Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/460

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434
The HISTORY of

try; they will appear to be well nigh as useful as those that labour, to the main End of this Enterprize.

Whatever Revenue they shall raise by this or any other means, they intend thereby to make an Establishment for their Curators. To this Office they have already admitted some of their Fellows, whom they will employ according to their Studies and Sufficience: Some shall be sent to travel abroad to search for Discoveries; some shall constantly remain in London, and represent their Observations to the weekly Assemblies.

The Places of their Residence they have appointed to be two: one a College, which they design to build in London, to serve for their Meetings, their Laboratories, their Repository, their Library, and the Lodgings for their Curators: The other the College at Chelsea, which the King has bestow'd on them; where they have a large Inclosure to serve for all Experiments of Gardening and Agriculture; and by the neighbourhood of the River they have excellent Opportunity of making all Trials that belong to the Water.

And now as I have spoken of a Society that prefers Works before Words, so it becomes their History to endeavour after real Fruits and Effects. I will therefore conclude, by recommending again this Undertaking to the English Nation; to the bravest People, the most generous Design; to the most zealous Lovers of Liberty, the surest Way to ransom the Minds of all Mankind from Slavery.

The Priviledges that our King's Dominions enjoy for this End, appear to be equall'd by no other Country. The Men that we have now living to employ, are excellently furnish'd with all manner of Abilities: Their Method is already settled, and plac'd out of the reach of Calumny or Contradiction.

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