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BOYLE full of most curious and valuable remarks on this subject, which had been entirely unexplained prior to this time, and which afforded much assistance to Sir Isaac Newton in forming that complete theory which has since suffered so little alteration. Mr. Boyle, indeed, was so attached to the collection of facts only, that he is said never, on any occasion, to have hazarded an hypothesis in expla- nation of any subject in which he was engaged. The latter end of this year he also published an extract from a larger work, entitled " An Essay on Seripture," under the name of " Considerations upon the Style of the Holy Scriptures." The whole work was afterwards pablished by Sir Peter Pett, one of Mr. Boyle's most intimate 161 friends. 7 1 In the same year, on the incorporation of the Philoso- phical College by Charles II, under the name of the Royal Society, Mr. Boyle was appointed one of the council; an honour which was certainly due to him, as he might be justly reckoned among the founders of that learnied body. He continued throughout the whole of his life one of its most distinguished members; and the earlier volumes of its transactions are enriched with many valuable papers from his pen, in which we know not whether to admire most, the genius which dictated his experiments, or the unceasing perseverance with which he pursued them. The whole of the ensuing year, in which he was elected one of the company of the royal mines, was employed by him in the prosecution of various designs for the service of his country, which was probably the reason why he did not publish until 1665, when there appeared " Occasional Reflections upon several Subjects; whereto is prefixed, A Discourse about such Kind of Thoughts. This excel lent work is dedicated to his sister, the Lady Ranelagh, whose name he conceals under the fictitious appellation of Sophronia; and contains thoughts upon various sub- jects which strongly evince his wit, learning, and piety. In these reflections, however, he followed too closely that VOL. 1.