ADVERTISEMENT. 
r ti 'HE Committee appointed by the Royal Society 
J to direct the publication of the PhiloJ'ophical 
PranfaSliom, take this opportunity to acquaint the 
public, that it fully appears, as well from the council- 
books and journals of the Society, as from repeated 
declarations, which have been made in feveral for- 
mer PranfaSHom , that the printing of them was al- 
ways, from time to time, the tingle a£t of the re- 
fpedtive Secretaries, till the Forty-feventh Volume. 
And this information was thought the more neceffary, 
not only as it has been the common opinion, that they 
were published by the authority, and under the di- 
rection, of the Society itfelf ; but alfo, becaufe feveral 
authors, both at home and abroad, have in their writ- 
ings called them the PranJaSliom of the Royal Society. 
Whereas in truth the Society, as a body, never did 
intereft themfelves any further in their publication, 
than by occafionally recommending the revival of 
them to fome of their fecretaries, when, from the par- 
ticular circumftances of their affairs, the PranfaRtiom 
had happened for any length of time to be intermitted. 
And this feems principally to have been done with a 
view to fatisfy the public, that their ufual meetings 
were then continued for the improvement of know- 
ledge, and benefit of mankind, the great ends of their 
fir ft inflitution by the Royal Charters, and which they 
have ever fince fteadily purfued. 
But the Society being of late years greatly inlarged, 
and their communications more numerous, it was 
thought advifeable, that a Committee of their Mem- 
bers fhould be appointed to reconfider the papers read 
before them, and- feleCt out of them fuch, as they 
a 2 fhould 
