24 



MEMORIALS OF RAY : 



logue of English Plants' for the press, which was first 

 pubhshed in the year 1670, and afterwards in 1677. 

 His humble thoughts of which, and his other books, may 

 be seen in a Latin letter of his to Dr. Lister, of August 

 the 22d, 1670.* 



In the same letter he also takes notice of his altering 

 his name, by leaving out the W in the beginning of it. 

 This way of writing his name Wray, was what he had 

 used all the time he was in the University, at least, whilst 

 he was at Trinity, his name being always with a W in 

 the college register. And so in the ' Philosophical 

 Transactions,' before the year 1670, he writes his name 

 Wray. But this being, he saith, contrary to the way of 

 his forefathers writing their names, he therefore re- 

 assumed the name of Ray ; and, in all probability, this 

 he took to be the truest way of writing it, as being 

 derived from such places as bear the name of Ray ; as 

 the Ray-field, the Ray-house, the Ray-mead, &c. ; which 

 is appropriated to places adjoining to navigable (but not 

 exclusive of other) rivers, where people " row," or pass 

 along with boats ; and is derived, I conceive, from the 

 Saxon word nejjan, remigare, to row; or neatre, remigimn^ 

 an oar. 



In the same letter he mentions another thing relating 

 to himself, which Vi^as an ofier of two hundred pounds 

 per annum, to travel with three young noblemen into 

 foreign parts. This proposal he had once a mind to have 

 come into, and the rather, that he might review the 

 Alpine plants ; but upon more serious consideration, he 

 thought fit to spare his weakly body and stay at home ; 

 being suo modulo contentus, or as Melantus in Homer 

 saith, 



Kir'iZfjJV cLKoXovq, ovK aopag, ovSe XfjSi/rac. 



Odys. 17. 



For a close of these two years, 1669 and 1670, I shall 

 take notice of an article which I meet with among Mr. 



* See Letters. 



