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Primary Source 8.2

THE ORIGIN OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY (1645-49)1

A combination of factors gave birth to the period of scientific advancement and innovation in Europe that begin in the seventeenth century. Among these factors were an abiding interest in practical and applied research in European cultures, a strong culture of quantitative reasoning, the development of a scientific approach that combined qualitative and quantitative reasoning, and widespread collaboration among scholars throughout Europe. These new principles and scientific approaches gave rise to countless technological and scientific innovations. Francis Bacon (1561–1620) was an English scientist and philosopher who emphasized the importance of combining empiricism and rationalism in scientific research. He advanced the idea of experimentation and the scientific method. His most famous work was the New Organon which drew upon Aristotle’s Organon as its influence for the title, but was more than simply a sequel to Aristotle’s work: it criticized the state of philosophy and reasoning at that time and brought forth new ideas of philosophy emphasizing deductive scientific reasoning. He also inspired a group of scholars and scientists to form an organization called the Royal Society of London, which met frequently to discuss academic matters and share their ideas with each other. Below is an account of Dr. John Walls on the activities of the Royal Society. The text can be found here.

(A) About the year 1645, while I lived in London (at a time when, by our civil wars, academical studies were much interrupted in both our Universities), beside the conversation of divers eminent divines, as to matters theological, I had the opportunity of being acquainted with divers worthy persons, inquisitive into natural philosophy, and other parts of human learning; and particularly of what hath been called the New Philosophy, or Experimental Philosophy, We did by agreements, divers of us, meet weekly in London on a certain day, to treat and discourse of such affairs; of which number were Dr. John Wilkins (afterward Bishop of Chester), Dr Jonathan Goddard, Dr. George Ent, Dr. Glisson, Dr. Merret (Drs. in Physic), Mr. Samuel Foster, then Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, Mr. Theodore Hank (a German of the Palatinate, and then resident in London, who, I think, gave the first occasion, and first suggested those meetings), and many others. These meetings we held sometimes at Dr. Goddard's lodgings in Wood Street (or some convenient place near), on occasion of his keeping an operator in his house for grinding glasses for telescopes and microscopes; sometimes at a convenient place in Cheapside, and sometimes at Gresham College, or some place near adjoining. Our business was (precluding matters of theology and state affairs) to discourse and consider of Philosophical Enquiries, and such as related thereunto: as physic, anatomy, geometry, astronomy, navigation, statics, magnetics, chemics, mechanics, and natural experiments; with the state of these studies, as then cultivated at home and abroad. We then discoursed of the circulation of the blood, the valves in the veins, the vena lactca, the

1 Charles W. Colby (Ed.), Selections From the Sources of English History (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1911), 196-99. 2 lymphatic vessels, the Copernican hypothesis2, the nature of comets and new stars, the satellites of Jupiter, the oval shape (as it then appeared) of Saturn, the spots in the sun, and its turning on its ovm axis, the inequalities and selenography of the moon, the several phases of Venus and Mercury, the improvement of telescopes, and grinding of glasses for that purpose, the weight of air, the possibility, or impossibility of vacuities, and nature's abhorrence thereof, the Torricellian experiment in quicksilver3, the descent of heavy bodies, and the degrees of acceleration therein; and divers other things of like nature. Some of which were then but new discoveries, and others not so generally known and embraced, as now they are, with other things appertaining to what hath been called The New Philosophy, which from the times of Galileo at Florence, and Sir Francis Bacon {Lord Verulam) in England, hath been much cultivated in Italy, France, Germany, and other parts abroad, as well as with us in England. About the year 1648, 1649, some of our company being removed to Oxford (first Dr. Wilkins, then I, and soon after Dr. Goddard), our company divided. Those in London continued to meet there as before (and we with them when we had occasion to be there), and those of us at Oxford; with Dr. Ward (since Bishop of Salisbury), Dr. Ralph Bathurst (now President of Trinity College in Oxford), Dr. Petty (since Sir William Petty), Dr. Willis (then an eminent physician in Oxford), and divers others, continued such meetings in Oxford, and brought those studies into fashion there; meeting first at Dr. Petty's lodgings (in an apothecary's house), because of the convenience of inspecting drugs, and the like, as there was occasion; and after his remove to Ireland (though not so constantly), at the lodgings of Dr. Wilkin's, then Warden of Wadham College, and after his removal to Trinity College in Cambridge, at the lodgings of the Honourable Mr. Robert Boyle, then resident for divers years in Oxford. (B) We would by no means be thought to slight or undervalue the philosophy of Aristotle, which hath for many ages obtained in the schools. But have (as we ought) a great esteem for him, and judge him to have been a very great man, and think those who do most slight him, to be such as are less acquainted with him. He was a great enquirer into the history of nature, but we do not think (nor did he think) that he had so exhausted the stock of knowledge of that kind as that there would be nothing left for the enquiry of aftertimes, as neither can we of this age hope to find out so much, but that there will be much left for those that come after us. . . . I take its first ground and foundation to have been in London, about the year 1645, if not sooner, when Dr. Wilkins, (then chaplain to the Prince Elector Palatine, in London) and others, met weekly at a certain day and hour, under a certain penalty, and a weekly contribution for the charge of experiments, with certain rules agreed upon amongst us. When (to avoid diversion to other discourses, and for some other reasons) we barred all discourses of divinity, of state affairs, and of news, other than what concerned our business of Philosophy. These meetings we removed soon after to the Bull Head in Cheapside, and in term-time to Gresham College, where we met weekly at Mr. Foster's lecture (then Astronomy Professor there), and, after the lecture ended, repaired, sometimes to Mr.

2 The hypothesis that the sun, rather than the earth, was at the center of the universe and that the stars and planets revolve around a fixed sun. 3 A famous experiment that demonstrated the impact of atmospheric pressure on the movement of a fluid. 3

Foster's lodgings, sometimes to some other place not far distant, where we continued such enquiries, and our numbers increased. About the years 1648-9 some of our company were removed to Oxford; first. Dr. Wilkins, then I, and soon after. Dr. Goddard, whereupon our company divided. Those at London (and we, when we had occasion to be there) met as before. Those of us at Oxford, with Dr. Ward, Dr. Petty, and many others of the most inquisitive persons in Oxford, met weekly (for some years) at Dr. Petty's lodgings, on the like account, to wit, so long as Dr. Petty continued in Oxford, and for some while after, because of the conveniences we had there (being the house of an apothecary) to view, and make use of, drugs and other like matters, as there was occasion. Our meetings there were very numerous and very consider-able. For, besides the diligence of persons studiously inquisitive, the novelty of the design made many to resort thither; who, when it ceased to be new, began to grow more remiss, or did pursue such inquiries at home. We did afterwards (Dr. Petty being gone for Ireland, and our numbers growing less) remove thence; and (some years before His Majesty's return) did meet at Dr. Wilkins's lodgings in Wadham College. In the meanwhile, our company at Gresham College being much again increased, by the accession of divers eminent and noble persons, upon His Majesty's return, we were (about the beginning of the year 1662) by His Majesty's grace and favour, incorporated by the name of the Royal Society.