The front of the house, towards the garden, is about 42 ft. long; but that towards Crane Court not above 30 foot. Upon the ground-floor there is a little hall, and a direct passage from the stairs into the garden, about 4 or 5 foot wide; and on each side of it, a little room about 15 ft. long, and 16 ft. broad. The stairs are easie which carry you up to the next floor. Here there is a room fronting the Court, directly over the hall, and of the same bigness. And towards the garden is the Meeting-room, which is 25 foot long, and 16 foot broad. At the end of this room there is another (also fronting the garden) 12 foot long, and 16 broad. The three rooms upon the next floor are of the same bigness with those I have last described. These are all that are as yet provided for the reception of the Society; except you will add the garrets, a platform of lead over them, and the usual cellars, &c. below, of which they have more and better at Gresham College. The garden is but 42 foot long, and 27 broad, and the coach-house and stables are 40 foot long, and 20 foot broad."

He then states, that on the Wednesday following effectual care was taken, at a Meeting of Council, to give the finishing stroke before they parted. Of the fourteen Fellows that then appear'd, there were two only who dissented." "The President was so elated with his success," adds the author, "that he presently summon'd another Council, to meet at the house in Crane Court; and at the same time gave notice that the ordinary Meetings would begin there on Wednesday, Nov. 8."

It is rather remarkable, that neither the Coun

24 There are only thirteen enumerated in the Council-book.

cil nor Journal-books contain any Minute to this effect.

An ordinary Meeting was held on the 8th November (the Minutes of which are duly entered), but whether at Crane Court or Gresham College, is not mentioned. There is no doubt, however, that on the above day the Royal Society met for the first time in Crane Court. Ward, in his preface to the Lives of the Gresham Professors, says, "The year 1710 proved very unfortunate to the College, by the removal of the Royal Society; who, having purchased the house of the late Dr. Brown, in Crane Court, Fleet Street, began their Meetings there on the 8th November that year. And not long after, their library and repository were also removed thither. Thus were these two learned bodies, both founded for the improvement of knowledge, and benefit of the public, at length separated, after they had continued together 50 years, except when necessarily parted for a time by reason of the Great Fire. While the Royal Society held their Meetings at Gresham College, such of the Professors who were Members of it were, in civility, excused from their annual payments, and felt little inconvenience from the want of a college-library; but after the books of the Society were removed, they became sensible of that disadvantage 25."

In the Account of the Rise, Foundation, Progress, and Present State of Gresham College, published anonymously in 1707, we have evidence that the College was deriving at that period, and for many years previously, its chief renown from the Royal Society.

25 Lives of the Gresham Professors, p. 18.

The writer says: "It must indeed be acknowledged, to the great honour of the Royal Society, that Gresham College has not been altogether barren and unfruitful; but that illustrious body has been the main, if not only occasion that this College has not by this time lost its name 26." This, it will be seen, was written only three years before the change took place.

It is easy to understand that the removal of the Society from Gresham College, where, as an incorporated body, they drew their first breath, and which cradled them during half-a-century, was keenly felt by many of the Fellows, who were probably ignorant of the reasons that influenced the Council; but an acquaintance with all the circumstances of the case leads us to the conclusion, that the Council had no other alternative but to engage the most suitable accommodation for the Society that was to be found. It will be remembered, that they were apprised by the Mercers' Company that they had resolved not to grant the Society any room at all; and it appears, moreover, that the College was in a most dilapidated condition. In the petition of the Mercers' Company, praying for leave to introduce a Bill into Parliament, to enable them to pull down, and rebuild Gresham College, the latter is represented as being "in a most crazy state, not worth repairing, if even the Company had the means of doing so, which was not the case." This was probably another motive for determining the Council to remove; and it must not be forgotten, that at the period of the change, and for some years previously, the Society were actually pay-'

26 P. 15.

27 This petition may be seen at length in the Journals of the Commons, Vol. XIV. p. 426.

ing 327. a year for the use of some of the Professors' apartments.

With regard to the question, whether Dr. Brown's house was more eligible for the purposes of the Society, than other houses which were to be rented or purchased, it is manifestly impossible to offer any opinion; but when we reflect that the Society occupied the building, as we shall see, for a period of 72 years, gathering fresh renown, and extending their reputation more and more, as time flowed on, we have strong presumptive evidence that the Council did not make an injudicious choice.

CHAPTER XV.

House occupied by the Society in Crane Court-Fellows subscribe to defray the expense of Repairs-Ode by a Frenchman to the Society-Society appointed Visitors of Royal Observatory, by Royal Warrant-Flamsteed's Vexation-His Conduct on the occasion-Visitors examine the Observatory-Recommend Repairs and new Instruments-Ordnance decline to undertake the work-Queen wishes the Society to take care of the Observatory-Appointment of celebrated Committee on the disputed Invention of Fluxions-Historical Account of the Dispute Report of Committee-Society adopt the ReportLeibnitz dissatisfied-Appeals to the Society through Chamberlayne-Society confirm the Report of their Committee in favour of Newton-Remarkable Error of Writers on this Subject-Probable Origin of the Error-Foreign Ambassadors attend the Meetings-Experiments exhibited before themQueen orders her Foreign Ministers to assist in promoting the Objects of the Society-Fossil Remains sent from AmericaPhilosophical Society established at Spalding-Curious List of the Fellows published-Bequests to the Royal Society-Foreign Secrtary appointed-Opinion of Attorney-General-Petition to George I. for Licence to purchase or hold lands in MortmainKing grants the prayer of the Society.

1710-25.

THE

HE march of improvement, which has changed so much of old London, has not yet penetrated into the quiet court, made classical by the abode of the Royal Society for so many years.

The exterior of the house remains unaltered, though the interior has undergone some changes, with the view of adapting it to the wants of the Scottish Hospital, to which it is devoted. Happily, however, the room in which the Society met is in the same condition as when Newton occupied the presidential chair,