340 CORRESPONDENCE Ol 1 RAY. 



Mr. RAY to Dr. HANS SLOANE. 



Black Notley, May 13, 98. 



SIR, Lest you should be doubtful and solicitous 

 about the safe conveyance of your last papers, I thought 

 it necessary to acquaint you that I received them on 

 Sunday last, and should have made some progress in 

 them, had I not been busied in writing an answer to a 

 letter I lately received from Dr. Hotton, professor of 

 physic and botanies in Ley den. Whereas you desire my 

 opinion of your history when I shall have finished the 

 reading of it. I need not defer so long to give you it, 

 for the end I know is answerable to the beginning and 

 middle, and the whole, to speak impartially, without 

 being biassed or influenced by interest or affection, though 

 I cannot truly say with the historian Quorum causas pro- 

 cul habeo ; the whole I think to be an excellent work, and 

 of great use to the ingenious and inquisitive, nay, to 

 those that have but a smattering in botanies, and even to 

 the vulgar themselves ; containing many instructive re- 

 marks and observations concerning the nature and uses 

 of many plants, culinary, medicinal, and mechanical, not 

 to mention others that are chiefly luciferous. But enough 

 of this, and perhaps though true more than your modesty 

 can well bear. In my dealings with Mr. Smith I shall 

 chiefly be governed by yours and Dr. Robinson's advice ; 

 I think I have formerly acquainted you how far I have 

 been obliged by him, and therefore would willingly deal 

 friendly and ingenuously with him, having no reason to 

 the contrary, excepting the deferring the publication of 

 my Synopsis Avium and Piscium, of which the reason 

 he pretends is his distrust of the sale of it. But I am 

 now in some haste, and therefore shall at present take 

 leave, resting, 



Sir, 



Your very affectionate friend and humble servant, 



JOHN RAY. 



To his honoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloane, 

 at his house at the corner of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloomsbury square, London. 



