304 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



Dr. VAUGHAN and Dr. WOOD to Mr. RAY.* 



SIR, And now, sir, I shall take the freedom to press 

 you to favour the learned world with the icons of the 

 plants described in your history, which would render it 

 the most complete work of the sort the whole world 

 affords ; it is a work which you in your ' Historia Plan- 

 taram' express an inclinableness to, and which I am 

 heartily sorry you have not met with due encouragement 

 to perform. Sir, I need not lay before you the great 

 difficulties which the lovers of botany are forced to en- 

 counter by reason of the want of this most desirable 

 work, nor urge you how agreeable it would be to the 

 botanic world, but especially to your curious countrymen ; 

 neither need I tell you, what without the least suspicion 

 of flattery I justly may, that of all men that ever were 

 in England, you are without dispute allowed to be the 

 most fit to perform such a work. Pray, therefore, sir, 

 think on some expedient by which we may be enabled 

 to reprint your history, and render it complete by the 

 addition of the cuts and another review, which will make 

 it much more correct. I question not but that I can 

 procure at least eighteen subscriptions in this poor king- 

 dom for the promotion of so advantageous a work. But 

 if you find that this will not quit cost, if you printed 

 only the small icons of the plants and their names in 

 quarto or octavo, I am confident you would highly oblige 

 all that have the least curiosity to promote their know- 

 ledge in botanies. Sir, Dr. Wood, Dr. Mitchell, and I, 

 have resolved to be as curious as our leisures will permit 

 in making a collection of what plants this kingdom 

 affords. We have begun this summer atWexford, where 

 we casually meet to drink the medicinal waters, and in 

 the month we stayed there we made up a catalogue of 



* Dr. Vaughan having given an account of the fatal consequence of eight 

 young^ lads eating of hemlock water-dropwort [(Enanthe crocata, Linn.] 

 (published in Phil. Trans., p. 283) proceeds thus. W. D. 



