Newton's telescope and ... Hooke's microscope... as above, so below ? The year of 1660 , saw the restoration of the monarchy with the crowning of Charles II. A country still dealing with the grinding of great religious tectonic plates and over ten years of Cromwellian puritanism accepted the new king as a necessary stabilising force. The English tree of knowledge sprang forth refreshed; as 1660 also saw the founding of The Royal Society, or, to give it its more explanatory title: The Royal Society of London for the improvement of Natural Knowledge . England may have had a monarch once more, but the tide of communication could not be stopped. This is evidenced by The Royal Society's motto: Nullius in verba (Take nobody's word for it.) The idea now was to gain knowledge through experim