$66 



Bifhop Wiikins to 7l/r. Willughby. 



SIR> • Q£l. zo. 1 666. 



"T Venture this Letter not without fome doubt whe- 

 Jt ther it be like to find you at home or not. I 

 thought it fitting to inform you, that the lateJFire 

 hath deftroyed all the Impreffion that was wrought 

 off, viz. 42. Sheets of the Book I was printing a , ex- 

 cepting only one Copy of each Sheet, which w r as fent 

 to me from the Prefs, which I had with me in the 

 Countrey, befides the written Copy of the whole ie- 

 cond Book, and the Di&ionary from the beginning 

 of the, Letter which I had likewife fent Entire to 

 the Prefs } the renewing of which will be no fmall 

 Trouble and Difficulty to me. But 1 am not hereby 

 difcouraged from the Thoughts of beginning again; 

 Only, before I fet about it, I muft defire your beft 

 i\fliftance for the regular Enumeration and defining 

 of the Families of Plants and Animals. I thought 

 to have found great Benefit in this Kind by Dr. Mer- 

 refs late Book, but it hath not anfwer'd my Expe- 

 ftationj nor do I know any Perfon in this Nation 

 who is fo well able to affift in fuch Matters as your 

 felf, efpecially if we could procure Mr. Rafs Com- 

 pany to join in it. I would fain know whether you 

 are like to come up to -Town for any Time this Win- 

 ter, and when, that I may farther confult with you 

 here : If not, I would be willing to wait upon you 

 in the Countrey, where I fuppofe you have all the 

 Books neceflary for fuch Enquiries j but then I would 

 earnefily defire that we might have Mr. Ray's Com- 

 pany and Help, if you can contrive it. If I could 

 fully fatisfy my felf in the methodical Enumeration 

 of fuch things, I would put out the next Edition in 

 Folio, with handfpmc Cuts of all fuch things as are fit 



a This Book was his Real Character, 



to 



