40 MEMOIR OF RAY. 



prayers and devotional exercises, written on occa- 

 sion of the death of some of his friends, which are 

 calculated to convey an exalted idea of his piety. 

 His social circle being thus diminished, and finding 

 himself with a settled occupation likely to be of con- 

 siderable duration, he sought to increase his domes- 

 tic comforts by marriage. His choice was a young 

 woman then residing at Middleton-Hall, named Mar- 

 garet Oakley, the daughter of a gentleman of that 

 name, belonging to Launton in Oxfordshire. The 

 marriage was celebrated in Middleton church, on 

 the 5th June 1673, Ray being then in his forty-fifth 

 year, and the lady not above twenty. 



After this event, he continued to reside at Mid- 

 dleton-Hall, and to superintend the education of his 

 pupils ;* a task in which Mrs Ray is said to have 

 lightened his labour by teaching some of the easier 

 branches herself. For the use of his pupils, he 

 composed a small work named Nomenclator Classi- 

 cus, which was first published in 1672. The object 

 of it was to give a correct explanation of Greek and 

 Latin terms, especially such as apply to natural ob- 

 jects ; a purpose for which it is said to have been 

 of essential service. 



For several years subsequent to his marriage, 



* The eldest of these youths was created a baronet 

 when about ten years of age, but died before attaining 

 majority. The younger was raised to the peerage by 

 Queen Anne, under the title of Lord Middleton. Their 

 sister Cassandra* became Countess of Caernarvon. 



