376 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



wherein you might stand in need of assistance, but be- 

 cause, in the" circumstances I am, I do not foresee any 

 likelihood of that. 



This morning I sent you by. carrier M. Tournefort's 

 ' Institutions/ which I had done sooner had I known 

 you needed them. I am now busy in running over Mr. 

 Bobart's History, wherein I find more new plants than I 

 expected; a great part- whereof are owing to Dr. Sherard's 

 collections, so that it is likely to take me up a great deal 

 of time. 



I thank God I. am able to go on with this work, though 

 I have little or no absolute intermission of pain ; and so 

 it is more troublesome and difficult to me by far than it 

 would be were I well. I thank you for your advice, and 

 do find myself at present somewhat better as to those 

 particulars I mentioned. 



I have a small present for you, a little tractate of about 

 half a dozen sheets of paper, which I drew up at the re- 

 quest of a friend last winter, entitled, a 'Persuasive 

 to a Holy Life,' &c. It hath been finished a pretty 

 while, and I wonder Mr. Smith is so slow in putting it 

 to sale, and that I hear nothing from him about it. 



I am, Sir, 



Your very affectionate and much obliged 

 friend and servant, 



JOHN RAT. 



I suppose Dr. Sherard showed you Father Camel's 

 letter to me ; I am very solicitous about the descriptions, 

 designs, and draughts he mentions to have sent, and 

 should be glad to hear of them. 



For his honoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloane, 

 at his house at the corner of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloomsbury square, London. 



