68 



MEMORIALS OF RAY : 



the botany of the countries he visited, is evident from the 

 different editions of his ' Catalogus Plantarum Angha^,' 

 and ' Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum.' 



All this while Mr. Ray continued to enjoy his fellow- 

 ship and to cultivate his Cambridge connexions ; but, in 

 September, 1662, his tranquillity was disturbed by the 

 too famous Bartholomew Act, by which two thousand 

 conscientious divines were turned out of their livings, and 

 many fellows of colleges deprived of their maintenance 

 and means of literary improvement. Among the latter, 

 was the subject of our memoir, with thirteen honest men 

 at Cambridge besides, of whose names he has left us a 

 list. One of them. Dr. Dillingham, was master of 

 Emanuel College ; but Bay was the only person of his 

 own college who suffered this deprivation. The reader 

 must not suppose that he, or perhaps any other person 

 in this illustrious catalogue, was in the least degree de- 

 ficient in attachment to the doctrine or discipline of the 

 Church of England, or that they had taken the oath, 

 called the Solemn League and Covenant, which Bay 

 certainly had neither taken nor ever approved. They 

 were required to swear to the infamous proposition, that 

 the said oath was not binding to those who had taken it, 

 and on this ground they conscientiously gave up their 

 preferment. It is curious to read the apology made for 

 Bay to Dr. Derham on this subject, by a Mr. Brokesby, 

 — " that he was at that time absent from his college, 

 where he might have met with satisfaction to his scruples; 

 and was among some zealous nonconformists who too 

 much influenced him by the addition of new scruples. 

 And we may also ascribe somewhat to the prejudice of 

 education in unhappy times." By this it appears that 

 the " scruples'' of nonconformists were most favorable 

 to the sanctity of an oath ; and that the " imhappy times" 

 alluded to were more advantageous to principle than the 

 golden days of Charles II, whose ministers, doubtless, 

 valued the obedience far more than the honesty of any 

 man ; nor is this taste by any means peculiar to them or 

 their profligate master. 



