SOCIETY

, an assemblage or union of several learned persons, for their mutual assistance, improvement, or information, and for the promotion of philosophical or other knowledge. There are various philosophical Societies instituted in different parts of the world. See Royal Society.

American Philosophical Society, was established at Philadelphia in the year 1769, for promoting useful knowledge, under the direction of a patron, a president, three vice-presidents, a treasurer, four secretaries, and three curators. The first volume of their Transactions comprehends a period of two years, viz, from Jan. 1, 1769, to Jan. 1, 1771. Their labours seem to have been interrupted during the troubles in America, which commenced soon after; but since their termination, some more volumes have been published, containing a number of very ingenious and useful memoirs.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences, was established by a law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in North America, in the year 1780.

Boston Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a Society similar to the former, which has lately been established at Boston in New England, under the title of the Academy of Arts and Sciences &c.

Berlin Society. The Society of Natural Historians at Berlin, was founded by Dr. Martini. There is also a Philosophical Society in the same place.

Brussels Society. The Imperial and Royal Academy of Sciences and Belles Lettres of Brussels was sounded in 1773. Several volumes of their Transactions have now been published.

Dublin Society. This is an Experimental Society, for promoting natural knowledge, which was instituted in 1777: the members meet once a week, and distribute three honorary gold medals annually for the most approved discovery, invention, or essay, on any mathematical or philosophical subject. The Society is under the direction of a president, two vice-presidents, and a secretary.

Edinburgh Philosophical Society, succeeded the Medical Society, and was formed upon the plan of including all the different branches of natural knowledge and the antiquities of Scotland. The meetings of this Society, interrupted in 1745, were revived in 1752; and in 1754 the first volume of their collection was published, under the title of Essays or Observations Physical and Literary, which has been succeeded by other volumes. This Society has been lately incorporated by royal charter, under the name of the Royal Society of Scotland, instituted for the advancement of learning and useful knowledge. The members are divided into two classes, physical and literary; and those who are near enough to Edinburgh to attend the meetings, pay a guinea on admission, and the same sum annually. The first meeting was held on the first Monday of August 1783; when there were chosen, a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary, treasurer, and a council of 12 persons. Three of the volumes of their Transactions have been published, which are very respectable both for their magnitude and contents.

In France there have been several institutions of this kind for the improvement of science, besides those recounted under the word Academy: As, the Royal Academy at Soissons, founded in 1674; at Villefranche, Beaujolois, in 1679; at Nismes, in 1682; at Angers, in 1685; the Royal Society at Montpelier, in 1706, which is so intimately connected with the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, as to form with it, in some respects, one body; the literary productions of this Society are published in the memoirs of the academy: the Royal Academy of Sciences and Belles Lettres at Lyons, in 1700; at Bourdeaux, in 1703; at Marseilles, in 1726; at Rochelle, in 1734; at Dijon, in 1740; at Pau in Bern, in 1721; at Beziers, in 1723; at Montauban, in 1744; at Rouen, in 1744; at Amiens, in 1750; at Toulouse, in 1750; at Besançon, in 1752; at Metz, in 1760; at Arras, in 1773; and at Chalons sur Maine, in 1775. For other institutions of a similar nature, and their literary productions, see the articles Academy, Journal, and Transactions.

Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, is of considerable reputation, and has been lately established there, under the direction of two presidents, four vice-presidents, and two secretaries. The number | of members is limited to 50; besides these there are several honorary members, all of whom are elected by ballot; and the officers are chosen annually in April. Several valuable essays have been already read at the meetings of this Society.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Literary and Philosophical SOCIETY. This Society was instituted the 7th of February 1793, under the direction of a president, four vice-presidents, two secretaries, a treasurer, which together with four of the ordinary members form a committee, all annually elected at a general meeting. The subjects proposed for the consideration and improvement of this Society, comprehend the mathematics, natural philosophy and history, chemistry, polite literature, antiquities, civil history, biography, questions of general law and policy, commerce, and the arts. From such ample scope in the objects of the Society, with the known respectability, zeal, and talents of the members, the greatest improvements and discoveries may be expected to be made in those important branches of useful knowledge.