License to purchase in Mortmain to 1000 yearly. 97 



A LICENSE for purchasing in MORTMAIN to the yearly 

 value of One Thousand Pounds, granted to the Pre- 

 sident, Council, and Fellows of the EOYAL SOCIETY 

 of London, by King GEORGE the FIKST, in the year 

 MDCCXXV.* 



" GEORGE by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and 

 Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc., to all to whom these 

 presents shall come, greeting. WHEREAS our trusty and well- 

 beloved the President, Council, and Fellows, of the Royal Society 

 of our City of London for improving natural knowledge, have by 

 their Petition humbly represented unto us, that our late Royal Pre- 

 decessor, King Charles the Second, by Letters Patents,f bearing 

 date the Two-and-twentieth day of April, in the Fifteenth year of his 

 reign, did ordain constitute and appoint the said Royal Society of 

 London for improving natural knowledge, and did thereby grant 

 them Licence to purchase in Mortmain ; that since the grant of the 

 said Letters Patents, several well-disposed Persons have .devised and 

 granted to the Petitioners, and their successors, divers lands and 

 hereditaments, and given several sums of money to them, for the use 

 of the said corporation ; that the Petitioners being desirous to 

 invest the same money in the most durable manner, for the im- 

 provement of the said corporation, have most humbly prayed us to 

 grant to them our Royal Licence to hold and enjoy the lands and 

 hereditaments, which have been devised and granted to them ; to 

 purchase hold and enjoy to them, and their successors for ever, for 

 the use and benefit of the said corporation, such manors, lands, tene- 

 ments, and hereditaments, as they shall think fit to purchase, or shall 

 receive by will, or any deed of conveyance, not exceeding the yearly 

 value of One thousand pounds : We are graciously pleased to grant 

 their request. KNOW YE therefore, that we, of our especial grace 

 certain knowledge and meer motion, HAVE given and granted, and 

 by these presents for us our heirs and successors DO give and grant, 

 unto the President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of our 

 city of London for improving natural knowledge aforesaid, and 

 their successors, our especial Licence, full power, and lawful and 

 absolute authority, to hold and enjoy the lands and hereditaments, 

 which have been already devised or granted to the said corporation, 

 as aforesaid ; and also to purchase acquire take hold and receive in 



* Keprinted from Weld's ' History of the Eoyal Society.' 

 f So in the Original. 



