Its infancy — Virtuosi — Gresham College — Visit to the Royal Society's Museum — Their curiosities — Their new house — Geology — Experimental philosophy — Courses of chemistry — Mathematics — List of patents — Hydraulic machinery — Savery's steam engine — Description.
Exact science, as we understand the term, hardly existed. Sir Isaac Newton was just lighting the spark which has been fanned by succeeding generations into such a mighty flame. The Royal Society was an absolute laughing-stock, and men called virtuosi pottered about, looking (and doubtless thinking they were) mighty wise.
Any man who investigated nature after his lights, and with the imperfect materials which were at his command, was looked upon as a fool.
'The Will of a Virtuoso.[495]
'I Nicholas Gimcrack being in sound health of mind, but in great weakness of body, do by this my last Will and Testament bestow my worldly Goods and Chattels in manner following.
'Imprimis. To my dear wife, One box of butterflies, One drawer of Shells, A female Skeleton, A dried Cockatrice.
'Item. To my Daughter Elizabeth. My Receipt for preserving dead Caterpillars. Also my preparations of winter May dew, and Embryo-Pickle.
'Item. To my little daughter Fanny, Three Crocodile's Eggs. And upon the birth of her first Child if she marries with her mother's consent, the Nest of a Humming Bird.
'Item. To my eldest Brother, as an acknowledgment for the Lands he has vested in my Son Charles, I bequeath my last Year's Collection of Grasshoppers.
'Item. To his Daughter Susanna, being his only Child, I bequeath my English Weeds pasted on Royal paper, with my large Folio of Indian Cabbage.