Ray. 277 
devoting fifty years of his life to the culti- 
vation of the fciences he loved. Incited by 
the moft ardent genius, which overcame in- 
numerable difficulties and difcouragements, 
his labours were, in the end, crowned with 
a fuccefs, before almoft unequalled. He 
totally reformed the ftudies of botany and 
zoology ; he raifed them to the dignity of 
a fcience, and placed them in an advan- 
tageous point of view ; and, by his own 
inveftigations, added more real improve- 
ment to them in England, than any of his 
predeceflbrs* 
He invented and defined many terms, ex- 
preffive of ideas before unknown to the na- 
turalifts of England ; and introduced many 
others, from writers of the befi: note. x\s he 
wrote Latin in great purity, and with great 
facility, he gave his fubjeils all the embellifh- 
ments that learning could beftow 5 and his 
extenfive erudition, and knowledge of phi- 
lofophy at large, enabled him to add many 
collateral ornaments, and ufeful obferva- 
tions, with an aptitude and judgment that 
has been much applauded. 
The extent of his improvements in fci- 
ence procured him the admiration of his 
T 3 contem» 
