182 LETTERS FROM THE REV. WM DERHAM D.D.
at the date the Doctor wrote this letter ; however, towards the
end of that year they purchased for their meetings a house
in Crane Court, and so moved again. Later on the Society moved
once more to apartments in Somerset House, but since 1857
they have been located at Burlington House.
Sr
I would have sent you all or some of your Books before now,
but I have not been able to dispatch with them what I take notice
of relating to vegetables, having other Books to compare with them
at ye same time : & I have been so extreamly ill last week, yt I
could scarce look into a Book. I thank God I am well enough
(tho' weak still) to venture to London to morrow to get Sr Hen :
Ashurst's hand to my Diploma for Mr. Boyles Leet-, he being
lately come thither for 3 or 4 days only ; & I imagine it may be
necessary to shew him what I have done, therefore beg the favour
of you to send me those volumes of my Sermons yon have. What
you have not read you shall have again. & I will intreat the favour
of you to run them all over, & to censure, correct, & improve them
with all impartiality ; wch will be a great act of friendship & favour
to.
Your much obliged humble Servt
W. Derham.
Upmr. * Aug 6. 1710.
The Doctor here alludes to his being selected to deliver the
Boyle lectures. These lectures were instituted by the Hon.
Robt. Boyle, who by his will, dated 1691, left a sum of £50 a
year in order to provide that "some learned divine" should
preach eight sermons in London every year upholding the
truth of the Christian religion against notorious infidels, viz. :
"Atheists, Theists, Pagans, Jews, and Mohometans." In the
first instance he charged his house in the City of London with
payment of this sum, but it was not an adequate security for
the punctual payment of the annuity, as it was found that some-
times the house stood empty ; and sometimes the tenant was
unable to pay the annuity. By the efforts of Archbishop Tenison,
this charge of £50 was in some way ultimately transferred to
other property at Brill in Bucks, which had belonged to Mr.
Boyle and which from its then greater annual value provided a
much better security than the house in the City did.
The first trustees for the lectures were Dr. Tenison, Sir
Henry Ashurst, Sir John Rotheram and the celebrated John
Evelyn.
Judging from this letter, at the time the Doctor wrote, Sir