in general, denotes a number of persons united together for their mutual assistance, security, interest, or entertainment.

The social principle in man is of such an expansive nature, that it cannot be confined within the circuit of a family, of friends, of a neighbourhood: it spreads into wider systems, and draws men into larger communities and commonwealths; since it is in these only, that the more sublime powers of our nature attain the highest improvement and perfection of which they are capable.

Royal Society, an academy or college, established by charter, by king Charles II. for promoting natural knowledge, and useful arts, by experiments.

It consists of several hundred fellows, or members, mostly British; some persons of the highest rank, and many eminent gentlemen and learned men of other nations. Their meetings are held once a week, at their house in Crane-Court, Fleet-street, London; where they discourse upon the productions and rarities of nature and art, and consider how the same may be improved for the good of mankind: here are also read letters, and other philosophical papers, sent by ingenious persons both at home and abroad; upon which they discourse in the plainest manner, without affecting studied speeches.

This society, of which his Britannic majesty is perpetual patron, is governed by a council of twenty-one members; ten of whom are yearly chosen out of the society, on St. Andrew's-day. The chief of the council bears the title of president, whose proper office is, to call and dissolve the meetings; to propose the matter to be debated; call for experiments; and admit such members as shall be elected, which must be by a majority of at least twenty-one votes; whereupon he is admitted, after paying 40s. and subscribing that he will endeavour to promote the good of the Royal Society of London by the improvement of natural knowledge; and being thus admitted, he afterwards pays 13s. a quarter, as long as he continues a member of the society.

Society for the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce. The public spirit of this age is nowhere more remarkably shewn, than in the flourishing condition of this valuable society, whose object is the improvement of the polite, useful, and commercial arts, in all their various branches, by exciting industry and emulation among all who can be stimulated by honorary or pecuniary rewards. It was set on foot in the year 1753, by the Lord Folkestone, Lord Romney, Dr. Hales, and seven or eight private gentlemen, who were brought together by the unwearied pains of Mr. William Shipley, who had long laboured to reduce into practice a scheme he had formed for this purpose. This society, at their second meeting, determined to make a beginning, by proposing rewards for the discovery of cobalt, for the encouragement of boys and girls in the art of drawing, and for the planting of madder in this kingdom. And now money being wanted, a voluntary subscription was begun; soon after which a plan was drawn up for forming, regulating, and governing the society: and now the utility of such a society became so well understood, that immediately several noblemen and gentlemen offered themselves as members; and ever since that time, its increase has been so extraordinary, that it consists of several thousand members, among whom are most of the nobility, and persons of large fortunes in the kingdom. The officers of this society are, a president, eight vice-presidents, a registrar, a secretary, and an assistant-secretary, who are all chosen by ballot annually on the first Tuesday in March. Every person desiring to be a member of this society must be proposed by three members: his name, addition, and place of abode, being read aloud by the secretary, he is ballotted for at the next meeting: he shall be deemed a perpetual member upon payment of twenty guineas, or a subscribing member upon payment of any sum not less than Society for the reformation of manners, and putting in execution the laws against immorality and profaneness. It was set on foot about forty years ago, by five or six private persons in London, but is since exceedingly increased by numbers of all denominations. A particular body of the most considerable hereof, bear the expense of prosecutions, &c., without any contribution from the rest. These chiefly apply themselves to the prosecuting people for swearing, drunkenness, and profaning the Sabbath. Another body, of about fifty persons, apply themselves to the suppressing lewdness, and by them above five hundred lewd houses have been actually suppressed; a third body consists of constables; and a fourth of informers. Besides these, there are eight other regular mixed bodies of house-keepers and officers, who inspect the behaviour of the constables and other officers, assist in searching disorderly houses, seizing offenders, giving information, &c. There are several other societies of this kind at Bristol, Canterbury, Nottingham, &c.

Society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts, was instituted by king William, in 1701, for securing a maintenance for an orthodox clergy, and making other provisions for the propagation of the gospel in the plantations, colonies, frontiers, &c. To that end he incorporated the archbishops, several bishops, and other nobility, gentry, and clergy, to the number of ninety, with privilege to purchase two thousand pounds per year, inheritance and estates for lives or years, with other goods to any value. They meet yearly on the third Friday of February, to chuse a president, vice-president, and other officers; and the third Friday in every month to transact business, debate fit persons to take subscriptions for the said uses, and of all moneys so received to give account to the lord chancellor, &c. They have a standing committee at the chapter-house, to prepare matters for the monthly meeting which is held at St. Martin's library.

Society for propagating Christian knowledge. This was begun in 1699 by some persons of worth, &c. Its original design was to propagate religion in the plantations, to secure the pious education of the poor at home, and to reclaim those that err in the fundamentals of Christianity. In the year 1701, they had procured considerable charities, and transmitted the same to the plantations, in libraries, bibles, catechisms, &c., with a voluntary maintenance for several ministers to be employed in the plantations; but the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts being then instituted, they were incorporated by charter in the same, and thus discharged as a particular society from the further pursuit of that branch of their original design; whereupon they wholly turned themselves to the other, and are now very considerable by great accretions from the clergy and laity. They meet weekly to concert measures for raising charity for educating poor children, and setting up schools for that purpose, as also for the more regular disposal of books for the instruction of the ignorant, erroneous, &c.

For the other societies established by charter, see College, Company, Corporation, and Stocks Society, in Scots law. See Law, Tit. xxii. 5.