A History of 

 The Royal Dublin Society 



CHAPTER I 



ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY 



Although the Royal Society of London was not 

 founded until the year 1660, it is a well ascertained 

 fact that long prior to that date a number of scientific 

 men were wont to meet together in London for the 

 discussion of subjects interesting to them. The Oxford 

 Philosophical Society, which commenced its career in 

 165 1 — a continuation or offset of one that occasionally 

 met in Gresham College, London, and numbered among 

 its members Sir William Petty — largely influenced the 

 beginning, and helped to mould the early form, of the 

 Royal Society. The troubled state of the country pre- 

 vented regular meetings of the philosophers at Gresham 

 College ; but they still held to their purpose, and 

 Evelyn's design and plan for a Scientific College, pro- 

 pounded in 1659 in a letter to the Hon. Robert Boyle, 

 is believed to have also had no small part in furthering 

 the foundation of the Royal Society, when, on the Re- 

 storation, the affairs of the kingdom were once more 

 placed on surer ground. Sir William Petty, in addi- 

 tion, formulated a scheme for a Scientific Academy, and, 



A 



