This learned body is governed by a President and Council, consisting of twenty-one Fellows, distinguished by their rank and learning. The officers chosen from among the members, are, the President, who calls and dissolves the meetings, proposes the subjects of consultation, puts questions, calls for experiments, and admits the members that are from time to time received into the society. The Treasurer, who receives and disburses all the money. The two Secretaries, who read all letters and informations; reply to all addresses or letters from foreign parts, or at home; register all experiments and conclusions, and publish what is ordered by the society. The Curators, who have the charge of making experiments, receive the directions of the society, and at another meeting bring all to the test. Every person to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, must be propounded and recommended at a meeting of the society, by three or more members; who must then deliver to one of the Secretaries a paper signed by themselves with their own names, specifying the name, addition, profession, occupation, and chief qualifications; the inventions, discoveries, works, writings, or other productions of the candidate for election; as also notifying the usual place of his abode, and recommending him on their own personal knowledge. A fair copy of which paper, with the date of the day when delivered, shall be fixed up in the common meeting room of the society, at ten several ordinary meetings, before the said candidate shall be put to the ballot: but it shall be free for every one of his Majesty’s subjects, who is a Peer, or the son of a Peer, of Great Britain or Ireland, and for every one of his Majesty’s Privy Council of either of the said kingdoms, and for every foreign Prince or Ambassador, to be propounded by any single person, and to be put to the ballot for election on the same day, there being present a competent number for making elections. And at every such ballot, unless two thirds at least of the members present give their bills in favour of the candidate, he cannot be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; nor can any candidate be balloted for, unless twenty-one members at the least be present. After a candidate has been elected, he may at that, or the next meeting of the society, be introduced, and solemnly admitted by the President, after having previously subscribed the obligation, whereby he promises, “That he will endeavour to promote the good of the Royal Society of London, for the improvement of natural knowledge.” When any one is admitted, he pays a fee of five guineas, and afterwards 13_s._ a quarter, as long as he continues a member, towards defraying the expences of the society; and for the payment thereof he gives a bond; but most of the members on their first admittance chuse to pay down twenty guineas, which discharges them from any future payments.