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THE EOYAL SOCIETY — TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY. 



The President, Sir Benjamin Brodie, in his Address on St. 

 Andrew's Day, thus comprehensively sketched the foundation and 

 history of the Royal Society : — 



Tt was on the 2Sth of November, just two hundred years ago, that 

 several eminent individuals, who had previously been in the habit of 

 meeting for the purpose of communicating with each other on 

 subjects of common interest, assembled in Gresham College, and 

 agreed to form themselves into a Society, having for its object the 

 promoting of physico-mathematical experimental learning. When 

 they reassembled in the following week, it was reported to them that 

 what they proposed was highly approved by the reigning Monarch, 

 who intimated at the same time his desire to do what lay in his power 

 towards promoting so useful an undertaking. Accordingly, steps 

 were taken for the incorporation of the Society under Royal Charter, 

 that charter being conferred on them, in due form, two years after- 

 wards. Such was the origin of the institution, to which the world 

 is indebted for the long series of scientific memoirs contained in the 

 150 volumes of the Philosophical Transactions. The publication of 

 these 'Transactions, however, was not begun until the year lo'Go, and 

 then only in the form of a few pages, produced at uncertain intervals, 

 which, being collected, made a thin volume at the end of the year. 

 Many years elapsed before the Transactions became of larger dimen- 

 sions. But we must not, therefore, suppose because so little was 

 done in the way of publication, that little was really done for the 

 promotion of the objects which the founders of the Royal Society had 

 in view. At this time, Lord Bacon had already pointed out the 

 right method to be pursued for the advancement of learning ; and 

 the abstract science of Geometry, inherited from an ancient nation, 

 iiad been partially applied in the investigation of the physical 

 sciences. ^Nevertheless, it cannot be said that any of these sciences 

 were otherwise than in an infant state ; and some of those which are 

 now the greatest subjects of attention, for instance Chemistry, and 

 Geology, had scarcely been called into existence. There was, indeed, 

 as yet, no sufficient number of facts collected on which the super- 

 structure of science could be raised. The founders of the Royal 

 Society well comprehended what was required. They had the good 

 sense to begin at tin; beginning, and their first endeavours m 



collect a large number of facta by a coarse of experimental Inquiry, 

 The early records of the Society furnish us with valuable information 



as to this part Of their labours, and give us a more just notion of 

 what the society accomplished in those days than can lie obtained 



from the PhiioKphieal Irantactiotu themselves. Ths Eunon Books 

 was appointed experimentalist ; and anaooount of tin' various ex- 

 periments mads during the above period would of itself firm an in- 

 structive volume. It might not, indeed, add much to our knowledge, 



