And After The Restoration, His Majesty King
Charles II.
Appeared so well pleased with the design, that he
granted them a charter of incorporation, bearing date the 22nd
Of
April, 15 Charles II., anno 1663, wherein he styled himself their
founder, patron, and companion; and the society was from
thenceforward to consist of a president, a council of twenty, and as
many fellows as should be thought worthy of admission, with a
treasurer, secretary, curators, and other officers.
When a gentleman desires to be admitted to the society, he procures
one of the Corporation to recommend him as a person duly qualified,
whereupon his name is entered in a book, and proper inquiries made
concerning his merit and abilities; and if the gentleman is approved
of, he appears in some following assembly, and subscribes a paper,
wherein he promises that he will endeavour to promote the welfare of
the society: and the president formally admits him by saying, "I
do, by the authority and in the name of the Royal Society of London
for improving of natural knowledge, admit you a member thereof."
Whereupon the new fellow pays forty shillings to the treasurer, and
two-and-fifty shillings per annum afterwards by quarterly payments,
towards the charges of the experiments, the salaries of the officers
of the house, &c.
Behind the house they have a repository, containing a collection of
the productions of nature and art. They have also a well-chosen
library, consisting of many thousand volumes, most of them relating
to natural philosophy; and they publish from time to time the
experiments made by them, of which there are a great number of
volumes, called "Philosophical Transactions."
The Hospital of St. Bartholomew, on the south side of Smithfield, is
contiguous to the church of Little St. Bartholomew.
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