotsman, Sir Robert Moray, having 

 been so active in procuring the granting of the Charter. 



