CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 371 



Mr. RAY to Dr. HANS SLOANE. 



Black Notley, April 13, 1700. 



SIR, Upon reading your letter of the 6th instant, I 

 could not but be moved with indignation against those 

 vile rogues, who, when they failed in their attempt of 

 breaking open your house, were so malicious as to set it 

 on fire. I congratulate with you your deliverance from 

 so great* a danger, and humbly thank God on your 

 behalf. 



The scurrilous pamphlet entitled the ' Transactioneer' 

 I did always believe to be no better than you repre- 

 sent it. 



And for Dr. Plukenet, I look upon him as an ill-natured 

 man, and liable to mistakes, however confident and self- 

 conceited he may be, that I say nothing of his unskillful- 

 ness and want of exactness in the Latin and Greek 

 tongues. His arrogance and overweening opinion of 

 himself and his performances appears by that heruisti- 

 chium prefixed to his ' Phytography,' Nil nisi prtemia 

 desunt. 



I do not urge the sending me your Magellan Straits 

 plants ; I am in no haste for them, but can well wait 

 your leisure. 



I did not expect so great and rich an addition to my 

 Supplement of History, as you tell me Dr. Sherard in- 

 tends generously to contribute, in which respect it is well 

 my undertakers were so dilatory in beginning upon it. It 

 will be greatly for the advantage of the work, if ever it 

 come to be published. I should be very glad to see 

 Dr. Sherard, and to have some conference with him, 

 though loth I am he should put himself to the trouble 

 and expense of such a journey for my sake. Please to give 

 my service to him, and tell him so much. 



