486 Miscellaneous, 



in that and the neighbouring Islands, engaged me to write to you, 

 to entreat you, if you have not already disposed of them, to commu- 

 nicate some part to S r Thomas, who I know will be very thankfull 

 to you for them. Mr. Pratt will take care of them, and part of the 

 product you may command. Being advised by Dr. Robinson that 

 my first letter in answer to yours miscarried, I wrote a second, 

 which I hope came to your hands. I should be glad to hear what 

 progresse you have made in order to the publishing your curious 

 Observations and Discoveries, whereby you will much oblige the 

 learned Naturalists of this Age, and erect a lasting monument to your 

 own memory. 



Black Notley, I am, Sir, your very humble servant, 



Jan. 8, — 89. John Ray. 



For Dr. Hans Sloane, to be left at Mr. Wilkinson's, at the Black Boy, 

 over against St. Dunstan's Church, in Fleet Street, London. 



[Ibid. fol. 136. Orig.-] 



Sir, — Monday last I received your kind Letter, attended with a 

 rich Present of Sugar to my wife. They were both very gratefull 

 and acceptable ; onely the latter was too great and inadequate to 

 any merit of mine to be received without some shame ; as well the 

 quality as quantity concurring to render it valuable. You have so 

 highly pleased and obliged my wife, that she is much in commen- 

 dation of your generosity, and returns you her humble service and 

 hearty thanks ; wishing that you were heer to partake of some of 

 the effects of your kindnesse. 



I have been importunate with you to hasten the publication of 

 your Discoveries in the History of Nature, as well for the advance- 

 ment of reall knowledge and gratification of the learned and inqui- 

 sitive, as for your own deserved honour ; that some other man might 

 not prevent you, and by some means or other intercept what is yours. 

 I am glad you make such progresse, and cannot but approve your 

 deliberation and circumspection ; and agree with you that the clear- 

 ing up of difficulties and reconciling of Authors, and reducing and 

 settling the severall histories and relations of species, will be a thing 

 of eminent use, and of as much advantage to the Reader as pains to 

 the Author. 



The little plant you sent formerly you now conclude to be the 

 Callitriche Plinii of Columna, and so it may be, I having never seen 

 that ; I find it overseen and omitted by me in my History ; I suppose 

 because, being seminiferous, I deferred it when I entred the Lenti- 

 culce ; thinking to put it in in another place, and afterwards forgate it. 



Those instances you would have added to my Discourse con- 

 cerning the Wisdome of God, I know are so considerable, that I am 

 sorry my Book wants them, which might have recommended it to the 

 Reader. If I had thought you would have been willing to spare time 

 to peruse it, you should have had a sight of the Copy before it had 

 been committed to the Presse. 



I am this morning sending away my Discourses concerning the 

 Primitive Chaos and Creation of the World, the General Deluge, 



