302 Miscellaneous. 



LETTERS FROM RAY TO SIR HANS SLOANE, 



[MS. Sloan. Brit. Mus. 40.56. fol. 225. 0W</.] 



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 mali- 

 cious 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 represent it. 



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

 liable to mistakes, how ever confidant and self-conceited he may be, 

 that I say nothing of his unskilfulnesse and w'ant of exactnesse in 

 the Latine and Greek tongues. His arrogance and overweening opi- 

 nion of himself and his performances appears by that hemistichium 

 prefixt to his Phytography, Nil nisi prcemia desunt. I doe not urge the 

 sending me your Magellane-straits Plants. I am in no hast 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 intends generously to contri- 

 bute : in which respect it is well my Undertakers were so dilator}' iu 

 beginning upon it. It will be greatly for the advantage of the Work 

 if ever it comes to be pubhshedf. I should be very glad to see Dr. 

 Sherard, and to have some conference with him, though loath 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. 

 ****** 



Dr. Tournefort's Institutions may be of use to me as to the Me- 

 thodus Plantarum emendata, which I have ready for the Presse, both 

 for the correcting of some mistakes which possibly I may have com- 

 mitted, and the enlarging of it by new Observations. 



I have done w-hen I have told you that I am, 

 Sir, your very much obliged friend and humble servant, 



John Ray. 

 To his honoured friend Dr. Hans Sloane, &c. 



His farewell before his death. 

 [Ibid. fol. 284. Orig.'] 



Dear Sir, — The best of friends, these are to take a final leave of 

 you as to this world. I look upon myself as a dying man. God re- 

 quite your kindnesse expressed any ways towards me an hundred 

 fold, blesse you with a confluence of all good things in this world, 

 and eternall life and hapinesse here after. Grant us an happy meet- 

 ing in heaven. Sir, eternally yours, 



B. Not. Jan. 7, 1704. John Rat. 



When you happen to write to my singular fFrend Dr. Hotton, I 



* ' The Transactioneer, with some of his Philosophical Fancies ; in two 

 Dialogues.' 8vo, Lond. 1700. 



t The third volume, or 'Supplement of the Historia Plantamin,' was 

 published shortly before Ray's death. Fol. Lond. 1704. 



