INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY. 
19 
mentioned by How and Merrett, as being either mere va- 
rieties, or foreign plants, unjustly called British. 
Ray gave a new character to botany, and by his illus- 
trating every part of natural history, has left behind him 
a series of works which has rendered his name equally dur- 
able with the science and the Latin language. He merits 
therefore peculiar notice, particularly as his life shows that 
riches are not necessary to acquire the highest honours in 
science, since his own origin was of the most humble de- 
scription. He was born in 1628 at Black Notley, near 
Braintree in Essex, where his father was a blacksmith, and, 
as usual in the country, probably a farrier. Being in- 
structed in Latin in the grammar-school of Braintree, he 
went to Cambridge when 1 6 years of age. At 2 1 he was 
there chosen minor-fellow of Trinity College ; at 23 was 
made Greek lecturer ; at 25 mathematical lecturer ; and at 
27 humanity reader. These early appointments show the 
opinion his fellow-collegians entertained of his abilities. 
No establishment for the study of natural history was then 
formed at Cambridge, although Oxford already possessed 
a botanic garden. Mr. Ray, therefore, collected a few of 
his associates, and formed a small society for this purpose. 
In December, 1660, being then 32, he entered the church ; 
but in September, 1662, on refusing to subscribe an opi- 
nion, that an act of parliament could render an oath not 
binding upon those who had taken it, he was superseded 
in his college appointments, and deprived of all hope of 
church preferment. One of his fellow-students, Mr. Wil- 
loughby, took him several journeys, engaged him as tutor 
to his children, and upon his death left his MSS. upon 
birds and fishes, as also his two sons to his care, with an 
annuity of 60Z. a year. The small patrimony he received 
from his father he settled, at his marriage, upon his wife, 
by whom he had four daughters, three of whom survived 
him. He died 17th January, 1706, at his native place 
(to which he retired some years after Mr. Willoughby’s 
death), in the same humble state as he began life. 
Besides his two catalogues already mentioned, he pub- 
lished at different times, 
A Catalogue of Plants observed in his travels. 
A new Method of Plants. 
A History of Plants, in three large volumes, folio, in 
which upwards of 17,000 plants are enumerated, and the 
greatest part accurately described. 
c 2 
