PREP ACE. 



le fleuve qui nous entraine est si rapide, qu'a peine 

 pouvons-nous y paroitre.' 



I cannot refrain from giving the following extract 

 from Dr. Pulteney's Sketches, just premising that the 

 writings of John Ray must impress every one with the 

 highest sentiments of respect and veneration for that 

 eminent man, whose whole life was devoted to 

 charitable and benevolent purposes. * It may gratify 

 the curiosity of some,' says Dr. Pulteney, 'who 

 reverence the name of Mr. Ray, to be informed, that 

 in one of these excursions Dr. Watson was led, by his 

 respect to the memory of that great and good man, to 

 visit the spot where he had lived at Black Notley, in 

 Essex. This was in the year 1760. To Dr. Watson 

 this was classical ground. I was informed by him at 

 that time that he found Mr. Ray's monument removed 

 out of the church, where it formerly stood, into the 

 churchyard, and hardly visible for brambles ; these he 

 had removed while he stayed. That he found the 

 house in a state which indicated no alteration having 

 taken place, except what more than half-a-century of 

 time might be supposed necessarily to have occasioned ; 

 unless that indeed some of the windows were stopped 

 up to save the tax ; and that the orchard bore all the 



