ModernHistorySourcebook: Dr. John Wallis: The Originof The Royal Society, 1645-1662
FromAccount of Some Passagesofhis Life, 1700
About the year 1645, while I lived in London (at a timewhen, byourcivilwars, academicalstudiesweremuchinterrupted in bothourUniversities), beside the conversationofdiverseminentdivines, astomatterstheological, I had the opportunityofbeingacquaintedwithdiversworthypersons, inquisitive intonaturalphilosophy, and otherpartsofhumanlearning; and particularlyofwhathasbeencalled the New Philosophy, or ExperimentalPhilosophy. Wedidbyagreements, diversofus, meetweekly in London on a certainday, totreat and discourseofsuchaffairs; ofwhichnumberwereDr. John Wilkins (afterwardBishopof Chester), Dr. Jonathan Goddard, Dr. George Ent, Dr. Glisson, Dr. Merret(Drs. in Physic), Mr. Samuel Foster, then Professor ofAstronomy at Gresham College, Mr. Theodore Hank (a Germanof the Palatinate, and thenresident in London, who, I think, gave the first occasion, and first suggestedthosemeetings), and manyothers. Thesemeetingsweheldsometimes at Dr. Goddard'slodgings in Wood Street (or some convenientplacenear), on occasionofhiskeepinganoperator in his house forgrindingglassesfortelescopes and microscopes; sometimes at a convenientplace in Cheapside, and sometimes at Gresham College, or some placenearadjoining.
Our business was (precludingmattersoftheology and state affairs), todiscourse and considerofPhilosophicalEnquiries, and suchasrelatedthereunto: asphysic, anatomy, geometry, astronomy, navigation, statics, magnetics, chemics, mechanics, and naturalexperiments; with the state ofthesestudies, asthencultivated at home and abroad. Wethendiscoursedof the circulationof the blood, the valves in the veins, the venaelactae, the lymphaticvessels, the Copernicanhypothesis, the nature ofcomets and newstars, the satellitesofJupiter, the ovalshape (asitthenappeared) ofSaturn, the spots in the sun, and itsturning on itsownaxis, the inequalities and selenographyof the moon, the severalphasesofVenus and Mercury, the improvementoftelescopes, and grindingofglassesforthatpurpose, the weightof air, the possibility, or impossibilityofvacuities, and nature'sabhorrencethereof, the Torricellianexperiment in quicksilver, the descentofheavybodies, and the degreesofaccelerationtherein; and diversotherthingsoflike nature. Some ofwhichwerethenbutnewdiscoveries, and othersnot so generallyknown and embraced, asnowthey are, withotherthingsappertainingtowhathasbeencalledThe New Philosophy, whichfrom the timesofGalileo at Florence, and Sir Francis Bacon (Lord Verulam) in England, hasbeenmuchcultivated in Italy, France, Germany, and otherpartsabroad, aswellaswithus in England.
About the year 1648, 1649, some ofour company beingremovedto Oxford (first Dr. Wilkins, then I, and soonafterDr. Goddard), our company divided. Those in London continuedtomeetthereasbefore (and wewiththemwhenwehadoccasiontobethere), and thoseofus at Oxford; withDr. Ward (sinceBishopof Salisbury), Dr. Ralph Bathurst (nowPresidentofTrinity College in Oxford), Dr. Petty(sinceSir William Petty), Dr. Willis (thenaneminentphysician in Oxford), and diversothers, continuedsuchmeetings in Oxford, and broughtthosestudiesinto fashion there; meeting first at Dr. Petty'slodgings (in anapothecary's house), becauseof the convenienceofinspectingdrugs, and the like, astherewasoccasion; and afterhisremovetoIreland (thoughnot so constantly), at the lodgingsof the Honorable Mr. Robert Boyle, thenresidentfordiversyears in Oxford.
Wewouldby no meansbethoughttoslight or undervalue the philosophyofAristotle, whichhasformanyagesobtained in the schools. Buthave (asweought) a greatesteemforhim, and judgehimtohavebeen a verygreat man, and thinkthosewho do mosttoslighthim, tobesuchas are lessacquaintedwithhim. Hewas a greatenquirerinto the historyof nature, butwe do notthink (nordidhethink), thathehad so exhausted the stock ofknowledgeofthatkindasthattherewouldbenothingleftfor the enquiryofaftertimes, asneither can weofthisagehopetofind out so much, butthattherewillbemuchleftforthosethat come afterus.....
FromA Defenceof the Royal Society, 1678
I take its [the RoyalSociety's] first ground and foundationtohavebeen in London, about the year 1645, when Dr. Wilkins (thenchaplainto the Prince Elector Palatine, in London), and others, metweekly at a certainday and hour, under a certain penalty, and a weeklycontributionfor the chargeofexperiments, withcertainrulesagreeduponamongus. When (toavoiddiversiontootherdiscourses, and for some otherreasons), webarredalldiscoursesofdivinity, of state affairs, and of news, otherthanwhatconcernedour business ofPhilosophy. Thesemeetingsweremovedsoonafterto the Bull Head in Cheapside, and in term-timetoGresham College, wherewemetweekly at Mr. Foster'slecture (thenAstronomy Professor there), and, after the lectureended, repaired, sometimesto Mr. Foster'slodgings, sometimesto some otherplacenot far distant, wherewecontinuedsuchenquiries, and ournumbersincreased.
About the years 1648-9 some ofour company wereremovedto Oxford; first, Dr. Wilkins, then I, and soonafter, Dr. Goddard, whereuponour company divided. Those at London (and we, whenwehadoccasiontobethere) metasbefore. Thoseofus at Oxford, with Dr. Ward, Dr. Petty, and manyothersof the most inquisitive persons in Oxford, metweekly (for some years) at Dr. Petty'slodgings, on the like account, towit, so long as Dr. Pettycontinued in Oxford, and for some whileafter, becauseof the convenienceswehadthere (being the house ofanapothecary) toview, and makeuseof, drugs and otherlikematters, astherewasoccasion.
Ourmeetingstherewereverynumerous and veryconsiderable. For, besides the diligenceofpersonsstudiously inquisitive, the noveltyof the design mademanytoresortthere; who, whenitceasedtobenew, begantogrow more remiss, or didpursuesuchinquiries at home. Wedidafterwards (Dr. PettybeinggoneforIreland, and ournumbersgrowingless), removethence; and (some yearsbeforeHisMajesty'sreturn) didmeet at Dr. Wilkins' lodgings in Wadham College. In the meanwhile, our company at Gresham College beingmuchagainincreased, by the accessionofdiverseminent and noblepersons, uponHisMajesty'sreturn, wewere(about the beginningof the year 1662) byHisMajesty'sgrace and favor, incorporatedby the nameof The Royal Society.
Source:
From: Charles W. Colby, ed., Selectionsfrom the Sourcesof English History, (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1920), pp. 196-199.
Scannedby Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text hasbeenmodernizedby Prof. Arkenberg.