96 LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 



my Lord Brunkerd, Sir Pauel Neale, Dr. Goddard, Dr. 

 Scarburow, &c. I had notice the last night of your being in 

 towne from some of the gentellmen now named, and of there 

 desire to injoy your company ; their will bee no such number 

 as you usually have scene at such meetinges ; 1 2 is the 

 number invited. Sir, I hope you will excuse the short 

 warning, for it was shorte to mee *. 



Yours to serve you, 



ANTHONY THOMPSON. 



PELL'S RELATION OF A MEETING WITH 

 HOBBES. 



[MS. Birch, Brit. Mus. 4425, fol. 204, Grig.] 



Easter Munday, March 31, 1662. 



This morning Mr. Thomas Hobbesf met me in the Strand, 

 and led me back to Salisbury house, where he brought me 

 into his chamber, and there shewed me his construction of 

 that Probleme, which he said he had solved, namely the 

 Doubling of a Cube. He then told me, that Vicount Brounker 



* I insert this letter because it is a curious memorial of the Royal Society in 

 embryo. It is generally stated, that Dr. Goddard's society terminated on the 

 foundation of the one at Oxford, but this letter proves the contrary. As it may 

 be interesting to the present members of the Royal Society, I insert here a copy 

 of the original regulations of the Society at Oxford, from MS. No. 1810 in the 

 Ashmolean Museum : 



October 23rd, 1651, Order'd 



1 That no man be admitted but with the consent of the major part of the 

 company. 



2. That the votes for admission (to the intent they may be free and without 

 prejudice) be given in secret ; affirmations by blanks, negatives by printed 

 papers put into the box. 



3. That every man's admission be concluded the next day after it is proposed ; 

 so as at the passing of it, there be at the least eleven present. 



4. That every one pay for his admission an equal share to the' money in stock, 

 and two-third parts of it for the instruments in stock, answerable to the number 

 of the company. 



5. If any of the company (being resident in the University) do willingly absent 

 himself from the weekly meeting, without speciall occasion, by the space of six 

 weeks together, he shall be reputed to have left the company, his name from 

 thenceforth to be left out of the catalogue. 



6. That if any man doe not duly upon the day appoynted performe such exer- 



cise or bring in such experiment as shall be appoynted for that day, or in case of 

 necessity provide that the course be supplyed by another, he shall forfeit to the 

 use of the company for his default 2s. 6d., and shall performe his task notwith- 



standing within such reasonable time as the company shall appoyrit. 



7. That one man's fault shall not (as formerly) be any excuse for him that was 

 to succeed the next day, but the course shall goe on. 



8. That the time of meeting be every Thursday before two of the clock. 



[fThis Mr. Hobbes says he was born April 5, 1588.] 



