325

Aprill the 17th. 1679.

mr. Henshaw the Vice President in the chair
Dr. Gale Produced some of Dr. Plotts Querys & other
Papers which were Dispersed among seuerall of the
members of the Society Present who had not had
them before who were Desired to consider them and
promote the ^ /designe/ as much as they could.

After wch. the minutes being read & the society Discour
sing further concerning the time of the Inuention of
Gunpowder & Gunns. Sr. I. Hoskins mentiond the
Picture of an old musket in the Hangings of
the Princes chamber neer the House of Lords where
one holds the Gun whilst another giues fire to it
he further obserued that Kircher in his mundas subterra
neus had collected together most things concerning
guns & Gunpowder.

A booke was produced there of Roger Bacon calld his
epistle wch. was Published by Dr. Dee, which seems to
be /on/ the same /subject/ wth. his Epistle to Pope Clement the 4th.
but very much short of that which is in the Hands of
Dr. Gale. It was Desired that that epistle in the Hands
Dr. Gale might be perused to see whether it were fitt
to be printed as preliminary to his other works as seem
ing to conteine an account of all his other writings
which were thought very considerable and might proue
an honr. to the English nation. especially for that he seemd
to be the first man that Began Experimentall Philo
sophy. Dr Dee Giues an account of him that he liued about
the year 1240 but Dr. Crone obserued that Grasted who was tutor to
R Bacon liued in the time of Edward the first -
Dr. Croon gaue an account of mr. Ruedens booke that he
had Pervsed, that the part about the Education of Bees
conteind many good obseruations well made and Related
But that wt he says about the King Bee and its sperme
out of wch he supposes the Bees are Produced he takes
it to be a Phantsy. And contrary to the opinion of other writers.

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_327  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters