Royal Society, the

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | 700+ words | Copyright

Royal Society, the, more correctly the Royal Society of London for the Improving of Natural Knowledge, obtained its Royal charters in 1662 and 1663. The prehistory of the Society extends back to a variety of scientific meetings held in London and Oxford from 1645 onwards. F. Bacon provided the major philosophical inspiration for the Society. Its founders and early members included Boyle, Petty, and John Ray. Among more literary figures, Ashmole, Aubrey, Cowley, Dryden, Evelyn, and Waller were members. The Society featured prominently in Dryden's Annus Mirabilis. Its Philosophical Transactions (1665– ), first edited by Henry Oldenburg, is the first permanent scientific journal.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Royal Society, the." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Royal Society, the." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-RoyalSocietythe.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Royal Society, the." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-RoyalSocietythe.html

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