302 Miscellaneous. 



LETTERS FROM RAY TO SIR HANS SLOANE. 



[MS. Sloan. Brit. Mus. 4056. fol. 225. Orig.'] 



Black Notley, April 13, 1700. 



Sir, — Upon Reading your Letter of the 6th instant I could not but 

 be moved with indignation against those vile Rogues who, when they 

 failed in their attempt of breaking open your House, were so mali- 

 cious as to set it on fire. I congratulate with you your deliverance 

 from so great a danger, and humbly thank God on your behalf. 



The scurrilous Pamphlet entitled the Transactioneer* I did always 

 believe to be no better than you represent it. 



And for Dr. Plukenet, I look upon him as an ill-natured man, and 

 liable to mistakes, how ever confidant and self- conceited he may be, 

 that I say nothing of his unskilfulnesse and want of exactnesse in 

 the Latine and Greek tongues. His arrogance and overweening opi- 

 nion of himself and his performances appears by that hemistichium 

 prefixt to his Phytography, Nil nisi prcemia desunt. I doe not urge the 

 sending me your Magellane- straits Plants. I am in no hast for them, 

 but can well wait your leisure. 



I did not expect so great and rich an addition to my Supplement 

 of History as you tell me Dr. Sherard intends generously to contri- 

 bute : in which respect it is well my Undertakers were so dilatory in 

 beginning upon it. It will be greatly for the advantage of the Work 

 if ever it comes to be publishedf. I should be very glad to see Dr. 

 Sherard, and to have some conference with him, though loath I am 

 he should put himself to the trouble and expense of such a journey for 

 my sake. Please to give my service to him, and tell him so much. 



* * 4f ^f -Jf * 



Dr. Toumefort's Institutions may be of use to me as to the Me- 

 thodus Plantarum emendata, which I have ready for the Presse, both 

 for the correcting of some mistakes which possibly I may have com- 

 mitted, and the enlarging of it by new Observations. 



I have done when I have told you that I am. 

 Sir, your very much obliged friend and humble servant, 



John Rat. 

 To his honoured friend Dr. Hans Sloane, &c. 



His farewell be/ore his death. 

 [Ibid. fol. 284. Orig.^ 



Dear Sir, — The best of friends, these are to take a final leave of 

 you as to this world. I look upon myself as a dying man. God re- 

 quite your kindnesse expressed any ways towards me an hundred 

 fold, blesse you with a confluence of all good things in this world, 

 and eternall life and hapinesse here after. Grant us an happy meet- 

 ing in heaven. Sir, eternally yours, 



B. Not. Jan. 7, 1704. . John Ray. 



When you happen to write to my singular ffrend Dr. Hotton, I 



• * The Transactioneer, with some of his Philosophical Fancies ; in two 

 Dialogues.' 8vo, Lond. 1700. 



t The third volume, or ' Supplement of the Historia Plantarum,' was 

 published shortly before Ray's death. Fol. Lond. 1704. 



