EARLY HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



the present very high position, of this great Society 

 for the advancement of natural knowledge. Still, it may 

 not be undesirable to supplement what has been said by 

 a few details of the Society's early history. 



The Royal Society arose out of a small club, formed 

 about 1645, of " divers worthy persons, inquisitive into 

 natural philosophy, and particularly of what was called 

 the New Philosophy, or Experimental Philosophy," which 

 met weekly in London for the discussion of " Philosophical 

 Inquiries." 



One of the distinguished members of the club was John 

 Evelyn, who by his numerous scientific writings and his 

 personal example exercised a powerful influence over the 

 men of his time. The best known of his works to-day are 

 his Diary, and Sylva, an elaborate treatise on arbori- 

 culture. A small work of his, little known at present, 

 called Fumifugium, published in 1661, deals with the 

 smoke and vitiation of the air of London, which had con- 

 tinuously increased since the introduction of sea-coal in 

 the reign of Edward I. Evelyn says that the " hellish 

 and dismal cloud of sea-coal " in his time had become 

 so great as to make "the City of London resemble the 

 suburbs of Hell." The sun was darkened, and travellers 

 approaching London could smell the smoke at a distance 

 of many miles. 



He considered the smoke to be due chiefly to the 

 chimneys of factories, and suggests as a main remedy for 

 the state of things that all trade works evolving smoke 



