100 RAY AND SOME OF HIS FELLOW-WORKERS 



talent, for lie was sent to the neighbouring grammar 

 school at Braintree, and afterwards, at the cost of one 

 Squire Wyvill, to the university of Cambridge. He 

 became fellow and tutor of Trinity; while still a layman, 

 he was selected to preach before the university, and his 

 discourses attracted some attention. At thirty-five he 

 was not only learned in the ancient literatures, and 

 competent in divinity, but known to some few as a 

 naturalist of great promise. He had gathered about 

 him undergraduates who were fond of natural history, 

 some of them heirs to great estates, and had secured the 

 co-operation of Francis Willughby, the ablest and most 

 zealous of the little company, in a scheme for the 

 methodical investigation of the animals and plants of all 

 accessible parts of the world. He had already traversed 

 most parts of England and Wales, besides the Lowlands 

 of Scotland, in search of rare plants and other natural 

 curiosities, and these travels he was afterwards to extend 

 beyond the seas. 



Such were Eay's achievements and prospects when 

 his future was darkened by misfortunes heavy enough 

 to crush a man of no more than ordinary courage and 

 patience. Charles II was restored to the throne of his 

 fathers. The change seemed at first propitious to Ray, 

 who was, what he continued to be to the day of his 

 death, a sincere but moderate churchman. He was 

 ordained by Bishop Sanderson a few months after the 

 Restoration, and was looking forward to an honourable 

 career in church and university when the Act of Uni- 

 formity was passed. Ray had no scruples about any of 

 the doctrines or offices of the Church of England. He 

 had never signed the Solemn League and Covenant, 

 which was reprobated by the Act of Uniformity; indeed, 

 he considered it an unlawful oath. But the Act required 



