At this early stage of its history the "correspondence" which was actively maintained with continental philosophers formed an important part of the society's labours, and selections from this correspondence furnished the beginnings of the Philosophical Transactions (a publication now of world-wide celebrity). At first the publication of the Transactions was entirely "the act of the respective secretaries." The first number, consisting of 16 quarto pages, appeared on Monday, March 6, 1664-65, under the title of Philosophical Transactions: giving some Accompt of the present undertakings, studies and labours of the Ingenious in many considerable parts of the world, with a dedication to the Royal Society signed by Henry Oldenburg, the first secretary of the Royal Society. The society also from its earliest years pub lished, or directed the publication of, separate treatises and books on matters of philosophy; most notable among these being the Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica Autore Is. Newton. Imprimatur: S. Pepys, Reg. Soc. Praeses. Julii 5, 1686, 4to Lon dini 1687.
In 1887 the Philosophical Transactions were divided into two series, labelled A and B respectively, the former containing papers of a mathematical or physical character, and the latter papers of a biological character. More than 225 quarto volumes have been published. In 1832 appeared the first volume of Abstracts of papers, printed in the Philosophical Transactions from the year 1800. This publication developed in the course of a few years into the Proceedings of the Royal Society, which has been con tinued up to the present time.
It is, however, certain that one of the most important func tions of the society from the beginning was the performance of experiments before the members. In the royal warrant of i ordering the mace which the king presented to the society, is described as "The Royal Society for the improving of Natural Knowledge by experiments"; and during its earlier years the time of the meetings was principally occupied by the performance and discussion of experiments. The society early exercised the power granted by charter to appoint two "curators of experiments," the first holder of that office being Robert Hooke, who was afterwards elected a secretary of the society.
Another matter to which the society gave attention was the formation of a museum, the nucleus being "the collection of rari ties formerly belonging to Mr. Hubbard," which, by a resolution of council passed in 1666, was purchased for the sum of .1 ioo. This museum, at one time the most famous in London, was pre sented to the trustees of the British Museum in 1781, upon the removal of the society to Somerset House. A certain number, however, of instruments and models of historical interest have remained in the possession of the society, and some of them, more peculiarly associated with its earlier years, are still preserved at Burlington House. The remainder have been deposited in the
Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington.
After the Great Fire of London in September 1666 the apart ments of the Royal Society in Gresham College were required for the use of the city authorities, and the society was invited by Henry Howard (later duke of Norfolk) to meet in Arundel House. At the same time he presented them with the library purchased by his grandfather, Thomas earl of Arundel, and thus the founda tion was laid of the important collection of scientific works, now exceeding 6o,000 volumes, which the society possesses. Of the Arundel mss. the bulk was sold to the trustees of the British Museum in 1830 for the sum of £3,559, the proceeds being de voted to the purchase of scientific books. These mss. are still kept in the British Museum as a separate collection. The society, however, still possesses a valuable collection of scientific corre spondence, official records and other manuscripts, including the original manuscript, with Newton's autograph corrections, from which the first edition of the Principia was printed.
Under date December 21, 1671, the journal-book records that "the lord bishop of Sarum proposed for candidate Mr. Isaac Newton, professor of the mathematicks at Cambridge." Newton was elected a Fellow Jan. 11, 1671-72, and in 1703 he was ap pointed president, a post which he held till his death in 1727. During his presidency the society moved to Crane Court, their first meeting in the new quarters being held Nov. 8, 1710. In the same year they were appointed visitors and directors of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, a function which they continued to perform until the accession of William IV., when by the new warrant then issued the president and six of the Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society were added to the list of visitors.
In 1780, under the presidency of Sir Joseph Banks, the Royal Society removed from Crane Court to the apartments assigned to them by the government in the new Somerset House, where they remained until they removed to Burlington House in 1857. The policy of Sir Joseph Banks was to render the Fellowship more difficult of attainment. A step in pursuance of the same policy was taken in the year 1847, when the number of candidates recom mended for election by the council was limited to fifteen, and the election was made annual. This limitation has remained in force up to the present time. Concurrent with the gradual restriction of the Fellowship was the successive establishment of other scientific bodies. The founding of the Linnean Society in 1788 under the auspices of several Fellows of the Royal Society was the first instance of the establishment of a distinct scientific association under royal charter; and this has been followed by the formation of the large number of societies now active in the promotion of special branches of science.