Foundation and Early History. 7 



and for any other service, as the Curators who employ him shall 

 judge reasonable. 



" That at every meeting, three or more of the Society be desired 

 that they would please to be reporters for that meeting, to sitt at 

 table with the Register and take notes of all that shall be mate- 

 rially offered to the Society and debated in it, who together may 

 form a report against the next meeting to be filed by the Register. 



" When the admission-money comes to 20Z., then to stop." 



At a subsequent meeting, held December 19, 1660, it was " ordered 

 that the next meeting should be at Gresham Colledge, and so from 

 weeke to weeke till further order," the suggestion that the Society 

 should meet at the College of Physicians being given up. 



On the 6th March, 1660-61, Sir Robert Moray (one of the Privy 

 Council and of great influence with the King) was chosen President, 

 and 011 April 10th was re-elected ** for an other month." 



It would appear that some time previous to 16th October, 1661, 

 the Society had petitioned His Majesty to incorporate them, for 011 

 that day "Sir Robert Moray acquainted the Society that liee and 

 Sr. Paul Neile kiss'd the King's hands in the Company's Name, and 

 is intreated by them to return most humble thancks to His Majesty 

 for the Reference he was pleased to graunt of their Petition : and 

 to this favour and honour hee was pleased to offer of him selfe to 

 bee enter'd one of the Society." 



The Charter of Incorporation (see p. 19) passed the Great Seal on 

 the loth July, 1662. This is, therefore, the date of the beginning of 

 the Royal Society. The Charter was read before the Society on the 

 13th August of the same year, and on the 29th the President, 

 Council, and Fellows went to Whitehall and returned their thanks to 

 His Majesty. 



The first Charter, however, did not give the Fellows all the privi- 

 leges which they desired, and, representations having been made, a 

 second Charter (see p. 44), supplying the desired privileges, and re- 

 taining all the clauses of incorporation contained in the first Charter, 

 passed the Great Seal on the 22nd of April, 1663, and was read 

 before the Society on the 13th May following. In 1669 a third 

 Charter (see p. 73) was given, but this does little more than grant io 

 the Society lands in Chelsea (the Chelsea College), and while con- 

 firming the powers given by the second Charter makes some slight 

 changes. It is practically the second Charter which ensures the 

 Society its privileges, and by which the Society has since been, and 

 continues to be, governed. 



The list* of the President and Council, named by the second Charter, 

 and of the Fellows nominated by them, is as follows : 



* Reprinted from Thomson's * History of the Royal Society.' 



