First Charter. 31 



E6 quod expressa mentio de vero valore annuo vel de 

 <3ertitudine praemissorum sive eoram alicujus, aut de aliis 

 donis sive coiicessionibus per nos seu per aliquem pro- 

 o-enitorum. sive praedecessorum nostrorum praefatis 

 Praesidi Concilio et Sodalibus Recalls Societatis ante 

 haec tempora factis, in praesentibus minime facta existit ; 

 .aut aliquo statute actu ordinatione provisione proclama- 

 iione sive restrictione in contrarium iude antehac habito 

 facto edito ordinato sive proviso, aut aliqua alia re causa 

 vel materia quacunque, in aliquo non obstante. 



In cujus rei testimoriiuni has Literas nostras fieri fecimus 

 Patentes. TESTE Me ipso, apud Westinonasterium, quinto 

 <docimo die Julii, anno regni nostri decimo quarto. 



Per ipsum Begem. 



HOWARD.* 



FIRST CHARTER, 



^Granted to the President, Council, and Fellows 

 of the Royal Society of London, by King 

 Charles the Second, A.D. 1662. 



Charles the Second, by the grace of God King of 

 'England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the 

 Faith, &c., to all to whom these present Letters shall 

 come, greeting. 



We have long and fully resolved with Ourself to 

 extend not only the boundaries of the Empire, but also 

 the very arts and sciences. Therefore we look with 

 favour upon all forms of learning, but with particular 

 grace we encourage philosophical studies, especially those 



* This document, with those of a similar nature, subsequently 

 granted to the Society, are preserved in a strong box in the apart- 

 ments of the Royal Society. The first Charter is on four skins of 

 vellum; it was drawn by Sir Robert Sawyer, then Attorney-General, 

 and is remarkable for its clearness and legal terseness. The first 

 skin contains some remarkably handsome ornamented capitals and 

 flowers, with a finely executed Portrait of Charles II. in Indian ink 

 within the initial letter C. The Great Seal of the Kingdom in green 

 wax is appended to the Charter. 



