Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/162

 may do by virtue of his Majesty's Letters Patents, be the said Deputy being duly sworn before the Council in Form before specified, who are impower'd to administer the Oath as often as the Case shall require.

It is farther granted to the Society, to have one Treasurer, two Secretaries, two or more Curators of Experiments, one or more Clerk or Clerks, and also two Serjeants at Mace, who may from time to time attend on the President; all the said Officers to be chosen by the President, Council and Fellows, and to be sworn in Form and Effect before specified, well and faithfully to execute their Offices, which Oath the Council are impowered to administer: And his Majesty nominates and appoints his well beloved Subjects, the aforesaid William Ball Esquire, to be the first and modern Treasurer; and the aforesaid John Wilkins and Henry Oldenburgh, to be the first and modern Secretaries of the Royal Society, to be continued in the said Offices to the Feast of St. Andrew'' next following the Date of the Patent. And that from time to time and ever hereafter, on the said Feast of St. Andrew (if it be not Lord's Day, and if it be Lord's Day, on the next Day after) the President, Council, and Fellows aforesaid, are impower'd to nominate and chuse honest and discreet Men for Treasurer and Secretaries, which are to be of the Number of the Council of the Royal Society, which Persons elected and sworn, in Form before specified, are to exercise and enjoy the said Offices until the Feast of St. Andrew next then following''.

And if it shall happen, that the aforesaid Election of the President, Council, Treasurer, and Secretaries, or any of them, cannot be made or perfected on the Feast of St. Andrew aforesaid; it is granted to the aforesaid President, Council, and Fellows, that they may lawfully