Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/158

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136
The HISTORY of

said President and Council; and in all times after the said two Months, by the President, Council, and Fellows [and noted in a Register to be kept for that purpose] shall be Fellows of the said Society, and so accounted, and called during Life, except by the Statutes of the said Society to be made, any of them shall happen to be amoved. And by how much any Persons are more excelling in all kinds of Learning, by how much the more ardently they desire to promote the Honour, Business, and Emolument of the said Society, by how much the more eminent they are for Integrity, Honesty, Piety, Loyalty, and good Affection toward his Majesty, his Crown and Dignity; by so much the more fit and worthy such Persons are to be judged, for Reception into the Society.

And for the better Execution of his Royal Grant, his Majesty hath nominated, &c. his trusty and well-beloved William, Viscount Brouncker, Chancellor to his dearest Consort Queen Catherine, to be the first and modern President to continue in the said Office from the Date of the Patent to the Feast of St. Andrew next ensuing, and until another Person of the said Council be duly chosen into the said Office. The said Lord Brouncker being sworn in all things belonging thereto well and faithfully to execute the said Office, before his right well-beloved and right trusty Cousin and Counsellor, Edward, Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, in the Words following.

I William, Viscount Brouncker, do promise to deal faithfully and honestly in all things belonging to that Trust committed to me, as President of the Royal Society of London, for improving Natural Knowledge. So help me God.

And