siderable quantity of ground, and great part of it lying waste, good improvement might be made by rebuilding it." The Bill passed through the Commons, but at the second reading in the House of Lords it was thrown out upon the petition of Hooke, who had opposed it from the beginning in the strongest manner. Shortly after Hooke's death, the Trustees, who were exceedingly annoyed at the loss of their Bill, again brought it forward. Before introducing it into the House of Commons, they acquainted the Royal Society that they were desirous of " accommodating them with conveniences for their meetings, repository, and library." The Council "Ordered their humble thanks to be given to the Committee by the President, and desired Sir Christopher Wren that he would please to take the trouble of viewing the design and project, and consider what accommodations the Society wanted, and to resolve by changing or purchasing ground fit for their affairs, to add to what the Committees offer for their accommodation 36 "

36"

Wren accordingly examined the design, and drew up a document entitled, Proposals for building a House for the Royal Society :

"It is proposed as absolutely necessary for the continuing the Royall Society at Gresham Colledge, that they should have a place so seated in the said ground, that the coaches of the Members, (some of which are of very great quality) may have easy access, and that the building consist of these necessary parts.

"1. A good cellar under ground, so high above it as to have good lights for the use of an elaboratory, and housekeeper.

36 Council-minutes, Vol. 1. p. 120.

"2. The story above may have a fair room and a large closet.

"3. A place for a repository over them.

"4. A place for the Library over the repository. "5. A place covered with lead for observing the heavens.

"6. A good stair-case from bottom to top.

"7. A reasonable area behind it, to give light to the back-rooms.

"All which may be comprised in a space of ground 40 foot in front, and 60 foot deep37."

In consequence, however, of the insertion of a clause in the new Bill, "that the Trustees should be obliged and required to build these houses, hall, and almshouses, for the lecturers and almsfolks, within five years from the passing of this Act, upon the penalty of two thousand pounds," exception was taken, and the bill was rejected by the Commons on its first reading 38. All prospect of procuring better accommodation being thus at an end, the Council considered the expediency of removing from the College. At their Meeting, held on the 21 April, 1703, it was Resolved, that the Society should purchase a place of abode for themselves; and it was ordered that a Committee, consisting of Mr. Isted, Mr. Hill, Dr. Tyson, Sir John Hoskyns, Dr. Sloane, and the Treasurer, should consider of a place to build on, or buy, and lay their thoughts before the Society."

66

37 The original of this document is preserved in the Archives of the Royal Society.

38 Stow's London, Second Appendix, Vol. IV. p. 22, edit. 1720. Commons' Journals, Vol. XIV. p. 426. It would appear by the petition that the Mercers' Company were considerably embarrassed.

From this period until the Society removed, the Council-minutes make frequent mention of the labours of the Committee, who reported on various localities and houses, which appeared suitable for the purposes of the Society. Amongst these was a house in Whitehall, and ground for building in the Savoy, and near St. James's Park. The Duke of Bedford also offered the Society "an estate of inheritance, or a lease of ground for 61 years;" but as these proposals did not meet the approbation of the Council, the Society meanwhile continued to occupy their apartments in Gresham College.

At the Anniversary in 1703 Lord Somers retired from the Presidency, and Sir Isaac Newton was elected to this high office, which even in those early days of the Society was regarded as conferring great honour and distinction upon the individual selected to fill it. In this case, the election was alike honourable to the Society and to Newton. It is not a little remarkable that he was chosen into the Council for the first time, and elected President, on the same day. The cause of his not having been called earlier to the Councils of the Society, arose probably from the jealousy of Hooke, which betrayed itself in so melancholy a manner for some years previous to his decease, that it is hardly possible to conceive how Newton could have sat at the same board with him. It is well known that Newton decided not to publish his Optics during the lifetime of Hooke; tolerably conclusive evidence of his wish not to expose himself to the attacks of the irritable philosopher, of whom Biot said, in the

39 In the Preface to the Optics, written a short time after

Hooke's

words which had before been applied by D'Alembert to Fontaine, Hooke est mort;-c'était un homme de génie, et un mauvais homme; la Société y gagne plus que la géométrie n'y perd!

Hooke's death, Newton says: "To avoid being engaged in disputes about these matters, I have hitherto delayed the printing."

Showing the Solar Dials which he made when a boy.

CHAPTER XIV.

Memoir of Sir Isaac Newton-His constant attendance at the Meetings Presents his Optics to the Society-Prince George of Denmark elected-Requested by the Society to print Flamsteed's Observations-He consents to defray the ExpenseCommittee appointed to superintend the Publication-Flamsteed's Dissatisfaction-Painful Dispute-He burns the Historia Coelestis-Prints a more perfect edition at his own expenseNewton's Propositions for Financial Improvements-Papin's Proposal to construct Steam-vessel-Edinburgh Philosophical Society-Death of Sir G. Copley-His Bequest-Devoted at first to Experiments-Gold Medal afterwards adoptedAwarded to Dr. Franklin-Mercers' Company give notice of their intention to withhold Apartments-Petition to the Queen for Land in Westminster-Application to Trustees of Cotton Library-Purchase of Dr. Brown's House in Crane Court-Objections by some of the Fellows-Proceedings of Council with respect to the Removal-First Meeting in Crane Court-Regret of the Gresham Professors on the Departure of the Society.

IT

1700-10.

T has devolved on me, in the course of this work, to notice the principal discoveries of Newton, which, as already shown, were communicated to the Royal Society. To these, therefore, we need only slightly allude, the object of this memoir being to give such an outline of the life of their author, as may refresh the memory of the reader, who will see that, amidst occupations of great care and responsibility, which would alone have engrossed all the time and thoughts of an ordinary mind, the greatest of all philosophers found opportunities to attend not only to onerous public duties, but also to the affairs