Foundation and Early History. 3 



1646-47), and to Samuel Hartlib (May 8, 1647), he speaks of "The 

 Invisible College."* 



The Oxford Society became in 1651 the Philosophical Society of 

 Oxford, of which meetings continued to be held at irregular intervals 

 until 1690 when they ceased. The London Society continued to 

 meet until about the year 1658, " usually at Gresham College, at the 

 Wednesday's and Thursday's lectures of Dr. Wren and Mr. Rook, 

 where there joined with them several eminent persons of their com- 

 mon acquaintance : The Lord Viscount Brouncker, the now Lord 

 Brereton, Sir Paul Neil, Mr. John Evelyn, Mr. Henshaw, Mr. Slingsby, 

 Dr. Timothy Clarke, Dr. Ent, Mr. Ball, Mr. Hill, Dr. Crone, and 

 diverse other gentlemen, whose inclinations lay the same way. This 

 custom was observed once, if not twice, a week in term-time ; till 

 they were scattered by the miserable distractions of that fatal year ; 

 till the continuance of their meetings there might have made them 

 run the hazard of the fate of Archimedes : for then the place of their 

 meeting was made a quarter for soldiers.'^ 



In 1660 the meetings at Gresham College were revived, and on the 

 28th November in that year the first Journal-book of the Society was 

 opened with the following entry : 



"Memorandum that Novemb. 28, 1660, These persons following, 

 according to the usuall custom of most of them, rnett together at 

 Gresham Colledge to heare Mr. Wren's lecture, viz. The Lord 

 Brouncker, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Bruce, Sir Robert Moray, Sir Paul Neile, 

 Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Petty, Mr. Ball, Mr. Rooke, Mr. 

 Wren, Mr. Hill. And after the lecture was ended, they did, accord- 

 ing to the usual manner, withdrawe for niutuall converse. Where 

 amongst other matters that were discoursed of, something was 

 offered about a designe of founding a Colledge for the promoting of 

 Physico-Mathemafcicall Experimentall Learning. And because they 

 had these frequent occasions of meeting with one another, it was 

 proposed that some course might be thought of, to improve this meet- 

 ing to a more regular way of debating things, and according to the 

 manner in other country es, where there were voluntary associations 

 of men in academies, for the advancement of various parts of learn- 

 ing, so they might doe something answerable here for the promoting 

 of experimentall philosophy. 



"In order to which, it was agreed that this Company would con- 

 tinue their weekly meeting on Wednesday, at 3 of the clock in the 

 tearme time, at Mr. Rooke's chamber at Gresham Colledge ; in the 

 vacation, at Mr. Ball's chamber in the Temple. And towards the 

 defraying of occasionall expenses, every one should, at his first ad- 



* Sprat's 'Life of the Honourable Eobert Boyle,' prefixed to Boyle's 'Works/ 

 folio, London, 1744, pp. 17, 20, 24. 



f Sprat's ' History of the Eoyal Society ' (1734), p. 57. 



B 2 



