76 
MEMOIR OF 
positions at which the observations were severally 
taken.” 
In the October of this year, Mr Willughby 
received the following letter from Bishop Wilkins, 
preserved in the Philosophical Letters,* requesting 
his assistance in the formation of his work, “ Real 
Character and Philosophical Language.” 
October 20, 1666. 
Sir, — I venture this letter, not without some 
doubt whether it will be likely to find you at 
home or not. 
I thought it fitting to inform you that the late 
fire hath destroyed all the impression that was 
wrought off, — namely, forty-two sheets of the 
book I was printing, f excepting only one copy 
of each sheet, which was sent to me from the 
press, which I had with me in the country, besides 
the written copy of the whole second book, and 
the Dictionary from the beginning of the letter R, 
which I had. likewise sent entire to the press, the 
renewing of which will be no small trouble and 
difficulty to me. But I am not hereby discou- 
raged from the thought of beginning again ; only, 
before I set about it, I must desire your best 
assistance for the regular enumeration and defining 
of all the families of plants and animals. I thought 
to have found great benefit in this kind, by Dr 
Merret’s late book, but it hath not answered my 
expectation ; nor do I know any person in this 
* Page 366. 
t Note to this letter. — “ This was his Real Character 
