CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 339 



Mr. RAY to Dr. HANS SLOANE. 



Black Notley, April 27, 98. 



SIR, I have been so interrupted and disturbed lately, 

 that I have not been able to finish the two tribes you 

 last sent me. I presume Mons. Gundeleschmir since his 

 return to London hath acquainted you that he hath been 

 with me. He endeavoured to excuse Mons. Tournefort, 

 and to vindicate him from the imputation of rudeness 

 and incivility in his treating of me in his ' Elem. 

 Botaniq.' wherewith he hath been charged. I can easily 

 pass it by, because he hath treated me no worse than I 

 deserve!**" But truly his method, considering it with all 

 the indifference I can, seems to me faulty and liable to 

 many exceptions ; and as for what he hath written against 

 my ' Dissertation,' it admits in most particulars of an 

 easy answer, as I may afterwards show. I own him to 

 be a skillful herbarist, and had he let me alone I should 

 not have opposed his method, but permitted every one 

 his freedom to embrace and follow what seemed best to 

 him ; only I might have corrected the errors of mine own, 

 as many as I knew of, and set it in as good a light as I 

 could. I hope you will, I do not say take the liberty, 

 but do me the favour to correct whatever you find amiss 

 in my Supplement, and to add, cut off, and alter what- 

 ever you observe to be deficient, redundant, and incon- 

 gruous, or erroneous. I remember I was in some places 

 doubtful about your meaning, and therefore probably 

 might mistake it. 



My wife presents her humble service to you, and we 

 both many thanks for your intended present of sugar, 

 which we can hardly without violation of modesty receive 

 at your hands. You do bencficia beneficiis cumulare, and 

 even load us with your kindness. I cease to give you 

 further trouble, and rest, Sir, 



Your very affectionate friend and humble servant, 



JOHN RAY. 



For his honoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloanc, 



at his house at the corner of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloomsbury square, London. 



