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But physicians were in vain. On May 31, 1669, we find the pathetic entry:

'And this ends all that I doubt I shall ever be able to do with my own eyes the keeping of my Journal, I being not able to do it any longer, having done it now so long as to undo my eyes almost every time that I take a pen in the hand; and therefore whatever comes of it, I must forbear. . . . And so I betake myself to that course, which is almost as much as to see myself into my grave; for which, and all the discomforts that will accompany my being blind, the good God prepare me!'

Pepys had an interest in mortuary subjects which was almost morbid. He records how 'Among other things, he and the Captains that were with us tell me that negroes drowned look white, and lose their blackness, which I never heard before.' A little later, during the plague, he visited Sir R. Viner, who, after displaying many artistic treasures,' showed me a black boy that he had, that died of a consumption; and, being dead, he caused him to be dried in an oven, and lies there entire in a box.' On one occasion he walked during the morning to Surgeons' Hall, where they had a fine dinner ' and good learned company,' after which

'Dr Scarborough took some of his friends, and I went with them, to see the body of a lusty fellow, a seaman, that was hanged for robbery. I did touch the dead body with my bare hand; it felt cold, but methought it was a very unpleasant sight. It seems one Dillon, of a great family, was, after much endeavours to have saved him, hanged with a silken halter this Sessions, of his own preparing, not for honour only, but, it being soft and sleek, it do slip close and kills, that is, strangles presently; whereas a stiff one do not come so close together, and so the party may live the longer before killed. But all the Doctors at the table conclude that there is no pain at all in hanging, for that it do stop the circulation of the blood; and so stops all sense and motion in an instant.'

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A little later Dr Pears tells him that the other day Clerke and he did dissect two bodies, a man and a woman, before the King, with which the King was highly pleased.' Pepys also records that the King himself dissected in his little elaboratory under his closet, a pretty place' as the Diarist calls it, the body of a baby which

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had been unduly introduced into the world during a Court Ball,

e A In Pepys's time the whole world loved music, and I Pepys was very particular that his maids and boy should

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be able to take a part in a glee or a catch. He was as particular that they should take a competent part in singing as he was about their good looks. It may have been that his failing eyesight induced him to employ his spare time in song rather than in reading, though he read a good deal. At that time the severer forms of classical music hardly existed, and, except amongst the heathen, jazzing was unknown. Pepys delighted in all sorts of new musical instruments, and, although he showed no trace of deafness, he was pleased to try the new ear-trumpet of the 17th century: 'Here to my great content, I did try the use of the Otacousticon, which was only a great glass bottle broke at the bottom, putting the neck to my ear, and there I did plainly hear the dancing of the oars of the boats in the Thames to Arundel gallery window, which, without it, I could not in the least do, and may, I believe, be improved to a great height, which I am mighty glad of.' On another occasion he 'discoursed with Mr Hooke about the nature of sounds, and he did make me understand the nature of musical sounds made by strings, mighty prettily; and told me that having come to a certain number of vibrations proper to make any tone, he is able to tell how many strokes a fly makes with her wings (those flies that hum in their flying) by the note that it answers to in music during their flying. That, I suppose, is a little too much refined; but his discourse in general of sound was mighty fine.'

He even invented a series of mechanical contrivances for composing or recording music which is still in the Library at Magdalene and has, I believe, never been completely understood. Pepys himself could play on many instruments, the lute, viola, harpsichord, flageolet, theorbo, and others. He was fond of the company of musicians and records many evenings spent with them. After a good deal of hesitation he expended five pounds over a spinet, but never became an expert performer on it. He studied the art of composition under an Irishman and composed several songs.

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The most outstanding feature of Pepys in relation to science was his connexion with the Royal Society. This Society was a gradual growth, and its origin may be traced to weekly meetings of men engaged in philosophical inquiries who came together to discuss matters of scientific interest. These meetings began about 1648. But after a few years many of the members moved to Oxford and independently met in that University. The meetings of those that remained in London were interrupted owing to the troubles of the times, but after the Restoration it was decided to organise a formal society consisting of those who hitherto had met without formality.

In the words of Wallis, who had been educated at Felsted and at Emmanuel College, and had received the curiously wide education of the times, the members of the weekly meetings were 'divers worthy persons inquisitive into natural philosophy, and other parts of human learning, and particularly of what hath been called the New Philosophy or Experimental Philosophy.' And there is no doubt that these gatherings of men of science are the invisible college' of which Boyle so frequently speaks in his letters. The meetings were held either at the Bull Head Tavern or in Dr Goddard's lodgings in Wood Street, but most frequently at Gresham College. Whatever the political and moral deficiencies of the Stewart kings, no one of them lacked intelligence in things artistic and scientific. The pictures at Windsor and at Buckingham Palace which the nation owes to Charles I and Charles II are only approached by those it owes to the knowledge and taste of Queen Victoria's consort.

It has, I think, seldom been pointed out that Charles II's ancestry accounts for many of his qualities and especially for his interest in science. He was very unlike his father, but his mother was the daughter of a Medici princess, and the characteristics of that family are strongly marked in the 'merry monarch.' His gaiety and wit and his skill in money matters when he chose to apply himself, all bring to mind the Italian family from which he sprang. Even the swarthy complexion of Charles II was probably due to his Italian blood, and his fondness for outdoor sports is another trait which

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is often observed in the Medici themselves. There is an old engraving of a portrait of Lorenzo (d. 1648), the brother of Cosimo II, which shows an astonishing resemblance to Charles II; and it is interesting to remember that Cosimo II earned his chief claim to the gratitude of posterity by his courageous encouragement, protection, and support of Galileo, who owed to him the opportunity and means of making his famous astronomical discoveries.

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Charles II established, 250 years ago, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and thirteen years later, in 1662, he granted the first Charter to the Royal Society, which was supplanted the following year by a revised charter which conferred on the Society its present title, "The Royal Society of London for Promoting Natural Knowledge (pro scientia naturali promovenda).' Gresham College now became the regular meeting-place of the Society. At that time the foundation of formal colleges was being much canvassed. Evelyn and Cowley had both drawn up schemes, but unfortunately nothing came of them. At that time the Universities did not look with great favour upon the new movement, and much of its vigour was due to men of leisure and men of affairs. At first it was agreed that the number of the Society be fixed at fifty-five. Barons, Fellows of the College of Physicians and public Professors of Mathematics, of Physics, of Natural Philosophy of both Universities being supernumerary.' Sir Robert Moray was chosen as the first President, and he retained this office for a year or so until the Royal Charter was granted. On June 21, 1661, Moray wrote hopefully to Huygens: 'Dans quelques jours nous espérons que notre Sociétié sera établie de la bonne sorte.' And on Oct. 16 he was able to announce that 'he and Sir Paul Neil * kissed the King's hands in the company's name, and is entreated by them to return most humble thanks to His Majesty for the reference he was pleased to grant to their petitions; and for the favour and honour he was pleased to offer of himself to be entered one of the Society.' The fact that the King had joined the Society is noted by Pepys just before his own election: I saw

* Pepys spells the name Neale.

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the Royal Society bring their new book, wherein is nobly writ their charter and laws, and comes to be signed by the Duke as a Fellow; and all the Fellows are to be entered there, and lie as a monument; and the King hath put his, with the word Founder.'

Moray had in hand all the arrangements for the establishment of the Royal Society, and it may be said of him, as Cowley wrote of Bacon, Moray,

'Like Moses, lead us forth at last
The barren Wilderness he past,
Did on the very Border stand
Of the blest promis'd Land,

And from the Mountain's Top of his Exalted Wit
Saw it himself, and shew'd us it.'

For with the granting of the Royal Charter was elected
the first President of the Society under the Charter. He
was Viscount Brouncker, of Castle Lyons, in the Irish
Peerage. Pepys records that his father gave 1200l. to
be made an Irish Lord, and swore the same day that he
had not twelve pennies left to pay for his dinner.
Brouncker was a master of many languages and a good
mathematician. He was the first to introduce continued
fractions and to give a series for the quadrature of a
portion of the equilateral hyperbola. But these are not
very remunerative products, and Pepys records the
gossip of his maidservants that the Brounckers were
very hard up. In spite of one or two peevish entries I
think Pepys must have got on pretty well with the
Viscount. He records on Nov. 18, 1664, 'I had a letter
from Mr Coventry that tells me that my Lord Brouncker
is to be one of our Commissioners, of which I am very
glad, if any more must be.' And three weeks later: At
the office, where comes my Lord Brouncker with his
patent in his hand; and I in his coach with him to the
'Change, where he set me down; a modest, civil person
he seems to be, but wholly ignorant in the business of
the Navy as possible, but I hope to make a friend
of him, being a worthy man.' It was the time of a
good deal of backbiting and a good deal of gossip.
Besides, Sir G. Carteret did tell me to-night how my
Lord Brouncker, whose good-will I could have de-
pended as much on as any, did himself to take notice

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