Council of the Society, had that morning waited upon His Majesty 

 at St. James's Palace, forthe purpose of witnessing the inscribing of 

 the Royal Signature in the Charter Book of the Society, conform- 

 ably with the intention which His Majesty had been graciously 

 pleased to express through the Right Hon. Robert Peel, the Secre- 

 tary of State for the Home Department, in answer to an Address 

 presented to His Majesty by the President and Council, in the name 

 of the Society, in the month of July last. 



His Royal Highness stated that he on this occasion addressed the 

 King to the following effect i 



" Sire, 



" May it please Your Majesty, 



" The President and Council of the Royal Society, instituted for 

 the promotion of natural knowledge, in obedience to your commands, 

 now appear in Your Majesty's presenee, and humbly crave your 

 gracious permission to lay before you the Volume of their Registry 

 for the insertion of your Royal Signature as Patron of their Insti- 

 tution. Under the fostering care of Your Majesty s predecessors 

 this Society has constantly laboured for upwards of one hundred and 

 seventy years in the pursuit of those objects for which it was ori- 

 ginally instituted. This further proof of Your Majesty's favour and 

 patronage will give an additional stimulus to our exertions in the 

 promotion of natural knowledge. 



" While we venture once more to return you our most humble 

 and sincere thanks for the assurances it has pleased you, Sire, to 

 give to us of enjoying your Royal Favour, may we be permitted, in 

 unison with all classes of Your Majesty's faithful and loyal subjects, 

 to offer up our most fervent prayer to the Ruler of all Princes and 

 Kingdoms, for the health, the prosperity, and the happiness of our 

 Most Gracious Sovereign, the patron of every charitable, scientific, 

 and liberal institution." 



To this address His Majesty was pleased to return a most gra- 

 cious answer ; expressing the high sense he had always entertained 

 of the value and importance of science in conducing to the pros- 

 perity, the happiness, and the glory of nations, — an opinion which 

 he had been led to form in early life by witnessing, while engaged 

 in the service of his profession in the navy, the immense practical 

 advantages which result from the cultivation of science ; and as- 

 suring the Society of his earnest desire to promote their objects and 

 foster their exertions in so excellent a cause as that in which they 

 are engaged ; and of his anxious wish that they should cordially co- 

 operate with the scientific and learned men of other countries in the 

 same laudable endeavours to enlarge the boundaries of human know- 

 ledge. 



His Majesty signed his name, in a leaf prepared for the purpose, 

 in the Charter Book, as Patron of the Royal Society. 



The Members of the Council were then severally presented to His 

 Majesty by'His Royal Highness, and had the honour of kissing His 

 Majesty's hand. 



