FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 



ligible, yet dared I not to omit or alter 

 thing. 



"Viewing his MSS. after his death I found the 

 several animals in every kind, both birds, and 

 beasts, and fishes, and insects, digested into a 

 method of his own contriving, but few of their 

 descriptions or histories so full and perfect as he 

 intended them ; which he was so sensible of, that 

 when I asked him upon his deathbed whether it 

 was his pleasure they should be published, he 

 answered, that he did not desire it, nor thought 

 them so considerable as to deserve it, or some- 

 what to that purpose, though he confest there 

 were some new and pretty observations on 

 insects. 



" But considering that the publication of them 

 might conduce somewhat to, first, The illustra- 

 tion of God's glory by exciting men to take 

 notice of and admire his infinite power and wis- 

 dom displaying themselves in the creation of so 

 many species and animals ; and secondly, To the 

 assistance of those who addict themselves to this 

 most pleasant and no less useful part of philo- 

 sophy ; and, thirdly, Also the honour of our nation 

 in making it appear that no part of real know- 

 ledge is wholly balked and neglected by us, (he 

 not contradicting,) I resolved to publish them, 

 and first took in hand the Ornithology." Mr 

 Ray proceeds to state, that " it was neither the 

 author's nor his design to write pandects of birds, 

 comprising whatever had before been written by 

 others, whether true or fabulous ; that having been 

 performed already by Gesnerand Aldrovandus,nor 



