VIII。　be　exceptedwhen　my　Lord　Rosse；　in　consequence　of　the　misconduct　of　his　lady；　had　a　bill　brought　into　the　House　of　Lords　for　dissolving　his　marriage　and　enabling　him　to　wed　again。　　There　being　at　this　period；　1669；　a　project　for　divorcing　the　king　from　the　queen；　it　was　considered　Lord　Rosse's　suit；　if　successful；　would　facilitate　a　like　bill　in　favour　of　his　majesty。　　After　many　and　stormy　debates　his　lordship　gained　his　case　by　a　majority　of　two　votes。　　It　is　worth　noting　that　two　of　the　lords　spiritual；　Dr。　Cosin；　Bishop　of　Durham；　and　Dr。　Wilkins；　Bishop　of　Chester；　voted　in　favour　of　the　bill。
  The　social　history　of　this　remarkable　reign　would　be　incomplete　without　mention　of　the　grace　and　patronage　which　Charles　II。　extended　towards　the　Society　of　Antiquaries。　　This　learned　body；　according　to　Stow；　had　been　in　existence　since　the　days　of　Elizabeth；　but　for　lack　of　royal　acknowledgment　of　its　worth　and　lore；　was　permitted　to　languish　in　neglect　and　finally　become　extinct。　　However；　under　the　commonwealth　the　society　had　revived；　from　the　fact　that　numbers　of　the　nobility　being　unemployed　in　affairs　of　state；　and　having　no　court　to　attend；　applied　themselves　whilst　in　retirement　to　the　study　of　chemistry；　mathematics；　mechanism；　and　natural　philosophy。　　The　Duke　of　Devonshire；　Marquis　of　Worcester；　Viscount　Brouncker；　Honourable　Robert　Boyle；　and　Sir　Robert　Murray；　built　laboratories；　made　machines；　opened　mines；　and　perfected　inventions。　　When　the　temper　of　the　times　permitted；　these　men；　with　various　others　of　like　tastes；　drew　together；　held　weekly　meetings　at　Gresham　College　in　Bishopsgate　Street；　discoursed　on　abstruse　subjects；　and　heard　erudite　lectures；　from　Dr。　Petty　on　chemistry；　from　Dr。　Wren　on　astronomy；　from　Mr。　Laurence　Rooke　on　geometry；　so　that　the　Society　of　Antiquaries　may　be　said　to　have　been　founded　in　the　last　years　of　the　republic。
  Now　Charles　II。；　having　some　knowledge　of　chemistry　and　science；　looked　upon　the　society　with　favourable　eyes；　and　in　the　first　year　of　his　restoration　desired　to　become　one　of　its　members；　expressed　satisfaction　it　had　been　placed　upon　a　proper　basis　in　his　reign；　represented　the　difficulty　of　its　labours；　suggested　certain　investigations；　and　declared　his　interest　in　all　its　movements。　　Moreover；　in　the　year　1662　he　bestowed　on　the　society　a　charter　in　which　he　styled　himself　its　founder　and　patron；　presented　it　with　a　silver　mace　to　be　borne　before　the　president　on　meeting　days；　and　gave　it　the　use　of　the　royal　arms　for　a　seal。　　Nor　did　his　concern　for　its　welfare　cease　here。　　He　was　frequently　present　at　its　meetings；　and　occasionally　witnessed；　and　assisted　〃with　his　own　hands；〃　in　the　performance　of　experiments。　　Some　of　these　were　of　a　singularly　interesting　character；　amongst　which　may　be　mentioned　infusion　of　the　blood　of　an　animal　into　the　veins　of　a　man。　　This　took　place　in　the　year　1667；　the　subject　being　one　Arthur　Coga；　a　minister　poor　in　worldly　substance；　who；　in　exchange　for　a　guinea；　consented　to　have　the　operation　performed　on　him。　　Accordingly　two　surgeons　of　great　skill　and　learning；　named　Lower　and　King；　on　a　certain　day　injected　twelve　ounces　of　sheep's　blood　into　his　veins。　　After　which　he　smoked　an　honest　pipe　in　peace；　drank　a　glass　of　good　canary　with　relish；　and　found　himself　no　worse　in　mind　or　body。　And　in　two　days　more　fourteen　ounces　of　sheep's　blood　were　substituted　for　eight　of　his　own　without　loss　of　virility　to　him。
  Nor　were　experiments　in　vivisection　unknown　to　the　Royal　Society；　as　it　was　called；　for　the　〃Philosophical　Transactions〃　speak　of　a　dog　being　tied　through　the　back　above　the　spinal　artery；　thereby　depriving　him　of　motion　until　the　artery　was　loosened；　when　he　recovered；　and　again；　it　is　recorded　that　Dr。　Charleton　cut　the　spleen　out　of　a　living　dog　with　good　success。
  The　weighty　discourses　of　the　learned　men　who　constituted　the　society　frequently　delighted　his　majesty；　though　it　must　be　confessed　he　sometimes　laughed　at　them；　and　once　sorely　puzzled　them　by　asking　the　following　question。　　〃Supposing；〃　said　Charles；　assuming　a　serious　expression；　and　speaking　in　a　solemn　tone；　〃two　pails　of　water　were　placed　in　two　different　scales　and　weighed　alike；　and　that　a　live　bream　or　small　fish　was　put　into　one；　now　why　should　not　the　pail　in　which　it　was　placed　weigh　heavier　than　the　other？〃　　Most　members　were　troubled　to　find　the　king　a　fitting　reply；　and　many　strange　theories　were　advanced　by　way　of　explaining　why　the　pail　should　not　be　found　heavier；　none　of　them　being　thought　satisfactory。　　But　at　last　a　man　sitting　far　down　the　table　was　heard　to　express　an　opinion；　when　those　surrounding　him　laughed；　hearing　which　the　king；　who　had　not　caught　his　words；　asked　him　to　repeat　them。　　〃Why；　your　majesty；〃　said　he　boldly；　〃I　do　believe　the　pail　would　weigh　heavier。〃　　〃Odds…fish！〃　　cried　Charles；　bursting　out　into　laughter；　〃you　are　right；　my　honest　fellow！〃　　and　so　the　merriment　became　general。
  The　Royal　Society　was　composed　of　men　of　quality　with　a　genius　for　investigation；　and　men　of　learning　eager　for　further　knowledge。　　Persons　of　all　nationalities；　religions；　and　professions　were　admitted　members；　and　it　was　continually　enriched　by　the　addition　of　curiosities；　amongst　which　in　particular　were　an　herb　which　grew　in　the　stomach　of　a　thrush；　the　skin　of　a　Moor　tanned；　with　the　beard　and　hair　white；　a　clock；　having　movements　directed　by　loadstone；　an　ostrich；　whose　young　had　been　born　alive；　mummies；　strange　fish；　and　the　hearts　and　livers　of　vipers。　　Likewise　was　the　society　endowed　with　gifts；　amongst　the　most　notable　being　the　valuable　library　of　Henry　Howard；　afterwards　Duke　of　Norfolk。
  Fostered　by　this　society；　science　received　its　first　impulse　towards　the　astounding　progress　it　has　since　achieved。　　Nay；　in　this　reign　the　germs　of　some　inventions　were　sown；　which；　subsequently　springing　into　existence；　have　startled　the　world　by　their　novelty；　utility；　and　power；　Monsieur　Sorbiere；　when　in　England；　was　shown　a　journal　kept　by　Montconis；　concerning　the　transactions　of　the　Royal　Society；　in　which　several　new　devices；　〃which　scarce　can　be　believed　unless　seen；〃　were　described。　Amongst　these　were　an　instrument　for　showing　alterations　in　the　weather；　whether　from　heat；　cold；　wind；　or　rain；　a　method　for　blowing　up　ships；　a　process　for　purifying　salt　water；　so　that　it　could　be　drunk；　and　an　instrument　by　which　those　ignorant　of　drawing　could　sketch　and　design　any　object。　　He　also　states　Dr。　Wallis　had　taught　one　born　deaf　and　dumb　to　read。
  In　1663；　〃the　right　honourable　（and　deservedly　to　be　praised　and　admired）　Edward　Somerset；　Marquis　of　Worcester；〃　published　a　quaint　volume　entitled　〃A　Century　of　the　Names　and　Scantlings　of　such　Inventions　as　at　present　I　can　call　to　mind　to　have　tried　and　perfected；　which　（my　former　notes　being　lost）　I　have；　at　the　instance　of　a　powerful　friend；　endeavoured　to　set　down　in　such　a　way　as　may　sufficiently　instruct　me　to　put　any　of　them　in　practice。〃　　Amongst　these　are　enumerated　false　decks；　such　as　in　a　moment　should　kill　and　take　prisoners　as　many　as　should　board　the　ship；　without　blowing　her　up；　and　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　time　should　recover　their　former　shape　without　discovering　the　secret；　a　portable　fortification；　able　to　contain　five　hundred　men；　which　in　the　space　of　six　hours　might　be　set　up；　and　made　cannon…proof；　a　dexterous　tinder…box　which　served　as　a　pistol；　and　was　yet　capable　of　lighting　a　fire　or　candle　at　any　hour　of　the　night　without　giving　its　possessor　the　trouble　of　stretching　his　hand　from　bed；　a　lock；　the　ways　of　opening　which　might　be　varied　ten　millions　of　times；　but　which　on　a　stranger　touching　it　would　cause　an　alarm　that　could　not　be　stopped；　and　would　register　what　moneys　had　been　taken　from　its　keeping；　a　boat　which　would　work　against　wind　and　tide；　with　various　other　discoveries　to　the　number　of　one　hundred；　all　arrived　at　from　mathematical　studies。
  The　means　of　propelling　a　boat　against　such　disadvantages；　to　which　the　Marquis　of　Worcester　alludes；　was　in　all　probability　by　steam…power。　　This　he　described　as　〃an　admirable　and　most　forcible　way　to　drive　up　water　by　fire；〃　the　secret　of　which　he　is　believed　to　have　first　discovered。　　＇Before　the　century　was　concluded；　Captain　Savery　contrived　a　steam…engine　which　was　certainly　the　first　put　to　practical　uses。　　It　has　been　stated　that　he　owed　the　knowledge　of　this　invention　to　hints　conveyed　in　Lord　Worcester's　little　volume。＇　　In　the　preface　to　his　little　book；　the　marquis　states　he　had　sacrificed　from　six　to　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds　in　bringing　his　various　inventions　to　perfection；　after　which　it　is　satisfactory　to　find　he　derived　some　profit　from　one　of　them；　conceived；　as　he　says；　〃by　heavenly　inspiration。〃　　This　was　a　water…engine　for　drying　marsh…lands　and　mines；　requiring　neither　pump；　suckers；　barrels；　bellows；　nor　external　nor　additional　help；　save　that　afforded　from　its　own　operations。　　This　engine　Sorbiere　describes　as　one　of　the　most　curious　things　he　had　a　mind　to　see；　and　says　one　man　by　the　help　of　this　machine　raised　four　large　buckets　full　of　water　in　an　instant　forty　feet　high；　through　a　pipe　eight　inches　long。　　An　act　of　parliament　was　passed　enabling　the　marquis　to　reap　the　be