| Description | ' Present at a Council held at the President's House in Bloomsbury Square, The President, Lord Cadogan, Lord Carpenter, Mr West, Mr Hadley, Mr Bevan, Mr Sloane, Mr Jefferies, Mr Freman, Mr Eames, Mr Paul, Dr Mortimer, Mr Machin.
Lord Cadogan and Mr Paul were severally sworn of the Council.
A Gratuity of ten Guinea's to Dr Desaguliers for his last yer's Service was proposed and agreed to be Ballot.
Upon a Motion made Sir Hugh Smithson had leave to take up his Bond uon making up his payments for Contribution to the Sum of twenty - five Pounds.
Mr Robartes of Twickenham had also leave to take up his Bond upon making up his payments to the Sum of twenty - five Pounds.
It was agreed, that Mr Birch should be excused from the payment of his Contribution in consideratin of his many valuable Presents to the Society.
The President wa pleased to nominate and appoint as additional Vice - Presidents, Sir John Evelyn Bart, James West Esq and Mr John Machin : whereof the two last being present were sworn.
The President ordered the benefit of Sir Godfrey Copley's Experiment for the last Yer to be given to Dr Hales.
Dr Stack's Bill amounting to £38:15:1. was agreed by Ballot, and ordered to be paid.
Mr Haujksbee's Bill of £3.15.6. was agreed to, and ordered to e paid.
As also Mr Theobald's Bill of £8.10.8.
Dr Mortimer shewed the Draught of the Medal for the Prize Experiment, and the execution thereof was referred to him.
Dr Mortimer delivered in the following Bills, which were agreed to, and ordered to be paid:
The Engraver's Bill for cleaning Plates etc .....£46.18.7.
- Bookbinder's Bill, Mr Elliot .....£8.4.4.
Another of the same .....£9.11.0.
Dr Mortimer reported, that the Books, which he was ordered at a Council November 112 . 1739. to have collated and perfected, in order for Sale, were got ready; and the Number of Cutts necessary to make all the Setts of Willughbeii Hist. Pisc. complete were printed off from the Copper Plates in the Society's possession.
That he had ordered each Book complete to be tied up in Paper agart, and that the particulars were as follows:
125 Copies of Willugh. Hist. Piscium iin folio, complete.
3 of Ditte complete, but somewhat damaged
60 of Malpighii Opera posthuma, folio
38 Copies of Wallis's Algebra, folio
52 Raii hist. Insectorum, quarto
41 Baker's Geometrical Key, quarto
5 Collins's Commercium epistolicum, quarto
The Doctor acquainted the Council farthere, that he had printed off from the Plates of Willughby's Book
4 Setts of Prints on fine Paper, and
4 Ditto of Reverses for some curious Gentlemen, who had bespoke some Setts after this manner. He at the same time shewed a Copy of each Book half bound.
He then informed the Council, that there was in their Library a Copy of Willughby's Historia Piscium with many curious manuscript Notes and Additions ; which upon enquiry he found to be originally Dr Tancred Robinson's, whom he had waited on, to be particularly informed abut this Book ; and who told him that he had made many Notes etc on Willughby, and had lent his own Copy, wherein he had wrote those Notes, etc, to Mr Aston then Secretary of the Royal Society who transcribed them into the Book now in th Royal Society's Library : and that he had added more Notes since, which were also at the Society's Service, to print or make what Use they thought proper. Accordingly Doctor Mortimer borrowed Dr Robinson's own Book, and entered from it in the Society's Book all the Notes added by Dr Robinson since his lending it to Mr Aston : and Dr Mortimer shewed this Book with the additional Notes etc, copied in his own hand.
The Council ordered thanks to Dr Robinson for lending his Book, and giving leave to make what Use of his Notes should be thought proper.
It was moved to have these Notes and Additions of Dr Robinson printed as a second Appendix : but it was thought proper to defer the consideration of this till there should be an entire new Edition of the Book.
Dr Mortimer said he had prepared an Index to the Hist. Pisc. of the English and other European Names, with a Table of Classes, into which the Fishes are distributed in this Work, and a numerical Table of the Prints, and lastly a Catalogue of the Errata, which he had caused to be corrected upon the Copper Plates : that it might be printed in four Sheets, and that 350 Copies would come to about £5. Whereupon Doctor Mortimer was ordered to have 350 Copies of the said Index printed; that a Copy of the said Index be tied up with each Copy of Willughby in the Society's Possession ; and that the Printers to the Society do, for the sake of such who have formerly bought the Book, advertise that such an Index being printed is to be sold by them for the Price undermentioned.
Ordered, that Mr Hauksbee the Society's Housekeeper do take Charge of the several Books abovementioned, and that he keep an account in a Book on purpose of the several Copies and particulates, as he shall deliver them out.
Ordered, that any Fellows of the Royal Society may have Copies of the above mentioned Books at the following Prices from Mr Hauksbee till Christmass 1740, and no longer, they being then to be disposed of by the Printers to the Royal Society at higher Prices.
Each Copy of Willughbeii Hist. pisc in Sheets complete, with Doctor Mortimer's Index, and with the Cutts on common Paper .....£1.5.0
Ditto the Cutts on superfine Paper .....£1.10.0
A Sett of Willughby's Cutts only,, on best Paper .....£0.10.6
Ditto of Reverses .....£0.10.6
Each Copy of Dr Mortimer's Index alone .....£0.1.0
Each Copy of Wallis's Algebra, folio ..... £0.10.0
Each Copy of Malpighii Opera posthuma, folio £0.4.0
Each copy of Raii historia Insectorum .....£0.4.0
Each copy of Baker's geometrical Key .....£0.2.6
There being only five Copies of Collins, it was ordered that none be sold, but that they should be kept to be made Presents of as the Council shall hereafter order.
Ordered, that Mr Hauksbee be allowed the same Poundage for what moneyhe shall receive by the Sale of any of these Books as he is allowed for collecting the weekly Contributions from Members.
Mr Woodward and Mr Dvis the two printers to the Royal Society, who were ordered to attend, being called in, offered either to give ninety-two Pounds down for the whole parcel of Books above specified, or to dispose of them for the Society at such Prices as the Council shall fix, they being allowwed three Shillings in the Pound for their Trouble : which was agreed to, but they were not to have any Copies of the Books delivered to them till after Christmass 1740, when it my be left to the considertion of the Council.
Thanks were ordered to Doctor Mortimer for his trouble in this affair, and that a Present be made to the Doctor of one Copy of each of the Books handsomely bound. ' |