132 MEMOIR OF 



distance of some years after the death of Mr 

 Willughby, an attempt was made to set aside the 

 will of a Lady Glanville, on the ground of lunacy, 

 because she had shewn a strong partiality for 

 insects; and Mr Ray had to. appear on the day 

 of trial, to bear testimony to her sanity!* Nor 

 were there those inducements of an honorary 

 description then, as now ; the Royal Society had 

 not even existed as such, till some years after Mr 

 Willughby had addicted himself to his favourite 

 studies. 



Another excellence of character which he exhi- 

 bited in the highest perfection, was his due esti- 

 mate of birth, fortune, and talent, " not con- 

 tenting himself therewith, or valuing himself on 

 them, but labouring after what might render him 

 more deservedly honourable and more truly to be 

 called his own, as being obtained by the concur- 

 rence at least of his own endeavours." With 

 respect to birth, a distinction which, like some 

 others, is despised chiefly by those who do not 

 possess it, if- it be a fact, that the consciousness 

 in an individual of being able to trace distinctly 

 his origin through a long succession of persons 

 chiefly distinguished by the rewards of merit, 

 or the due performance of those duties which the 

 inferior grades of society expect from privileged 

 station, is really a motive felt by him who forms 

 the existing member in the series of illustrious 

 descent, inclining him to avoid whatever is 

 mean in conduct, and to pursue whatever is 



* Life of Ray in the Naturalist's Library. 



