The PREFACE. 



publifhed them with his Life, which I began to write 

 at the Inftance of my late much Honoured and right 

 ■Reverend Diocefan Henry Lord Bifhop of London, 

 and fome other very confider able Friends, whofe Im- 

 portunities I could not with Civility with/land. ■ But 

 notwithfianding the Itineraries are in a great Forward- 

 wefs, and I have ?nade a conjiderable Progrefs in his 

 Life, yet I fear I fhall fcarce be able to accomplifl) what 

 I intended^ having much lefs Leifure now than when I 

 undertook that Work, 



As to his Letters, he had treafured up many^ or 

 moft of thofe which he had received from his learned 

 Correspondents $ which occafioned me a great, deal of 

 trouble in perufing them^ and feleSling fuch as might be 

 of ufe to the Curious: And after I had feleEied them^ , 

 / thought it necefjary to leave out all that might be of 

 little ufe^ fuch as private Bufinefs, Complements^ &c. 

 except now and then a Cltfufe^ that may be of ufe to 

 Mr. Ray'j, or fome other learned Man's Character , 

 or that may fhew their learned ProjeSls^ or give fome 

 Account of their Labours. 



So that the Reader hath in this Collection the Mar- 

 row and moft valuable Part of Mr. RayV Correfpon- 

 dences with his learned and ingenious Friends. And 

 alt ho 9 there may probably be now and then a few Paf* 

 /ages of leffer Confederation that might have been omit- 

 ted^ and a Letter or two that might have been fhortetfd^ 

 (as it was rtiy mind to have done^ had I had Health and 

 "Time) yet I hope the Reader will -find fo entertaining 

 and profitable a Variety of curious Learnings as will 

 fufficiently compenfate for Defetts^ and -caufe him to 

 thinks that neither Ihavecaft away my Time and Pains y 

 nor he his Co ft. 



Befides thefe, there were Letters of other learned 

 Men at Home and Abroad^ particularly divers from 

 Dr. Hotton, the learned Botanick Profeflbr of Ley- 

 den. But the Dottofs Relations ( foon after his Death $ 

 which was not long after Mr. Ray'j^ flriffly forbad the 



Publi* 



