34 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



about this period, Wray), having thus the world 

 before him, made an arrangement with Mr. Wil- 

 lughby for a tour on the Continent ; and in this 

 plan two of his pupils were included, Mr. Nathaniel 

 Bacon and Mr., afterwards Sir Philip, Skippon. 

 They sailed for Calais in April, 1663, but being 

 prevented by the state of political affairs from 

 prosecuting their journey through France, they 

 traversed the Low Countries and Germany, pro- 

 ceeding by Venice into Italy, most of whose cities 

 they visited, either by sea or land, as well as Malta 

 and Sicily ; and returned by Switzerland, through 

 France, into England in the spring of 1666. 



Mr. Willughby, indeed, separated from the rest 

 of the party at Montpellier, and visited Spain. An 

 ample account of their observations was published 

 by Ray in 1673, making a thick octavo volume. 

 The travellers studied politics, literature, natural 

 history, mechanics, and philosophy, as well as 

 antiquities and other curiosities ; but in the fine 

 arts they assume no authority, nor display any 

 considerable taste or knowledge. Mr. Willughby's 

 account of Spain makes a part by itself, and a rich 

 critical catalogue of such plants, not, for the most 

 part, natives of England, as were observed in this 

 tour, concludes the volume. There is no doubt 

 that Ray has the credit of having discovered several 

 species of plants in Switzerland not previously 

 known to belong to that country. Ray passed the 

 summer of 1666 partly at Black Notle)y^nd partly 

 in Sussex, studying chiefly the works of Hook, 



