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physical science, gave them an ample charter, dated the 15thJuly 1662, and afterwards a second dated 15th April 1663, bywhich they were erected into a corporation, consisting of a presi-dent, council, and fellows, for promoting natural knowledge ; andto give their investigations, against which strange prejudices wereentertained, every possible support, he sometimes honoured theirmeetings with his presence. Their manner of electing fellows isl>v balloting. Their council are in number 21, including the pre-sident, vice-president, treasurer, and two secretaries ; 11 of whomare continued for the next year, and ten more added to them ; allchosen on St. Andrew’s day. Each member at his admission subscribes an engagement that he will endeavour to promote the goodof the society ; from which lie may be freed at any time, by sig-nifying to the president that he desires to withdraw. The chargesare now five guineas paid to the treasurer at admission; and I3«per quarter so long as the person continues a member: or, in lieuof the annual subscription, a composition of 23 guineas in onepayment. Their design is, to “ make faithful records of all theworks of nature or art which come within their reach : so that thepresent as well as future ages may be enabled to put a mark onerrors which have been strengthened by long prescriptions ; to re-store truths that have been neglected ;to push those already knownto more various uses ; to make the way more passable to what re-mains unrevealed,” &c. To this purpose they have made a greatnumber of experiments and observations on most of the works ofnature; and also numbers of short histories of nature, arts, manu-factures, useful engines, contrivances, &c. The services whichthey have rendered to the public are very great. They have im-proved naval, civil, and military, architecture; advanced the se-curity and perfection of navigation ; improved agriculture ; andput not only this kingdom, but also Ireland , the plantations, &c.upon planting. They have registered experiments, histories, re-lations, observations, &c and reduced them into one commonstock ; and have, from time to lime, published those which theyreckoned most useful, under the title of Philosophical Trans-actions , &c. and laid the rest up in public registers, to lie trans-mitted to posterity, as a solid ground-work for future systems.Phey have a library adapted to their institution ; towards whichMr. Henry Howard , afterwards duke of Norfolk, contri-buted the Norfolcian library, which is now greatly increased bya continual series of benefactions. The museum of natural andartificial rarities, given them by Daniel Cohval Esq.; and sincee nriched by many others, is now removed to the British museum,?nd makes "a part of that great repository. Their mottois Nulliusin verba; and their place of assembling i» Somerset-house in theStrand. Sir Godfrey Copley, Bart, left five guineas to be givenannually to the person who should write the best paper in the year,J'nder the head of experimental philosophy. This reward, whichtsnow changed to a gold-medal, is the highest honour the societycan bestow. It is conferred on St. Andrew’s day.

Society, Royal, Edinburgh , was incorporated by royalcharter on the 29th of March 1783, and has for Us object the cut-’'Vation of every branch of science, erudition, and taste. Its riseand progress towards its present state was as follows: In 1718 ahorary society was established in Edinburgh by the learned Rud-■nian and others, which in 1731 was succeeded by a society in-Uuted for the improvement of medical knowledge. In 1739celebrated Maclaurin conceived the idea of enlarging the plan....mis society, by extending it to subjects of philosophy and lite-s P f Ure - ^ institution was accordingly new-modelled by a printedan i * aws at 'd regulations, the number of members was increased,

§ .Brey w ere distinguished from that time by the title of “ Thetj Cle ty for Improving Arts and Sciences,” or more generally byUie “ The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh.” Its

'Bugs, however, were soon interrupted by the disorders of thetill I'' r - v during the rebellion in 1745 ; and they were not renewedaeti ®oon after this period the first volume of the Trans-

b 1 °°' °f the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh was published,rar fr , 1 , the title ol “ Essays and Observations, Physical and Lile-A 1 , ’ . a,, d was followed by other volumes of acknowledged merit,u th , , • f the professors of the uiA-

Versit 1 the f ml ot 1782 > in a meeting of

the S 7 Edinburgh , many of whom were likewise members ofl>Hnc° C '| , ly ’ 3 Sctleil)e was proposed by the Hev. Dr. Robertson,On a 1 * 33 °Mhe university, for the establishment of a new societymore extended plan, and after the model of some of the

foreign accademies. It appeared an expedient measure to solicitthe royal patronage to an institution of this nature, w hich promisedto be of national importance, and to request an establishment bycharter from the crown. The plan was approved and adopted ;and the Philosophical Society, joining its influence as a body inseconding the application from the university, his majesty wasmost graciously pleased to incorporate The "Royal Society ofEdinburgh by charter. This society consists of ordinary andhonorary members; and the honorary places are restricted to per-sons residing out of Great Britain and Ireland. The election ofnew members is appointed to be made at two stated general meet-ings, which are to be held on the 4th Monday of January, andthe 4th Monday of June. A candidate for the place ot an ordi-nary member must signify by. a letter, addressed to one of themembers his wish to be received into the society. He must thenbe publicly proposed at least a month before the day of election.If the proposal be seconded by two of the members present, hisname is to be inserted in the list of candidates, and hung up inthe ordinary place of meeting. The election is made by ballot,and is determined in favour of a candidate, if lie shall have thevotes of two-thirds of those present, in a meeting consisting of atleast 21 members. The general business of the society is managedby a president, two vice-presidents, with a council of 12, ageneral secretary, and a treasurer. These officers are chosen byballot annually on the last Monday of November. All publicdeeds, w hether of a civil or of a literary nature, are transactedby this board, and proceed in the name of the president or vice-president.

Society, Scottish Antiquaries, is another respectableliterary and philosophical society, instituted at Edinburgh in 1782,and established by royal charier at the some time with the pre-ceding.

Society, London Medical, was instituted in 1752, on theplan recommended by Lord Bacon (De Atigm. Scient. lib. iv.cap. 2,) to revive the Hippocratic method of composing narrativesof particular cases, in which tlie nature of the disease, the mannerof treating it, and the consequences, are to be specified; to at-tempt the cure of those diseases which, in I 1 I 9 opinion, have beentoo boldly pronounced incurable ; and, lastly, to extend theirinquiries after the powers of particular medicines in the cure ofparticular eases. The collections of this society have been pub-fished, under the title of “ Medical Observations and Inquiries,”in several volumes.

Society, Edinburgh Medical, was incorporated by royalcharter ih 1778 ; but there appears to have been in that city a-voluntary association of the same name from the first establishmentof a regular school of physic in the university. To the voluntarysociety the public is indebted for six volumes of curious and use-ful essays, collected principally by the late Dr. Monro from June1731 to June 1736; but in 1739 that society was united to ano-ther. lhe ordinary members are elected by ballot, and threedissentient exclude a candidate.

Society, Asiatic, an institution planned by the late industriousSir William Jones, and actually formed at Calcutta on tlie I5thof January 17*4, for the purpose of tracing the history, antiqui-ties, arts, sciences, and literature, of the immense continent ofAsia. As it was resolved to follow as nearly as possible the planof tlie Royal Society of London , of which the king is patron,the patronage of the Asiatic Society was offered to the governor-general and council, as the executive power in the territories ofthe company. By their acceptance of this offer, Mr. Hastings,as governor general, appeared among the patrons of the newsociety ; “ but he seemed in his private station as the first liberalpromoter of useful knowledge in Bengal, and especially as thegreat encourager of Persian and Shanscrit literature, to deserve aparticular mark of distinction he was requested, therefore, toaccept the honorary trtle ot president. 1 his was handsomely de-clined in a letter from Mr. Hastings, in which he requested “ toyield his pretensions to the gentleman whose genius planned themstitution, and was most capable of conducting it, to the attain,ment of the great and splendid purposes ot its formation.” Oilthe receipt of this letter, Sir William Jones was nominated presi-dent of this society.

Society American Philosophical, held at Philadelphia ,was formed in Jan. 1769, by the union of two societies which had

formerly