TRANSLATION OF FIRST CHARTER 65 



a corporal oath first to be taken by such Deputy upon the holy But be must flwt be 



Gospels of God, in the form and effect last specified, well and faith- 



fully to execute all and singular things which pertain to the office of more of them - 



1 'resident, before the aforesaid Council of the aforesaid Royal Society, 



or any seven or more of them ; and so as often as the case shall so 



happen : to which same Council, or to any seven or more of them, for 



the time being, we do give and grant by these presents power and 



authority to administer the oath aforesaid as often as the case shall 



so happen, without procuring or obtaining any writ, commission, or 



further warrant in that behalf from us, our heirs, or successors. 



And further we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and 

 successors do grant to the aforesaid President, Council, and Fellows The President, 

 of the Royal Society aforesaid, and to their successors, that they and 

 their successors henceforth for ever may and shall have one Treasurer, ^ 

 two Secretaries, one Clerk, and two Serjeants-at-Mace, who may from serjeante-at-Maoe : 

 time to time attend upon the President ; and that the aforesaid 

 Treasurer, Secretaries, Clerk, and Serjeants-at-Mace, to be elected 

 and nominated, before they be admitted to execute their several and 

 respective offices, shall take their corporal oaths in the form and effect who are all to be 

 last specified, before the President and Council of the same Royal 

 Society, or any seven or more of them, rightly, well, and faithfully to 

 execute their several and respective offices in all things touching the 

 same ; and that after having so taken such oaths, as it is aforesaid, they 

 may exercise and use their respective offices ; to which same President 

 and Council, or to any seven or more of them, we do give and grant 

 by these presents full power and authority to administer the oaths 

 aforesaid from time to time to the aforesaid several and respective 

 officers and their successors : And we have assigned, nominated, chosen, 

 created, appointed, and made, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and 

 successors do assign, nominate, choose, create, appoint, and make, our 

 beloved subjects William Balle, Esquire, to be and become the first and William Baiie ap- 

 present Treasurer, and the aforesaid John Wilkins and Henry Oldenburg 

 to be and become the first and present Secretaries, of the aforesaid Royal 

 Society; to be continued in the same offices until the aforesaid feast of And on every gt 

 St. Andrew the Apostle next following after the date of these presents : ^J^ 8 ^^ 6 ^ 1 

 And that from time to time and at all times on the aforesaid feast of the President, Coun- 

 Saint Andrew the Apostle (unless it shall be Sunday, and if it be Sunday, 



then on the day next following) the President, Council, and Fellows of 



the aforesaid Royal Society for the time being, or the major part 



the same (of whom we will the President for the time being to be one), surer, Secretaries, 



111-1, . . j i. j.i_ Clerk, and Serjeants- 



may be able and have power to elect, nominate, and appoint other a t-Mace : who, after 

 upright and discreet men, from time to time, as Treasurer, Secretaries, ^SSTuTthe'nett 

 Clerk, and Serjeants-at-Mace of the aforesaid Royal Society ; and that St. Andrew's Day. 



F 



