20 A BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR 



then 24 years of age, promoted to a situation, either 

 connected with the proposed " Office of Communications," 

 or elsewhere. It would appear that an attempt had 

 been made to establish such an Institution at Vauxhall, 

 but the property there w^as pre-engaged. On the 24th 

 of July 1649, therefore he writes to inform Mr. Boyle: — 

 " As for Vauxhall, there is a proviso put into the Act, 

 that it shall not be sold. My endeavours are now, how 

 Mr. Petty may be set apart or encouraged for the 

 advancement of experimental and mechanical knowledge 

 in Gresham College at London, of which you shall have 

 true account also." 



Some writers have expressed surprise that Doctor 

 Sprat does not name Hartlib in connection with the 

 establishing of the Eoyal Society, founded in 1660. It 

 is very doubtful, however, whether he was ever connected 

 with it, or was even remotely concerned in suggesting 

 its early meetings, being nothing of an experimentalist, 

 and a very unlikely person to have any original views 

 on the subjects discussed even at the earliest meetings 

 of the society. His correspondence with its several 

 members does not confirm the supposition that it was 

 organised on any plan of his suggesting ; and, assuming 

 the contrary, his own silence on the subject is the more 

 remarkable, for success was not the crowning feature of 

 the many benevolent schemes he suggested, although on 

 the other hand, much is due to his untiring energy in 

 keeping alive the designs he had in view, and inciting 



