Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 36.djvu/240

228 to give encouragement to it." The royal patron fulfilled his promise.

The charter of incorporation passed the great seal on the 15th of July, 1662, and was read on the 13th of August following.

Evelyn's "Diary" of this date contains this passage: "Our charter being now passed under the broad seal, constituting us a corporation, the name of Royal Society, for the improvement of natural knowledge, was this day read; and was all that was done this afternoon, being very long."

Charles affected chemistry and navigation, and, when he grew tired of his wine and his mistresses, would resort to his laboratory, and as the young rakes, who circled about him, imitated the royal exemplar's dissipations, so they frequented the scientific lectures and tried to look wise. But even Charles and his fops could not, by their attention, harm the growing sciences in the estimation of good and true men. The reason for this may be found in the recognition of the need of such a society, and the character of the men constituting it. The fame of such men as Sir Robert Moray, Boyle, Evelyn, Pepys, Wallis, Hooke, and Wren, who were among the incorporators, continues lively to this day. It may not be, as has been said, that the incorporation of the Royal Society was the only wise act of Charles II, yet it has proved itself, without a doubt, his wisest act.

It was high time that England was bestirring herself, for on every side were evidences of the pressing need of some such instigating and conserving force as the Royal Society soon became. Every intellectual center of Italy had its Academy of Science, and France already had her society for the study of literature. The origin of learned societies appears to take the same course as the order of succession of the universities. As the first university arose in Italy, so arose the first academy; then comes France, with her University of Paris and the French Academy; later, England follows close upon the heels of France, with her universities at Oxford and Cambridge, and her Royal Society. By the lapsing of the Academy del Cimento of Florence, and other Italian academies, the Royal Society of England enjoys the honor of being the oldest in consecutive history of any society in Europe which was established for the investigation and advancement of science.

There is no better illustration of the true scientific spirit of inquiry which the Royal Society at once set on foot throughout England, than its influence upon the popular superstitions of the day. The popular belief in witchcraft had, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, reached the height of its frenzy.

In Germany the number of persecutions was enormous. A twentieth part of the entire population of the small district of