TRANSLATION OF FIRST CHARTER 65 



a corporal oath first to be taken by such Deputy upon the holy But be must first be 



Gospels of God, in the form and effect last specified, well and faith- SSSfl 



fully to execute all and singular things which pertain to the office of more of them - 



President, before the aforesaid Council of the aforesaid Royal Society, 



or any seven or more of them ; and so as often as the case shall so 



happen : to which same Council, or to any seven or more of them, for 



the time being, we do give and grant by these presents power and 



authority to administer the oath aforesaid as often as the case shall 



so happen, without procuring or obtaining any writ, commission, or 



further warrant in that behalf from us, our heirs, or successors. 



And further we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and 

 successors do grant to the aforesaid President, Council, and Fellows The President, 

 of the Royal Society aforesaid, and to their successors, that they and m^ha 

 their successors henceforth for ever may and shall have one Treasurer, ^r, two Secretaries, 



'a Clerk, and two 



two Secretaries, one Clerk, and two Serjeants-at-Mace, who may from Serjeants-at-Mace : 



time to time attend upon the President ; and that the aforesaid 



Treasurer, Secretaries, Clerk, and Serjeants-at-Mace, to be elected 



and nominated, before they be admitted to execute their several and 



respective offices, shall take their corporal oaths in the form and effect who are ail to be 



last specified, before the President and Council of the same Royal president and Coun- 



Society, or any seven or more of them, rightly, weir, and faithfully to 



execute their several and respective offices in all things touching the 



same ; and that after having so taken such oaths, as it is aforesaid, they 



may exercise and use their respective offices ; to which same President 



and Council, or to any seven or more of them, we do give and grant 



by these presents full power and authority to administer the oaths 



aforesaid from time to time to the aforesaid several and respective 



officers and their successors : And we have assigned, nominated, chosen, 



created, appointed, and made, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and 



successors do assign, nominate, choose, create, appoint, and make, our 



beloved subjects William Balle, Esquire, to be and become the first and William Baiie ap- 



present Treasurer, and the aforesaid John Wilkins and Henry Oldenburg j hn wilkins and 



to be and become the first and present Secretaries, of the aforesaid Royal secretaries! 11 



Society; to be continued in the same offices until the aforesaid feast of And on every st 



St. Andrew the Apostle next following after the date of these presents : ^^^l^^ 



And that from time to time and at all times on the aforesaid feast of the President, Coun-' 



Saint Andrew the Apostle (unless it shall be Sunday, and if it be Sunday, th e ma jor part ot 



then on the day next following) the President, Council, and Fellows of gS^^S one), 



the aforesaid Royal Society for the time being, or the major part of ***' 



the same (of whom we will the President for the time being to be one), surer, Secretaries, 



, \ , , , . j , , i Clerk, and Serjeants- 



may be able and have power to elect, nominate, and appoint other at .Mace : who, after 



upright and discreet men, from time to time, as Treasurer, Secretaries, ^ at ^ t the e next 

 Clerk, and Serjeants-at-Mace of the aforesaid Royal Society ; and that St. Andrew's Day. 



F 



