Letter 3424

Dereham was told that Sloane has been ‘promoted into the most eminent Post of President of the Royall Society’. He sent letters to inform the universities and virtuosi of Italy and received many letters of congratulations in return, which he will forward to Sloane. Monsignor Bianchi ‘has promised me a Globe of his new discovery of the Revolution of Venus in 24 days & 3 hours for the use of the Society as soone as it shall come out of the press, which will be just after Easter & in due time the plan & elevation of the Domus Aurea of Nero, that he has with labour & industry traced out whereby those that delight in Antiquities will be vastly pleased.’ Dereham has sent books to the Royal Society, which should soon arrive. Sir Thomas Dereham (c. 1678-1739) was a British expatriate and Roman Catholic who lived in Italy. He had a close association with the Royal Society (https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28Surname%3D%27dereham%27%29).