FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 61 



nascent! urn." The following words occur in the 

 preface : " Jam, quoniam honestum est fateri 

 per quos profeceris, generossimi Juvenes, D. 

 Franciscus Willughby et D. Petrus Courthope 

 armigeri, natalium splendore, ingenii sublimitate, 

 suavitate morum, fide, virtute illustres, non rei 

 herbaria solum callentissimi, sed in omni litera- 

 rum genere versatissimi, amici nostri, plurimum, 

 honorandi, non sunt a nobis silentio transmittendi, 

 ni ingrati aut arrogantes esse velimus. Horum 

 opera? pos saepius usos, et ab his non mediocriter 

 adjutos fuisse, in hoc opusculo concinnando libere 

 at ingenue profitemur." At the time Mr Willughby 

 rendered to Mr Ray the assistance which he 

 acknowledges with such high encomiums, he 

 could scarcely have been twenty-five years old. 

 He had also by this time entered on the study of 

 insects ; for referring to his discoveries in this 

 department Mr Ray also writes in the Catalogus, 

 p. 136, " Ingeniosissimas vir et sedulus naturae 

 indagator D. Franciscus Willughby ;" and on 

 page 137> " Observavit idem eruditissimus vir," 

 &c. 



Mr Nid died before the work was completed, 

 as appears from these words in the same preface, 

 " Interea temporis fatis concessit amicissimus 

 ille noster et individuus comes D. Joannes Nid, 

 collegii S. ; et individuae Trinitatis apud Canta- 

 brigienses socius senior meritissimus. Multis ille 

 bonis flebilis occidit, nulli flebilior quam nobis." 



Mr Ray preached his funeral sermon, in which 

 he dwells much upon his many excellent qualities 



