▁wealth y ▁fellow ▁pup ils . ▁ ▁Although ▁aff lu ent ▁students ▁often ▁left ▁university ▁without ▁a ▁degree , ▁Will ugh by ▁completed ▁his ▁B A ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁and ▁his ▁MA ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 6 6 0 . ▁He ▁also ▁joined ▁Gray ' s ▁Inn ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 7 , ▁not ▁an ▁unusual ▁step ▁for ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁property ▁who ▁might ▁have ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁legal ▁disput es . ▁Will ugh by ▁and ▁Ray ▁had ▁collabor ated ▁at ▁Tr inity ▁on ▁several ▁" ch ym istry " ▁projects , ▁including ▁making ▁" s ug ar ▁of ▁lead " ▁and ▁extract ing ▁ant im ony , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 3 ▁Will ugh by , ▁then ▁aged ▁ 2 7 , ▁was ▁elected ▁a ▁founder ▁Fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁on ▁the ▁nomin ations ▁of ▁Ray ▁and ▁John ▁Wil kins , ▁who ▁became ▁Master ▁of ▁Tr inity ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 0 , ▁and ▁eventually ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Ch ester . ▁In ▁ 1 6 6 7 ▁Ray ▁was ▁also ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁Fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society , ▁but ▁was ▁exc used ▁the ▁subscription ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁relative ▁pover ty . ▁ ▁Tra vel s ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁six teenth ▁and ▁early ▁sevent e enth ▁centuries , ▁Francis ▁Ba con ▁had ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁adv ancement ▁of ▁knowledge ▁through ▁observation ▁and ▁experiment , ▁rather ▁than ▁re lying ▁on ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁Arist ot le ▁and ▁the ▁church . ▁The ▁Royal ▁Society ▁and