;
on its opposite side are suspended numerous philosophical instruments;
in the centre of the print is a column on which is placed the bust of
Charles the Second, the patron; on each side whole lengths of Lord
Brouncker, the first president, and Lord Bacon, as the founder,
inscribed _Artium Instaurator_. The graver of Hollar has preserved this
happy intention of Evelyn's, which exemplifies what may be called the
continuity and genealogy of genius, as its spirit is perpetuated by its
successors.[276]

When the fury of the civil wars had exhausted all parties, and a
breathing time from the passions and madness of the age allowed
ingenious men to return once more to their forsaken studies, Bacon's
vision of a philosophical society appears to have occupied their
reveries. It charmed the fancy of Cowley and Milton; but the politics
and religion of the times were still possessed by the same frenzy, and
divinity and politics were unanimously agreed to be utterly proscribed
from their inquiries. On the subject of religion they were more
particularly alarmed, not only at the time of the foundation of the
society, but at a much later period, when under the direction of Newton
himself. Even Bishop Sprat, their first historian, observed, that "they
have freely admitted men of different religions, countries, and
professions of life, not to lay the foundation of an English, Scotch,
Irish, popish, or protestant philosophy, but a philosophy of mankind." A
curious protest of the most illustrious of philosophers may be found:
when "the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge were desirous of
holding their meetings at the house of the Royal Society, Newton drew up
a number of arguments against their admission. One of them is, that "It
is a fundamental rule of the society not to meddle with religion; and
the reason is, that we may give no occasion to religious bodies to
meddle with us." Newton would not even comply with their wishes, lest by
this compliance the Royal Society might "dissatisfy those of other
religions." The wisdom of the protest by Newton is as admirable as it is
remarkable,--the preservation of the Royal Society from the passions of
the age.

It was in the lodgings of Dr. Wilkins in Wadham College that a small
philosophical club met together, which proved to be, as Aubrey expresses
it, the _incunabula_ of the Royal Society. When the members were
dispersed about London, they renewed their meetings first at a tavern,
th