CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHN RAY. 



Mr. Ray to Fk. Willtjghby, Esq.* 



Sir, — I have herewithal sent you one of my books, 

 which you had received a week sooner had not the book- 

 binder deceived me. I need say nothing either to com- 

 mend or disparage it; you know what it is as well as 

 myself. Since I fully dispatched it, one or two other 

 designs came into my head, which, you being concerned 

 in (I mean in my intentions), I shall communicate to 

 you, and desu'e first your sentence and opinion concern- 

 ing the whole; and then, in case of approbation, your 

 particidar directions as to the management and carrying 

 on. You remember that we lately, out of 'Gerard,' ' Par- 

 kinson,' and ' Phytologia Britannica,' made a collection 

 of rare plants, whose places are therein mentioned, and 

 ranked them under the several counties. My intention 

 now is to carry on and perfect that design ; to which 

 purpose I am now writing to all my friends and acquaint- 

 ance who are skillful in Herbary, to request them this 

 next summer each to search diligently his country for 

 plants, and to send me a catalogue of such as they find, 

 together with the places where they grow. In divers 

 counties I have such as are skillful and industrious : for 

 Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire I must beg yom- 

 assistance, which I hope, and am confident, you will be 

 wiUing to contribute. After that, partly by my own 



* Memorials, page 13. 



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