| Description | Present at the Council: the President Lord Brouncker; Mr Aerskin; Sir John Lowther; Mr Henshaw; Mr Daniel Colwall; Mr Mills; Mr ABraham Hill; Mr Creed; Mr Henru oldenburg
Mr Henshaw was sworn as Vice President of the Royal Society.
Mr Oldenburg informed the Council that the Earl Marshall was 'desirous, that the Library at Arundel house, given by him to the Royal Society, might be better looked after; as also that he should be glad to have those books of that Library delivered to him which he reserved out of it to himself at the time of the donation thereof, viz. Books of Heraldry and Genealogy'.
Council ordered that Sir John Hoskins, Mr Evelyn, Mr Hill, and Mr Oldenburg or any two or more of them, should be a Committee to attend the Lord Marshall and deliver to him such books as he reserved for himself out of the Library, and also to secure them from damage.
Ordered also that the Apothecary's bill relating to the last sickness of the late Mr Shortgrave, amounting to about five pounds, be paid by the Treasurer, his widow haviing first delivered up to Mr Hunt all the instruments, utensils etc belonging to the Royal Society, so that satisfaction be given to the Committee appointed for taking care of the Repository.
The Philosophical Transactions for January, consisting of three sheets, were licenced.
Mr Hunt was ordered to take a copy of the picture of the late Lord Bishop of Chester, Dr Wilkins.
Ordered that the astronomical instruments of the Royal Society currently in the Repository at Gresham College be lent to the Observatory at Greenwich for making astronomical observations, and that Mr Hooks new quadrant be forthwith finished at the charge of the Society.
Mr Oldenburg read out letter from Elias Sandra junior, Merchant at Amsterdam, dated 22 January 1671 [sic] being a return to the answer sent to him from thisCouncil upon his first letter concerning the proposition of discovering a great plenty of Ambergris. The substance of the letter being, that he wished to know the thoughts of the Council touching the rest of the articles formerly proposed. The articles were read, and it was ordered ' that as to the Articles for Secrecy, they cannot be kept secret from those which the Council shall make use of in this matter; as to the 5 Article, it will be the concern and interest of the Council to oblige that shall go upon this design, to follow his directions relating to the place, where the said plenty of Ambergris is to be found. As to the 6 Article, the Discoverer and the third part shall be brought free and without any of his expense into England. As to the 8 Article, the Council will not be tied to secrecy of a general but a particular discovery. ' |