36 
MEMOIR OP 
Parliament, then sitting in Scotland, and a refe- 
rence by the Parliament to the Privy Council, 
dated August 2, 1621, authorizing them to act in 
the business as they thought fit, and promising 
that their determination should have the form of 
an act of Parliament ; and producing these instru- 
ments to the duke, he immediately pledged him- 
self to see their claims established. The magis- 
trates and surgeon-apothecaries still opposed the 
new institution, and argued their objections before 
the Privy Council. The university and the 
bishops were soothed into compliance by a pro- 
mise, that certain conditions favourable to them 
should be inserted in the patent, so that they not 
merely withdrew their opposition, but became 
“strong solicitors” in its favour. With such 
powerful aid, the matter was at length carried, 
and a draught of the patent being agreed to, was 
sent to London for the king’s sign manual. The 
day after its return, Sibbald translated it into 
Latin, and sent it to the Court of Chancery to be 
transcribed on parchment, and the great seal was 
appended to it at Edinburgh, November 29, 
1681. The names of the first fellows inserted 
in the charter are, — David Hay, Thomas Burnet, 
Matthew Brisbaine, Archibald Stevenson, Andrew 
Balfour, Robert Sibbald, James Livingston, 
Robert Crawford, Robert Trotter, Matthew Sin- 
clair, James Stewart, William Stevenson, Alex- 
